 Hello and welcome to the International Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch where we bring you some of the major developments from around the world. Let's take a look at today's headlines. Chile's Congress tables built to decriminalize elective abortions. Over 80 cases of sexual abuse found during the WHO's work in the DRC. Thousands of doctors go on strike in Paraguay to demand equal pay. Strike against understaffing by nurses at the US hospital crosses 200 days. Beginning with our first story, the lower house of Chile's parliament has tabled a bill to decriminalize elective abortions. The Chamber of Deputies approved the measure on September 28 despite opposition from the right-wing government. The motion was successful with 75 votes in favour, 68 against, and two abstentions. The proposed bill will legalize abortions up to 14 weeks of the pregnancy. The legislation will now be reviewed by the Chamber's Commission for Women and Gender Equity. The bill will be voted on again in the House and then move on to the Senate. Under current law, abortions are only legal in cases where there is a threat to life if the fetus is unviable or if the pregnancy is a result of rape. Activists argue that these abortions represent only 3% of the thousands of procedures performed in the country. According to the Humanas Corporation, 60 to 70,000 clandestine abortions are performed in Chile each year. The landmark vote in Chile took place on the global day of action for access to safe and legal abortion. Thousands of people held protests and marches in Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador and Peru. Abortion in Latin America is currently legal in Uruguay, Cuba, Argentina and Guyana. It is also legal in four states and Mexico City in Mexico. Moving on to our next story, 83 cases of sexual abuse have been found during the WHO's response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The allegations are part of an independent investigation commissioned by the agency. The report released on September 28th reviewed the period between August 2018 and June 2020. Investigators heard testimonies of 63 girls and women and 13 boys and men. There have been nine allegations of rape. Survivors stated that the perpetrators did not use birth control leading to some pregnancy. Some women were also forced to undergo abortions. Alleged victims, most of whom were already vulnerable, were also promised work in exchange for sexual relationships. Investigators have established with certainty that WHO employees were the perpetrators in 21 cases. The report stated that alleged victims were not provided with necessary support and assistance. It pointed to clear structural failures and individual negligence. Out of the 2,800 staff deployed under the WHO, only 371 took part in training to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation. The report also noted a systematic tendency to reject all reports of abuse unless they were made in writing. It pointed to failures in handling allegations in nine cities or villages. In our next story, over 3,000 doctors across Paraguay have launched a 14-day strike. Organized by the National Union of Physicians and CINAMED, they are demanding equal salary and a reduced workload. They are also demanding that shifts not exceed beyond 12 hours at a time. In June, the government reduced the workload of medical professionals between 55 and 59 years of age with 20 years' seniority. As a result, younger specialists and health workers who mostly work in public health were excluded from these provisions. The union argues that $30 million are needed to ensure equal pay. However, the national budget does not include this allocation. Striking doctors held a demonstration outside the Ministry of Health on September 28. Meanwhile, around 12 teachers and education workers' unions are set to observe a one-day strike on October 1. The protest action has been organized by the UNE-SIN Union. Teachers are demanding a 16% wage increase for the implementation of a minimum basic salary. They argue that the increase was stipulated under law years ago. However, the government has refused to comply and has stated that the increase will be limited to 6%. In our next story, we go to the United States where nurses in the state of Massachusetts have been on strike for over 200 days. Around 700 workers at the St. Vincent Medical Hospital walked out citing unsafe staffing levels. They are being represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The strike nearly ended in August after a tentative agreement was reached with parent company Tenet Healthcare. The deal reportedly included increases to staffing and resource nurses. It also included a wage increase from 8% to 35% by end of contract in 2024. It also offered a 3% lump sum bonus on hours worked in 2021. However, the agreement fell through after Tenet imposed a retaliatory back-to-work provision. The company has hired over 150 permanent nurses to replace the striking nurses. In the contract, it said that some of the nurses would not go back to their previous positions. The unemployment benefits given to the striking workers have also been cut. The striking nurses have filed an unfair labour practices lawsuit against Tenet. They have cited unlawful threats, retaliation and discrimination. Tenet has reportedly also awarded non-striking nurses with preferred assignments. That's all in today's episode. Stay tuned and subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Thank you.