World Report (3-10 Sep) Latest news in the world

Six Palestinian prisoners escape Israeli jail through tunnel

Israeli authorities have launched a manhunt after six Palestinian prisoners escaped from one of the country's most secure jails overnight. The men are believed to have dug a hole in the floor of their cell at Gilboa prison, then crawled through a cavity and tunnelled beneath the outer wall. It is reported that they had used a rusty spoon that they hid behind a poster.

The alarm was raised at Gilboa Prison, a high-security facility in northern Israel known as "The Safe", and it is said that authorities received reports from local farmers about "suspicious figures" in nearby agricultural fields.

Flooding in hospital killed 17 coronavirus patients in Mexico

Torrential rain caused the River Tula in the state of Hidalgo to burst its banks on Tuesday and killed 17 people at a hospital in central Mexico, most of whom were being treated for COVID-19. The deaths at the hospital in Tula could have been caused by a loss of oxygen equipment as the generators were knocked out.

Also, the earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck southwestern Mexico near the beach resort of Acapulco on Tuesday, killing at least one man who was crushed by a falling post, and causing rock falls and damaging buildings.

Russian politician faces two near-identical opponents in election

The Russian parliamentary elections are held between September 17-19, during which regions will choose members of the State Duma. A veteran Russian politician Boris Vishnevsky has complained that two opponents running against him in St. Petersburg have adopted his name and mimicked his appearance in order to confuse voters.

On Monday, Vishnevsky filed an official complaint with the Central Election Committee whose response was that only full namesakes having the same first, last, and patronymic names, are required to indicate their previous names on the ballot paper.

Non NATO-member Sweden rejects EU rapid reaction force

The proposal made by EU defence ministers of a European rapid reaction force to respond quickly to crises in the wake of the Afghanistan crisis has not been welcomed by everyone, including Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist. “I do not see that as the main line for solving these problems,” Hultqvist said.

Cooperation with the US is the backbone of European security, the defence minister told Swedish Radio, pouring cold water on the current EU defence debate. According to him, the link across the Atlantic remains particularly important for the balance and stability “in our part of the world.”

Algeria to stop supplying gas to Spain via Morocco

After unilaterally deciding to sever diplomatic relations with Rabat, Algiers has announced it will stop supplying Spain with gas through  the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, which runs overland through Morocco. Morocco is currently supplied with natural gas through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline  (GME) that links Algeria to Spain and runs across the kingdom.

According to analysts, the decision was prompted by Morocco’s calm posture  and by the widespread reactions of mockery and sarcasm on social media after Algeria’s decision to cut ties with Rabat.