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Protests in Serbia
Vucic demands “calm and order” in counter-demonstration

Serbia’s heavily criticized President Aleksandar Vucic held his own counter-demonstration in Belgrade on Saturday in front of packed supporters.

Hundreds of thousands of Serbs have been protesting in the streets since November against corruption and misrule.

In front of his own supporters, Vucic said that he demands that the authorities restore “calm and order”.

– Their color revolution is over, Vucic said according to the Serbian newspaper Danas.

 

Political situation in Gabon
Coup leader wins in Gabon by huge margin

General Brice Oligui Nguema has been elected as the new president of the Central African nation of Gabon. Oligui Nguema led the 2023 coup that ousted Ali Bongo, whose family had ruled Gabon for over 50 years.

The margin of victory was huge: Oligui Nguema received over 90 percent of the vote and his closest rival only three percent.

Despite significant oil reserves, about a third of Gabon's 2.3 million inhabitants live in poverty, and Oligui Nguema has become popular with the population, writes AP.

At the same time, critics point out that his biggest competitors have been stopped from running and that there have been "irregularities" in the handling of votes, reports the BBC.

Even race when battered Ecuador goes to the polls

Crime and violence are the big issues when Ecuador goes to the polls on Sunday. The incumbent conservative President Daniel Noboa is challenged by the leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez and there are many indications that it will be an even story.

In the first round of elections in February, both candidates received 44 percent of the vote, with Noboa the narrow winner.

In recent years, Ecuador has gone from being one of the safest countries in South America to having the highest murder rate in Latin America. Its geographical location, with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south where large amounts of cocaine are produced, has made Ecuador a transit country for smuggling.

During his 15 months in power, Daniel Noboa has, among other things, declared a state of emergency and deployed soldiers to the streets to curb the violence.

The political situation in Brazil
Bolsonaro hospitalized with stomach pains – to undergo surgery

Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is being treated in hospital for stomach pains. These are complications that can be traced back to the knife attack against him seven years ago, several media outlets report.

In a post on X, the right-wing politician writes that he will probably need surgery.

Bolsonaro has undergone several surgeries after the knife attack, which occurred during the 2018 election campaign.

Global Public Health
Study: Three million children died from antibiotic resistance

The number of children dying as a result of antibiotic resistance has increased sharply in recent years. In 2022 alone, three million children died as a result of infections that cannot be treated with antibiotics, the BBC reports, citing a new study.

The study also shows a tenfold increase in the number of children suffering from antibiotic-resistant infections. The problem is particularly big in Africa and Southeast Asia.

– Antibiotics are everywhere around us. They end up in our food and in the environment, so it is not easy to find a simple solution, says Herb Harwell, one of the researchers behind the study.