Press "Enter" to skip to content

News Roundup: Nicaragua Election, Toxic River, and Astronaut Diapers

Nicaragua’s President Re-elected in Unfair Election

Nicaragua’s president, Daniel Ortega, appears to have been re-elected on Sunday, winning about 75% of the vote. No one is surprised by the result, since Mr. Ortega has gotten rid of almost every serious candidate opposing him. Seven opposition candidates have been thrown in jail, along with over 150 other people. Others have left the country to avoid being arrested.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Nicaragua’s president, Daniel Ortega, appears to have been re-elected on Sunday, winning about 75% of the vote. Mr. Ortega has gotten rid of almost every serious candidate opposing him. Seven opposition candidates have been thrown in jail. Above, Mr. Ortega in 2019.

Mr. Ortega first came to power in 1979, when he helped get rid of the dictator Anastasio Somoza. But in 1990 he was removed from office in the country’s first free election. Mr. Ortega was re-elected president in 2007. Since then, he has worked hard to take control of different parts of the government. His wife, Rosario Murillo, is the vice president, and his Sandinista party controls the National Assembly.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Since Mr. Ortega was re-elected president in 2007, he’s worked hard to take control of different parts of the government. His Sandinista party controls the National Assembly. Above, a poster on a mobile medical clinic showing Mr. Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo.

The European Union (EU), the United States (US), and several other countries in South and Central America have condemned the election. Some people think Mr. Ortega is worried that if he loses power, he may be charged with crimes for his past actions. When protests against the government broke out in 2018, Mr. Ortega ended them violently, and as many as 300 protesters were killed.

Toxic Foam Covers Indian River Used in Hindu Festival

A toxic chemical foam covered the Yamuna River this week near the Indian capital of New Delhi. The foam contains dangerous chemicals, which can cause breathing problems and skin problems. A four-day Hindu religious festival called Chhath also took place this week. As part of the festival, many Hindus entered the water, trying to ignore the dangerous foam.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

A dangerous toxic chemical foam covered the Yamuna River this week near the Indian capital of New Delhi. As part of a Hindu religious festival, many people entered the water, trying to ignore the dangerous foam. Above, women in the Yamuna on Wednesday.

The festival honors the Hindu sun god Surya. During the festival, people are supposed to fast (not eat) and make offerings while they’re in the water. Government workers tried to clear the foam away, but could not. Many people went into the water in spite of the danger.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

The Yamuna river is fairly clean when it gets to New Delhi. But as it passes through Delhi, it becomes highly polluted with sewage, and chemicals dumped by factories. Above, a man in New Delhi bathes in the river on Monday. The toxic foam covers the river behind him.

The Yamuna river is fairly clean when it gets to New Delhi. It’s one of the city’s most important sources of drinking water. But as it passes through Delhi, it becomes highly polluted with sewage, and chemicals dumped by factories. No fish live in the river near Delhi anymore. Villages along the Yamuna river below Delhi are forced to use the polluted water, and farmers put it on their crops.

Broken Toilet Forces Astronauts to Wear Diapers

On Monday, four astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after six months on the International Space Station (ISS). But because the toilet in the return capsule was broken, the astronauts were forced to wear diapers for the 8-hour trip home.

The Crew of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission after its splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
On Monday, four astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after six months on the International Space Station. Because the toilet in the return capsule was broken, the astronauts had to wear diapers for the 8-hour return. Above, the crew after splashing down.
(Source: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)

Still, the astronauts chose not to make a big deal of the situation. “Spaceflight is full of lots of little challenges,” said NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, “We’re not too worried about it.”

The four astronauts made a lot of progress during their time on the ISS. They ran lots of experiments and made several spacewalks to improve the station. They also grew chili peppers in space for the first time, and even used them on tacos.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Megan McArthur cleans up debris in the International Space Station’s Plant Habitat, which is growing Hatch Green chiles for the Plant Habitat-04 space crop experiment.
The four astronauts ran lots of experiments and made several spacewalks to improve the ISS. They also grew chili peppers in space for the first time, and even used them on tacos. Above, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur in front of the growing peppers.
(Source: NASA/Megan McArthur [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
Share:

Settings

Most news on NewsForKids.net is appropriate for all ages. When there is news that may not be suitable for all ages, we try to tag it. You can use the setting below to control whether content tagged in this manner is shown.