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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.