Here is a summary of current global news briefs.

Gambia’s spike in child deaths linked to cough syrup under control, says president

Gambian President Adama Barrow said on Friday a rise in acute kidney injury likely linked to paracetamol syrup that has killed dozens of children in recent months was under control, with just two diagnoses in the past two weeks. . Authorities launched an investigation last month after doctors noticed in July that a number of children had developed symptoms after taking a paracetamol syrup sold locally and used to treat fever.

OPEC+ oil production drop shows growing rift between Biden and Saudi royal family

The OPEC+ organization’s decision this week to cut oil production despite strong U.S. opposition has further strained already strained relations between President Joe Biden’s White House and Saudi Arabia’s royal family, once one of the Washington’s staunchest allies in the Middle East, according to interviews with a dozen government officials. and experts in Washington and the Gulf. The White House lobbied to prevent OPEC’s production cut, the sources said. Biden hopes to keep U.S. gasoline prices from rising again ahead of the midterm elections in which his Democratic Party struggles to maintain control of the U.S. Congress. Washington also wants to limit Russia’s energy revenues during the war in Ukraine.

Memorial: The Nobel Prize is a tribute, but the fight is not easier

It may have been one of the highest honors the international community can bestow, but for human rights defenders at the Russia Memorial, the Nobel Peace Prize was above all a reminder of the struggle and the sacrifices continuous. “I want this award to help one way or another,” said Yan Rachinsky, director of the Memorial Human Rights Center. “But in any case – it indicates priorities.”

Lula leads Bolsonaro in Brazil election runoff, poll finds

Left-wing Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro with 49% of the vote to the incumbent’s 44% ahead of a runoff on Oct. 30, according to a poll released Friday.

Pollster Datafolha’s survey was conducted October 5-7, polling 2,884 people with a margin of error of 2 percentage points up or down. Datafolha was one of several polling firms criticized for understating support for Bolsonaro in the first-round vote on October 2.

Exclusive US Navy aircraft flew over the Baltic hours after Nord Stream burst

A US Navy reconnaissance plane flew near the site of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline rupture in the Baltic Sea hours after the first damage appeared, according to a follow-up reviewed by Reuters, a flight Washington called routine . Russia’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines burst on September 26, draining gas into the Baltic Sea off Denmark and Sweden. Seismologists have recorded explosions in the area and police from several countries have launched investigations.

US holds carrier drills, announces new sanctions after North Korea launch

The United States and South Korea held joint maritime drills involving a US aircraft carrier on Friday, a day after Seoul dispatched fighter jets in response to an apparent North Korean bombing exercise. The United States also announced new sanctions on Friday in response to North Korea’s latest missile launches this week, targeting a fuel supply network it says supports Pyongyang’s weapons programs and its military. .

Families traumatized by attack in Thailand cling to toys of slain children

Grieving relatives sobbed and grabbed toys from a children’s daycare center on Friday, a day after a former police officer killed 34 people, most of them young children, in a rampage with knives and guns that left horrified Thailand. Government buildings flew flags at half-mast to mourn the victims – including 23 children – of the carnage in Uthai Sawan, a town 500 km (310 miles) northeast of Bangkok, the country’s largely Buddhist capital.

Iranian state coroner says Mahsa Amini did not die from blows to body

An Iranian coroner’s report denied that Mahsa Amini died from blows to the head and limbs while in the custody of Iran’s vice police and linked her death to pre-existing medical conditions, it said on Friday. official media. The death of Amini, 22, while in police custody has sparked three weeks of nationwide unrest, marking the biggest challenge to Iranian religious leaders in years.

Putin celebrates low-key birthday as pressure on Ukraine mounts

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 70th birthday with little fanfare on Friday, amid fresh signs that key elements of his invasion of Ukraine were unfolding and sparking unprecedented criticism in his country. News programs made only brief references to the anniversary and public events were low-key – unlike just a week ago when Putin staged a huge concert in Red Square to proclaim annexation at close quarters. one-fifth of Ukrainian land.

Organization of American States chief faces investigation over romance with staffer – report

The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) is facing an internal investigation into allegations that he had a romantic relationship with a staff member who may have violated the organization’s ethics policies, reported Friday a media. The Associated Press reported that General Secretary Luis Almagro had entered into a “longtime” consensual relationship with a Mexican-born woman two decades his junior, citing half a dozen sources.

(With agency contributions.)