Hundreds of thousands of opposition activists marched through the streets of Belgrade, Serbia on March 15 to protest corruption they say is rampant in Serbian President Aleksander Vucic’s regime. Student protests erupted last November after the collapse of a newly-built concrete canopy at the Novi Sad rail station, killing 15 people in the industrial city of Kragujevac. Students blamed the deadly accident on shoddy work by contractors linked to the regime.
(“Protest Against Serbian Leader Draws Over 100,000 in Biggest Crowd Yet,” New York Times, March 15, 2025; “Who will End Government Corruption? In Serbia, It May be the Students,” Christian Science Monitor, Feb. 26, 2025)
The Apple computer company is being sued by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as M23 rebels, supported by neighboring Rwanda, advances their offensive in the east of the country. Congo filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium in December, alleging that the U.S. tech giant used “laundered” minerals that were smuggled into Rwanda from conflict areas in the DRC. Congo is a major source of key rare earth minerals used in the world’s laptops and smartphones.
(“Congo Accused Apple of ‘Laundering’ Minerals,” Foreign Policy, March 12, 2025)
Just weeks after devastating wildfires destroyed entire neighborhoods in greater Los Angeles, staff layoffs and a hiring freeze imposed by President Trump and Elon Musk have gutted the ranks of firefighters and support personnel. Fire prevention professionals warn that the loss of large numbers of firefighters will leave many communities vulnerable without critical resources they need to combat the deadly consequences of wildfires when they arrive this summer.
(“Trump’s Cuts to Federal Wildfire Crews Could Have Scary Consequences,” Idaho Capital Sun, Feb. 18, 2025)
