South Africa- The South African government announced a major policy change that extends health coverage to all HIV-positive babies. The new policy will also implement treatment for pregnant women with HIV to start earlier to prevent the passing of the disease to their children. This new policy is seen as a major step forward for the country, which previously questioned the link between HIV and AIDS and was slow to distribute medical treatment, claiming it was too expensive. South Africa has more HIV-positive people than any other country with 59,000 babies born HIV-positive each year.

Uruguay- A former guerilla fighter has been elected president of Uruguay this week. Jose Mujica spent 15 years in prison for participating in a Marxist-inspired revolutionary movement against the government in the 1970s. His election solidifies the power of the leftist Broad Front party, which has instituted economic and social policies geared towards alleviating poverty. Mujica has pledged to build consensus, lower unemployment, and accommodate foreign investment.

Philippines- The government of the Philippines has ordered a withdrawal of all police forces from a southern province where 56 people were killed. The decision was made in order to prevent interference into the investigation surrounding an Election Day massacre. The murders were allegedly perpetrated by a local mayor against supporters of his opponent. The province is led by a large clan that comprises the political and police leadership. Investigators say the close connections between the accused mayor and the police will harm the inquiry. The 1,092 officers will be replaced with officers from surrounding provinces.

France- Museum workers in Paris have gone on strike, shutting down some of the most famous museums in the world. The Lourve, Musee d’Orsay, and Pompidou museums, some of the most popular tourist spots in France, have been closed for a week. Workers are upset at a policy that hires replacements for only half of retiring workers. They say that the lack of staff will be catastrophic for the culture of France. French government officials fear that the strike will have a negative impact on the tourism industry. Many tourists are already complaining about the closures, which could lead to a decrease in visits.