Hard Numbers

30,000: More than 30,000 Syrians have fled their homes in the northwestern province of Idlib since a government military offensive began there last week, according to the UN. A UN official said fighting in Idlib could provoke the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century.

34: Traffic delays cost Los Angeles and New York around $19 billion and $34 billion, respectively, in 2017. The two US cities were among top 5 most congested in the world last year, joined by Moscow, Sao Paulo, and San Francisco, according to a new report from INRIX.

20: Around 20 percent of arrests in China in 2017 took place in the western province of Xinjiang – where the country’s large Muslim Uighur population is concentrated – despite the province only accounting for about 1.5 percent of China's population. That doesn’t include an estimated 700,000 to 1 million Uighurs who’ve been detained in government “re-education” camps.

5: Support for far-right Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro has jumped by 5 points to 26 percent since he was stabbed during a campaign rally last week. Bolsonaro, who lost 40 percent of his blood as a result of the attack, is in stable condition after undergoing medical treatment.

0: In contrast to previous years, North Korea displayed no inter-continental ballistic missiles in the massive military parade to celebrate the anniversary of the country’s founding, which took place over the weekend. Instead of flexing its military might, the Kim regime touted progress in economic development and improving living standards.

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​A miniature statue of US President Donald Trump in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 19, 2025.
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STR/NurPhoto

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will decide whether to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities “in the next two weeks,” a move that re-opens the door to negotiations, but also gives the US more time to position military forces for an operation.

People ride motorcycles as South Korea's LGBTQ community and supporters attend a Pride parade, during the Seoul Queer Culture Festival, in Seoul, South Korea, June 14, 2025.
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June is recognized in more than 100 countries in the world as “Pride Month,” marking 55 years since gay liberation marches began commemorating the Stonewall riots – a pivotal uprising against the police’s targeting of LGBTQ+ communities in New York.

Port of Nice, France, during the United Nations Oceans Conference in June 2025.
María José Valverde

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- YouTube

What’s next for Iran’s regime? Ian Bremmer says, “It’s much more likely that the supreme leader ends up out, but the military… continues to run the country.”

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