262: Chadian authorities sentenced 262 people to varying jail terms for joining “unlawful” protests in October against the ruling military junta, which killed scores of demonstrators. Mahamat Idriss Déby, who took over the Central African nation in April 2021 after his strongman dad was assassinated, had promised to hold a new election within 18 months (spoiler: he didn’t).
18 billion: The ongoing rift between the European Union and Hungary worsened Tuesday after Budapest vetoed a bloc-wide 18 billion euro aid package to Ukraine. Observers say that Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, who is cozy with Vladimir Putin, is retaliating against Brussels for withholding funds over Budapest’s alleged rule-of-law violations.
3: Iranians began a three-day mass walkout to support political prisoners locked up by the Islamic Republic for protesting against the in-custody September death of Mahsa Amini. Shop owners and truck drivers across more than 40 cities ditched work and hit the streets just days after the state prosecutor said that the government was reconsidering revisions to the country’s draconian modesty laws, a claim no one is taking seriously.
10: The Chinese Communist Party announced 10 new steps to relax its zero-COVID protocols, including ditching state-required quarantine facilities. This comes weeks after thousands of Chinese protested against Beijing’s containment policy, reflecting the biggest show of dissent in the country in decades.Robotaxis, autonomous trucks, and drone networks are moving closer to reality. As costs fall and infrastructure grows, physical AI is unlocking new markets and business models. See what's driving the next era of mobility by subscribing to Bank of America Institute.
In this "ask ian," Ian Bremmer breaks down the rapidly unraveling situation following the US announcement of “Project Freedom” and why tensions with Iran are escalating again.
India’s Modi consolidates grip after historic state election win, Venezuela and Guyana are back in court over border dispute, Trump administration weighs a hands-on approach to AI
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended a meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia this weekend, a first by the leader of a non-European country. He was invited to discuss common interests in trade, energy, and security. In a speech that echoed his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos two months earlier, Carney called on middle powers, including Canada and European nations, to work together in the wake of disruption of the established world order — implicitly pointing to the United States. “It’s my strong personal view that the international order will be rebuilt,” he told the crowd in Yerevan, “but it will be rebuilt out of Europe.”