Europe
Hard Numbers: COP26 is a wrap, Argentines & Bulgarians vote, Thai royal offenses
Delegates talk during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain November 13, 2021.
REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
197: The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow concluded with a compromise deal that for the first time commits 197 governments to gradually wind down coal and end all subsidies for fossil fuels. Top polluters and coal-users China and India objected to an earlier draft that called for completely phasing out coal, as demanded by environmental groups and most developing countries.
40: The leftwing coalition of President Alberto Fernández suffered a crushing defeat in Argentina's midterm parliamentary election on Sunday. His Peronistas lost control of the Senate for the first time in almost 40 years, putting Fernández in a very weak position to deal with the country's ailing economy.
3: A new anti-graft, centrist party is expected to win Bulgaria's third legislative election this year, after previous votes in April and July delivered fragmented parliaments with no majority to form a government. Barely a quarter of Bulgarian voters showed up due to rising COVID deaths in the country with the EU's lowest vaccination rate and highest vax hesitancy.
155: At least 155 people have been charged with royal defamation — which carries up to 15 years in prison — in Thailand since mid-2020, when youth-led protests against the government first called to reform the monarchy. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Bangkok on Sunday to bash a recent court ruling that says any attempts to curb the powers of the king are tantamount to treason.In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down the high-stakes dynamics around the Strait of Hormuz as Iran tightens control.
PUPPET REGIME is nominated for The Webby Awards!! Help us win by voting here: https://wbby.co/58950N
We are thrilled to announce that our one and only Puppet Regime series has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Social & Games - Comedy Category. Help us win! Vote for us by April 16th at midnight at: https://wbby.co/58950N
Delcy Rodríguez, the long-time Venezuelan regime insider who took over after the United States abducted her boss Nicolás Maduro in January, had been under US sanctions since 2018.