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Hard Numbers: ECB rate hike, China-India thaw, Indigenous oil drilling pause, Nigerian donkey penises

Hard Numbers: ECB rate hike, China-India thaw, Indigenous oil drilling pause, Nigerian donkey penises
ECB President Christine Lagarde addresses a news conference in Frankfurt.
REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

75: The European Central Bank on Thursday raised interest rates by an unprecedented 75 basis points, which means some Europeans will shell out more for their mortgages. Following the US Federal Reserve’s path, the ECB also warned of further hikes until inflation cools.

16: After 16 rounds of commander-level talks, China and India have finally begun withdrawing their troops from a key friction point along their disputed Himalayan border. Two years ago, Chinese and Indian soldiers had their first bloody clash there since the 1960s.

16: Ecuador's government reached a deal with Indigenous groups to stop drilling at 16 oil blocks located on their territory and to suspend approvals for new projects. In return, President Guillermo Lasso hopes Indigenous leaders will call off broader protests over soaring inflation that have slowed oil production to a trickle.

7,000: After noticing a pungent stench from the packages, Nigerian customs officials seized 7,000 donkey penises bound for Hong Kong. Traditional Chinese medicine believes the genitals of certain male animals — especially tigers — can boost sexual virility.

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Members of security forces stand guard outside a polliong station, a week late in a special election, after the local governing party kept voting closed on election day, amid accusations of sabotage and fraud, in a presidential race still too close to call as counting continues, in San Antonio de Flores, Honduras, December 7, 2025.
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