Hard Numbers: Mexican women, Lebanese defaults, MH17 victims, and migrant children

1.2 billion: Lebanon, wracked by economic and political crises, will suspend payments of $1.2 billion in loans, marking its first sovereign debt default. As a result, Beirut could face legal action from lenders that could push its already flailing economy (its debt reached 170 percent of GDP) towards collapse.

298: The names of all 298 victims killed in the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 were read out in court as the murder trial of four defendants (in absentia) got underway in Amsterdam. It's been six years since the aircraft was hit by a missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian forces amid fighting in eastern Ukraine. The defendants – three Russians and a Ukrainian – all held senior posts in pro-Moscow militias in the region.

5: Five EU countries – Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Portugal – have agreed to take in some migrant children who are trapped in no-man's-land on the Greek islands amid ongoing tensions along the Greek-Turkish border. Around 1,500 children who are unaccompanied or deemed "very sick" will be absorbed in total, according to German media.

67: As women in Mexico hit the streets Sunday and Monday for a national strike against gender-based violence in that country, a new high of 67 percent of Mexican adults – both men and women – agreed that women in their country are "not treated with respect," according to Gallup.

More from GZERO Media

A miniature statue of US President Donald Trump stands next to a model bunker-buster bomb, with the Iranian national flag in the background, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 19, 2025.
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.
REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

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

Eurasia Group’s biodiversity and sustainability analyst María José Valverde sat down with Rebecca Hubbard, the director of the High Seas Alliance, to discuss the High Seas Treaty.

Housing shortages in the US and Canada have become a significant problem – and a contentious political issue – in recent years. New data on housing construction this week suggest neither country is making enough progress to solve the shortfalls. Here’s a snapshot of the situation on both sides of the border.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks during a meeting of northeastern U.S. Governors and Canadian Premiers, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 16, 2025.
REUTERS/Sophie Park

While the national level drama played out between Donald Trump and Mark Carney at the G7 in Kananaskis, a lot of important US-Canada work was going on with far less fanfare in Boston, where five Canadian premiers met with governors and delegations from seven US states.

- 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.”

Enbridge’s 2024 Sustainability Report is now available, outlining our approach to meeting today’s energy needs while advancing solutions for tomorrow. Now in its 24th year, the report reflects our ongoing commitment to being a safe operator of essential energy infrastructure and a responsible environmental steward, principles at the heart of our mission to be North America’s first-choice energy delivery company. Highlights include a 40% reduction in emissions intensity, surpassing our 2030 target, and a 22% drop in absolute emissions since setting our goals in 2020. Explore the 2024 Sustainability Report today.