Europe
Hard Numbers: Minions censored, Qatar deports migrants, Hungarian fireworks get political, China waives African debt
Red carpet for "Minions: The Rise of Gru" in Los Angeles.
REUTERS/David Swanson
2: Chinese censors have added a more uplifting ending to the latest Minions movie, Beijing’s second Hollywood rewrite this year. In the first edit, authority and order won over the terrorist plans of anarchists in the 1990s cult classic “Fight Club,” and now Gru — spoiler alert! — returns to his family instead of running off with his evil mentor, Wild Knuckles.
60: Qatar deported at least 60 migrant workers who protested outside a Doha construction company over back pay. Qatar has gotten flak for its alleged treatment of migrant workers as it prepares to host this year’s World Cup, but it’s unclear whether the migrants were involved in building the stadiums.
2: Hungary fired two of its national weather service’s leading staffers after a major holiday fireworks display in Budapest was postponed over forecasts of rain that never came. The ruling far-right Fidesz Party had billed the show to mark the country’s millennial as Europe’s biggest-ever — but the opposition saw it as a waste of money.
17: China, Africa's top bilateral creditor, will forgive no-interest debt owed by 17 African countries due last year. Beijing plans to cut lending to the continent by one-third until 2024 due to the high risk of default and political backlash over China's so-called "debt-trap diplomacy."
America’s new National Security Strategy confirms what Europeans have feared for months: Washington now sees a strong, unified European Union as a problem to be solved, not an ally to be supported.
In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.
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More than a week after Hondurans cast their ballots in a presidential election, the country is still stuck in a potentially-dangerous post-election fog.