Demonstrators including Tibetans, Uyghurs and Hongkongers gather outside the Royal Mint Court to protest against plans to open new Chinese mega-embassy, in London, United Kingdom, on Jan. 17, 2026.
600,000: The square footage of a new Chinese mega embassy slated for construction in London. (That’s 56,000 square meters for you non Imperial measurers.) London approved the project despite warnings from both local and US politicians that the building could be used for spying. The decision also comes right before Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing next week – he’ll be the first UK leader to do so since 2018.
96: The number of lawmakers in Australia’s House of Representatives – out of 150 – who voted for a new gun control bill that creates a national gun buyback scheme, tightens background checks, and increases the penalties for hate crimes. The lower chamber introduced the bill after the mass killing at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach last month.
15: The number of Iranian actors and sports figures facing government prosecution for participating in recent mass anti-government protests, in which thousands of people are believed to have been killed. The cases are part of a broader crackdown that has included the seizure of property and businesses.
40%: The vote share predicted for Laura Fernandez, the candidate of Costa Rica’s right-wing ruling party, in the upcoming Feb. 1 election, according to a University of Costa Rica poll. This level of support would be enough for her to avoid a runoff. Fernandez has pledged policy “continuity” once current president Rodrigo Chaves’ term ends.
Microsoft is advancing its efforts to eliminate single-use plastics across its global packaging portfolio through material innovation and design changes across products like Surface and Xbox. By rethinking how packaging works—from cushioning to coatings and structural components—the company is reducing waste and demonstrating how design decisions at scale can deliver meaningful sustainability impact. Last week, Microsoft marked a key milestone in reducing single-use plastic in its packaging to just 0.07%, reflecting significant progress toward its broader commitment to become a zero-waste company by 2030. Read the full story here.
Trump and Cuban Americans are calling 2026 the year of liberation. Historian Michael Bustamante says the reality on the ground tells a very different story.
The latest assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday shines yet another light on the rising level of political violence in the United States.
Malian soldiers stand near a truck during a patrol following the attack on Mali's main military base in Kati, Mali, on April 27, 2026.
Jihadist insurgents and Tuareg secessionists assassinated Mali’s Defense Minister Sadio Camara at his home in Kati during coordinated attacks across the West African country on Saturday.