Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Belarusian inflation ban, US tax dodgers pinched, Thai mass shooting, Putin’s birthday

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gestures while celebrating Independence Day in Minsk.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gestures while celebrating Independence Day in Minsk.

REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Make us preferred on Google

0: Belarusian President — and Russian-language meme star — Alexander Lukashenko has a novel approach to inflation: ban it. Beginning on Thursday, he says, “any price increase is prohibited. Prohibited!” Whether this will produce zero price growth or have 0 effect remains to be seen.


79: If you’re an American tax dodger and you’re reading this in Central America, you might be in trouble, pal. The US Internal Revenue Service, which oversees tax collection, has identified 79 tax fugitives currently on the lam in the region. Mexico, which recently passed new laws outlawing tax evasion, has already extradited a handful of the shirkers back to the US.

35: An ex-police officer (dismissed for drug use) massacred 35 people — including 23 children — on Thursday in a mass shooting at a daycare center in northeastern Thailand. Mass shootings are extremely rare in Thailand, where 15% of the population own firearms. That rate is high for the region, but still 8 times lower than the United States.

70: Well, happy birthday Mr. (lifetime) President ... Friday marks the 70th birthday of Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader is doing his worst to gift himself eastern and southern Ukraine for the occasion, but those plucky Ukrainians just keep wrecking his party.


This article comes to you from the Signal newsletter team of GZERO Media. Sign up today.

More For You

China puts Taiwan on an island
When US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on Thursday, Taiwan will be top of Xi’s mind.But it’s not an invasion that he seeks, according to Ian Bremmer, at least not yet. What Xi wants, Ian explained in a recent episode of “ask ian,” is “for the Americans to change the status quo.” In other words, the Chinese [...]
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London, on May 11, 2026.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London, as he sets out the next steps he is taking in his plan to build a stronger, fairer Britain, on May 11, 2026.

PA via Reuters
UK’s Starmer tries to save his baconAfter the Labour Party’s disastrous performance in the local elections last Thursday, one that was fully expected, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is clinging onto his position by a thread. In a bid to shore up support, the PM delivered a “relaunch speech” in London on Monday morning, acknowledging voters’ desire [...]
Hard Number: US eyes Cuba, literally
Natalie Johnson
The US military is reportedly increasing surveillance missions over Cuba, mostly around the country’s two biggest cities, Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Flights of this ilk were previously rare in this area. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is reportedly growing impatient that the Cuban regime hasn’t fallen, despite a de facto US oil blockade on [...]
US-Iran ceasefire in doubt, Venezuelans adjust to a new normal, EU blocks funding for Chinese solar tech

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 8, 2026.

REUTERS
Burst of violence tests Iran ceasefireBoth the United States and Iran accused the other of violating the truce on Thursday. The US said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran accused the US of firing on an oil tanker attempting to pass a US blockade. But US President Donald Trump dismissed the exchanges as a [...]