Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Duterte rides high, Colombian massacres surge, US firms sue over tariffs, Ethiopia files charges in singer's murder

Image of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flanked by the national flag, a gun, and symbols of justice

91: Despite overseeing Southeast Asia's worst COVID-19 outbreak, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's approval rating is now at a heady 91 percent, up four points since before the pandemic.


42: So far in 2020 there have been 42 mass killings in Colombia, says the UN. That's the highest annual mark since a 2016 peace accord was signed between the government and FARC rebels. Human rights activists and former FARC rebels have borne the brunt of the violence, according to the UN.

3,500: President Trump often falsely says Beijing is paying for the tariffs that his administration has slapped on China's exports. But they are actually paid by US firms, more than 3,500 of whom have now filed lawsuits (paywall) alleging that the measures are no longer legal, and demanding compensation. The list includes American giants like Coca-Cola, Ford, and Disney.

4: The Ethiopian government has filed terrorism charges against four people over the killing of a famous musician in June. The murder of Hacalu Hundessa, whose music advocated for the rights of Ethiopia's Oromo ethnic group, sparked days of violence.

More For You

Members of the Uyghurs diaspora gather in front of Alberta Legislature during the protest 'Stand in Support of East Turkistan' to commemorate the 1990 Barin Uprising, on April 6, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The East Turkestan independence movement seeks the region's independence for the Uyghur people from China. They advocate renaming the region from Xinjiang to East Turkestan, its historical name.

Members of the Uyghurs diaspora gather in front of Alberta Legislature during the protest 'Stand in Support of East Turkistan' to commemorate the 1990 Barin Uprising, on April 6, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The East Turkestan independence movement seeks the region's independence for the Uyghur people from China. They advocate renaming the region from Xinjiang to East Turkestan, its historical name.

Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto
Remember Xinjiang?There was a time, not long ago, when China’s crackdown on the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group living in Xinjiang province in Northwestern China, was a hot topic – in the media, among human rights activists, and even among the world’s most powerful governments and international organizations. In 2021, the first Trump [...]
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi, India, December 5, 2025.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi, India, December 5, 2025.

Sputnik/Grigory Sysoyev/Pool via REUTERS
Putin leaves India with not much to show for itDespite the lavish ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting produced few concrete outcomes. India and Russia highlighted their “special” partnership and signed smaller agreements on minerals, pharmaceuticals, shipping, and trade frameworks. But on [...]
​Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on December 4, 2025.

Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party speaks during an interview with Reuters after alleging fraud in the highly contested vote count of the country's presidential election, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on December 4, 2025.

REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez
23,900: There is finally some daylight in Honduras’ presidential election, as former Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura – the far-right candidate whom US President Donald Trump endorsed – pulled ahead of former sports broadcaster Salvador Nasralla by 23,900 votes. With 87% of tally sheets counted, Asfura is now at 40.25%, while Nasralla – who is [...]
A mosque stands in an area affected by a deadly flash flood following heavy rains in Aceh Tamiang regency, Aceh province, Indonesia, December 4, 2025.

A mosque stands in an area affected by a deadly flash flood following heavy rains in Aceh Tamiang regency, Aceh province, Indonesia, December 4, 2025.

REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
Indonesia identifies aggravator of Sumatra flood deathsAfter the death toll from cyclone-induced floods in Sumatra surpassed 800 – making it the most deadly natural disaster to hit the Indonesian island since the 2004 tsunami – the Indonesian government has pledged to take action against mining firms that illegally cleared forests, which may have [...]