Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Haitian gang war, China’s economic slump, Draghi’s mayoral appeal, beer-sunflower oil swap

Hard Numbers: Haitian gang war, China’s economic slump, Draghi’s mayoral appeal, beer-sunflower oil swap

Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, leader of the G9 coalition of gangs in Haiti, during a news conference in Port-au-Prince.

REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

1.5 million: Some 1.5 million people are now trapped by a recent uptick in gang violence inside Cité Soleil, the largest slum in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince. There's an ongoing battle between the local G-Pèp gang and the G-9, a federation of nine gangs led by the notorious "Mr. Barbecue," often referred to as the most powerful man in gang-run Haiti.


0.4: China's GDP grew by only 0.4% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2022, the slowest pace in two years. The disruptions caused by the government's zero-COVID policy make it almost impossible for the economy to meet its 5.5% annual growth target.

110: Mayors from 110 Italian cities have published an open letter calling for “Super Mario” Draghi to stay on as PM. Draghi threw in the towel last week after squabbling with the populist 5-Star Movement, the largest party in his coalition government, but the president turned down his resignation.

400: Itching for a cold one in Munich? Got some sunflower oil? You're in luck — a German pub is offering to exchange a 7 euro stein of beer for a 4.5 euro bottle of sunflower oil, which is in short supply due to the war between sunflower superpowers Russia and Ukraine. The bar says it’s swapped 400 liters so far.

More For You

Luis Fernando Cerimedo, advisor of Presidential candidate Nasry Asfura of the National Party of Honduras (PN), speaks during a press conference after the general election, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 1, 2025.

Luis Fernando Cerimedo, advisor of Presidential candidate Nasry Asfura of the National Party of Honduras (PN), speaks during a press conference after the general election, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 1, 2025.

REUTERS/Jose Cabezas
515: There are close presidential races, and then there’s the one in Honduras, where just 515 votes separate the top two candidates following Sunday’s election in the Central American nation. Officials say that former Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura and former sports broadcaster Salvador Nasralla are locked in a “technical tie.” Officials are still [...]
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader at the National Palace, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic November 26, 2025.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader at the National Palace, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic November 26, 2025.

REUTERS/Erika Santelices
Washington is growing uncomfortable with Venezuela strikeThe White House sought to shift blame away from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Monday, instead declaring that Admiral Frank Bradley ordered the killing of two people on a boat – even after the boat was destroyed. A report from the The New York Times undermined the original Washington Post [...]
​Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects a guard of honor by the Irish Army in Dublin, Ireland, on December 2, 2025.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects a guard of honor by the Irish Army at Government Buildings during an Irish State visit, in Dublin, Ireland, on December 2, 2025.

REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
It hasn’t been an easy year for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – and not just because Russia is still invading his country.US President Donald Trump’s return to office heralded a sharp slowdown in new White House spending on Ukraine – it has dropped to virtually zero this year. Europe has made up for some of the shortfall, but is now [...]
​The Gen Z group led by Miraj Dhungana escalates their ongoing demonstrations in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Nov. 26, 2025.

The Gen Z group led by Miraj Dhungana escalates their ongoing demonstrations, confronting police outside the prime minister's official residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Nov. 26, 2025.

Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto
Youth unemployment is making headlines from China to Canada, with many countries’ rates at historic highs. While the global youth unemployment rate for 2025 is projected to be slightly lower than that of 2020, at 12.8%, regional disparities abound. In developed countries, four in five workers aged 24-29 have a regular paid job, but in developing [...]