Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Global Stage AI for Good Summit WATCH RECORDING
News

Hard Numbers: Madrid lockdown, Turkey censors social media, HK activists detained, Africa loses billions

Anti-government protest over coronavirus restrictions in Madrid, Spain. Reuters
Make us preferred on Google

780: The leftwing Spanish government has ordered a fresh lockdown of Madrid and most surrounding towns after the region reached 780 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people. The conservative regional administration initially refused the order, but says it will comply while it sues in court to implement only a partial quarantine.


5 million: Social media companies in Turkey face maximum fines of $5 million and internet bandwidth restrictions of up to 90 percent if they don't take down "contentious" posts, under a new law that came into effect on Thursday. Critics say the bill will stifle online dissent to strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

60: At least 60 pro-democracy activists were arrested in Hong Kong for protesting against the territory's new security law on China's national day. The law empowers police to detain any person for expressing sentiments against the Chinese government in Beijing.

89 billion: Africa loses $89 billion each year due to tax evasion and theft, according to a new report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Nearly half of that amount is due to underreported exports of commodities like gold, diamonds, and platinum.

More For You

Ebola death toll tops 600
Farida Dowidar
The Ebola outbreak reached a grim milestone on Thursday. Six hundred people have died in the Congo, according to the country’s health ministry. At the same time, healthcare workers at the center of the outbreak in the Ituri province are striking to protest delays in their wages and bonuses, risking further setbacks to efforts to contain the deadly [...]
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO leaders summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.​

US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Trump gives Ukraine another boostUS President Donald Trump said he would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air-defense missiles during the NATO meeting in Turkey on Wednesday, fulfilling a longstanding request from Kyiv. These interceptors can protect Ukraine from Russia’s ballistic missiles – Kyiv is struggling to block such attacks. [...]
​Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte arrives before the start of her impeachment trial

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte arrives before the start of her impeachment trial hearing at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 7, 2026.

REUTERS/Noel Celis/Pool
Assassination plots. International arrest warrants. Political dynasties battling for power. What might sound like a storyline from a Netflix political drama has instead become reality in Philippine politics over the past two years. The spectacle reached a new stage this week with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte getting [...]
The day after announcing her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, Marine Le Pen visits La Fleche, in the Sarthe department, on July 8, 2026.​

The day after announcing her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, Marine Le Pen (National Rally – RN), accompanied by Jordan Bardella, made her first campaign appearance during a visit to the market in La Fleche, in the Sarthe department, on July 8, 2026.

Frederic Petry / Hans Lucas
Yesterday, a French appeals court shortened a ban on far-right leader Marine Le Pen seeking public office, effectively allowing her to stand in the 2027 presidential election. Hours after the verdict was announced, Le Pen officially announced her fourth bid for the Elysée Palace, despite judges upholding her embezzlement conviction and sentencing [...]