Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Scorpions disbanded in Memphis, Sunak’s “integrity” pledge, Tunisian voter apathy, Pakistan mosque attack, Djokovic's record

Demonstrators gather in New York City to protest the death of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers.

Demonstrators gather in New York City to protest the death of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers.

Deccio Serrano/ Reuters

50: The Memphis Police Department has disbanded the 50-person Scorpion special unit after five of its officers were charged with murdering 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, a Black man stopped for an unsubstantiated driving violation. The unit, founded in 2021, was supposed to tackle high-impact crimes in Memphis, where around 65% of the population is Black.


5 million: Having vowed to bring “integrity” back to No. 10 Downing Street, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired Nadhim Zahawi, chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party, after an inquiry into his taxes led to a 5 million pound ($6.2 million) settlement with tax authorities. It’s a big deal considering that Zahawi was a top contender last summer to replace Boris Johnson as PM.

262: Tunisians voted on Sunday in the second round of parliamentary elections with 262 candidates vying for the legislature’s 131 seats. President Kais Saied has diluted the power of the parliament, and voter apathy is sky-high, with just 11% of voters casting ballots.

47: At least 47 people were killed, and scores more injured, when a bomb exploded inside a mosque in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar. No group has taken responsibility for the carnage, which took place inside a police compound. However, the Pakistani Taliban, emboldened since the group of the same name took control of Afghanistan in Aug. 2021, are thought to be behind the attack.

10: Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic won his 10th Australian Open on Sunday, tying Spain’s Rafael Nadal for the most grand slam titles – at 22 each! It was an emotional night for the Serb, who last year was banned from participating in the Aussie tournament for failing to secure a COVID vaccine exemption.

More For You

PA via Reuters Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych, with his helmet, which features pictures of people killed in the war with Russia. Heraskevych was ruled out of the Men's Skeleton event by the International Olympic Committee just over an hour before competition began, pictured at the Cortina Sliding Centre, on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Italy. Picture date: Thursday February 12, 2026.

PA via Reuters Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych, with his helmet, which features pictures of people killed in the war with Russia. Heraskevych was ruled out of the Men's Skeleton event by the International Olympic Committee just over an hour before competition began, pictured at the Cortina Sliding Centre, on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Italy. Picture date: Thursday February 12, 2026.

20: The number of fallen Ukrainian athletes and coaches depicted on a Ukrainian skeleton racer’s helmet at the Winter Olympics, which prompted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to disqualify him on Thursday. The IOC said the helmet violated Olympic rules, which prohibit political messaging during games. Critics of the disqualification said [...]
​Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual end-of-year press conference and phone-in in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2025.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual end-of-year press conference and phone-in in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2025.

Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS
Russia tries to control the message, literally.The Russian government has begun blocking the popular messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram in a sweeping crackdown aimed at forcing Russians to use a state-backed alternative called MAX, which critics say would enable censorship and surveillance. The move is part of the Kremlin’s broader drive for [...]
Donald Trump alongside Nigel Farage at the Trump Turnberry course in South Ayrshire, United Kingdom, on May 3, 2023.

Donald Trump alongside Nigel Farage amid a television interview at his Trump Turnberry course in South Ayrshire during his visit to the United Kingdom, on May 3, 2023.

PA via Reuters
Allies of US President Donald Trump have long sought to build bridges with European counterparts. They have a close relationship with supporters of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, hosting conferences together, such as CPAC, in Budapest. Elon Musk campaigned for Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of last year’s federal elections while he [...]
Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon - Pool/Getty Images

TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 8: Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters on general election day on February 08, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. Voters across the country headed to polls today as Japan's Lower House election was held.

Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon - Pool/Getty Images
When Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called snap elections last month, it was a big gamble. Holding a winter election just four months into her tenure with no real policy record to run on? Staking her sky-high approval ratings – then hovering around 70% – on an untested bet that personal popularity would translate into seats? The [...]