Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Global Stage: Live from Munich Feb 14th @12PM ET WATCH
News

Hard Numbers: Southwest Airlines facing fines, Ukrainian casualties, Ethiopia-Tigray flights, Iranians facing execution

Southwest Airlines travelers looks for their baggage in a pile of lost suitcases at Chicago Midway International Airport.

Southwest Airlines travelers looks for their baggage in a pile of lost suitcases at Chicago Midway International Airport.

REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski

15,700: That’s how many flights Southwest Airlines has canceled since a winter blizzard hit large swaths of North America in the lead-up to Christmas. Other airlines also suffered and have since gotten their ducks in a row, but Southwest continues to flounder due to chaotic internal operations. US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says he is prepared to issue fines if the airline fails to meet its legal obligations to customers.


18,000: The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine is nearing 18,000, 6,884 of which have been deaths, according to the UN. Meanwhile, Kyiv says that up to 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers – many of whom were presumably civilians who took up arms – died over the past 10 months.

18: After an 18-month hiatus, Ethiopia’s national carrier will resume flights to the Tigrayan capital of Mekele. This comes after a peace deal was finalized last month to end a bloody civil war between Addis Ababa and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

100: At least 100 Iranians are currently facing death penalty charges or sentences for participating in ongoing protests, according to a Norway-based human rights group. That number is likely much higher given that families have been threatened by Islamic Republic officials to keep quiet.

More For You

The French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) at the Elysee Presidential Palace.

The French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) at the Elysee Presidential Palace.

SOPA images
In a bid to de-risk, Europe turns inwardEuropean Union leaders agreed to move ahead with “Buy European” policies as part of a broader push to de-risk from the US and boost competitiveness amid China’s industrial prowess. Meeting in Belgium on Thursday, the bloc’s 27 leaders discussed protecting strategic sectors such as defense, clean tech, AI, [...]
​An employee cuts flowers inside a greenhouse, ahead of Valentine's Day, at Ayura Flowers, in Sopo, Colombia February 3, 2026.

An employee cuts flowers inside a greenhouse, ahead of Valentine's Day, at Ayura Flowers, in Sopo, Colombia February 3, 2026.

REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez
65,000: The tons of fresh-cut flowers that Colombia exported between Jan. 15 and Feb. 9 this year, ahead of the Valentine’s Day rush. However, US tariffs and a weaker dollar threaten to undermine the sector. Americans buy 80% of Colombia’s flower exports, but the Trump administration imposed 10% tariffs on Colombia last April. [...]
Thousands of demonstrators rally in support of the Iranian people during an anti-Islamic Republic protest outside the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on Jan. 17, 2026.

Thousands of demonstrators rally in support of the Iranian people during an anti-Islamic Republic protest outside the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, calling attention to opposition to Iran’s government, on Jan. 17, 2026.

Robyn Stevens Brody/Sipa USA
To many observers of the Middle East, it has felt like it is only a matter of time before the United States bombs Iran again. Ever since the anti-regime protests began around the turn of the year, US President Donald Trump has been threatening military action against Iran. At first, it was about the protests: Trump said the US was “locked and [...]
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 [...]