Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Thailand's plastic waste, 1 in 4 Americans are jobless, refugees in limbo, Europe's excess deaths

Hard Numbers: Thailand's plastic waste, 1 in 4 Americans are jobless, refugees in limbo, Europe's excess deaths
62: Southeast Asia is one of the world's largest sources of plastic waste, and Thailand is a big culprit. Before the pandemic, Thailand tried to address the problem by banning single use plastics, but that's fallen apart fast: in April, Thailand recorded a 62 percent increase in plastic use, due largely to increased food deliveries as coronavirus-related lockdowns keep people at home.

40 million: More than 40 million Americans filed unemployment claims over the past 10 weeks, suggesting that around 1 in 4 US workers has gone jobless during the coronavirus crisis. As of April, the highest unemployment rates were recorded in Nevada, Michigan, and Hawaii.

159,000: The World Health Organization estimates that since early March there have been 159,000 more deaths in Europe than is normal for this time period. The excess deaths include those known to have died from COVID-19, as well as people who may have struggled to get medical treatment because of the overwhelmed state of hospitals.

10,000: Coronavirus travel restrictions have left about 10,000 refugees around the world unable to reach countries that agreed to resettle them before the pandemic, according to the International Organization for Migration. The IOM, a UN body responsible for finding refugees new homes, suspended all resettlement on March 17, leaving many ethnic and sexual minorities vulnerable to harassment and persecution as they wait in limbo.

More For You

Caracas, Venezuela ? In the photos, Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez (center) met with US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (center, left) at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 4, 2026. Rodríguez discussed a bilateral agenda in sectors such as energy and reiterated that her government is "ready" to cooperate with the United States.

Caracas, Venezuela ? In the photos, Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez (center) met with US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (center, left) at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 4, 2026. Rodríguez discussed a bilateral agenda in sectors such as energy and reiterated that her government is "ready" to cooperate with the United States.

Latin American News Agency
US lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s leaderDelcy Rodríguez, the long-time Venezuelan regime insider who took over after the United States abducted her boss Nicolás Maduro in January, had been under US sanctions since 2018. That changed on Wednesday, after the US lifted the sanctions against her. She is so far the only member of Venezuela’s governing [...]
​The share of college students in the United States who said they’ve considered changing their majors because of AI.

The share of college students in the United States who said they’ve considered changing their majors because of AI.

Natalie Johnson
College students in the US know they’re soon entering a labor market that looks dramatically different from their parents’ generation, and even from a few years ago. Unemployment among young people is up. Meanwhile, companies are shedding jobs, citing AI as the reason. New polling shows nearly half are second-guessing their career plans. [...]
Hard number: 2026 World Cup debuts
Natalie Johnson
Forty-eight countries have officially qualified for the World Cup, after Iraq booked the final spot with its win against Bolivia on Tuesday. It’s the first time Iraq will be competing in the tournament in 40 years. The Democratic Republic of Congo, too, is set to participate for the first time in years (52 to be exact!), and even declared a [...]
​U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during the signing ceremony for an executive order on mail ballots, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during the signing ceremony for an executive order on mail ballots, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026.

REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Trump takes Iran war to prime-timeWhat are Donald Trump’s aims in Iran? He’s sent conflicting signals in recent days — is he ending the war soon or launching a ground invasion? Is he forcing open the Strait of Hormuz or forgetting about it? Has the Iranian regime changed, or not? This evening may bring some clarity when he addresses the nation at [...]