Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: UK nurses dangle strike, China exports less, European energy bills soar, Nigerian TikTokers sentenced

British health workers protest to demand a pay rise outside Downing St. in London.

British health workers protest to demand a pay rise outside Downing St. in London.

Hesther Ng / SOPA Images/Sipa US via Reuters Connect

300,000: More than 300,000 registered nurses in the UK are threatening to go on strike before Christmas if the National Health Service doesn't boost their pay above inflation rates. The likely biggest-ever strike in NHS history might be a major test for newly minted PM Rishi Sunak, whose government is strapped for cash amid record waiting times in British hospitals.


0.3: China's exports unexpectedly dropped in October by 0.3% year-on-year for the first time since May 2020. The decline was driven mainly by lower demand for Chinese goods from the US and the EU, both of which face a possible recession next year.

90: Energy costs for European households have almost doubled in a year, according to a new survey. Gas bills have surged by 111% and electric bills by 69%, with the average cost up by 90% across the continent thanks to the energy fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine.

2: Be careful when making fun of public officials in Nigeria. Two TikTok stars have been sentenced to 20 whip lashes each, a $23 fine, and to clean the court premises for a month for mocking a state governor over alleged corruption, land-grabbing, and ... sleeping on the job.

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 [...]