Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Peru braces for a blast from the past, Americans worry about more violence, Bangladeshi students protest job quotas, China’s GDP growth underwhelms

Former President of Peru Alberto Fujimori attends a trial as a witness at the navy base in Callao, Peru, in 2018.

Former President of Peru Alberto Fujimori attends a trial as a witness at the navy base in Callao, Peru, in 2018.

REUTERS/Mariana Bazo
Make us preferred on Google

3: Well, name recognition won’t be an issue … Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, an authoritarian rightist who held power in the 1990s, plans to run for president again in 2026. Last year, the ailing 85-year-old politician was released early from a 25-year jail sentence for human rights abuses committed by his regime. His daughter, Keiko, has unsuccessfully run for president three times. If he does enter the race, it will be a test for Peruvian law, which bars any candidates convicted of corruption: The elder Fujimori has been convicted of graft not once, not twice, but three times.


67: Is more political violence likely in America? Unfortunately, most Americans seem to think so. In a poll taken after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, 67% of respondents said the current environment makes politically motivated violence “more likely.”

100: At least 100 people were injured in protests and clashes across Bangladesh on Monday as students took to the streets to oppose a quota system they see as unfair. The quota sets aside 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. The protests pose a challenge to strong(wo)man Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who in January won her fourth straight term in government. That vote, however, was boycotted by the opposition over allegations that “Asia’s Iron Lady” was trying to rig the outcome.

4.7: China’s GDP expanded at an annual rate of 4.7% in the second quarter of this year, nearly half a point below analyst expectations, as weak consumer spending offset rising exports from the world’s second-largest economy. The data come as China’s leadership prepares to gather for a special, four-day meeting on economic policy.

More For You

African continent turns to Chinese solar
Will Fitzpatrick
As the Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, countries in Africa and Southeast Asia are accelerating their shift toward renewable energy to counter rising fuel prices. New Chinese consumer data released this week shows a sharp surge in solar panel exports, with shipments to Southeast Asia climbing 75% year-on-year in April. China, the world’s [...]
Don’t worry, renminbi happy
Natalie Johnson
Previously, the volume hadn’t topped $117 billion monthly, but analysts say the Iran war has stoked the use of China’s currency by oil exporters like Russia and Iran, who are seeking to avoid US sanctions. While the trend does reflect a slight erosion of the dollar’s international dominance, something we’ve been keeping our eye on, it’s worth [...]
Trump creates fund for wronged allies
Will Fitzpatrick
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (whom President Donald Trump hired) will appoint a five-person panel to administer the money to people who claim that they suffered “lawfare” at the hands of the government. The fund could be used to write checks to those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, or other allies of Trump, who himself has [...]
Deadly mosque attack in San Diego
Will Fitzpatrick
The two gunmen, who took their own lives after the shooting, killed three men outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. Law enforcement was already on the hunt for one of the suspects: his mother had called the police earlier in the day saying he had stolen her guns and car. Soon after, police received a call about an active shooter – and [...]