Riley is a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
5: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison and fined about $106,000 for conspiring with Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s former dictator, to fund Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign. The unprecedented ruling requires him to serve time even if he appeals, and is more harsh than many expected.
4: Four ex-staffers of Taiwan’s ruling DPP, including aides to President Lai Ching-te and security chief Joseph Wu, were convicted of spying for China. Sentences reached 10 years, with one aide also found guilty of money laundering and facing further charges for allegedly building a Chinese-linked criminal network.
1: A sniper killed one detainee and injured another two at an immigration facility in Dallas, Texas, before turning the gun on himself. The words “ANTI-ICE,” referring to the immigration enforcement agency, were inscribed on one of the bullet casings, suggesting the sniper may have been intending to hit a law enforcement official – though none were harmed. The attack raises yet more concerns over the rise of political violence in the United States.
90%: A new Australian horror film called “Together,” which has received a 90% score on the Rotten Tomatoes review site, was digitally altered in China such that a scene featuring same-sex couple now appears to be a heterosexual one. Chinese moviegoers noticed the difference when screenshots showing the original scenes went viral online. Homosexuality is legal in China, but isn’t formally recognized. Many of China’s LGBTQ+ community are ostracized, and some are even jailed.