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90,000: Special “conquest” prayers were held in all of Turkey’s 90,000 mosques over the weekend to lend support to the government’s recently launched military offensive into Syria. Once a bastion of state-enforced secularism, Turkey under Erdogan has embraced a new Islamic nationalism.


390: 390 women are planning to run for the House of Representatives, more than at any other point in US history. Hillary’s loss, Trump’s win, and the spread of #MeToo have galvanized what could be a sea change in female political participation.

97: According to a recent poll, 97 percent of Brazilians believe their government caters to a small, powerful elite. Look for an outsider to gain traction ahead of the country’s high-stakes October presidential election.

70: Almost 70 percent of female Chinese university students say they have experienced sexual harassment, with fewer than 4 percent reporting them to the police. #MeToo goes global. #WoYeShi

40: In countries with recently ended civil wars, there’s a 40 percent chance of lapsing back into conflict. The risk falls by 1 percent for each subsequent year of peace.

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Medical workers treat injured people at Ameth Bek hospital after a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan, October 19, 2026.

Medical workers treat injured people at Ameth Bek hospital after a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan, October 19, 2026.

REUTERS/Medecins Sans Frontieres
Drone strike raises tensions between Sudan and South SudanSouth Sudan is accusing neighboring Sudan of launching a drone strike that killed at least 73 people at a market in Abyei, a disputed, oil-rich region of roughly 4,000 square miles claimed by both countries. The attack has heightened tensions between the two states, which split in 2011 [...]
Rare earths aren’t so rare in China
Lottie Tellyn
The minerals include yttrium oxide, which is crucial for manufacturing jet engines and semiconductors. Inside China, one kilogram costs a mere $9. But outside of China? $1,150. China’s rare earth export controls — imposed partly in response to new US tariffs — are now threatening global supply chains. Japan has warned that it could run out of some [...]
Supporters of the Forever Canadian group, who want Alberta to remain in Canada, wave Canadian flags as they wait for the results of a non-binding referendum on Alberta sovereignty in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada October 19, 2026.

Supporters of the Forever Canadian group, who want Alberta to remain in Canada, wave Canadian flags as they wait for the results of a non-binding referendum on Alberta sovereignty in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada October 19, 2026.

REUTERS/Todd Korol
Alberta is staying in Canada. After a long night of ballot counting, with some polling stations open until 10:30 pm due to long lines and late starts, voters in the oil-rich western Canadian province decisively rejected taking steps toward independence. Seventy-six percent voted to remain part of Canada, while 24% voted to initiate a secession [...]
Protesters set up barricades and burn materials near Place de la Republique in Paris, France, on October 18, 2026, the day following a large demonstration.

Protesters set up barricades and burn materials near Place de la Republique in Paris, France, on October 18, 2026, the day following a large demonstration.

Jerome Gilles via Reuters Connect
Weekend of unrest rocks FranceOngoing student protests in France descended into looting and riots over the weekend as more than half a million people took to the streets across the country. The unrest briefly spread to Portugal, Belgium, and Italy as well. Although the French protests began with demands for more education funding, the latest [...]