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Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN (L) and U.S. President DONALD TRUMP (right) during a bilateral meeting at the Group of 20 (G20) leaders summit in 2019.
Hard Numbers: Ukrainian refugees in Alaska brace for Putin’s arrival, Migrant ship capsizes, No such thing as food poisoning free lunch, and the Kremlin cracks down on messaging platforms
1,000: Around 1,000 Ukrainian refugees in Alaska will be watching closely when Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives on Friday to meet with US President Donald Trump. Those Alaskan refugees are just a small percentage of the 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who came to the US under Biden’s Uniting for Ukraine program, which was suspended after Trump took office earlier this year.
26: At least 26 migrants died and others remain missing after an overloaded boat from Libya capsized off Italy’s Lampedusa. The tragedy comes amid a 16% rise in Mediterranean crossings this year — a deadly reminder that Europe’s migration crisis shows no sign of easing.
360: Over 360 people were left with food poisoning in the Indonesian town of Sragen this week, after eating meals linked to President Prabowo Subianto's ambitious “free school lunch” initiative. The program has been plagued by food safety concerns, with over 1,000 reported cases of food poisoning recorded since its launch in January.
97.3 million: The Kremlin announced that it began restricting calls for some WhatsApp and Telegram users on Wednesday, after the platforms refused to share information with law enforcement. WhatsApp – which has 97.3 million users in Russia – has accused authorities of trying to block citizens rights to secure communications.
A demonstrator burns mock dollar bills with the face of US President Donald Trump during a protest against the US tariffs imposed on Brazilian products, in front of the United States Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil, on August 1, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Another US tariff announcement, El Salvador leader can now rule indefinitely, Indonesian president pardons opponents
US hits the world with fresh wave of tariffs
US President Donald Trump slapped new tariffs on 92 countries, including key allies. Canada, the US’s number two trade partner, was hit with a 35% rate. Taiwan, a critical semiconductor supplier, also faces fresh levies that could ripple through global tech supply chains, and India now faces a 25% rate. For some countries, Trump’s latest threats are actually a reprieve, as he lowered previously threatened rates: tiny Lesotho, which Trump once said “nobody has ever heard of,” will now face a 15% duty, down from 50%. The new levies take effect on Aug. 9, but Mexico, the US’s largest trade partner, won a 90-day extension. Trump reached a deal with the EU earlier this week, and is still negotiating with China.
El Salvador’s Bukele can now stay in power forever
El Salvador’s legislature has voted to scrap presidential term limits, clearing the way for President Nayib Bukele to run for a third term, and potentially to stay in power indefinitely. Bukele – who once called himself the “world’s coolest dictator” – remains wildly popular after jailing thousands in a gang crackdown, but critics warn he’s dismantling a fragile democracy. Analysts say that the move may have spurred backlash from the US under previous administrations, but that Bukele is emboldened because of his close relationship with Trump.
Indonesia’s president pardons pair of political opponents
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto granted clemency on Thursday to two opposition figures who were recently convicted of corruption. He framed the move as a bid to increase national unity ahead of the country’s 80th anniversary later this month, but critics say it undermines the justice system. Some observers have also suggested it may signal a rift between Prabowo and his predecessor, two-term president Joko Widodo, a one-time rival who backed Prabowo in last year’s election and remains hugely influential.Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on Syria’s defense ministry, according to Al Jazeera TV, in Damascus, Syria, on July 16, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Israel hits Syria’s military HQ, Trump rings up trade wins, Cuban minister resigns over denial
Israel strikes Damascus as feud escalates
Israel struck Syria’s military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday and continued to bomb areas of southern Syria where the Israel-backed Druze minority group is clashing with Bedouin tribes whom Israel says are being supported by the Syrian regime. The escalation risks further undermining Syria’s fragile post-Assad stability. Meanwhile, Israel also launched its deadliest strike on Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire, killing five Hezbollah fighters as it tries to pressure the militant group to disarm. For more on whether that could ever happen, see here.
Trump’s trade policy gathers some momentum
US President Donald Trump’s efforts to strike trade deals may finally be gathering momentum. The White House on Tuesday announced a deal with Indonesia, its first since Trump sent letters to several major trade partners threatening higher tariffs by Aug. 1. US-China tensions also appear to be easing slightly after Washington rescinded its export restrictions on AI chips. Meanwhile in Canada, Washington’s second-biggest trade partner, Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged that he’ll have to accept some US tariffs in order to reach a deal with Trump, a sign that he too may be ready to strike a trade pact.
Cuban minister resigns after denying existence of beggars
Ignorance is strength, as the slogan from George Orwell’s “1984” goes, and beggars don’t exist – at least not according to Cuban Labor Minister Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera. Her comments sparked a rare public backlash, forcing her to resign. Communist-led Cuba has been suffering from an especially painful economic crisis recently, with frequent blackouts, rising levels of poverty and hunger, and even shortages of basic medicines. The pain is so bad that at least 10% of the island’s population has fled since 2022.
Survivors of the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry sinking wait to be identified by officers at Gilimanuk port, after the ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, in Bali, Indonesia, July 3, 2025.
HARD NUMBERS: Indonesian ferry sinks, Mercosur discusses long-stalled EU deal, Liverpool striker dies in car accident, French air traffic controllers walk off the job
65: A ferry carrying 65 people sank near the island of Bali, Indonesia, late on Wednesday. Six people have died as a result, and authorities have now ceased the search for another 30 passengers. The remaining 29 have been rescued. Ferries are a major mode of transport in the Indonesian archipelago, but safety standards are notoriously lax.
25: The South American trading bloc Mercosur will meet this weekend to discuss something that has been under discussion for 25 years: a trade deal with the European Union. The two blocs reached a deal in principle last year, but the EU has yet to ratify it due to opposition from France – specifically, French farmers. Mercosur did seal a separate deal, though, with a group of four non-EU European countries.
28: In an awful shock to soccer fans around the world, Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva – also a professional footballer – died in a car accident early Thursday morning in western Spain. The Portuguese star Jota, who won every major trophy in England, was just 28 years old.
30,000: Europeans may not celebrate Fourth of July, but 30,000 of them are still having their travel plans disrupted this weekend after low cost carrier Ryanair canceled 170 flights due to an air-traffic control strike in France.Human rights activists hold a placard reading 'Military is a Killer of Women' during Aksi Kamisan, or Thursday's Protest, in front of the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 20, 2025.
Indonesians protest new military laws
Indonesian activists are protesting a new law allowing active-duty military members to serve an expanded role in the civilian government — a move they warn could bring back the days of military repression under strongman leader Suharto.
Indonesia’s current president, Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, is a former general who served as minister of defense under former President Joko Widodo. He is accused of serious human rights abuses, including participation in massacres in East Timor and forced disappearances of pro-democracy activists.
In power since October, Prabowo has already worked to integrate the military deeper into governance. Amendments to the 2004 Law on the Indonesian Armed Forces, which parliament passed unanimously on Thursday, allow active duty military officers to hold positions in 14 different government institutions. Previously, they were only allowed to serve in institutions related to defense and national security, but now they’ll be able to serve in institutions like the attorney general’s office and the Supreme Court.
Prabowo’s election last year raised concerns about democratic backsliding in the country. But Indonesians have responded to the latest move: Hundreds went to the parliament building on Thursday to protest the new legislation and to demand that the military and civilian government remain separate.
Rescue teams work amid rubble in the aftermath of an earthquake in a location given as Shigatse City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, January 7, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video.
Hard Numbers: Deadly Tibet earthquake, Laken Riley bill passed, Another BRICS in the wall, Remembering Charlie Hebdo massacre
126: At least 126 people have died following a major 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Tibet and parts of Nepal on Tuesday. The exact death toll is still unknown as the rough terrain in the world’s highest mountains makes it difficult to access affected communities. Dozens more people are believed to be trapped in rubble, and China’s government has deployed over 3,000 rescue workers to save as many as possible.
264-159: The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the so-called Laken Riley Act mandating the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of certain minor crimes by a margin of 264-159. It had bipartisan support, with 48 Democrats voting for the bill, as the party faces pressure to toughen up on immigration.
10: Indonesia became the 10th member of the BRICS multilateral organization on Tuesday, as new President Prabowo Subianto attempts to position his country as one of the leading emerging economies. He’ll need to watch his step, however, as incoming US President Donald Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on countries that attempt to displace the US dollar, which BRICS has long set as one of its aims.
10: France marked the 10-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist massacre of the staff of Charlie Hebdo magazine by two al-Qaida-linked gunmen on Tuesday. The terrorists killed 12 people in retaliation for the magazine publishing cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammed, prompting a massive outpouring of support for the slain staff, whom many French and European voters see as having died in the name of freedom of speech and thought.Indonesian President Joko Widodo at Admiralty House, Sydney Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Indonesians force government to shelve election law overhaul
The government is now promising there will be no changes to election laws before the November polls. Conceding likely saved them from having to deal with more protests planned for Friday, but it also cleared the way for Anies to stand for governor of Jakarta, an influential post that would position him to grapple with his political rivals.
That — and the fact that the protests triggered a sharp drop in the rupiah and Indonesian stocks — could cause headaches for the incoming Prabowo administration. It will be under pressure to match Joko’s economic achievements, which were accompanied by significant democratic backsliding.
We’re also keenly watching the effort to move Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta – Anies’ base of power – to Nusantara, a new city being built in the pristine (and thus politically untainted) jungles of Borneo where Subianto might operate without as much flak.
University students gesture as they shout slogans during a protest against planned controversial revisions to election law outside the Indonesian Parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 22, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Indonesian protesters attempt to storm Parliament, PwC expects China ban, Revenge of the non-competes, Golden era, How many Indians are there?
1,000s: Thousands of Indonesians attempted to storm the Parliament building in Jakarta on Thursday, clashing with police, tearing down fences, and ultimately forcing legislators to delay a vote that would overhaul election laws. The proposed changes would enable current President Joko Widodo’s son to take a regional governorship despite being too young and make it easier for Widodo to influence politics through his political party. Protests were also reported in other major cities across the vast archipelago.
6: Consulting powerhouse PwC’s Chinese branch told its clients it expects to be hit with a six-month ban on doing business in China as punishment for auditing the collapsed property developer Evergrande. PwC said in March that Evergrand had inflated its assets in China by $80 billion before defaulting on debts in 2021.
30 million: Bad news for the roughly 30 million American workers who thought their binding noncompetes had been rendered void by the Federal Trade Commission: A court has overturned the FTC’s regulation. District Judge Ada Brown of Texas wrote the ban was “arbitrary and capricious because it is unreasonably overbroad without a reasonable explanation.” The FTC says it may appeal.
2,531: The price of gold reached $2,531 per troy ounce on Tuesday, a record high, as the continuing bull market in the metal has begun to attract investors in Western economies. Chinese consumers have been driving the price up by investing in gold as a stable alternative to their topsy-turvy property and securities markets, but with the US Federal Reserve eyeing a rate cut in September, prices may be buoyed further as money flows out of US bonds seeking higher returns.
15: Indian officials plan to conduct a long-postponed census next month and aim to publish the results in 2026, resulting in a 15-year gap between polls rather than the customary 10. The census – likely the world’s largest ever – was meant to be done in 2021 but was delayed by the pandemic. New Delhi has faced ardent criticism from the civil sector for the delay, as the country’s rapidly growing population and economy need to be accurately accounted for to ensure the government’s programs are fit to task.