News

Hard Numbers: Bibi's (alleged) demands, South Korean population shrinks, Venezuela's oil plunge, bloodshed in Niger

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

150: Israeli prosecutors have amended one of three corruption indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming that the PM was personally aware of or involved in making 150 demands to a powerful media executive to ensure positive coverage of his government in exchange for regulatory benefits. Netanyahu, for his part, denies any wrongdoing, calling the cases part of a "witch hunt" against him.

21,000: South Korea's population dropped for the first time in over a decade, falling by almost 21,000 year-on-year as the number of deaths surpassed the number of births. South Korea is grappling with an increasingly aging society, with more than 24 percent of the population now over the age of 60.

37.5: Venezuela's oil exports plunged in 2020, dropping by 37.5 percent compared to the previous year, a staggering 77-year low. Venezuela's once-booming oil sector has taken a hit in recent years as a result of US economic sanctions — and has been further pummeled because of COVID-19 disruptions.

100: Just a week after its presidential election, the West African country of Niger experienced one of its worst attacks in history on Saturday, when militants stormed two towns in the southwestern region of Tillabéri, killing at least 100 people. No group has claimed responsibility for the rampage yet, but Islamic State affiliates have increasingly made inroads in Niger over the past few years.

More For You

People in support of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol rally near Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on Feb. 19, 2026. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment the same day for leading an insurrection with his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.

Kyodo

65: The age of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of plotting an insurrection when he declared martial law in 2024.

How people in G7 and BRICS countries think their policies will effect future generations.
Eileen Zhang

Does skepticism rule the day in politics? Public opinion data collected as part of the Munich Security Conference’s annual report found that large shares of respondents in G7 and several BRICS countries believed their governments’ policies would leave future generations worse off.