Hard Numbers: Chadian protesters sentenced, Hungary punishes Ukraine, Iranian workers’ walk-out, China eases zero-COVID

December 07, 2022

Relatives and friends gather around a Chadian journalist who was killed during a pro-democracy demonstration, as they attend his burial ceremony in N'Djamena, Chad.

Reuters

262: Chadian authorities sentenced 262 people to varying jail terms for joining “unlawful” protests in October against the ruling military junta, which killed scores of demonstrators. Mahamat Idriss Déby, who took over the Central African nation in April 2021 after his strongman dad was assassinated, had promised to hold a new election within 18 months (spoiler: he didn’t).

18 billion: The ongoing rift between the European Union and Hungary worsened Tuesday after Budapest vetoed a bloc-wide 18 billion euro aid package to Ukraine. Observers say that Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, who is cozy with Vladimir Putin, is retaliating against Brussels for withholding funds over Budapest’s alleged rule-of-law violations.

3: Iranians began a three-day mass walkout to support political prisoners locked up by the Islamic Republic for protesting against the in-custody September death of Mahsa Amini. Shop owners and truck drivers across more than 40 cities ditched work and hit the streets just days after the state prosecutor said that the government was reconsidering revisions to the country’s draconian modesty laws, a claim no one is taking seriously.

10: The Chinese Communist Party announced 10 new steps to relax its zero-COVID protocols, including ditching state-required quarantine facilities. This comes weeks after thousands of Chinese protested against Beijing’s containment policy, reflecting the biggest show of dissent in the country in decades.

Now the real work begins

Democratic nominee for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani getsures on stage after winning the 2025 New York City mayoral race, at an election night rally in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, USA, on November 4, 2025.

REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City yesterday following a social-media-first campaign that was laser-focused on affordability. His real challenge, though, has only just begun.

Hard Numbers: Chadian protesters sentenced, Hungary punishes Ukraine, Iranian workers’ walk-out, China eases zero-COVID

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Hard Numbers: Chadian protesters sentenced, Hungary punishes Ukraine, Iranian workers’ walk-out, China eases zero-COVID

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More from GZERO Media

These days, US farmers aren’t just worried about the weather jeopardizing their harvests. They’re keeping a close eye on geopolitical storms as well.

As AI begins to understand us better than we understand ourselves, who will decide how it shapes our world? Ian Bremmer cautions, "The winner or the winners are going to determine in large part what society looks like, what the motivating ideologies are."

The United States is #winning. But while the short-term picture looks strong, the United States is systematically trading long-term strategic advantages for more immediate tactical gains, with the accumulating costs hiding in plain sight.

Let no one drain your peace #PUPPETREGIME

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Beneath steady wage growth, the labor market is shifting. New data from Bank of America points to weaker job growth and widening income gaps that could reshape recovery trends. Subscribe to Bank of America Institute for the full view of the US job market.

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City yesterday following a social-media-first campaign that was laser-focused on affordability. His real challenge, though, has only just begun.