Hard Numbers: Haiti's looted aid, Cuba’s gay marriage breakthrough, Kazakhstan’s red carpet for Russians, India’s “anti-national” crackdown

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "No more Core Group (a group of international diplomats), no more BINUH (the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti)" during a protest against the government in Port-au-Prince.
A demonstrator holds a sign reading "No more Core Group (a group of international diplomats), no more BINUH (the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti)" during a protest against the government in Port-au-Prince.
REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

6 million: Amid recent protests over Haiti’s soaring food and fuel costs, looters have swiped at least $6 million worth of UN humanitarian aid, including thousands of tons of food. The UN now says the Caribbean nation is on the brink of “humanitarian catastrophe.”

66.9: In Cuba, 66.9% of voters approved a new, government-backed “Family Code” that legalizes same-sex marriage and adoption. Reuters notes that the 33% “no” vote was uncharacteristically large by the standards of Cuba’s one-party state. The referendum was the first since the widespread legalization of mobile internet access.

100,000: Nearly 100,000 Russians have fled to Kazakhstan since Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization. Kazakhstan says it is ready to welcome them and “ensure their safety.” Ties between the two former-Soviet giants have been strained since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

57: Police in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, arrested 57 people linked to the Popular Front of India, an Islamic organization that the government accuses of violence and “anti-national activities.” In recent weeks, the Indian government has cracked down on the PFI in a number of states. Critics of the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP say it discriminates against Muslims.

This article comes to you from the Signal newsletter team of GZERO Media. Sign up today.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

China is going all in on renewables, breaking monthly records on clean energy installation and generation. Bill McKibben tells Ian Bremmer that Beijing's bet on solar and wind gives them a competitive edge on a new episode of GZERO World.

Stephen Graham, winner of Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Best Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Owen Cooper, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and Erin Doherty, Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, for "Adolescence", Best Limited or Anthology Series pose with their awards at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 14, 2025.
REUTERS/Daniel Cole

8: Netflix teen murder series "Adolescence" won eight Emmys including for best limited series. Supporting actor Owen Cooper,15, became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy.

Senior U.S. and Chinese led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang meet to discuss trade and economic issues and TikTok, in Madrid, Spain, September 14, 2025.
United States Treasury/Handout via Reuters.

In an announcement teeming with viral potential, the White House said the US and China have outlined a deal for TikTok to continue operating in the US.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

As US President Donald Trump travels to the United Kingdom this week, there is an unnerving sense in which the ghost of Christmas past will be greeting the potential ghost of Christmas yet to come.