Hard Numbers: Thailand plagued by delta, Sweden's gang problem, Americans lose hope, Iraq reclaims looted artifacts

August 04, 2021

Health care workers stand near dead bodies prior moving them to a container, after a hospital morgue overwhelmed by COVID-19 deaths begun to store bodies in refrigerated containers, as the country struggles to deal with its biggest outbreak to date, in Pathum Thani, Thailand July 31, 2021

20,200: As the super contagious delta variant continues to spread, Thailand is now a COVID hotspot, recording more than 20,200 new COVID cases Wednesday, the highest daily toll since the pandemic began. Authorities imposed new restrictions in Bangkok and other provinces as the vaccine rollout remains sluggish; just 5.8 percent of Thailand's 66 million people are fully vaccinated.

180: In a bid to tackle a surge in gang violence, the Swedish government wants to give police greater access to Swedes' mobile data, including conversations on messenger apps like WhatsApp and Facebook. Sweden has already reported 180 shootings this year, and now has one of the worst gun violence problems in Europe.

40: Americans were feeling hopeful about the pandemic's trajectory… until the delta variant started wreaking havoc across the country. Only forty percent of Americans now say that the COVID situation is getting better, down from 89 percent who felt optimistic back in June.

17,000: Iraq has reclaimed 17,000 archeological artifacts held by two American institutions in its biggest ever repatriation effort. War, military occupation, and a power vacuum in Iraq in recent decades have led to mass looting and theft at unexcavated sites. Many of the returned artifacts are from the lost ancient city of Irisagrig.

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Protesters hold placards during a candlelight vigil to condemn South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's surprise declarations of the failed martial law and to call for his resignation in Seoul, South Korea, December 5, 2024.

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

One would think that declaring martial law on flimsy premises in the middle of the night without really telling the military first would be a quick recipe for impeachment, but South Korea’s process may drag on a little longer.

Hard Numbers: Thailand plagued by delta, Sweden's gang problem, Americans lose hope, Iraq reclaims looted artifacts

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If we learned one thing in 2024, it's that voters everywhere love to hate incumbents -- will Trump buck that trend?

One would think that declaring martial law on flimsy premises in the middle of the night without really telling the military first would be a quick recipe for impeachment, but South Korea’s process may drag on a little longer.

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Amid all the geopolitical chaos, the best advice of the year: Don’t panic.

On Thursday, rebel fighters in Syria continued their startling advance by entering and seizing the city of Hama, according to both the rebels and the Syrian government.

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

Small packages are a big problem for the United States these days. A decade ago, the US government raised the so-called “de minimis” threshold on imports from $200 to $800. This means any foreign packages worth less than $800 get no routine inspection or import duties.

A New York Times profile of Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly paints her as a potential top candidate to replace Justin Trudeau.