Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Europe

Hard Numbers: EU bans (most) Russian oil, Israel-UAE trade deal, crowdfunded drone for Ukraine, Pokemon zero-COVID protest

Hard Numbers: EU bans (most) Russian oil, Israel-UAE trade deal, crowdfunded drone for Ukraine, Pokemon zero-COVID protest

Models of oil barrels seen in front of a "stop" sign and the EU and Russia flag colors.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
Make us preferred on Google

2/3: After weeks of tense negotiations, EU leaders agreed late Monday to an embargo on two-thirds of the oil the bloc now imports from Russia. But there's a catch: holdout Hungary will likely get an indefinite exemption in order to drop its veto.


96: On Tuesday, Israel and the UAE will sign a landmark free trade agreement, Israel's first with an Arab country. The agreement will eliminate 96% of tariffs between the two countries, which normalized ties less than two years ago under the Abraham Accords.

5 million: Lithuanians chipped in 5 million euros ($5.4 million) in an online crowdfunding drive to buy a Bayraktar TB2 military drone for Ukraine. The Turkish-made UAVs are making a difference on the battlefield for the Ukrainians because they enable high-precision airstrikes.

200: A Pokemon character who always has a headache has become one of China's most in-demand toys because people are using it to vent about the government's zero-COVID policy. Plastic figures of Psyduck, given away in KFC children's meals, are being resold for $200 after going viral on social media.

This comes to you from the Signal newsletter team of GZERO Media. Subscribe for your free daily Signal today.

    More For You

    ​Noam Bettan from Israel with the song "Michelle" during rehearsals for the first Eurovision semi-final on May 12, 2026. in the Stadthalle.

    Noam Bettan from Israel with the song "Michelle" are on stage at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) during rehearsals for the first semi-final on May 12, 2026, in the Stadthalle.

    Jens Büttner/dpa via Reuters Connect
    Even Eurovision cannot escape geopoliticsThe world's most-watched live music event kicks off today in Vienna under the theme “United by Music.” Yet the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is facing the largest boycott in its history over Israel's participation. Five countries said they wouldn’t compete, citing Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, while [...]
    Hard Number: Is Russia stuck in the mud?
    More than four years into its war with Ukraine, the Russian military appears to be stuck in the mud. With the loss of access to Starlink satellites, which were previously used to help guide their drones, the Russians have turned to deploying small teams of soldiers in attempts to break through the front lines, with little success. This sluggish [...]
    ​French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenya's President William Ruto at the Taifa Hall of the University of Nairobi, in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 11, 2026.

    French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenya's President William Ruto shake hands during the "Africa Forward Summit 2026" at the Taifa Hall of the University of Nairobi, in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 11, 2026.

    REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi
    When French President Emmanuel Macron took to the stage at the Africa Forward summit yesterday, the audience may not have expected a scolding.“Hey! Hey! Hey! I’m sorry guys, but it’s impossible to … have people … coming here making a speech with such a noise,” he said. “This is a total lack of respect.”Macron’s harsh words directed at the crowd, [...]
    Iran thinks it has more leverage than Trump
    - YouTube
    The Iran war may have entered a ceasefire phase, but the crisis is far from over.The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut, global energy markets are under mounting pressure, and President Trump appears to be backing away from some of his original demands on Tehran. Ian Bremmer argues that Iran increasingly believes it has more leverage than [...]