Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Cuban doctors abroad, vaccine promise, China's pressure on the EU, high times in California

Hard Numbers: Cuban doctors abroad, vaccine promise, China's pressure on the EU, high times in California

3: Beijing complained to the European Union at least three times about an internal EU report that alleges China has waged a global propaganda campaign to deflect blame for its poor initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The pressure reportedly led EU officials to soften the language in a public summary of the report.


6,000: Having successfully tested a coronavirus vaccine on monkeys, scientists at Oxford University's Jenner Institute are set to begin a clinical trial on more than 6,000 people. This puts the Jenner labs at the front of the pack in the global race to develop a vaccine. If the trial is successful, several million doses could be ready by fall.

159: Sales of cannabis in the state of California have surged 159 percent during the first three months of the year, as Californians smoke up while locked down. Cannabis, which is sold legally in dispensaries across the state, has been classified as an essential product, putting it on equal footing with toilet paper and food staples like milk.

8.2: Cuba has 8.2 doctors per 1,000 people, by far the highest rate of any country in the world. For decades the Cuban regime has sent them abroad to earn cash and win hearts and minds. Over the past several months, hundreds of Cuban doctors have fanned out across the world to help other countries fight the coronavirus.

More For You

Protesters demonstrate against poor economic conditions in Tehran, Iran, on December 29, 2025.

Protesters demonstrate against poor economic conditions in Tehran, Iran, on December 29, 2025, with some shopkeepers closing their stores in response to ongoing hardships and fluctuations in the national currency.

ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
With economy in dire straits, Iranians take to the streetsIran saw its largest protest in three years on Monday, as traders and shopkeepers in Tehran shut their stores to show their displeasure at the government’s handling of the economy. The demonstrations are notable amid Iran’s intensified crackdown on dissent, including arrests of opposition [...]
​Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to US President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, on December 28, 2025.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to US President Donald Trump, after Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed willingness to help Ukraine "succeed," during a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, on December 28, 2025.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
50: Ukrainian President Volodoymyr Zelensky said he wants a 50-year security guarantee from the United States, far longer than the 15-year guarantee that US President Donald Trump reportedly offered. A peace agreement still looks unlikely, for now. What’s more, Russia accused Ukraine of attempting a drone strike on one of President Vladimir [...]
​The Guinea-flagged oil tanker MT Bandra, which is under sanctions, at El Palito terminal, near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on December 29, 2025.

The Guinea-flagged oil tanker MT Bandra, which is under sanctions, is partially seen alongside another vessel at El Palito terminal, near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on December 29, 2025.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Hernandez
In years past, US sanctions on Russia’s top two oil firms, a war between Israel and Iran, and American seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers would have been enough to spike oil prices.All of that happened this year. And yet, prices fell.Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, is down nearly 20% this year to just over $60 per barrel. Prices [...]
​US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands at the Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, on December 28, 2025.

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a press conference after their lunch meeting at the Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, on December 28, 2025.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Trump hails progress after Mar-a-Lago meeting with ZelenskyAfter meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said that Russia and Ukraine are “closer than ever” to a peace deal. Trump had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone prior to the meeting. The [...]