Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Duterte rides high, Colombian massacres surge, US firms sue over tariffs, Ethiopia files charges in singer's murder

Image of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flanked by the national flag, a gun, and symbols of justice
Make us preferred on Google

91: Despite overseeing Southeast Asia's worst COVID-19 outbreak, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's approval rating is now at a heady 91 percent, up four points since before the pandemic.


42: So far in 2020 there have been 42 mass killings in Colombia, says the UN. That's the highest annual mark since a 2016 peace accord was signed between the government and FARC rebels. Human rights activists and former FARC rebels have borne the brunt of the violence, according to the UN.

3,500: President Trump often falsely says Beijing is paying for the tariffs that his administration has slapped on China's exports. But they are actually paid by US firms, more than 3,500 of whom have now filed lawsuits (paywall) alleging that the measures are no longer legal, and demanding compensation. The list includes American giants like Coca-Cola, Ford, and Disney.

4: The Ethiopian government has filed terrorism charges against four people over the killing of a famous musician in June. The murder of Hacalu Hundessa, whose music advocated for the rights of Ethiopia's Oromo ethnic group, sparked days of violence.

More For You

Washington’s controversial new approach to foreign aid
What do countries receiving US foreign aid owe Washington? Since returning to power in 2025, the Trump administration has drastically changed the answer to this question, pursuing an ‘America First’ philosophy that is dramatically more transactional: the US will give you money, but you must give the US something valuable in return.In the [...]
People wearing protective masks walk through the street as haze from wildfires shrouds the area in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, October 14, 2026.

People wearing protective masks walk through the street as haze from wildfires shrouds the area in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, October 14, 2026.

REUTERS/Arief Rahman Septian Prathama
Indonesia’s wildfires ignite regional tensionsIndonesia’s worst wildfires in a decade are quickly becoming a domestic and international headache for President Prabowo Subianto. He has so far refused to declare a national emergency, which would free up more resources to fight the blazes. Prabowo says the government has things under control without [...]
Senegal’s LGBTQ+ crackdown
Lottie Tellyn
Senegalese LGBTQ+ people have also faced forced HIV testing and challenges getting legal representation amid a wider crackdown. As a candidate in the 2024 election, now-president Bassirou Diomaye Faye pledged to strengthen existing laws that criminalized same-sex relations. In March the government doubled the maximum prison term for same-sex [...]
Refugees and migrants arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos, November 10, 2015. Since the start of the year, over 590,000 people have crossed into Greece, the frontline of a massive westward population shift from war-ravaged Syria and beyond.

Refugees and migrants arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos, November 10, 2015. Since the start of the year, over 590,000 people have crossed into Greece, the frontline of a massive westward population shift from war-ravaged Syria and beyond.

REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Anti-immigration political parties are making big gains across Europe these days. Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party just won two major state parliamentary elections, campaigning in part on mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Spain’s far-right Vox party continues to grow in popularity, especially after a recent surge of [...]