Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Wagner-backed referendum in Africa, World Triathlon Championships turns stomachs, nuclear fusion test redo, cheese tragedy

Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadera speaks while surrounded by Russian officers from Wagner Group.

Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadera speaks while surrounded by Russian officers from Wagner Group.

Reuters
Make us preferred on Google

95: A referendum abolishing presidential term limits in the civil-war-plagued Central African Republic has comfortably passed, with provisional results showing 95% of people voted in favor, though turnout was a very low 10%. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has close ties with Russia’s Wagner Group, which reportedly sent in additional mercenaries to keep order ahead of the vote.


57: At least 57 participants in the World Triathlon Championship Series became sick with severe diarrhea and vomiting after swimming off Roker Beach in northern England. The Environment Agency last month found high levels of E coli in the sea, and this comes after a recent report found that water pollution levels in the UK are “unacceptably high.”

2: US government scientists have for the second time successfully carried out a burst of nuclear fusion, a process that generates more energy – clean energy that is – than it requires. This controlled process of mixing atoms to produce energy is a huge milestone on the path toward zero-carbon power. To better understand the process, see our explainer here.

40: A man died in the northern Italian region of Lombardy after being crushed by cheese weighing 40 kg (84lb). The tragedy happened when a shelf holding parmesan-like cheese wheels collapsed in his warehouse, causing a thud that nearby residents said sounded like thunder. The economic fallout – around €7 million ($7.7m) – was steep as well.

More For You

Peru's conservative presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori addresses the media in Lima, Peru, on June 11, 2026.

Peru's conservative presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori addresses the media, as vote counting continues in a tight presidential race between Fujimori and leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez, in Lima, Peru, on June 11, 2026.

REUTERS/Alessandro Cinque/File Photo
Eight presidents, one of whom lasted five days. A plethora of attempted impeachments – including four successful ones. Several ex-leaders jailed. Eighteen different finance ministers. A litany of publicly-financed projects that are unfinished. Protests prompting a state of emergency declaration. An absence of trust in government. Election count [...]
Canada shows another red card at the border
Will Fitzpatrick
While the US has drawn attention for blocking fans, coaches, and referees from entering the country for the World Cup, co‑host Canada has also denied entry into its country for two players. Ahead of Ghana’s opening match against Panama in Toronto, midfielder Thomas Partey was denied a visa to travel from the US to Canada. And just yesterday, [...]
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian displays a memorandum of understanding after signing it in Tehran, Iran, on June 18, 2026.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian displays a memorandum of understanding after signing it in Tehran, Iran, on June 18, 2026, after the document was signed by US President Donald Trump.

Iranian Presidency via ZUMA Press
What does the US-Iran deal mean for Tehran? The interim agreement to end the war, signed by both sides on Wednesday, appears to tilt toward Iran: it lifts the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, grants sanction waivers for Iranian oil products – meaning Tehran no longer has to sell oil at a discount – and gives the Islamic Republic access to [...]
People walking along the Dubai Creek Harbour

People walk along Dubai Creek Harbour, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 6, 2026.

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
Will the Gulf pay for its own protection from Iran? Iran could reportedly receive up to $300 billion in a reconstruction fund for its battered economy as part of its interim peace deal with the US, which is expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday. While the structure and management of the potential fund are unclear, US President [...]