January 2025
February 2025
Iran's Fragile Economy: Oil Dependence and Regime Stability
Iran's economy, despite recent growth driven by oil exports, faces severe challenges including high inflation (nearly 60% in spring 2023), low employment (less than 30% official jobs), and a shrinking capital stock, raising concerns about regime stability.
Iran's Fragile Economy: Oil Dependence and Regime Stability
Iran's economy, despite recent growth driven by oil exports, faces severe challenges including high inflation (nearly 60% in spring 2023), low employment (less than 30% official jobs), and a shrinking capital stock, raising concerns about regime stability.
Progress
52% Bias Score
Cocoa Price Surge: Poor Harvests and Market Speculation Drive Chocolate Inflation
Cocoa prices have more than doubled this year due to poor harvests in West Africa, leading to smaller chocolate bars and potentially higher prices for consumers, while large companies profit from the increased costs.
Cocoa Price Surge: Poor Harvests and Market Speculation Drive Chocolate Inflation
Cocoa prices have more than doubled this year due to poor harvests in West Africa, leading to smaller chocolate bars and potentially higher prices for consumers, while large companies profit from the increased costs.
Progress
40% Bias Score
Eggers' "Nosferatu" Centers on Female Perspective
Robert Eggers' new "Nosferatu" film, starring Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgard, reimagines the classic vampire story, focusing on Ellen's perspective and drawing inspiration from both F.W. Murnau's 1922 version and Bram Stoker's "Dracula," but with a unique visual style rooted in Transylvanian folk...
Eggers' "Nosferatu" Centers on Female Perspective
Robert Eggers' new "Nosferatu" film, starring Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgard, reimagines the classic vampire story, focusing on Ellen's perspective and drawing inspiration from both F.W. Murnau's 1922 version and Bram Stoker's "Dracula," but with a unique visual style rooted in Transylvanian folk...
Progress
32% Bias Score
EU Ministers Visit Post-Assad Syria, Prioritizing Human Rights
German and French foreign ministers visited Damascus, met with Syria's new Islamist leadership, and toured the Saidnaya prison, signaling a potential for renewed relations while emphasizing human rights and a peaceful transition; the visit follows the December 8th overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
EU Ministers Visit Post-Assad Syria, Prioritizing Human Rights
German and French foreign ministers visited Damascus, met with Syria's new Islamist leadership, and toured the Saidnaya prison, signaling a potential for renewed relations while emphasizing human rights and a peaceful transition; the visit follows the December 8th overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Progress
40% Bias Score
Transnistria Rejects Aid, Faces Heating Crisis Amidst Russia's Gas Cutoff
Hundreds of thousands in Transnistria face a harsh winter without heating after rejecting Moldova's offer to buy gas from Europe following Russia's cutoff in January, leaving schools and kindergartens closed; Moldova says Russia is weaponizing the crisis to destabilize the region.
Transnistria Rejects Aid, Faces Heating Crisis Amidst Russia's Gas Cutoff
Hundreds of thousands in Transnistria face a harsh winter without heating after rejecting Moldova's offer to buy gas from Europe following Russia's cutoff in January, leaving schools and kindergartens closed; Moldova says Russia is weaponizing the crisis to destabilize the region.
Progress
52% Bias Score
Koh Kood Dispute: Energy, History, and Family Ties Fuel Territorial Conflict
The island of Koh Kood in Thailand is claimed partially by Cambodia due to differing interpretations of a 1907 treaty; both countries want to exploit its potential oil and gas reserves, causing rising tensions despite personal ties between ruling families and past compromise attempts.
Koh Kood Dispute: Energy, History, and Family Ties Fuel Territorial Conflict
The island of Koh Kood in Thailand is claimed partially by Cambodia due to differing interpretations of a 1907 treaty; both countries want to exploit its potential oil and gas reserves, causing rising tensions despite personal ties between ruling families and past compromise attempts.
Progress
44% Bias Score
EU Ministers Visit Syria After Regime Change
German and French foreign ministers visited Syria to meet with the de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa following the recent overthrow of the Syrian president by the HTS group; this marks the first such EU visit since the change in leadership and signals a potential shift in European policy toward Syria.
EU Ministers Visit Syria After Regime Change
German and French foreign ministers visited Syria to meet with the de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa following the recent overthrow of the Syrian president by the HTS group; this marks the first such EU visit since the change in leadership and signals a potential shift in European policy toward Syria.
Progress
56% Bias Score
Poland's EU Presidency: A Shift in European Policy
Poland assumed the EU Council Presidency on January 1, 2025, succeeding Hungary; Poland's pro-EU stance and strong anti-Russia position contrast sharply with Hungary's actions, leading to expectations of policy shifts on defense and migration within the EU.
Poland's EU Presidency: A Shift in European Policy
Poland assumed the EU Council Presidency on January 1, 2025, succeeding Hungary; Poland's pro-EU stance and strong anti-Russia position contrast sharply with Hungary's actions, leading to expectations of policy shifts on defense and migration within the EU.
Progress
36% Bias Score
Finnish Court Seizes Oil Tanker Eagle S Following Baltic Sea Cable Damage
On Christmas Day, damage to an undersea power cable and four communication cables in the Baltic Sea, including the C-Link1 fiber optic cable connecting Helsinki and Rostock, led to the seizure of the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of causing the damage with its anchor, raising concerns about potentia...
Finnish Court Seizes Oil Tanker Eagle S Following Baltic Sea Cable Damage
On Christmas Day, damage to an undersea power cable and four communication cables in the Baltic Sea, including the C-Link1 fiber optic cable connecting Helsinki and Rostock, led to the seizure of the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of causing the damage with its anchor, raising concerns about potentia...
Progress
36% Bias Score
Venezuela Offers Reward for Opposition Leader
Venezuela is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who is wanted on charges of usurpation of power, sedition, conspiracy, and sabotage following disputed elections resulting in 28 deaths and hundreds of arrests; he is currentl...
Venezuela Offers Reward for Opposition Leader
Venezuela is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who is wanted on charges of usurpation of power, sedition, conspiracy, and sabotage following disputed elections resulting in 28 deaths and hundreds of arrests; he is currentl...
Progress
48% Bias Score
Ukraine's War Creates a Critical Labor Shortage
The war in Ukraine has created a severe labor shortage, with companies like Biomedsklo glass factory losing 10% of its male workforce to military service and Epitsentr hypermarket chain facing similar challenges, while the Ukrainian government estimates a five million worker deficit in the labor mar...
Ukraine's War Creates a Critical Labor Shortage
The war in Ukraine has created a severe labor shortage, with companies like Biomedsklo glass factory losing 10% of its male workforce to military service and Epitsentr hypermarket chain facing similar challenges, while the Ukrainian government estimates a five million worker deficit in the labor mar...
Progress
24% Bias Score
Johnson's Re-election Bid Tests GOP Unity as 119th Congress Begins
On Friday, the 119th US Congress convenes, with House Speaker Mike Johnson facing a tight re-election bid despite President-elect Trump's endorsement; the outcome will impact the smooth transition of presidential power and the legislative agenda.
Johnson's Re-election Bid Tests GOP Unity as 119th Congress Begins
On Friday, the 119th US Congress convenes, with House Speaker Mike Johnson facing a tight re-election bid despite President-elect Trump's endorsement; the outcome will impact the smooth transition of presidential power and the legislative agenda.
Progress
56% Bias Score