January 2025
February 2025
CHP Mayor Arrested Amidst Growing Pressure on Opposition Municipalities
Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, a CHP member, was arrested on January 13th on charges of "membership in a criminal organization," "tampering with a tender," and "unjust enrichment," leading to a CHP-led effort to find a replacement and sparking concerns about political pressure on opposition municipali...
CHP Mayor Arrested Amidst Growing Pressure on Opposition Municipalities
Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, a CHP member, was arrested on January 13th on charges of "membership in a criminal organization," "tampering with a tender," and "unjust enrichment," leading to a CHP-led effort to find a replacement and sparking concerns about political pressure on opposition municipali...
Progress
56% Bias Score
Kazakhstan: Six Police Officers Sentenced for 2022 Torture of Detainees
In January 2025, a Kazakh court sentenced six former police officers to three years in prison for torturing 98 detainees (Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik) in Koshambeyt during January 2022 unrest; the case, revealed by Kyrgyz jazz musician Vikram Ruzakhunov's testimony, highlights systemic failures in ...
Kazakhstan: Six Police Officers Sentenced for 2022 Torture of Detainees
In January 2025, a Kazakh court sentenced six former police officers to three years in prison for torturing 98 detainees (Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik) in Koshambeyt during January 2022 unrest; the case, revealed by Kyrgyz jazz musician Vikram Ruzakhunov's testimony, highlights systemic failures in ...
Progress
40% Bias Score
Cuba Releases Dissident Ferrer in Deal with US
As part of a deal to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Cuban government released 553 prisoners, including prominent dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, who had spent over three years in prison following anti-government protests in 2021. The deal, brokered by the Catholic C...
Cuba Releases Dissident Ferrer in Deal with US
As part of a deal to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Cuban government released 553 prisoners, including prominent dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, who had spent over three years in prison following anti-government protests in 2021. The deal, brokered by the Catholic C...
Progress
40% Bias Score
A Real Pain": A Comedy-Drama Exploring Generational Trauma and Remembrance
Jesse Eisenberg's "A Real Pain" follows two Jewish-American cousins on a Poland trip to honor their grandmother, confronting their family's Holocaust history and exploring generational trauma with humor and poignancy.
A Real Pain": A Comedy-Drama Exploring Generational Trauma and Remembrance
Jesse Eisenberg's "A Real Pain" follows two Jewish-American cousins on a Poland trip to honor their grandmother, confronting their family's Holocaust history and exploring generational trauma with humor and poignancy.
Progress
24% Bias Score
Lithuania to Increase Defense Spending to 5-6% of GDP
Facing the persistent threat of Russian aggression, Lithuania's government has decided to increase defense spending from over 3% to 5-6% of its GDP between 2026 and 2030, making it the highest among NATO members. This decision follows a call from the US president-elect to increase NATO defense spend...
Lithuania to Increase Defense Spending to 5-6% of GDP
Facing the persistent threat of Russian aggression, Lithuania's government has decided to increase defense spending from over 3% to 5-6% of its GDP between 2026 and 2030, making it the highest among NATO members. This decision follows a call from the US president-elect to increase NATO defense spend...
Progress
48% Bias Score
Xi Jinping Skips Trump Inauguration, Sends Vice President
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, sending Vice President Han Zheng instead. This decision comes after Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi, breaking with tradition. The move is seen as a strategic approach to managing increasingly tense U...
Xi Jinping Skips Trump Inauguration, Sends Vice President
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, sending Vice President Han Zheng instead. This decision comes after Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi, breaking with tradition. The move is seen as a strategic approach to managing increasingly tense U...
Progress
32% Bias Score
Spain's Booming Real Estate Market: Affordability Concerns and a Controversial Tax
Spain's real estate market shows a 9% price increase in the first nine months of 2024, fueled by both domestic and foreign demand, particularly from EU countries in coastal areas, leading to affordability concerns and prompting a 100% tax proposal on non-resident foreign buyers by Prime Minister Ped...
Spain's Booming Real Estate Market: Affordability Concerns and a Controversial Tax
Spain's real estate market shows a 9% price increase in the first nine months of 2024, fueled by both domestic and foreign demand, particularly from EU countries in coastal areas, leading to affordability concerns and prompting a 100% tax proposal on non-resident foreign buyers by Prime Minister Ped...
Progress
52% Bias Score
IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast Amidst Concerns Over Trump's Economic Policies
The IMF upgraded its UK growth forecast to 1.6% for 2025 but warned that Trump's threatened tariffs could worsen trade tensions, lower investment, and disrupt supply chains globally, potentially causing an inflationary boom followed by a bust and weakening US Treasury bonds.
IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast Amidst Concerns Over Trump's Economic Policies
The IMF upgraded its UK growth forecast to 1.6% for 2025 but warned that Trump's threatened tariffs could worsen trade tensions, lower investment, and disrupt supply chains globally, potentially causing an inflationary boom followed by a bust and weakening US Treasury bonds.
Progress
40% Bias Score
Philippine VP Threatens President Amidst Deepening Political Crisis
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte publicly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., claiming a conversation where she ordered the killing of the President and his family, and dreams of beheading him; this follows the President's removal of Duterte from the National Security Council, escalatin...
Philippine VP Threatens President Amidst Deepening Political Crisis
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte publicly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., claiming a conversation where she ordered the killing of the President and his family, and dreams of beheading him; this follows the President's removal of Duterte from the National Security Council, escalatin...
Progress
60% Bias Score
TikTok Ban Delayed Amid Supreme Court Ruling and Shifting Political Landscape
The US Supreme Court upheld a ban on TikTok, but the Justice Department delayed enforcement, allowing time to sever ties with ByteDance and sell US operations. President Biden deferred the decision to Trump, who has changed his stance since 2020.
TikTok Ban Delayed Amid Supreme Court Ruling and Shifting Political Landscape
The US Supreme Court upheld a ban on TikTok, but the Justice Department delayed enforcement, allowing time to sever ties with ByteDance and sell US operations. President Biden deferred the decision to Trump, who has changed his stance since 2020.
Progress
52% Bias Score
Mpox Outbreak in Africa Surpasses 77,000 Cases, 1,300 Deaths
Africa has reported 77,888 mpox cases and 1,321 deaths since the start of 2024, with Sierra Leone reporting its first outbreak on January 10th, bringing the total affected African countries to 21; the Africa CDC is prioritizing response intensification and infrastructure improvements.
Mpox Outbreak in Africa Surpasses 77,000 Cases, 1,300 Deaths
Africa has reported 77,888 mpox cases and 1,321 deaths since the start of 2024, with Sierra Leone reporting its first outbreak on January 10th, bringing the total affected African countries to 21; the Africa CDC is prioritizing response intensification and infrastructure improvements.
Progress
24% Bias Score
Germany Condemns Russia-Iran Strategic Partnership Amid Ukraine War
Germany condemns Russia and Iran's strategic partnership, signed January 17 in Moscow, highlighting Iran's regional role and Russia's use of North Korean support in the Ukraine war; experts compare this to similar Russian agreements with countries like North Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia, emphasizing...
Germany Condemns Russia-Iran Strategic Partnership Amid Ukraine War
Germany condemns Russia and Iran's strategic partnership, signed January 17 in Moscow, highlighting Iran's regional role and Russia's use of North Korean support in the Ukraine war; experts compare this to similar Russian agreements with countries like North Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia, emphasizing...
Progress
40% Bias Score