Daily News for May 17, 2026: Erdogan's Baby Boom Efforts Fall Flat Amid Global Headlines
Today's global headlines feature Erdogan's attempts to boost Turkey's birthrate, which are failing despite financial incentives. In Peru, a presidential runoff presents two contrasting visions for the nation, with Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez as the main candidates. Colombia's birding apps are enhancing tourism in the world's top bird destination. The W.H.O. has declared an Ebola outbreak a global health emergency, with confirmed cases in Congo and Uganda. Markets are down across the board, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ both declining over 1%. Hacker News discussions include skepticism about AI's efficiency and a security exploit related to Microsoft. Product Hunt showcases innovative launches like Fere AI and Vivago Video Agent, highlighting advancements in AI and video production.
Global Headlines
Top stories across selected outlets, presented in a fast daily brief format.
Taiwan not to give up ‘free way of life under pressure’: President
What to know about Georgia’s primary as Republicans set sights on Senate
Drone strike sparks fire on perimeter of UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant
Son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas elected to top Fatah body
How will Izz al-Din al-Haddad assassination impact Hamas’s Gaza operations?
Ukraine conducts large-scale drone strikes on Russia, killing 4 and wounding 12 others
One of Ukraine's largest drone strikes on Russia killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others, local authorities said Sunday.
One clinic tracks the heavy toll Trump's immigration crackdown takes on mental health
Zocalo Health, a clinic in Los Angeles, screens all its patients for depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. It documented a marked increase in those conditions since ICE enforcement actions began.
The foreign fighters who helped topple Assad — and why China worries about them
Thousands of Uyghurs became key fighters against Syria's Assad regime. For the first time, they agreed to be interviewed. NPR spent weeks with some of them to understand why they fled China for Syria.
How a CEO and Trump donor is weaponizing tariffs against his rivals
Cambria CEO Marty Davis has successfully asked the U.S. government to put tariffs on quartz. His business competitors are crying foul.
New burn bans and Trump's battle with immigration and DEI are impacting forest fires
Firefighters say setting fires on purpose is one of the best ways to protect against massive wildfires later. But the Trump administration is banning or stalling preventative burning across the U.S.
In step, a partnership that delivers
When Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro became in September the first Portuguese head of government to visit China in nearly a decade, one remark he made in meetings with Chinese leaders cut through the familiar tone of diplomatic exchanges.
UAE rejects Israeli visit claim
The United Arab Emirates has flatly rejected an Israeli claim of a "secret visit" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war with Iran, labeling it as "baseless".
Power outage hits eastern half of Cuba
HAVANA - A power outage knocked out electricity across several provinces in eastern Cuba early Thursday, from central Ciego de Avila to eastern Guantanamo, according to the state-run National Electric Union (UNE).
Nations' friendship still bouncing along
Deliah Autry, 30, is a member of the United States Women's National Flag Football Team, a three-time world champion, and a doctor of physical therapy specializing in pediatrics.
Ebola outbreak emergency of int'l concern: WHO
GENEVA -- The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, falling short of a "pandemic emergency," the WHO said on its official website on Sunday.
Greater Nicobar project a recipe for ecological disaster: Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh criticises the Greater Nicobar project as ecologically harmful, urging alternatives to strengthen national defense sustainably.
Education Ministry dismisses concerns of ‘On Screen Marking’ affecting CBSE Class 12 results
Education Ministry supports CBSE's On Screen Marking, reduces revaluation fees to ₹100, ensuring transparent evaluation amidst pass percentage concerns.
NCB cracks major India-Myanmar drug syndicate, arrests kingpin
NCB arrests Chintuang, a key figure in a major India-Myanmar drug syndicate, disrupting extensive trafficking networks.
PM Modi Sweden visit LIVE: PM Modi to head to Sweden on third-leg of 5-nation tour after Netherlands
PM Modi Sweden Visit LIVE: Follow the latest updates of Narendra Modi's third leg of his five-nation tour, on May 17, 2026
PM Modi tours iconic Dutch dam; eyes cooperation in water management
PM Modi visits the Afsluitdijk Dam, seeking enhanced Indo-Dutch cooperation in water management and climate-resilient infrastructure.
US assesses drone threat from Cuba, Axios reports
Erdogan Wants Turkey to Have More Babies. Few Parents Are Listening.
Using cash grants and subsidized loans, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is trying to increase the birthrate. It’s not working.
Runoff in Peru Offers Two Starkly Differing Visions for the Nation
The presidential election pits Keiko Fujimori, a conservative, against Roberto Sánchez, a leftist, after a crisis marked by delays and protests.
How Birding Apps Are Boosting Tourism in the World’s Top Bird Destination
Colombia is home to the most species of birds known to ornithologists. Merlin, an app, is helping to build an “avian tourism” industry there.
In Iraqi Desert, Two Israeli Outposts Were Kept Secret for Months
Israel spent over a year preparing a covert site in Iraq for its operations against Iran, regional officials say. Iraqi officials later confirmed the existence of a second base.
W.H.O. Declares Ebola Outbreak a Global Health Emergency
Just a day after the announcement, cases were confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. There is no approved vaccine for this species of Ebola.
Hacker News
Ten notable links from the last day in the Hacker News ecosystem.
I don't think AI will make your processes go faster
Every AI Subscription Is a Ticking Time Bomb for Enterprise
Native all the way, until you need text
Apple Silicon costs more than OpenRouter
AI is a technology not a product
Product Hunt
Featured products from the latest public Product Hunt listings.
Vivago Video Agent
Skip the prompting. Produce consistently compelling videos. Discussion | Link
SUN-to-Spotify
Generate audio with SUN and send it to your Spotify library Discussion | Link
Market Snapshot
Latest completed sessions across the selected benchmark indexes.
| Index | Region | Session Date | Value | Change | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S&P 500 | US | 2026-05-17 | 7408.50 | -92.74 (-1.24%) | Down |
NASDAQ Composite | US | 2026-05-17 | 26225.15 | -410.08 (-1.54%) | Down |
Euronext 100 Index | Europe | 2026-05-17 | 1798.83 | -28.72 (-1.57%) | Down |
Public Joint-Stock Company Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS | Europe | 2026-05-17 | 85.20 | -0.11 (-0.13%) | Down |
HANG SENG INDEX | Asia | 2026-05-17 | 25962.73 | -426.27 (-1.62%) | Down |
Nikkei 225 | Asia | 2026-05-17 | 61409.29 | -1244.81 (-1.99%) | Down |
S&P BSE SENSEX | India | 2026-05-17 | 75237.99 | -160.71 (-0.21%) | Down |
Source Notes
Generation details, data coverage, and any partial-source warnings for this edition.