February 5, 2026 – Global Headlines

Story gist: Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed U.S. President Donald Trump on Taiwan during a phone call. The leaders also discussed soybeans amid efforts to ease U.S.-China relations.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like NYT frame the call with Xi ‘pressing’ Trump on Taiwan, emphasizing Chinese assertiveness. Center outlets like Reuters describe a mutual discussion on Taiwan and soybeans aimed at easing relations, with neutral tone and trade details. Right-leaning coverage absent, omitting perspectives that might highlight Trump’s firmness or criticize China more sharply.

Story gist: A stand-up comedian in Russia received a nearly six-year prison sentence for making a joke about a war veteran.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like NYT frame the story with ‘accused of making a joke about veterans,’ emphasizing perceived injustice and softening the comedian’s action as mere accusation. Center outlets like Reuters use neutral phrasing, stating facts on jailing ‘over war veteran joke’ without added tone. Right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting any conservative perspective on Russian judicial actions or free speech.

Story gist: A 13-year-old boy swam for four hours to rescue his family stranded at sea. He spoke out afterward, while his mother described sending him as one of her hardest decisions.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Guardian frame the story around the mother’s emotional ‘hardest decision,’ emphasizing parental dilemma. Center outlets like BBC focus on the boy’s humility, quoting his denial of heroism and describing the ‘superhuman’ swim. Right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting potential emphasis on youthful bravery or self-reliance.

Story gist: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in Libya. Prosecutors launched a probe into the incident.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian frames the death as ‘murder’ of a figure ‘perceived as a threat to Libya’s elite,’ implying elite motives via loaded terms. Center BBC reports neutrally as ‘killed’ with probe emphasis, focusing on facts. Right-leaning coverage absent, omitting potential framing as removal of Gaddafi threat or stability gain.

Story gist: Israel conducted strikes in Gaza, killing 19 people mostly women and children. The strikes followed Israel’s claim that Hamas violated a deal by attacking its soldiers.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like NYT lead with ‘Israel Launches Deadly Strikes on Gaza,’ using emotive ‘deadly’ and prioritizing Israeli action while noting Hamas claim secondarily. Center outlets like BBC focus on ‘Verifying Gaza footage’ and ‘reported killed,’ emphasizing caution and fact-checking without blame. Right-leaning coverage absent, omitting potential emphasis on Hamas violations or Israeli defensive response.