Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: A power play in the Arctic, Nigeria-UAE pen trade deal, US used civilian-appearing plane in first boat strike, Former NYC mayor nets crypto windfall

​NTB/Cornelius Poppe via REUTERS
Norway's Queen Sonja views a travel direction signpost as she visits Bjornoya island of the Svalbard Norwegian archipelago, June 14, 2025.
NTB/Cornelius Poppe via REUTERS
1920: Norway is tightening its grip on Svalbard, a remote archipelago near the North Pole rich in rare-earths and vital for satellite and missile monitoring, in a bid to keep rivals out of the Arctic. The archipelago is part of Norway, but a 1920 treaty has allowed almost anyone to live there without a visa. Oslo is asserting more control in restricting voting rights from foreigners and blocking land sale to foreign buyers.

$2 billion: Nigeria and the UAE signed a deal on Tuesday aimed at expanding non-oil trade, a deal that includes a $2 billion climate fund to support Nigeria’s green-energy transition. The deal between one of Africa’s biggest economies and the Gulf state comes as Nigeria aims to hit net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.

11: When the Trump administration launched its first attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat traveling from Venezuela last September, it did so using an aircraft that looked like a civilian plane – a move that could be deemed a war crime under international armed conflict standards. The attack killed 11 people. Administration officials rejected the claim of possible war crimes.

$2.5 million: Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a memecoin yesterday and, after the token’s value skyrocketed, over $2.5 million of liquidity was withdrawn. The move has sparked accusations that the former mayor engaged in a “rug pull,” in which a famous figure or promoter hypes a token before cashing out and leaving investors with losses.

More For You

He Weidong, Zhang Youxia, and Li Shangfu swear oaths as they are selected as China's Central Military Commission members during the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2023.
The Yomiuri Shimbun

100: The estimated number of senior officials who’ve been sidelined or have disappeared from China’s military since 2022, according to a study released on Tuesday.