$200 billion: The amount that the Pentagon is seeking for its war effort in Iran, per a Washington Post report. The request was routed to the White House, which must then ask Congress – which has power of the purse – to approve the funding. To put this in context, the US Congress has granted roughly $188 billion in funding related to the war in Ukraine – which began four years ago – the last of which was approved in April 2024.
9: The number of albums that the multiplatinum K-pop group BTS has dropped. It’s set to release its 10th tomorrow, their first since the group had to pause operations in 2022 – just as they were becoming global superstars – while its seven members served South Korea’s mandatory military service.
37: The number of years since the last state visit by a Nigerian president to the United Kingdom. President Bola Tinubu broke this streak on Tuesday, attending a state dinner with King Charles III, who made light-hearted comments about jollof rice. That wasn’t all: On Wednesday, Tinubu signed a £746 million ($990 million) port deal with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Ian Bremmer sits down with Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and political scientist, to discuss Hungary's consequential upcoming election and what it means for the far right globally.
A new US regulatory framework sets clear rules for stablecoins, defining issuer responsibilities and laying the groundwork for consistent federal and state oversight. With guardrails in place, stablecoins are shifting from crypto experiment to payment infrastructure. Explore the stablecoin framework with Bank of America Institute.
See: “Raphael: Sublime Poetry at the Met.” The first Raphael retrospective ever mounted in the US is running through June 28 at the Met Museum.
Forty-eight countries have officially qualified for the World Cup, after Iraq booked the final spot with its win against Bolivia on Tuesday.