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Hard Numbers: Chinese floods, Colombian tax reform, Nigeria rescues hostages, Russian cop’s golden toilet

Hard Numbers: Chinese floods, Colombian tax reform, Nigeria rescues hostages, Russian cop’s golden toilet
Residents wade through floodwaters on a flooded road amid heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province.
China Daily via REUTERS

12: At least 12 people have died after huge floods inundated underground railway tunnels in Zhengzhou, capital of China's Henan province, leaving passengers trapped inside carriages with rising waters. Experts have blamed the torrential downpours on climate change, exacerbated by the construction of mega-dams on the flood-prone Yellow River.

3.95 billion: Let's try again! Colombia's government has presented to Congress an updated tax reform plan that aims to raise $3.95 billion in new revenues. That's one-third less than the original proposal, which last May sparked violent street protests over broader rising inequality.

100: Nigerian authorities have rescued 100 women and children who were abducted six weeks ago in northern Zamfara state. The country has suffered a spike of kidnappings for ransom in recent months amid a deteriorating security situation.

255,000: Russian federal investigators busted a ring of corrupt cops accused of receiving $255,000 in bribes from criminal gangs in the North Caucasus region. The raids by the Russian feds yielded a treasure trove of goodies allegedly purchased with illicit cash, among them a golden toilet to cover their derrières.

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Members of the Green Bangla Garment Workers Federation hold a protest rally demanding the immediate reconstitution of the wage board for garment workers and the announcement of a minimum wage of Tk 30,000 in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on October 9, 2026.
Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto

Garment workers in Bangladesh have taken to the streets over the past week, demanding higher wages and forcing more than 600 factories to shut down nationwide.

As AI creates new opportunities, the people who understand a community best play an important role in determining how those opportunities take shape. Across the US, Microsoft is supporting AI literacy classes as part of a new program developed in collaboration with the Public Library Association, working through trusted local institutions to help people build practical AI skills. By pairing new technology with local knowledge, the initiative is helping communities explore how AI can support their needs and open new possibilities, while putting local leaders and organizations at the center of that work. Read the full story here.