59: The number of people who have died in Madagascar due to Cyclone Gezani, which hit the island nation last week. Another 15 remain missing, while over 16,000 people have been displaced. The cyclone had sustained winds of 115 miles per hour.
9.5 billion: The record number of passenger trips that are expected across China during the Lunar New Year holiday to usher in the Year of the Horse. The Chinese government is hoping the holiday will boost domestic spending, which it identified as a priority for the year ahead.
60: The number of days that Israel gave Hamas to disarm in an ultimatum issued yesterday. As expected, the militant group rejected those demands, which is a critical facet of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.In the Pacific Northwest, acoustic monitoring is helping detect endangered southern resident orcas and alert nearby vessels in real time. By combining underwater sensors, edge computing, and AI, Microsoft and conservation partners are helping ships reduce noise and collision risks in critical feeding areas. The initiative offers a glimpse of how emerging technologies can support biodiversity conservation while balancing environmental and commercial interests. Read the full story here.
Humanitarian aid isn’t just charity—it’s the world’s safety net against disease, conflict, and instability. David Miliband joins Ian Bremmer to unpack what America’s retreat from global aid means for the world and what comes next.
The global aid system is running out of money just as the world’s crises are multiplying. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer unpacks why consequences of shrinking aid budgets extend far beyond the borders of the world’s most vulnerable countries.
For decades, cars dominated trade, but computer servers have taken the top spot.