News
Hard Numbers: ISIS-K strikes, ripple effects of Canadian wildfires, eurozone recession, Aussies rescue humpback in distress
Security forces keeping watch after mosque explosion
Reuters
11: At least 11 people, including two Taliban officials, were killed and dozens more injured in an explosion in a mosque in northeastern Afghanistan. The Islamic State offshoot has since taken responsibility for the blast. For more on ISIS-K and its ongoing beef with the Taliban, see our explainer here.
5,804: Smoke plumes from wildfires in Canada caused at least 5,804 delays on flights in and out of the US on Wednesday, as the Northeast in particular struggles with off-the-charts smoke pollution levels that have closed schools and public events. Meanwhile, experts say smoke plumes are expected to reach as far away as Norway after having recently passed over Greenland and Iceland.
0.1: The eurozone is technically in recession territory after recording two consecutive quarter contractions of 0.1% – in the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of this year. Still, the bloc’s economy is doing better than many initially anticipated at the outset of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and should grow by 0.9% this year.
40,000: Mesmerizing footage captured Australian marine workers rescuing a humpback whale that got tangled in a shark net off the coast of New South Wales. As more humpbacks — around 40,000 — head towards that coastline amid the northern migration season (May-November), Aussies have a special disentanglement crew ready to aid mammals that get stuck.The Regime's viral banger "Special Military Operation" is NOW STREAMING on most platforms, including those TWO BIG ONES. #PUPPETREGIME
What is President Trump trying to achieve in Iran, and how does his strategy compare to past US interventions in the Middle East?
The US has paused Russian oil sanctions in a bid to stabilize energy markets rocked by the war with Iran. Administration officials stress that it’s a “tailored” measure, applying only to oil already loaded onto tankers, but it’s still a gift to Russia, which has already been clocking an extra $150 million daily in oil revenues since the war began.
4: The number of crew members aboard a US refuelling plane – out of six total – who died after the aircraft crashed in neighboring Iraq on Thursday, US Central Command said this morning.