Hard Numbers: Major hurricane sweeping through Caribbean, Insurgents implement blockade in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire’s octogenarian leader wins again, Diphtheria on the rise

30: Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded over the weekend to a Category 5 storm, is expected to hit Jamaica on Monday and bring 30 inches of rain and 165-mph winds, in what will be one of the most intense storms to ever hit the island. Widespread power outages and communication problems are expected. The hurricane is expected to pass over Cuba and the Bahamas over the next couple of days.

160,000: Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents are blocking shipments of fuel in Mali, spurring a shortage that has forced schools and gas stations to close. The insurgents are attempting to topple the military-led government. Russia said it would deliver over 160,000 tons of petroleum and agriculture products as it tries to deepen ties with the West African country – though how and when this aid will arrive isn’t clear.

4: Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara, who is 83, won a fourth term in office, with his former Commerce Minister Jean-Louis Billon conceding defeat following Saturday’s election. Ouattara had clamped down on both the opposition and protests in the build up to the election, and his main two rivals were barred from running (read more here).

30,000: Diphtheria, a bacterial disease that is fatal to young children, is making a worrying comeback in parts of the developing world. In Nigeria, the most-populous country in Africa, nearly 30,000 cases have been reported over the last two years. There have also been outbreaks in Chad, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Lower immunization rates have allowed the disease to spread.