Hard Numbers: New York blizzard, foreign aid groups ditch the Taliban, stranded Rohingya, US consumers’ spending spree

A restaurant is covered in ice during a winter storm in Buffalo, New York.
A restaurant is covered in ice during a winter storm in Buffalo, New York.
Reuters

28: At least 28 people in western New York died over the holiday weekend after a deadly blizzard left thousands of homes without heat and many residents stranded on roads in apocalyptic conditions. A deadly arctic freeze continues to pummel parts of the US and Canada.

5: Days after the Taliban banned women from attending university and from working for non-government organizations, five international NGOs suspended operations in Afghanistan. What’s more, a UN official said that the organization could stop humanitarian aid deliveries to the country if the ban is not reversed.

58: Around 58 Rohingya refugees – stranded at sea for a month in a rickety boat – have drifted onto a beach in Aceh province, Indonesia, with several requiring medical care. This comes after the UN last week pleaded with states to rescue another vessel carrying 150 Rohingya migrants stranded off an Indian island in the Bay of Bengal.

8: This year’s holiday retail sales in the US could rise by as much as 8% from 2021 – when Americans set another spending record – according to the National Retail Federation. Despite efforts by the Fed to rein in inflation, higher borrowing costs have so far not had a big impact on consumer spending habits as wages remain high.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

Tensions in the Middle East escalate as Israel launches a surprise military strike against Iran, prompting international concern and speculation about broader conflict. In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer calls Israel’s strike on Iran “a huge success for the Israelis” and a significant blow to Iran’s regional influence.

Iranian policemen monitor an area near a residential complex that is damaged in Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran, on June 13, 2025.
Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto

Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities Thursday night, causing “significant damage” at the country’s main enrichment plant, killing leading Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists, and sparking fears that the Middle East is on the verge of a wider war.

A tank on display at a park in Washington, D.C., on June 12, 2025, two days ahead of a military parade commemorating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.

Kyodo via Reuters Connect

The official reason for this weekend’s military parade in Washington DC is to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Army – but the occasion also just happens to fall on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.