Hard Numbers: No daylight in Honduran presidential race, Japan’s lead banker sends bonds falling worldwide, Bird flu spreads like wildfire, Republicans seek to avoid Tennessee catastrophe

515: There are close presidential races, and then there’s the one in Honduras, where just 515 votes separate the top two candidates following Sunday’s election in the Central American nation. Officials say that former Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura and former sports broadcaster Salvador Nasralla are locked in a “technical tie.” Officials are still tallying the votes, and have called for patience.

17: Japan’s two-year government bond yield jumped above 1% for the first time since the Great Financial Crisis 17 years ago after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda suggested the central bank would raise interest rates later this month. Ueda’s comments had ripple effects far beyond Japan’s borders, too: US and German bonds also took a hit.

9 million: Rare exceptions aside, humans have escaped death from bird flu. The same cannot be said for avian animals, as almost nine million poultry birds have been culled globally since October. Cattle, pigs, cats, & dogs have also been infected with the current strain of the disease. Experts are monitoring the virus in case it mutates into something that’s more harmful to people.

22: Former Rep. Mark Green, a Republican who retired from Congress in July, won Tennessee’s 7th District by 22 points last year, but today’s special election to replace him looks set to be a lot closer. Polls show that Republican Matt Van Epps has an edge over Democrat Aftyn Behn, but not by much – one recent survey found the gap at just two points. A GOP defeat would be another warning sign for the party ahead of the midterms.