Hard Numbers: Russia says “mea culpa”, Saudis stiffs Yemen, Sturgeon floats 2nd vote, Maxwell faces 20 years, Notre Dame goes green

Hard Numbers: Russia says “mea culpa”, Saudis stiffs Yemen, Sturgeon floats 2nd vote, Maxwell faces 20 years, Notre Dame goes green
A couple wounded in a shopping mall hit by a Russian missile strike hold hands in a hospital in Kremenchuk, Ukraine.
REUTERS/Anna Voitenko

20: In a rare “mea culpa,” Russia claimed responsibility for the missile strike that Kyiv says killed at least 20 people in a Ukrainian shopping mall on Monday. The catch? Moscow says what really happened is that the missile hit a munitions facility that exploded next to the mall.

3 billion: The internationally recognized government of Yemen is still awaiting the arrival of $3 billion in economic support that was recently pledged by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Meanwhile, the Yemeni currency continues to plummet as the war-torn country tries to solidify an April ceasefire.

2: Let’s do it all again! Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has begun the process of holding another referendum on independence from the UK in October 2023. She’s asked the UK Supreme Court to rule on whether the vote can go forward without permission from British Parliament. In a 2014 vote, 55% of Scots opposed independence, but Sturgeon hopes that Brexit and the unpopular Boris Johnson have changed Scottish minds.

20: Former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking four teenage girls for sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell’s lawyers say they will appeal. Maxwell and Epstein’s connections to many prominent US and European politicians have raised the specter of potential bombshell revelations — but so far none has emerged.

53: Three years after a fire gutted the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the city government has approved a $53 million makeover that aims to speed the flow of tourists through the iconic building and – checks notes – fight climate change?

More from GZERO Media

Trump's silhouette as a wrecking ball banging into the Federal Reserve.
Gemini

President Trump has made no secret of his longstanding desire for lower interest rates to juice the economy and reduce the cost of servicing the $30 trillion federal debt.

The Nepalese government’s decision last week to ban several social platforms has touched off an ongoing wave of deadly unrest in the South Asian country of 30 million.

The Nepalese government’s decision last week to ban several social platforms has touched off an ongoing wave of deadly unrest in the South Asian country of 30 million.

General Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, takes part in an extraordinary government cabinet meeting at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, following violations of Polish airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland, on September 10, 2025.
(Photo by Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto

NATO jets last night shot down Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace. Poland said the unmanned aircraft had crossed the border en route to a strike on Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

100: In his ongoing, and so-far fruitless, efforts to convince Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump reportedly asked the EU to apply 100% tariffs on India and China, the Kremlin’s most important trade partners.

Throughout his Walmart career, Greg has earned nine promotions, moving from an hourly associate to now overseeing 10 Walmart stores. His story is one of many. More than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates, and the retailer offers competitive benefits to support associates on and off the clock. At Walmart, there is a path for everyone. Learn how Walmart is investing in opportunities for associates at all levels.

This summer, Microsoft released the 2025 Responsible AI Transparency Report, demonstrating Microsoft’s sustained commitment to earning trust at a pace that matches AI innovation. The report outlines new developments in how we build and deploy AI systems responsibly, how we support our customers, and how we learn, evolve, and grow. It highlights our strengthened incident response processes, enhanced risk assessments and mitigations, and proactive regulatory alignment. It also covers new tools and practices we offer our customers to support their AI risk governance efforts, as well as how we work with stakeholders around the world to work towards governance approaches that build trust. You can read the report here.