Hard Numbers: Sudanese anger, Israel’s no-fly list, Venezuelan gold in England, Egyptian activists jailed

People march to the presidential palace, protesting against military rule following last month's coup in Khartoum, Sudan December 19, 2021.

3: Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese hit the streets in Khartoum Sunday to mark the third anniversary of the ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. The military, which staged a coup in October against a power-sharing government, responded with tear gas.

58: To stop the spread of the omicron variant, Israel has barred its citizens from traveling to 58 countries on a government “red list." The US and Canada have now joined that list, which also includes the UK, France, and Germany.

1 billion: The UK’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that Venezuelan gold worth $1 billion will remain in vaults at the Bank of England while the labyrinth British court system decides if it should be returned to the government of President Nicolás Maduro or to Juan Guaidó, Venezuela's opposition figure backed by London. If the courts rule in Guaidó’s favor, it could set a precedent for the recovery of other Venezuelan assets held in European banks.

5: Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who played a prominent role in the 2011 uprising that led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, has been sentenced to five years in prison for “undermining national security.” Two other activists also received prison terms. Since coming to power in 2014, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former army chief, has cracked down hard on political dissent.

More from GZERO Media

U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a NATO leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025.
REUTERS

The two-day NATO summit at the Hague wrapped on Wednesday. The top line? At an event noticeably scripted to heap flattery on Donald Trump, alliance members agreed to the US president’s demand they boost military spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade.

Members of the Basij paramilitary force hold Iranian flag, Lebanese flag, and various militia flags, during a rally commemorating International Quds Day in downtown Tehran, April 14, 2023.
Morteza Nikoubazl via Reuters Connect

As the world reacted to Israel and the US bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities last week, one group was largely silent – Iran’s network of allied militias in the Middle East.

Across North America and Europe, blackouts are becoming more common, often hitting when the demand peaks or when the weather turns extreme. The surging demand for power and new energy sources are putting pressure on the energy systems. Meeting today’s energy needs takes a flexible, pragmatic, “all-of-the-above” approach — drawing on all fuels and technologies. Learn how Enbridge is delivering reliable, affordable energy in uncertain times.