Hard Numbers: Sudan’s brutal civil war reaches another dark milestone, US economy adds few jobs, Wildfires spread in Australia, Venezuela releases political prisoners

1,000: A civil war that has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises reached a grim milestone today. One thousand days intothe conflict in Sudan, over 150,000 people have been killed and 9 million uprooted across the country by the fighting..

584,000: The US economy added just 584,000 jobs in all of 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, the lowest number outside of recession years since 2003. The economy added 50,000 new roles in December, and unemployment dipped slightly to 4.4%.

113: Wildfires are starting to spread in Australia’s Victoria state, with extreme heat exacerbating the fires – temperatures are set to reach 113°F (45°C) in some areas. One bushfire has burnt through 36,000 hectares. Australian authorities have warned of further property damage.

7: The Venezuelan government has released at least seven political prisoners as part of a wider release of detainees. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said the move was an effort to bolster peace just days after the US abducted and removed her predecessor Nicolás Maduro and announced it would control Venezuela’s oil industry. Whether this is a signal of a broader thaw in the country’s authoritarian regime remains to be seen.