Hard Numbers: EU gas price dip, Swedish camera thieves, Myanmar festival attack, Qatar vs. LGBTQ
100: The cost of burning natural gas to produce a megawatt hour of electricity in Europe has dipped below 100 euros ($99) for the first time since Russia began cutting supplies to the EU earlier this year. Experts say milder-than-expected weather and topped-up storage units are to thank for the price relief. Can it last?
160: Swedish police are investigating at least 160 recent midnight thefts of speed trap cameras on public roads. No one is sure who’s doing it, but the fact that thieves are routinely making off with specific camera parts has given rise to a weird theory: Is heavily sanctioned Russia behind the heists as a way to get dual-use technology for its drones?
60: Myanmar’s military junta sent fighter jets to attack a festival held by the ethnic separatists of the Kachin Independence Army, killing as many as 60 of the group’s members late Sunday. Since seizing power almost two years ago, the dictatorship has faced stiff resistance from an array of ethnic militias.
6: Authorities in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, have detained and abused at least six LGBTQ Qataris for “immoral activity” since 2019, according to Human Rights Watch. The 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in the Gulf kingdom next month.