Hard Numbers: The Saudi City of Tomorrow

115: There are 115 people missing and presumed dead following a shipwreck off the coast of Libya last week. The numbers of migrants crossing the Mediterranean is down sharply from the height of the crisis four years ago, but significant numbers continue to try.

20: Tonight and tomorrow night, a total of 20 Democratic presidential candidates will take to the debate stage. Each will try to find some clever way to stand out from the crowd to win the party's nomination to take on Donald Trump next year. This is likely the last time so many will qualify to participate.

500 billion: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says half a trillion dollars will go to build an entirely new city over 10,000 square miles of rocky desert and empty coastline. As envisioned by the prince's consultants, the city, known as Neom, will include flying taxis, robot dinosaurs, high-tech security cameras, sand that glows in the dark, cutting-edge hospitals, really nice restaurants, its own artificial moon, a genetic-modification project that makes people stronger, and booze. Lots and lots of booze.

353 million: Ethiopians planted a record 353 million trees in a single day yesterday, according to a government official, as part of a state-led project to plant 4 billion trees over the course of the summer to combat deforestation in a country historically plagued by droughts. India set the previous record of 50 million in 2016.

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A Venezuelan Navy patrol boat sails off the Caribbean coast, amid heightened tensions with the U.S., in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, October 24, 2025.
REUTERS/Juan Carlos Hernandez

On Tuesday, the US struck four boats off the Pacific coast of Central America, killing 14 people who the White House said were smuggling narcotics.

Israeli warplanes launched heavy airstrikes targeting an entire residential block near the Al-Sousi Mosque in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. The strikes destroyed a large number of homes, levelling some to the ground. Civil defense and ambulance teams rushed to the scene and are working to rescue victims and recover bodies from under the rubble amidst widespread destruction and significant difficulties in rescue operations due to the ongoing bombardment and a shortage of equipment.

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed 100 people last night, according to local officials, in the deadliest day since the signing of the ceasefire three weeks ago.