Hard Numbers

Venezuela defeat USA in baseball, American diesel surpasses $5, Scotland rejects assisted dying bill, Senegal victory in African soccer tournament annulled

Venezuela outfielder Javier Sanoja reacts in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA, on March 17, 2026.

Venezuela outfielder Javier Sanoja during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA, on March 17, 2026.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

3: The number of runs scored by Venezuela’s national baseball team in their stunning upset of top-seeded USA in the World Baseball Classic final in Miami last night. In an epic game fraught with geopolitical overtones – the US government abducted Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in January – the arepa-powered pitching staff held the fearsome USlineup to just two runs, winning the tournament for the first time ever. To all our Venezuelan readers, ¡Felicidades!

$5.07: The average cost of diesel per gallon in the US today. Tuesday marked the second time that the fuel’s average price has surpassed $5, the first being in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The spike in prices comes as the Iran conflict imperils global oil shipping through the Persian Gulf.

69: The number of Scottish lawmakers who voted against legalized assisted dying, ensuring that the bill was defeated. Fifty-seven voted for it. The decision is in contrast to several other countries and jurisdictions, including Canada, Colombia, and certain US states, that have started to allow assisted dying in certain cases in recent years.

58: The number of days since Senegal defeated Morocco in the highly-controversial 2025 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament final. Why mention this today? The Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned Senegal’s victory and handed Morocco the trophy, ruling that the “Lions of Teranga” had forfeited the game when they walked off the pitch following a last-minute penalty decision.

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Explosions in Iran and gas prices increasing.
Natalie Johnson

Nearly a month ago, the US and Israel started a war with Iran. But one continent, which wants very little to do with the war, is uniquely impacted: Europe.

March 13, 2026, Tehran, Iran: ALI LARIJANI (C), Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, participates in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran.
Supreme National Security Counci via ZUMA Press Wire

Ali Larijani, who was head of the Islamic Republic’s influential security council and had effectively run the country since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death, was killed in a strike overnight, Israel has said. Tehran has not confirmed his death.