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Hard Numbers: Australia rescues stranded whales, Nigeria's economic hit, Netherlands' COVID surge, US-EU row over Iran
270: Australian coastal authorities have launched a massive recovery effort to rescue some 270 pilot whales that became stranded off the coast of the southern island of Tasmania, a third of which are already believed to have died. Mass strandings like this, which are extremely rare, sometimes happen when a pod follows a sick leader or they are pursuing prey that enters shallow waters and get stuck on the beach, scientists say.
6.1: Nigeria's economy, the largest in Africa, contracted by 6.1 percent during the second quarter of this year because of the pandemic-induced economic crisis. After thirteen consecutive quarters of growth, this hit represents the country's biggest economic dip in over a decade.
13,471: The Netherlands recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the week leading up to September 22, hitting 13,471 cases in seven days, a 60 percent week-on-week increase. Despite the uptick, Dutch authorities recorded a relatively low death rate of around 30 during that period.
27: The US government imposed economic sanctions on 27 additional Iranian businesses and individuals on Monday, and has demanded that European powers jump on the bandwagon. But France, the UK and Germany have pushed back, arguing that Washington does not have the mandate to compel them to enforce the new sanctions, which include a complete embargo on arms sales to Tehran.