200: Emperor Akihito of Japan stepped down from his symbolic role as head of state on Tuesday after 30 years–the first time a Japanese emperor has voluntarily abdicated in more than 200 years. His successor, Crown Prince Naruhito, ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne today.
5: The Islamic State released a clip showing its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in his first video appearance in five years. He is rallying his supporters and sympathizers after ISIS, which once ran a state the size of Great Britain, lost its last bits of territory in April.
40: Ethiopia rose 40 spots in Reporters Without Borders' 2019 World Press Freedom Index following a series of reforms passed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last year. Good progress, though the East African nation still ranks 110th out of 180 countries on the list.
400,000: China
launched almost 400,000 metric tons of new warships, submarines, support ships, and other naval vessels between 2015 and 2017, according to data compiled by the International Institute for Strategic Studies – about twice the output of US shipyards over the same period. China has the world's fastest growing navy.
