$200 billion: The amount that the Pentagon is seeking for its war effort in Iran, per a Washington Post report. The request was routed to the White House, which must then ask Congress – which has power of the purse – to approve the funding. To put this in context, the US Congress has granted roughly $188 billion in funding related to the war in Ukraine – which began four years ago – the last of which was approved in April 2024.
9: The number of albums that the multiplatinum K-pop group BTS has dropped. It’s set to release its 10th tomorrow, their first since the group had to pause operations in 2022 – just as they were becoming global superstars – while its seven members served South Korea’s mandatory military service.
37: The number of years since the last state visit by a Nigerian president to the United Kingdom. President Bola Tinubu broke this streak on Tuesday, attending a state dinner with King Charles III, who made light-hearted comments about jollof rice. That wasn’t all: On Wednesday, Tinubu signed a £746 million ($990 million) port deal with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
