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Hard Numbers

Hard numbers: Cuba’s oil reserves running dry, China executes alleged Myanmar scammers, Metal hype continues, Heavy gunfire at Niger’s airport

​Igmel Tamayo carries charcoal to sell on the side of a road for use as cooking fuel in homes, on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on January 12, 2026.

Igmel Tamayo carries charcoal to sell on the side of a road for use as cooking fuel in homes, after US President Donald Trump vowed to stop Venezuelan oil and money from reaching the island as Cubans brace for worsening fuel shortages amid regular power outages, on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on January 12, 2026.

REUTERS/Norlys Perez

15-20: The number of days before Cuba’s oil reserves run dry, according to the data firm Kpler, should it continue at current levels of demand and domestic production. This comes as Mexico, the largest supplier of crude to Cuba, has halted some oil exports to the island. Cuba’s economy is already deteriorating, but with Venezuela's oil supplies now shut off, it may get even worse.


11: The number of members of a notorious mafia family in Myanmar who were executed in China over their alleged role in running scam centers, Chinese state media announced Thursday. The centers reportedly swindled billions of dollars from people, most of whom were Chinese. Beijing wanted to send a message to other would-be scammers in the region.

6: The distance in miles from Niger’s presidential palace to where heavy gunfire and explosions were heard overnight. Eyewitnesses and video footage captured what appeared to be air defense systems engaging unidentified projectiles near the international airport. The Foreign Affairs ministry is still trying to determine the source of the attack.

11%: The surge in copper prices today on the London Metal Exchange, the highest daily jump since 2008. Prices soared past a record high of $14,500 per metric ton after a wave of Chinese investment lifted several metals record highs.

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