46: A horrific multi-vehicle crash on the Kampala-Gulu Highway in Uganda late last night has left 46 people dead. The pile up began after two buses traveling in opposite directions reportedly clashed “head on” as they tried to overtake two other vehicles. President Yoweri Museveni said the government would give five million shillings ($1,430) to each bereaved family.
€163.4 billion: Is Europe’s largest economy shifting east? The numbers would suggest so, as China replaced the United States as Germany’s leading trade partner. The two nations exchanged €163.4 billion ($190.7 billion) worth of products in the first eight months of this year, per Reuters, compared to US-Germany trade of €162.8 billion ($188.6 billion.) Washington has been Berlin’s largest trading partner for the last eight years, but the new US tariffs on the European Union look set to end that streak.
30: On Monday, Peruvian President Jose Jeri declared a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and nearby provinces to battle rising crime. The order follows major Gen-Z led protests for action to combat crime, and similar state-of-emergency declarations under former President Dina Boluarte – she was removed 12 days ago over her inability to get crime under control.
55: Eric Lu became the first American to win the International Chopin Piano Competition in 55 years on Monday. Lu won the “Olympics of piano” after his performance of one of Chopin’s piano concertos and “Polonaise-Fantasie,” entirely from memory.
80: The United Nations isn’t the only organization turning 80 this month: the 80th National Basketball Association season began yesterday, with the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder defeating the Houston Rockets in overtime in the opening game. The new season has also brought a renewal of US-China basketball ties, as the NBA hosted pre-season games in Macao – the first time in six years that China has hosted games.
