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Anna Sawai, winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award, and Hiroyuki Sanada, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "Shogun."
Hard Numbers: Diversity wins at Emmy Awards, Space tourism blasts off, European floods prove deadly, Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners, US leaves Niger, Germany holds fake horse contest
18: Diversity won the night at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, honoring a lineup of Latino, LGBTQ+, and Japanese artists. The FX drama “Shogun” nabbed the best drama prize, collecting 18 Emmys overall, including best actor awards for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada.
5: SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission splashed down in the Caribbean on Sunday after a five-day mission that made cosmic history. Billionaire Jared Isaacman became the first non-astronaut to complete a spacewalk, and the four-member team he bankrolled flew further away from Earth than anyone else has in half a century. His mission will allegedly open opportunities for commercial space tourism — but this reporter will live and die entirely within the Earth’s atmosphere, thank you very much.
8: At least eight people are dead and four are missing amid the catastrophic floods devastating Central Europe. Authorities in the Czech Republic have ordered 10,000 people to evacuate, and Vienna declared a state of emergency in Lower Austria.
206: Russia and Ukraine exchanged 206 prisoners on Saturday — 103 each — in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. Moscow said the prisoners it brought home had been captured during Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk last month.
11: The United States officially ended its military mission in Niger and pulled out the last of its troops on Sunday, ending an 11-year mission that was crucial to fighting terrorists in West and Central Africa. The withdrawal leaves US Africa Command bereft of close military partners in the region, though Washington’s position in East Africa is stronger, with major bases in Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia.
~300: Germany held its first ever, uh … hobby horse competition on Saturday, where about 300 competitors — mostly children — pretended to ride horses through obstacle courses. The appeal of the sport is inexplicably, but undeniably, growing, and the US and Australia each held their first-ever championships earlier this year as well.
Demonstrators toss a trash bin during an anti-immigration protest, in Rotherham, Britain, August 4, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Far-right unrest in UK, Nikkei plunges, Tragedies & infrastructure woes in China, Hawaii fire settlement reached, al-Qaida affiliates stir trouble in Somalia & Niger, Olympic firsts
90: Police arrested 90 people as anti-immigration, far-right protesters took to the streets of UK cities this weekend, sowing chaos in Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, and Belfast. Racial tensions spiked after the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed party in Southport last week. The suspected killer was falsely rumored to have been a Muslim immigrant (he was, in fact, born in Wales to Rwandan Christian parents). This weekend’s violence and clashes with police led to scores of arrests, and PM Keir Starmer has vowed to tackle the “far-right hatred” sowing unrest on British streets.
12: Japan’s stock market had its worst day in 37 years on Monday, dropping 12% on news of a possible US recession. This followed the Nikkei’s 5.8% drop from Friday and is leading a global stock-market selloff today amid fears that the Federal Reserve may not have responded quickly enough to a slowing US economy by cutting interest rates.
2: Two people were killed in a tunnel collapse in southwestern China on Saturday. The tragedy occurred just two weeks after at least 38 people died after a bridge in northwestern China partially collapsed, plunging vehicles into a river. Two dozen people remain missing from that incident, and both accidents have raised concerns about the country’s infrastructure.
4B: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green’s office has announced that a deal in principle — for just over $4 billion — has been reached to settle roughly 450 legal cases linked to the August 2023 wildfires in the Aloha State. Seven defendants were named in the suit — including the State of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co, Hawaiian Telcom, and Spectrum/Charter Communications — over the blazes that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people.
32: Somali authorities say al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab killed 32 people and injured scores more Friday at a beach hotel in Mogadishu. Another seven people were reportedly killed by a roadside bomb in an attack just outside the capital on Saturday. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on the militants last year, but al-Shabab still controls parts of the country, and Friday’s violence notably followed Somalia’s third phase of a drawdown of peacekeeping troops under the African Union Transition Mission.
2: In a video released on Friday, two men claiming to be Russian nationals say they were taken captive by al-Qaida-linked militants in northeastern Niger. One man called himself Yury and said he was a geologist working for a Russian firm in the region when armed men detained him. This could be the first time jihadis have kidnapped Russians in the Sahel, but outlets have yet to confirm the identities of the men.
3: We’ve seen a lot of great footage from the Summer Games in Paris this past week — everything from Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky racking up their piles of gold to Snoop Dogg’s Greatest Hits (and a swim lesson with Michael Phelps). But three countries have celebrated some impressive Olympic firsts this past week. Julien Alfred won the first-ever Olympic medal for St. Lucia on Saturday, racing to gold in the women’s 100-meter dash. That same day, Thea LaFond did the same for Dominica, nabbing the Caribbean island nation its first medal — and the gold — in the women’s triple jump. And Kaylia Nemour won Algeria its first gold in gymnastics, beating the competition on the uneven bars on Sunday.Burkina Faso's junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore attends the first ordinary summit of heads of state and governments of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Niamey, Niger July 6, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Coup bloc, Gaza school bombed, Ukraine in the dark, Tesla in China, Six days in Greece
3: Junta leaders from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso announced Saturday they would form their own international bloc and “irrevocably” turn away from ECOWAS, just ahead of the latter’s summit on Sunday. Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré claimed the new alliance would stand up to Western influence in Africa, saying “These imperialists have only one cliché in mind: ‘Africa is the empire of slaves’.”
16: An Israeli attack on a UNRWA school in Gaza killed at least 16 people and wounded 50 on Saturday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. UNRWA officials said at least 500 people have now been killed while sheltering in its facilities in Gaza, but Israel claims Hamas often uses the facilities as operating bases, essentially positioning civilians as human shields.
100,000: Russian airstrikes on power infrastructure in northern Ukraine left over 100,000 households in the dark on Saturday night. Targeting energy plants and transmission equipment has become a key strategy for Russia in its attempts to damage civilian morale in Ukraine, and the country’s energy utility says it has lost nine gigawatts of power capacity over the last three months — enough to power the entire Netherlands.
947,000: Tesla has officially been added to a list of approved government vehicle purchases in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, the only foreign-owned EV manufacturer on the list. However, the company manufactured over 947,000 cars at its Shanghai factory last year, most of which were sold in China.
6: Greece is experimenting with a six-day workweek, which allows firms that operate 24 hours a day to schedule employees to work up to eight hours at 40% overtime on the sixth day after a regular 40-hour workweek. They also have the option to spread 40 hours across six 6.5-hour work days. Workers are critical of the new rules, which seem to run against positive experiences some countries have had with four-day workweeks.60-year-old Alejandra Rodriguez represented the Argentinian province of Buenos Aires in the Miss Argentina 2024 beauty pageant.
Hard Numbers: Argentina’s best face, Deadly US storms, Terror in Nigeria, Monarchy defamation in Thailand, Social media scrub in China
60: Age before beauty? Not anymore – now the two go hand in hand. Alejandra Rodriguez, a 60-year-old Argentine beauty queen, became the first sexagenarian to win the title of Miss Buenos Aires. Although she didn’t snag the crown of Miss Argentina – that went to Magalí Benejam – Rodriguez won the “best face” category. “This is the first step of a change that is coming,” she declared, celebrating the Miss Universe rule change that allowed women of any age to compete.
21: At least 21 people have died due to powerful storms that ravaged the central and southern United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Tornadoes caused significant damage and left hundreds of thousands without power, with severe weather conditions forecast Monday for the eastern seaboard from Alabama to New York.
160: Suspected Boko Haram militants killed 10 villagers and kidnapped at least another 160, mostly women and children, in Nigeria’s central Niger state. Armed men on motorbikes looted homes and traumatized the community of Kuchi village on Friday – a scenario that has happened repeatedly since 2021, according to Amnesty International, which condemned the violence and called on the government to protect its citizens.
2: A Thai court on Monday sentenced Chonthicha Jangrew, a member of the opposition Move Forward Party, to two years in prison for defaming the monarchy in a 2021 speech. Under Thai law, criticism of the country’s monarchy is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Chonthicha will be allowed to keep her seat while on bail, and she plans to appeal.
4.4 million: China’s internet regulators have banned the flaunting of wealth on social media, targeting influencers like Wang Hongquanxing, dubbed “China’s Kim Kardashian,” who had 4.4 million followers on Douyin flaunting his seven luxury properties before the government shut down his account. The crackdown comes as China’s slumping real estate market constrains its consumer recovery.
Members of civilian joint task force patrol in Maiduguri May 22, 2014. Civilian joint task force are government-sponsored civilian self-defence and community-policing groups within Borno state that some locals said have brought security to Maiduguri, according to local government officials.
Hard Numbers: Nigerian troops killed by gangs, Americans set to leave Niger and Chad, Russia arrests journalists, Zelensky appeals for aid
23: At least 23 members of Nigeria's civilian joint task force were killed Saturday in attacks by militants and an armed kidnapping gang in the northern part of the country. Suspected Islamic State West Africa Province fighters targeted a vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Borno state, killing nine, and another 14 members were ambushed and killed in Sokoto state by gunmen.
1,000: The United States plans to withdraw most of its 1,000 troops from Niger and 100 from Chad amid deteriorating relations with both governments, which are questioning Washington’s counterterrorism role in the region. Earlier this month, Russian trainers arrived in Niger to work with its air force, another sign of the pivot away from the US.
2: Russia has arrested journalists who work with international news outlets. Sergei Karelin, a Russian-Israeli citizen, and Konstantin Gabov, were charged with "extremism" for allegedly aiding opposition leader Alexei Navalny's banned organization. If convicted, they face a minimum of two years in prison.
21: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskymade yet another appeal for more defensive aid, specifically Patriot missile systems, and urged faster delivery following Russian missile strikes on Saturday that targeted energy facilities affecting EU gas supplies. The attacks, which disrupted water supply in Zelenskiy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, saw Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercept 21 out of 34 missiles.Nigeriens gather in a street to protest against the U.S. military presence, in Niamey, Niger April 13, 2024.
Niger Pivots from the Eagle to the Bear
Hundreds demonstrated in Niger's capital, Niamey, on Saturday to demand the removal of US troops, much as they called for the exit of French forces last year. Niger’s military coup in July 2023 has brought changes to the central African nation, including a shift in military alliances. The nation is deepening its relationship with Moscow, as evidenced bythe arrival last week of Russian military trainers tasked with bolstering Niger’s air defenses.
The junta has not yet expelled US forces after ordering them to leave last month. Until last year, the US had been a key ally in combating Islamic terrorists in the Sahel region, funding a $100 million drone base and training elite Nigerien counterterrorist units. But with Russia in the picture now, that cooperation looks moribund.
Unfortunately, some of those US-trained forcesparticipated in last summer's coup that deposed elected President Salem Bazoum. Things deteriorated further last month aftera US delegation visit led by envoy Molly Phee, when Niger's junta announced on state TV that flights from the American-built airbase were illegal and declared the US military presence as “unrecognized.”
Niger’s regime follows the pattern set by neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, which have also distanced themselves from traditional Western allies, cultivated ties with Moscow, and shunned the ECOWAS bloc. We’ll be watching to see whether Niger’s new alliance with Russia emboldens the juntato further delay a return to civilian rule, which is supposed to happen by 2026.File Photo: Nigerien troops, May 23, 2022.
Niger wants US troops out
Niger’s military junta announced Saturday that it would end the agreement that allows US troops to operate in the country. Niamey said the pact was “profoundly unfair,” and cited a “condescending attitude” and alleged violations of diplomatic protocol during a high-level visit last week.
Washington has been trying to find ways to work with the military governments that have seized power in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali to combat extremist militants in the region. But at the same time, the Biden administration has pressured Niamey to set a timeline to restore democratic control and reportedly raised alarm at a possible deal to sell uranium to Iran, which seems to have led to the rupture.
What happens now? The US has about 1,000 troops in Niger and operates a drone base monitoring suspected militants in the north of the country. The State Department is aware of the demand but has not commented on next steps.
If US troops do pull out of their base in Niger, it would remove a major obstacle for Niger to expand its relationship with Russia, as juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso have. The former Wagner Group mercenaries have been absorbed into Moscow’s Defense Ministry and rebranded the Africa Corps, which is expected to deploy on the continent this summer.
An Afghan security force personnel keeps watch near his check post in Parun, capital of Nuristan province, Afghanistan November 20, 2016.
Hard Numbers: Landslide tragedy in Afghanistan, Credit card mega deal, Debt default in Niger, Gun violence in New Guinea, EU takes on TikTok, Chinese New Year blowout, Japan crazy for food carts
25: Twenty-five people have died and twenty homes were destroyed in a landslide triggered by heavy rain and snow in eastern Afghanistan's Nuristan province. Harsh winter weather, difficult terrain, and a lack of resources are hampering rescue efforts for those still trapped.
35,300,000,000: Capital One will merge with credit card network Discover in an all-stock deal valued at $35.3 billion dollars, expected to close in late 2024 or early 2025. The merger would render the combined firm the largest US credit card company by loan volume, but consumer advocates say the deal raises antitrust concerns.
519,000,000: The West African nation of Niger has defaulted on another debt payment, bringing its total debt default to $519 million since a military coup last July, according to the West African monetary union debt management agency UMOA Titres. Niger’s recent missed payment of $22 million is but the latest challenge faced by the Sahel nation, including suspended international aid, closed borders, and a possible currency change.
26: Twenty-six people were killed in a tribal ambush in a community dispute in Papua New Guinea's Highlands region. The area has traditionally struggled with violence, but a recent influx of illegal firearms have made clashes more deadly.
6: The EU could take a big bite out of ByteDance, parent company of social media giant TikTok. The company could be subject to a fine of 6% of its global turnover if found to have violated EU online content rules, particularly regarding the protection of minors and advertising transparency.
474,000,000: Now that’s a holiday! During China’s eight-day Lunar New Year celebrations, Chinese travelers were on the move, taking 474 million domestic trips, up 19% from 2019, and splashing out spending of 632.7 billion yuan (US$87.9 billion), up 7.7% from pre-pandemic levels.
100,000: Japan's latest craze? Snagging a bullet train food cart for your kitchen or canteen. After Central Japan Railway decided to discontinue the use of its 50 iconic snack-mobiles, it was swamped with nearly 2,000 bids at $100,000 yen (US$666) a pop, proving that the race for train memorabilia is just as fast-paced as the shinkansen line itself.