Hard Numbers: Egypt seizes ship, countdown to Tokyo, US arms to UAE, Somalia’s political crisis

Hard Numbers: Egypt seizes ship, countdown to Tokyo, US arms to UAE, Somalia’s political crisis
A satellite image of the Ever Given ship stuck in the Suez Canal.
Reuters

900 million: Egypt has impounded the Ever Given, the ship that recently blocked the Suez Canal for almost a week, until its owners pay some $900 million in compensation for losses and the cost of the rescue operation. The blockage of this major naval chokepoint caused severe disruption to the global maritime shipping industry.

100: The hometown of Japanese golf hero Hideki Matsuyama — who this past weekend became the first Asian to win the Masters golf tournament — has declined to take part in the torch relay 100 days before the Tokyo Olympics. Pressure is mounting on Japan to vaccinate more of its population ahead of the games, which will not allow foreign spectators due to local COVID restrictions.

23.37 billion: The Biden administration has informed Congress it plans to proceed with the sale of $23.37 billion in US advanced military equipment to the United Arab Emirates. This deal and a similar one with Saudi Arabia are currently under review after some Democratic lawmakers expressed fears that the weapons may be used to target Houthi civilians in Yemen.

2: Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmaajo, has signed into law a two-year extension of his term in office, defying a resolution from the upper house of parliament that says the move is unconstitutional. Somali lawmakers have been arguing for months on how to carry out this year's elections, which have yet to be scheduled.

More from GZERO Media

Members of the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) wave their hands during the first of a three-day anti-corruption protest at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila, Philippines, November 16, 2025.
REUTERS/Noel Celis

More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Manila, the Philippine capital, on Monday to protest against suspected corruption in flood-control projects.

People celebrate the court's verdict after Bangladesh's fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is found guilty and sentenced to death in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 17, 2025. The International Crimes Tribunal on November 17 sentences fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity in a murder case of the July uprising.
(Photo by Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman reacts next to US President Donald Trump during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13, 2025.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder

For the first time in seven years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is returning to Washington, DC, this week. It is now the great power-chess game between the US and China, rather than oil, that is making the Washington and Riyadh join forces.

Behind every scam lies a story — and within every story, a critical lesson. Anatomy of a Scam, takes you inside the world of modern fraud — from investment schemes to impersonation and romance scams. You'll meet the investigators tracking down bad actors and learn about the innovative work being done across the payments ecosystem to protect consumers and businesses alike. Watch the first episode of Mastercard's five-part documentary, 'Anatomy of a Scam,' here.