Hard Numbers: Massive Microsoft outage, EU chief reelected, Rare bird eggs seized in Tasmania, More US aid for Sudanese, Israeli strikes in central and northern Gaza
21: A massive Microsoft outage linked to a software update from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike has disrupted banks, media outlets, airports, hospitals, and other businesses worldwide. Multiple major US airlines grounded flights early on Friday as a result. CrowdStrike says it has identified the issue and deployed a fix, as its shares dropped as much as 21% in the pre-trade market.
401: Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday was reelected for a second five-year term as European Commission president. The EU chief won 401 votes in a secret ballot, blasting past the 361 votes she needed. Von der Leyen, who was first elected in 2019, has led the bloc through a tumultuous period including Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which sent shock waves across Europe.
3,404: Holy rare bird eggs, Batman! A European operation into illegal bird trade led Australian authorities to seize 3,404 rare bird eggs in Tasmania. The eggs, some of which reportedly came from endangered species, are estimated to be worth up to $335,000. Authorities are investigating a 62-year-old man, but no arrests have been made.
203 million: The United States is giving an additional $203 million in humanitarian aid to help Sudanese people affected by the devastating war in their country, which has left 25 million people seeking assistance and millions displaced. “This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Thursday. The US has now given $1.6 billion in humanitarian assistance since the conflict began.
21: Israeli strikes in central Gaza and Gaza City reportedly killed at least 21 people on Thursday – a reminder that fighting continues across the area more than nine months into the war. The Israeli military said its strikes killed two senior Islamic Jihad commanders. This came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise visit to troops in the enclave near Rafah. With the war in Gaza still raging, Netanyahu is set to visit the United States next week to address Congress.