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

July 19, 2024

The CrowdStrike statement is being displayed on a smartphone in this photo illustration.

Jonathan Raa / Sipa USA

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.

Can the IMF change to help more women?

Matthew Kendrick

When a country hits rock bottom financially, the International Monetary Fund is meant to step in with funds to stabilize the economy without damaging its society — or the gender gap. But studies show that these programs often push women out of work at a disproportionate rate to men as the economy contracts. Matthew Kendrick reports from the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings on a push to build more equitable programs.

North Korean troops move into Russia’s border area with Ukraine

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a farewell ceremony before Putin's departure at an airport in Pyongyang, North Korea June 19, 2024.

Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters

Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.”

Will Japan’s LDP lose its grip on power?

October 23, 2024, Kamagaya, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shigeru Ishiba reacts to his supporters after he delivered a campaign speech for his party candidate Hisashi Matsumoto for the general election at Kamagaya in Chiba prefecture, suburban Tokyo on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

(photo by Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO)

As Japan heads to the polls this Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to call an early election just weeks after taking office is turning out to be a high-stakes gamble.

Global economy at risk if Middle East conflict expands, says World Bank's Ayhan Kose

- YouTube

youtu.be

While the global economy shows signs of growth and decreasing inflation, the near future involves risks, including the escalation in the Middle East impacting oil prices, strained China-US relations, and an increasingly challenging tariff and trade environment, said Ayhan Kose, World Bank Deputy Chief Economist. He discussed the geopolitical tensions influencing the global economy with GZERO's Tony Maciulis at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, in a GZERO Global Stage interview.

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

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

Can we achieve gender equality by 2030?

This week World Bank announced a bold initiative to bridge the gender divide by creating more economic opportunity, broadening female leadership, and reducing gender-based violence in the next 5 years as 2030 approaches.

Can the IMF change to help more women?

Opinion: Colors, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the use of your eyes

There are times when we need more context, and there are times when we do not. How do we tell the difference?

Hard Numbers: Turkey retaliates for terror bombing, Boeing workers reject deal, Biden to issue historic apology, Brand new prime number, Los Angeles DA recommends resentencing for Menendez brothers

North Korean troops move into Russia’s border area with Ukraine

Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.”

GZEROMEDIA

Georgia’s vote: A contest between Russia and the West

Georgian Dream insists the country is still on track to join the EU, as critics accuse the party of pushing Georgia in an increasingly anti-Western, authoritarian direction.

Graphic Truth: BRICS economies eclipse the G7

In 2001, a Goldman Sachs economist coined an acronym for the four largest and most promising “emerging market” economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China became known as the “BRIC” countries.

Texas showdown: Trump and Harris target the different sides of gender divide

With the latest polls still showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck in the swing states, both candidates are heading to Texas, a far less competitive state, with hopes of reaching key voter groups nationwide.

Will Japan’s LDP lose its grip on power?

As Japan heads to the polls this Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to call an early election just weeks after taking office is turning out to be a high-stakes gamble.

Global economy at risk if Middle East conflict expands, says World Bank's Ayhan Kose

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

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

This week World Bank announced a bold initiative to bridge the gender divide by creating more economic opportunity, broadening female leadership, and reducing gender-based violence in the next 5 years as 2030 approaches.

There are times when we need more context, and there are times when we do not. How do we tell the difference?

Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.”

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Georgian Dream insists the country is still on track to join the EU, as critics accuse the party of pushing Georgia in an increasingly anti-Western, authoritarian direction.

In 2001, a Goldman Sachs economist coined an acronym for the four largest and most promising “emerging market” economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China became known as the “BRIC” countries.

With the latest polls still showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck in the swing states, both candidates are heading to Texas, a far less competitive state, with hopes of reaching key voter groups nationwide.

As Japan heads to the polls this Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to call an early election just weeks after taking office is turning out to be a high-stakes gamble.