Hard Numbers: Sudanese anger, Israel’s no-fly list, Venezuelan gold in England, Egyptian activists jailed

People march to the presidential palace, protesting against military rule following last month's coup in Khartoum, Sudan December 19, 2021.

3: Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese hit the streets in Khartoum Sunday to mark the third anniversary of the ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. The military, which staged a coup in October against a power-sharing government, responded with tear gas.

58: To stop the spread of the omicron variant, Israel has barred its citizens from traveling to 58 countries on a government “red list." The US and Canada have now joined that list, which also includes the UK, France, and Germany.

1 billion: The UK’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that Venezuelan gold worth $1 billion will remain in vaults at the Bank of England while the labyrinth British court system decides if it should be returned to the government of President Nicolás Maduro or to Juan Guaidó, Venezuela's opposition figure backed by London. If the courts rule in Guaidó’s favor, it could set a precedent for the recovery of other Venezuelan assets held in European banks.

5: Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who played a prominent role in the 2011 uprising that led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, has been sentenced to five years in prison for “undermining national security.” Two other activists also received prison terms. Since coming to power in 2014, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former army chief, has cracked down hard on political dissent.

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs the inaugural session of the Shura Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 10, 2025.

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Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C, first row) poses during a photo session with members of her cabinet at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan October 21, 2025.
PHILIP FONG/Pool via REUTERS

1: As anticipated, Japan’s Parliament elected Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takichi to be the 104th prime minister – and the first female PM in the country’s history.

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