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Hard Numbers: Super Bowl milestone, Argentina’s birth tourism, Gabrielle pummels New Zealand, Cyprus votes
Philadelphia Eagles starJalen Hurts during the warm up before the Super Bowl.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder
2: For the first time in history, the two starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl on Sunday were Black. It’s a historic milestone for a sport traditionally plagued by racist hypotheses about intelligence and leadership.
5,000: More than 5,000 Russian women in the late stages of pregnancy have entered Argentina in recent months in hopes of delivering there, which would give the infants automatic Argentine citizenship – and fast track citizenship for the parents. Argentine authorities are reportedly carrying out raids on shady “birth tourism” operators that provide pregnant women with fake documentation to enter the country.
18: Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have been left without power as severe storm Gabrielle (hello!) pummels the north and makes its way toward Auckland, the most populous city. Authorities expect up to 18 inches of rain in some areas and nightmarish wind conditions.
52: Former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides – an independent formerly of the right-wing DISY party – reaped 52% in a runoff vote on Sunday to become Cyprus' new president. He beat independent Andreas Mavroyiannis, a former representative to the UN, whose backing by a party with communist roots could have alienated some voters. Christodoulides will have his job cut out for him in reviving stalled reunification talks with Northern Cyprus and in tackling inflation.
The conventional wisdom was that a destabilizing war in the oil-producing heart of the Middle East would badly hurt China. Evidence suggests otherwise.
Did the AI boom counteract the economic fallout of Trump's tariffs? And how long can that last?
Last week, Microsoft shared a five‑point set of commitments to guide its Community‑First approach to building AI and cloud infrastructure in Canada. As the company moves from investment to implementation, these commitments reflect what communities across the country say matters most: affordable and reliable energy systems, sustainable water use, good jobs, strong public services, and access to the skills needed to succeed in an AI‑driven economy. The Community‑First framework establishes a model for responsible infrastructure development—one that prioritizes affordability and sustainability while supporting long‑term economic opportunity. As demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, these commitments underscore a core principle: meaningful technological progress depends on growing in true partnership with the communities where this infrastructure is built. Read the full blog here.
One day after US President Donald Trump announced that he had started a blockade of ships coming in and out of Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran is already testing those US commitments.