Hard Numbers: Taiwan earthquake, Ukrainian drone strikes, Sisi’s third term, Exodus from Haiti’s capital, Africa’s youngest elected leader

​Firefighters work at the site where a building collapsed following the earthquake, in Hualien, Taiwan, in this handout provided by Taiwan's National Fire Agency on April 3, 2024.
Firefighters work at the site where a building collapsed following the earthquake, in Hualien, Taiwan, in this handout provided by Taiwan's National Fire Agency on April 3, 2024.
Taiwan National Fire Agency/Handout via REUTERS

7.4: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake, followed by several mighty aftershocks, struck Taiwan on Wednesday. The quake killed nine people, injured at least 821, damaged buildings and infrastructure, and triggered mudslides. It was the largest to hit the country in 25 years and was also felt in parts of China.

800: Ukraine on Tuesday carried out drone attacks over 800 miles into Russian territory in the Tatarstan region, striking Russia’s third-largest oil refinery and a drone factory. With the war against its next-door neighbor in its third year, Ukraine has ramped up drone strikes inside Russia.

89.6: President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt on Tuesday was sworn in for a third six-year term after being reelected in December against several unknown candidates who never really stood a chance. Sisi, who has frequently been criticized by rights groups over his authoritarian tendencies, garnered 89.6% of the vote in an election victory he described as a rebuke of the “inhumane war” in Gaza.

53,000: The situation in Haiti is dire. Gang violence has led over 53,000 people to flee the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in less than three weeks. The UN warned that most are heading to rural areas that don’t have the infrastructure or resources to deal with a large influx of people.

19: From prison to the presidency… Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in as Senegal’s new president on Tuesday, just 19 days after his release from prison. The 44 year old, who was arrested for alleged defamation last year, is Africa’s youngest democratically elected leader. Faye won the election in a landslide and is promising “systemic change.”

More from GZERO Media

FILE PHOTO: A view of a logo during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 19, 2024.
REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

GZERO’s very own Tony Maciulis is in the Alps all week to report from the 55th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

An illustration shows the US flag with the TikTok logo and a dollar in Shanghai, China, on January 21, 2025.
(Photo Illustration by Costfoto/NurPhoto)

TikTokkers may credit President Donald Trump with the app’s restoration on Sunday, which came 12 hours after a government ban shut it down, but their joy may be short-lived.

Several groups led by DACA recipients gathered at La Placita Olvera in Los Angeles, California, on November 11, 2024, for a rally and march in response to policies President-elect Trump has promised to enforce against immigrants who have entered the country.
(Photo by Jacob Lee Green/Sipa USA)

In his first hours back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order denying citizenship to children born to unauthorized immigrants in the US. Eighteen state attorneys general, along with San Francisco and Washington, DC, immediately sued to block the order.

A view shows Israeli tanks near the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, January 21, 2025.
REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Will the Israel-Hamas ceasefire get to phase two?

FILE PHOTO: Singapore MAERSK TAURUS container ship transits through Cocoli Locks in the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama, August 12, 2024.
REUTERS/Enea Lebrun/File Photo/File Photo

Just hours after Donald Trump threatened again to take the Panama Canal in his inaugural address Monday, Panama opened a probe into a Hong Kong-based company that operates ports at both ends of the waterway.

Arauca, Colombia.- The photo shows the site of an attack with explosive devices at a military base located in Puerto Jordán in the department of Arauca, Colombia on September 17, 2024. The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said that "a peace process" that his Government until now maintained with the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN) is closed, after the attack that left two soldiers dead and 26 wounded in Arauca.
ULAN/Pool / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday he will declare a state of emergency after guerilla attacks by the ELN in the northeast of the country killed at least 80 people and forced over 11,000 to flee.

In this new episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft's Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and Dr. Fei-Fei Li reflect on poignant moments from her memoir, "The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI," highlighting the crucial role of keeping humanity at the center of AI development. They also explore how government-funded academic research, driven by curiosity rather than profits, can lead to unexpected and profound discoveries that propel innovation and economic opportunities. Dr. Li is a pioneering AI scientist breaking new ground in computer vision, and she is a Stanford professor who is currently leading the innovative start-up World Labs. While her career is deeply rooted in technical expertise, Dr. Li's journey is driven by an insatiable curiosity. Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

- YouTube

In a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, businesses are focusing on adapting to global trade uncertainties. Dr. Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, shared his insights with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis during the World Economic Forum in Davos.