Hard Numbers: UNRWA staffers fired, Africa’s deadly fake meds, Kim’s missile launchers, Debby brings floods, Tourists vs. residents

A damaged sign is pictured at the headquarters of UNRWA, following an Israeli raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City, July 12, 2024.
A damaged sign is pictured at the headquarters of UNRWA, following an Israeli raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City, July 12, 2024.
REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

9: Nine staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees have been fired following an investigation that found “the evidence was sufficient to conclude that theymay have been involved” in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel.

1/5: A report from Researchers at Bahir Dar University found thatone-fifth of all samples taken of medicine available in Africa failed at least one quality test and were confirmed to be “substandard” or “falsified.” The UN estimates that substandard or fake drugs kill half a million people in sub-Saharan Africa each year.

250: The official Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that

250 nuclear-capable missile launchers were delivered to military units along the country’s border with South Korea. President Kim Jong Un said in a speech on Sunday that he had “personally designed” these weapons.

30: Tropical Storm Debby is now making its way slowly up the US East Coast, dumping large amounts of rain as it advances. Van R. Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, Ga., warns that areas in and around his city could receive up to30 inches of rain by Thursday.

10.1: A study conducted by The Economist found that in 2023, there were10.1 tourists for each resident in Amsterdam, making that city the most “over-touristed” in the world. Paris took the silver medal with 8 tourists per resident, and Milan grabbed the bronze at 6.3.

More from GZERO Media

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. January 4, 2025.
Italian Government/Handout via REUTERS

President-elect Donald Trump was full of praise for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, calling her a “fantastic woman” who has “really taken Europe by storm.”

A contingent of security forces from Guatemala holds a Guatemala flag as they arrive in Haiti for a security mission, at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-Au-Prince Haiti January 4, 2025.
REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

A total of 150 Guatemalan soldiers landed in Haiti on Friday and Saturday to join a United Nations-backed mission led by Kenya aimed at curbing rampant gang violence.

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) stand guard against the M23 rebel group in Lubero, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo October 27, 2024.
REUTERS/Djaffar Al Katanty/File Photo

The rebel March 23 Movement, aka M23, reportedly supported by Rwanda, captured the strategic town of Masisi in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province from the army and pro-government militias on Saturday.

For small businesses, the pandemic accelerated their digital journey, and many are finding benefits beyond digital payment acceptance, including back-end efficiencies and more targeted social media marketing. So far, their strategy is working — small businesses that use technology platforms increased their profits between 2022 and 2023 more than those that used little to no tech, according to a 2024 US Chamber of Commerce report. Read how small businesses are increasingly turning to digital tools to gain valuable insights needed for their businesses to grow and evolve.