Our daily marathon around the world

🏃‍♀️ An Australian long-distance runner just completed a 150-day trek on foot across the entire continent. Erchana Murray-Bartlett’s journey saw her travel a total of 3,900 miles, which is equivalent to running a marathon every single day for nearly half a year (a new Guinness World Record). And it wasn’t just about fitness for the 32-year-old Murray-Bartlett – she also raised more than $70,000 for the Wilderness Society.

🇨🇳 China reported an annual decline in population yesterday for the first time since 1961. Government officials said 850,000 fewer people lived in the country at the end of last year compared to 2021, bringing mainland China’s overall population to 1.411 billion people. It’s expected to mark the start of a long period of population decline in China, with UN experts predicting its population will shrink by 109 million people by 2050. India is actually projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country sometime this year, though its official census is delayed until at least 2024-25.

🇷🇺 A former commander of the Russia-aligned Wagner mercenary group was arrested in Norway after defecting. A lawyer representing the 26-year-old fighter, who is seeking asylum in Norway, said his client left Wagner after witnessing war crimes in Ukraine and being given the choice to either sign a lifetime contract with the mercenary group or be executed. His escape is thought to be the first known instance of a Wagner soldier defecting to the West, per the BBC. Separately, Russia’s defense minister said the country plans to expand its military from 1.15 million soldiers currently to 1.5 million by 2026.