Hard Numbers

500: In an important reversal, the German government has decided to offer €500 worth of funds to support the import of US liquified natural gas. That’s a big concession to the Trump administration, which has worked to counterbalance Russia’s dominant position as the largest energy exporter to Europe’s largest economy.

400: Between 2013 to 2017, violence against migrants passing through Mexico shot up by a factor of four, with the result that the government has offered 400 percent more humanitarian visas to migrants who were victims of or witnesses to a crime.

47: A new WSJ poll shows President Trump’s job approval rising to 47 percent, the highest number he’s registered since taking office. We shouldn’t read too much into any single poll, but it appears Trump heads into the November 6 midterms in a fairly strong position.

5: Over the past year, five Indian startups have reached “unicorn” status—valuations of at least $1 billion. That’s the most ever in a single year for India, now the fastest growing large economy in the world.

4: In just four years, China has launched naval vessels with a total tonnage greater than that of the entire French, German, Indian, Italian, South Korean, Spanish, or Taiwanese navies, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

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​Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS 2024 Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 23, 2024.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enter a hall for a family photo before a plenary session of the BRICS 2024 Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 23, 2024.
MAXIM SHIPENKOV/Pool via REUTERS

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