Hard Numbers: Erdogan ups the ante, China’s imports plummet, US sends fresh arms to Kyiv, EU faces hospital bed shortage

May 09, 2023

Turkish President Erdogan holds an election rally in Istanbul.

Reuters

45: Just days before what is likely to be a very tight election, Turkish President Recep Erdogan has boosted the salaries of government workers by 45%. On Sunday, Erdogan will face off against opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Who? Read our profile here.

7.9: China’s imports fell 7.9% year on year in April – a signal that the world’s second-largest economy still isn’t firing on all cylinders even after President Xi Jinping lifted the quixotic zero-COVID policy late last year.

1.2 billion: The US on Tuesday announced an additional $1.2 billion military aid package to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses and artillery capabilities ahead of Kyiv’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive. Since the war began, the US has now sent about $37.6 billion in military aid.

25: As many as 25% of hospital beds across the EU are currently unused as a result of shortages in healthcare professionals caused by pandemic-related burnout and retirement. The bloc’s aging population will only exacerbate the problem: more patients, fewer people to treat them.

Hard Numbers: Major hurricane sweeping through Caribbean, Insurgents implement blockade in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire’s octogenarian leader wins again, Diphtheria on the rise

Hurricane Melissa, which has developed into a Category 5 storm, moves north in the Caribbean Sea towards Jamaica and Cuba in a composite satellite image obtained by Reuters on October 27, 2025.

CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS

30: Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded over the weekend to a Category 5 storm, is expected to hit Jamaica on Monday and bring 30 inches of rain and 165-mph winds, in what will be one of the most intense storms to ever hit the island.

Trump’s Asian trade blitz sets up sitdown with Xi

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as East Timor's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong look on at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26, 2025.

Vincent Thian/Pool via REUTERS

The US president signed a raft of trade deals on Sunday at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but the main event of his Asia trip will be his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

What We’re Watching: Milei’s smashing election night, Brazil’s Lula eyes US trade deal, Sudan’s rebel forces seize stricken Darfur town

Argentina's President Javier Milei celebrates after the La Libertad Avanza party won the midterm election, which is seen as crucial for Milei's administration after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that future support for Argentina would depend on Milei's party performing well in the vote, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 26, 2025.

REUTERS/Cristina Sille

Hard Numbers: Erdogan ups the ante, China’s imports plummet, US sends fresh arms to Kyiv, EU faces hospital bed shortage

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Hard Numbers: Erdogan ups the ante, China’s imports plummet, US sends fresh arms to Kyiv, EU faces hospital bed shortage

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

A new set of forces is distorting the economy's response mechanisms and muting the traditional cycle. Listen to Strategic Alternatives, the RBC Capital Markets podcast, to hear Chief Economist Frances Donald break down what it means for companies, investors, and policymakers.

While President Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing dominates the headlines, Ian Bremmer says bigger stories are being overlooked.

30: Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded over the weekend to a Category 5 storm, is expected to hit Jamaica on Monday and bring 30 inches of rain and 165-mph winds, in what will be one of the most intense storms to ever hit the island.

The US president signed a raft of trade deals on Sunday at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but the main event of his Asia trip will be his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology warns that tech companies are racing to build powerful AI models and ignoring mental health risks and other consequences for society and humanity.

Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to talk about the risks of recklessly rolling out powerful AI tools without guardrails as big tech firms race to build “god in a box.”

The next leap in artificial intelligence is physical. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down how robots and autonomous machines will transform daily life, if we can manage the risks that come with them.

This week’s song and dance over Ukraine. #PUPPETREGIME