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Hard Numbers: Kishida enters danger zone, Iran protests death toll, CCP vs COVID, Chile gets surplus

October 09, 2022
Carlos Santamaria
Photos of Japan's PM Fumio Kishida and slain former PM Shinzo Abe alongside the Japanese flag and emblem of the Unification Church
Jess Frampton

35: A new poll has the approval rating of Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at only 35%, the lowest since he took office a year ago. Kishida's popularity has nosedived since the assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe put a spotlight on the ruling party's ties with the controversial Unification Church.

185: That’s the number of people killed so far as women-led protests against Iran's theocracy enter their fourth week. On Saturday, the state-run broadcaster was hacked to show a picture of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei burning in flames and with a target on his head.

1,700: China reported on Sunday over 1,700 new COVID infections, more than triple the number from Oct. 2. Authorities are scrambling to contain local outbreaks just a week before the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, at which many once hoped Xi Jinping would finally relax the zero-COVID policy.

1.6: By the end of the year, Chile's government will have a bigger-than-expected budget surplus worth 1.6% of GDP. After losing the constitutional referendum vote, leftwing President Gabriel Boric has swung to the center, abandoning some big-spending campaign promises to keep Chile's finances in check as a global recession looms.


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