Hard Numbers

Haiti turns to drones to hit gangs, Chinese exports surge, Volkswagen to cut jobs, China-North Korea railway to restart

​A man removes a sheet from a wall with shrapnel holes at the site of a drone attack on a birthday party, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on October 4, 2025.
A man removes a sheet from a wall with shrapnel holes at the site of a drone attack on a birthday party where an alleged gang leader was distributing gifts to children, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on October 4, 2025.
REUTERS/Egeder Pq Fildor

1,243: The number of people killed by government-ordered drone strikes in Haiti between March 1, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. The number of armed drone attacks has been increasing in recent months as the Haitian security forces seek to regain control of areas dominated by gangs. Some of the strikes have gone astray, though, per HRW: 60 civilians, including 17 children, were killed by these drones.

21.8%: The increase in China’s exports during the first two months of 2026, in dollar terms, compared to the same period last year. The surge sets the world’s second-largest economy on track to beat last year’s record trade surplus of $1.2 trillion.

50,000: The number of jobs that Volkswagen will cut in Germany by 2030, the auto manufacturer announced on Tuesday. The decision follows a poor 2025 performance in which profits were nearly cut in half amid rising competition from Chinese electric vehicle exports.

6: The number of years since passenger trains last traveled between China and North Korea, after the line was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, service is restarting this week, allowing workers and students to travel easily between the two countries, which share an 840-mile border. China has long been North Korea’s biggest proponent and something of a lifeline for its stagnant economy.

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