Hard Numbers: Scots tackle period poverty, HK brain drain, Turkey-Russia trade boom, Lula leading Bolsonaro

1: Scotland this week passed the Period Products Act, becoming the first government in the world to legally protect access to sanitary pads and tampons, which will now be made available for free in public places. This is great news for the global struggle to address period poverty — lack of means to afford basic feminine hygiene products.

1/3: Hong Kong's status as a leading financial hub took a fresh hit as a new survey shows more than one-third of hedge funds have been forced to move some roles outside the city. Why? The respondents cite draconian COVID curbs and China tightening control.

46: Turkish exports to Russia have soared 46% in the last three months compared to the same period last year. Ankara is eager to do more business with Moscow to prop up the ailing Turkish economy, while the Russians are happy to buy from Turkey some of the stuff — like fruit and vegetables, textiles, and furniture — that they can't get from the West due to sanctions for invading Ukraine.

12: Brazil's presidential election campaign kicked off Tuesday, with leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leading the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by 12 percentage points, and 16 in a runoff, according to a new poll. Some Brazilians worry that Bolsonaro might pull a 6 de Janeiro if he loses.