Economy

Hard Numbers: Swedish unrest, global economic slump, Libyan oil trouble, salty e-chopsticks

Hard Numbers: Swedish unrest, global economic slump, Libyan oil trouble, salty e-chopsticks
A Swedish cop stands near a burning bus after a far-fight rally in Malmo.
Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency/via REUTERS

40: Riots in ... Sweden? At least 40 people have been wounded after several days of rare political unrest in the Nordic country, where a far-right, anti-immigration group wants to burn copies of the Quran in cities with big Muslim populations during Ramadan.

3.6: The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday predicted the global economy will grow by only 3.6% this year, 0.8 percentage points less than it anticipated in January, mainly due to the war in Ukraine. The gloomy outlook comes amid rising fears that stagflation — stagnant GDP growth plus double-digit inflation — might hit many economies in 2022.

600,000: Libyan oil production has declined to 600,000 barrels per day, half of the country's capacity, due to the recent closure of several production facilities. There’s a political angle: many of the sites have been blocked by opponents of interim PM Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, whose term expired in late December but refuses to hand over power to his successor picked by parliament.

50: If you love salty food but worry about your sodium levels, you’re in luck: Japanese scientists have developed electronic chopsticks that enhance salty taste by 50%. But wait, there's more! They're also working on — we kid you not — a lickable TV screen that mimics food flavors.

More For You

US President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2026.
REUTERS/Evan Vucci

Xi Jinping will welcome Donald Trump with lots of pomp and circumstance. The summit, though, will be short on substance.

- YouTube

Ian Bremmer breaks down the complicated reality inside Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro’s removal from power. While the Trump administration sees the operation as a major foreign policy victory, Ian argues the harder challenge is only beginning; turning Venezuela into a stable economy and a representative democracy.

Noam Bettan from Israel with the song "Michelle" are on stage at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) during rehearsals for the first semi-final on May 12, 2026, in the Stadthalle.
Jens Büttner/dpa via Reuters Connect

Even Eurovision cannot escape geopolitics, South Africa’s constitutional court opens door to Ramaphosa impeachment vote, Zelensky’s former right-hand man accused in corruption probe