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Hard Numbers: Tel Aviv’s socially distanced protests,Turkey’s covid-19 surge, crude drops below zero

86,300: Turkey has now overtaken China and Iran as the country with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of Europe and the United States, recording some 86,300 infections and more than 2,000 deaths. Due to an increase in testing, Turkey recorded 4,000 new infections in just 24-hours.

1.4 million: According to the World Health Organization, 1.4 million people were tested for COVID-19 globally between January 29 and April 15.

2,000: Some 2,000 protesters flocked to Tel Aviv's city center Sunday to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is still serving as prime minister despite facing corruption charges. To maintain appropriate social distancing, an X was drawn on the ground every two meters to indicate where demonstrators could stand.

Less than zero: Prices for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) a US crude oil benchmark went below zero on Monday for the first time in history. Coronavirus-lockdowns have destroyed so much demand for oil that sellers are left with more oil than they can store, forcing them to pay buyers to take the stuff off their hands. The international oil benchmark, Brent, has stayed in positive territory for the time being, in part because it is shipped primarily by tankers which can respond more flexibly to ups and downs in demand around the world.

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US President Donald Trump arrives to announce reciprocal tariffs against US trading partners in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on April 2, 2025.
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From civil conflicts to trade wars to the rise of new technologies, GZERO runs through the stories that have shaped this year in geopolitics.