Hard Numbers: Turkey’s inflation record, Pakistan seeks Chinese loans, Nigerian oil spill, deadly coke in Argentina

A U.S. one dollar banknote is seen next to Turkish lira banknotes in this picture illustration in Istanbul, Turkey, November 23, 2021
A U.S. one dollar banknote is seen next to Turkish lira banknotes.
REUTERS/Murad Sezer

49: Turkey recorded an annual inflation rate of almost 49%, a 20-year-high, on Thursday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has said soaring inflation would be temporary, continues to prioritize exports and remains opposed to interest rate hikes. Turkey’s Central Bank meets on Feb. 17 to discuss interest rates but is not expected to change course.

3 billion: President Imran Khan is visiting China, hoping to secure $3 billion in Chinese loans to help shore up Pakistan’s dwindling foreign reserves. But some analysts say Beijing might be reluctant to cough up because of Islamabad’s failure to make good on earlier loans.

50,000: An oil production vessel carrying 50,000 barrels exploded off the Nigerian coast on Thursday, causing a massive oil spill. The fate of the 10 crew members is not yet known. It is unclear how much oil was spilled or what the environmental impact will be.

20: At least 20 Argentinians died – and dozens were hospitalized – after ingesting cocaine tainted by a poisonous substance. Authorities say it could be a result of turf wars between rival drug traffickers. The Triple Frontier, a junction Argentina shares with Paraguay and Brazil, is one of the world’s most active drug trafficking corridors.


CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said that Argentina shares a border with Panama rather than Paraguay. We regret the error.

More from GZERO Media

Trump's silhouette as a wrecking ball banging into the Federal Reserve.
Gemini

President Trump has made no secret of his longstanding desire for lower interest rates to juice the economy and reduce the cost of servicing the $30 trillion federal debt.

The Nepalese government’s decision last week to ban several social platforms has touched off an ongoing wave of deadly unrest in the South Asian country of 30 million.

The Nepalese government’s decision last week to ban several social platforms has touched off an ongoing wave of deadly unrest in the South Asian country of 30 million.

General Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, takes part in an extraordinary government cabinet meeting at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, following violations of Polish airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland, on September 10, 2025.
(Photo by Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto

NATO jets last night shot down Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace. Poland said the unmanned aircraft had crossed the border en route to a strike on Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

100: In his ongoing, and so-far fruitless, efforts to convince Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump reportedly asked the EU to apply 100% tariffs on India and China, the Kremlin’s most important trade partners.

Throughout his Walmart career, Greg has earned nine promotions, moving from an hourly associate to now overseeing 10 Walmart stores. His story is one of many. More than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates, and the retailer offers competitive benefits to support associates on and off the clock. At Walmart, there is a path for everyone. Learn how Walmart is investing in opportunities for associates at all levels.

This summer, Microsoft released the 2025 Responsible AI Transparency Report, demonstrating Microsoft’s sustained commitment to earning trust at a pace that matches AI innovation. The report outlines new developments in how we build and deploy AI systems responsibly, how we support our customers, and how we learn, evolve, and grow. It highlights our strengthened incident response processes, enhanced risk assessments and mitigations, and proactive regulatory alignment. It also covers new tools and practices we offer our customers to support their AI risk governance efforts, as well as how we work with stakeholders around the world to work towards governance approaches that build trust. You can read the report here.