Hard Numbers: China's trust deficit with its neighbors

78: An overwhelming majority of Americans think that divisiveness in US politics is a big problem, with 78 percent of those surveyed saying that national political leaders are responsible for promoting "a mostly destructive public debate," according to a recent Public Agenda/USA Today/Ipsos poll.

58: In one of the deadliest tragedies this year among migrants trying to reach Europe by sea, 58 people died Thursday when a boat from Gambia carrying 150 migrants capsized off the West African coast of Mauritania. It's the second shipwreck involving migrants headed to European shores in less than two weeks.

105 million: The Trump administration has lifted an unexplained freeze on a $105 million aid package to Lebanon. It's unclear why the cash was held up last week, but some congressional officials said it was out of fear that funds could flow to Hezbollah, the politically influential Iran-backed Shiite group, which has the largest bloc in parliament.

59: While China's influence is largely seen as positive in many emerging markets, this is not the case among its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific: on average, 59 percent of those surveyed across Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and India think that investment from China is risky, giving Beijing too much influence over their economies.

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Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

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The body of Pope Francis in the coffin exposed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 24, 2025. The funeral will be celebrated on Saturday in St. Peter's Square.
Pasquale Gargano/KONTROLAB/ipa-agency.net/IPA/Sipa USA

While the Catholic world prepares for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday – the service begins at 10 a.m. local time, 4 a.m. ET – certain high-profile attendees may also have other things on their mind. Several world leaders will be on hand to pay their respects to the pontiff, but they could also find themselves involved in bilateral talks.

A Ukrainian rescue worker sits atop the rubble of a destroyed residential building during rescue operations, following a Russian missile strike on a residential apartment building block in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2025.
Photo by Justin Yau/ Sipa USA
Members of the M23 rebel group stand guard at the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025.
REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and an alliance of militias led by the notorious M23 rebels announced a ceasefire on Thursday after talks in Qatar and, after three years of violence, said they would work toward a permanent truce.