40,000: Moscow blamed a Ukrainian drone attack for a huge fire in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol that burned 40,000 metric tons of oil intended for Russia's Black Sea Fleet on Saturday. Kyiv, as expected, deflected responsibility and (wink-wink) called the blaze "God's punishment" for Friday's Russian missile strikes on civilian targets in eastern Ukraine.
49.2: China's manufacturing activity index unexpectedly dropped in April to 49.2, a light contraction. Although the world's second-largest economy grew faster than predicted in the first quarter, sluggish manufacturing is yet another sign that recovery from zero-COVID will still be a bumpy road.
2/3: Cuba nixed Monday's traditional Labor Day parade for the first time since the 1959 revolution due to acute fuel shortages. President Miguel Díaz Canel says the island is only receiving two-thirds of the fuel it needs to keep the economy going after deliveries from Venezuela plummeted by half in recent months.
42: Santiago Peña from the ruling Colorado party won Paraguay's presidential election on Sunday, clinching more than 42% of the vote over opposition candidate Efraín Alegre. Good news for Taiwan, since Alegre was open to switching Paraguay's diplomatic allegiance to China.Mastercard Economic Institute's Outlook 2026 explores the forces redefining global business. Tariffs, technology, and transformation define an adaptive economy for the year ahead. Expect moderate growth amid easing inflation, evolving fiscal policies, and rapid AI adoption, driving productivity. Digital transformation for SMEs and shifts in trade and consumer behavior will shape strategies worldwide. Stay ahead with insights to help navigate complexity and seize emerging opportunities. Learn more here.
Despite a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel is still not letting foreign journalists in to independently verify what’s happening on the ground, CNN’s Clarissa Ward tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
On Ask Ian, Ian Bremmer breaks down the steady escalation of US pressure on Venezuela and why direct military action is now a real possibility.
From civil conflicts to trade wars to the rise of new technologies, GZERO runs through the stories that have shaped this year in geopolitics.