Hard Numbers
Hard Numbers: Gaza death toll undercount, China’s deflating economic news, Cuba’s growing exodus, Amazing eyeball news
A Palestinian woman reacts after the death of her sister
REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
0.2: Consumer prices in China fell 0.2% on an annual basis in October, meaning the world’s second-largest economy is now officially experiencing deflation, where sluggish demand for goods and services causes prices to fall. The news accentuates ongoing concerns about China’s mediocre post-pandemic economic recovery. Why are falling prices a bad thing? See our explainer here.
10,700: Roughly 10,700 Cubans were detained at the US southern border in September, nearly twice the figure in August, as a deepening economic crisis in the Caribbean island nation drives more people to take the risk of undocumented migration to the United States. Many of those arriving via Mexico have completed a 1,500-mile journey on foot.
2: A US man who lost most of his face and his left eye in a high-voltage power line accident has two eyes again as a result of the world’s first transplant of an entire human eyeball. It’s too soon to tell whether the new eye works properly, but the breakthrough has millions of sports fans around the world wondering if referees and umpires have heard of this treatment.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.