43: At least 43 people are dead after a passenger train carrying people from Athens, Greece, to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided head-on with a freight train. A provincial stationmaster has already been arrested as part of the initial investigation. Greek rail unions have long complained about staffing shortfalls and outdated equipment.
10: Cash for chips now comes with strings attached. The US government has ruled that any American companies that receive money from a new multibillion-dollar fund to support the semiconductor industry must agree not to expand in China for 10 years. For more on the Great Global Chips War, see here.
15: A mere 15 years after Kosovo’s controversial declaration of independence from Serbia, the two countries reached a(nother) tentative, EU-brokered framework for peace earlier this week. Much remains to be worked out, but it’s a good sign nonetheless. See here for our recent explainer on why it’s so hard for Kosovo and Serbia to normalize relations.
50,000: Do you have A) $50,000 burning a hole in your pocket and B) a stunningly beautiful camel at your disposal? If so, please consider spending (A) on making a perfect clone of (B), courtesy of a Dubai lab that specializes in camel copies. Get over the hump — do it!In this "ask ian," Ian Bremmer breaks down the rapidly unraveling situation following the US announcement of “Project Freedom” and why tensions with Iran are escalating again.
Will Japan rewrite its rules of war? Europe meets (again) to shape its own defense destiny, US to “guide” ships through Hormuz
Putin is increasingly paranoid, according to a Financial Times report out today. Security has been tightened, more time is being spent in underground bunkers, and the vast majority of his attention is being absorbed by Russia’s war with Ukraine. One reason of his concern is said to be Ukraine’s drone capabilities, which have demonstrated an ability to strike Russian airfields thousands of miles from Kyiv.
There are signs AI could ripple through the economy much faster than past innovations. At the 2026 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, GZERO’s Tony Maciulis asked Microsoft's Vickie Robinson what it will take to prepare economies for the age of AI and how quickly it needs to happen.