Hard Numbers: India cuts gas tax, Tigrayan amnesty, US gets European baby formula, NATO beer

May 22, 2022

Gas station worker in Kolkata, India.

Avishek Das / SOPA Images/Sipa U via Reuters Connect

8: India has slashed its excise tax on gasoline by 8 rupees ($0.10) per liter to give consumers some relief from rising prices. PM Narendra Modi is scrambling to get inflation under control ahead of several state elections later this year.

4,208: Tigrayan rebels in Ethiopia plan to release 4,208 prisoners captured in their ongoing war with the federal government. It's a sign of goodwill that comes after the Ethiopian army allowed aid convoys to enter the conflict-affected region.

78,000: On Sunday, a military plane carrying 78,000 pounds of European baby formula arrived in the US to address an acute shortage. America is running out of formula due to the temporary closure of a production plant in Michigan and also because of protectionist US trade policies.

8,000: Finland is so excited about joining NATO that a Finnish brewery has launched a NATO-themed beer, shipping 8,000 cans to local supermarkets. Will Turkey spoil the party?

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Brazil sentences Bolsonaro: What it means for democracy and US-Brazil relations

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Brazil’s Supreme Court has sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting to overturn the 2022 election and allegedly conspiring to assassinate President Lula. In this week's "ask ian," Ian Bremmer says the verdict highlights how “your response… has nothing to do with rule of law. It has everything to do with tribal political affiliation.”

Is democracy doomed in Turkey?

Supporters of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) attend a rally to protest against the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, a day after the removal of the CHP's Istanbul provincial head Ozgur Celik by a court over alleged irregularities in a 2023 CHP provincial congress, in Istanbul, Turkey, September 3, 2025.

REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

After a weekend of mass protests in Turkey, a court in Ankara has postponed its decision in a highly charged case that could oust Turkey’s main opposition leader – and boost the fortunes of long-time President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

HARD NUMBERS: Adolescence cleans up at Emmys, Canada unveils new housing agency, India-Pakistan rice wars paralyze the EU, sea levels put coastal Ozzies at risk

Stephen Graham, winner of Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Best Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Owen Cooper, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and Erin Doherty, Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, for "Adolescence", Best Limited or Anthology Series pose with their awards at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 14, 2025.

REUTERS/Daniel Cole

8: Netflix teen murder series "Adolescence" won eight Emmys including for best limited series. Supporting actor Owen Cooper,15, became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy.

What we’re watching: Trump reaches TikTok deal, Far-right surges in German state election, Africa to team up on critical minerals

Senior U.S. and Chinese led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang meet to discuss trade and economic issues and TikTok, in Madrid, Spain, September 14, 2025.

United States Treasury/Handout via Reuters.

In an announcement teeming with viral potential, the White House said the US and China have outlined a deal for TikTok to continue operating in the US.

A special visit for a special relationship

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 27, 2025.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

As US President Donald Trump travels to the United Kingdom this week, there is an unnerving sense in which the ghost of Christmas past will be greeting the potential ghost of Christmas yet to come.

Hard Numbers: India cuts gas tax, Tigrayan amnesty, US gets European baby formula, NATO beer

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HARD NUMBERS: Adolescence cleans up at Emmys, Canada unveils new housing agency, India-Pakistan rice wars paralyze the EU, sea levels put coastal Ozzies at risk

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Hard Numbers: India cuts gas tax, Tigrayan amnesty, US gets European baby formula, NATO beer

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

After a weekend of mass protests in Turkey, a court in Ankara has postponed its decision in a highly charged case that could oust Turkey’s main opposition leader – and boost the fortunes of long-time President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

China is going all in on renewables, breaking monthly records on clean energy installation and generation. Bill McKibben tells Ian Bremmer that Beijing's bet on solar and wind gives them a competitive edge on a new episode of GZERO World.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

In the latest episode of Quick Take, Ian Bremmer denounces the assassination of Charlie Kirk, cautioning that it will deepen America’s political dysfunction rather than unite the country.

8: Netflix teen murder series "Adolescence" won eight Emmys including for best limited series. Supporting actor Owen Cooper,15, became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy.

In an announcement teeming with viral potential, the White House said the US and China have outlined a deal for TikTok to continue operating in the US.

As US President Donald Trump travels to the United Kingdom this week, there is an unnerving sense in which the ghost of Christmas past will be greeting the potential ghost of Christmas yet to come.