Hard Numbers: Iraqi parliament occupied, Chinese manufacturing slows, El Salvador to buy back debt, Spain going tieless

July 31, 2022

Supporters of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr inside the Iraqi parliament in Baghdad.

REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

125: At least 125 people were injured over the weekend after supporters of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed parliament for a second time in three days to reject a pro-Iran candidate for PM. The protesters now say they'll camp out there until further notice, raising the stakes for the stalled formation of a new government.

49: China's manufacturing activity index fell unexpectedly to 49 in June (below 50 indicates contraction). Zero-COVID and weak global demand are doing a number on the Chinese economy, to the point that the ruling Communist Party has stopped talking about its growth target for the year.

1.6 billion: El Salvador wants to buy back $1.6 billion worth of its sovereign debt at much lower market prices to avoid default. Well played by President Nayib Bukele if he’s already secured the cash; otherwise, it's a recipe for accumulating even more debt.

27: In a nod to making casual Fridays an environmental policy option, Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez is ditching his necktie, and asking office workers to follow his example to save energy. They'll certainly need to do so at the Environmental Transition Ministry, which is now running the AC at a warmer-than-usual 27 C (80.6 F).

What We’re Watching: Another US tariff announcement, El Salvador leader can now rule indefinitely, Indonesian president pardons opponents

A demonstrator burns mock dollar bills with the face of US President Donald Trump during a protest against the US tariffs imposed on Brazilian products, in front of the United States Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil, on August 1, 2025.

REUTERS/Mateus Bonomi

US President Donald Trump slapped new tariffs on 92 countries, including key allies. Canada, the US’s number two trade partner, was hit with a 35% rate.

The hottest US midterm race is in North Carolina

Outgoing and term-limited North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks alongside his wife, Kristin Cooper, thanking North Carolinians for his two terms in office as Governor on Nov. 5, 2024.

Joseph A. Navin/Sipa USA

Next year’s race for North Carolina’s open Senate seat is predicted to be the most expensive in US election history. Winning it might not be enough for Democrats to flip the upper chamber, but it would put them in a much stronger position going into 2028.

Hard Numbers: Iraqi parliament occupied, Chinese manufacturing slows, El Salvador to buy back debt, Spain going tieless

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More from GZERO Media

Amid high tariffs, a flurry of new trade agreements, and a right-wing populist surge, America is rewriting the rules of the global economy and retreating from its role as champion of free trade. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria discusses the future of globalization on GZERO World.

As the Trump administration imposes record tariffs and renegotiates trade agreements, is America abandoning its role as global trade leader? CNN’s Fareed Zakaria joins the GZERO World Podcast.

US tariffs are creating economic chaos and driving uncertainty all over the world. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down how the global trade map is already starting to shift as allies go around the US to negotiate trade alliances of their own.

Fifty years ago, leaders from 35 countries – including rivals from both sides of the Iron Curtain – gathered in the Finnish capital of Helsinki to attend the first Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE).

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

US President Donald Trump slapped new tariffs on 92 countries, including key allies. Canada, the US’s number two trade partner, was hit with a 35% rate.

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

Next year’s race for North Carolina’s open Senate seat is predicted to be the most expensive in US election history. Winning it might not be enough for Democrats to flip the upper chamber, but it would put them in a much stronger position going into 2028.