Europe

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

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

More For You

- YouTube

In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer argues that the war between the United States and Iran has entered a more dangerous phase, with both sides demonstrating they can sustain military and economic pressure without forcing the other to back down. The question is, will this standoff bring them back to the table before the conflict escalates further?

- YouTube

For years, Russia has counted on one advantage above all else: time. Ian Bremmer explains why Ukraine's expanding campaign inside Russia is challenging that assumption, and what it could mean for the future of the war.

US President Donald Trump speaks about election security during an address to the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., US, July 16, 2026
SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS

The US president used a primetime address last night to argue America’s election system is broken and vulnerable to “rigging.” He pointed to documents he says show Chinese interference in the 2020 vote. But the evidence Trump offered, along with past assessments from the intelligence community, doesn’t support his broadest claims.