Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

Hard Numbers: Russian oil stops flowing, Ghana wants more IMF cash, Iran nuclear deal hopes, vinegar wars

Hard Numbers: Russian oil stops flowing, Ghana wants more IMF cash, Iran nuclear deal hopes, vinegar wars
Annie Gugliotta
Make us preferred on Google

0: That's how much Russian oil is currently flowing through the southern Druzhba pipeline, which transits Ukraine and services the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. Although those three EU member states are exempt from the bloc’s ban on Russian oil, Moscow says that EU sanctions made its payments to the Ukrainian operator bounce, so Kyiv shut off the flow on Aug. 4. We are certain there will be more to this story …


3 billion: To prop up its ailing economy, Ghana is now negotiating a $3 billion IMF loan, double the amount it asked for just a month ago. That's when mass protests over inflation rocked the West African country, one of many nations in need of a bailout to restructure piling debts.

15: After 15 months of brokering indirect talks in Qatar between Iran and the US to revive the long-moribund 2015 Iran nuclear deal, EU officials have submitted a final text for Tehran to sign. We've been down this road many times before, so don't hold your breath.

1 billion: After launching a Prosecco war against Croatia, Italy is now tussling with Slovenia over balsamic vinegar. The Slovenians want the EU to recognize any wine vinegar mixed with concentrated fruit juice as "balsamic." Ma va, say the Italians — it can only come from Modena, Emilia-Romagna, not to mention it's a market worth $1 billion.


This comes to you from the Signal newsletter team of GZERO Media. Subscribe for your free daily Signal today.

More For You

In this special edition of “ask ian,” Ian Bremmer reflects on the life and passing of his beloved dog, Moose. [...]
Argentina's President Javier Milei visits the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site during his tour in Jerusalem's Old City, February 6, 2024

Argentina's President Javier Milei visits the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site during his tour in Jerusalem's Old City, February 6, 2024

REUTERS/Ammar Awad
“We hope and believe that 2026 will be the year of Latin America,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar proclaimed late last year.So far, it looks like things are going his way. Even as Israel grows increasingly isolated on the world stage, there is one region where a whole swath of newly elected leaders can’t seem to get enough of the Jewish [...]
Tourist Trap
Lottie Tellyn
The dropoff deepens a trend that began in 2025, when overseas arrivals fell by 2.5%. The decline is particularly striking given that thousands of people came to the US for the World Cup earlier this year. The Trump administration has set an ambitious goal of attracting 100 million overseas visitors a year by 2030, but meeting that target would [...]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with an official ceremony in Ankara, Turkiye on October 22, 2026.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with an official ceremony in Ankara, Turkiye on October 22, 2026.

Anadolu via Reuters Connect
Canada looks to Turkey for new partnershipCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Turkey on Thursday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit is the first by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey. The two leaders promptly announced a new “strategic partnership” focused on expanding cooperation in defense and energy — Erdogan is [...]