Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
The dog, Bobi, that broke the record for oldest dog ever at 30 years-old, is pictured at Conqueiros, in Leiria, Portugal, February 4, 2023.
Hard Numbers: Dog title temporarily revoked, Young Irish adults live with parents, Russian air travelers live in fear, Houthi strikes crush cargo
⅔: Ireland is suffering from a serious housing crisis. Rents are so high that some two-thirds of Irish young adults live with their parents, which is nearly 20 points higher than the EU average. Experts blame a failure to invest in social housing and an overreliance on market solutions, which created incentives for developers to build luxury or short-term rental properties rather than lower or middle-income housing.
8: Russia’s commercial airline industry is hitting some serious turbulence. In the first eight days of December, according to a new report, Russian civilian airliners suffered at least eight separate serious mechanical failures. The rash of incidents is part of a wider problem: Western sanctions preventing the delivery of parts and service to Western-made aircraft in Russia are causing Russia’s commercial fleets to fall apart,
65: Houthi airstrikes on commercial ships navigating the Red Sea have caused cargo volumes through that waterway to fall 65% from normal levels. On Tuesday, even after two rounds of US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets, a Houthi missile struck a Greek-owned ship off the Yemeni coast. The Houthis say they’ll stop when there’s a cease-fire in Gaza, a call echoed by Qatar’s prime minister on Tuesday at Davos. (See our explainer on why Qatar is a small country with big influence these days.)Air India flight
US-bound passenger flight makes emergency landing in Russia
An Air India flight heading to San Francisco was forced to land in Siberia, Russia, on Tuesday due to engine problems. US citizens aboard the flight were reportedly nervous, given the state of US-Russian relations amid the war in Ukraine.
The incident comes just days after United Airlines’ CEO Scott Kirby warned such a thing could happen. He noted that United refuses to take the risk that carriers from China and India take by flying over Russia. He was pointing out the possible risks of needing to make an unplanned landing in Russian territory, but Kirby was also highlighting the competitive advantage that airlines like Air India enjoy by taking to the skies over Russia, compared to their American competitors.
While some passengers complained about the makeshift accommodations they were provided on the ground in Russia, the airline said the support was the “best possible” given the unusual circumstances. Air India, for its part, is sending a retrieval plane that’s due to arrive in Russia on Thursday morning.
“Given the high amount of tension between the US and Russia and the detention of US nationals by Russian authorities,” says Alex Brideau, Eurasia Group’s lead Russia analyst, “the concern among US nationals on the flight is understandable. That said, Russia probably does not want to create a precedent that could be applied to Russian nationals abroad.”
Also, since India is an increasingly important economic partner to Russia, Brideau adds, Moscow will want to avoid creating a situation that would cause a problem for the Indian government.
The road to repair: Pete Buttigieg & crumbling US infrastructure
There's no sugarcoating it. America needs work. Not just when it comes to the state of democracy, either. A 2022 report found that 43,000 US bridges are “structurally deficient.” The report also found that those same bridges are crossed 168 million times a day. At the current rate, it would take 30 years to fix all of the country’s structurally deficient bridges. Do you feel lucky?
It's not a question Americans particularly want to ask themselves on every morning commute or summer road trip. The richest country in the history of the world should be able to keep its infrastructure updated and its roads intact. Globally, of course, the number of faulty bridges is much higher, but at least here in the United States, things may be starting to change. On November 6, 2021, Congress passed the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes $550 billion for America’s roads, bridges, mass transit, rail, airports, and ports. On GZERO World, Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses what he has called "the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the Interstate highway system."
As we all know, allocating the money is only half the battle. Ensuring it’s spent correctly is where the...rubber meets the road. In a wide-ranging interview with Ian Bremmer, Secretary Buttigieg addresses pressing news, from the debt ceiling showdown in DC to the latest revelations following February's East Palestine train derailment. They also look big-picture at US infrastructure's role in foreign policy and where China's global aspirations clash with America's manufacturing concerns. Oh, and they talk 2024, of course, and about why the Secretary recently changed his permanent address from Indiana to that swing state, Michigan.
- Hard Numbers: Southwest Airlines facing fines, Ukrainian casualties, Ethiopia-Tigray flights, Iranians facing execution ›
- Podcast: Rebuilding American infrastructure with Pete Buttigieg ›
- Electric vehicle wars ›
- Biden: We must ‘finish the job’ of repairing US economy ›
- Episode 1: What infrastructure spending means for you ›
- Ian Explains: Will US infrastructure finally be fixed? - GZERO Media ›
- Pete Buttigieg's lessons learned about parental leave - GZERO Media ›
- Who's responsible for the East Palestine train disaster? - GZERO Media ›
- US summer travel may be easier than you think, says Pete Buttigieg - GZERO Media ›
Podcast: Rebuilding American infrastructure with Pete Buttigieg
Listen: In this episode of the GZERO World podcast, we’re bridging America’s divides, and we mean that literally. It’s infrastructure week on GZERO World, and Ian Bremmer is talking to Mr. Infrastructure himself: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. They discuss the state of America’s roads, bridges, and tunnels, as well as the landmark legislation meant to upgrade them all. They also talk about how major technological advances in electric vehicles and industrial shipping are poised to change the ways we move, and the things we ship. Oh, and they talk 2024 and why the Secretary recently changed his permanent address to that swing state, Michigan.
- Electric vehicle wars ›
- Pete Buttigieg explains: How the debt limit impacts transportation ›
- Can Biden’s IRA work IRL? ›
- Jennifer Granholm: On clean energy, US is "putting our money where our mouth is” ›
- Episode 1: What infrastructure spending means for you ›
- Ian Explains: Will US infrastructure finally be fixed? - GZERO Media ›
- Who's responsible for the East Palestine train disaster? - GZERO Media ›
- US summer travel may be easier than you think, says Pete Buttigieg - GZERO Media ›
- The road to repair: Pete Buttigieg & crumbling US infrastructure - GZERO Media ›
Taiwan's EVA Air says 8 sacked since March for breaching Covid-19 rules
Four pilots and four cabin crew have been fired for breaching anti-pandemic rules
Asian nations could mandate Covid-19 shots for travellers, AirAsia chief says
KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) - Governments in Asia could require inbound travellers to receive Covid-19 vaccinations, AirAsia Group's Chief Executive Officer said on Wednesday (Dec 9), with such conditions expected to become a trend in the region.
International travellers may need vaccination to enter Australia
SYDNEY • Australia will likely require international arrivals to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or face a prolonged quarantine, as officials sketch out what "new normal" virus curbs may look like.
Hong Kong-Singapore bubble delay hits travel rebound hopes
The delay further clouds the outlook for anyone with ambitions for travel, not just between those two cities.