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US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei react at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on October 14, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Trump makes conditional pledge to Argentina’s Milei, Syria’s new leader meets old foe, Cameroon’s opposition leader declares victory
Trump pledges money to Argentina – if Milei’s party wins midterm
US President Donald Trump appeared to hand Argentine President Javier Milei a financial lifeline ahead of the South American nation’s midterm election later this month, pledging to grant the long-suffering economy a $20-billion bailout. But, the US leader added, “If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina.” Trump denied that he was seeking to boost Milei ahead of the midterms, but Democrats criticized him for helping out a foreign administration while the US federal government is shut down. It’s also unclear what would constitute enough of a “win” for Milei in the eyes of Trump – the Argentine leader is hoping to win a third of Chamber of Deputies seats so that he can gain veto power.
Syria and Russia meeting turn enemies into allies again
Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Russia on Wednesday, meeting with one of the biggest backers of the Assad regime he overthrew. Both Syria and Russia have reasons to bury that hatchet. Al-Sharaa is seeking guarantees that Russia won’t rearm remnants of Assad’s forces, and could instead help rebuild Syria’s army. He also implored Moscow to hand over Assad to face trial in Syria. Meanwhile, Russia has lost or been restricted from accessing its military bases and naval ports in Syria, which provide Russia its only stopover points in the eastern Mediterranean for planes and ships traveling to Africa. Following the meeting, al-Sharaa said that Syria would honor all past deals struck between the two countries, suggesting that Russia’s military bases may be open for business again soon.
Cameroon’s opposition leader declares victory over 43-year incumbent
One might not expect that a battle between a 92-year-old and a 79-year-old — who happens to be his former friend — would necessarily have such major consequences for a country, but that’s exactly the case for Cameroon. Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 79, claimed victory yesterday over President Paul Biya, 92, following Sunday’s presidential election, and called on the long-time leader to “honour the truth of the ballot box.” Biya’s party denied Tchiroma’s claims, though the long-time leader hasn’t necessarily been the most reliable practitioner of democracy. The official results for Sunday’s poll have yet to be announced – the deadline for their certification is Oct. 26.
Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold a flag in the divided city of Deir al-Zor, Syria December 7, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Syria reaches pact with Kurdish fighters, Sudanese militia leader guilty of war crimes, emerging markets surge anew, luxury travel booms
¼: The new Syrian government has signed a ceasefire with US-backed Kurdish fighters who control roughly a quarter of Syria’s territory, in a pact that could smooth the re-integration of Kurdish areas into the Syrian state. Recent clashes had upended earlier agreements to absorb Kurdish militias into the new Syrian army.
27: The international criminal court has found a leader of Sudan’s feared janjaweed militia guilty on 27 counts of atrocities committed during the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s. The charges included gang rape of women and children, torture, and summary executions. The court rejected the defendant’s arguments that it had captured the wrong man.
15: Stocks of companies in “emerging markets” – a grouping of the world’s leading middle-income countries – have seen their biggest gains in more than 15 years. The main reason? A weaker US dollar has made it easier for companies in these countries to service dollar-denominated debt. At the same time, many of these economies are keeping interest rates high, attracting more foreign capital, particularly as political uncertainty roils developed markets like the US and Europe.
390 billion: The rich keep getting richer… and then they go on holiday. Global spending on high end luxury travel will surpass $390 billion by 2028, according to McKinsey, up from $240 billion in 2023. Experts say the increasing availability of luxury goods has made them less interesting to the ultra-rich, who now flaunt their 1-percentness by seeking out stratospherically expensive and unique luxury experiences.
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends the 80th United Nations General Assembly, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2025.
Syria’s regime makes its UN debut – and gets set for “elections”
Into the flurry of activity in New York this week stepped Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, on his first-ever trip to the United Nations - and it was quite the diplomatic coup.
Al-Sharaa’s address to the UN General Assembly is the first by a Syrian leader since 1967. But it is all the more remarkable because Al-Sharaa – then known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani - spent 2006–2011 in US custody, during the Iraq war led by Gen. David Petraeus. Washington subsequently designated his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2018, and only revoked that designation in July 2025. During much of the intervening time, there was a $10m bounty on al-Sharaa.
How things have changed since Al-Sharaa and his forces ousted former Syrian dictator President Bashar al-Assad last December. Assad’s fall was seen as a major blow to Iran, and despite Al-Sharaa’s history of extremism, the US administration cautiously began crafting a new relationship with Damascus.
The start of a beautiful friendship?
That relationship is now a full-on bromance. On his arrival in New York, Al-Sharaa sat down for a fireside chat with Petraeus, who told the audience, “His trajectory from insurgent leader to head of state has been one of the most dramatic political transformations in recent Middle Eastern history.” Al-Sharaa then met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (who had tweeted the $10 million reward in 2017) to discuss "US priorities" in Syria, including counterterrorism efforts, efforts to locate missing Americans, and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in regional security.
It’s a remarkable evolution. When asked whether Syria would join the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE in 2020, however, Al-Sharaa demurred, saying “Syria is different, as those that are part of the Abraham Accords are not Israel’s neighbors. Syria has been subjected to more than 1,000 Israeli raids, strikes and incursions from the Golan Heights into Syria.”
Syria’s relations with the West have still evolved massively - and could go further. According to Ibrahim Al-Assil, Syria Project Lead at the Atlantic Council, “Syria’s movement toward joining the anti-ISIS coalition (a group of 89 nations formed in 2014 to destroy DAESH) would be a milestone, signaling Damascus’ shift from being seen as a disruptor under Assad to positioning itself as part of a constructive international coalition.”
Challenges for democracy at home
While Syria’s international posture is bringing it close to the West, the domestic story is more complex. Last weekend, Syrian authorities announced October 5 for the country’s first national elections since last year’s coup – sort of.
Instead of all citizens voting directly, Syria’s 210-seat People’s Assembly will be chosen by an electoral college and the President himself. In June, Al-Sharaa appointed a committee which in turn appointed subcommittees in 62 electoral districts. Each subcommittee selected 30-50 delegates, based on population size, for a total of roughly 7,000 “voters.”
Members seeking election have a week to campaign for one of 121 seats in the People's Assembly — but no parties are permitted, and campaigning is a private affair among the 7000 electoral college members only. The remainder of the 210 seats, nearly a majority, will be directly named by Al-Sharaa. He defends that move by claiming his appointees will “balance” existing representation and include more technocrats, though some feel it may turn the Assembly into a rubber-stamp body controlled by the executive.
Why this complex process, instead of direct democracy? According to a statement by the Syrian government at the end of June, "The reality in Syria does not permit the holding of traditional elections, given the presence of millions of internally and externally displaced persons, the absence of official documents [and] the fragility of the legal structure.”
Civil society groups disagree. A statement from 15 organizations warns that Al-Sharaa’s plan paves the way for "the executive authority to dominate an institution that should be independent of it and reflect the popular will."
Officials have floated a 30-month horizon for this temporary arrangement, but it remains to be seen whether Al-Sharaa will transition to true elections at that time.
There are also storm clouds in the Druze and Kurdish parts of the country. There, the pseudo-elections for nineteen local seats have been put “on hold”, ostensibly for security reasons. The government does not exercise local control there, and it’s not clear when local delegate selection might happen.
Tensions with Kurdish leadership in turn impact Damascus’ relationship with the Republic of Türkiye, where a large Kurdish refugee population lives and wishes to return to Syria. According to Ibrahim, avoiding military confrontation is key, as “Any bloodshed would deepen the rift and could irreversibly push the two sides apart.” We’ll see if Al-Sharaa can exercise as much diplomacy at home as he does abroad.
The rise of impunity–and its human cost
What happens when global norms collapse and no one is left to enforce them? On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, International Rescue Committee president and CEO David Miliband warns that we are living through what he calls an “Age of Impunity,” where power is exercised without accountability, and civilians in conflict zones from Syria to Ukraine to Gaza are paying the price. “The Age of Impunity is becoming the Age of Cruelty,” Miliband says, as rights guaranteed under international law are ignored and no one is holding the powerful to account.
Miliband highlights findings from the Atlas of Impunity, an annual index published by the Eurasia Group, that tracks accountability across 170 countries. The data shows not only extreme cases of impunity in war-torn regions but also surprising results in advanced democracies like Canada, the US, and Nordic countries. Still, there are some signs of progress. For Miliband, the challenge is clear: it will take a massive push from governments, civil society, brave civilians, journalists and human rights advocates to reverse the retreat of accountability and uphold basic principles of human rights.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
The global refugee crisis is at breaking point
The global refugee population is at historic highs, driven by war in Ukraine, violence in Sudan, state collapse in Venezuela, Taliban rule in Afghanistan, and a worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza. On GZERO World, David Miliband, president & CEO of the International Rescue Committee joins Ian Bremmer to discuss the refugee crisis, the rise of forcibly displaced people around the world, and the crumbling humanitarian aid system amid the cancellation of USAID. What happens when the poorest countries are left to solve the hardest problems? And who–if anyone–is stepping up to help?
Miliband says that in 20 countries in crisis, there are more than 275 million people in humanitarian need, people that depend on international aid and organizations like the IRC to survive. There have been some recent positive developments—hundreds of thousands of refugees returning to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime, the potential for progress in the Eastern DRC, new technologies improving aid delivery. Still, Miliband says the world is facing a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions and unless the international community steps up, tens of millions will suffer.
“We face a new abnormal. 10 years ago, there were 50 to 60 million internally displaced people and refugees. Now, there's 120 million,” Miliband says, “The scale of impunity, the loss of international engagement is epic.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube.Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
Rethinking the refugee crisis and global aid system, with David Miliband
Listen: The number of people forced to flee their homes because of war, persecution, humanitarian disaster or political collapse topped 123 million people in 2024. That’s double what it was just 10 years ago. Yet just as the need has exploded, the global aid system is unraveling. On the GZERO World Podcast, David Miliband, president & CEO of the International Rescue Committee sits down with Ian Bremmer to discuss the growing crisis as the number of refugees continues to rise and the US, once the anchor of the global aid system, shuts down USAID and drastically pulls back foreign funding.
Miliband says we’re facing “a new abnormal,” with 275 million people facing humanitarian emergencies in 20 countries in crisis. The vast majority of displaced people are hosted in low and middle income countries, meaning the world’s poorest and most under-resourced places are shouldering a disproportionately high share of the burden. Miliband and Bremmer discuss the worsening humanitarian situation in places like Sudan and Gaza, the impact of US aid cuts, whether any nation or group of nations can fill the void, and where Miliband sees glimmers of hope amid so many intractable problems.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're publishedSyrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, accompanied by General Intelligence Service Director Hussein Al-Salama and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, meets with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Turkey, August 13, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Turkey sends Syria weapons, US military heads to Southern Caribbean, Australia makes a pact in the South Pacific
Turkey looks to re-arm Syria
Turkey pledged to boost military cooperation with Syria on Wednesday, reinforcing its support for Damascus as interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa seeks to rebuild the country after nearly 14 years of civil war. The agreement – which provides new weapons systems, logistical support, and military training – comes as Syrian forces are under increasing scrutiny for abuses against the country’s Alawite and Druze minorities. Turkey has emerged as a key ally of the new administration since the fall of Assad’s regime, particularly as it appears focused onto undermininge the Kurdish forces in Turkey and Syria.
Australia attempts to counter Chinese influence in the South Pacific
Australia and Vanuatu – a small island in the South Pacific – have agreed to a $326.5 million agreement to boost economic, security, and climate change cooperation over the next decade. It follows years of Vanuatu deepening ties with China, its largest external creditor, through infrastructure loans. In response, Australia is seeking to strengthen its influence in the Pacific, as the West and China race for control over the chessboard of strategically vital Pacific Islands.
US to send military to Southern Caribbean Sea
The US is sending air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean as part of Donald Trump’s stepped-up war on drug cartels, targeting Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. Since labeling these groups as global terrorist organizations, Washington has ramped up military involvement in anti-trafficking operations — from warship patrols to expanded drone surveillance across Mexico and Latin America. The stated goals: hit cartel networks harder, curb drug flows, and project US power deeper into the region.
Syrian Minister of Economy Dr. Nidal Al-Shaar (left) meets with Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih (right) during an official visit in Damascus, Syria, on July 23, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Saudi invests in Syria rebuild, Ukraine and Russia seek cash, Thai-Cambodia border battle escalates
Saudi seeks a piece of the Syrian pie
Saudi Arabia has pledged to invest $6 billion to rebuild the war-torn Syrian economy, an amount that represents roughly 30% of Syria’s 2023 GDP. Still, the investment is just a tiny fraction of the estimated $400 billion in reconstruction funds that Syria needs. We’re watching to see if the Saudi move spurs other regional powers to take the plunge too – either as partners or rivals to Saudi influence. Meanwhile, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa must try to keep a lid on sectarian violence and deal with ongoing attacks from a wary Israel. (Read more here.)
Ukraine and Russia get their money up for more war
The Russian and Ukrainian governments, apparently readying for even more conflict as peace talks stay stalled, are scrambling to shore up their war-fighting finances. On Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asked European leaders to help pay not only for new weapons but also for higher wages for his country’s soldiers. Meanwhile, as Russia’s war economy starts to sputter, President Vladimir Putin’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by two percentage points to a still-sky-high 18% — its second rate cut this summer.
Thailand-Cambodia clashes could reach “stage of war”
Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia continue. Thailand has now evacuated more than 130,000 people from the area as acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warns the situation “is escalating and could develop to the stage of war.” Violence has erupted in 12 areas along the disputed frontier, killing at least 15 Thais and one Cambodian. Nationalist tensions and a friendship breakup between powerful former leaders Hun Sen of Cambodia and Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand are further inflaming the crisis.