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 }}
Graphic Truth: What’s behind the US inflation numbers?
US prices rose 2.7% over the 12 months until July 2025, a relatively steady rate despite the onset of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. But what’s behind this inflation figure? This Graphic Truth explores how the prices of various categories of consumer goods are changing.
U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping arrive for a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017.
Hard Numbers: US extends trade truce with China, Finland charges Russian-linked tanker over subsea sabotage, Smuggler stuffs turtles in socks, and more
90: President Donald Trump on Monday delayed the US’s tariff deadline with China by another 90 days – hours before a previous agreement was set to expire. Beijing responded Tuesday by suspending additional retaliatory tariffs on US goods. The move follows bilateral talks last month in Stockholm, where both sides had signaled a likely extension of the status quo amid fears of a wider trade war.
5: In a first for any NATO country, Finland brought charges against the captain and crew of a Russian-linked oil tanker for suspected subsea cable sabotage, after the vessel cut five cables by dragging its anchor along the Baltic Sea floor in late 2024. While subsea cables are vital for internet connectivity and electricity infrastructure, prosecuting foreign interference is notoriously difficult, as deliberate damage is often indistinguishable from accidents.
40: On Monday, 40 people were killed in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, after rebels from the Rapid Support Forces attacked Abu Shouk, a famine-hit displacement camp which houses at least 200,000 people. Darfur has witnessed some of the worst violence in Sudan’s two-year-long civil war, which has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and displaced at least 12 million.
850: A Chinese man pleaded guilty on Monday of attempting to illegally smuggle 850 protected turtles to Hong Kong from the United States. The turtles – worth around $1.4 million – were reportedly wrapped in socks and labeled in boxes as “plastic animal toys.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with US special envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of Ukraine war talks.
What We’re Watching: US envoy in Moscow, Tariffs rock South Africa’s government, Hezbollah dismisses disarmament
US envoy meets with Putin ahead of sanctions deadline
US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday ahead of US President Donald Trump’s Friday deadline for the Kremlin to end the war or face new US sanctions. Neither side has revealed details about the talks yet, but Putin is reportedly unmoved by Trump’s threats, seeing his own war aims as being worth the price of further economic pain. The Witkoff-Putin talks came a day after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed Russia sanctions and increased defense cooperation.
US tariffs cause political trouble in Africa’s largest economy
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing a backlash from his coalition partners over his failure to deftly handle tariff negotiations with Trump. In May, Ramaphosa made a trip to the White House where he sought to allay the US president’s trade concerns and push back against largely fabricated stories about a “genocide” of South African white farmers. None of it worked — Africa’s largest and most industrialized economy is under a 30% tariff, the highest rate on the continent.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah rejects calls to disarm
Hezbollah on Wednesday said it would be a “grave sin” for the Lebanese government to try to take away its weapons. The defiant statement comes after Lebanon's cabinet, acting under US pressure, ordered the army this week to draft a plan by year’s end to place Hezbollah’s weapons under state control. Iran-backed Hezbollah faces its weakest moment in years: Israeli strikes have decimated its weapons and leadership, and it no longer has an ally in Syria. Click here for more on what it would take to disarm the group, and here for the most famous recent example of a paramilitary disarmament that actually worked.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures during a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025.
What We're Watching: Modi defies Trump on Russian oil, Bolsonaro put under house arrest, Israel proposes full occupation of Gaza
India digs in heels amid Trump’s tariff threat
US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his tariff threat against India, warning he will “substantially” raise the duty on Indian imports in order to stop Delhi from buying Russian oil. India is unmoved, though, calling the threat “unjustified.” This spat might not just be about oil, though – amid ongoing trade talks, Washington is pressing India to open up its massive agricultural markets, a bitter pill for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to swallow.
Brazil’s top court puts Bolsonaro under house arrest
Brazil has placed former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, after he violated the terms of a previous court order by posting on social media. The right-wing leader and Trump ally is on trial for allegedly planning a coup after his 2022 election loss. The latest move is certain to heighten US-Brazil tensions – last month Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, blasting current leftwing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.
Netanyahu to propose full Gaza occupation
With Gaza ceasefire talks once again going nowhere, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reportedly seek approval to fully occupy the strip at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday evening. Israel already controls 75% of the enclave, and the head of the Israeli military has warned that a full occupation could put soldiers and the remaining hostages, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive, at risk. Israel first took control of Gaza during the Six Day War in 1967, but formally withdrew its military and settlers in 2005 for security reasons. Netanyahu opposed that move at the time.
What's at stake in the US-China trade war
As countries around the world scramble to respond to the Trump administration’s tariffs and renegotiate trade agreements, does China stand to benefit from so much global uncertainty? CNN’s Fareed Zakaria joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to discuss the shifting power dynamic as America retreats from its global leadership role. China, he notes, is hitting its stride in international relations. The Chinese have a stranglehold on critical mineral supply and renewable energy technology, and are pitching themselves as a stable, reliable trading partner to the world.
President Xi Jinping has also softened his tone from the aggressive “wolf warrior” diplomacy of years past. Beijing is strengthening alliances with Russia, Africa, and across the Global South. Zakaria warns that China sees opportunity as the United States walks away from the global trade system, and will try to drive a wedge between the Western alliance.
“We cannot have dependence on the Chinese, but that doesn’t mean we need to make everything here. This is the mistake I think we're making.” Zakaria says, “We have these deep connections with Canada, with Mexico, Britain, and Europe. Why don’t we use them?”
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.
Graphic Truth: India dismisses Trump’s threats on Russian oil
India has said it will continue purchasing Russian oil, despite US President Donald Trump announcing a 25% tariff and threatening an “unspecified penalty” for doing so last week. New Delhi has ramped up its purchases of discounted Russian crude since US and European sanctions against Moscow took effect in 2022 over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. But those imports are now in Washington’s crosshairs as Putin continues to ignore Donald Trump’s demands for peace talks with Kyiv. Officials in Delhi defended their position – citing the country’s energy needs – but White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused India of “financing” Russia’s war in Ukraine. Here’s a look at how important India’s purchases of Russian oil are for both countries.
A 3D-printed miniature model of US President Donald Trump in front of the Swiss flag in an illustration taken on July 23, 2025.
Swiss miss: Is Trump bashing Bern over Beijing?
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced 39% tariffs on Switzerland – the fourth-highest rate of all the duties that the American leader has imposed since April after Laos, Myanmar and Syria. Trump’s decision came after a thirty-minute conversation with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, which critics described as “disastrous” for the European. Yet for months, it seemed that negotiations between the two nations were moving in the right direction. So what went wrong?
Deficits, luxury goods and drugs
Trump says the sticking point is the US trade deficit with Switzerland, which stands at $38.9 billion. Keller-Sutter even suggested that the tariff number itself – 39% – was tied to that amount. The deficit is due, in part, to the American appetite for gold and luxury goods, including gourmet cheese, fine chocolates and high-end watches: the US is Switzerland's top foreign timepiece market, accounting for 16.8% of exports.
Americans also purchase lots of Swiss pharmaceuticals – they bought $35 billion last year, making this Switzerland’s largest export to the US. While the sector was excluded from the tariffs, Trump issued a separate letter to the CEOs of 17 drug manufacturers, including Swiss heavyweights Novartis and Roche, demanding that they lower their prices or face “retaliatory measures.” But the US could also be affected: Switzerland is its 6th largest investor, creating 400,000 US jobs, including thousands in the pharma and research & development sectors.
Then there’s China
Bern and Beijing’s deep economic relationship stretches back 75 years, when the then-Swiss president contacted Chinese premier Mao Zedong via telegram. Trade ties have been especially tight in recent years. Since 2010, China has been Switzerland’s largest trading partner in Asia and its third largest overall after the European Union and the US. In 2013, the two countries signed a free trade deal and, in 2022, Switzerland refused to join the EU and the US in sanctioning China for human rights violations against its Uyghur minority.
The pair converged more this year. In May 2025, Keller-Sutter met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva and said the two countries would “upgrade” their trade deal. And just days before Trump’s Aug. 1 announcement, China’s top legislator Zhao Leji visited Switzerland, calling for the two countries to further advance their innovative strategic partnership.
Is Beijing the real target?
Switzerland’s long-standing relationship with China helped it host trade talks between Washington and Beijing in May that Trump hailed as a “total reset.” Ironically, those ties could now be a problem – and Switzerland might not be alone.
While most countries face a tariff of 10-15%, the US slammed China-friendly South Africa with a 30% duty. Canada is reeling under a 35% levy over claims that it is importing fentanyl from China through Chinese criminal gangs operating in Land of Maple Leaves. And Vietnam, which relies on Chinese fabric for its apparel industry, faces 20% tariffs, as well as a 40% levy on transshipments, which affects goods that transit through third countries to the US.
What can Switzerland do now?
Between now and Aug. 7, when the tariffs come into effect, the Swiss will continue to negotiate with Washington – they were reportedly readying a better trade offer on Monday. But they have few cards to play, having already reduced tariffs on US industrial goods to zero, and promising multibillion dollar investments in US plants. That leaves retaliation: the Swiss could cancel their order of F-35 fighter jets or implement other punitive measures. Or they can go the other way, and dial down their bromance with Beijing.
Are Trump's tariffs the end of the free trade era?
For the last 80 years, America has been a leading advocate of free trade. It built (and benefited from) the rules of the global economic system. But as the Trump administration imposes record tariffs on allies and renegotiates trade agreements around the world, it’s no longer playing by the rules it created. Instead, it's becoming the most protectionist advanced industrial economy in the world. What happens when globalization's biggest backer becomes its biggest critic?
On GZERO World, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria joins Ian Bremmer to discuss President Trump’s tariffs, the rise of protectionism, and US retreat from global leadership, an ideology Zakaria calls the “beating heart” of MAGA. Big economies like China and the EU that rely on trade to maintain growth are increasingly trying to go around the US to make trade deals of their own. But America still has the largest economy in the world. President Trump's trade policies could send shockwaves through the global economic system America has spent generations building. The US has imposed high tariffs on many of its biggest trading partners, and so far, economy appears surprisingly resilient. But is this just the calm before a very big storm?
“The US was the beating heart of the free trade movement, the country that forced all the other countries in the world to open their markets,” Zakaria says, “If you shelter your best companies behind 15, 20% tariff walls, they're just not going to be as competitive.”
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.