It was the jam session that rocked Asia. In January, a video of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung drumming to K-Pop hits went viral, heralding a new diplomatic era between their countries. Now it seems the band is back together and taking it on the road. This week, the two leaders are meeting again in Lee’s hometown of Andong. The two-day…

The two gunmen, who took their own lives after the shooting, killed three men outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. Law enforcement was already on the hunt for one of the suspects: his mother had called the police earlier in the day saying he had stolen her guns and car. Soon after, police received a call about an active shooter – and authorities say it was the same teenager, alongside an…

World Health Organization declares global health emergency

On Saturday, the World Health Organization declared the current epidemic of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda “a public health emergency of international concern,” but said it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic. The latest outbreak has killed over 100 people, and at least 330 are suspected to…

The number increased by one on Saturday after Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his reelection primary in Louisiana to Rep. Julia Letlow. The previous four had retired, albeit under pressure from Trump. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are now the only two GOP senators left who voted to impeach Trump. Just two of the 10 House Republicans who voted that way remain…

In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer says the war in Ukraine is entering a new phase, with Kyiv retaking territory from Russia through advanced drone warfare.

Ian explains that despite being “wildly outnumbered,” Ukraine is gaining a technological edge, using coordinated waves of ground and aerial drones to hit Russian trenches, infrastructure, and troop movements. “The front lines…

According to American Enterprise Institute's Kori Schake , when the US struck Iran, it was easily foreseeable that Tehran would move against the Strait of Hormuz. Washington failed to predeploy forces to counter that, and now the US is paying for it. The distant blockade prevents Iran from fully profiting from its position, but it doesn't reopen the waterway. Commercial shipping won't run…

Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to China this week to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping. Under the leadership of these two men, who have met dozens of times, Russia and China have forged what they call a “no limits” partnership. Russia is a major source of natural resources for China, while Beijing has helped Moscow weather increasingly harsh Western sanctions and technology…

The Iran war has had a ripple effect on the global economy and international relations way beyond the Middle East. Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute joinsIan Bremmer to discuss how the conflict is redrawing power for the US, Russia, China, and America's allies.

Trump declared Operation Epic Fury over, but the consequences of the Iran war are still very much…

Operation Epic Fury may be over, but the Iran war is far from resolved. On this week's episode, American Enterprise Institute Kori Schake joins Ian Bremmer to discuss the conflict's global ripple effects.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to commercial shipping, the US finds itself in what Schake calls a Mexican standoff, unable to force Iran's hand without dramatic…

Cuba has run out of fuel, and the CIA director is there for it.

US spy chief John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana yesterday just hours after the communist-run island said it had run out of fuel due to the ongoing US energy blockade. Ratcliffe, the highest ranking Trump administration official to visit, went to reiterate his boss’s vision of a “deal”: if Cuba opens up its economy and…

It’s not known whether these works were among the hundreds of thousands that the Nazis looted – especially from Jews – during their time in power, but in displaying these pieces, the museum hopes that the public can identify their original owners. Perhaps the most famous lost painting of this kind was Gustav Klimt ’s “The Woman in Gold”, which was rediscovered in 2006. It now hangs in New…

A ceasefire is holding, barely, but the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz isn't forcing real concessions from Tehran. Iran is betting Trump has no appetite for renewed war, and they may be right. Gas prices are climbing toward $5 a gallon and a global recession looms.

Meanwhile Russia is cashing in. Higher oil prices are refilling Kremlin coffers just as pressure over Ukraine…

Ian Bremmer breaks down the high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing, one of the most consequential meetings between the two leaders in years, but one that produced remarkably few concrete outcomes.

Ian explains why that may actually be good news. With Trump politically weakened at home and facing mounting pressure over Iran and the economy, the risk of…

Xi warns Trump on Taiwan despite friendly start to meetings

US President Trump and Chinese President Xi on Thursday exchanged friendly toasts and reiterations of commitment on the first day of a Beijing summit flush with pageantry. The friendly tone suggests that both sides hope to maintain the current status quo of fragile detente in a relationship marked by deep…

A court in Hangzhou ruled that companies are not permitted to fire employees or reduce their salaries because their positions are being automated or replaced by AI. The case was brought by a worker who was initially offered a 40% pay cut and a demotion when his job as a quality assurance supervisor was automated. After he refused the reduced salary, the company fired him, but the court sided…

For many years, mutual concern about Iran helped to paper over deeper disagreements between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The two powerful and ambitious Sunni Gulf monarchies have been on opposite sides of the civil wars in both Sudan and Yemen, as well as in fierce competition for regional dominance in AI.

But two months into the so-far unresolved Iran war – which has exposed both countries to…

All across Latin America, right-wing leaders have been consolidating their power.

In Argentina, Javier Milei ’s La Libertad Avanza had a superb midterm election night last October, allowing the president to pass major labor reforms in March. Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa eased to reelection last year by a handsome margin. El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele no longer has term limits, meaning the…

While China has long been a leader in infrastructure investment across the African continent, it’s found a new way to continue to expand its influence – AI-powered surveillance technology. According to a recent study, many of these new systems have even been funded by Chinese banks. Nigeria boasts the continent's largest network of smart CCTV cameras, spending $470 million to install around…

Anthropic 's Claude had been integrated into the Pentagon 's Maven Smart System and deployed on classified networks since July 2025. With LLMs on board, the US military could process five times as many targets per day. But as the Pentagon tried to renegotiate the terms of that arrangement, it ran into Anthropic's red lines: no fully autonomous weapons, and no mass domestic…

Trump touches down in Beijing ahead of Xi meeting

When US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last met in October, the main topics – as they were in prior meetings – were trade, trade, and trade. When the two leaders meet again tomorrow, it won’t be the only issue this time, as Taiwan and the Iran war are also set to form part of the talks. Trump will seek…

President Donald Trump stepped off Air Force One after landing in Beijing today, and the Chinese rolled out the red carpet: military honor guard, three hundred students waving American and Chinese flags, state banquet on the schedule. Trump, who flew in with a delegation of top cabinet officials and some of the biggest names in American business, pumped his fist. President Xi Jinping knows…

When French President Emmanuel Macron took to the stage at the Africa Forward summit yesterday, the audience may not have expected a scolding.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! I’m sorry guys, but it’s impossible to … have people … coming here making a speech with such a noise,” he said. “This is a total lack of respect.”

Macron’s harsh words directed at the crowd, somewhat ironically, come as he tries…

The Iran war may have entered a ceasefire phase, but the crisis is far from over.

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut, global energy markets are under mounting pressure, and President Trump appears to be backing away from some of his original demands on Tehran. Ian Bremmer argues that Iran increasingly believes it has more leverage than the United States, and that perception…

More than four years into its war with Ukraine, the Russian military appears to be stuck in the mud. With the loss of access to Starlink satellites, which were previously used to help guide their drones, the Russians have turned to deploying small teams of soldiers in attempts to break through the front lines, with little success. This sluggish progress may be weighing on Putin — the Russian…

Even Eurovision cannot escape geopolitics

****The world's most-watched live music event kicks off today in Vienna under the theme “United by Music.” Yet the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is facing the largest boycott in its history over Israel's participation. Five countries said they wouldn’t compete, citing Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, while Slovenia, Ireland, and Spain will not…

Ian Bremmer breaks down the complicated reality inside Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro ’s removal from power. While the Trump administration sees the operation as a major foreign policy victory, Ian argues the harder challenge is only beginning; turning Venezuela into a stable economy and a representative democracy.

There are signs of progress. Political prisoners have been…

Bloomberg defense tech reporter Katrina Manson , author of a new book on Project Maven , discusses what the IDF's use of AI in Gaza reveals about the gap between US and Israeli standards for civilian harm. Manson draws on investigative reporting from 972 Magazine, as well as her own conversations with US military officials who analyzed the IDF 's approach.

That reporting found…

The Pentagon has poured billions into AI warfare, from drone footage analysis to autonomous targeting. Katrina Manson, author of Project Maven and Bloomberg reporter, joins Ian Bremmer to trace how AI went from a computer experiment to key technology for the Pentagon, and why some risks and moral stakes remain unresolved.

The US military's AI shift started in 2017 with…

The world is a wild place. Happy 100th, Sir David Attenborough.

Watch more PUPPET REGIME!

The US military is reportedly increasing surveillance missions over Cuba, mostly around the country’s two biggest cities, Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Flights of this ilk were previously rare in this area. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is reportedly growing impatient that the Cuban regime hasn’t fallen, despite a de facto US oil blockade on the island – his team says the regime…