Hard Numbers: Chinese Gen Z unemployment, US convoy attacked in Nigeria, Trump’s big lead, Pompeii’s surprises, Kenyan cult leader’s arrest

Graduates look for jobs at a job fair in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu province.
Graduates look for jobs at a job fair in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu province.
Oriental Image via Reuters Connect

20: China’s youth unemployment has hit a record high of 20%, a signal that its economic recovery from COVID-19 is not going as planned, and that the global economy is facing serious headwinds from inflation, banking turmoil, and the war in Ukraine. The unemployment rate for China’s under-25s has steadily grown this year, spurring fears of domestic social instability in the world’s second-largest economy.

4: Gunmen in southeast Nigeria attacked a US convoy killing four people, two employees of the US consulate and two policemen. Three others were reportedly kidnapped. The attack occurred in Anambra state which is plagued by separatist violence.

61: In a new poll, 61% of Republican voters want to see former US President Donald Trump win the GOP nomination for the 2024 election. Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to soon join the race, by more than 40 points ahead of the first GOP primaries in February 2024.

79: In Pompeii, two skeletons from 79 CE have been unearthed, revealing that a powerful earthquake hit the southern Italian city just a few days before the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city. The skeletons were discovered beneath a collapsed wall in the Casti Amanti, an area that was likely being reconstructed following the earthquake at the time of the eruption.

201: In Kenya, 201 members of a doomsday cult, the Good News International Church, have died after their leader, Paul Mackenzie, ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death before the end of the world. Mackenzie, a former taxi driver turned preacher, was denied bail on Wednesday and is facing potential terrorism charges.

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Syrian forces head to Latakia after fighters linked to Syria's ousted leader Bashar Assad mounted a deadly attack on government forces on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

Nearly 50 people were killed on Thursday in the deadliest clashes Syria has seen since the overthrow of Bashar Assad. Pro-Assad militants attacked security checkpoints around the western coastal town of Jableh, a stronghold of the former regime.

The Liberian-flagged tanker Ice Energy, chartered by the US government, takes Iranian oil from Iranian-flagged Lana (formerly Pegas) as part of a civil forfeiture action off the shore of Karystos, on the Island of Evia, Greece, in May 2022.
REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File Photo

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Donald Trump issues a proclamation from the Oval Office
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US presidents don’t typically talk to organizations the US government has labeled terrorist groups, but Donald Trump is not a typical US president.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol on March 4, 2025.

Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS

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The Energy Security Hub at the 2025 Munich Security Conference featured in-depth discussions on energy innovation, security, and market viability. Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, discussed growing global energy demand, especially the rapid rise in electricity outpacing overall growth. He noted electricity demand is projected to increase six times faster than total energy in 10 years, underscoring the need for electrification and grid expansion. As energy systems become decentralized and digitalized, the CEO of E.ON, Leonhard Birnbaum, said: “You’re either fully digitized – or you’re done.” Key takeaways: Energy security requires developing and securing electricity grids Technological openness is a unifying element for getting to net zero Bridge the “Valley of Death” to scale markets New global partnerships will help Europe stay competitive Public acceptance will strengthen democracy You can read the full Executive Summary from the BMW Foundation here.

a crowd of people outside of a white building

In a 5-4 split decision, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to disburse nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds for work completed by contractors and grant recipients under the US Agency for International Development and the State Department. Does this tell us much about how the top court will handle future Trump-related cases?