Hard Numbers: COVID bursts Olympic bubble, Italian prez re-elected, Yemeni child soldiers, Peruvian ecocide

Hard Numbers: COVID bursts Olympic bubble, Italian prez re-elected, Yemeni child soldiers, Peruvian ecocide
An employee is seen while people undergo PCR tests for COVID-19 upon their arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The 24th Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Beijing on February 4-20, 2022.
Valery Sharifulin/TASS

34: The organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympics reported on Sunday 34 new COVID infections within the "bubble" set up for the Games, where athletes can only compete if they test negative twice in 24 hours. Troubling news for China's zero-COVID policy.

8: After eight rounds of secret voting, Italian lawmakers on Saturday "elected" Sergio Mattarella to serve another seven-year term as president. Mattarella, 80, agreed to postpone his retirement so Mario Draghi could stay on as PM.

2,000: According to the UN, almost 2,000 child soldiers recruited by Houthi rebels died fighting in Yemen's civil war from January 2020 to May 2021. GZERO World recently reported on the Yemeni conflict, the biggest humanitarian crisis you've probably never heard of.

12,000: Peru has barred execs from Spanish energy giant Repsol charged with "ecocide" from leaving the country, while authorities investigate an oil spill that leaked almost 12,000 barrels of crude into the sea. Repsol says the accident was caused by the tsunami triggered by a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga.

More from GZERO Media

President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025
REUTERS/Brian Snyder

When world leaders appear with the American president in front of the Oval Office’s hearth, the exchange is normally tempered, congenial, and largely a photo-op – with the diplomatic dung-slinging already done behind closed doors. Not this time.

Andrew Tate speaks to the media upon arrival from Romania, after prosecutors lifted a travel ban related to criminal charges against him and his brother Tristan, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. February 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona

On Thursday, Donald Trump made progress on two campaign promises: releasing Jeffery Epstein’s “client list” and freeing the Tate brothers from Romania.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Shannon airport ahead of a bilateral meeting with Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin, in Shannon, Ireland, February 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Emilija Jefremova

For all the anxiety in Ukraine and across Europe about direct Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin ceasefire negotiations, other players in this drama are now having their say.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 27, 2025.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday thata 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods will take effect on March 4, reversing comments made one day earlier that suggesteda delay until April.

A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Sertac Kayar

The militant group's jailed leader has called for it to lay down arms and dissolve itself.