104: Israeli forces on Tuesday rescued Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a 52-year-old Arab Israeli, from a tunnel in southern Gaza, where he was being held by Hamas. There are now 104 hostages from the Oct. 7 attack on Israel who remain in Gaza, though 34 are presumed dead.
15 billion: China spent a whopping $15 billion on military exercises in the Western Pacific in 2023, according to a Taiwanese estimate, amounting to roughly 7% of its defense budget. This comes amid mounting tensions between China and other countries in the region related to territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea. The US has also repeatedly raised concerns about Beijing’s aggressive stance toward and activities near Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy China views as a breakaway province.
32 million: Nearly 32 million Nigerians are facing an acute food shortage, which the government says is “a result of the removal of fuel subsidy in addition to security challenges.” The security issues include raids by armed bandits on farms, which have driven up food prices. Meanwhile, Nigerians are dealing with crippling inflation and a major cost-of-living crisis. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu slashed popular fuel subsidies as a cost-saving major, prompting mass protests this summer.
43: With 69 days until Election Day, former President Donald Trump appears to be losing his edge over Vice President Kamala Harris over voter views on the economy. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 43% of voters prefer Trump’s approach to the economy and employment, while 40% said the same about Harris. But this is a significant shift since the last poll in late July when Trump had an 11-point lead over Harris on the economy.
In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer unpacks the Trump administration’s new national security strategy, particularly its heightened focus on Europe.
Is the AI jobs apocalypse upon us? On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down the confusing indicators in today’s labor market and how both efficiency gains as well as displacement from AI will affect the global workforce.
Remember Xinjiang? There was a time, not long ago, when China’s crackdown on the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group living in Xinjiang province in Northwestern China, was a hot topic. But these days the attention has faded.
GZERO Media is seeking a video producer with strong writing skills and a passion for global affairs. He/She/They will have an opportunity to work with a growing team of talented journalists, producers, and editors crafting unbiased and compelling geopolitical content. This position will last approximately four months beginning in January 2026.