Hard Numbers: Russia Is No Place for Young People

2,000: When Afghans head to the polls next month, 2,000 polling stations out of 7,400 will be closed because of fears of attacks by insurgent groups. Ongoing security crises in that country coincide with talks between the US and the Taliban on reaching an agreement on the withdrawal of American troops.

14,603: Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office last year pledging to address a long-standing violence epidemic that is fueled by drug cartels and gang violence. It won't be easy: The 14,603 homicides recorded in Mexico in the first half of this year are the highest on record.

44: Russia, it appears, is no place for young people. According to a new Gallup poll, 44 percent of Russians between the ages of 15-29 say they want to move to another country permanently. That's up 30 points over the past five years. Russia's dwindling population and chronic brain drain are already threatening its prospects as a global power. This won't help.

1 million: As the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looms large, EU citizens living in the UK are increasingly concerned about their future status in the country. So far, 1 million EU citizens have asked for "settled status" to stay in the UK. An additional 1.6 million are – like the rest of us – still seeking greater clarification on what's going on.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

In this Global Stage panel recorded live in Abu Dhabi, Becky Anderson (CNN) leads a candid discussion on how to close that gap with Brad Smith (Vice Chair & President, Microsoft), Peng Xiao (CEO, G42), Ian Bremmer (President & Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media), and Baroness Joanna Shields (Executive Chair, Responsible AI Future Foundation).

A Palestinian Hamas militant keeps guard as Red Cross personnel head towards an area within the so-called “yellow line” to which Israeli troops withdrew under the ceasefire, as Hamas says it continues to search for the bodies of deceased hostages seized during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in Gaza City, on November 2, 2025.
REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Farmers proceed to their fields for cultivation under Nigerian Army escort while departing Dikwa town in Borno State, Nigeria, on August 27, 2025. Despite the threat of insurgent attacks, farmers in Borno are gradually returning to their farmlands under military escort, often spending limited time on cultivation.
REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun
US President Donald Trump (sixth from left) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (seventh from left) arrive at the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on October 28, 2025.
Akira Takada / The Yomiuri Shimbun via Reuters Connect

Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington will restart nuclear weapons testing, raising fears that it could end a 33-year moratorium on nuclear-warhead testing.

Behind every scam lies a story — and within every story, a critical lesson. Anatomy of a Scam, takes you inside the world of modern fraud — from investment schemes to impersonation and romance scams. You'll meet the investigators tracking down bad actors and learn about the innovative work being done across the payments ecosystem to protect consumers and businesses alike. Watch the first episode of Mastercard's five-part documentary, 'Anatomy of a Scam,' here.

- YouTube

"We are seeing adversaries act in increasingly sophisticated ways, at a speed and scale often fueled by AI in a way that I haven't seen before.” says Lisa Monaco, President of Global Affairs at Microsoft.

US President Donald Trump has been piling the pressure on Russia and Venezuela in recent weeks. He placed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil firms and bolstered the country’s military presence around Venezuela – while continuing to bomb ships coming off Venezuela’s shores. But what exactly are Trump’s goals? And can he achieve them? And how are Russia and Venezuela, two of the largest oil producers in the world, responding? GZERO reporters Zac Weisz and Riley Callanan discuss.

- YouTube

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says AI can be both a force for good and a tool for harm. “AI has either the possibility of…providing interventions and disruption, or it has the ability to also further harms, increase radicalization, and exacerbate issues of terrorism and extremism online.”