Hard Numbers:  Rwanda's mass grave, Iran's grim COVID milestone, Mexico's obesity crackdown, Australia's free vaccines

100: Remains of over 100 victims of the Rwandan genocide were discovered this week in the backyard of a home in the Nyarugenge district. Six people have so far been arrested for their role in hiding the remains of the victims — ethnic Tutsis— including at least one person who has remained active in local politics despite their role in the 1994 genocide that left at least 800,000 Rwandans dead.

20,000: Iran passed a grim milestone on Wednesday, surpassing 20,000 deaths from COVID-19. Despite the uptick in cases and deaths since June, more than 1 million Iranian students recently took their university entrance exams in person, while the government also plans to go ahead with an annual mass Shiite commemoration later this month.

73: Obesity has emerged as one of the most dangerous underlying conditions for people who contract COVID-19. As a result, states across Mexico, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, are now working on legislation to limit the sale of fatty junk foods to kids. A whopping 73 percent of Mexicans are considered overweight.

0: After securing access to a promising COVID-19 vaccine currently being developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University, the Australian government said it will require residents to pay… zero dollars to get vaccinated. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that not only will the jab be free for the country's 25 million people, it's also likely that the government will make vaccination "as mandatory as you can possibly make."

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

The 7th annual Paris Peace Forum is getting underway, convening diplomats, academics, and private sector leaders tasked with finding solutions to mounting global crises before conflicts erupt. GZERO’s Tony Maciulis interviewed Justin Vaisse, the organization’s founder and Director General. Top of mind for Vaisse, of course, was Trump’s election and what it means for Europe.

Donald Trump is seen here at a Jets football game next to his campaign manager Susie Wiles, on Oct. 20, 2024. The president-elect has just named Wiles his White House chief of staff.
Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

At last count — yep, they’re still counting ballots from last week’s US election — Republicans looked set for a clean sweep: taking not only the White House and Senate but possibly the House too. Attention now turns to the president-elect’s naming of names for the first cabinet of “Trump 2.0.”

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 2, 2024.
West Asia News Agency via Reuters

The Gulf Arab emirate announced this weekend it would stop mediating efforts to broker a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel until “the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war.”

- YouTube

Donald Trump’s historic return to office signals a powerful shift in American politics, raising questions about the future of democracy as both major parties grapple with deep divides and an increasingly anti-establishment electorate. Along with Vanderbilt historian Nicole Hemmer and Wall Street Journal correspondent Molly Ball, Ian Bremmer unpacks the wide range of implications of Trump’s decisive election win.

Climate activists project a message onto the Embassy of Azerbaijan ahead of COP29 climate talks, in London, on Nov. 7, 2024.
REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe

Donald Trump’s election victory will loom large in the minds of delegates at this year’s UN climate conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Nov. 11-22. We asked Eurasia Group expert Herbert Crowther how this will affect COP29 and UN efforts to mitigate climate change more broadly.

Digital Saksham — saksham translates to “able” in Hindi — is a collaboration between the Confederation of Indian Industry and Mastercard Strive, a global philanthropic initiative to support small businesses. It’s part of a broader effort by the Indian government to unlock the full potential of micro and small enterprises — and part of Mastercard’s efforts to bring 50 million small businesses into the digital economy by 2025, a goal it recently met. Accessing digital tools can help small businesses scale up, reach new customers, and hire more employees. Read more about these efforts to equip small business owners — especially women — with the tools they need to build their businesses and become financially resilient.

- YouTube

Listen: On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer examines the impact of Donald Trump’s return to office, exploring how his populist victory and the GOP’s control could reshape US governance amid historian Nicole Hemmer’s warning of “accelerating democratic erosion” and journalist Molly Ball's concerns over eroding checks on executive power.

Donald Trump gestures after taking the oath of office during his first inauguration in Washington, DC, in January 2017.

Olivier Douliery/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters

The US Justice Department on Friday charged three men with plotting to assassinate Donald Trump on the orders of the Iranian government.