Hard Numbers: Super Bowl milestone, Argentina’s birth tourism, Gabrielle pummels New Zealand, Cyprus votes

Philadelphia Eagles starJalen Hurts during the warm up before the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia Eagles starJalen Hurts during the warm up before the Super Bowl.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder

2: For the first time in history, the two starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl on Sunday were Black. It’s a historic milestone for a sport traditionally plagued by racist hypotheses about intelligence and leadership.

5,000: More than 5,000 Russian women in the late stages of pregnancy have entered Argentina in recent months in hopes of delivering there, which would give the infants automatic Argentine citizenship – and fast track citizenship for the parents. Argentine authorities are reportedly carrying out raids on shady “birth tourism” operators that provide pregnant women with fake documentation to enter the country.

18: Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have been left without power as severe storm Gabrielle (hello!) pummels the north and makes its way toward Auckland, the most populous city. Authorities expect up to 18 inches of rain in some areas and nightmarish wind conditions.

52: Former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides – an independent formerly of the right-wing DISY party – reaped 52% in a runoff vote on Sunday to become Cyprus' new president. He beat independent Andreas Mavroyiannis, a former representative to the UN, whose backing by a party with communist roots could have alienated some voters. Christodoulides will have his job cut out for him in reviving stalled reunification talks with Northern Cyprus and in tackling inflation.

More from GZERO Media

Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to talk about the risks of recklessly rolling out powerful AI tools without guardrails as big tech firms race to build “god in a box.”

- YouTube

The next leap in artificial intelligence is physical. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down how robots and autonomous machines will transform daily life, if we can manage the risks that come with them.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is flanked by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof as he hosts a 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting of international partners on Ukraine at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) in London, Britain, October 24, 2025.
Henry Nicholls/Pool via REUTERS

As we race toward the end of 2025, voters in over a dozen countries will head to the polls for elections that have major implications for their populations and political movements globally.