87: Civilian casualties in Afghanistan from US airstrikes rose 87 percent between 2017 and 2018, according to Action Armed Violence. American forces dropped more bombs and missiles there in 2018 than in any other year on record.

9: Only 9 of the 18 most important positions in the US Department of Homeland Security are now filled following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Sunday.

1,000: About 1,000 foreigners participated in a yearly marathon in North Korea's capital Pyongyang over the weekend. We assume Kim Jong-Un took home the gold.

20: Amid an already pressing demographic crunch, 20 percent of Russians now say they would leave the country if they could.

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US President Donald Trump arrives to announce reciprocal tariffs against US trading partners in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on April 2, 2025.
POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com

From civil conflicts to trade wars to the rise of new technologies, GZERO runs through the stories that have shaped this year in geopolitics.