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

Donald Trump has signed an executive order requiring drug manufacturers to offer the United States “most favored nation” pricing – ensuring Americans pay no more than the lowest price charged in any other developed country. However, the White House has limited authority to set drug prices. Here’s what it would look like in the case of insulin, if it is enforced.

US President Donald Trump prepares to set off for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, from Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, USA, on May 12, 2025.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder

In his first diplomatic overseas trip since returning to office, Donald Trump is embarking on a four-day tour through a trio of Gulf states with the goal of bringing home over $1 trillion in deals and investment pledges – and a free $400 million plane for good measure.

People shout slogans in front of the portrait of Sirri Sureyya Onder, a prominent pro-Kurdish party lawmaker and key figure in Turkey’s tentative process to end the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) insurgency who died on Saturday at age 62, during his funeral in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 4, 2025.

REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
Members of US and Russian delegations, led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on April 25, 2025.
Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Pool via REUTERS

Ukraine wants to keep the United States interested, while Russia wants them out.

AI adoption starts in the C-suite | Global Stage

Successful adoption of AI in business requires more than just access to tools, says Eurasia Group's Caitlin Dean in a Global Stage discussion at the 2025 UN STI Forum.

[OLD]Why Sen. Chris Van Hollen stood up to Trump | GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

In the latest episode of GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen about his recent trip to El Salvador and his broader concerns over the Trump administration’s abuse of executive power.

Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha casts his vote at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Tirana, Albania, on May 11, 2025.
IMAGO/Matrix Images via Reuters Connect

For all the talk of a US-Europe split, US President Donald Trump’s supporters are rather invested in elections on the continent.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer address the media after trade talks with China in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 11, 2025.
Keystone/EDA/Martial Trezzini/Handout via REUTERS

The United States and China both agreed to slash tariffs by 115 percentage points each for 90 days following talks in Geneva over the weekend.