HARD NUMBERS

68.5 million: Some 68.5 million people were recorded as forcibly displacedby persecution, conflict, or other forms of violence at the end of 2017, the largest number ever, according to the new report from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Despite all the political noise about migration in the developed world, 85 percent of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing countries.

3 million: Around three million Chinese tourists visit the United States each year, spending more money per trip on average than visitors from other countries. That makes travel the rare industry where the US enjoys a trade surplus with the People’s Republic. But as trade tensions between Washington and Beijing heat up, could Chinese vacations get cut short?

100: Starting this September, 100 percent of workers at bakeries, electronics stores, and furniture shops in Saudi Arabia will have to be Saudi nationals. Well, on paper at least. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is pushing the quotas as part of his attempt to wean the Kingdom’s economy off its dependence on oil-funded largesse, is having trouble finding home-grown talent that’s willing to work in these positions.

39: Just 39 percent of Japanese adults use social networking sites, according to a recent Pew study, the lowest of any advanced economy. The report found that a median of 60 percent of people across 17 more affluent countries used online social networks in 2017–18. In 19 developing countries, median use was 53 percent, up sharply from just 34 percent half a decade ago.

37: A band of Afghan peace marchers arrived in the country’s capital, Kabul, on June 18 after walking for 37 days to demand an end to the Afghan war. The journey concluded as the Taliban declared an end to a surprise three-day ceasefire coinciding with the Eid-al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan. It was the first-ever ceasefire in the country’s 17-year long war.

More from GZERO Media

​Trump's silhouette as a wrecking ball banging into the Federal Reserve.
Trump's silhouette as a wrecking ball banging into the Federal Reserve.
Gemini

President Trump has made no secret of his longstanding desire for lower interest rates to juice the economy and reduce the cost of servicing the $30 trillion federal debt.

The Nepalese government’s decision last week to ban several social platforms has touched off an ongoing wave of deadly unrest in the South Asian country of 30 million.

The Nepalese government’s decision last week to ban several social platforms has touched off an ongoing wave of deadly unrest in the South Asian country of 30 million.

General Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, takes part in an extraordinary government cabinet meeting at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, following violations of Polish airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland, on September 10, 2025.
(Photo by Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto

NATO jets last night shot down Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace. Poland said the unmanned aircraft had crossed the border en route to a strike on Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

100: In his ongoing, and so-far fruitless, efforts to convince Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump reportedly asked the EU to apply 100% tariffs on India and China, the Kremlin’s most important trade partners.

Throughout his Walmart career, Greg has earned nine promotions, moving from an hourly associate to now overseeing 10 Walmart stores. His story is one of many. More than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates, and the retailer offers competitive benefits to support associates on and off the clock. At Walmart, there is a path for everyone. Learn how Walmart is investing in opportunities for associates at all levels.

This summer, Microsoft released the 2025 Responsible AI Transparency Report, demonstrating Microsoft’s sustained commitment to earning trust at a pace that matches AI innovation. The report outlines new developments in how we build and deploy AI systems responsibly, how we support our customers, and how we learn, evolve, and grow. It highlights our strengthened incident response processes, enhanced risk assessments and mitigations, and proactive regulatory alignment. It also covers new tools and practices we offer our customers to support their AI risk governance efforts, as well as how we work with stakeholders around the world to work towards governance approaches that build trust. You can read the report here.