2.5 million: The population of Gabon who can no longer get onto certain social media platforms, like YouTube and TikTok, after the government suspended access on Tuesday. The government said that the platforms were spreading “hateful and abusive” content online, but it comes as the oil-producing African state faces growing protests over high costs of living.
8: The number of parliamentary elections Bulgaria will have held in almost five years once an election takes place on April 19, which the president called for on Wednesday. None of Bulgaria’s elections over the past decade have led to a stable governing alliance, and political infighting has rocked fragile coalitions.
$36 billion: The amount of capital that Japan will provide for a trio of US projects. As part of its trade deal with Washington last year, Tokyo pledged to invest $550 billion in the United States, and this announcement marks the first stage of that agreement. The projects include a natural gas plant in Ohio, a crude oil export facility along the Gulf Coast, and a synthetic diamond manufacturing site in Georgia.
56%: The approval rating of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, who announced that she will run for president in 2028. Duterte, who is the daughter of the former president, is currently in a bitter showdown with the current president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whose approval rating is just 34%.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.
Last week, at the Munich Security Conference, a group of global technology providers, including Microsoft, announced the Trusted Tech Alliance — committed to shared, verifiable principles for trusted, transparent, and resilient technology across borders. At a moment of economic volatility and zero-sum technological competition, countries and customers are demanding greater accountability from technology providers. The Alliance addresses this by bringing together companies from across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America around shared commitments: transparent governance, secure development practices, supply chain oversight, open digital ecosystem, and respect for the rule of law — ensuring the benefits of emerging technologies strengthen public trust while driving job creation and economic growth. Explore the Trusted Tech Alliance here.
At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, entrepreneur and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt makes the case that the internet, and the AI systems rapidly reshaping it, must be redesigned to serve people, not platforms.