Hard Numbers: US sends jabs to neighbors, Egyptian activist jailed, UK boosts nukes, Indian middle class shrinks

March 18, 2021

Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Antwerp, Belgium.

REUTERS/Yves Herman

4 million: The US will send a total of 4 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine to its neighbors in Canada (1.5 million) and Mexico (2.5 million), according to Reuters. AstraZeneca has millions of shots ready for American arms, but US regulators haven't approved them for use yet.

1.5: Prominent female Egyptian activist Sanaa Seif has been been sentenced to 1.5 years in jail for spreading what the government says is "false news" about the unchecked spread of coronavirus in Egyptian prisons. Citing those public health risks, Seif has been campaigning for months to have some prisoners released.

260: As part of a broader post-Brexit review of defense and security policy, the UK will allow itself to have up to 260 atomic warheads. Under a previous assessment, the nukes cap was set to fall to 180 by the middle of this decade.

32 million: The economic and financial impact of the pandemic has pushed some 32 million Indians out of the middle class, a new Pew report has found. Pew defines India's middle class as those earning between $10 and $20 a day.

Opinion: Searching for signals on ‘Liberation Day’

President Donald Trump speaks from the Oval Office flanked by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the day he signed executive orders for reciprocal tariffs, Feb. 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Details of a group chat between senior administration officials that leaked last week – the so-called Houthi PC small group – provide allies, adversaries, and watchers with revealing insights into the administration’s foreign policy blueprint. Lindsay Newman explores the takeaways.

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Proud Source became a Walmart supplier in 2021. Today, its team has grown by 50%, and it's the largest employer in Mackay, ID. Walmart supports small businesses across the country, and nearly two-thirds of Walmart's product spend is on products made, grown, or assembled in America. It’s all a part of Walmart’s $350 billion investment in US manufacturing, which helps small businesses grow and supports US jobs. Learn more about Walmart’s commitment to US manufacturing.

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As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with company cofounder Bill Gates for a special episode of Tools and Weapons. They discuss Gates’ new memoir, "Source Code: My Beginnings," reflect on Microsoft’s impact over the past five decades, and explore why the next phase of the digital revolution is shaping up to be the most exciting yet. Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hard Numbers: US sends jabs to neighbors, Egyptian activist jailed, UK boosts nukes, Indian middle class shrinks

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Opinion: Searching for signals on ‘Liberation Day’

Details of a group chat between senior administration officials that leaked last week – the so-called Houthi PC small group – provide allies, adversaries, and watchers with revealing insights into the administration’s foreign policy blueprint. Lindsay Newman explores the takeaways.

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Hard Numbers: US sends jabs to neighbors, Egyptian activist jailed, UK boosts nukes, Indian middle class shrinks

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T-Day has arrived. On Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on US trade partners will take effect immediately after a Rose Garden announcement.

Beijing conducted one of the largest and most provocative military drills ever around the island -- but why now?

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Vladimir Putin insists that Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer Ukraine’s legitimate president because his government has imposed martial law and delayed elections that were due in 2024.

Details of a group chat between senior administration officials that leaked last week – the so-called Houthi PC small group – provide allies, adversaries, and watchers with revealing insights into the administration’s foreign policy blueprint. Lindsay Newman explores the takeaways.