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Data workers are being forced to work on-site during earthquakes and typhoons

21 January 2026 at 06:00
Kyle Enero, a call-center employee, was at work one night on the 11th floor of an office tower in the Philippine city of Cebu, when the building began to shake...

© Jam Sta Rosa/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOT - People walk along a flooded street in Manila on July 24, 2024 amid heavy rains brought by Typhoon Gaemi. Relentless rain drenched the northern Philippines on July 24, triggering flooding in Manila and landslides in mountainous regions as Typhoon Gaemi intensified the seasonal monsoon. (Photo by Jam Sta Rosa / AFP) (Photo by JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Big Tech is racing to own Africa’s internet

21 January 2026 at 05:07
American big tech companies want to become Africa’s next internet providers. Earlier this month, Amazon acquired an operating license to roll out its low-Earth orbit satellite broadband service, Amazon Leo...

© Ernest Ankomah/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A technician installs a Starlink Inc satellite-internet communication system antenna on the roof of a home in Accra, Ghana.

Is a billion dollars still cool?

15 January 2026 at 09:20
In the 2010 film “The Social Network,” early Facebook employees discuss the money-making potential of their new site. “A million dollars isn’t cool,” someone says to Mark Zuckerberg (played by...

© Nicolas Ortega for Rest of World

Uganda shuts down internet two days before election

14 January 2026 at 04:54
Two days before its general elections, Uganda has turned off the internet across the country. The measure is necessary to mitigate the rapid spread of “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud, and...

© Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOT - Residents travel past an electoral billboard supporting Uganda's incumbent president and National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni, ahead of the 2026 Ugandan general elections, in Kampala on January 10, 2026. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP via Getty Images)

Iran crippled Starlink and why the rest of the world should worry

13 January 2026 at 12:17
Iran is systematically crippling Starlink, the satellite internet service said to be almost impossible to jam. Military-grade GPS jammers deployed since January 8 have cut satellite internet performance by as...

© Getty Images

An Armed member of Iranian security forces is seen in front of a burning building during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026.

Silicon, not oil: Why the U.S. needs the Gulf for AI

12 January 2026 at 03:34
The U.S. is tapping Gulf nations to win the artificial intelligence race. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are set to join Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative aimed at securing...

© Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg Convenes The Pax Silica Summit, the first convening of a high level, private gathering focused on economic security and the establishment of a new grouping of partners tailored for the AI economy at Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on December 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg)

Will the Meta-Manus deal push more Chinese AI startups to Singapore — or shut the door?

9 January 2026 at 06:00
Meta’s acquisition of Manus, a Chinese-origin artificial intelligence agent startup, has swiftly turned from celebration to complication. The Chinese government has said it will review the estimated $2 billion deal...

© Chesnot/Getty Images

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 15: The logo of the U.S. company created by Mark Zuckerberg, Meta is displayed during the Viva Technology conference at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles on June 15, 2023 in Paris, France. Viva Technology, the biggest tech show in Europe but also in a unique digital format, for 4 days of reconnection and relaunch thanks to innovation. The event brings together startups, CEOs, investors, tech leaders and all of the digital transformation players who are shaping the future of the Internet. The annual technology conference, also known as VivaTech, was founded in 2016 by Publicis Groupe and Groupe Les Echos and is dedicated to promoting innovation and startups. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

A global crackdown on online gambling

8 January 2026 at 14:06
The online gambling industry has exploded in popularity since the pandemic. Estimates suggest that its total market value has more than doubled from $37.5 billion to $81 billion between 2015...

© Gordwin Odhiambo/AFP via Getty Images

Men gather in front of screens at an online gambling hall at the Kibera informal settlement in Nairobi, on May 18, 2025.

In Chinese data factories, workers teach humanoid robots boring tasks

7 January 2026 at 06:00
Inside a brightly lit office in Shanghai, Kim’s task for the week was to pretend he was opening the door of a microwave. Wearing a virtual reality headset and exoskeletons...

© Zhejiang Daily Press Group/ Getty Images

Humanoid robots follow technicians to learn job skills at the data collection area of an embodied AI robot innovation center on September 14, 2025 in Shaoxing, of China.

Why Venezuela’s political shock had MercadoLibre’s stock rallying

7 January 2026 at 03:49
Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has unexpectedly boosted a Latin American e-commerce company’s stock. Shares of MercadoLibre have gained over 10% on Nasdaq between January 3 and...

© Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOT - A supporter of ousted Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro carry his portrait during a rally outside the National Assembly in Caracas on January 5, 2026. Venezuela's parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on January 5, two days after US forces seized her predecessor Nicolas Maduro to face trial in New York. Members of the new National Assembly offered their full backing to Rodriguez -- who had been Maduro's vice president -- and reelected her brother Jorge Rodriguez as parliament head. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images)
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