Google.org is committing $50 million to train 300,000 US workers for skilled trades like electricians and welders. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the importance of these workers for the digital economy.
Australia's Assistant Minister for the Digital Economy, Andrew Charlton, is urging the nation to learn from the mistakes of the resources boom and establish clear terms for the burgeoning AI and data centre sector. He proposes a 'triple lock' system requiring new renewable energy supply, full cost recovery for infrastructure, and grid cooperation to manage the significant energy demands.
Pope Leo issued a strong warning about AI, calling it a major threat and urging ethical constraints. Readers echoed concerns about unregulated AI, surveillance, job displacement, and its potential for manipulation and harm.
Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, during his China visit, sought a swift tech partnership with Alibaba. Chairman Joe Tsai used Alibaba's AI tool, Qwen, to draft a strategic agreement on-site, facilitating a rapid deal for AI infrastructure, cloud computing, healthcare, e-commerce, and digital payments.
Pope Leo issued an encyclical denouncing the "culture of power" driving AI, urging "rigorous" ethical constraints, especially in warfare. He also apologized for the Catholic Church's historical stance on slavery and warned of new digital-era enslavements.
The 2026 APEC Trade Ministers Meeting in Suzhou concluded with agreements on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and service industry development. Discussions also focused on digital trade, aiming to stabilize expectations and foster new growth amid a complex global trade environment.
India's booming digital economy is threatened by extreme heatwaves, straining data centers' cooling systems. This increases electricity and water consumption, raising operational costs and potentially impacting the nation's trillion-dollar digital ambitions.
Crypto.com secures a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license from the UAE Central Bank, becoming the first crypto platform to offer regulated digital asset payment services, including for government fees, bolstering Dubai's cashless economy goals.
China has inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing with a mission to bridge the data divide and power the digital economy. The move represents China's latest effort to reorganise its data-sharing regime over the past three years, pooling vast data reservoirs to feed specialised AI models for sectors like telemedicine, finance and transport.
