Tech
Russia blocking messaging apps again, sets up copycat Telegram app
Russia’s internet watchdog Roskomnadzor has been blamed for another round of internet outages in Russia, as the state sets up a Telegram messaging app clone as the Kremlin continues to take increasing control of RuNet.
Albania’s AI minister ‘pregnant’ with 83 children, PM says
AI “minister” Diella will give birth to dozens of digital parliamentary assistants for ruling party MPs.
Is Kazakhstan building a digital utopia, or a China-style surveillance state?
Many Kazakhs will tell you that officials should limit their ambitions to fixing the internet speed. Others worry that the time for joking is over.
Kia inaugurates $310mn "highly automated" automotive plant in Kazakhstan
Featuring 68 industrial robots, the plant is designed to produce up to 70,000 vehicles annually.
Romanian startup .lumen wins €11mn EU grant to develop autonomous delivery robots
Funds to back project aimed at developing a new generation of humanoid and quadruped robots capable of navigating pavements and crowded urban areas autonomously.
Latvian fintech Eleving Group raises €275mn in oversubscribed bond issue
Proceeds to be used to refinance €150mn in existing bonds and to expand Eleving's loan portfolio.
Roblox, Fortnite banned in Iraq over child safety concerns
Iraq's Ministry of Interior to ban PUBG, Fortnite and Roblox within next few months under 2013 law prohibiting games encouraging violence, citing threat to social security and waste of youth time.
China’s solid-state battery breakthrough challenges the future of petrol-powered cars
Chinese researchers have announced a breakthrough in solid-state battery technology that could accelerate the global shift away from internal combustion engines, with a new design that more than doubles the range of current electric vehicles.
Iranian startup targets computer science skills gap with project-based learning model
Iranian startup CS12 introduces project-based computer science education for 13-15 year-olds to bridge university-job market gap and reduce brain drain, expanding from Tehran to Arak, Sari and Shiraz.
Uzbekistan’s unicorn ecommerce startup Uzum adds London to list of potential IPO locations
Co-founder says he's against a fast geographical expansion. Wants to win and dominate home market to demonstrate to partners fintech is capable of outperforming on other markets.
China increasing its lead in robot technology use
China is consolidating its dominance in the global industrial robotics market, accounting for 41% of the world’s operational robot stock and more than half of all new installations in 2024, according to the International Federation of Robots.
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OpenAI to invest up to $25bn in Argentina under Milei incentive scheme
Artificial intelligence giant OpenAI and energy company Sur Energy have signed a letter of intent to develop a data centre hub in Argentina requiring investment of up to $25bn.
Helium was China's rare earth metals Achilles' heel
China has a devastating tool in its escalating trade war with the US: rare earth metals (REMs). Last week, Beijing announced new restrictive export controls on the export of anything with even a smidgen of Chinese-produced REMs.
Takeoff not far away for Turkey’s first flying car AirCar
It will set you back $99,000 and you'll also need a pilot's licence.
Nigeria’s CBN bans multi-operator PoS model to streamline agent banking
The Nigerian central bank's sweeping new rules require all point-of-sale (PoS) agents to operate under a single licensed provider from April 2026, ending the multi-operator model that has defined the country’s $70bn payments industry.
Serbian president threatens to arrest state employees over cyber attacks
President Aleksandar Vucic issues warning after 2mn cyber attacks recorded in August alone.
Entrepreneur set for Blue Origin lift-off to become first Kazakh woman in space
Kazakhstan, meanwhile, initiates first all-women crew isolation experiment simulating space flight.
Telekom Srbija eyes US Exim Bank financing for 5G rollout
Serbia is among the last countries in Central and Eastern Europe to allocate 5G spectrum, reflecting policy delays that have slowed the adoption of advanced digital services, cloud computing and Industry 4.0 technologies.
Kazakhstan appoints AI board member to sovereign wealth fund, awards voting rights
Country aims to be fully digital state by 2028. Ministry of Artificial Intelligence was opened in August.
Mobile apps and cards drive surge in electronic payments in North Macedonia
Electronic payments in North Macedonia continued their strong upward trend, as citizens increasingly opted for mobile applications and payment cards instead of over-the-counter transactions, the National Bank said.