Tech
Albanian opposition Democrats protest against TikTok ban
The Democrats have accused the ruling Socialist Party of exploiting a teenager's death linked to an online dispute to tighten control over online speech ahead of this year’s general election.
Saudi Arabia’s first “AI employee” goes online, saving 10,000 man-hours
Saudi Arabia has launched the first "digital employee" in the Kingdom, saving 10,000 man-hours in local employees' work.
Russia uses crypto in Chinese and Indian oil trade
Russian oil traders are said to uses cryptocurrencies in settlements for oil trade with China and India
Turkish logistics startup Navlungo raises $6.5mn across pre-Series A rounds
Search engine enterprise seen as potential unicorn.
Canada’s Enghouse acquires Slovenian transit tech firm Margento R&D
Slovenia-based Margento provides transit fare collection, account-based ticketing, automatic vehicle tracking and payment solutions.
Israel launches satellites built by students into space from California
Nine small research satellites built by high school students were launched into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base
Iraq establishes National Mobile Company with Vodafone partnership
Iraq to create National Mobile Company to operate 5G technology in partnership with Vodafone International
Tehran-based ride-hailing giant sets record with nearly 6mn daily trips
Uber clone in Islamic Republic reaches new daily ride record of 5.8mn.
Nokia eyes AI-powered data centre and 5G rollout in Azerbaijan
Nokia launched a 5G pilot project in Baku last year, which is now in its final stages.
Albania bans TikTok for one year
Albanian PM Edi Rama said TikTok exposes children to violence and toxic content.
Uzbek unicorn Uzum reports net income up by half in 2024
Uzum, Uzbekistan’s first tech unicorn, had a good year in 2024 with net income up by half year on year to $150mn, the company’s head of strategy Nikolai Seleznev told bne IntelliNews.
SOCAR implements AI-driven energy efficiency programmes
SOCAR has launched artificial intelligence-based energy efficiency programmes at its carbamide plant in Absheron as part of a pilot project.
Croatian Telecom to spin off mobile infrastructure
HT follows model that has become increasingly popular as telecom operators seek to cut costs, boost profitability and prepare for future 5G expansions.
AI consuming more electricity than Kyrgyzstan, conference hears
"Voracious" power appetite of algorithms risks turning humans into "energy slaves", digital forum told.
Romanian prosecutors investigate suspected ‘troll farm’ promoting far-right candidate
Prosecutors say Turkish IP addresses and Russian email accounts were to boost the online presence of Calin Georgescu ahead of the cancelled 2024 presidential election.
Armenia introduces first crypto regulation framework to address sector risks
New legislation intended to protect consumers and attract international investors to the sector, says Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan.
Cellebrite halts product use in Serbia after Amnesty warns over digital surveillance
Amnesty International accused Belgrade of misusing surveillance tools to target journalists, activists and civil society members.
Russia's electronics sector lacks investment
The Russian electronics industry requires $3.8bn in private investment to meet government targets. However, private investors are unlikely to contribute the full amount, and the state can only provide a fraction of the necessary funding.
Sanctions isolate Russia’s tech sector, but market consolidation fuels profits
Russia’s technology sector is falling behind the rest of the world after being cut off by sanctions, but the leading companies have seen profits rise after their market share grew once all their international competition left the Russian market.
Bulgaria-founded Chaos strengthens role in AI-powered architectural design with EvolveLAB takeover
Companies join forces to "redefine architectural design through AI, generative workflows and automation".