News•Mar 11, 2026
The Gulf Built Oil Pipelines to Avoid Hormuz. It’s Now Doing the Same for Data
Gulf nations are racing to construct six overland data corridors linking the region to Europe, routing traffic through Syria, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. The most advanced, Saudi Arabia's SilkLink, secured an $800 million contract to lay 4,500 km of fiber to a Mediterranean landing point, with work slated to begin within 18‑24 months. Qatar’s Ooredoo and a Saudi‑UAE consortium have pledged $500 million and $700 million respectively for parallel Iraq‑Turkey routes, while East‑African partners are developing the Horizon corridor. Analysts warn that geopolitical rivalries and fragile transit nations could delay or derail the projects.
By Rest of World
News•Mar 10, 2026
Meta Failed to Flag AI Video During 2025 Israel-Iran War, Oversight Board Says
Meta allowed an AI‑generated video depicting fabricated damage in Haifa to remain on Facebook during the June 2025 Israel‑Iran war, despite six user reports and prior debunking on TikTok. The Oversight Board ruled the content should have carried a “High...
By Rest of World
News•Mar 9, 2026
China Leads the Humanoid Robot Race — but the U.S. Still Has a Shot
Chinese firms now dominate the global humanoid‑robot market, accounting for over 90% of sales after a surge of units shipped in 2023. Government initiatives such as Made in China 2025 and the 14th Five‑Year Plan have built a robust high‑end manufacturing...
By Rest of World
News•Mar 4, 2026
Iranian Drone Strikes at Amazon Sites Raise Alarms over Protecting Data Centers
Iranian drones struck Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE and Bahrain, marking the first known kinetic attack on a U.S. hyperscaler’s infrastructure. The incidents disrupted regional services and highlighted data centers as emerging military targets amid rising AI‑driven strategic...
By Rest of World
News•Mar 4, 2026
An AI Avatar Is Running to Represent Indigenous Voters in Colombia
An AI avatar named Gaitana is being used to represent two Indigenous candidates in Colombia’s March 8 parliamentary election. Built on the DeepSeek large‑language model and secured with blockchain smart contracts, the platform aims to gather community consensus for legislative decisions....
By Rest of World
News•Mar 4, 2026
Open-Source AI Hardware Could Weaken Big Tech’s Grip on AI
Current AI, a $400 million public‑interest partnership, unveiled an open‑source handheld AI device at the India AI Impact Summit. The offline prototype, built with India’s Bhashini translation project, can see, speak, and answer questions in Hindi and English, even identifying candy...
By Rest of World