The UAE has unveiled a US$1 billion AI for Development initiative to finance AI projects across African nations. The programme aims to enhance digital infrastructure, government services, and productivity, supporting long-term economic and social development.
Implementation will be led by the Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX), in cooperation with the UAE Foreign Aid Agency. AI technologies will be applied in key sectors, including education, agriculture, and infrastructure, to create innovative solutions and promote sustainable growth.
Officials highlighted the initiative as part of the UAE’s vision to become a global hub for AI while reinforcing its humanitarian and developmental legacy. The programme aims to boost international partnerships and deliver impactful support to developing countries.
The initiative reinforces the UAE’s long-term commitment to Africa and its role in technological and digital advancement. Leaders emphasised that AI-driven projects can improve living standards and foster inclusive, sustainable development.
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Americans may soon be able to pay federal taxes in Bitcoin under a new bill introduced in the House of Representatives. The proposal would send BTC tax payments straight into the US strategic reserve and spare taxpayers from capital gains reporting.
Representative Warren Davidson says that BTC tax payments allow the government to build an appreciating reserve without purchasing coins on the open market. He says that Bitcoin-based revenue strengthens the national position as the dollar continues to lose value due to inflation.
Critics warn that using seized or forfeited BTC to grow the reserve creates harmful incentives for enforcement agencies. Some commentators say civil asset forfeiture already needs reform, while others argue the reserve is still positive for Bitcoin’s long-term global position.
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A national push to bring AI into public schools has moved ahead in Greece after the launch of an intensive training programme for secondary teachers.
Staff in selected institutions will receive guidance on a custom version of ChatGPT designed for academic use, with a wider rollout planned for January.
The government aims to prepare educators for an era in which AI tools support lesson planning, research and personalised teaching instead of remaining outside daily classroom practice.
Officials view the initiative as part of a broader ambition to position Greece as a technological centre, supported by partnerships with major AI firms and new infrastructure projects in Athens. Students will gain access to the system next spring under tight supervision.
Supporters argue that generative tools could help teachers reduce administrative workload and make learning more adaptive.
Concerns remain strong among pupils and educators who fear that AI may deepen an already exam-driven culture.
Many students say they worry about losing autonomy and creativity, while teachers’ unions warn that reliance on automated assistance could erode critical thinking. Others point to the risk of increased screen use in a country preparing to block social media for younger teenagers.
Teacher representatives also argue that school buildings require urgent attention instead of high-profile digital reforms. Poor heating, unreliable electricity and decades of underinvestment complicate adoption of new technologies.
Educators who support AI stress that meaningful progress depends on using such systems as tools to broaden creativity rather than as shortcuts that reinforce rote learning.
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A senior UN official has praised the Arab Digital Economy vision backed by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, calling it a leading regional model for accelerating digital development.
The initiative, adopted by the Arab League, was described as a significant milestone for collective progress, rather than fragmented national efforts.
Speaking at the Knowledge Summit in Dubai, Dr Abdallah Al Dardari noted that the UAE has secured a central position in global and regional technological advancements through forward-looking policies and a strong commitment to innovation.
He argued that the country’s digital achievements provide an ideal foundation for Arab nations aiming to strengthen their own digital ecosystems.
Moreover, he highlighted the UAE’s combination of advanced infrastructure, modern legislation and innovation-friendly conditions, adding that its experience offers valuable guidance for states working to build integrated digital economies that can respond to rapid global change.
Dr Al Dardari concluded that the UAE’s role in driving regional and international development offers a model for a future economy shaped by knowledge and technology, rather than traditional growth approaches.
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Binance Japan and PayPay have launched a new service that enables users to purchase crypto assets using PayPay Money and PayPay Points. The integration allows funds deposited from PayPay Money to be used directly for spot trading on Binance Japan.
Users can also withdraw proceeds from crypto sales back into their PayPay Balance. Previously, trading and withdrawals were restricted to Japanese yen transfers via domestic banks or external wallets.
The new system allows one-click deposits and withdrawals, starting from JPY 1,000.
The service works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering a smoother trading experience for both mobile and web users. To activate the integration, users enable the linkage via the PayPay icon within Binance Japan’s trading platform.
The initiative reflects growing collaboration between PayPay and Binance Japan, aiming to enhance convenience and accessibility for both first-time traders and experienced users while expanding crypto adoption in Japan.
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A recent survey reveals that 38.7% of Portuguese individuals aged 16 to 74 used AI tools in the three months preceding the interview, primarily for personal purposes. Usage is particularly high among 16 to 24-year-olds (76.5%) and students (81.5%).
Internet access remains widespread, with 89.5% of residents going online recently. Nearly half (49.6%) placed orders online, primarily for clothing, footwear, and fashion accessories, while 74.2% accessed public service websites, often using a Citizen Card or Digital Mobile Key for authentication.
Digital skills are growing, with 59.2% of the population reaching basic or above basic levels. Young adults and tertiary-educated individuals show the highest digital proficiency, at 83.4% and 88.4% respectively.
Household internet penetration stands at 90.9%, predominantly via fixed connections.
Concerns about online safety are on the rise, as 45.2% of internet users reported encountering aggressive or discriminatory content, up from 35.5% in 2023. Reported issues include discrimination based on nationality, politics, and sexual identity.
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Nokia has announced a $4 billion expansion of its US research, development, and manufacturing operations to accelerate AI-ready networking technologies. The move builds on Nokia’s earlier $2.3 billion US investment via Infinera and semiconductor manufacturing plans.
The expanded investment will support mobile, fixed access, IP, optical, data centre networking, and defence solutions. Approximately $3.5 billion will be allocated for R&D, with $500 million dedicated to manufacturing and capital expenditures in Texas, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Nokia aims to advance AI-optimised networks with enhanced security, productivity, and energy efficiency. The company will also focus on automation, quantum-safe networks, semiconductor testing, and advanced material sciences to drive innovation.
Officials highlight the strategic impact of Nokia’s US investment. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick praised the plan for boosting US tech capacity, while CEO Justin Hotard said it would secure the future of AI-driven networks.
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As AI continues to scale rapidly, the environmental cost of powering massive data centres is becoming increasingly urgent. Machines require substantial amounts of electricity and water to stay cool, and a significant portion of this energy comes from fossil-fuel sources.
Scientists at UC Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, led by Professors Mihri and Cengiz Ozkan, have proposed a novel solution called Federated Carbon Intelligence (FCI). Their system doesn’t just prioritise low-carbon energy; it also monitors the health of servers in real-time to decide where and when AI tasks should be run.
Using simulations, the team found that FCI could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 45 percent over five years and extend the operational life of hardware by about 1.6 years.
Their model takes into account server temperature, age and physical wear, and dynamically routes computing workloads to optimise both environmental and machine-health outcomes.
Unlike other approaches that only shift workloads to regions with cleaner energy, FCI also addresses the embodied emissions of manufacturing new servers. Keeping current hardware running longer and more efficiently helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with production.
If adopted by cloud providers, this adaptive system could mark a significant milestone in the sustainable development of AI infrastructure, one that aligns compute demand with both performance and ecological goals. The researchers are now calling for pilots in real data centres.
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Researchers have introduced a biology foundation model that can recognise over a million species and understand relationships across the animal and plant kingdoms.
BioCLIP 2 was trained on one of the most extensive biological datasets ever compiled, allowing it to identify traits, cluster organisms and reveal patterns that support conservation efforts.
A model that relies on NVIDIA accelerated computing instead of traditional methods and demonstrates what large-scale biological learning can achieve.
Training drew on more than two hundred million images that cover hundreds of thousands of taxonomic classes. The AI model learned how species fit within wider biological hierarchies and how traits differ across age, gender and related groups without explicit guidance.
It even separated diseased leaves from healthy samples, offering a route to improved monitoring of ecosystems and agricultural resilience.
Scientists now plan to expand the project by utilising wildlife digital twins that simulate ecological systems in controlled environments.
Researchers will be able to study species interactions and test scenarios instead of disturbing natural habitats. The approach opens possibilities for richer ecological research and could offer the public immersive ways to view biodiversity from the perspective of different animals.
BioCLIP 2 is available as open-source software and has already attracted strong global interest. Its capabilities indicate a shift toward more advanced biological modelling powered by accelerated computing, providing conservationists and educators with new tools to address long-standing knowledge gaps.
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Bangladesh has launched its first national AI Readiness Assessment Report to guide ethical, inclusive and rights-centred development of AI across public services.
The report was unveiled in Dhaka with representatives from government, international organisations, academia, civil society and the private sector. Officials described the assessment as a pivotal step as the country prepares for an increasingly AI-driven era.
The report outlines Bangladesh’s current strengths, including solid progress in e-government and high public trust in digital services, while also identifying areas requiring urgent attention.
Connectivity gaps, digital divides, limited computing capacity and the need for stronger data protection and cybersecurity remain key challenges. Policymakers noted that evidence-based decisions are essential as Bangladesh completes its National AI Policy.
International partners highlighted that the direction of AI development will depend heavily on choices made today. Strengthening digital infrastructure, improving skills, and building rights-driven governance structures were cited as central to ensuring AI benefits all communities.
Stakeholders also stressed the importance of using AI to improve services across health, education, justice and social protection without deepening existing inequalities.
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