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Rest of World
@restofworld.org
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We’re a nonprofit publication covering global technology outside the West. For the latest updates subscribe to our newsletter here: https://restofworld.org/newsletters/global/
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Rest of World @restofworld.org · Dec 3
How much did Starlink benefit from the close relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump?

Read Rest of World’s new investigative feature:
https://restofworld.org/2025/musk-starlink-trump-doge
restofworld.org
Beating Tesla in the global electric-vehicle race is costing BYD
dearly.

The Chinese EV giant reported a 33% drop in profit for the period from July to September, marking its second consecutive quarter of declining earnings
restofworld.org/2026/byd-pro...
BYD burns profit chasing global dominance over Tesla
The Chinese EV giant reported a 33% drop in third-quarter profit while ramping up overseas expansion and R&D spending.
restofworld.org
January 13, 2026 at 2:11 PM
restofworld.org
Wind energy for AI is devastating Taiwan’s coastal farming communities
https://restofworld.org/2026/taiwan-ai-green-energy-impacts
January 13, 2026 at 1:52 PM
restofworld.org
China is banning the Tesla-style “flush" door handle due to security concerns. The ban will come into effect on January 1, 2027. In the US and Europe, regulatory bodies are just starting to pay attention to the safety hazards these handles can pose.
January 12, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Rest of World
rinachandran.bsky.social
Taiwan's semiconductor industry’s power demand is forecast to grow eightfold by 2028. A rapid expansion of wind energy to power this demand is upending the livelihoods of farmers, fishers and rural communities, reports Hsiuwen Liu for @restofworld.org
restofworld.org/2026/taiwan-...
AI’s green-energy goal is devastating Taiwan’s coastal villages
Aggressive expansion of wind energy to power the semiconductor industry is upending the livelihoods of farmers and fishers.
restofworld.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:21 PM
restofworld.org
“I often say I will be the last generation of oyster farmers here. There’s no way we can fight this.”

Taiwan’s aggressive expansion of wind energy to power the semiconductor industry is upending the livelihoods of rural communities
restofworld.org/2026/taiwan-...
AI’s green-energy goal is devastating Taiwan’s coastal villages
Aggressive expansion of wind energy to power the semiconductor industry is upending the livelihoods of farmers and fishers.
restofworld.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:02 PM
restofworld.org
How workers in China are training robots to do very boring chores
https://restofworld.org/2026/china-robots-training-centers-workers/
January 12, 2026 at 12:46 AM
restofworld.org
Countries are outlawing online gambling ads. Meta is selling them anyway
https://restofworld.org/2026/meta-online-gambling-ads/
January 10, 2026 at 1:45 PM
restofworld.org
Rest of World's @rinachandran.bsky.social breaks down one of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's comments from #CES: the company’s next-generation Vera Rubin chips will no longer require data centers to run energy-intensive water chillers
January 9, 2026 at 5:59 PM
restofworld.org
Rest of World’s analysis found that Meta is disregarding local laws and the platform’s own guidelines around online gambling ads in at least 13 countries
https://restofworld.org/2026/meta-online-gambling-ads/
Countries are outlawing online gambling ads. Meta is selling them anyway
A Rest of World analysis found Meta is disregarding local laws and the company’s own guidelines in at least 13 countries.
restofworld.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:02 PM
restofworld.org
The online gambling industry has exploded in popularity since the pandemic.

Some countries are welcoming the booming business. Other countries — responding to concerns about rising scams, crippling debt and media reports linking gambling losses to suicides — want to ban it.
January 8, 2026 at 7:59 PM
restofworld.org
Rest of World deputy editor @rinachandran.bsky.social reports from #CES on one of this year's hottest items: wearable technology.

Makers like Meta and Google say the technology helps people with disabilities, but just how accessible are these devices?
January 8, 2026 at 7:09 PM
restofworld.org
Two Chinese IPOs will test whether investors still have an appetite for AI amid mounting concerns about an industry bubble
https://restofworld.org/2026/zhipu-ai-minimax-ipo/
Chinese AI unicorns beat Silicon Valley giants in race to go public
Zhipu AI and MiniMax are set to raise a combined $1.1 billion before OpenAI and Anthropic file for IPOs.
restofworld.org
January 8, 2026 at 6:50 PM
restofworld.org
ChatGPT can now read your medical records. What could go wrong?

New from @rinachandran.bsky.social:
restofworld.org/2026/openai-...
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Health. Should we trust it?
The new feature helps users understand test results, get advice on diets and workouts, and prepare for doctors’ appointments.
restofworld.org
January 8, 2026 at 2:31 PM
restofworld.org
Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has unexpectedly boosted the stock of Latin American e-commerce giant MercadoLibre: restofworld.org/2026/maduro-...
January 7, 2026 at 2:53 PM
restofworld.org
“It’s a fine gig, though a bit boring.”

To address a data shortage in robotics research, local governments in China have funded 40 training centers, where human trainers teach robots to mimic movements like folding clothes and wiping tables
restofworld.org/2026/china-r...
In Chinese data factories, workers teach humanoid robots boring tasks
Local governments are building training centers to address a shortage of robotic data, as China makes embodied intelligence a national priority.
restofworld.org
January 7, 2026 at 2:11 PM
restofworld.org
Looking for a job? Be careful out there
https://restofworld.org/2025/linkedin-job-scams/
The LinkedIn job scam is global. The hook is local
Scammers masterfully tailor tactics to specific cultural expectations and economic pressures.
restofworld.org
January 6, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Rest of World
rinachandran.bsky.social
What AI bubble? In his keynote at #CES yesterday, Jensen Huang said 2025 was an "incredible" year. Sure, for the company that hit more than $5 trillion in market cap. This year, is all about physical AI, he said, and two robots hobbled on to the stage.
January 6, 2026 at 3:42 PM
restofworld.org
In August, India banned all forms of real-money online gambling and its promotion. But Rest of World's new analysis reveals that illegal online gambling ads continue to be widespread on Meta platforms in India, and in 12 additional countries where they’re prohibited by law
Countries are outlawing online gambling ads. Meta is selling them anyway
A Rest of World analysis found Meta is disregarding local laws and the company’s own guidelines in at least 13 countries.
restofworld.org
January 6, 2026 at 1:44 PM
restofworld.org
The anti-Shein movement is growing
https://restofworld.org/2025/anti-shein-temu-backlash-latin-america/
January 6, 2026 at 12:10 AM
restofworld.org
India issued a 72-hour ultimatum to X over its AI chatbot generating “obscene” content — specifically, sexualized or manipulated images of women and, in some cases, minors
restofworld.org/2026/musk-gr...
India gives Musk 72 hours as X floods with obscene images generated using Grok
France and Malaysia have also launched probes into the viral Grok bikini trend.
restofworld.org
January 5, 2026 at 1:45 PM
restofworld.org
Why data centers are being built in places that are far hotter than ideal:
https://restofworld.org/2025/data-center-heat-map/
We mapped the world’s hottest data centers
In 21 countries, all data centers are located in climates that are too hot.
restofworld.org
January 4, 2026 at 3:01 PM
restofworld.org
While Tesla and BYD dominated headlines in 2025, much of the world’s electrification happened outside the passenger car market. Electric rickshaws, motorcycles, and delivery vehicles became the primary entry point to EVs across South Asia and Africa
https://restofworld.org/2025/ev-china-tesla-2025/
EVs hit a fork in the road in 2025
As Chinese EV companies like BYD continued to grow at home and abroad, U.S. leader Tesla struggled with sales slumps and political turmoil.
restofworld.org
January 4, 2026 at 1:01 PM
restofworld.org
“Too much money fucked us, basically. We had all assumed that the game that we are playing is not about making profits. It's about just growth, growth, growth. Nobody sat me down and said, ‘This will all come crashing down.’”
https://restofworld.org/2025/tiger-global-unicorn-investment-crash/
January 3, 2026 at 5:15 PM
restofworld.org
We mapped the world’s hottest data centers
https://restofworld.org/2025/data-center-heat-map/
January 2, 2026 at 5:57 PM
restofworld.org
The fast-money pandemic era helped build billion-dollar startups around the world — then brought many down just as quickly. Will the AI boom be a repeat?
https://restofworld.org/2025/tiger-global-unicorn-investment-crash/
January 2, 2026 at 12:53 AM