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A digital landscape features towering geometric structures in varying heights, with a gradient background blending warm colors. — iStock/Rest of World

64% of UAE residents now use generative AI

A new Microsoft study shows where AI usage is taking off.

By Hazel Gandhi

Abstract graphic featuring a blue background with concentric circles, and orange symbols progressively increasing in size, interspersed with a yellow "X" shape.

Grok’s biggest danger isn’t what it says — it’s where it lives

When you place AI inside a social network designed for attention and conflict, moderation becomes much harder, harm spreads faster, and accountability gets blurry.

By Damilare Dosunmu

Support Our Global Journalism

Nearly four billion Internet users live outside the West, building and using tech products & platforms that most Americans have never heard of.

By Rest of World Staff

Why the EU is ready to drop high tariffs on China-made EVs

Europe’s shift toward cooperation over protectionism on Chinese EVs is more political than business-driven.

By Ananya Bhattacharya

A fantasy scene featuring a cracked unicorn statue surrounded by various animals in a lush green setting with a rainbow in the background.

Is a billion dollars still cool?

Startups valued at $1 billion or more were once so rare they were termed “unicorns.” Not anymore.

By Rest of World

A Tesla showroom featuring three models parked outside under bright signage and a modern, colorful facade. — Tesla

Tesla is losing the EV race. Its stock keeps winning

The U.S. carmaker’s valuation is soaring on robotaxi dreams. Its shipments tell a different story.

By Indranil Ghosh

The AI Race >

Abstract graphic featuring a blue background with concentric circles, and orange symbols progressively increasing in size, interspersed with a yellow "X" shape.

Grok’s biggest danger isn’t what it says — it’s where it lives

When you place AI inside a social network designed for attention and conflict, moderation becomes much harder, harm spreads faster, and accountability gets blurry.

By Damilare Dosunmu

A roundtable discussion on securing the silicon supply chain, featuring various officials and experts seated at a long table.

Silicon, not oil: Why the U.S. needs the Gulf for AI

Qatar and the UAE are set to sign the Pax Silica initiative that would add Gulf wealth to Washington’s AI supply chain push.

By Indranil Ghosh

Will the Meta-Manus deal push more Chinese AI startups to Singapore — or shut the door?

Beijing’s scrutiny of the acquisition highlights how far Chinese founders can go in shedding their national roots to attract U.S. capital.

EV Revolution >

Why the EU is ready to drop high tariffs on China-made EVs

Europe’s shift toward cooperation over protectionism on Chinese EVs is more political than business-driven.

By Ananya Bhattacharya

A Tesla showroom featuring three models parked outside under bright signage and a modern, colorful facade.

Tesla is losing the EV race. Its stock keeps winning

The U.S. carmaker’s valuation is soaring on robotaxi dreams. Its shipments tell a different story.

By Indranil Ghosh

A grayscale image of a car partially obscured by colorful geometric shapes and graphs, featuring a visible license plate.

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.

By Kinling Lo and Ananya Bhattacharya

Features >

Deeply-reported long reads from around the globe

A tiger running alongside a herd of unicorns in a fantastical landscape. — Nicolas Ortega for Rest of World

Big bets and broken unicorns: Tiger Global’s rise and reckoning

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?

By Issie Lapowsky

A graphic featuring the Starlink terms of service with images of men, a satellite dish, and text elements.

When Musk joined Trump, countries rolled out the red carpet for Starlink

Newly revealed contract between Starlink and Bangladesh shows how these deals are made.

By Georgia Gee, Mehedi Marof and Tanbirul Miraj Ripon

A man in a light blue shirt and tie stands at a desk with papers and a laptop, near a flag featuring red stars.

He fled Assad. Now he’s leading Syria’s tech transformation

In his first interview on the job, Abdulsalam Haykal explains how he plans to rebuild the country’s shattered digital infrastructure — and why he came back after years in exile.

By Emily Wither

How Tech Impacts Work >

Night scene of a secure facility with armed guards patrolling near a barbed-wire fence and bright floodlights.

Microsoft, Google say their data centers create thousands of jobs. Their permit filings say otherwise

Chile and tech giants promise economy-wide impact but permits show fewer onsite jobs after construction.

By Laura Rodríguez Salamanca

Four stylized male characters seated on chairs, each wearing futuristic outfits in white and black tones with varying accents. The first character has orange hair and a black hoodie, the second has light blond hair with a stylish cut, the third has dark hair with a blue accent, and the last has red hair. They are situated in a modern, minimalist setting with a gray background and a reflective floor.

The metaverse is rewriting the rules of who can be a K-pop star

In an industry studded with megastars like BTS and Blackpink, virtual idols are building powerful new fandoms even while their true identities remain obscured.

By Michelle Kim

A man and a woman are standing in a field filled with young green plants. The man, wearing a light-colored shirt, is looking at a smartphone, while the woman, dressed in a bright orange shirt and patterned skirt, is observing him. They are surrounded by a mix of green foliage and dry plant matter under a clear blue sky.

Malawi’s new farmhand: AI that speaks the local language

Ulangizi AI combines ChatGPT’s power with traditional know-how and government data to help crops — and families — flourish.

By Stephanie Wangari

The India Story >

A presenter gestures animatedly while being filmed on a smartphone, with a presentation displayed in the background.

Indian WhatsApp tutors are teaching ordinary people how to use AI

Informal classes over WhatsApp and Facebook groups are helping freelancers and business owners learn basic AI skills.

By Tauseef Ahmad and Sajid Raina

An illustration of a hand dropping ballots into a box, alongside a circuit-like hand, against a yellow background.

Cheap and powerful AI campaigns target voters in India

The Bihar state election was awash with voice clones and synthetic videos that reached voters easily and spread misinformation.

By Saurabh Sharma and Raihana Maqbool

A welcome display with two people chatting in traditional attire and a man in a volunteer shirt walking past.

H-1B to Plan B: India’s top tech talent looks beyond the U.S.

India’s tech talent is increasingly opting for opportunities at home and in other countries, as the lure of the U.S. fades.

China Outside China >

A lightning storm above a shopping bag with the word 'SHEIN' written on it, set against a blue background.

The “Anti-Shein” bandwagon gains momentum

Lawmakers from across Latin America are hardening import regulations for China-based ultrafast fashion, to shield the local textile industry.

By David Feliba

Silhouette of a person in front of overlapping keyboards and abstract colorful shapes on a textured background.

The hidden Kenyan workers training China’s AI models

An unemployment crisis has created fertile ground for companies to step in with opaque systems built on WhatsApp groups, middlemen, and bargain-basement wages.

By Damilare Dosunmu and Tessie Waithira

A couple walks past a restaurant adorned with red and yellow lanterns and colorful New Year decorations.

Chinese businesses are transforming Mexico City’s poshest neighborhood

A growing Chinese techie community in Nuevo Polanco is fueling a boom in restaurants and markets to serve them.

Editor's picks

2025

2024

2023

Prev

An artistic collage featuring three men's faces and a satellite dish, overlaid with text about Starlink terms and policies.

After Musk joined Trump, countries rolled out the red carpet for Starlink

Newly revealed contract between Starlink and Bangladesh shows how these deals are made.

December 3, 2025

When the world connected on Skype

Rest of World readers remember how Skype changed their world

April 22, 2025

Two figures in traditional clothing are building a structure with bricks while looking toward a large, expressive moon figure in the background. The scene is set against a blue sky filled with stars and moon phases, with additional decorative elements surrounding the border. A telescope is present, suggesting a connection to astronomy.

Digital Divinity

Where ancient traditions meet modern technology

September 30, 2024

🏆 Society for News Design

A collage of images taken from a group on WhatsApp, showing a man holding a candle against a purple background. The images are set against a green background used on WhatsApp.

Inside the BJP's WhatsApp Machine

How India’s ruling party uses the app to campaign free from public scrutiny

May 14, 2024

A black and white illustration with aqua highlights showing a large protest being surveilled by CCTV cameras and a drone.

The changing face of protest

Mass protests used to offer safety in numbers. Facial recognition technology changes the equation

March 27, 2024

🏆 Society for News Design

A photo of a man sitting on a motorbike on a busy street in Lahore, Pakistan.

Riders in the Smog

After equipping gig riders across South Asia with pollution monitors, the readings were off the charts

February 27, 2024

An illustration showing emoji characters sitting on a blue text bubble laughing hysterically.

How different languages laugh online

Laughter is universal, but lol is not

December 18, 2023

🏆 National Magazine Award

A photo showing a cluster of Shein shipping bags laid out on a yellow background.

China, the World's Shopping Cart

E-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu are going global with big ambitions

November 14, 2023

🏆 National Magazine Award

A photo collage showing a grid of square images with portraits of people, exteriors of buildings, city streets, and plates of food.

How AI is reducing the World to Stereotypes

3,000 AI images analyzed to show how image generators see cultures

October 10, 2023

🏆 Online Journalism Award

40 Companies Beating the West

Faster, smarter, more adaptable: The emerging market pioneers outmaneuvering Silicon Valley

October 5, 2023

🏆 National Magazine Award

A photo of a woman with red hair drinking from a cup with a straw while seated at a computer in an internet cafe.

Inside the World's last internet cafes

Documenting them before they vanish

July 25, 2023

Welcome to the Ambaniverse

It's Mukesh Ambani's world — we're just living in it

November 15, 2022

🏆 Society for News Design

Chinese citizens use puns to get past internet censors

Chinese social media companies and users are locked in a never-ending battle

October 11, 2022

🏆 Society for News Design

How to Buy

E-commerce isn't the same around the globe

May 31, 2022

In the dark

60 countries, 935 internet shutdowns: How authoritarian regimes found an off switch for dissent

April 26, 2022

🏆 Society for News Design

The Global Gig Workers

The platform work model is reshaping entire economies, sectors, lifestyles, and livelihoods

September 21, 2021

Tech Giants >

Like, subscribe, and vote: India’s 2024 elections depend on YouTube

As the world’s biggest democracy goes to polls in a few months, election campaign managers have a new mandate: Grow YouTube presence.

By Yashraj Sharma

Two tech entrepreneurs work on computer against a bright yellow patterned backdrop.

The fastest-growing countries for software development, according to GitHub

New data shows a rising tide of coders in Bangladesh and Nigeria.

By Russell Brandom

An Apple store entrance featuring large red promotional signs highlighting discounts, with a young woman in a black hoodie and mask looking at her phone while walking by.

iPhones were already losing ground in China. Then came Trump’s tariffs

Consumers ditch Apple for more advanced features and to support Chinese brands.

By Selina Cheng and Joanna Chiu

Innovation >

A whimsical illustration features multiple stylized brains with yellow wings soaring against a dark, cloudy sky, with a faint city skyline in the background and water in the foreground.

Argentina wants to be an AI powerhouse, but its tech experts are leaving

President Javier Milei pitched Argentina as an AI hub, but the few jobs and research opportunities are not enough to keep engineers at home.

By David Feliba

A stylized robot with a white head and a single yellow eye, pointing and surrounded by various colorful pills and capsules on a vibrant pink background.

China’s AI drug discovery companies land huge deals with Big Pharma

Multibillion-dollar partnerships show China’s rising influence in AI-driven pharmaceuticals.

By Leslie Liang

Two men working in a cluttered, dimly lit room filled with piles of discarded electronics and bags. One man crouches on the floor, holding a hammer, while the other stands in the background with a tool raised, amidst shelves packed with various electronic components and equipment.

The dirty truth behind the e-waste recycling industry

The informal recycling economy is turning global e-waste into profit — at a steep human and environmental cost.

By Yashraj Sharma

Charts

A view of Rest of World through all our charts and graphics.

Explore charts >

Unicorns are not so rare anymore

14 January 2026

Unicorns are not so rare anymore

Unicorns are not so rare anymore
Average AI adoption rate across regions
AI adoption is increasing across the world
A brief history of Manus
MercadoLibre's stock price
BYD overall sales
BYD's profit growth rate
BYD annual revenue
BYD's R&D expenditure exceeds net profit
BYD's exports of new electric passenger vehicles
Starlink became available in 26 countries in 2025
These are the countries where Starlink began operating in 2025

South Asia >

A fantasy scene featuring a cracked unicorn statue surrounded by various animals in a lush green setting with a rainbow in the background.

Is a billion dollars still cool?

Why India’s plan to make AI companies pay for training data should go global

A global crackdown on online gambling

China >

Why the EU is ready to drop high tariffs on China-made EVs

BYD burns profit chasing global dominance over Tesla

Will the Meta-Manus deal push more Chinese AI startups to Singapore — or shut the door?

Africa >

Abstract graphic featuring a blue background with concentric circles, and orange symbols progressively increasing in size, interspersed with a yellow "X" shape.

Grok’s biggest danger isn’t what it says — it’s where it lives

Uganda shuts down internet two days before election

The day the cloud went out

Latin America >

A digital rendering of Earth from space, featuring a network of blue lines and a glowing sunrise on the horizon.

The AI race is creating a new world order

Why Venezuela’s political shock had MercadoLibre’s stock rallying

Innovative ways the world used AI in 2025

Asia >

A digital landscape features towering geometric structures in varying heights, with a gradient background blending warm colors.

64% of UAE residents now use generative AI

AI’s green-energy goal is devastating Taiwan’s coastal villages

The year in charts

Eastern Europe >

A stylized world map with bright orange and pink colors, featuring turquoise lines representing global connections and routes between various regions, including North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

China’s $143 billion push to dominate the global EV industry

Most of the world’s space launches are controlled by just three countries

The app going against Uber by putting people over algorithms

Middle East & North Africa >

Silhouettes of people near a fire on a bridge, with smoke and orange flames illuminating the scene at night.

Iran crippled Starlink and why the rest of the world should worry

The UAE’s AI strategy winds through Silicon Valley

U.S. gains in AI race as Gulf nations ditch China for chips