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The AI ​​race
AI giants and South Korean chip companies in multi-billion dollar deal

A US consortium of companies consisting of Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic and Broadcom has ordered AI chips from South Korean manufacturers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix worth $950 billion, writes AFP.

The agreement spans five years and includes South Korea committing to triple its AI investments in return. Among other things, the plan is to inaugurate a new gigantic data center on Korean soil next year.

Through the agreement, Nvidia also commits to investing $1 billion in Naver Corp, which provides customers with internet and cloud services on a daily basis. 

The change of power in the UK
The Prime Minister's new style: "Betting everything on Tiktok"

The new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has a completely different approach on social media than his predecessor, who had a rather buttoned-up style, writes The Guardian.

Even before he took office, Burnham's social media team began publishing short, light-hearted, personal and mobile-friendly videos.

- He's going all out for the Tiktok style, says Andrew Chadwick, professor of political communication at Loughborough University.

On Saturday morning, a classic big strongman can be seen in the opening images of three of Burnham's first five videos on Tiktok.

Whether it will work is, of course, still unclear. The Guardian notes that his first week on Tiktok was more successful than Keir Starmer's, but not by any huge margins. 

The Ebola outbreak
Violence in northern Congo-Kinshasa worsens the spread of Ebola

The spread of Ebola in the province of North Kivu in Congo-Kinshasa is now faster than in the epicenter of the outbreak, Ituri, writes Bloomberg.

The reason is believed to be intensified fighting in the city of Beni, which has displaced 25,000 people and forced aid organizations to limit their work. The mortality rate for those affected is also higher in North Kivu than in other parts of the country.

“If we don’t act now, the same thing that happened in Ituri will happen in North Kivu,” says Alice Ribes, from the International Rescue Committee’s Ebola team.

A total of almost 3,000 people have been confirmed to be infected with Ebola in Congo-Kinshasa, according to Reuters. 

The problems with mass tourism
UNESCO designates new world heritage sites – concerns about overtourism

The UN agency UNESCO has added several sites to its World Heritage List during a meeting in Busan, South Korea, last week.

Among the new additions are the Okefenokee wetland system in the US state of Georgia and the Buddhist temple Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Thailand. The World Heritage List aims to give protection and attention to places of particular importance to humanity, but does not have to be only beneficial. Listing often comes with a very sharp increase in the number of tourists, who risk damaging sensitive environments or monuments.

“We see this as a commitment to keeping Okefenokee wild, resilient and alive for generations to come,” said Kim Bednarek, president of the nonprofit organization that manages the national park. 

340,000 evacuated in China ahead of storm

More than 340,000 people have been evacuated in the coastal province of Guangdong in eastern China as Typhoon “Noul” is expected to make landfall.

The typhoon is expected to have maximum sustained winds of up to 48 meters per second when it is expected to make landfall Sunday night local Chinese time.

China’s meteorological agency issued a red typhoon warning on Saturday night – the highest in a four-level warning system. Very heavy rain and strong winds are expected in Guangdong and neighboring provinces.

Schools, workplaces and businesses plan to be closed on Sunday.