India Labor 29 May 2023 Delivery drivers in India are struggling through a hot, unpredictable summer “This past month, I have had either fever or body ache every other day,” a gig worker said. “There’s no time to take a break.” By Adnan Bhat
China China Outside China 26 May 2023 Five globally successful Chinese companies you’ve never heard of TikTok and Shein are household names, but ShareIt and Yalla aren't far behind. By Yi-Ling Liu
India Labor 25 May 2023 A new Indian movie depicts the stress of delivery work. Gig workers say it’s not harsh enough Zwigato tells the story of a delivery rider in a Tier 2 Indian city. By Samriddhi Sakunia
ChinaJordan EV Revolution 25 May 2023 China’s EV giant BYD is picking up speed in Jordan How Jordan became a battleground for Chinese EVs. By Erin Wong
Vietnam TikTok Domination 24 May 2023 Vietnam pressures TikTok to censor more content or face a ban In the U.S., TikTok is under scrutiny for perceived censorship. In Vietnam, the government wants the company to meddle more. By Lam Le
Mexico Latin America Newsletter 24 May 2023 It’s not (just) Ticketmaster’s fault A Mexican superstar’s concert tour proves no ticketing company’s tech is a match for fans and fraud. By Alex González Ormerod
Kenya Access & Connectivity 24 May 2023 Kenya’s plan for tracking down counterfeit phones has digital rights activists concerned The country's Supreme Court granted the communications regulator permission to access all mobile device IDs, and shut down services on counterfeit phones. By Damilare Dosunmu
Nepal EV Revolution 23 May 2023 Move slow and break things: How Nepal’s bureaucracy is hurting its startup industry The struggles of EV startup Yatri Motorcycles reveal how government policies are stifling innovation. By Abhaya Raj Joshi
China Creators & Communities 23 May 2023 Chinese internet trolls are adopting American racism to taunt Black users Users are harassing Black creators with profile pictures of white police officers. By Viola Zhou
Nigeria 3 Minutes With 23 May 2023 AI models can be a force to reduce bias, not reinforce it, Sam Altman says Rest of World spoke to the founder and CEO of OpenAI during his trip to Nigeria. By David I. Adeleke
Nigeria Meet the Influencer 23 May 2023 Meet the Nigerian YouTuber bringing a positive lens to African stories With 600,000 subscribers, Tayo Aina is one of Africa’s most prominent creators. By Ugonna-Ora Owoh
Colombia Features 23 May 2023 When digital nomads come to town Cities from Canggu to Medellín are welcoming tech workers, but locals complain they’re being priced out. By Stephen Witt
India China Outside China 22 May 2023 How China’s ShareIt became the world’s go-to file-transfer app Virtually unknown in the West, ShareIt boomed in places where data is expensive. But as the cost of data falls, can it stay relevant? By Nilesh Christopher and Viola Zhou
Kenya Labor 22 May 2023 “It’s been tough for us”: Meta’s Kenyan content moderators say they’ll keep fighting Job cuts at Facebook’s former moderation partner have left over 200 workers struggling with bills and emotional trauma. By Martin K.N Siele
China Creators & Communities 22 May 2023 Doctor-influencers are going viral in China, provoking authorities Fueled by the pandemic, medical professionals have cashed in on Douyin, dispensing advice and endorsements. By Viola Zhou
Pakistan Creators & Communities 19 May 2023 Pakistani YouTubers are exposing the dangers of illegal migration to Europe Political instability, economic crisis, natural disasters, and the promise of a better life abroad compel Pakistanis to risk everything. By Kanika Gupta
Indonesia Creators & Communities 19 May 2023 An influencer in Indonesia could go to jail for trying pork on TikTok Under the Muslim-majority country’s blasphemy laws, the TikToker faces up to five years in prison. By Aisyah Llewellyn
Colombia Apps of the World 18 May 2023 Rappi: the app trying to do everything for everyone in Latin America This budding super-app will get you (almost) anything in minutes. By José Luis Peñarredonda
Mexico Innovation 18 May 2023 Mexico City has an earthquake alarm system. Millions trust an app more SkyAlert users turn their phones into personal quake monitors rather than rely on the government’s loudspeakers. By Daniela Dib
Indonesia Money 18 May 2023 A traveler’s dream: Cash-free payment systems link up across Southeast Asia From Bali to Bangkok, people are ditching cards for QR code payments. There’s a catch: For now, it’s for locals only. By Joan Aurelia Rumengan
Pakistan South Asia Newsletter 17 May 2023 How political turmoil is damaging Pakistan’s tech industry Pakistan’s IT industry body and VC association sounded alarm bells after the government shut off the internet last week. By Durga M Sengupta
Brazil Access & Connectivity 17 May 2023 Online extremism linked to rise in school shootings in Brazil, researchers find After a rise in shootings, an all-woman group is advising the new Brazilian government on how to deal with radicalization online. By Nicole Froio and Matheus Andrade
Nigeria Money 17 May 2023 Nigeria’s digital currency can’t compete with crypto The government-backed eNaira, meant as a hedge against inflation, hasn’t converted crypto users and has been hindered by limited internet access. By Temitayo Lawal
China Ideas 16 May 2023 China’s new AI rules protect people — and the Communist Party’s power The regulations offer data protection and transparency, but also strengthen censorship and control. By Johanna M. Costigan
The Rise of AI 16 May 2023 TikTok creators use AI to rewrite history A viral trend imagines alternate timelines in which Western imperial nations never came to power. By Andrew Deck
Hong Kong 3 Minutes With 16 May 2023 This renewable energy startup helps companies decarbonize across the Pacific Bor Hung Chong from Nefin Group discusses green energy solutions beyond solar panels. By Yi-Ling Liu
Nigeria E-commerce 15 May 2023 Last-mile delivery startups are saving the day for Nigeria’s small businesses Inconsistency and theft by independent couriers plagued small shops, but now more organized apps benefit riders and sellers alike. By Jesusegun Alagbe
Iraq Innovation 15 May 2023 The mission to preserve Sorani Kurdish by getting it onto Google Translate A community came together to ensure its language would be represented in the digital world. By Winthrop Rodgers
Japan Ideas 15 May 2023 Japan’s sleepy tech scene is ready for a comeback After decades of slumber, the country that brought us bullet trains and Nintendo has mustered some momentum. By Roland Kelts
Mexico Politics 12 May 2023 Desperate migrants are ordering Uber Eats through the U.S.-Mexico border wall Stranded between border walls, migrants risk losing contact with the outside world as they use up their phones’ data and battery life. By Yolanda Morales
India Bento 🍱 12 May 2023 Five of the coolest projects to come out of India’s first AI hackathon From a plug-in that lets you interrogate YouTube videos to creating comic strips with text prompts, India’s first generative AI hackathon was a peek into what’s to come. By Nilesh Christopher
India Labor 12 May 2023 Apple’s top suppliers are on a hiring spree in India Every Saturday, a clutch of engineering colleges in south India turn into venues for walk-in interviews for Apple contract manufacturers. By Nilesh Christopher
Bento 🍱 11 May 2023 19 books to read in 2023 Rest of World's staff favorites from around the globe to add to your must-read pile. By Daniela Dib
Venezuela Access & Connectivity 11 May 2023 In Venezuela, crime victims turn to influencers to find justice To get the authorities’ attention, victims get help from influencers specialized in niches like corruption and pet justice. By Andrea Paola Hernández
Brazil Creators & Communities 10 May 2023 The capybara influencer revolt A wildlife influencer’s famous capybara was confiscated by Brazilian authorities. A mass movement ensued. By Matheus Andrade
Brazil Latin America Newsletter 10 May 2023 Becoming a tech powerhouse is harder than you think Rio’s gambit to become Latin America’s tech hub is analogous to Brazil and Latin America’s struggle. By Daniela Dib and Alex González Ormerod