(opens original source in a new tab)AxiosScoop: DOJ, TikTok settle for $400 million in children's privacy suitThe Justice Department and TikTok, along with parent company ByteDance, have reached a $400 million settlement to resolve allegations of violating chi (opens original source in a new tab)Ashley Gold·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)AxiosWalmart adding Apple Pay, other tap-to-pay optionsWalmart announced Friday that some of its stores and Sam's Club locations will add tap-to-pay options in the U.S. beginning Monday.Why it matters: Tap-to-pay has eluded Walmart customers, who instead had to rely on the company's Walmart Pay system, which required scanning QR codes at checkout.What they're saying: "We want customers and members to ha (opens original source in a new tab)Herb Scribner·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)AxiosU.S. trade chief calls trying to change China's economy "crazy"As Europe grapples with its own China shock, the U.S. has largely given up on trying to persuade Beijing to change the export-heavy economic model that's helping fuel it.It's a sharp break from years of U.S. economic diplomacy — including most recently during the Biden administration. <stron (opens original source in a new tab)Courtenay Brown·21 August 2026
Technology (opens original source in a new tab)OpenGov AsiaExclusive! The AI Execution Gap: Why the Endpoint Shift Isn’t Delivering Value YetAI success depends not only on intelligent models but on AI-ready workforce infrastructure that connects people, devices, data and platforms to deliver secure, scalable and measurable value. (opens original source in a new tab)Helen Thin·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)South China Morning PostChina’s telecoms giants bet on ‘token factories’ as AI drives revenue growthChina’s three state-owned telecoms giants have made billable artificial intelligence tokens a key focus of their growth strategies, as AI adoption accelerates across the country and computing demand soars. China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom all pointed to AI and computing operations as key growth drivers in their first-half financial disclosures released this month, presenting usage of tokens – the fundamental unit of data processed by AI models – as a central metric alongside others.. (opens original source in a new tab)Richard Chen,Christina Zhao·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)Rest of WorldA dumpling shop becomes a poster child of AI adoption in ChinaBusiness owner quotes Deng Xiaoping as motivator: “Science and technology are a primary productive force.” (opens original source in a new tab)Viola Zhou·21 August 2026
Industry News (opens original source in a new tab)African BusinessNaspers: From South African publisher to global tech investor (opens original source in a new tab)21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)AxiosA roadmap for safeguarding against AI bioweaponsAI-enabled bioweapons are a potentially catastrophic yet manageable risk — if government, the scientific community, the public health sector and leading tech companies can develop appropriate safeguards, a new report argues.Why it matters: The debate over AI and public safety isn't one that the health care or research communities can ignore.Driving the news: A <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4999-1.html" target="_blank (opens original source in a new tab)Caitlin Owens·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)South China Morning PostAlibaba signals faster AI payoff, margin gains halfway through US$56 billion capex planAlibaba Group Holding is expected to further accelerate cloud growth, expand operating margins and achieve faster payback on artificial intelligence investments, analysts say, as the Chinese tech giant reaches the halfway mark of its massive 380 billion yuan (US$56 billion) AI infrastructure spending plan. “The most important incremental message, in our view, is that cloud growth has not yet peaked,” Nomura analysts said in a research note on Friday. The comment followed Alibaba’s Thursday... (opens original source in a new tab)Ann Cao·21 August 2026
Industry News (opens original source in a new tab)African BusinessAbandon ship: Can scale solve both climate adaptation and mitigation? (opens original source in a new tab)21 August 2026
Industry News (opens original source in a new tab)African BusinessAfrica's voluntary carbon market: How do you price what was never for sale? (opens original source in a new tab)21 August 2026