Global Sources

New figures on global electricity generation show coal remained the largest source in 2024, producing about 34% of the world's power, while wind and solar together reached 15%, up from just 4% a decade earlier. The data, presented as charts mapped onto the world map, are drawing attention to the slow pace of the energy transition despite rapid renewables growth.

A weekly digest of ten of the most read and noteworthy espionage-related news articles from the past seven days has been published. Each entry includes a heading, source, short summary, and a verified link to the full article. The roundup is gaining attention internationally, trending in the UK, US, China and Italy, suggesting sustained public interest in intelligence and spy-related developments.

Google has published a new open-source repository called Agent Skills, offering reusable skills for AI agents working with Google products and technologies. The project is written in Python and is already drawing attention from developers, climbing the GitHub trending ranks globally shortly after release. Developers see it as Google's move to standardize how AI agents integrate with its services.

A new commentary argues that African artificial intelligence developers rely on open source tools out of necessity rather than ideology. With limited access to expensive proprietary systems, licences and cloud infrastructure, open source becomes the only practical path for building AI on the continent. The piece pushes back on framing this reliance as a virtue, warning that structural constraints are being mistaken for a deliberate philosophy of openness.

Film-makers behind NAZA say they spoke to more than 100 sources while documenting Israeli actions in Gaza, according to The Guardian. The figure is being presented as evidence of the scale of the reporting effort behind the film, as international attention remains fixed on the conflict and on how journalists and documentarians are covering events on the ground.

Yahoo Finance UK's live stock market coverage is attracting attention, offering real-time quotes and business and finance news to readers tracking market movements. As a leading source for financial updates, the service provides investors with up-to-date information on shares, business developments and economic news affecting UK and global markets.

OPEC+ has postponed its review of oil production capacity targets after the war involving Iran disrupted the group's plans to expand output, according to sources cited by Reuters. The delay affects the alliance's roadmap for adding spare capacity, and comes as markets continue to weigh the conflict's impact on supply from the Middle East.

News Decoder, a global educational news service, is highlighting the role of trusted journalism in helping people make sense of world events. The piece argues that reliable reporting gives audiences the context and grounding needed to process complex news, at a time when misinformation makes distinguishing credible sources harder.

New reporting highlights that critical supply chains face growing threats from climate change and geopolitical instability, raising questions about security of supply for essential goods. Analysts warn that extreme weather events and global political tensions could disrupt the flow of raw materials, energy and key components, prompting calls for governments and companies to diversify sourcing and strengthen resilience planning.

A proposed oil pipeline in Canada is being reported as a source of relief for Prime Minister Mark Carney amid domestic and global pressures. The project involves Alberta and British Columbia and touches on the enduring tension between energy development and climate commitments, a divide that has long complicated Canadian politics. Details of the proposal remain limited beyond reports of its political benefit for Carney.

Commentary from China-US Focus examines why Americans are increasingly worried about artificial intelligence, exploring the sources of public anxiety around the technology's rapid spread. The piece adds to a broader international debate about AI's impact on jobs, privacy and society, as governments and companies race to regulate and deploy new systems.

TuxCare's Director of Global Enterprise Sales is scheduled to speak at Devoxx Belgium, one of Europe's major developer conferences. The company announced the speaking slot in a press release, positioning itself within the open-source and enterprise software community. Further details about the talk's topic and the conference programme have not been widely discussed.

RFC 8654, the standard defining extended message support for the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), was published in October 2019. BGP is the routing protocol that holds the global internet together, and the update allows larger BGP messages than the original specification permitted. A networking guide covering IP routing and BGP internals is being shared and discussed among open source and Linux networking enthusiasts.

Resources for the Future has published an introductory explainer on geothermal energy. The piece lays out how geothermal power works and its role in the wider energy mix. With renewable energy and energy security high on the policy agenda, educational overviews of lesser-discussed clean energy sources like geothermal are drawing attention from readers and policymakers.

Cloudflare has published a blog post inviting developers to build the next Git hosting platform on its infrastructure. The company argues its global network and development tools can support a modern alternative for code hosting, encouraging the open-source community to experiment with new approaches to Git-based collaboration.

Ukraine is pressing ahead with drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, despite warnings from Donald Trump that the attacks are driving up global fuel prices. The campaign targets Russia's energy export infrastructure, a key source of war funding. Kyiv appears to have judged the economic pressure on Moscow outweighs friction with the White House, and the standoff is drawing international attention to tensions between the two allies over how to end the war.

General Motors is reworking its supply chain to become more flexible in the face of ongoing volatility. The move reflects the pressures automakers face from disrupted component supplies, shifting trade conditions and uncertain demand. Industry watchers see greater adaptability and diversified sourcing as key to keeping production stable as conditions continue to change.