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.

Saudi Arabia has resumed oil exports through its East-West pipeline after completing repairs, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. The pipeline, which carries crude across the kingdom to the Red Sea, is a key alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz. Details on the cause and duration of the repairs have not been disclosed.

Fortune reports that the global bond market has now grown larger than the banking system, marking a shift in how companies and governments raise money. Debt markets are increasingly replacing traditional bank lending as the main source of credit, with commentary focusing on what this means for financial stability, monetary policy and the influence of banks over the economy.

A Reuters commentary argues that China's latest commodity import figures show an economy in transition: surging purchases of metals and other raw materials point to heavy investment in renewable infrastructure and electrification, even as fossil fuel demand remains stubbornly high. The mix, the piece says, illustrates how uneven and drawn-out the shift away from traditional energy sources will be for the world's largest commodity consumer.

France has launched a diplomatic effort to guarantee its energy supplies, with French representatives abroad, including the embassy in the United States, promoting the initiative. The move reflects growing concern in Paris over securing reliable sources of oil and gas, and officials are framing diplomacy as a key tool for protecting the country's energy security amid tight global markets.

Huawei is expanding its open source involvement beyond infrastructure software into AI agents, according to a report by Techzine. The company is positioning itself as a major contributor to open source projects across its technology stack, reflecting a broader industry shift toward collaborative development in artificial intelligence tooling.

Finnish elevator maker Kone is planning to sell TK Elevator's European operations in order to ease antitrust concerns tied to its pursuit of the business, according to sources cited by Reuters. A divestiture of the European unit would aim to clear regulatory hurdles for a deal combining two of the world's largest elevator and escalator companies, and the report is drawing attention from industry watchers tracking consolidation in the sector.

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.

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.

Google's Firebase SDK for Apple app development is trending among developers this week. The open-source repository, written primarily in C++ with Swift bindings, provides the libraries developers use to add Firebase features such as analytics, authentication and cloud messaging to iOS and macOS apps. It ranks among the most-viewed repositories on GitHub globally right now, reflecting continued strong interest in Apple platform development with Google's backend services.

A new commentary argues that open source in African AI is frequently treated as an ideological badge when in reality it is a practical necessity. Limited access to expensive proprietary models, restrictive licensing and constrained computing budgets mean African developers often have no alternative but to build on openly available tools. The piece pushes back on framing openness as a virtue, arguing it reflects structural constraints in the continent's AI ecosystem.

Hong Kong will host four major technology fairs in October 2026, bringing together electronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, electronic components and lighting solutions. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which organises the exhibitions, expects them to draw large numbers of international buyers and exhibitors, reinforcing the city's role as a hub for the global technology trade.

The film-makers behind NAZA say they spoke to more than 100 sources about Israeli actions in Gaza. The figure highlights the breadth of their research and the scale of testimony gathered from people affected by the conflict. The project is drawing attention as international scrutiny of the war and coverage of conditions in Gaza continue to intensify.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia has no plans to use nuclear weapons, a renewed reassurance amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and heightened concerns over nuclear rhetoric from Moscow. The statement is being picked up widely by international outlets, with observers weighing whether it signals genuine de-escalation or routine messaging aimed at calming Western fears.

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.

The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, brought a message titled 'Human knowledge at stake' to the United Nations General Assembly, arguing that free access to reliable information deserves protection at the global level. The appearance underlines growing concern about the future of open knowledge, as misinformation, funding pressures and AI-driven content reshape how people find trustworthy information online.

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.

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has released open-source software tools that let its AI models run on Huawei's AI chips. The move could reduce reliance on Nvidia hardware and strengthen China's domestic semiconductor ecosystem, drawing attention from the global AI industry amid ongoing US export restrictions on advanced chips to China.

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.

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.

The Eclipse Foundation has launched the Sovereign AI Foundation, a new initiative focused on open source approaches to AI control and governance. The move signals the Eclipse Foundation's entry into the debate over who controls artificial intelligence infrastructure, positioning open source as an alternative to proprietary AI models dominated by major tech companies.

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.

A source says Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz 30 days after a peace deal is reached, signaling a possible pathway to restoring Gulf shipping lanes. The claim matters because the strait carries a large share of the world's oil, and any closure has shaken energy markets. Talks over a broader settlement are being watched closely by governments and oil traders alike.

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.

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.

Global Sources has confirmed that its Hong Kong Shows 2026 will return to AsiaWorld-Expo across two sourcing phases, running October 11–14 and October 18–21. More than 4,200 Asia-based suppliers are expected to take part, filling over 8,000 booths and presenting upwards of 330,000 new products to international buyers.

Global Finance Magazine examines which financial institutions, governments and investors are bankrolling Asia's long-term growth, a question at the heart of debates over infrastructure spending, sovereign lending and the region's rising economic weight. The discussion centers on how funding sources, from development banks to private capital, will shape which Asian economies lead the coming decades.

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.

WWF EU is highlighting the importance of industry due diligence in reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The organisation argues that companies sourcing seafood must check their supply chains to help cut out illegally caught fish. The message targets businesses across the global seafood industry, which have a role in enforcing standards alongside regulators.

The NBA is reportedly close to agreements with major European soccer clubs to launch a new continental basketball league in Europe. According to sources cited by The New York Times, the deals would bring some of Europe's biggest sports organizations into an NBA-backed competition, marking a major expansion of the league's international footprint.

China is holding its World Internet Conference summit with a focus on open-source artificial intelligence, according to CGTN reporting. The event is expected to bring together officials, tech companies and researchers to discuss the development and sharing of AI technologies, reflecting Beijing's push to promote open-source models as part of its broader AI strategy.