US tech giant Apple announced it had shelved plans to build an 850-million-euro ($1.0-billion) data center in Ireland over a court battle with conservationists who were seeking to preserve a forest.

China has revealed its plans which it believes if successfully executed will make it the world leader in AI (artificial intelligence) by 2030 - which would see the industry worth around $147.7 billion. China's state council disclosed a three-step roadmap it has established, in which it outlined its thinking behind AI and how it expects the technology to be developed and deployed.

Europe's telecommunication ministers have agreed on a joint blueprint in an effort to accelerate the development of 5G networks across the continent. The GSMA have projected that 5G will account for almost 31% of all mobile connections by 2025.

French President Emmanuel Macron has formally announced at a technology conference in Paris that it will invest €65m into technology-based startups in Africa. The charismatic French leader made the declaration at the third edition of the Viva-Tech trade fair which attracts some of the world's leading innovators, investors and entrepreneurs.

Audi aims to sell approximately 800,000 fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the year 2025. At last week's Annual General Meeting of AUDI AG, the Board of Management presented the updated "Audi.Vorsprung.2025." strategy.

Chinese telecommunications conglomerate Huawei has unveiled an ambitious project designed to empower the future development of smart cities at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. Huawei has announced that it is aiming to build a 'nervous system' of smart cities by utilizing and infusing new information and communications technology such as Big Data, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence.

The Indian government has formally announced its strategy for the implementation of 5G technology, and has claimed that it could lead global subscriptions of the revolutionary technology along with North America by 2022.

A ministerial working group has been established - and is tasked with the responsibility of developing the Brazilian Digital Strategy. The group held its first meeting in the last few days - and has been given sixty working days to establish guidelines designed to boost the digital economy and define the basis and role of the EDB.

The US city of Conway which is located in the state of Arkansas has formally announced it is set to introduce an Internet of Things platform in its efforts to become a leading 'smart city'.