U.S. and Iran exchange threats - Tuesday, 10 March
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including thr...
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has announced Finland's ambition to host a European AI gigafactory. The move aims to boost national growth by building on the success of the LUMI supercomputer, with telecommunications giant Nokia poised to lead the project's business consortium.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during an AI roundtable in Helsinki, where leaders gathered to discuss the European Union's strategic initiatives for artificial intelligence and strengthening national coordination on AI policy and infrastructure.
"The government's key goal is to enable new growth in Finland. Utilising new technology and creating a world-class artificial intelligence infrastructure are essential here," Orpo stated in a government press release.
Finland is positioning itself as an ideal location for the facility, citing the proven success of the LUMI (Large Unified Modern Infrastructure) supercomputer. Located in Kajaani, LUMI is one of the world's most powerful supercomputers and a cornerstone of a pan-European effort to advance scientific research.
The proposed gigafactory could be built adjacent to the existing LUMI AI Factory, which already supports Finnish and European AI research by providing high-performance computing resources.
In a significant development, Prime Minister Orpo revealed that Nokia has expressed its willingness to lead the business consortium backing Finland's bid. This brings major industrial leadership to the forefront of the proposal.
"Gigafactories are essential for the development of European infrastructure and digitalisation, so that we can fully utilise the opportunities created by artificial intelligence," commented Mikko Hautala, Nokia's Chief Geopolitical and Government Relations Officer.
The push for AI gigafactories is a central component of the European Commission's InvestAI initiative. This ambitious program aims to mobilise €200 billion to fund advancements in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
These gigafactories are designed to provide the massive computational power necessary to develop next-generation AI models, ensuring that Europe remains globally competitive in this critical technological domain.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is pushing to make charging an electric car almost as quick and convenient as filling up a traditional petrol vehicle - a move that could help remove one of the biggest barriers to wider electric vehicle adoption.
South Korea will soon cease to be one of the few countries where Google Maps does not function fully, after its security-conscious government reversed a two-decade-old policy and approved the export of high-precision map data to overseas servers.
New research suggests 40,000-year-old carved objects from south-western Germany bear repeated marks arranged in organised sign sequences similar to early proto-cuneiform, although they are not regarded as a form of writing.
The chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has called for more urgent research into the risks posed by artificial intelligence, warning that stronger safeguards are needed as systems become more advanced.
NASA successfully completed a critical fueling rehearsal on Thursday (19 February) for its giant moon rocket, Artemis II, after earlier hydrogen leaks disrupted preparations for the next crewed lunar mission. The launch is scheduled for 6 March, according to the latest information from NASA.
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