While spending soared to almost $12 billion, per one estimate, the data shows a more complicated economic picture.
Day: December 1, 2025
Iran is meanwhile grappling with one of worst droughts on record and temperatures fall 10C below normal in US
More heavy rainfall is expected in Sri Lanka in the coming days, likely resulting in further damage across the country. It comes after torrential rainfall in south-east Asia, resulting in catastrophic flash flooding and landslides that have affected millions, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 people in Indonesia and 160 in Thailand, with hundreds more missing. Parts of North Sumatra, in Indonesia, were hit with rainfall totals of 800mm over four days, with other areas also experiencing heavy rainfall.
This extreme rainfall has been associated with a rare cluster of tropical cyclones affecting many parts of southern Asia. Cyclone Senyar, part of the cluster, hit Indonesia and Thailand. Cyclone Ditwah, also part of the same cluster, has resulted in extreme rainfall and severe flooding in Sri Lanka where death tolls neared 200 as of Sunday, with hundreds more missing.
Roadmap focuses on technology’s ‘economic benefits’ and says existing laws will cover the fast-growing new technology
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The Albanese government has decided against legislation to manage artificial intelligence, with a new national roadmap emphasising Labor’s focus on the technology’s economic benefits and plans to “unlock” vast datasets held by private companies and the public service to help train AI models.
Supporting and reskilling workers affected by AI in their jobs, boosting investment in datacentres, and sharing the productivity benefits across the economy are key components of the Labor government’s National AI Plan, launched on Tuesday.
