Dispatches from the ground: September 11

Here are this week's biggest stories in tech from the regions that we cover. For more exclusive content, sign up for Rest of World's weekly global newsletter .

Image source: Extreme heat is making life harder for Vietnam's gig workers

Africa

Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD appears to be doubling down on Africa. Just three months after it partnered with Rwandan EV maker Ampersand, BYD has now launched its first showroom in Zambia . The company has hired and trained local talent to provide after-sale maintenance services to customers in the country. Zambia is the fourth African country where BYD has established an official presence, after South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda. Under its partnership with Ampersand, the Rwandan company had agreed to purchase batteries from BYD to build around 40,000 electric motorcycles by the end of 2026. — dámiláre dòsùnmú from?Lagos

China

“Trump and Kamala Harris are two bowls of poison for Beijing,” a prominent Chinese international studies professor told Financial Times last week. Whichever way the U.S. election goes, it’s clear that U.S.-China tensions won’t dissipate anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean tech companies are as hawkish as their respective governments. This was clear last week, when U.S. and Chinese tech giants unveiled the world’s first international standard for the private sector to self-monitor the use of AI in supply chains. Perhaps to the chagrin of Washington officials, the event involving Microsoft, Google, and Meta took place in Shanghai.?—? Joanna Chiu from Vancouver

Latin America

Last week, I attended the Volcano Innovation Summit in Antigua, where tech enthusiasts from across the world gathered to discuss a range of topics, including the potential of generative AI and investment in regional startups. I interacted with several U.S.-based venture capitalists who said they are keen to back Latin American startups — a much-needed move given that investments in startups in the region have dropped by 60% since 2021. The conference was headlined by Rappi co-founder Simón Borrero, who hinted at the company’s much-anticipated IPO. — Daniela Dib ?from Mexico City

South Asia

The Indian government summoned Netflix India’s content chief, Monika Shergill, last week following backlash over the platform’s new series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The crime thriller is based on the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 in 1999. There has been an outcry over the hijackers in the show using Hindu code names, which some believe will mislead viewers. After Shergill met government representatives, Netflix agreed to update the opening disclaimer to include the real names of the hijackers. Some survivors of the 1999 incident have attested to the accuracy of the monikers used. This is not the first time the Indian government has reprimanded a streaming service over concerns related to how Hindus are represented in shows. In 2021, Amazon Prime Video removed two sequences from a political drama after backlash alleging the show was anti-Hindu. — Ananya Bhattacharya from?Mumbai

Southeast Asia

Indonesian ride-hailing and delivery company Gojek is pulling out of Vietnam after six years. A unit of GoTo, Gojek competed with Grab, Be, and Xanh SM in ride hailing, and with ShopeeFood in delivery. Gojek previously exited Thailand, and still operates in Singapore. Platform companies are under pressure across Southeast Asia, with workers in Indonesia recently staging a strike. Singapore is expected to be the first country in the region to give app-based workers more rights under a new law . — Rina Chandran from Bangkok