Google announces new innovation challenge

The European Central Bank has said it is taking the next step toward launching a digital version of the euro. The move comes amid a boom in crypto and other digital currencies.

Pope Francis expresses his "concern" over the situation in Afghanistan and calls for "dialogue" to resolve the conflict. The Taliban are on the brink of total victory in Afghanistan, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of the capital and the government conceding it was preparing for a "transfer of power".

Two fluffy white terriers wearing tartan berets pant quietly as their owner waves a treat and snaps a photo for the dogs' tens of thousands of Instagram followers. They are among a growing number of pet influencers on social media in Singapore, a trend fuelled by a rise in online shopping and pet ownership during the coronavirus pandemic.

India failed to make the list for the UK's most recent easing of travel restrictions. India's digital vaccine certificate and its locally developed vaccine are both under scrutiny.

The tiny US town of Green Bank is home to the over six-decade-old Green Bank Observatory, which requires radio silence to be able to peer deep into space to observe stars and black holes. Cell phone service is effectively barred, but the West Virginia town is changing: not everyone agrees about what comes next for this seeming digital age refuge.

Sendbox, a Nigeria-based e-commerce platform, has secured $1.8 million from a seed round led by 4Dx Ventures, Enza Capital, FJLabs, and Golden Palm Investments, bringing its total investment to $2 million.

France, Austria, Italy, Spain and Britain have agreed to withdraw digital services taxes on US tech giants in 2023, while the US will drop retaliatory punitive tariffs.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday.⁣⁣⁣

Sudan's top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Tuesday (October 26) that the military agreed to a number of initiatives suggested by prime minister Abdalla Hamdok but civilian forces refused to engage in any dialogue. Speaking at his first news conference since he announced Monday's takeover, Burhan defended the army's seizure of power, saying he had ousted the government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to avoid civil war. Soldiers arrested the prime minister and other members of his cabinet on Monday (October 25), and hours later Burhan appeared on TV to announce the dissolution of the Sovereign Council, a body set up to share power between the military and civilians.

The US said it was seeking "security and prosperity" for Palestinians. The dialogue had not been convened since before the election of former President Donald Trump.

This is our fourth episode on the fall of the Soviet Union. Today we go to Estonia... the former Soviet republic which has undergone the fastest and most radical modernisation. The country is now a digital powerhouse where almost everything can be done from a smartphone. France 24's Sylvain Rousseau and Achraf Abid report from Tallinn.

Digital sovereignty is a key idea in the internet age — the idea that parties must have sovereignty over their own digital data. This can be applied on an individual basis or toward nations — the bottom line is that digital sovereignty involves consideration of how data and digital assets are treated.