Asset management: Estate planners introduce technology for preparing will

Marathon world record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge hopes that technology will take "centre stage" as athletes strive for improvement and chase faster times in the future. The Kenyan, who overcame humid conditions in Tokyo earlier this month to claim gold in the marathon, was among a host of runners who ran in specially designed Nike shoes fitted with carbon-fibre plates for more spring and quicker times, once again rekindling a debate around "technological doping".

Eight years ago, death metal fan Randal Plunkett, whose family have presided over Dunsany Castle northwest of Dublin for nine centuries, began his "radical" rewilding project. The 38-year-old vegan, an unlikely successor to ancestors depicted in sober portraits lining the walls of the grey stone castle, evicted livestock and dismissed lawnmowers to allow nature to take its course.

The first solar thermal power plant in South America hopes to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while maintaining jobs for the coal industry's workers.

Chinese property developers have met with a government think tank, amid increasing concern over the real estate sector's heavy debt burden. The liquidity crisis goes well beyond the high-profile firm Evergrande. Also, Australia unveils a €114 million investment aimed at boosting sales of electric vehicles, and Virgin Galactic sells another 100 tickets for sub-orbital space flights.

Engines developed in Germany can evade export control bans due to their status as a so-called dual-use technology, a German media investigation has revealed.

Canberra fears that countries such as China are gaining access to Australian innovations, often through academic cooperation.

Ghana's digital innovation week brings together pacesetters, entrepreneurs and investors all seeking to use technology for real social change.

Since September, the name Evergrande has caused panic on stock exchanges around the world. Paralysed by $300 billion in debt (€260 billion), or the equivalent of 2 percent of Chinese GDP, the country's second-largest real estate developer is now threatening Chinese growth. Evergrande has more than 1,300 construction projects across China, as well as financial products, electric cars, livestock, bottled water and even a football club.

A mayor in Greece is using smart technology to make his city future-proof. Electric vehicles and an e-complaint system are part of Trikala's innovation strategy, but the Greek government is interfering with the plans.

Shunned in the Global North due to privacy and security issues, Huawei is a front-runner in Africa. But the Chinese giant's data collection methods may also appeal to authoritarian regimes as a way to cling to power.

In northern Ghana, farmers lose some 25% of their animals to diseases every year. Feed and water shortages are also a problem. A startup has developed an app to help farmers get their animals vaccinated to reduce losses.

A rise in demand for air conditioning and refrigeration has pushed up emissions around the world. A project in Kenya is looking into alternative natural refrigerants and is training women to be specialized technicians.