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Today’s Storystream

Australia’s Department of Defence has locked in a five-year, AU$495 million deal with Microsoft to power its logistics and finance systems through Azure. The move, starting in September, highlights Canberra’s continued shift toward a multi-cloud strategy—even with a AU$2 billion AWS project underway. Recent contracts with Oracle and Citrix further signal that defense leaders are deliberately avoiding reliance on any single provider for national cloud infrastructure.

AWS plans to build three data centers in northwest Dublin, but a fresh appeal from environmental groups now puts the project under review. While Fingal County Council granted approval, final judgment lies with An Coimisiún Pleanála. Planning consultants for AWS argue the project includes strong mitigation measures and won’t harm the climate. Still, concerns continue to rise as Ireland weighs the long-term impact of large-scale data infrastructure.

Ooredoo has rolled out AI cloud services in Qatar using Nvidia’s Hopper GPUs, giving businesses local access to high-performance computing while keeping data onshore. Hosted entirely within Qatar, the move supports national sovereignty over digital infrastructure and aligns with the country’s AI strategy. With reduced latency and no cross-border data risks, the setup empowers sectors like healthcare and logistics to scale AI workloads securely and efficiently.

Alibaba Cloud is deepening its Southeast Asian presence with a third data center in Malaysia and a second set to open in the Philippines this October. Alongside, it’s launching a Singapore-based global competency center to support AI adoption across 5,000 businesses and 100,000 developers. The move aligns with Alibaba’s broader $53 billion push into global AI infrastructure as it sharpens focus on artificial general intelligence.

The Premier League has signed a five-year deal naming Microsoft Azure its official cloud and AI partner. Microsoft will power the league’s digital transformation—migrating infrastructure, enhancing broadcast data overlays, and supporting new fan-facing platforms. Using Azure OpenAI, the league plans to mine decades of stats and media to deliver real-time match insights. Oracle, the league’s previous cloud provider, exited the partnership earlier this year.