Malta Innovation Boost: Malta has been named a “Strong Innovator” for the first time in the 2026 European Innovation Scoreboard, moving above the EU average and highlighting strengths in intellectual assets and resource/labour productivity impact. AI for Everyday Skills: Malta’s “AI għal Kulħadd” programme has drawn 29,000+ starters in seven weeks, with 15,839 completing all three courses and receiving a one-year subscription to either ChatGPT Plus or Microsoft 365 Personal. Semiconductors & Jobs: Apple and Broadcom have agreed a deal expected to exceed $30bn to expand US chip production, including 15bn+ chips and hundreds of American jobs, with Broadcom modernising its Fort Collins facilities. EU Battery Rules: Nintendo says Europe’s Switch 2 will arrive in autumn 2026 with a user-replaceable battery to comply with the EU Batteries Regulation, while older Switch models are set to be withdrawn from retail in mid-February 2027. Digital Payments & Trust: A Malta-linked push for stronger digital-asset oversight is echoed in wider EU discussions on regulation and institutional confidence as crypto moves into more formal finance. Local Tech & Connectivity: Telefónica Deutschland and Crout are launching “2CoreSIM,” using two independent network profiles on one SIM card, including Melita’s network, to keep critical IoT connections running. Gambling Payments Scrutiny: Investigations claim UK payment firms processed €600m in transfers tied to unlicensed gambling networks linked to Malta/Cyprus-based Soft2bet, raising fresh concerns about how legitimate infrastructure can be used to bypass safeguards.