Smart Tourism in Malta’s orbit: Valletta’s mayor says digital platforms can boost accessibility and multilingual travel planning as the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2026 pushes “Smart Tourism, Shared Prosperity” in Beijing. Education tech backlash: New PISA results show Malta slipping further in reading, maths and science, with nearly half of 15-year-olds below the OECD minimum reading level—fueling fresh debate on how digitalisation and weaker reading habits are reshaping learning. Quantum industry boost: GlobalFoundries has finalized a $375m CHIPS R&D award to scale its Quantum Technology Solutions, aiming to move quantum chips from prototyping to commercial manufacturing. Power electronics scaling: GlobalFoundries and Monolithic Power Systems signed a long-term manufacturing deal using MPS process tech at GF’s 300mm Singapore facility for next-gen power for AI, cloud and automotive. Malta-linked aviation disruption: A Ryanair Malta-bound flight declared an emergency after a bird strike, while UK-wide air traffic control failures have also caused major delays. Maritime decarbonisation talks: Cyprus, Greece and Malta expand their shipping cooperation by adding Italy for a 3+1 ministerial meeting in Limassol focused on competitiveness and decarbonisation. Local environment reminder: A new butterfly sculpture in Kingstree is designed to be filled with collected litter, turning trash into a visible public nudge against littering.