AI & Chips in Malta’s orbit: GlobalFoundries is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission to help researchers move from AI-enabled chip design to working prototype silicon, using GF’s manufacturing platform and design enablement resources. Local Tech Education: OPIT’s 2026 graduation in Valletta saw 111 graduates from 35+ countries complete degrees in Computer Science and AI/data science, including Applied Data Science and AI and Enterprise Cybersecurity. EU Policy for Tech & Resilience: The European Commission adopted the 2026 European Semester Spring Package, pushing Member States toward competitiveness, skills, decarbonisation and reduced strategic dependencies. Online Services Disruption: Shopify reported a major outage with users worldwide seeing “500 Server Error” and login/storefront access problems. Malta Public Safety & Food Security: After the Salini fireworks factory explosion, Malta’s Food Safety and Security Authority launched precautionary inspections and sampling to check for debris or contaminants affecting food and feed. Transport & Infrastructure Pressure: Malta’s vehicle fleet keeps growing faster than roads, schools and planning, raising congestion concerns tied to induced demand. Maritime Tech & Safety: At Posidonia 2026, shipping leaders focused on seafarer safety and decarbonising global shipping. Earthquake Monitoring: A 6.1 quake struck off Italy’s Calabria coast; tremors were felt across southern regions and Malta’s seismic network has previously detected nearby events.