South Korea has unveiled a national strategy to become one of the world’s top three AI powers by 2028. The plan combines investment in digital infrastructure, data systems and next-generation connectivity.
The strategy includes developing talent across education levels and investing in core technologies such as semiconductors and quantum computing. AI adoption is expected to expand across sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare and agriculture.
The South Korean officials also plan to promote digital inclusion through learning centres and assistive technologies. Coordination between ministries will be strengthened to ensure effective delivery of the long-term roadmap.
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Enforcement of the Online Safety Act intensifies in 2026, with regulators pushing stronger age verification across social media, gaming, messaging, and adult platforms. Significant progress has been reported in the adult sector, with most major pornography services now using age assurance or restricting UK access.
Ofcom has issued new expectations for major children’s platforms, including stricter age verification, stronger protections against grooming, safer feeds, and tighter product testing. The regulator has warned that further enforcement action may follow if compliance is not met.
New obligations are also being introduced, including a requirement from April 2026 for services to report child sexual exploitation and abuse content to the National Crime Agency.
Providers are being instructed to keep risk assessments up to date and adapt to evolving regulatory guidance, including upcoming consultations and expanded reporting duties.
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DeepSeek’s chatbot suffered a seven-hour-plus disruption in China, prompting multiple updates as the company worked to restore full functionality. Users began reporting issues on Sunday evening, with further performance problems recorded on Monday morning.
Initial alerts appeared on monitoring platforms and DeepSeek’s own status page, which acknowledged an incident shortly after it began. Although early fixes were deployed within hours, additional disruptions followed, requiring further corrective updates before the system stabilised.
The company has not disclosed the cause of the outage, and no official comment has been provided. The extended downtime stands out for a platform known for consistent performance, which has maintained a near 99 percent uptime record since the launch of its R1 model in 2025.
The disruption comes at a time of heightened anticipation for DeepSeek’s next major update, as speculation builds across China’s competitive AI sector, where firms continue to race to release new models.
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The European Commission has confirmed a cyber-attack targeting its cloud infrastructure hosting the Europa.eu services, with authorities acting swiftly to contain the incident and prevent disruption to public access.
The attack was identified on 24 March, prompting immediate mitigation measures to secure systems and maintain service continuity.
Preliminary findings indicate that some data may have been accessed from affected websites, although the full scope of the incident remains under investigation.
The Commission has begun notifying the relevant EU entities that may be affected, while continuing efforts to assess the extent of the breach and strengthen safeguards.
Officials confirmed that internal systems were not affected, limiting the overall impact of the attack.
Monitoring efforts remain ongoing, with additional security measures being implemented to protect data and infrastructure, rather than relying solely on existing defences. The Commission has also committed to analysing the incident to improve its cybersecurity capabilities.
The attack comes amid growing cyber and hybrid threats targeting European institutions and critical services.
Existing frameworks, including the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Solidarity Act, aim to strengthen resilience and coordination across member states, supporting a more unified response to large-scale cyber incidents across the EU.
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The European Commission and Japan have reinforced their digital cooperation through the 31st the EU–Japan ICT Dialogue held in Tokyo, focusing on advancing shared priorities in emerging technologies instead of pursuing separate national strategies.
A meeting that forms part of the broader EU–Japan Digital Partnership, which aims to deepen collaboration in key areas of the digital economy.
Discussions covered a wide range of topics, including AI, cybersecurity, and secure connectivity infrastructure such as submarine cables and Arctic networks.
Both sides also explored developments in 5G and 6G technologies, alongside emerging solutions like quantum key distribution, highlighting the importance of secure and resilient communication systems in an evolving digital landscape.
The dialogue also emphasised cooperation between the EU AI Office and AI Safety Institute, as well as joint efforts in research, innovation, and international standardisation.
These initiatives aim to align regulatory approaches and technological development rather than create fragmented global frameworks.
By strengthening collaboration across critical digital sectors, the EU and Japan seek to enhance technological resilience and promote secure, interoperable systems.
The ongoing partnership reflects a shared commitment to shaping global digital standards while supporting innovation and economic growth in both regions.
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An expanded meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union Intergovernmental Council was held in Shymkent under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship, bringing together leaders to discuss economic integration, digital transformation and technological development.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan will prioritise the introduction of AI across the Union’s activities, alongside efforts to strengthen digital ecosystems and regulatory cooperation among member states.
Participants discussed the use of AI in areas including customs administration, logistics, industry and agriculture, as well as a proposal to develop an integrated AI-based platform to coordinate cargo flows and improve transport efficiency.
The meeting also addressed digital governance measures, including transitioning veterinary and phytosanitary certification fully to electronic formats to improve transparency in trade and reduce administrative barriers.
Leaders emphasised the role of digital solutions and AI in supporting industrial cooperation, innovation and market integration, with decisions from the meeting aimed at strengthening economic resilience and advancing digital transformation across the region.
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The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined plans to integrate AI and data-driven tools into its regulatory processes as part of its 2026/27 work programme to become a more efficient and effective regulator.
The programme includes developing an internal authorisation tool to speed up approvals and using generative AI to review documents and support supervision, while maintaining human decision-making at the core of regulatory actions.
The FCA said it will also test automated data-sharing in a sandbox environment, expand its Supercharged Sandbox for firms developing AI-based financial products, and invest in analytics to better identify risks and prioritise cases.
Measures to reduce burdens on firms include removing certain data reporting requirements, simplifying digital processes and improving authorisation timelines, alongside efforts to enhance firms’ experience through new tools and feedback mechanisms.
The regulator also plans to support economic growth and consumer protection by advancing measures such as regulating buy now pay later products, speeding up IPO processes, expanding international presence, and addressing emerging risks, including the use of general-purpose AI in financial decision-making.
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The UK government has announced new procurement guidance that will treat shipbuilding, steel, AI, and energy infrastructure as critical to national security, with departments directed to prioritise British businesses where necessary to protect national security. The press release was published on 26 March by the Cabinet Office and its Minister, Chris Ward.
According to the government, the new approach is intended to respond to recent supply-chain fragility and strengthen domestic capacity in sectors it describes as vital to national security. The guidance is presented as the first clear framework for how departments can protect the UK’s economic security and build resilience in the four named sectors.
Additional measures in the package go beyond sector prioritisation. The government says departments will either use British steel or provide a justification if steel is sourced from overseas, linking the change to the UK Steel Strategy launched the previous week. Officials also say the reforms support the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and follow the publication of the National Security Strategy.
Procurement reform is another part of the package. Under a new Public Interest Test, departments will be asked to assess whether outsourced service contracts worth more than £1 million could be delivered more effectively in-house. The government says the test will cover more than 95% of central government contracts by value.
Community impact is also being built into the contracting framework. Departments will be required to publish and report annually on a specific social value goal for contracts above £5 million, which the government says will cover more than 90% of central government contracts by value. Companies bidding for public contracts are also being encouraged to include commitments on local jobs, skills, and apprenticeships.
The press release also says a new suite of AI tools has been developed to streamline the commercial process. Contract terms will be simplified, and additional business information will be integrated into a central platform, with the stated aim of reducing repeated submissions by smaller businesses bidding for multiple contracts.
Chris Ward said: ‘This Government is backing British businesses and the working people who power them. These reforms are about using the full weight of Government spending to support British jobs, protect our national security and grow our economy.’ He added: ‘Whether you make steel in Scunthorpe, build ships on the Clyde or run a small tech firm in the Midlands, this Government is on your side.’
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The Vocational Training Council (VTC) has introduced an ‘AI for All’ strategy to integrate AI training across its programmes, aiming to support Hong Kong’s ambition to strengthen its innovation and technology sector.
The initiative aligns with broader policy priorities, including the ‘AI Plus’ approach outlined in national planning frameworks and Hong Kong’s budget, which emphasise integrating AI across industries while addressing a shortage of skilled professionals.
Under the ‘AI+Professional’ model, all Higher Diploma students are required to study IT modules covering prompt engineering, generative AI, and AI ethics and security, with training adapted to disciplines such as engineering, design, and information technology.
The council has also partnered with technology companies through memorandums of understanding. It provides ongoing training for employees in government and industry, while offering internal AI tools and a ‘Virtual Tutor’ platform to support teaching and learning.
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The European Commission has launched formal proceedings to assess whether Snapchat is complying with child protection obligations under the Digital Services Act. The investigation focuses on whether the platform ensures adequate safety, privacy, and security for minors.
Authorities suspect Snapchat may have failed to prevent exposure of children to grooming attempts, recruitment for criminal activity, and content linked to illegal goods such as drugs, vapes, and alcohol.
Concerns also include whether minors can be effectively prevented from accessing the platform or interacting with adults posing as peers.
The inquiry will examine age assurance methods, default account settings, reporting tools, and the spread of illegal content. Regulators argue that self-declared age may be insufficient, while default settings and recommendations may expose minors to risks.
The Commission will now gather further evidence through information requests, inspections, and interviews, and may take enforcement actions, including interim measures or penalties.
National regulators will support the investigation as part of coordinated oversight under the Digital Services Act.
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