Digital cooperation

Singapore and the EU advance their digital partnership

The European Union met Singapore in Brussels for the second Digital Partnership Council, reinforcing a joint ambition to strengthen cooperation across a broad set of digital priorities.

Both sides expressed a shared interest in improving competitiveness, expanding innovation and shaping common approaches to digital rules instead of relying on fragmented national frameworks.

Discussions covered AI, cybersecurity, online safety, data flows, digital identities, semiconductors and quantum technologies.

Officials highlighted the importance of administrative arrangements in AI safety. They explored potential future cooperation on language models, including the EU’s work on the Alliance for Language Technologies and Singapore’s Sea-Lion initiative.

Efforts to protect consumers and support minors online were highlighted, alongside the potential role of age verification tools.

Further exchanges focused on trust services and the interoperability of digital identity systems, as well as collaborative research on semiconductors and quantum technologies.

Both sides emphasised the importance of robust cyber resilience and ongoing evaluation of cybersecurity risks, rather than relying on reactive measures. The recently signed Digital Trade Agreement was welcomed for improving legal certainty, building consumer trust and reducing barriers to digital commerce.

The meeting between the EU and Singapore confirmed the importance of the partnership in supporting economic security, strengthening research capacity and increasing resilience in critical technologies.

It also reflected the wider priorities outlined in the European Commission’s International Digital Strategy, which placed particular emphasis on cooperation with Asian partners across emerging technologies and digital governance.

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Italy secures new EU support for growth and reform

The European Commission has endorsed Italy’s latest request for funding under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, marking an important step in the country’s economic modernisation.

An approval that covers 12.8 billion euros, combining grants and loans, and supports efforts to strengthen competitiveness and long-term growth across key sectors of national life.

Italy completed 32 milestones and targets connected to the eighth instalment, enabling progress in public administration, procurement, employment, education, research, tourism, renewable energy and the circular economy.

Thousands of schools have gained new resources to improve multilingual learning and build stronger skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Many primary and secondary schools have also secured modern digital tools to enhance teaching quality instead of relying on outdated systems.

Health research forms another major part of the package. Projects focused on rare diseases, cancer and other high-impact conditions have gained fresh funding to support scientific work and improve treatment pathways.

These measures contribute to a broader transformation programme financed through 194.4 billion euros, representing one of the largest recovery plans in the EU.

A four-week review by the Economic and Financial Committee will follow before the payment can be released. Once completed, Italy’s total receipts will exceed 153 billion euros, covering more than 70 percent of its full Recovery and Resilience Facility allocation.

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Australia launches national AI plan to drive innovation

The Australian Government has unveiled its National AI Plan, aiming to harness AI to build a fairer, stronger nation. The plan helps government, industry, research and communities collaborate to ensure everyone benefits as technology transforms the economy and society.

AI is reshaping work, learning and service delivery across Australia, boosting productivity, competitiveness and resilience. The plan outlines a path for developing trusted AI solutions while promoting investment, innovation and national capability.

Key initiatives focus on spreading benefits widely, supporting small businesses, regional communities and groups at risk of digital exclusion.

Programs such as the AI Adopt Program and the National AI Centre provide guidance and resources. At the same time, digital skills initiatives aim to increase AI literacy across schools, TAFEs and community organisations.

Safety and trust remain central, with the government establishing the AI Safety Institute to monitor risks and ensure the ethical adoption of AI. Legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks will be reviewed to protect Australians and establish the country as a leader in global AI standards.

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Accenture and OpenAI expand AI adoption worldwide

Accenture partners with OpenAI to embed ChatGPT Enterprise, upskilling tens of thousands of professionals with AI skills through OpenAI Certifications. The initiative represents the most extensive professional upskilling programme powered by OpenAI.

A new flagship AI client programme will combine OpenAI’s enterprise products with Accenture’s deep industry expertise. The programme will help clients adopt AI in key functions like customer service, finance, HR and supply chain, automating workflows and improving decision-making.

The collaboration will leverage OpenAI’s AgentKit and other advanced tools to design, test and deploy custom AI agents rapidly. By integrating agentic AI, Accenture aims to accelerate enterprise reinvention and create measurable economic value for its clients.

Accenture and OpenAI have already worked with many of the world’s largest enterprises, including Walmart, Salesforce, PayPal and Morgan Stanley. The partnership enhances both firms’ global AI adoption and helps organisations unlock new growth opportunities.

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Europol backs major takedown of Cryptomixer in Switzerland

Europol has supported a coordinated action week in Zurich, where Swiss and German authorities dismantled the illegal cryptocurrency mixing service Cryptomixer.

Three servers were seized in Switzerland, together with the cryptomixer.io domain, leading to the confiscation of more than €25 million in Bitcoin and over 12 terabytes of operational data.

Cryptomixer operated on both the clear web and the dark web, enabling cybercriminals to conceal the origins of illicit funds. The platform has mixed over €1.3 billion in Bitcoin since 2016, aiding ransomware groups, dark web markets, and criminals involved in drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and credit card fraud.

Its randomised pooling system effectively blocked the traceability of funds across the blockchain.

Mixing services, such as Cryptomixer, are used to anonymise illegal funds before moving them to exchanges or converting them into other cryptocurrencies or fiat. The takedown halts further laundering and disrupts a key tool used by organised cybercrime networks.

Europol facilitated information exchange through the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce and coordinated operational meetings throughout the investigation. The agency deployed cybercrime specialists on the final day to provide on-site support and forensics.

Earlier efforts included support for the 2023 takedown of Chipmixer, then the largest mixer of its kind.

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NVIDIA and Synopsys shape a new era in engineering

The US tech giant, NVIDIA, has deepened its long-standing partnership with Synopsys through a multi-year strategy designed to redefine digital engineering across global industries.

An agreement that includes a significant investment of two billion dollars in Synopsys shares and a coordinated effort to bring accelerated computing into every stage of research and development.

The aim is to replace slow, fragmented workflows with highly efficient engineering supported by GPU power, agentic AI and advanced physics simulation.

Research teams across semiconductor design, aerospace, automotive and industrial manufacturing continue to face rising complexity and escalating development costs. NVIDIA and Synopsys plan to respond by unifying their strengths, rather than relying on traditional CPU-bound methods.

NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platforms will connect with Synopsys tools to enable faster design, broader simulation capability and more precise verification. The collaboration extends to autonomous engineering through AI agents built on Synopsys AgentEngineer and NVIDIA’s agentic AI stack.

Digital twins stand at the centre of the new strategy. Accurate virtual models, powered through Omniverse and Synopsys simulation environments, will allow engineers to test and validate products in virtual space before physical production.

Cloud-ready access will support companies of all sizes, rather than restricting advanced engineering to large enterprises with specialised infrastructure. Both firms intend to promote adoption through a shared go-to-market programme.

The partnership remains open and non-exclusive, ensuring continued cooperation with the broader semiconductor and electronic design ecosystem.

NVIDIA and Synopsys expect accelerated engineering to reshape innovation cycles, offering a route to faster product development and more reliable outcomes across every primary technical sector.

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Mixx and MVola services grow under Axian’s partnership with Mastercard

Axian Group has entered a strategic partnership with Mastercard to expand digital payment services across its mobile network markets. The collaboration covers virtual and physical cards under the Mixx and MVola brands. Both companies say the tools will enable safer, faster cross-border payments.

Consumers will activate and top up virtual cards via the Mixx and MVola apps in markets such as Madagascar and the Comoros. Axian says real-time monitoring features will simplify international transactions. The rollout is designed to broaden financial access through mobile channels.

Axian’s fintech lead, Erwan Gelebart, says the initiative will help SMEs and entrepreneurs in Senegal and Togo adopt secure mobile-payment tools. He argues the partnership strengthens local digital ecosystems. Mastercard sees the cooperation as part of wider financial-inclusion efforts.

Mastercard executive Mete Guney says the collaboration will expand secure digital-payment infrastructure in Tanzania and neighbouring regions. He says new services aim to improve how people pay and get paid. The companies plan phased deployment as demand grows.

Axian rebranded its mobile units to Yas in 2024 across Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, Togo and Tanzania. Its financial services arms now operate as Mixx by Yas. The new merchant and card tools build on this unified-market strategy.

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DigitalBridge joins KT to boost Korea’s AI infrastructure plans

KT has partnered with DigitalBridge to build new AI data centres in Korea and abroad. The agreement was signed in Seoul amid growing demand for high-performance computing. Both companies aim to expand into fast-developing regional AI markets.

DigitalBridge brings global data centre and cloud expertise, backed by significant investment capacity. KT says the partnership will boost national AI competitiveness and support expansion plans. Work will cover facility design, operations and improved network connectivity.

Engineers will optimise AI workloads for training and inference across industrial sectors. The partners plan to stabilise high-load systems and streamline data flow. Enterprise and telecom uses are expected to benefit directly.

Energy efficiency is a core priority for advanced AI facilities. KT and DigitalBridge will research cooling improvements and power-saving methods. Both companies frame sustainability as essential for long-term competitiveness.

KT says the collaboration strengthens ambitions for regional AI infrastructure within Korea. Analysts view the move as an effort to secure GPUs and expand capacity. The project aims to position Korea as a key AI data-centre hub.

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South Korea retailer admits worst-ever data leak

Coupang disclosed a major data breach on 30 November 2025 that exposed 33.7 million customer accounts. The leaked data includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses and some order history but excludes payment or login credentials.

The company said it first detected unauthorised access on 18 November. Subsequent investigations revealed that attacks likely began on 24 June through overseas servers and may involve a former employee’s still-active authentication key.

South Korean authorities launched an emergency probe to determine if Coupang violated data-protection laws. The government warned customers to stay alert to phishing and fraud attempts using the leaked information.

Cybersecurity experts say the breach may be one of the worst personal-data leaks in Korean history. Critics claim the incident underlines deep structural weaknesses in corporate cybersecurity practices.

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UK to require crypto traders to report details from 2026

The UK government has confirmed that cryptocurrency traders will be required to report personal details to trading platforms from 1 January 2026. The move forms part of the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CAFR), aligned with an OECD agreement, and aims to improve compliance with existing tax rules.

Under the framework, exchanges must provide HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) with customer information, including cryptocurrency transactions and tax reference numbers.

Traders who fail to supply required details could face fines of up to £300, while platforms may be fined the same amount per unreported customer. HMRC expects to raise up to £315 million by 2030 from the new reporting rules.

Experts warn exchanges may face challenges collecting accurate information, potentially passing compliance costs onto users. Some investors may initially turn to noncompliant platforms, but international standards are expected to drive global alignment over time.

The 2025 Budget also addressed the taxation of DeFi activities such as lending and staking. HMRC appears to favour taxing gains only when they are realised, although no final decision has been made and consultations with stakeholders will continue.

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