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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Philips has unveiled Verida, the world’s first detector-based spectral CT fully powered by AI. The system integrates AI across the imaging chain, enhancing image quality, lowering system noise, and streamlining clinical workflow for faster, more precise diagnostics.
Spectral CT allows tissues to be distinguished based on how they absorb different x-ray energies, providing insights that conventional scans cannot. Verida reconstructs 145 images per second, completing exams in under 30 seconds, allowing up to 270 scans daily with lower doses and up to 45% less energy use.
Clinicians are already seeing benefits, especially in cardiac imaging. Prof. Eliseo Vañó Galván, Chairman of CT & MR at Hospital Nuestra. Sra. Del Rosario in Madrid, said the system could boost confidence, reduce invasive procedures, and expand spectral imaging.
Built for high-demand environments, Verida combines AI-driven reconstruction with Philips’ Nano-panel dual-layer detector and proprietary Spectral Precise Image technology. The system is CE-marked and 510k pending, with availability in select markets expected in 2026.
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The Second Cairo Forum brought together experts to assess how AI, global shifts, and economic pressures are shaping MENA. Speakers said the region faces a critical moment as new technologies accelerate. The discussion asked whether MENA will help shape AI or simply adopt it.
Participants highlighted global divides, warning that data misuse and concentrated control remain major risks. They argued that middle-income countries can collaborate to build shared standards. Several speakers urged innovation-friendly regulation supported by clear safety rules.
Officials from Egypt outlined national efforts to embed AI across health, agriculture, and justice. They described progress through applied projects and new governance structures. Limited data access and talent retention were identified as continuing obstacles.
Industry voices stressed that trust, transparency, and skills must underpin the use of AI. They emphasised co-creation that fits regional languages and contexts. Training and governance frameworks were seen as essential for responsible deployment.
Closing remarks warned that rapid advances demand urgent decisions. Speakers said safety investment lags behind development, and global competition is intensifying. They agreed that today’s choices will shape the region’s AI future.
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Meta has faced criticism after numerous consumers reported being misled by companies using AI-generated adverts on Facebook and Instagram. The firms posed as UK businesses while shipping cheap goods from Asia, prompting claims that scams were ‘running rampant’ on the platforms.
Victims were persuaded by realistic adverts and AI-generated images but received poorly made clothing and jewellery. Several companies, including C’est La Vie, Mabel & Daisy, Harrison & Hayes, and Chester & Clare, were removed after investigations revealed fabricated backstories and fake shopfronts.
Consumer guides recommend vigilance, advising shoppers to check company websites, reviews, and use Trustpilot to verify legitimacy. Experts warn that overly perfect images, including AI-generated shopfronts or models, may signal fraudulent adverts.
Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are urged to enforce stricter measures to prevent scams.
Meta stated it works with Stop Scams UK and encourages users to report suspicious adverts, while the Advertising Standards Authority continues to crack down on misleading online promotions.
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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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FIDReC recorded 4,355 claims in FY2024/2025, marking its highest volume in twenty years and a sharp rise from the previous year. Scam activity and broader dispute growth across financial institutions contributed to the increase. Greater public awareness of the centre’s role also drove more filings.
Fraud and scam disputes climbed to 1,285 cases, up more than 50% and accounting for nearly half of all claims. FIDReC accepted 2,646 claims for handling, with early resolution procedures reducing formal caseload growth. The phased approach encourages direct negotiation between consumers and providers.
Chief Executive Eunice Chua said rising claim volumes reflect fast-evolving financial risks and increasingly complex products. National indicators show similar pressures, with Singapore ranked second globally for payment card scams. Insurance fraud reports also continued to grow during the year.
Compromised credentials accounted for most scam-related cases, often involving unauthorised withdrawals or card charges. Consumers reported incidents without knowing how their details were obtained. The share of such complaints rose markedly compared with the previous year.
Banks added safeguards on large digital withdrawals as part of wider anti-scam measures. Regulators introduced cooling-off periods, stronger information sharing and closer monitoring of suspicious activity. Authorities say the goal is to limit exposure to scams and reinforce public confidence.
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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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AWS introduced major AI upgrades at re:Invent 2025, led by new agentic capabilities in Amazon Connect. Companies can now automate complex service tasks while customers engage with natural, multilingual voice interactions.
Customer service teams gain deeper support as agentic tools summarise conversations, prepare documents and manage routine actions. AI also drives personalised recommendations by combining live clickstream data with detailed customer histories.
AWS expanded its multicloud strategy by launching Interconnect multicloud with Google Cloud. The partnership enables private, high bandwidth links that avoid the complexity of traditional cross cloud networking.
Deepgram strengthened its collaboration with AWS by bringing real time speech models to SageMaker, Connect and Lex. Enterprises now deploy rapid speech processing across their AWS environments with improved performance and flexibility.
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France’s data regulator fined Les Publications Condé Nast €750,000 for unlawful cookie practices on vanityfair.fr. Investigators found consent-based cookies loading immediately when visitors landed on the site.
CNIL officials also noted unclear information describing several trackers as strictly necessary without explaining their true purposes. Users faced further issues when refusal tools failed to block or halt consent-based cookies.
Repeated non-compliance weighed heavily, as the company had already received a formal order in 2021. Earlier proceedings had been closed after corrective steps, yet later inspections showed renewed breaches.
The French regulator stated that millions of visitors were potentially affected by the unlawful tracking activity. The case highlights continuing enforcement efforts under Article 82 of France’s Data Protection Act.
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ByteDance unveiled a new AI voice assistant that will debut on ZTE’s Nubia M153 smartphone. The tool uses the Doubao large language model to handle spoken tasks such as content searches and ticket bookings.
ZTE’s shares jumped after the announcement, helped by strong interest in the device and recent 5G contract wins in Vietnam. The prototype handset is priced at 3,499 yuan and can be pre-ordered in limited quantities.
ByteDance confirmed discussions with multiple manufacturers to integrate the assistant into future smartphones. The firm stated it has no intention of developing its own hardware.
The assistant enters a competitive market led by Huawei and Xiaomi, while Apple has yet to introduce Apple Intelligence in China. Doubao remains China’s most popular consumer AI app, with 159 million monthly active users.
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