Digit

The Dutch government is developing an alternative to Microsoft's software stack built on NixOS, the declarative Linux distribution. The project, presented via the DAWO community platform, is part of efforts to reduce dependence on a single US vendor and strengthen digital sovereignty in public administration. The move has drawn attention among open-source advocates and public-sector IT watchers.

The Council of the EU is drawing attention to Europe's push to build its own independent payment system, reducing reliance on foreign networks such as Visa, Mastercard and US-operated platforms. The discussion centres on digital sovereignty, with European policymakers arguing that control over payments infrastructure is now a matter of strategic and economic security.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced that its strikes targeted data centers used to support the Ukrainian military's operations. The claim, reported by Xinhua, was not accompanied by independent verification or comment from Ukraine. Attacks on such infrastructure highlight how the war has expanded to digital and communications targets supporting military command systems.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hit a data centre in Kyiv twice during a morning attack, according to a Ukrainian news report. The strike targeted critical digital infrastructure in the capital amid ongoing Russian air assaults on Ukrainian cities, though details on damage or casualties were not immediately provided.

Le Parisien reports that Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's digital transformation minister, is backing a new project to deploy an 'army of robots' on the battlefield, intended to replace human soldiers at the front. The initiative reflects Ukraine's growing push into autonomous and remotely operated ground systems as the war with Russia continues and manpower pressures mount.

Walmart's chief executive says the retailer will not raise prices for individual customers based on their shopping histories, addressing concerns about the electronic shelf labels it has been rolling out in stores. The pledge is meant to reassure shoppers that the digital price tags will not enable personalized or surveillance-style pricing, even as other retailers experiment with dynamic pricing.

The United States has filed to intervene in the European Union's regulatory decision concerning X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. The move, reported by the Wall Street Journal, marks an unusual step by Washington into an EU enforcement matter. The intervention is likely to heighten tensions between the U.S. and Europe over digital regulation and platform governance.

Bank employees across India are set to observe a three-day strike, prompting questions about whether services like UPI payments, ATM withdrawals and salary credits will be disrupted. The proposed walkout has drawn wide public attention, with people checking whether digital payment systems will stay operational or whether they should withdraw cash in advance.

Google is pushing back against a European Union effort that would require it to open Android to rival AI assistants. The dispute forms part of ongoing enforcement of the EU's Digital Markets Act, under which Brussels has pressed the company to give competitors greater access to its dominant mobile platform. Google argues the changes would harm user security and privacy, while regulators see them as key to fair competition in the fast-moving AI market.

The Council of the EU is prompting debate over whether Europe should develop its own payment system, reducing reliance on US-operated networks like Visa and Mastercard. The question, raised publicly by the Council, has drawn wide attention as officials and the public discuss digital sovereignty, transaction fees, and the strategic risks of depending on foreign payment infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions.

Russian strikes are increasingly directed at Ukraine's data centers, infrastructure that underpins government services, banking, and communications. The attacks fit a broader campaign against Ukrainian energy and digital infrastructure, aiming to disrupt state operations and public life. Analysts note that destroying data facilities can be harder to reverse than hitting the power grid, raising concerns about the long-term resilience of Ukraine's digital state.

Countries have adopted a global blueprint aimed at tackling fast-evolving crime in the digital age. The agreement, covered by UN News, sets out a common framework for governments to combat cybercrime, which increasingly crosses borders and outpaces national laws. It marks a significant step in international cooperation on digital security, though details on enforcement and how countries will implement the commitments remain to be seen.

A company owned by Donald Trump filed trademark applications on Friday for "MAGA" and "45-47", covering streaming apps, television broadcasting, and news and commentary on politics and current events, according to US Patent and Trademark Office records. The filing fuels speculation that Trump is preparing to launch his own media operation, following his earlier ventures into digital platforms.

The European Union is moving to limit the energy and water consumption of data centres, in a bid to control the resources used by the fast-growing digital infrastructure sector. The proposal comes as data centre demand surges, driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence, raising concerns about strain on electricity grids and water supplies across member states.

The U.S. government's sanctions on the International Criminal Court in early 2025 had swift, far-reaching effects. The measures cut off the ICC's chief prosecutor's access to Microsoft services, including email, highlighting how deeply dependent international institutions are on American technology firms. Observers say the episode raises questions about digital sovereignty and the vulnerability of global justice bodies to unilateral US pressure.

The US Federal Reserve has put forward proposed rules for stablecoins, according to Payments Dive. The move is part of a broader push by US regulators to set clearer standards for dollar-linked digital tokens, which have become a major pillar of the crypto market. Details of the proposal's requirements and timeline are not yet available.

Le Parisien reports that Ukraine's digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov is pushing a new strategy to deploy an "army of robots" on the front lines, aiming to replace human soldiers with ground machines and reduce casualties in the war against Russia. The plan highlights Kyiv's growing reliance on unmanned and autonomous systems to offset manpower shortages.

Strategy, the bitcoin-holding company led by Michael Saylor, has purchased about $143 million worth of bitcoin, adding to its substantial cryptocurrency treasury. The acquisition continues the firm's long-running strategy of accumulating bitcoin as a core corporate asset, a move closely watched by crypto investors as a signal of institutional demand for the digital currency.

Brazilian digital bank Nubank is reportedly in early stage talks with UK challenger bank Monzo about a full takeover. At the same time, private equity firm Advent International has been named among several buyout firms interested in acquiring a minority stake in Monzo. No deal has been agreed, and the talks are described as preliminary, but the news has sparked discussion about consolidation in the challenger banking sector.

A new working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research argues that cryptocurrency interests are capturing foreign aid, redirecting development assistance toward digital-asset projects rather than traditional development goals. The paper is drawing attention among policy and economics readers, who are debating whether donor governments and aid agencies are being influenced by crypto industry lobbying and how public money earmarked for development ends up supporting blockchain initiatives.

The digital euro has made its first appearance in wholesale financial markets, marking a step in the European Central Bank's push toward a central bank digital currency. The debut signals that the eurozone is moving beyond research stages and testing how a digital version of the currency could function for institutional financial transactions. Details on scale and participants remain limited, but the development is being closely watched as Europe weighs a broader rollout.

Walmart has pledged that it will not adjust product prices based on shoppers' personal information or the time of day. In a letter to customers, CEO John Furner said the company's rollout of digital shelf labels is intended to save store labor and speed up price updates, not enable surveillance-based pricing. The statement follows Wall Street Journal reporting raising concerns that electronic labels could allow retailers to charge different customers different prices.

A large global study has examined how screen time affects children's wellbeing, according to reporting carried by Yahoo News New Zealand. The findings address an ongoing debate among parents, educators and health researchers over how digital device use shapes children's mental and physical health. Details of the study's size, methodology and conclusions were not included in the available report.