PKP PLK Completes GSM-R Deployment on Central Railway Line
Polish rail infrastructure manager PKP PLK announced the completion of the final tower installation for a GSM‑R communications system along its 224‑km Central Railway Line. The deployment, executed by a consortium of Nokia Solutions and Networks, Fonon and SPC‑2, positions the line for a full system launch in August 2022. GSM‑R will provide dedicated voice and data services for train operations, enhancing safety and capacity. The project marks a significant step in modernising Poland’s rail network to meet European digital standards.
English Museums Should only Charge Tourists if Digital ID Checks in Place, UK Politician Says
Labour peer Baroness Margaret Hodge has revived a proposal to charge overseas visitors for entry to England’s national museums, but she insists it should only proceed once a universal digital ID system is in place. She estimates the fees would...
Brussels Launched an Age Checking App. It Took 2 Minutes to Hack It.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a mobile age‑verification app intended to protect minors online. Within minutes, cybersecurity researchers demonstrated that the app could be hacked, exposing hard‑coded credentials and insecure data handling. The flaws raise serious privacy...
Africa’s AI Strategies Cannot Say No
African nations are rapidly adopting AI strategies—Zimbabwe launched its National AI Strategy in March, Ghana’s received cabinet approval, and Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and the AU have all formalized frameworks. While framed as "development" tools, the policies lean heavily on foreign...
State to Audit Ohio School Districts’ Cybersecurity Plans
The Ohio Auditor of State will launch audits of school districts' cybersecurity programs in July, as mandated by House Bill 96. The legislation requires districts to establish policies that protect data, information technology, and related resources while ensuring availability, confidentiality,...
Northern Ireland School IT Systems ‘Largely Restored’ After Cyber Attack
The Education Authority (EA) confirmed that the C2K network, which powers all IT services for Northern Ireland schools, has been largely restored after a cyber attack last week. The breach temporarily disabled online platforms, email, and learning management systems across...
White House Moves to Give Federal Agencies Access to Anthropic’s Claude Mythos
The White House Office of Management and Budget announced it is preparing to allow major federal agencies to use a modified version of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos AI model. Claude Mythos has demonstrated the ability to locate thousands of zero‑day vulnerabilities...
Weekly Wrap: More Countries Look to IMT Bands for Emergency Networks
Norway's regulator Nkom has signed a binding pact with Telenor, Telia and Lyse to upgrade the national Nødnett emergency network to a 5G‑based platform, with full rollout slated for 2029, making it the first country to run a multi‑operator 5G...
Eurobites: EU Nails Down Sovereign Cloud Suppliers
The European Commission has awarded a €180 million (US$212 million) sovereign‑cloud contract to four European providers—Post Telecom (with CleverCloud and OVHcloud), Stack IT, Scaleway and Proximus—for a six‑year rollout across EU institutions. The winners were selected based on the Commission’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework,...
The FCA’s 2026/27 Work Programme Points to Faster, More Digital Supervision and a Sharper Focus on Regulatory Readiness.
The FCA’s 2026/27 work programme signals a decisive move toward faster, more digital supervision, underpinned by generative AI and automated data feeds. It will streamline authorisations, cut three regular data returns, and shift more tasks onto the My FCA portal,...
Statement by Commissioner Peirce on the Costs, Risks, and Privacy Concerns of the Consolidated Audit Trail
Commissioner Hester Peirce announced the SEC’s new concept release aimed at overhauling the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT). She highlighted that CAT’s annual budget has ballooned from an estimated $55 million in 2016 to almost $250 million, and that the system remains years...
We Don’t Give A Damn, Just Get in Line
On April 17, 2026, passengers at Lisbon Airport faced three‑hour immigration queues after a new AI‑driven system malfunctioned or was misused by staff. The breakdown left travelers without alternatives, causing many to miss scheduled flights. The incident illustrates how untested...
US Transportation Unions Oppose Autonomous Vehicle Bill over Safety Concerns
Illinois labor groups, including the Teamsters and the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation, have publicly opposed the state's Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act (SB3392/HB5103). The bill would broaden testing and allow commercial deployment of driverless cars and trucks within three...
Bringing Technology to Bear on Homelessness
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has adopted Esri’s QuickCapture GIS‑enabled app to conduct its annual point‑in‑time homelessness count, turning a traditionally paper‑based effort into a real‑time, spatially accurate operation. Volunteers using the app report faster data entry, higher accuracy,...
Incheon Expands Remote Baggage Screening to More US Airports
Incheon International Airport Corp. has rolled out its International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) service to Detroit and Minneapolis, shaving at least 20 minutes off minimum connecting times. The system transmits high‑resolution X‑ray images of checked bags from Incheon to TSA...
UK Gov Announces First Startup to Get Funding From Its New Sovereign AI Unit
The UK government has announced the first startup to receive backing from its newly created Sovereign AI unit, a state‑run fund designed to operate like a venture‑capital firm. The initiative is intended to inject capital and strategic support into domestic...
FBI and CISA Warn of Russian-Backed Phishing Campaigns Targeting Private Messaging Apps
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint advisory this week warning that Russian intelligence‑linked hackers are conducting large‑scale phishing campaigns against private messaging apps. The attacks aim at government officials, military personnel and journalists,...
Claude Will Require Government ID for User Verification
Claude users will soon need to use government ID to prove who they are and use the platform. https://t.co/LL7aqOItFS
BREAKING: We're Taking the Government to Court over Palantir
Democracy for Sale has filed an appeal with the Information Tribunal, backed by the Good Law Project and Landmark Chambers, to obtain ministerial briefings on Palantir’s roughly £330 million (about $425 million) NHS contract. The Department for Health and Social Care denied...
How a Connectivity Levy Became a Tax on Telecoms
South Africa’s universal service levy, a 0.2% charge on telecom licence revenue, is being funneled through Icasa and the national treasury, effectively turning it into a general tax rather than a dedicated fund. The Universal Service and Access Agency (Usaasa)...
Kuwait Banks Deploy Real-Time War Room to Fight Growing Cyber Fraud Threats
Kuwait’s banking sector has launched a virtual war room that connects banks, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecution in real time. The platform instantly flags suspicious transactions, halts fund movement and initiates legal action, shifting...
EU Awards Its €180 Million Sovereign Cloud Contract to Four European Providers
The European Commission awarded a €180 million (~$196 million) six‑year sovereign‑cloud contract to four provider groups: Post Telecom with CleverCloud and OVHcloud, StackIT, Scaleway, and a Proximus‑S3NS consortium that pairs Thales with Google Cloud. The multi‑award approach aims to diversify supply and...
Is “Safety by Design” Ever Feasible in an Uncertain World?
The Australian eSafety Commissioner released its first evaluation of the Social Media Minimum Age law, highlighting the “Safety by Design” (SbD) framework that obliges platforms to embed age‑verification and harm‑prevention features before launch. SbD rests on three pillars—service provider responsibility,...
Vuma’s Fibre Initiative Connects 1 000 SA Schools
South African fibre operator Vuma has linked 1,000 schools to broadband, giving roughly 860,000 learners and 40,000 teachers online access. The rollout, launched in 2020, is part of parent company Maziv’s broader push to expand digital infrastructure nationwide. Officials at...
SEC Opens Public Comment on Consolidated Audit Trail
NEW 🚨: SEC Seeks and... Receives Public Comment on the Consolidated Audit Trail and Other Audit Trails and Data Sources, by @BlueLedgerAI co-founder @palikaras Full Submission details and extracts in the thread below👇 https://t.co/ckLYcFw4ko
UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Turing Institute Introduce Synthetic Dataset to Fight Money Laundering
The UK Financial Conduct Authority, the Alan Turing Institute and Plenitude Consulting have created a synthetic anti‑money‑laundering (AML) dataset that mirrors real‑world retail banking transactions while protecting privacy. Advanced generation techniques, including the Adaptive and Iterative Mechanism and differential‑privacy safeguards,...
Gujarat Road Transport Body Launches QR Code-Based Passenger Feedback System
The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has rolled out a QR‑code based passenger feedback system across its fleet, installing codes behind seats in premium buses and at least one on every vehicle. In March 2026, the system captured 1,702...
Resilience by Design: Building a National Network for Ambulance Services
The Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP) has built a national, dual‑data‑centre network that links 35 NHS trust sites, ensuring 24/7 availability of mission‑critical ambulance communications. Partnering with Vysiion, ARP introduced a dedicated Network Operations Centre and managed services to monitor, patch,...
Cosine Goes From Benchmark Leader to Cornerstone of UK Sovereign AI Strategy
The UK government has earmarked a £500 million (≈ $635 million) Sovereign AI programme to develop home‑grown artificial intelligence, naming Cosine as a flagship partner. Cosine, founded in 2022, has outperformed OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral and DeepSeek on coding benchmarks for two years and...
DNB Update on Reporting of Major ICT-Related Incidents Under DORA
The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) announced changes to DORA reporting for major ICT‑related incidents, adding a validation step that checks submissions against technical requirements. Effective mid‑April 2026, institutions will receive feedback highlighting unmet criteria. Warnings can be corrected in the...
Delhi CM to Launch Fresh Batch 200 Electric Buses on Friday
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will flag off 200 additional electric buses on Friday, marking the third batch launched this year. The addition brings the capital’s electric fleet to 4,538 buses out of a total of 6,300 vehicles, with a...
The UK’s ‘R&D Approach’ to Boosting Education with AI
The UK government announced an R&D‑focused initiative partnering with edtech firms, AI labs, and schools to create AI tutoring tools for up to 450,000 disadvantaged pupils each year. The pilot will cover Years 9‑10 subjects—English, maths, science, and modern foreign languages—and...
WASPA’s Court Win Could Be a Setback for Every Nigerian Harassed by a Loan App
On April 15, 2026, Nigeria’s Federal High Court granted an interim injunction that halts the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s new digital‑lending rules, a move championed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association. The pause leaves over 11,000 consumer...
Kraus Hamdani K1000ULE Recharges without Landing
Kraus Hamdani’s K1000ULE has become the first aircraft to receive laser‑generated power in flight, recharging its batteries without touching down. The system uses a ground‑based laser to beam energy through free space, which the aircraft converts into usable electricity. This...
Public Demand Transparency on Data Sharing
Qualitative research commissioned by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology reveals mixed public attitudes toward the proposed National Data Library. While participants see potential service improvements, they demand transparency about who accesses data, clear personal benefits, and strong...
How Big Tech Wrote Secrecy Into EU Law to Hide Data Centres’ Environmental Toll
Microsoft and the industry lobby group DigitalEurope succeeded in inserting a secrecy clause into EU law that classifies individual data‑centre environmental metrics as confidential. The provision blocks public and freedom‑of‑information requests for data on energy use, water consumption and emissions,...
AI Revolution Shifts From Banks to Citizens, Including Government
New on the not-a-newsletter: Joined Up Government https://t.co/uQuV5muDqI I have long bored people senseless with repeated claims that the revolution in financial services is customers getting AI rather than banks getting AI. Well, the same may well be true of government. Good....
Social Media Bans Might Steer Kids Into Riskier Corners of the Internet
Governments worldwide are moving to bar users under 16 from social‑media platforms, a trend sparked by Australia’s 2024 ban and now echoed in Europe and elsewhere. To enforce these rules, tech firms are proposing age‑verification systems that collect government IDs,...
RoughriderCoin and the Limitations of Stablecoins in Public Banking
The GENIUS Act, effective July 2025, gives states a limited regulatory lane to oversee stablecoin issuers with assets under $10 billion. Using this carve‑out, the Bank of North Dakota announced a partnership with fintech firm Fiserv to launch RoughriderCoin, a state‑backed stablecoin...
More than 60% of Home Battery Installations Inspected in Australia Are ‘Substandard’
Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program has installed over 250,000 residential battery systems, delivering roughly 7.7 GWh of storage. A Clean Energy Regulator audit of 1,278 installations found 60.8% substandard and 1.2% unsafe, mainly due to poor wiring and labeling. The sample...
State Threatens to Step in if Regulator and Networks Fail to Remove EV Charging “Handbrakes” And Sort Out Tariffs
Victoria’s Labor government issued a Charging Regulatory Statement outlining four priority actions—network tariff reforms, demand‑charge adjustments, data transparency, and a review of the Victorian Service and Installation Rules—to eliminate “handbrakes” on electric‑vehicle charging. The state warns it will step in...
Zimbabwe Tightens Beneficiation Rules to Halt Raw Mineral Export Losses
Zimbabwe's cabinet approved a new minerals‑beneficiation framework that mandates Value‑Added Compliance Certificates and a real‑time mine‑to‑market tracking system. The move targets raw‑export losses, especially after a recent ban on lithium shipments, and reshapes the country's mining value chain.
RWE Secures 300 GWh Offshore Wind Deal with Network Rail, Covering 65% of Non‑Traction Power
RWE has signed a five‑year corporate power purchase agreement to deliver 300 GWh of offshore wind electricity each year to Network Rail, covering roughly 65% of the rail operator’s non‑traction demand. The deal, the first public‑sector CoPPA under the UK Government...
HousingAI Names Veteran Phil Shelton CEO Ahead of England Launch
HousingAI has hired Phil Shelton as chief executive as it readies its AI‑driven knowledge platform for a launch in England. Shelton brings more than two decades of housing‑technology leadership, positioning the startup to meet rising compliance pressures in the UK...
Plugging Into Reality: The ASEAN Power Grid
Southeast Asia’s long‑standing ASEAN Power Grid (APG) vision remains hampered by limited interconnection capacity, fragmented institutions, and regulatory gaps. Indonesia has pledged roughly $38 billion to expand its transmission network, while the World Bank and ADB’s ASEAN Power Grid Financing Initiative...
Centre Forms High-Level Inter-Ministerial Body to Steer AI Governance Strategy
India has created a high‑level inter‑ministerial AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) led by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The body will coordinate AI policy across ministries, regulators and industry, and will be supported by a Technology and Policy Expert...
NSW Govt Seeks Aboriginal Community Organisations to Bridge Digital Gap
The New South Wales government has launched a targeted funding program offering up to AUD 250,000 (≈US$165,000) to Aboriginal community‑controlled organisations to create place‑based digital inclusion hubs. The grants fall under the Closing the Gap Socio‑Economic outcome 17, which aims for equal...
Civic‑Tech Nonprofits Deploy $10 Million Fund to Diminish State Vendor Lock‑In
The Center for Civic Futures and the Recoding America Fund announced a $10 million funding round to help U.S. states overhaul Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits platforms, aiming to curb dependence on entrenched government‑tech contractors. Applications open for nonprofits, early‑stage firms...
Chicago Council Demands Action on ShotSpotter Replacement After $13.9M Funding Set Aside
Chicago City Council introduced a resolution to scrutinize the stalled replacement of the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, highlighting $13.9 million earmarked for a new solution and mounting pressure on Mayor Brandon Johnson. Council members argue the technology saves lives and warn...
White House Pushes ‘Action-Oriented’ Cyber Strategy to Deter Threats
The White House unveiled an action‑oriented National Cyber Strategy aimed at deterring cyber adversaries and protecting American victims. Senior ONCD official Seth McKinnis highlighted six strategic pillars, with deterrence as the first, and emphasized the need for swift, aggressive responses. President...