North Carolina Targets Hyperscale Costs with Proposed AI Infrastructure Bill
North Carolina lawmakers introduced the Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act, requiring hyperscale data centers of 40 MW or more to pay the full cost of power, water and infrastructure and to forgo state and local tax incentives. The bill also mandates on‑site clean generation equal to at least 25% of projected peak demand and stricter water‑use standards. It follows similar cost‑recovery moves in Wisconsin, reflecting a growing regulatory push to stop utilities from subsidizing AI‑driven workloads. Local officials in Durham have even proposed a moratorium on new facilities as the state re‑examines its development strategy.
New NTIA Cost Study Lowers 2018 Estimate for Nationwide NG911
The NTIA’s 2026 cost study estimates that completing the nationwide rollout of next‑generation 911 will require $5.8 billion to $9.27 billion, roughly 30‑40 percent less than the $9.5‑$12.7 billion projected in 2018. The reduction reflects more than $4.5 billion already spent by states and localities...
EU Aims to Wean Itself Off of American Hyperscalers, Commits €180 Million for European Cloud Providers
The European Union has pledged €180 million (about $196 million) over six years to develop sovereign cloud services, aiming to lessen dependence on U.S. hyperscalers. Funding will be distributed among four consortia—Post Telecom with CleverCloud and OVHcloud, STACKIT, Scaleway, and Proximus with...
Beyond 99.9%: Why Public Safety Can’t Afford 'Standard' Uptime
Public safety agencies cannot tolerate the typical 99% or even 99.9% IT uptime because a single minute of outage can delay emergency response. Maintaining modern computer‑aided dispatch, records and mobile data systems demands continual upgrades and scarce cybersecurity talent that...
The Week Ahead in AI: AI Facial Recognition Warning in UK, China Court Weighs in on AI Layoffs, AI’s Oscar...
AI oversight is tightening as Britain’s watchdog warns facial‑recognition use outpaces regulation, while a Chinese court rejects AI‑driven layoffs, setting a labor‑rights precedent. The Academy also barred AI‑generated performances from Oscar eligibility, reinforcing human‑creativity standards. Meanwhile, investors eye a busy...
How Europe Is Building Its Own DARPA to Counter the Drone Threat
Europe’s SPRIND (Germany) and Vinnova (Sweden) have teamed up to fund anti‑drone projects, backing teams like Czech professor Martin Saska’s EAGLE.ONE. The partnership mirrors DARPA’s challenge‑driven model but without a military focus, aiming to speed radical innovation and create sovereign...
Siemens to Show Digital Water and Waste Tools at IFAT
Siemens will showcase its digital water, wastewater and waste management solutions at IFAT 2026, the leading environmental‑technology trade fair. The portfolio features SIWA Quality Inspector for real‑time water‑quality monitoring, SIWA Treatment Optimizer with physics‑based models and digital twins, and soft‑sensor...
Commission Blocks EU Funding for Huawei Solar Tech
The European Commission announced it will block EU funding for solar‑panel inverters supplied by high‑risk vendors such as China’s Huawei. Guidance will restrict the use of EU money on projects that rely on these components, though existing projects can apply...
London Borough of Harrow Builds Digital Twin Program One Drone Flight at a Time
The London Borough of Harrow launched a digital‑twin program using a consumer‑grade drone costing about $1,270. By layering a low‑resolution aerial mesh with high‑detail drone scans, the council saved $15,240 on a roof survey and saw strong public interaction with...
GNIDA to Launch 15 E-Buses Linking City to Noida International Airport
Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) will launch 15 electric buses on four routes linking key Greater Noida neighborhoods to the upcoming Noida International Airport. The pilot, funded at roughly ₹1.8 crore (about $217,000), will run for six months starting June 15,...
Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department Issues 2.77 Million Individual Tax Returns for 2025/26
Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department issued about 2.77 million individual tax returns for the 2025/26 assessment year and extended electronic filing deadlines to July 4, 2026. The department proposed a one‑off 100 % tax reduction capped at HK$3,000 (≈US$384) and higher allowances beginning 2026/27....
Innoviz Targets Defense and Homeland Security with LiDAR
Innoviz Technologies announced its entry into the defense and homeland security markets with two LiDAR products—InnovizSMART and InnovizTwo Ultra Long‑Range. The automotive‑grade sensors offer rugged design, up to 450 m (SMART) and 1 km (ULR) detection ranges, PoE connectivity, and resistance to...
National Highways Authority of India Warns of FASTag Blacklisting over Improper Use
India’s National Highways Authority (NHAI) has warned that motorists who use FASTag handheld rather than affixed to the windscreen risk having the tag blacklisted. The advisory stresses that proper placement enables instant RFID scanning, reducing delays at toll plazas. Improper...
OpEd: Hallucinations Aren't the Big Insult in SA's Draft AI Policy
South Africa’s draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy is essentially a non‑policy, filled with vague language and six newly proposed regulatory bodies that duplicate existing agencies. The document also references an undefined Integrated AI‑Powered Monitoring Centre and contains hallucinated citations that...
German Federal Ministry of Transport Commits €1 Billion to Heavy-Duty Charging Infrastructure
Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport has allocated €1 billion (≈$1.08 billion) over four years to build heavy‑duty electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure. An initial €200 million will be awarded in three funding calls starting May 2026, covering both private depot chargers and publicly accessible stations....
For First Responders, Faster Adoption of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Means Stronger Physical Security
The Science and Technology Directorate’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) is seeing a surge in demand for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) among first‑responder agencies. To meet this need, NUSTL released a comprehensive "Small Unmanned Aircraft System Program Documentation...
The ADA Deadline Just Moved. Utilities Still Need to Act.
On April 20, 2026 the Department of Justice extended the ADA Title II web‑accessibility compliance deadline for state and local utilities to April 26, 2027 for entities serving 50,000 or more residents, and to April 26, 2028 for smaller districts. The rule mandates that all public‑facing websites,...
What a City of 25,000 Can Teach Others About Modernizing Infrastructure
The City of Lemoore, California, has entered a $24 million partnership with Energy Systems Group to modernize its entire municipal infrastructure. The comprehensive program upgrades energy, water, wastewater and building systems, adds electric‑vehicle charging and advanced metering, and is projected to...
MAS Partners Banking Industry to Tap AI, Machine Learning to Combat Financial Crime
The Monetary Authority of Singapore announced a proof‑of‑value project to use artificial intelligence and machine learning for pre‑emptive scam detection. The initiative brings together five local banks, the Government Technology Agency and the Singapore Police Force, creating a secure data‑sharing...
ENVIOTECH Raises €1M Pre-Seed for Smart Street Lighting
Frankfurt‑based ENVIOTECH secured €1 million (≈$1.09 million) in a pre‑seed round led by Jürgen Fitschen, with participation from Joachim Drees. The startup offers retrofit kits that can be installed on existing streetlights in under 15 minutes, enabling remote dimming, monitoring, and up to...
OpenAI To Extend Cyber Program to Government Agencies
OpenAI released a roadmap titled "Cybersecurity in the Intelligence Age" outlining plans to broaden its Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC) program to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as key industry players. The expansion coincides with the launch...
Top US Nuclear Regulator Is Rewriting Its Rules for New Era of Reactors
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is rewriting its rules under the 2024 ADVANCE Act, which expands the agency’s mission to weigh the risks of delaying nuclear power alongside radiation safety. The overhaul follows a series of Trump‑era executive orders that...
Launch Boosts European Earth Monitoring and Connectivity
Thirteen European satellites were launched on a SpaceX Falcon‑9 rideshare from Vandenberg, adding seven IRIDE Earth‑observation units for Italy, four Hellenic Fire System satellites for Greece, and two CubeSats testing optical communications. The IRIDE additions bring Italy’s constellation to 31...
Titan Pro All Set for E-ZPass Use
Star Systems International announced that its Titan Pro toll reader has received E‑ZPass revenue‑use approval. The device was validated across more than 30,000 complex traffic scenarios, including high‑speed and multi‑lane environments. Titan Pro supports four high‑speed antenna ports, simultaneous multi‑protocol...
Dutch Startup Intelic Sets up Drone Marketplace for European Militaries
Dutch defence‑tech startup Intelic has launched BASE, a European military drone marketplace that aggregates manufacturers from nine countries and lets ministries compare mission‑ready UAVs. The platform relies on Intelic’s Nexus command‑and‑control software to guarantee plug‑and‑play interoperability, aiming to slash procurement...
Water Utilities Jettison Listening Sticks and Embrace AI
Water utilities worldwide are replacing traditional leak‑detection methods, such as listening sticks, with AI‑driven analytics, satellite radar and sensor networks to cut losses, optimise energy use and prevent sewage overflows. Singapore, Japan and Chinese cities have already reduced leak rates...
The Cyber Brief | CISA Issues Advisory on Increase in Iranian-Affiliated Cyber Attacks Across U.S. Critical Infrastructure
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an urgent advisory warning that Iranian‑linked cyber actors are targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, especially water, energy and government systems, by exploiting internet‑exposed industrial control equipment such as Rockwell/Allen‑Bradley controllers. Recent incidents—including a...
Indonesia: Police Plan Smart Data-Driven Headquarters in Yogyakarta
Indonesia’s National Police announced plans to build a smart, data‑driven regional headquarters in Yogyakarta. The facility will house an integrated control centre that aggregates real‑time operational data, social‑media listening tools, and a dedicated cybersecurity hub. Launched at the May 3, 2026 groundbreaking,...
Ed Trains A Minder For The PM
A senior adviser has hired an AI outfit to build a custom reinforcement‑learning model, dubbed "Winston," that predicts how the British Prime Minister's decisions will be received by the public. The system assigns negative rewards to actions likely to be...
Eric Bethras: From Fiber to Fabric, the Next Evolution of BEAD
Eric Bethras outlines Maryland’s Digital Infrastructure Group (DIG) as a model for evolving the BEAD program from isolated fiber builds to a multi‑use digital fabric. The state leverages a geospatial “Single View” platform and a “Goldilocks” investment strategy to align...
Councils Unprepared for Future
Jeffrey Griffith, deputy CEO of Devonport City Council, warned at the Govt Cybersecurity & AI 2026 conference that autonomous local government is arriving at "bullet‑train" speed. He noted most Australian councils have not completed digital transformation and lack the AI‑ready...
NGA Pushes AI Adoption as Demand Grows for ‘Always-On’ Intelligence
The National Geospatial‑Intelligence Agency (NGA) is accelerating AI integration to handle exploding volumes of satellite and sensor data, but officials warn that true 24/7, real‑time insight remains out of reach. AI models now automate much of imagery analysis, shrinking the...
Indonesia Moves to Strengthen Right to Be Forgotten in Human Rights Law Revision
Indonesia is amending its Human Rights Law to embed a right‑to‑be‑forgotten, allowing citizens to request removal of outdated or inaccurate online content. The proposal, announced by Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai, mandates court oversight to balance individual privacy with public...
ETIAS Launches in Late 2026: Why It Doesn’t Replace Europe’s Golden Visa Strategies
Europe’s electronic travel authorisation, ETIAS, will go live in the last quarter of 2026, requiring visa‑exempt visitors from about 60 countries to obtain a digital clearance before entering 30 EU states. The system costs €20 (roughly $22) for adults aged...
AI Road Safety Cameras Are Fuelling a Surge in Driver Fines. Are They Fair?
AI-powered road safety cameras have been rolled out across Australian states, generating more than 400,000 traffic infringements in their first year—184,000 in Western Australia, over 130,000 in New South Wales and about 114,000 in Queensland. Penalties start at A$550 (≈$360)...
Certainty vs Flexibility – Does the UK Need a Biometric Surveillance Act?
The UK’s Metropolitan Police recently lost a legal challenge over its use of live facial recognition (LFR), underscoring the uncertainty surrounding biometric surveillance. At the same time, Hammersmith and Fulham Council announced AI‑enabled CCTV that will automatically enrol individuals onto...
How Does Live Facial Recognition Work and How Many UK Police Forces Use It?
The UK government is accelerating live facial recognition (LFR) deployment, adding 40 vans equipped with AI‑powered cameras across England and Wales. Thirteen police forces now use LFR, with the Met alone scanning over 6.6 million faces since 2020; in 2026, 1.7 million...
Dallas Love Field Enhances Sustainability with Fully Electric Aircraft Fire Fighting Vehicle
Dallas Love Field has become the first U.S. commercial airport to field an all‑electric aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, the Rosenbauer PANTHER 6×6. The electric ARFF accelerates from 0‑50 mph in under 25 seconds, reaches a 40% longer water‑stream distance of...
RAF Regiment Counter-UAS: Defending the Airspace and Turning Threat Into Intelligence
The RAF Regiment has fielded a layered Counter‑Unmanned Aerial System (C‑UAS) capability that detects, identifies and defeats hostile drones using radar, RF and optical sensors, plus electronic and kinetic options. Systems such as ORCUS, Ninja and Rapid Sentry enable jamming,...
MBTA 'Resilience Roadmap' Plans for Climate Change's Impacts on Transit Infrastructure
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority unveiled a "Resilience Roadmap" that outlines 30 strategies to shield its transit system from climate‑driven extreme weather. The plan zeroes in on the most vulnerable assets—tunnels and power infrastructure—and proposes flood doors, upgraded pump rooms,...
EU Accused of Wasting €20B on AI Computing Dreams
The European Union has set aside roughly €20 billion ($21.8 billion) to build four‑to‑five AI "gigafactories"—mega‑scale computing hubs equipped with about 100,000 GPUs each. The initiative, announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, aims to give Europe sovereign compute capacity and...
World May Find Itself ‘in a Very Chinese Time’ of Data Governance
China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, signalling a coordinated push to turn data into a national economic asset. Beijing’s new regime combines data assetisation, state‑backed exchanges, and public‑data franchising to feed specialised AI models that need high‑quality sector...
Utah First State to Hold Websites Liable for Users Who Mask Their Location with VPNs — Law Goes Into Effect,...
Utah has enacted a pioneering law that makes websites liable when users employ VPNs or other location‑masking tools to bypass age‑verification checks. The legislation, which took effect this month, applies to any site accessible within the state and authorizes civil...
Mercury Would 'Be Alive': Shark Victim's Family Welcomes New Drone Plan
The family of Sydney shark‑attack victim Mercury Psillakis has welcomed a new community‑led drone surveillance program that trains local surfers to operate aerial monitors. By winter’s end, 125 surfers are expected to be certified pilots, supported by an additional 60...
Former NASA Engineers Create Ingenious Way To Save Homes From Wildfires Using Noise
Former NASA engineers have founded Sonic Fire Tech, a California startup that uses low‑frequency sound waves to extinguish fires. The system vibrates oxygen molecules, breaking the combustion reaction and allowing a portable backpack unit to snuff out small blazes in...
An Internet Anonymity Ban Is Being Considered - Looks Like It's Almost VPN O'clock
Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, is proposing legislation that would ban anonymous online activity, targeting the perceived link between anonymity and toxic discourse. The proposal aims to curb hate speech, radicalisation, and misinformation by forcing users to reveal...
Infleqtion Awarded $1M Navy Contract for Quantum-Inspired RF Signal Processing
Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ) secured a $1 million Phase II contract from the U.S. Navy to further develop its Quantum‑Inspired Rapid Context (QuIRC) machine‑learning platform. The software applies contextual machine learning on GPUs to streamline radio‑frequency (RF) signal processing in congested, contested environments....
Building Trust in AI
At the Government Cybersecurity & AI 2026 conference in Canberra, former Victorian Government CTO Luke Halliday warned that trust in artificial intelligence hinges on how it is embedded in workplaces, not on the technology itself. He highlighted that 71% of...
India Built Payments for Speed, but Why RBI Now Wants Pauses
India’s Reserve Bank is moving to temper its ultra‑fast payment ecosystem after authorized‑push payment fraud surged ten‑fold since 2021, wiping out roughly ₹23,000 crore (about $2.8 billion). The RBI’s discussion paper proposes a one‑hour hold on account‑to‑account transfers above ₹10,000 (≈$120) and...
Quezon City Taps TikTok Shop to Expand MSME Market Reach
Quezon City partnered with TikTok Shop to help micro, small and medium enterprises expand their market reach through digital platforms. Around 300 business owners and staff attended the Unlad Lokal Roadshow Caravan, receiving hands‑on training on e‑commerce, digital marketing and live selling....