Why Big IT Projects in South Africa Keep Drifting Off Course
South African enterprises, both public and private, are repeatedly missing IT project deadlines and budgets, with failures often hidden until costs spiral. The article cites Absa's write‑off of roughly R2.4 billion (≈$130 million) and a major retailer facing litigation as emblematic cases. It attributes the drift to optimism bias, inadequate forecasting and weak governance rather than technology flaws. The author recommends reference‑class forecasting and stronger executive oversight to halt the gradual loss of value.
The SEC Tried to Silence Activist Investors. Now They’re Fighting Back.
Since the Trump administration, the SEC barred shareholders with less than $5 million in holdings from filing exempt solicitations on EDGAR, the primary channel for activist communication. In reaction, As You Sow launched the Proxy Open Exchange (POE), a public platform...
Two California Bills Would Push Utilities to Get More Out of Their Grids
California lawmakers introduced Assembly Bill 1975 and Senate Bill 905 to force PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to measure and improve grid utilization, especially during peak demand periods. The bills aim to shift reliance from...
VR Sverige Orders 91 Scania-Higer Battery-Electric Buses for Södertälje Rollout in 2027
VR Sverige has placed an order for 91 battery‑electric buses from Scania, slated for service in Södertälje and Nykvarn starting June 2027. The fleet uses Scania’s Fencer f1 platform built in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Higer, with two body configurations...
Inside FDP – Part 1: Understanding the Problems Facing NHS Data
Former NHS England deputy director of data engineering Tom Bartlett outlines the chronic data flaws plaguing the UK health service and introduces the Frontline‑First framework behind the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). He argues that the existing architecture is a...
Welsh Parliament Upgrades IP Broadcast Infrastructure
NEP Bow Tie has completed a major upgrade of the Welsh Parliament’s broadcast infrastructure, replacing legacy equipment with an IP‑based SMPTE 2110‑7 core. The project refitted the primary meeting chamber, the Siambr, added resilient DANTE/AES67 audio networks, and installed new multiviewer‑driven...
TfL Selects Partners for Emergency Services Network
Transport for London (TfL) has teamed with Boldyn Networks and mobile operator EE to install a 4G mobile network for the Emergency Services Network (ESN) throughout the London Underground system. The rollout will cover 137 Tube, Docklands Light Railway and...
New Zealand Bill Expands Serious Fraud Office Powers To Tackle Digital And Financial Crime
New Zealand’s government introduced a bill to expand the Serious Fraud Office’s investigative powers, targeting the growing scale and digital complexity of fraud. The legislation, cleared in its first reading on April 30, 2026, would let the SFO access cloud‑based...
NCSC Warns of a Perfect Storm and Launches Protection Hardware
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that rapid AI, robotics and autonomous‑system growth, combined with geopolitical tension, creates a cyber‑security "perfect storm." Dr. Richard Horne said attacks are increasingly nation‑state driven and that cyber risk now extends to...
Overwatch AI-Enabled Sensors & Software Enhance Florida State Guard Rapid Response Fleet
The Florida State Guard is outfitting its newly formed rapid‑response aircraft fleet with Overwatch Imaging’s AI‑enabled TK‑7 smart sensors and Automated Sensor Operator (ASO) software. The integration adds autonomous wide‑area search, fire detection, and maritime ISR capabilities while offloading routine...
Long-Awaited Review of Ofgem Puts Forward Reforms to Modernise Regulator
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released a review proposing sweeping reforms to modernise Ofgem, the energy regulator created in 2000. The plan calls for an outcome‑based Strategy and Policy Statement, a shift to three equal principal...
Defra Expand Sustainability Service Standard
Defra is adding a 15th point to its digital service standard, mandating sustainability considerations for all assessed projects. From this month, service teams must produce a sustainability statement covering carbon emissions, water use, circularity, climate resilience and social value. The...
Islington Adopts AI for Finance Modernisation
Islington Council has signed a deal with TechnologyOne to deploy its Plus platform, an AI‑enabled enterprise suite for finance and operations. The solution lets staff query systems in natural language and receive real‑time insights, promising faster decision‑making with little training...
Uttar Pradesh Broadband Policy 2026: RoW Reforms, Smart Power Tariffs and National Portal Shift to Accelerate 5G Rollout
Uttar Pradesh’s new broadband policy, approved by the State Broadband Committee, positions the state as a 6G‑ready digital hub by overhauling right‑of‑way (RoW) processes and aligning power tariffs with telecom needs. The shift to the national RoW portal eliminates duplicate...
New £2,500 Heat Pump Grants to Help Cool Homes Announced
Britain's Department for Energy announced a £2,500 (≈$3,125) grant for air‑to‑air heat pumps, extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The subsidy aims to lower upfront costs, bringing the maximum price after grant to about $7,875 and potentially covering the entire expense...
Armenia Gets Patriotic with Biometric Passports, ID Cards Coming in Fall 2026
Armenia will roll out biometric passports and national ID cards in fall 2026 through a public‑private partnership called Haypass, which combines Idemia’s biometric technology with ACI Technology’s regional expertise and design from IN Groupe. The documents meet International Civil Aviation...
Hong Kong Sets November 2026 Start for Uncertificated Securities Market Regime
Hong Kong announced that the uncertificated securities market (USM) regime will commence on 16 November 2026, activating key provisions of the 2021 amendment ordinance. The framework eliminates paper share certificates, allowing digital evidence and transfer of ownership for prescribed securities. Six subsidiary...
I Took an Algorithm to Court in Sweden. The Algorithm Won | Charlotta Kronblad
In 2020 Gothenburg deployed an algorithm to assign students to schools, but it calculated distances "as the crow flies" and ignored natural barriers, sending hundreds of children miles from home. The error affected roughly 700 pupils, prompting a mother‑researcher to...
Why Sovereign Space Capability Is Becoming a Top Priority for Governments and Industry
Sovereign space capability has moved from a prestige project to a core national infrastructure, with governments demanding assured access to launch, navigation, secure communications, and Earth‑observation services. The EU’s IRIS² concession, Canada’s Arctic satcom partnership, and India’s NavIC upgrades illustrate...
Liberian Registry Unveils Next-Generation Seafarer Platform
The Liberian Registry, the world’s largest ship flag, launched SEA360, a mobile app that provides electronic Seaman’s Books, licenses, qualifications and sea‑service records. The new Seafarer Portal integrates licensing, medical certification and training, while the Crew360 engine adds enhanced vetting...
DoT Commences Nationwide Trial of Mobile-Based Disaster Alert Systems
India’s Department of Telecommunications, together with the National Disaster Management Authority, has launched a nationwide trial of mobile‑based disaster alerts. The system uses the UN‑backed Common Alerting Protocol and combines SMS with Cell Broadcast technology to deliver geo‑targeted warnings across...
Satellite Data Shows NO2 Concentration in Metro Manila Down to Pre-Fire Levels for Two Consecutive Days
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) used daily satellite observations to track nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels after the Navotas landfill fire that began on 10 April 2026. For two consecutive days (28‑29 April) NO2 concentrations fell below the pre‑fire baseline, indicating a marked reduction...
Uganda’s DNA Lab Cracks Down on Illegal Logging as Forest Cover Halves
Uganda has inaugurated the Uganda Wildlife Forensics and Timber Laboratory in Entebbe, expanding a 2019 UNODC‑TRACE pilot into a national hub for timber‑crime investigations. Backed by European Union and Danish funding, the lab now applies DNA barcoding to seized wood,...
‘Live Streaming and Covert Cameras’ – DWP Seeks £2m Suppliers for Surveillance Tech
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is preparing a multimillion‑pound procurement to equip fraud investigators with covert vehicle‑mounted cameras, encrypted live‑streaming and secure video storage. The contract, valued at roughly £2 m (about $2.6 m) for an initial three‑year term, follows...
MoJ Justice AI Unit Seeks Squad of Engineers to ‘Build Products with Real-World Impact’
The UK Ministry of Justice’s Justice AI Unit is hiring five forward‑deployed engineers to design and launch AI tools for courts, prisons and probation services. Salaries range from £71,381 to £85,257 (approximately $90,600‑$108,300), reflecting senior‑level compensation. Engineers will work directly...
Minister: ‘We Will Impose some Form of Age or Functionality Social Media Restrictions for Children’
UK ministers confirmed they will impose age‑based or functionality restrictions on social‑media use for children under 16, though a full ban is not yet legislated. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill gives the government power to enforce a future ban,...
Hong Kong: AI Check Transforms Urban Infrastructure Safety
Hong Kong faces an ageing building stock, with nearly 14,000 private structures over 50 years expected by 2030. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have launched eCheckGo, an AI system that creates 3D digital twins and detects structural defects...
From Access Reviews to Decision Governance
The article argues that traditional quarterly access reviews, which verify static role and group assignments, are losing relevance as organizations adopt policy‑driven, context‑aware authorization models. In modern zero‑trust environments, access decisions are calculated at runtime based on attributes such as...
Virginia Showed Washington How To Cut Regulations. Now Its Reforms Are At Risk.
Virginia’s Office of Regulatory Management (ORM) spent four years reviewing every state regulation, eliminating 35% of requirements and cutting guidance language by nearly half. The effort generated over $1.4 billion in annual savings for businesses and families while costing taxpayers less...
Australia Post Focuses on Cyber Security with Alpha Level
Australia Post has partnered with US‑based AI security firm Alpha Level to enhance its cyber‑defence capabilities. The collaboration will apply machine‑learning models to the roughly four billion data points generated each month across the postal network, accelerating threat identification and reducing...
Charlotte, N.C., Residents Add Cameras to Police Network
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Connect Charlotte program now includes over 2,000 resident and business cameras, with 1,363 livestream‑enabled cameras. Residents can register cameras for free, while businesses may grant live‑feed access. Police use the network to locate suspects, verify threats, and...
You Can Opt Out Of TSA Facial Recognition — Here’s How
The Transportation Security Administration now uses facial‑comparison technology at many U.S. airport checkpoints, capturing a live photo to match against the traveler’s ID. The system is a one‑to‑one match, and TSA says the images are deleted after each transaction and...
DOT Names 37 Port Infrastructure Projects to Receive $774 Million in Funding
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced $774 million in FY25 Port Infrastructure Development Program grants for 37 projects across coastal, Great Lakes and inland river ports. Funding targets expanded rail tunnels, upgraded screening technology, two‑tier docks and a new...
Microsoft (MSFT) Expands AI Push With Microsoft Elevate in Malaysia
Microsoft announced the launch of Microsoft Elevate in Malaysia on April 24, 2026, extending its AI partnership with the government. The national initiative, part of the AI Nation 2030 vision, provides AI training to educators, small businesses, civil servants and veterans, and has...
Emergency First Responders Say Waymos Are Getting Worse
Emergency first‑responder leaders in San Francisco and Austin told federal regulators that Waymo’s driverless taxis are increasingly freezing, blocking fire stations, and ignoring hand signals, creating dangerous delays during emergencies. Officials said the vehicles are committing more traffic violations and that...
Duffy Floats Passenger Fee For FAA Upgrades
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggested a new passenger fee to create a steady funding source for the FAA’s ongoing air traffic control modernization. The proposal, announced at an American Airlines safety conference, mirrors the existing $5.60 September 11 Security Fee but...
Energy Subcommittee Hearing Focuses on Affordability, Grid Modernization
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing on seven bills that address artificial intelligence’s impact on the nation’s power grid. The proposals call for tighter inter‑agency coordination, a public clearinghouse for advanced transmission technologies, and a Federal Energy...
BIOTECanada Responds to Health Canada’s Gazette on Modernizing Clinical Trials Regulations
Health Canada has released a Gazette notice proposing modernized clinical‑trial regulations and draft guidance for decentralized trials. BIOTECanada welcomed the initiative but urged that the new rules align with the U.S. FDA and European EMA to avoid duplicative requirements. The...
Telstra Not Seeking to Lock Rivals Out of Mobile-to-Satellite Bands
Telstra announced it will not seek to exclude rivals from the 2 GHz mobile‑to‑satellite (MSS) spectrum needed for next‑generation satellite‑to‑mobile services. SpaceX warned that if Telstra secured the remaining frequencies, it could effectively lock out other satellite operators and Australian mobile...
CBP Seeks AI Solutions to Keep Pace with Rising Volumes of Border Scans
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is confronting a data surge as expanded X‑ray scanning now produces tens of thousands of vehicle images daily. To prevent analyst overload, the agency issued a sources‑sought notice for AI and machine‑learning algorithms that can...
House Votes to Make IRS Publish Call Metrics Online
On Monday the House approved bipartisan legislation aimed at overhauling the IRS’s customer‑service transparency. The Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act compels the agency to publish real‑time call‑center metrics—including call volume, wait times, and callback availability—on its website, and to broaden online...
Trackers Will Be Added to Emergency Vehicles at LaGuardia Following Deadly March Collision
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will install transponders on fire trucks and other emergency vehicles at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports after a March 22 runway collision killed two pilots. The devices transmit real‑time location data to...
Governance, Not Tech, Needs Interrogating in UK Digital ID Consultation: Tony Allen
Tony Allen, head of the Age Check Certification Scheme, warned that the UK’s digital ID consultation over‑emphasizes technology while neglecting governance. He argues that trust in digital identity stems from legal frameworks, independent certification, and clear separation of policymakers, providers,...
Why ‘Stack Thinking’ Could Rewire How Governments Work
Governments worldwide are wrestling with AI integration, but technology alone won’t deliver results. Geoff Mulgan proposes "stack thinking"—a layered architecture where procurement, data platforms, and AI tools sit atop core government functions. By treating these components as interoperable layers, public...
New Report Aims to Help States Define the Chief Data Officer Role
A new Georgetown Beeck Center report maps the evolving role of state chief data officers (CDOs), noting that nearly 40 states have created the position but lack a common structural model. The study introduces archetypes—such as the early‑stage “lone builder”...
Congress, Industry Ponder Government Posture for Protecting Data Centers
Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee held a hearing to assess whether U.S. data centers should receive a standalone critical infrastructure designation. Industry witnesses cited recent Iranian drone attacks on Amazon facilities and the rapid AI‑driven construction boom as...
Beyond Visual Line of Sight: Shaping the UK Unmanned Aircraft Infrastructure
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released a consultation on command‑and‑control (C2) link policy for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations classified under Specific Assurance and Integrity Levels (SAIL) 1‑3. The proposal leans on existing telecom standards—such as...
SA’s Withdrawn AI Policy Had a State Capture Design Flaw. The Flaws Remain
South Africa’s draft National AI Policy was withdrawn after a citation scandal, but the article argues the real danger lies in its structural design, which mirrors the three conditions that enabled Zondo‑era State Capture. The policy silently permits single‑vendor AI...
FRA Flexes Funding
The Federal Railroad Administration announced a series of funding initiatives aimed at modernizing U.S. passenger rail and improving safety. It unveiled $1.1 billion for crossing upgrades, $4.7 billion for Northeast Corridor projects, and $2.04 billion for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements...
Colorado's Anti-Repair Bill Is Dead
Colorado's SB26-090, a bill that would have created a "critical infrastructure" exemption to the state's 2024 Right to Repair law, was defeated in a 7‑to‑4 vote by the House committee, halting its progress after passing the Senate. The proposal, backed...