Nigeria Moves to Mandate Organisations to Disclose Cyber Attacks Amid Rising Threats
Nigeria’s tech regulator, NITDA, announced that banks, fintechs and other organisations must disclose cyber‑breaches or at least share threat intelligence. The push follows a weak reporting record – only 37% of financial institutions filed fraud incidents in 2023 and fraud losses reached ₦5.26 bn (about $3.8 m) in Q3 2025. The government is also forming a cybersecurity coordination council and the Central Bank of Nigeria has launched a self‑assessment tool for banks. The mandate aligns Nigeria with global moves toward mandatory breach disclosure.
Amgen, AZ Will Pilot FDA's Real-Time Clinical Trial Plan
The FDA unveiled a plan to receive clinical‑trial data in real time, aiming to accelerate drug development. AstraZeneca and Amgen have agreed to pilot the model with two studies that will stream endpoints and safety signals to regulators as they...
TSA Sets Out $11.7bn Budget Request for 2027 to Facilitate Technology Upgrades
The Transportation Security Administration has asked Congress for an $11.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, centering on advanced screening technology, staffing stability, and deeper private‑sector collaboration. The proposal earmarks more than $390 million for computed tomography scanners, biometric tools and automated...
The Data Search Across Agencies Enabled by the Home Office Biometrics Programme
At Identity Week Europe 2026, Graham Camm outlined the UK Home Office’s Biometrics Programme, which consolidates DNA, facial and fingerprint data for roughly 50 internal customers across immigration, borders, passports and law‑enforcement agencies. The platform enables real‑time cross‑agency searches, allowing...
Teledyne FLIR OEM Launches Prism C-UAS Software for Extended Small-Drone Detection Range
Teledyne FLIR OEM unveiled Prism C‑UAS, a software stack that pushes small‑drone detection beyond conventional thermal systems by identifying targets with fewer than four pixels. The solution blends patented denoise and up‑sampling algorithms with AI‑driven perception, delivering longer detection windows...
Oslo Implements New AC Charging Pricing Model
Oslo, home to the world’s highest EV concentration, has replaced its time‑based public AC charging fees with a consumption‑based model effective April 22. Drivers now pay for the kilowatt‑hours consumed, a service surcharge based on the city’s spot electricity price, and...
Sensys Gatso Wins Schenectady School Zone Speed Enforcement Contract
Sensys Gatso Group secured a five‑year, multi‑million‑dollar contract to operate school‑zone speed enforcement in Schenectady, New York. The program will install fixed‑pole cameras at roughly nine locations, with the system slated to go live in September and the option to...
Cabinet Office Adds £60m to Core Digital Delivery Deal
The UK Cabinet Office has increased the ceiling of its strategic delivery partnership with CGI from £120 million to £180 million (about $229 million), adding an extra £60 million ($76 million). The boost funds additional IT professional services needed to launch and operate the Infected...
Why AI Governance Now Looks Like Talent Management
Public‑sector organisations are moving from low‑code apps to AI agents that act as digital workers, demanding a governance model akin to talent management. Microsoft’s Agent 365 introduces identities, role‑based access and sponsorship, embedding ownership from day one. Early governance is now...
MPs Call on UK Government to Learn From Central Bank’s IT Project Success Story
The UK Public Accounts Committee highlighted the Bank of England’s nine‑year, $547 million Real‑Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system replacement as a rare success in public‑sector digital transformation. The project, which now settles roughly $1.0 trillion of payments daily, delivered value for money...
Tender for Signalling on Madrid’s C-5 Commuter Line
Adif announced a €32 million (≈ $35 million) tender to replace signaling equipment on Madrid’s 20.7‑km C‑5 commuter line, covering 11 stations between Embajadores and Móstoles‑El Soto. The upgrade will install LED signals, fiber‑optic cables, new track circuits and the Asfa Digital traffic‑management system,...
2Trust.AI and Carahsoft Partner to Scale AI Governance for Public Sector
2Trust.AI has partnered with Carahsoft Technology Corp. to distribute its AI governance platform to U.S. federal, state and local agencies. The solution will be available through Carahsoft’s major procurement vehicles such as SEWP V, ITES‑SW2 and NASPO ValuePoint. It offers...
The Productivity Problem Hiding in Plain Sight
Liquid Interactive released a roadmap titled “Speed. Safety. Scalability.” to guide responsible AI adoption across Australia’s public service. The paper argues that productivity losses stem from structural friction—excessive paperwork, duplicated checks, and reliance on key individuals—rather than skill gaps. By...
Met Police Federation Decries ‘Outrageous’ Palantir AI System
The Metropolitan Police Federation is threatening legal action over the force’s new Palantir AI system, which it says breaches officers’ privacy and GDPR rules. The pilot, launched last week, has already led to two arrests and two suspensions while hundreds...
A New Bill Would Help VPPs Replace Peaker Plants in California
A California Senate bill, SB 913, would let virtual power plants (VPPs) compete with fossil‑fuel peaker plants by counting customer‑owned batteries, EVs and smart devices toward resource adequacy. The legislation passed the Senate Energy Committee and now heads toward a...
Local Policies to Get Buildings Off Gas Keep Winning in Court
Federal courts across the United States are consistently upholding local policies that require new buildings to be all‑electric, despite the 2023 Ninth Circuit decision that struck down Berkeley, California's gas‑ban ordinance. In six post‑Berkeley lawsuits, judges have rejected the Energy...
Romania Signs First Hydrogen Train Contract
Romania’s Railway Reform Authority has signed a €229.3 million (≈$250 million) contract with Siemens Mobility to supply 12 Mireo Plus H hydrogen trainsets, including a 15‑year maintenance package. The first unit is slated for delivery in 2028, with passenger service expected to begin in...
EU Says Meta Needs to Do More to Keep Under-13s Off Instagram and Facebook
The European Commission warned Meta that its current safeguards are insufficient to keep children under 13 off Instagram and Facebook, citing evidence that 10‑12% of users on the platforms are underage. The regulator said Meta must redesign its services and...
Removing Human Error by Design – The Role of Remote Control in Safer Rail Operations
Rail operators are turning to remote‑control technologies to eliminate the conditions that foster human error, rather than merely adding more procedures. By moving critical safety actions—such as activating protection or applying isolations—into a centralized, real‑time interface, the number of manual...
Hitachi Rail to Upgrade Taiwanese EMU Train Protection Equipment
Hitachi Rail has secured a €37 million (~$41 million) contract from Taiwan Railways Corp to replace the automatic train protection system on 63 EMU500 commuter trainsets. The upgrade will install Hitachi’s ELO signalling solution, aiming to reduce faults and improve operational efficiency....
Centre In Talks With US, Anthropic For Access To Claude Mythos: Report
The Indian government is negotiating with the United States and Anthropic to secure Indian companies' access to Claude Mythos, a powerful AI model capable of discovering critical software vulnerabilities. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the model as a major cyber...
Commission Sets Out a Common Approach for EU-Wide Age Verification Technologies
The European Commission has adopted a recommendation to create a common EU‑wide age‑verification framework, targeting full availability by 31 December 2026. The blueprint mandates anonymous proof‑of‑age tools that protect privacy while allowing platforms to block age‑restricted content. It ties the rollout to...
Black Swift Technologies & NOAA Validate Multi-UAS Hurricane Sensing
Black Swift Technologies, in partnership with NOAA, completed the first simultaneous multi‑UAS sampling from a crewed hurricane aircraft, deploying two S0 drones from a WP‑3D Orion. The operator controlled both platforms through a mission‑level interface, allowing the drones to hover...
Commission Preliminarily Finds Meta in Breach of Digital Services Act for Failing to Prevent Minors Under 13 From Using Instagram...
The European Commission has issued a preliminary finding that Meta’s Instagram and Facebook violate the Digital Services Act by not adequately preventing children under 13 from accessing the platforms. Although Meta’s terms set the minimum age at 13, the current...
Calls to Revive Jersey Driverless Car Plans
Jersey’s government shelved draft driverless‑car legislation after spending roughly £35,000‑£40,000 (about $45,000‑$51,000) on its development. EVie, an electric‑car‑hire firm, is urging officials to adopt a policy that permits autonomous‑vehicle trials to generate safety and usage data. Environmental advocates argue that...
SP Mobility, ComfortDelGro Engie Bag Contracts to Deploy EV Fast-Charging Hubs in HDB Towns
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority subsidiary EVe awarded contracts to SP Mobility and ComfortDelGro Engie to install eight electric‑vehicle fast‑charging hubs across HDB towns. Each site will host six to eight 50 kW fast chargers, with one location also offering three 7.4 kW...
Former FCA Interim CEO to Lead Government Digital Markets Efforts
The UK government has created a Wholesale Digital Markets Champion role to accelerate tokenised wholesale finance and modernise payments regulation. Chris Woolard, former interim FCA chief and EY partner, will lead the effort, fostering public‑private collaboration. A £1 million (≈$1.25 million) grant...
NHS England Simplifies the Digital Estate
NHS England is extending its public‑facing design system to cover staff‑oriented digital services, adding new components rather than building a separate internal framework. The update introduces an account header, smaller checkboxes, notification banners, pagination, interruption pages, and a file‑upload widget....
Liverpool Rolls Out AI Welcome Mat to Open Spectators
Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority, together with Sum Vivas, has installed an AI‑powered terminal called Jimmy at Southport station for The Open Golf Championship. The avatar greets visitors in 99 languages, automatically switching to the language spoken to the user....
Hong Kong Expands Charging Infrastructure Planning for Electric Public Transport
Hong Kong’s government announced expanded charging infrastructure guidelines for electric public transport, requiring new transport interchanges to reserve space and power for fast chargers. The first interchange with ten 100 kW+ chargers opened in March 2026, supporting up to 21 electric buses...
Hong Kong Outlines Strategy To Accelerate Autonomous Vehicle Development And Trials
Hong Kong’s Transport Department unveiled a comprehensive plan to speed autonomous vehicle (AV) development, moving from pilot projects toward commercial services. A dedicated regulatory framework and a new Code of Practice, effective March 2024, set safety, data and insurance standards...
EU Legislators Fail to Clinch Deal to Delay AI Law
European Union legislators could not reach an agreement to postpone key provisions of the Artificial Intelligence Act, leaving the high‑risk AI rules slated to take effect in August 2024 unchanged. The deadlock centered on a German‑backed proposal to exempt industrial...
Thailand Pilots ‘Zero Burn to Earn’ Model Turning Farm Waste Into Renewable Energy
Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation has launched the PMUC Zero Burn to Earn pilot, beginning 5 May 2026 in Chiang Mai. The program swaps crop residues for farm equipment and renewable‑energy inputs, creating a market for agricultural waste. Pilot...
Hong Kong Mandates Electronic Payment Options in Taxis to Improve Passenger Convenience
Hong Kong’s Transport Department has mandated that all 46,000 licensed taxis offer at least two electronic payment options—one QR‑code based (e.g., Alipay, WeChat Pay) and one non‑QR method such as Octopus or credit cards—effective 1 April 2026. The rule aims to streamline...
Solar Scheme May Push Induction Cooktops Amid Energy Disruptions
India is evaluating a support package for induction cooktops under the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, prompted by energy market disruptions linked to the Iran war. The plan seeks to shift households away from the nation’s 320 million LPG connections toward solar‑powered electric cooking. Policy...
Davinia Simon Joins Databricks as A/NZ Public Sector Lead
Databricks has appointed Davinia Simon as the public‑sector lead for Australia and New Zealand, tasked with shaping the company’s regional government strategy. Simon will target agencies in New South Wales and Queensland, driving data‑platform modernization, advanced analytics and AI‑enabled services. Her two‑decade track...
Digital Sovereignty: Why Control, Continuity, and Lawful Authority Matter for Canada’s Data Future
ThinkOn CEO Craig McLellan discussed digital sovereignty on CGE Radio, emphasizing the need for Canadian firms to retain control, continuity, and lawful authority over their data. He warned that reliance on global hyperscalers such as AWS and Azure can expose...
UK Set To Join Australia In Booting U16s Off Social Media
The UK government announced plans to restrict or ban social‑media access for children under 16, following Australia’s December 2025 rollout. Education Minister Olivia Bailey told Parliament that a public consultation launched in March will shape the mechanism, after the House of Lords...
Scoop: White House Workshops Plan to Bring Back Anthropic
The White House is drafting an executive action that would let federal agencies bypass the supply‑chain risk label placed on Anthropic, opening the door to its newest model, Mythos. Senior officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary...
AI Governance Lagging
At the Govt Cybersecurity & AI 2026 conference in Canberra, experts warned that AI governance in the public sector is still nascent and struggling to keep pace with rapid model evolution. Delegates highlighted the difficulty of aligning slow government procurement...
Government Spends £60k on Podcast Promotion for Digital ID Consultation
The UK government has allocated £62,817 (≈$80,000) to promote its digital identity public consultation via podcast ads on Acast and Audioboom. The 12‑week campaign runs until 5 May, aiming to broaden participation beyond traditional media channels. Minister James Frith emphasized that...
Whitehall Chips in as Digital Inclusion Drive Nets Thousands of Devices
The UK’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan has delivered 22,000 refurbished laptops and tablets to community centres, homelessness charities, and individuals in under a year. The effort is coordinated by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) together with the...
Fraud without a Breach: The Emerging Risk in Digital Government Programs
Governments are confronting a new wave of fraud that bypasses traditional cybersecurity defenses, as providers exploit digital claim‑submission platforms to bill for services that never occurred. In the United States, childcare subsidy programs have lost billions of dollars through falsified...
Improving Access to Essential Medicines via Decision-Aware Machine Learning
A new wave of decision‑aware machine‑learning models is being applied to pharmaceutical supply chains in low‑income regions, blending demand forecasts with inventory and distribution constraints. Early pilots in Zambia and Rwanda report up to a 30% reduction in stock‑outs and...
HTX and ST Engineering Launch Space Tech Program for Singapore Public Safety
Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and ST Engineering signed a five‑year MoU to launch a dedicated public‑safety satellite, Xplorer, slated for a 2029 launch. The 100‑kg spacecraft will orbit near the equator, delivering high‑revisit coverage for the...
Army’s Project ARIA Seeks to Accelerate AI Adoption Across the Force
The U.S. Army launched Project ARIA to fast‑track artificial‑intelligence integration across its force. The initiative focuses on three thrusts: a “model armory” that delivers AI tools to soldiers at the tactical edge, automating the Planning‑Programming‑Budgeting‑Execution (PPBE) process, and building a...
How Tech Can Bridge Gaps in Rural Healthcare Data Struggles
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is pushing technology to cut costs and improve care in rural America. A new ONC mandate requires electronic health records to show prescription benefit information, giving patients price transparency at the...
What Travelers Need to Know About the EU’s New Biometric Border Checks
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (E.E.S.) launched this month, requiring biometric data—fingerprints and facial photos—at all Schengen border points. The rollout across 29 Schengen countries has triggered hours‑long queues at airports such as Milan, Paris and Amsterdam. Officials say the system...
Building Cyber Resilience Through Zero Trust in the Public Sector
Public sector agencies are prime cyber‑crime targets, prompting governments to replace perimeter defenses with identity‑led Zero Trust models. In Australia, Zero Trust is codified in the 2025 Protective Security Policy Framework and reinforced by state strategies such as NSW’s 2026‑2028...
AI Strategy Pillars, New SMB Procurement Program Revealed in Canada’s Spring Economic Update
Canada’s Spring Economic Update unveiled six pillars for a forthcoming national AI strategy, emphasizing privacy safeguards, AI training, SME adoption, sovereign compute infrastructure, growth capital for Canadian champions, and international standards cooperation. The update also announced a Small and Medium...