Crown and Magistrate Courts Digitisation Funding Boost
The UK government will fund every Crown court in England and Wales to operate at maximum capacity in 2026/27, with an extra £287 million for digital upgrades and infrastructure. Total court and tribunal funding rises to £2.785 billion, up from £2.538 billion. No cap on sitting days and additional magistrates' court capacity aim to clear backlogs. The three‑year plan also supports judge‑only trials and expands the Immigration and Asylum Chamber’s sitting days.
MHCLG Adopts User-Focus to Digital Planning Case Studies
MHCLG’s Digital Planning team has overhauled its case study format to prioritize user‑focused design, guided by research on how planners consume content. The new layout features an upfront overview box, plain‑language summaries, comparative before‑and‑after metrics, and simple visual aids. A...
NHS Awards Third Digital Deal for £150m Suite of Online Vaccination Services
NHS England has signed a three‑year, £33.6 million contract with London‑based TPXimpact to deliver digital services for maternity and child vaccinations. This agreement is the third digital‑prevention deal signed in the last six months, bringing the total spend on such services...
DWP Offers up to £136k for Digital Delivery Director to Help Transform UC and More
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is hiring a senior director for its Digital and Transformation Group, offering a salary of up to £136,000. The role will steer the digital delivery of working‑age services, including Universal Credit, the jobs...
National Crime Agency Calls for ‘Whole-System Approach’ to Tech-Enabled Abuse
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) warns that generative AI image tools and end‑to‑end encryption are expanding opportunities for child sexual abuse online. It urges regulators, particularly Ofcom, to wield powers under the Online Safety Act to hold tech platforms...
Manitoba Introduces ‘Safety App’ for Healthcare
Manitoba's health ministry announced a provincewide rollout of the SAFE mobile app, extending its use from Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre to Brandon Regional Health Centre, St. Boniface, Victoria and upcoming sites in Thompson. The app provides emergency notifications, direct security...
Lammy Backs LawtechUK for Next Three Years as He Sets Out AI Vision
Lord Chancellor David Lammy announced £4.5 million in funding for LawtechUK over the next three years, extending the programme’s total investment to £12 million since 2019. He outlined an AI‑focused vision for the courts, including a pilot AI listing assistant (J‑AI) for...
Pentagon Eyes 2028 to Deliver Much-Delayed Background Investigation System
The Pentagon’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) now targets fiscal 2028 to field the next‑generation National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) system, a project originally slated for 2019. The program’s budget has swollen to $4.6 billion through FY2031, with $2.2 billion projected...
Singapore: Advancing Applied AI with New Centre of Excellence
Singapore launched the Singtel Digital InfraCo – NVIDIA Centre of Excellence for Applied AI, reinforcing the nation’s shift from building large frontier models to deploying AI that solves real‑world problems. The centre joins more than 60 AI CoEs established since the 2023...
Thailand: Smart Innovation for a Future-Ready Industrial Ecosystem
Thailand’s Industrial Estate Authority (IEAT) and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) have signed an MOU to accelerate AI, IoT and robotics adoption across industrial estates, turning SMEs into Smart Factories. The partnership will launch pilot projects in...
SISU Solutions Joins ICTPA Panel
Australia's Department of Defence has added SISU Solutions to its Information Communications Technology Provider Arrangement (ICTPA) panel, making the SME one of the few approved across all service modules. SISU can now supply systems integration, application services, and ICT personnel...
Municipal Water and Sewer Capacity Constrain DHS Detention Buildouts
The Department of Homeland Security’s plan to convert a vacant warehouse in Merrimack, N.H., into an immigration detention center has hit a roadblock due to municipal water and sewer capacity constraints. Local officials argue that the town’s utilities are already...
IonQ Hires Trio of Dell Vets to Lead Federal Push
IonQ has bolstered its federal division by appointing three former Dell executives to senior roles, while former NGA director Robert Cardillo serves as executive chairman. Steve Harris will lead the go‑to‑market organization, Cameron Chehreh will head field engineering, and Mike...
Q&A: Palo Alto’s Eric Trexler Urges Identity-First, AI-Secure, Platformized Cyberdefenses
Eric Trexler, senior VP for the public sector at Palo Alto Networks, highlighted the federal government’s massive, fragmented cyber‑attack surface and the $27 billion FY 2025 cybersecurity budget, of which roughly $1.8 billion targets identity management. He noted that while agencies have made...
Alabama Joins Early State Efforts to Launch Chip-Enabled EBT Cards
Alabama has become one of only three states to roll out chip‑enabled EBT cards statewide, following a pilot in 11 counties. The new cards aim to curb SNAP fraud, which cost the state over $15 million last year, and to meet...
Class Action Challenges DHS’ Use of Facial Recognition Against Protesters
A class action filed in Maine accuses the Department of Homeland Security of deploying the Mobile Fortify facial‑recognition app to photograph, scan and record protesters documenting immigration arrests, then threatening them with placement on a domestic‑terrorist watchlist. The complaint alleges systematic...
Lift Cybersecurity, Warns Report
Australian government agencies are urged to upgrade cybersecurity after Cisco and the University of Canberra released the "Securing the Nation" report. The study highlights that 59% of federal agencies view legacy, end‑of‑life technology as a top security challenge and warns...
Commonwealth AI Usage Disclosures Found Sorely Wanting
An independent audit by the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision‑Making and Society found that nearly one‑third of federal agencies have failed to meet mandatory AI usage disclosure requirements. The probe highlights widespread non‑compliance with transparency rules...
CMU-Africa Researchers Develop Biometric PAD Bias Reduction Methods and Metrics
Carnegie Mellon University Africa researchers introduced an ethnicity‑aware preprocessing pipeline for face presentation‑attack detection (PAD) that adapts brightness and gamma correction to different skin tones. Using local binary patterns (LBPs) and a balanced stochastic gradient descent classifier, they trained and...
CMS RFI Offers View of How AI Could Impact Medicare Experience
CMS has issued a Request for Information to explore AI solutions that could transform Medicare’s digital and voice interactions. The agency aims to use predictive analytics, chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI‑driven call‑center tools to deliver personalized plan recommendations and 24/7...
DISA's $201M Browser Contract Shows Resellers Still Have a Role to Play
DISA has issued a $201 million solicitation for cloud‑based internet isolation (CBII), requiring authorized Menlo Security resellers to deliver a managed service. Menlo Security supplies the underlying remote‑browser platform, while resellers will operate, integrate, and support the solution within DISA’s security...
ADVP Expects Digital Identity Consultation to Play by Rules of Data Act, DIATF
The Association of Digital Verification Professionals (ADVP) has urged the UK government to shape its upcoming digital‑identity consultation around the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, warning that a single, government‑only wallet would lock out the private sector. ADVP argues...
‘It’s Not over’: Cyber Info-Sharing Center Begins ‘Next Chapters’ After Losing Federal Funding
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) lost its federal grant in September 2025 and transitioned to a dues‑paying model. Sixteen states and territories are now full members, while eight additional states have purchased services for all their agencies....
Accelerating Federal Cloud Modernization
Federal agencies are accelerating cloud modernization, but must first close gaps in data readiness, cybersecurity, and legacy infrastructure. Officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Energy, and NinjaOne discussed prerequisites for hybrid and multi‑cloud success....
US ‘Committed’ to Fighting Transnational Gangs Behind Southeast Asian Scam Compounds: FBI
A senior FBI official announced the United States is fully committed to leading a global fight against transnational criminal networks operating large‑scale scamming compounds in Southeast Asia. The FBI’s International Operations Division has been meeting with law‑enforcement counterparts in Thailand,...
4 Ways Cities Can Shape Data Center Impact
Climate Mayors, together with Bloomberg Associates, released a report outlining how U.S. cities can shape the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centers driven by AI growth. The guide highlights four leverage points—site selection, electricity costs, environmental impacts, and local economic...
Telin and IPification Turn Mobile Networks Into Identity Infrastructure With OTP-Free Verification Service
PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin) and IPification have introduced Telin Mobile Network Verification, an OTP‑free identity verification service that leverages network‑layer signals to confirm a user’s phone number, SIM card, and device. The solution, now available on more than 40...
Mexico Makes Biometric ID the Gateway to Mobile Connectivity as SIM Registration Deadline Approaches
Mexico will require every mobile line to be linked to a biometric CURP ID by July 2026. The law, effective Jan 9, 2026, obliges registration of prepaid, postpaid, physical SIMs and eSIMs, giving existing users until June 30 to comply and suspending unregistered...
Final Piece in Place for Defence Support Transformation
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £113 million contract to the Digital Allies consortium—PA Consulting and Accenture—to deliver the Defence Logistics Information Services (DLIS) under the Business Modernisation for Support (BMfS) programme. This contract completes a suite of BMfS...
Navy Pushes AI From Experiments to Everyday Warfighting Functions
The U.S. Navy is moving artificial intelligence from experimental pilots into routine warfighting functions, aiming to embed trustworthy AI across all mission areas. Deputy Director Christopher Page emphasized the need for a common taxonomy and lexicon to ensure data quality...
How Disconnected Clouds Improve AI Data Governance
Microsoft has launched Azure Local, a fully disconnected private cloud that unifies Azure, Microsoft 365, and Foundry services for regulated enterprises. The offering supports offline governance, policy enforcement, and AI inferencing on on‑prem hardware, ensuring data never leaves customer‑controlled boundaries....
Ariz. FD Opens New Firehouse with Health-Focused Design
The Tucson Fire Department opened Station 14 on Feb. 23, a 15,000‑square‑foot facility that replaces the 1968 South Liberty Avenue station. Funded by Proposition 101’s nearly $10 million allocation, the new firehouse emphasizes firefighter health with private dorms, a gym, individualized alerting, and a...
The Commercial Space Federation Releases New White Paper “Perfecting Public-Private Partnerships”
The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) released a new white paper titled “Perfecting Public‑Private Partnerships: The Future of Government Space Contracts.” Authored by Rational Futures, the report offers a playbook for government buyers to maximize outcomes on space PPPs, stressing that...
Ukraine Pushes Tighter Telegram Regulation, Citing Russian Recruitment of Locals
Ukrainian officials are urging tighter regulation of Telegram after Russian intelligence allegedly used the app to recruit saboteurs for attacks, including a deadly Lviv strike that killed a police officer. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and SBU deputy head Ivan Rudnytskyi...
FIDO Paris Seminar 2026
The FIDO Alliance convened a one‑day seminar in Paris to examine Europe’s evolving authentication, identity and payments ecosystem. Attendees, including senior industry leaders, reviewed the latest advances in FIDO standards, passkey technology, verifiable credentials, and digital wallet initiatives. The event...
ICE to Outsource Decisions About What Surveillance Tools to Buy Next
Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it will contract a private firm to decide which surveillance technologies to acquire, pilot, or defer. The request for information outlines a mandate that includes identifying enterprise‑wide gaps, scouting emerging tools, and drafting problem statements...
Kenya Streamlines Access to Legal and Digital Identity
President William Ruto signed the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024, mandating at least one civil registration office in each of Kenya's 290 sub‑counties. The legislation streamlines birth and death registration, targeting remote and border communities that have struggled...
How the EU Is Deregulating Arms-Control to Be Like Any Other Industry
EU lawmakers are advancing the Defence Readiness Omnibus, a legislative package that would replace traditional export licences with General Transfer Licences, allowing unlimited, multi‑year transfers of military goods. The proposal also expands exemptions for intra‑EU and cross‑border partnerships, potentially covering...
Fire at Cape Town International Airport Hits IT Services
A fire broke out on the landside of Cape Town International Airport on 24 Feb 2026, prompting ACSA to extinguish the blaze and confirm that all passengers and staff are safe. The incident disrupted the airport’s network and Wi‑Fi services, leading to...
Malatsi Throws Weight Behind Dell’s EEIP Application
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has recommended approval of Dell Technologies' Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP) renewal, extending the commitment for another ten years and pledging over R230 million into South Africa. The EEIP framework allows multinationals to meet B‑BEE targets through...
SOPA 2026: Lesufi Touts AI Office, Widespread WiFi
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced plans for a provincial artificial intelligence office to coordinate AI projects with the CSIR, state entities and private partners. The province highlighted recent AI factory launches by Altron and Cassava Technologies, positioning South Africa as a...
TDRA Reinforces Efforts for Integrated Digital Payment Ecosystem
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) convened a workshop to accelerate a unified digital payment ecosystem across UAE federal entities. Participants outlined a vision that blends digital identity, multiple payment channels, and secure settlement to simplify government transactions....
Housing Has a Data Problem
The article highlights a critical data gap in global housing, where fragmented tracking tools leave policymakers unable to gauge program effectiveness. United Nations estimates reveal 2.8 billion people lack adequate housing and 318 million are homeless, underscoring the scale of the crisis....
BEREC Workshop on Copper Switch-Off in Light of the Digital Networks Act
European regulators are accelerating the phase‑out of copper broadband in line with the European Commission’s Digital Networks Act (DNA) proposal. BEREC, the EU’s body for electronic communications, announced a public workshop on 17 March 2026 to discuss migration rules, competition safeguards and...
Center for Critical Infrastructure Security Awarded Maryland Cyber & AI Clinic Grant
Maryland’s Department of Labor awarded the Center for Critical Infrastructure Security a Cyber & AI Clinic Grant, part of Gov. Wes Moore’s $4 million AI workforce initiative. The grant funds the launch of the Think Like a CISO Academy, a statewide...
Where MENA CIOs Draw the Line on AI Sovereignty
MENA CIOs are drawing firm lines around AI sovereignty, keeping regulated workloads—such as patient data, identity systems, and core financial transactions—on sovereign or on‑premise infrastructure while leveraging hyperscalers for development, testing, and non‑sensitive analytics. The hybrid approach reflects regional regulatory...
HM Courts and Tribunals Completes Audio Transcription Modernisation
HM Courts and Tribunals Service has finished modernising its Digital Audio Recording Transcription (DARTS) system for Crown Courts. The cloud‑based platform now delivers audio recordings in minutes, with real‑time progress tracking and enhanced search tools. Migration moved roughly 600 TB of...
One IPO Roadmap Unveiled
The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has released a detailed roadmap for its new One IPO patents service, outlining a phased rollout of enhancements over the next twelve months. Immediate actions focus on restoring full publishing capacity, accelerating internal processing, and...
Binding Operational Directive 26-02 Sets Deadlines for Edge Device Replacement
CISA’s Binding Operational Directive 26‑02 obliges all federal agencies to inventory, report, decommission, and replace unsupported edge devices such as firewalls, routers, switches, load balancers, and wireless access points. Agencies have three months to identify vulnerable equipment and twelve to eighteen...
Essex Authorities Invest in AI Skills
Brentwood Borough and Rochford District Councils are embedding AI and data literacy into their 2025‑2028 Digital Strategy by training 33 staff members. They partnered with Multiverse to deliver two courses focused on turning data into insights and using AI tools...