Can a New Police Device Put an End to High-Speed Chases?
Law‑enforcement agencies are testing the Grappler, a $5,000 net‑launch device that snags a fleeing car's rear tires, aiming to end high‑speed pursuits more safely. Riverside County deputies used it in March to stop a suspect on the 60 Freeway, joining over 150 U.S. departments that have adopted the technology since Phoenix first bought it in 2018. Statewide, California recorded 13,627 police chases in 2023, with 19% ending in crashes and 43 fatalities, underscoring the urgency for better de‑escalation tools. Federal legislation now proposes funding for such pursuit‑reduction tech.
Portugal and Italy Will Not Suspend Digital Border Checks for Brits
Portugal and Italy have confirmed they will not exempt British nationals from the EU’s new Entry‑Exit System (EES) biometric checks, despite reports of a possible suspension. The EES, which requires fingerprint and facial scans for short‑term visitors, has already caused...
Pentagon Turns to AI Targeting to Help Troops Shoot Drones
The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit has launched the C‑UAS Close‑In Kinetic Defeat Enhancement (CiKDE) program to embed AI‑enhanced target recognition (AiTR) into existing remote weapon stations and eventually dismounted small arms. Phase 1 focuses on upgrading CROWS turrets to detect drones...
Ex Police Detective Gavin Burton: Fraud Prevention Tools for Police and Border Control
Former police detective Gavin Burton discusses whether current policies compel organisations and governments to adopt reasonable fraud‑prevention procedures. He examines the tension between regulatory compliance and modern identity‑verification technology, emphasizing the role of biometrics and digital ID tools in policing...
New Conn. Law Bars LE From Sharing LPR Data for Immigration Enforcement
Governor Ned Lamont signed a law that restricts Connecticut police from sharing automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) data with out‑of‑state agencies for immigration enforcement. The rule limits data exchange to Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, provided those states agree not to use...
EU Kicks AI Act's Strictest Regs Down the Road
The European Parliament and Council have agreed to push back the EU AI Act’s high‑risk provisions from August 2026 to December 2027 and to defer rules for AI embedded in products, such as toys, to August 2028. Tech Commissioner Henna...
EU Strikes Deal to Ban Sexualized AI Deepfakes
European Union lawmakers and member states reached a deal to explicitly ban AI systems that create sexualized deepfakes, often called "nudifier" applications, after the Grok chatbot controversy sparked global outrage. The prohibition will be woven into the AI Act amendments,...
735 Electric Buses Coming To Dubai Soon
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will receive 735 electric buses in 2026, expanding its electric fleet to roughly 775 vehicles. The existing 40‑bus pilot has already avoided 59,263 tons of CO₂ in 2025 and achieved a 95% satisfaction rate among drivers...
Info Session - Call for Proposals Digital Solutions for Regulatory Compliance Through Data
The European Commission’s DG CONNECT is hosting an online info session on June 8, 2026 to detail the DIGITAL‑2026‑AI‑DATA‑10‑COMPLIANCE call under the Digital Europe Programme. The call seeks consortia to develop AI‑driven digital tools that automate regulatory reporting and data management across...
A Data Centre Fire in Almere Disabled a University, a Transport Emergency System, and the Assumption that Physical Infrastructure Is...
A fire at NorthC's Almere data centre knocked out Utrecht University’s online services, disabled the emergency‑communication platform for public transport across Utrecht province, and triggered an NL‑Alert for residents of Flevoland. Classified as a GRIP 1 incident, the blaze destroyed the...
From Manual to AI-Powered: The Evolution of Trade Classification
The article traces trade classification from manual, paper‑based inspections to today’s AI‑driven systems. After the 1988 Harmonized System standardized six‑digit codes, digitization and rule‑based expert tools added speed but remained brittle. The 2010s introduced machine‑learning models, and since 2018 transformer‑based...
Los Angeles County Works to Modernize Its Public Health Data Infrastructure
Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health is overhauling its data infrastructure by adopting the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard, a move driven by the CDC Foundation’s Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI). Data engineer Joe Martin is leading efforts to...
Arizona Emerges as National Leader in Wildlife Crossings
Arizona is rapidly becoming a national leader in wildlife crossings, integrating dedicated overpasses and underpasses into its highway system. The state’s comprehensive studies, including the Arizona Wildlife Linkages Assessment and a statewide vehicle‑conflict analysis, have pinpointed collision hotspots. Completed projects...
NOAA Awards $21.6m for Uncrewed Systems Supporting Mapping, Charting
NOAA announced a $21,600,909 contract with Chance Maritime Technologies to deliver up to eight uncrewed marine systems over five years. The systems will be installed on the agency’s new charting vessels, Surveyor and Navigator, to augment traditional seafloor mapping and...
Santam, Weather Service Partner on Early Warning, Forecasting Capabilities
South African insurer Santam has partnered with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) to fund the installation of nine new automatic weather stations (AWS) nationwide. The stations fill critical observational gaps in regions such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu‑Natal, the Eastern...
Mont. Air Ambulance Service Seeks $2M for New Helicopter
ALERT, the Montana air‑ambulance service, has secured $3.5 million toward a $5.5 million Bell 429 helicopter and is now seeking the remaining $2 million from the community. The new twin‑engine rotorcraft will replace one of the existing Bell 407s, which will become a backup unit....
The Gaps in South Africa’s Digital ID Plan
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs released draft regulations to embed a digital identity layer alongside the traditional green ID book and smart ID card. The draft outlines cryptographic standards and envisions citizen‑controlled digital wallets, but industry experts flag critical...
Polish Intelligence Warns Hackers Attacked Water Treatment Control Systems
Poland’s Internal Security Agency disclosed that hackers breached the control systems of water‑treatment facilities in five towns during 2025, gaining the ability to modify pump and alarm settings. The intrusions were linked to a broader surge in hostile cyber activity,...
The Divide: How Permitting Problems Delay Broadband Builds
The $42 billion BEAD program will pour roughly $21 billion into U.S. broadband builds over four years, but providers warn permitting bottlenecks threaten timely deployment. Executives from Brightspeed, Ziply Fiber, and CentraCom describe costly, inconsistent permit fees—up to $30,000 for a 200‑home...
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Eurobites: Vodafone Entrusts 'Sovereign' Cloud to AWS
Vodafone has signed a multi‑year agreement with Amazon Web Services to deliver a sovereign, Europe‑only cloud using Skaylink’s expertise, ensuring all data stays within the EU. Telecom Italia reported a 1.7% drop in Q1 EBITDA to €1 bn, with domestic earnings...
Drones Over the Swamp: How South Walton Is Reinventing Mosquito Control
South Walton County’s Mosquito District has deployed a two‑drone system to spray larvicide over swampy habitats, treating 593 acres of hard‑to‑reach land. The PV‑40X treatment drone can carry up to 40 pounds of pellets, while a Skydio X10 maps and updates treatment...
Pierce Aerospace Selected to Build Remote ID Network for NASA, Paving the Way for Drone and Air Taxi Flight in...
Pierce Aerospace has been selected by Metis Technology Solutions, the prime contractor for NASA’s ARTS program, to deploy its YR1 and YR2S Remote ID sensors across Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The multi‑year effort will feed real‑time...
Government Picks Two Cyber Incident Response Partners for £7m Contracts
Britain’s Cabinet Office has awarded Deloitte and PwC retained cyber‑incident response contracts worth up to £8.1 million (about $10.4 million). The two‑year agreements, with a possible 12‑month extension, will provide on‑site and remote expertise to any UK government department facing a cyber...
NHS Employers Responds to Digital Identity Consultation
UK government’s digital ID proposal, initially mandatory, now voluntary, has sparked a public consultation. NHS Employers, representing England’s NHS workforce, voiced support for a single, government‑issued digital identity to streamline recruitment, improve compliance and curb fraud, but warned against each...
Biden Era Digital Discrimination FCC Rule Inevitably Overturned
A U.S. appeals court has invalidated the FCC's 2023 digital discrimination rule, finding it exceeds the agency's statutory authority by policing disparate impact rather than disparate treatment. The decision was praised by FCC Chair Brendan Carr and the U.S. Chamber...
BFBS Selects Synamedia for New Digital Platform
BFBS has appointed Synamedia as its strategic technology partner to build a next‑generation digital platform, dubbed The Hub, for the UK Armed Forces. The Hub will consolidate broadcasting, OTT and personalized content into a single, secure experience accessible on multiple...
Microsoft Joins Competitors in Handing over AI Models for Advanced Testing
Microsoft, Google and xAI have agreed to submit their most advanced AI models to the U.S. Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) and the UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI) for pre‑deployment testing. The partnership will evaluate frontier models for...
Data Residency Becomes the GCC’s Next AI Battleground
AI adoption in the Gulf Cooperation Council has shifted from experimentation to a focus on data residency, turning it into a strategic differentiator. Sovereign‑AI strategies are urging governments and enterprises to keep data, models and compute under local control while...
One House Democrat Is Pressing Commerce on the Government’s Spyware Use
Representative Summer Lee, the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has asked the Commerce Department for a briefing on the federal government’s use of commercial spyware, including ICE’s deployment of Paragon’s Graphite and the recent U.S. investment...
TRL to Develop First National Blue Light Standard for UK Police Vehicles
TRL, the UK’s transport research hub, has been hired by the Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to craft the nation’s first unified Fleet Blue Light Standard for police vehicles. The standard will dictate blue‑light configurations for cars,...
IFAT Munich Showcases Next Generation of Municipal Electric Vehicles
At IFAT 2026 in Munich, leading European truck makers showcased their latest electric municipal vehicles. Mercedes‑Benz introduced the eEconic 400 with a larger 400 kWh battery and announced an initial Copenhagen order of six units. Volvo displayed a next‑generation FM Electric 6×2...
Frequentis Modernises Military Communication Systems for the Austrian Armed Forces
Frequentis has been awarded a contract by Austria’s Federal Ministry of Defence to modernise the military aeronautical radio system used for air traffic control and airspace surveillance. The upgrade will introduce secure, encrypted voice and data links supplied by Rohde & Schwarz,...
Kapsch TrafficCom Expands San Bernardino Express Lanes Network
Kapsch TrafficCom secured a contract from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to extend the I-15 express‑lane system by eight miles, linking it with Riverside County’s toll network for a continuous 53‑mile corridor. The expansion responds to projections of half...
NHS Scotland Notes Intent to Explore Options for Multi-Channel Remote Health Monitoring Solution
NHS Scotland has issued a prior information notice to explore a multi‑channel remote health monitoring and communication solution, with a formal contract notice slated for July 2026. The agency is conducting a soft market test, asking suppliers to complete a questionnaire...
Realising Britain’s AI Ambitions Rests on Digital Confidence and Inclusion
The UK faces a digital inclusion challenge as nearly eight million adults lack basic digital skills, turning AI‑driven services into barriers rather than gateways. Complex, AI‑layered hiring and service portals increase application drop‑offs and limit access to jobs and essential...
GSMA Calls for Urgent Action to Protect Connectivity Resilience Across Africa
The GSMA warns that rising fuel costs are jeopardizing mobile network reliability across Africa, where connectivity underpins emergency services, finance, health and education. It calls for immediate fuel prioritisation for telecom sites, medium‑term classification of telecoms as critical infrastructure, and...
Sovereignty AI: The Real Test of SA’s AI Strategy
South Africa withdrew its first draft AI policy after critics flagged fictitious references, exposing a deeper dilemma about AI sovereignty. The country must decide whether it can enforce responsible AI rules without control over critical stack layers such as energy,...
Inside FDP – Part 2: Delivering on the NHS Vision for Data
The NHS’s Frontline Data Platform (FDP) shifts from a reporting‑first model to a Frontline‑First approach, embedding data tools directly into clinical workflows. By leveraging Palantir Foundry’s low‑code environment, trusts can build and deploy applications such as Optica, cutting discharge delays...
FCC’s DJI Drone Ban Review Now Depends on Public Feedback
The FCC is accepting public comments until May 11 on DJI’s appeal to be removed from its Covered List, a blacklist that blocks new DJI drones from U.S. market entry. DJI argues the agency provided no evidence of a national‑security threat,...
The Boston Metro Is Switching to Digital Signalling
Knorr‑Bremse’s KB Signaling division is in the final phase of a digital signalling overhaul for the MBTA’s Red and Orange lines, targeting completion by the end of 2026. The program will install AFTC5 Audio Frequency Track Circuit systems at all...
India Proposes Licensing Fee for AI Companies that Train on Copyrighted Content
India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has drafted a working paper proposing a mandatory licensing regime that would let AI developers train models on copyrighted material in exchange for a fee paid to a government‑designated collective body....
ISO 25553 to Deliver Smart Multigenerational Neighbourhoods
ISO 25553, titled Smart Multigenerational Neighbourhoods, was unveiled at the Agile Ageing Alliance’s 10th‑anniversary Leaders Forum in London on 12 May. The new international standard offers a shared framework for aligning health, social care, housing, digital infrastructure and community services at the...
EU Agrees to Simplify AI Rules to Boost Innovation and Ban ‘Nudification' Apps to Protect Citizens
The European Commission announced a political agreement with the European Parliament and Council to simplify the EU's AI regulatory framework through the Digital Omnibus on AI. The new rules will phase in high‑risk AI system requirements on 2 December 2027 and extend...
Hawaii Legislature Passes Bills for Automatic Voter Registration, Native Homestead Rights
The Hawaii Legislature approved two landmark bills as the session wraps up. Senate Bill 2239 will automatically register eligible residents to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or state ID, shifting the system to an opt‑out model effective...
European Leaders Unveil Tentative Deal for AI Act Simplification, Including a Ban on Nudification Tools
European lawmakers have reached a tentative agreement to ban AI nudification tools and push back the enforcement of high‑risk AI provisions until December 2027. The deal also permits personal‑data processing for bias detection and exempts mid‑cap companies, narrowing the AI...
Works Ministry Launches an EV Charging System Installation Guidelines Book as Reference for Installers
Malaysia's Works Ministry unveiled a "Design and Installation Guidelines for Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Systems" to standardise charger deployment across the country. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the manual will aid contractors, designers, government bodies and station...
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[Video] SkadBytes Podcast | AI Regulation: EU and UK Update and What It Means in Practice
The SkadBytes podcast highlights the shift from drafting AI rules to enforcing them, contrasting the EU’s and UK’s regulatory paths. In the EU, trilogue negotiations on the Digital Omnibus are advancing, tightening obligations for AI systems. The UK has revamped...
Claimants Not Told Details of AI Use in Analysing Asylum Applications
UK Home Office has deployed two AI‑powered tools to help caseworkers analyse asylum interview transcripts and answer policy queries, but it does not disclose this technology to claimants. Border security minister Alex Norris reiterated that AI only supports, not decides,...
AI Adds Wrinkles to Public-Safety Cyberthreats, PSTA Reps Say
Motorola Solutions’ Public Safety Threat Alliance warned that AI‑driven cybercriminals are increasingly targeting public‑safety communications, especially cloud‑linked land‑mobile‑radio (LMR) networks. Phishing, voice‑deepfake impersonation, and AI‑powered reconnaissance enable attackers to harvest credentials and launch ransomware for tens of millions in cryptocurrency....
Pentagon Leaders Love Agentic AI. But It’s Giving Cyber Criminals Nation-State-Like Powers
Pentagon officials report that the GenAI.mil platform, now equipped with Google Gemini and under evaluation with Anthropic’s Mythos, is compressing multi‑week defense tasks into a few hours. While the agency touts the productivity boost, Mythos remains on a national‑security blacklist,...