21, Apr 2026
Apple Names John Ternus CEO in 2026; Tim Cook Becomes Executive Chairman
Apr 21 (BNP): Apple has announced that Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will become CEO effective September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook. Cook, who has led the company since 2011, will take on the role of Executive Chairman.
The board unanimously approved the planned transition as part of a long-term succession strategy. Arthur Levinson will become Lead Independent Director, and Ternus will join Apple’s board upon becoming CEO.
Ternus, who has led Apple’s hardware engineering since 2021, is expected to guide the company’s next phase of growth in hardware, services, and artificial intelligence. Apple said the move ensures leadership continuity and stability for the future.
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- By Neel Achary
21, Apr 2026
CJI Surya Kant Pushes for Real-Time Cybercrime Response System, Launches AI Tool ‘ABHAY’
New Delhi, Apr 21 (BNP): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has called for a major shift in India’s approach to cybercrime, urging the adoption of real-time enforcement systems to keep pace with increasingly fast, anonymous, and cross-border digital offences.
Speaking at the 22nd D.P. Kohli Memorial Lecture organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in New Delhi, he said traditional investigative processes are proving inadequate against the speed and scale of modern cyber threats.
He emphasised that effective response requires seamless coordination between banks, telecom operators, digital platforms, and law enforcement agencies to ensure rapid detection, prevention, and action.
The CJI also highlighted the need for technology-driven policing, including automated threat detection, integrated command systems, and stronger cyber intelligence capabilities. He stressed that capacity building in digital forensics and specialised cyber training is now essential for investigators and enforcement personnel.
On the occasion, he launched “ABHAY”, an AI-powered chatbot designed to help citizens verify the authenticity of CBI-related notices, particularly in response to rising cases of “digital arrest” scams and online impersonation frauds.
The address underlined the need for a proactive, technology-enabled, and collaborative framework to strengthen India’s fight against cybercrime and improve digital trust in public systems.
21, Apr 2026
AWS, SHI India Join Hands to Boost Indigenous AI Under IndiaAI Mission
New Delhi, Apr 21 (BNP): Amazon Web Services has partnered with SHI India to accelerate indigenous artificial intelligence development under the IndiaAI Mission, aiming to expand access to advanced AI tools across government, enterprises, startups, and research institutions.
The collaboration will leverage AWS platforms such as Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Bedrock to simplify large-scale AI model training and reduce infrastructure complexity through automated and scalable cloud systems.
Officials said the initiative will help organisations build and customise large language models more efficiently, while supporting India’s push for digital self-reliance and AI innovation.
The partnership is expected to strengthen AI adoption across key sectors and support the development of locally relevant, scalable AI solutions in the country.
21, Apr 2026
Meta, CBRE Launch ‘LevelUp’ Training Program
Apr 21 (BNP): Meta Platforms and global real estate and infrastructure services firm CBRE Group have jointly introduced a new workforce initiative titled “LevelUp”, aimed at building a skilled pipeline of fibre technicians to support the rapid expansion of advanced data centre infrastructure in the United States.
The multi-year programme is designed to address a growing shortage of trained professionals in the field of digital and AI-driven infrastructure, particularly as demand for large-scale data centres continues to accelerate worldwide.
Under the initiative, CBRE will establish and operate dedicated training centres across the United States starting this summer. These centres will provide hands-on technical training in fibre installation, maintenance, and data centre operations. Participants who successfully complete the programme will be considered for deployment at Meta’s data centre construction sites through its network of contractors.
The companies say the initiative is focused on creating job-ready skills that align with the evolving needs of the artificial intelligence and cloud computing ecosystem.
Speaking on the launch, Meta executive Dina Powell McCormick highlighted the importance of workforce development in supporting next-generation infrastructure. She noted that the growth of AI technologies depends heavily on skilled technicians capable of building and maintaining complex digital systems.
The “LevelUp” programme reflects a broader industry trend where technology companies are increasingly investing in training and upskilling initiatives to bridge talent gaps in critical infrastructure sectors.
As global demand for data processing and AI capabilities continues to surge, such initiatives are expected to play a key role in strengthening the workforce backbone of the digital economy.
20, Apr 2026
Samsung Chief Clicks Selfie with PM Modi, South Korean President at Noida Event
Apr 20 (BNP): In a symbolic moment highlighting growing India–South Korea business ties, Lee Jae-yong took a selfie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a state luncheon at Samsung’s Noida facility on Monday.
The interaction underscored the importance of India as a major global manufacturing hub for Samsung, particularly in the electronics and smartphone segment. The Noida facility has been a key production base for the company since 1996, manufacturing a wide range of devices, including budget smartphones and premium foldable models.
The luncheon followed high-level bilateral discussions and brought together business leaders from both countries, serving as a platform to deepen economic engagement and explore future investment opportunities.
As part of the broader engagement, industry leaders from major Korean conglomerates also participated in the Korea–India Business Forum, which saw attendance from around 250 business representatives, including top executives from leading Korean corporations.
The South Korean President is currently on a state visit to India and Vietnam, accompanied by a high-level business delegation, aimed at strengthening trade, technology, and investment cooperation between the countries.
During his visit, the President also paid tribute at Raj Ghat, honouring Mahatma Gandhi and reaffirming commitment to global peace and cooperation.
The visit reflects a growing strategic and economic partnership between India and South Korea, with a strong focus on manufacturing, technology collaboration, and supply chain integration.
20, Apr 2026
NIFTEM Thanjavur Empowers 82 Young Entrepreneurs Through Food Start-Up Training Programme
Thanjavur, Apr 20 (BNP): The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur, has successfully conducted a two-day capacity-building programme aimed at fostering entrepreneurship in the food processing sector.
The initiative brought together 82 aspiring food entrepreneurs, offering them structured training designed to strengthen both technical understanding and business readiness for launching start-ups in the food industry.
The programme focused on core aspects of food entrepreneurship, including product development, food safety standards, regulatory compliance, packaging innovation, branding strategies, and financial planning. Participants also received guidance on market linkages, funding opportunities, and scaling early-stage ventures.
Experts and resource persons engaged with participants through interactive sessions and case-based learning, helping them understand the practical challenges and opportunities within India’s rapidly expanding food processing ecosystem.
Officials highlighted that the initiative is aligned with national efforts to promote food sector innovation, value addition in agriculture, and youth-led enterprise development, particularly in emerging Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.
The training also underscored the importance of sustainable practices, encouraging entrepreneurs to adopt efficient production methods, reduce waste, and explore opportunities in organic and health-focused food segments.
By equipping participants with industry-relevant skills and entrepreneurial insights, the programme aims to support the creation of scalable food enterprises, contributing to employment generation and strengthening rural and semi-urban economies.
NIFTEM-Thanjavur reaffirmed its commitment to building a strong ecosystem of food innovators who can leverage India’s agricultural base and growing consumer demand to build competitive and sustainable businesses.
20, Apr 2026
BHIM App Adds Credit Score Feature, Expands Role Beyond Payments
New Delhi, Apr 20 (BNP): The National Payments Corporation of India-backed BHIM app has introduced a new feature enabling users to check their credit scores directly within the app.
Launched in collaboration with TransUnion CIBIL, the feature allows users to securely access their CIBIL Score and credit report through a consent-based system.
The update, available on version 4.0.19 and above, aims to expand BHIM’s role beyond digital payments by promoting financial awareness and responsible credit usage.
This development aligns with India’s growing focus on digital financial inclusion, as the Unified Payments Interface ecosystem continues to see rapid adoption across the country.
20, Apr 2026
MENA Fintech Association Welcomes Facephi as a Member to Support Digital Identity and Secure Financial Onboarding Across the Region
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Apr 20 – The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA), the region’s leading not-for-profit fintech industry body and globally ranked among the top fintech associations, is pleased to welcome Facephi, a global technology company specializing in digital identity verification and AI driven fraud prevention solutions, as a new scaleup member.
Facephi joins MFTA at a time when financial institutions across the Middle East are accelerating digital transformation initiatives and prioritizing secure digital onboarding, identity verification, and fraud prevention capabilities. As banks and fintech providers continue to expand digital services, robust identity technologies are becoming a critical foundation for secure, compliant, and seamless financial experiences.
Facephi delivers advanced end-to-end solutions that enable financial institutions to securely verify users, prevent fraud, and streamline digital onboarding processes. Its technology combines artificial intelligence, biometric recognition, and digital identity verification to help organizations provide secure, frictionless access to financial services while meeting evolving regulatory requirements.
With a strong global footprint, Facephi works with banks, financial institutions, and digital service providers across multiple regions, supporting secure customer authentication, regulatory compliance, and digital identity management in increasingly digital financial ecosystems.
As part of its engagement with the Association, Facephi will contribute its expertise to MFTA’s ecosystem initiatives focused on digital identity, cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and secure financial infrastructure. As digital banking adoption accelerates across the region, biometric authentication and identity verification technologies are playing a growing role in enabling trusted financial services and protecting both institutions and customers.
Henry Rosas, Senior Commercial Director, Facephi Middle East, commented:
“Joining the MENA Fintech Association marks a strategic step in reinforcing our commitment to the region’s digital transformation. At Facephi, we are seeing a significant acceleration in demand for secure digital identity and fraud prevention solutions, driven by the rapid growth of digital banking and financial inclusion initiatives”.
Digital identity and biometric authentication have become key enablers of financial inclusion and secure digital transformation. Financial institutions across the Middle East are increasingly investing in identity technologies to support digital onboarding, strengthen compliance frameworks, and mitigate fraud risks while delivering seamless user experiences for customers.
MFTA continues to serve as a trusted platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators through working groups, roundtables, partnerships, and thought leadership initiatives. Facephi’s membership further strengthens the Association’s commitment to advancing secure digital infrastructure, responsible fintech innovation, and collaboration across the MENA ecosystem.
Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA Fintech Association and Founder of Fils, added:
“The MENA region continues to demonstrate strong progress in digital financial services, underpinned by resilience, regulatory advancement, and increasing institutional participation. At the MENA Fintech Association, we remain committed to actively supporting this growth by working closely with regulators, financial institutions, and technology leaders across the region. As digital identity becomes increasingly critical to enabling secure and inclusive financial ecosystems, we welcome Facephi to the Association. Their expertise will further strengthen our collective efforts to build trusted, compliant, and resilient financial infrastructure across MENA.”
18, Apr 2026
Outpost24 Launches AI Pentesting as Enterprises Deploy AI Faster Than They Can Secure It
STOCKHOLM / PHILADELPHIA, April 18, 2026 — As AI models grow powerful enough to autonomously discover thousands of software vulnerabilities, the same technology is being embedded into enterprise applications at an unprecedented scale, often without any security testing designed for AI-specific risks. Outpost24, a leading global provider of cybersecurity solutions, today launched AI Pentesting, an expert-led adversarial testing service that helps mid-to-large enterprises find and fix security weaknesses in their AI-powered systems before attackers or autonomous AI models do.
The new service extends Outpost24’s established penetration testing practice, drawing on more than five years of CREST-certified expertise and following OffSec’s AI-300 Advanced AI Red Teaming methodology. The launch comes as regulatory pressure intensifies, with the EU AI Act moving into its 2026 implementation phase and emerging models such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework raising expectations for AI security due diligence.
The OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications has formalized a category of attack vectors, including prompt injection, data leakage, unsafe output generation, and the exploitation of agent workflows, that existing application security tools were never designed to detect. Dynamic scanning, static code analysis, and API testing assess deterministic application logic; they cannot evaluate how a Large Language Model reasons, how it responds to adversarial inputs, or how it interacts with external tools and sensitive data it may access. The result is a widening blind spot that carries both operational and compliance consequences for any organization deploying AI at scale.
AI Pentesting applies the same human-validation methodology behind Outpost24’s established penetration testing practice, adapted for the behavioral complexity of AI systems. Testing spans the full AI attack surface, including the model and prompt layer, RAG pipelines, agent workflows, and the supporting APIs and interfaces that connect them. Engagements begin with system discovery and mapping, then move through adversarial testing and access-context validation before concluding with analysis and audit-ready reporting. Unlike automated scanning tools, which identify known patterns but cannot simulate creative adversarial thinking, Outpost24’s specialists follow OSAI+ guidelines to evaluate application behavior under real-world adversarial conditions, informed by the work of the Outpost24 Threat Intelligence Team. Clients receive actionable findings ranked by severity with remediation guidance specific to AI and LLM architectures, delivered through Outpost24’s single platform alongside the company’s broader portfolio of security testing capabilities.
“As organizations embed AI systems and LLMs into customer journeys and internal workflows, they create a new attack surface that traditional application testing was not built to measure. Prompt injection, sensitive data exposure, and unsafe agent behavior are only part of the picture. Closing that gap requires adversarial testing that treats AI behavior as part of the security boundary,” said Omri Kletter, Chief Product Officer at Outpost24.
“We are seeing a pattern that should concern every security leader: AI systems deployed with implicit trust in their inputs, minimal access controls between models and internal infrastructure, and zero adversarial testing before production. Twenty years ago, we learned these lessons the hard way with web applications. The difference now is that the barrier to exploitation is dramatically lower, because an LLM can be manipulated through natural language rather than crafted code,” said Martin Jartelius, AI Product Director at Outpost24.
17, Apr 2026
Sony Electronics to Showcase Technologies to Transform Media and Entertainment at NAB Show 2026
LAS VEGAS, Apr 17 – Sony Electronics will return to NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show 2026, a leading event for the media and entertainment industry. From April 19-22, the company will be in booth #C8401 in Las Vegas focusing on live production, news production, imaging, and virtual production, demonstrating the latest technologies designed to address emerging challenges and needs in broadcast and production.
“At this year’s NAB Show, Sony’s theme is ‘The Power Behind Your Story’ which demonstrates how our technologies are the driving force behind various forms of storytelling,” said Anthony Kable, CCS Group Manager, Sony Australia. “From products to workflows, and acquisition to delivery, Sony has the right people, tools and expertise to enable creators to capture their vision and communicate their truth with quality and authenticity.”
The media and entertainment landscape is changing, and Sony is debuting solutions through the entire production workflow that provide authenticity and provenance, create more personalized and emotional viewing experiences, and support XR and spatial content creation.
At the Sony booth, visitors will experience live production solutions including the evolution of Sony’s “Networked Live” ecosystem, as well as new system cameras offering exceptional image quality and system scalability, enhanced workflows for news production that enable fast and highly reliable reporting, the latest in Virtual Production tools and processes, and a comprehensive lineup of imaging solutions. The company will also showcase XYN™ (/Zin/)’s “spatial capture solution.”
Additionally, Sony will host many engaging presentations and talks on trending topics throughout the show featuring notable industry voices. For more details about the company’s presence, please visit Sony’s NAB Show website.
Key Exhibits and Technology Highlights
Scalable, Flexible, and Simplified Live Production
Sony will present its new “R Series” system camera lineup, which builds on the strengths of the existing HDC-5000 and HDC-3000 series while significantly enhancing image performance, system expandability through additional transmission pathways and infrastructure options, and usability that enables consistent color matching across models. Additionally, the new series will address challenging lighting conditions by offering an expanded dynamic range for enhanced details, and operation modes to address different lighting environments. Models include HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R, HDC-3500RV, and HDC-3200R, along with related products such as the HDCU-3500R Camera Control Unit and the HKCU-LUT35 3D LUT option board. The models are planned to be available in mid-2026.
Sony will also demonstrate newly released firmware updates for the PTZ auto-framing cameras BRC-AM7 (Ver. 3.0), SRG-A40, and SRG-A12 (Ver. 4.0). Leveraging Sony’s latest AI technologies, these updates expand functionality to support increasingly diverse production needs, including sports broadcasting, education, and corporate content creation.
Sony will exhibit MOXELA, a new software-based media processing platform running on COTS (commercial off the shelf) servers or in the cloud, designed to transform how broadcasters, production companies, and media organizations transport, process, and monitor live video, audio, and data.
Additionally, attendees will see demonstrations of new features for the MLS-X1 multi-format switcher, enabling efficient production by sharing input and output signals across multiple studios. Sony will also debut the ICP-X7000A, a control panel featuring a newly developed XPT operation panel that significantly improves visibility and operability and is planned to be available in late 2026.
Smarter, Faster, and More Secure News Production Workflows
For the first time at NAB Show, Sony’s recently launched PXW-Z300 XDCAM handheld AI-powered camcorder – the world’s first[1]to support the C2PA[2] standard for video authenticity[3] – will demonstrate the growing demand for trustworthy news reporting through authenticity and provenance.
Sony continues to propose a range of workflows through partner collaboration. At NAB Show, the company will present an end-to-end workflow that leverages camera-originated authenticity files and metadata from the field through immediate production and editing. This workflow is achieved with the LiveU TX1, a compact IP bonding-capable data transmitter (announced in September 2025), the PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter, and the newly announced PWA-RXS Network RX Station.
In addition, LiveU has announced a further expansion of its integration with Sony’s PWA-RXS through an optional license. A reference demo will showcase a new workflow powered by Sony’s cellular connectivity management system, featuring real-time carrier optimization and seamless global connectivity for creators.
Imaging Innovations without Limits
Sony’s comprehensive lineup of Alpha™ cameras and lenses continues to expand, empowering creators at every level of production. Launched in late 2025, the Alpha 7 V capable of 4K 60p capture without crop[4] will be making its first appearance at NAB Show. The 33 MP (approx.) full-frame hybrid model incorporates a BIONZ XR2TM processor with an integrated AI processing engine to facilitate subject recognition and Auto Framing. Additionally, the latest version (Ver. 2.6) of the Monitor & Control app, which enables video monitoring and remote control from smartphones, tablets, and Macs, will be showcased.
Sony’s diverse Cinema Line cameras will enhance their functionality. The FR7 cinematic PTZ camera recently added AI-based Auto Framing and support for OpenTrackIO protocol through a Ver. 4.0 firmware update, while the FX6 full-frame Cinema Line camera rolled out BIG 6 home screen display support for easy access to top functions.
Additionally, experience spatial content creation brought to life through the VENICE Extension System Mini (Rialto) combined with the glasses-free 3D Spatial Reality Display.
The Growth of Virtual Production and Spatial Content Creation
As a technology manufacturer, Sony offers a robust and inclusive ecosystem of Virtual Production solutions, from cameras and camera tracking to LED walls and purpose-built software that support creativity and streamline production processes. Firmware updates and the addition of new tools and enhancements, such as Sony’s Virtual Production Tool Set Ver. 3.0, continue to elevate visual storytelling capabilities.
Sony will launch the XYN Spatial Capture Solution, which generates photorealistic 3DCG (3D Computer Graphics) assets from photographs taken with mirrorless cameras. This professional solution, which will be shown at NAB Show and is expected to be available mid-2026, is comprised of three tools designed for use across virtual production and a wide range of 3DCG content creation workflows. XYN Spatial Scan Navi is a smartphone app[5] that guides efficient image capture. XYN Spatial Scan is a web application that delivers studio-grade generation quality. Finally, the XYN Renderer Plugin, enables highly realistic rendering for virtual production studios.
