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DETROIT, Mich. (May 14, 2026) — The ITS America Conference & Expo 2026, organized in partnership by RX Global and ITS America (ITSA), unveils its highly anticipated plenary speaker lineup. Taking place June 9-12 at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, the event will feature two plenary sessions as the conference’s centerpieces, bringing together national transportation leaders to celebrate 35 years of ITS America and chart the course for the next generation of mobility.

“Each plenary session is thoughtfully designed to spark dialogue and inspire action,” said Laura Chace, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America. “Attendees will gain a rich perspective on the technologies that have transformed transportation over the past 35 years and the bold, forward-looking strategies needed to empower innovation and build a safer, smarter, and more connected future.”

The plenary sessions will provide critical insights from national transportation leaders on the key issues shaping the future of mobility:

Wednesday, June 10: Transforming Transportation: 35 Years of ITS – Connecting the Past and Future (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., Ballroom A): This milestone session marks 35 years of progress in intelligent transportation, bringing together public and private sector leaders to reflect on the industry’s evolution and spotlight the technologies driving the next chapter of safe, connected mobility. Speakers will examine how communities across the country have benefited from sustained investment in proven and emerging ITS technologies — and what it will take to scale those solutions even further.

Featured Keynote Speakers:

• Sean McMaster, Administrator, FHWA, USDOT

• Seval Oz, Sr. Advisor, Office of the Asst. Secretary for Research & Technology, USDOT

Session will include the following speakers:

• Nathaniel Ford, CEO, Jacksonville Transportation Authority

• Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

• Peter Montgomery-Torrellas, President, Cubic Transportation Systems

• Brad Wieferich, Director, Michigan Department of Transportation

• Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation

• Mike Witzman, Senior Director, Solutions Engineering, CISCO

Thursday, June 11: From Vision to Reality: Enabling the Next Generation of Transportation (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., Ballroom A): As the transportation sector faces mounting pressure to meet rising consumer expectations and secure long-term funding, this session, sponsored by Miovision, will equip attendees with actionable strategies for embracing digital transformation and building the partnerships essential to delivering tomorrow’s mobility solutions. Speakers will explore how transportation leaders can move from concept to implementation, turning bold ideas into measurable outcomes.

Session will feature the following speakers:

• Laura Chace, President and CEO, ITS America

• Tim Haile, Executive Director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority

• Tracy Larkin-Thomason, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation

• Kurtis McBride, CEO and Co-founder, Miovision

• Mina Sartipi, Director, Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

• Ron Thaniel, Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Zoox

• Erik Varney, Senior Director, IoT Solutions & Ecosystem Partners, Verizon Business

“These plenary sessions sit at the center of our industry,” said Jaime McAuley, Event Vice President, ITS America Events, RX Global. “Attendees will leave Detroit with a stronger understanding of the foundations that shaped the sector, along with the practical tools and connections needed to drive the next generation of transportation innovation.”

The ITS America Conference & Expo 2026, themed “Empowering Innovation,” is a premier event for decision-makers and innovators advancing mobility solutions. This year’s conference will bring together hundreds of speakers and over 170 exhibitors sharing the latest transportation innovations, giving attendees the opportunity to engage with industry leaders, explore cutting-edge technologies, and experience the future of intelligent transportation firsthand in Detroit, Michigan.

For more information or to register, please visit ITSAmericaEvents.com.

We’re constantly looking for ways to upgrade our lifestyle and work is often where that shift begins. But it’s not just about what we do, it’s also about where we do it. Imagine living in a busy metro, leaving home two hours early only to sit in endless traffic. Now replace the honking with the sound of waves and rushed evenings with slow sunsets and a mocktail in hand. It’s an easy choice. And that’s exactly why more professionals today are moving away from the constant metro burnout in search of a better work-life balance.

Flexibility has been on the rise, not just in the availability of hybrid roles, but with many professionals actively seeking the freedom that comes with remote work. As of early 2026, globally, there are over 40 million digital nomads and this number is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. As more people choose location-independent careers, Goa has steadily evolved to support this shift.

Today, Goa is increasingly being seen not just as a travel destination, but as a growing hub for creators, entrepreneurs, startups and remote-first professionals looking to live and work differently. Goa offers a seamless blend of island vibes and urban connectivity, supported by widespread high-speed fibre networks and robust 5G coverage, making it one of India’s most attractive destinations for remote work in a relaxed yet well-connected environment. Alongside this strong digital backbone, the state has developed more than 15 co-working/incubation spaces, creating a supportive ecosystem for professionals, entrepreneurs and startups.

Policy support from the Government, along with single-window clearances and active incubation initiatives, is further enabling ease of doing business and fostering innovation and growth across the state. Goa’s strategic connectivity further adds to its appeal. With two airports, the Goa Dabolim International Airport and Manohar International Airport (MOPA), along with the Mormugao Port and an expanding road network, the state remains well connected to major cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. What truly sets Goa apart, however, is its unique blend of natural beauty and lifestyle.

The combination of beaches, a slower pace of life and a thriving culture offers a refreshing contrast to city living. Add to that cleaner air, reduced traffic and easy access to wellness, from yoga retreats to fitness facilities, and the appeal becomes even stronger. At the same time, a steady community of freelancers, startup founders and digital nomads is growing. Regular events and creative collaborations are further making it easier for like-minded individuals to network and grow.

Building on this momentum, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C) is hosting ‘Goa Shackathon’ on May 21-22, 2026, a unique concept that blends a hackathon with Goa’s iconic beach shacks. This two-day, first-of-its-kind event features breakout sessions, experiential activities and an immersive workation experience.

To further strengthen Goa’s remote-work ecosystem, the Government has also announced plans to establish co-working spaces in coastal areas as part of the 2026-27 State Budget. With growing infrastructure, a thriving creative community and increasing support for remote-work, Goa is redefining what work-life balance can look like. For many professionals today, Goa is not just a getaway, it’s a lifestyle choice.  

 Announces global expansion of Fabric Geo Zones across five continents, the first network-level, multicloud sovereignty solution

MUMBAI, India, May 14, 2026 — Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company®, today announced the global expansion of Equinix Fabric Geo Zones, the first network-level, sovereignty enforcement layer that operates across interconnected clouds and providers. Enterprises face growing compliance risks from network rerouting events that can inadvertently move sovereign data across borders they are legally required to respect. Built natively into Equinix Fabric®, Geo Zones eliminates that risk by keeping data within defined geographic boundaries.

“Businesses are facing one of the most complex global regulatory environments in history while at the same time facing huge pressure to deploy new technologies,” said Courtney Munroe, Founder, Apex Research. “A global enterprise operating under GDPR in Europe, LGPD in Brazil, and APRA in Australia simultaneously needs different data routing rules for each jurisdiction, with every outage, failover, or congestion event a potential compliance violation. With Fabric Geo Zones, Equinix is delivering a foundational solution that is truly built from the ground up with native sovereignty controls at its core, giving enterprises confidence to operate in a globally fragmented regulated environment.”

Most networks prioritize availability and performance over geographic or regulatory boundaries, often leaving customers with limited visibility or control over where their data travels. Fabric Geo Zones ensures that rerouted data remains within defined jurisdictions. This capability is especially critical for organizations operating in regulated industries.

Unlike solutions built within a single cloud or delivered as software overlays, Fabric Geo Zones enforces sovereignty at the network layer. Because it is enforced directly within the interconnection fabric itself, it delivers a level of control difficult for a single cloud or software overlay provider to match.

“Sovereignty can’t be a setting you configure inside a single cloud. Global enterprises must enforce sovereignty at the network layer, across every cloud, provider and path simultaneously,” said Arun Dev, Vice President of Digital Interconnection at Equinix. “Equinix Fabric Geo Zones is the only solution that enforces geographic boundaries as a property of the network itself. Traffic either flows along compliant paths or it’s blocked. That’s why enterprises across industries trust Equinix to move data across clouds without compromising sovereignty.”

The expansion of Fabric Geo Zones is part of Equinix’s ongoing investment in reimagining networking for the AI era, following the launch of Fabric Intelligence and the Distributed AI Hub. Together, these capabilities provide customers with an adaptive, secure foundation for distributed AI and multicloud environments. Fabric Geo Zones is built on the Equinix Fabric industry-leading software-defined network spanning 77 metros worldwide, enabling customer-controlled data sovereignty at global scale. Reflecting the advanced compliance and control it delivers, Geo Zones is available at a premium tier—included in Unlimited Ports and Unlimited Ports Plus packages and priced at a premium to standard virtual circuits.

Fabric Geo Zones is built for workloads where compliance can’t be an afterthought. A European financial institution can run real‑time transactions across multiple clouds while ensuring customer data never leaves the EU, even when an outage triggers automatic rerouting across clouds. A healthcare organization can keep patient and AI inference data within defined jurisdictions across hybrid environments. A government agency can deploy sovereign AI with data confined to national or regional boundaries. A global company can automatically apply jurisdiction‑specific routing rules to meet GDPR, LGPD, APRA and other regional requirements across its operations.

Fabric Geo Zones enables customers to:

• Keep sensitive data within approved jurisdictions

• Reduce regulatory and jurisdictional risk from unintended cross-border routing
• Accelerate deployments using Fabric Super Agent

• Eliminate uncertainty during failover where outages reroute sensitive traffic

Fabric Geo Zones is available today in preview across Equinix’s global footprint, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S., with European Union availability to come in June.

The event took place at St. Joseph’s Indian Institution Grounds, Bengaluru.

The Walkathon commenced early in the morning and witnessed enthusiastic participation across 3K, 5K, and 10K categories. The initiative was organized in support of U&I, an NGO working towards improving access to education for underserved children. Funds raised through registrations and participation contributed towards enabling AI-powered learning support and literacy programmes for children lacking access to personalized educational resources.

Addressing the participants at the event, Saina Nehwal, Olympic Medallist, Padma Bhushan, Arjuna Awardee said, “Fitness has always been a big part of my life, and it was wonderful to see Bengaluru come together for a cause that truly makes a difference. Every step taken today was a step towards empowering children with better access to education and learning opportunities.”

The morning began with an energetic Zumba session conducted by Fit Community, engaging participants before the official flag-off ceremony. Adding to the excitement, the Red FM team unveiled its new Hook Song Dance performance featuring all five RJs, which was formally launched by Saina Nehwal.

The event concluded with refreshments and wellness offerings for participants, creating a memorable and wholesome experience for attendees.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Siva K., Chief Operating Officer, KAL Radio Ltd., the company operating 93.5 Red FM and Suryan FM, said, “At 93.5 Red FM, we believe that true progress is a blend of innovation and impact. ‘The Walkathon’ was a meaningful step in that direction bringing together fitness, community, and purpose. It was inspiring to witness Bengaluru unite for a cause that aimed to create lasting social change”.

Kolkata, May 14 (BNP): The Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal has made the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory during morning assemblies in all state-run and state-aided schools across the state.

According to an official order issued by the Director of Education, all students will be required to sing Vande Mataram before the commencement of classes as part of the daily morning assembly. District education authorities have been instructed to ensure immediate implementation of the directive in all educational institutions.

Officials said the move aims to promote patriotism, national unity and awareness about the country’s cultural heritage among students.

The decision comes months after the Union Home Ministry issued a directive recommending the playing or singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram before the national anthem on specified occasions. The latest order is expected to trigger political and academic discussions in the state ahead of upcoming elections.

New Delhi, May 14 (BNP): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted the crucial role of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in building a “Viksit Bharat” and strengthening India’s global leadership in innovation, entrepreneurship and management education.

Addressing a programme, the minister said IIMs have emerged as centres of excellence and are playing a significant role in nurturing future leaders, job creators and policy thinkers for the country.

He stressed the need for academic institutions to align with the vision of a developed India by promoting research, innovation, skill development and industry-oriented learning. Pradhan also underlined the importance of preparing students to meet emerging global challenges and contribute towards nation-building.

Move aimed at promoting fuel conservation amid rising global energy concerns and West Asia tensions.

Amaravati, May 14 (BNP): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has reduced the number of vehicles in his official convoy from 12 to four in a move aimed at promoting fuel conservation amid the ongoing West Asia crisis and rising global fuel prices.

On Thursday, the Chief Minister travelled from his residence in Undavalli to the Secretariat with a significantly smaller convoy, drawing attention to the state government’s efforts towards responsible energy consumption.

The decision comes following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal urging citizens to adopt fuel-saving measures, including greater use of public transport, carpooling and electric vehicles. Addressing a gathering in Secunderabad earlier this week, Modi had described responsible energy use as a form of patriotism during challenging global circumstances.

Officials said the Andhra Pradesh government intends to encourage efficient fuel usage and minimise unnecessary expenditure through such symbolic initiatives.

New Delhi, May 14 (BNP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Friday is being viewed as a major diplomatic engagement amid the ongoing crisis and rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold high-level talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to further strengthen the growing strategic partnership between the two countries.

According to reports, discussions are expected to focus on defence cooperation, energy security, maritime stability, trade resilience and regional security concerns amid fears of disruption to global supply chains and shipping routes in the Gulf region.

Energy cooperation is likely to remain a key agenda item, with both nations expected to discuss long-term crude oil and LNG supply arrangements, strategic petroleum reserves and alternative logistics mechanisms to minimise the impact of regional instability.

India and the UAE are also expected to deepen defence collaboration under a proposed Strategic Defence Partnership framework, covering areas such as cybersecurity, maritime security, intelligence-sharing, counter-terrorism and defence manufacturing.

Officials and analysts believe the visit highlights the rapidly expanding India-UAE relationship, which has evolved beyond traditional energy ties into a comprehensive strategic partnership involving trade, infrastructure, fintech, renewable energy, digital technology and investment cooperation.

The welfare of the large Indian diaspora in the UAE is also expected to figure prominently in the discussions. The UAE hosts more than 4.5 million Indians and remains one of India’s most important economic and strategic partners in the Gulf region.

Jammu, May 14 (BNP): Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to conserve fuel amid rising global crude oil prices and the ongoing West Asia conflict, nearly 40 families in Gajansu village near the International Border in Jammu have switched to traditional stoves for cooking.

Women in the village were seen preparing chapattis and vegetables on mud stoves using firewood and cow dung cakes, reviving an age-old cooking practice to reduce dependence on LPG and other fuels.

Residents said the initiative was aimed at supporting the country during challenging times and promoting fuel conservation. Villagers also urged people across the nation to adopt similar practices and use resources responsibly.

Many women in the village said food cooked on traditional stoves is healthier and more natural compared to gas-cooked food. They also pointed out that the ash produced from the stoves can be reused for household purposes such as cleaning utensils.

Locals recalled how the village had collectively followed government guidelines during the Covid-19 lockdown and said they were once again united in responding to the Prime Minister’s appeal.

Some residents also encouraged people to adopt carpooling and other fuel-saving measures, stressing the importance of public cooperation during periods of economic and global uncertainty.

New Delhi, May 14: The second Indian edition of BUDX NBA House concluded this weekend, transforming New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam into a vibrant hub celebrating basketball, music, style, and culture. Held in conjunction with the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the two-day event brought together NBA legends, top celebrities, and a global roster of music stars for an immersive fan experience. The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Budweiser India curated a dynamic programming lineup that seamlessly blended the energy of live sport with the creativity of music and street culture, building on the success of last year’s debut.

NBA legends- two NBA champion and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Isiah Thomas and four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins thrilled fans with courtside coaching during the celebrity game and held meet-and-greets throughout the weekend.

One of the weekend’s biggest highlights was the BUDX NBA House 3-on-3 Celebrity Game, where the court turned into a high-energy showcase of star power and skill. With Isiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins coaching rival teams stacked with athletes and celebrities like Dwayne Bravo, Rannvijay Singha, Shanaya Kapoor, Varun Sood, Arvind Krishna, Simran Kaur, among others, the game delivered edge-of-the-seat action and friendly competition. In the end, it was Team Isiah Thomas featuring Rannvijay Singha, Harman Singha, Manav Chhabra, Yung Raja, Lalrina Renthelei, Hamid Barkzi and Simran Kaur that took home the win.

Extending culture beyond the court, the event featured a stellar musical lineup headlined by global hip-hop superstar NAV and Oppidan, one of the fastest-rising names in UK garage. They were joined by a powerful roster of local and international talent, including Grammy-nominated rapper Yashraj, award-winning phenom Reble, Indo-Fijian rapper Fijiana, Norwegian trio The Bausa, and Australian collective Chor Bazaar, who all delivered unforgettable performances.

Fashion and art were just as prominent throughout the weekend. A standout moment was the BUDX Masterclasses, a series of expert-led workshops and panel discussions curated by Budweiser to educate and engage emerging artists. This was complemented by streetwear showcases spotlighting the creativity at the intersection of basketball and street culture.

Fans also got their moment to shine with interactive on-court challenges and contests, alongside electrifying performances by the Sacramento Kings’ mascot Slamson, the Kings’ Dancers, and the Kings’ dunk team. A major draw for attendees was the chance to take a photo with the iconic Larry O’Brien Trophy, which was on display.

Across two days, BUDX NBA House offered a compelling narrative of how basketball transcends borders, fusing music, sport, fashion, and community into a shared celebration of culture. For the thousands in attendance, it was a moment that brought the global spirit of the NBA and Budweiser home to New Delhi.