Row over ‘virtual gated community’ AI surveillance plan in Toronto neighbourhood 07. April 2026 (16:07) Rosedale residents considering car licence plate-scanning Flock system in bid to tackle property crimeA row has broken out in one of Canada’s wealthiest neighbourhoods over plans to use an AI-powered surveillance system to create the country’s first “virtual gated community” to combat surging property crime.Crime rates in Toronto as a whole are dropping but residents of Rosedale have been left on edge by a sustained rise in home invasions, with robbers targeting the tree-lined neighbourhood at a rate more than double the city average. Break-ins and thefts remain the third highest per capita in Toronto. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump tells Artemis II crew he saved Nasa despite trying to slash agency’s budget 07. April 2026 (15:49) Astronauts had a call with the US president from space after setting record for the farthest-traveled humans from EarthThe crew of Artemis II phoned home from above the moon on Monday night after their record-breaking day, to find Donald Trump musing about how he had saved the US space agency, Nasa, from closing down and telling the astronauts how much they deserved the honor of the president seeking their autographs.The intermittently uncomfortable 12-minute Earth-to-space call, facilitated by the Nasa administrator and Trump acolyte, Jared Isaacman, featured a lengthy period of silence, several references by the president about his friendship with the retired Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and how “America is the hottest country in the world right now”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
#MeToo movement brings wave of harassment claims across Colombia 07. April 2026 (15:22) Female journalists’ accounts of harassment trigger avalanche of allegations reaching as far as governmentJuanita Gómez was reporting on an international assignment for Caracol, a Colombian television channel in 2015, when an older colleague attempted to forcibly kiss her by inside a lift.She only managed to break free from him by pushing him away several times. Fearing any complaint would come down to the word of a “girl” against that of a senior presenter, she did not report the incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
DHS shutdown enters eighth week as Mike Johnson faces Republican revolt over funding deal – live 07. April 2026 (14:53) The partial government shutdown has now lasted eight weeks; Markwayne Mullin considers pulling US customs agents from airports in sanctuary citiesOne note, we were expecting a Pentagon press conference today with defense secretary Pete Hegseth and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Dan Caine, but that has now been cancelled.This comes as US-Israeli strikes have hit the key Iranian oil export terminal of Kharg island, according to state media. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
JP Morgan clears final hurdle for Canary Wharf’s tallest tower 07. April 2026 (14:47) Planning application expected shortly as London City airport and bank reach agreement for 265m-high buildingBusiness live – latest updatesJP Morgan Chase has reached agreement with London City airport to build one of Europe’s tallest office towers in the east of the capital.The £3bn tower is poised to be the tallest in the Canary Wharf financial district, after JP Morgan, one of Wall Street’s biggest banks, secured approval from the airport. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Scientists develop gene-edited wheat that can make toasted bread less carcinogenic 07. April 2026 (14:40) Bread and biscuits made from Crispr-edited wheat showed substantially reduced acrylamide levels, even after toastingGene-edited wheat which can make bread less carcinogenic when toasted has been successfully developed by scientists.Researchers at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, used Crispr genome editing which allows researchers to selectively edit the DNA of living organisms. This revolutionary technology was adapted for use in the laboratory from naturally occurring genome editing systems found in bacteria. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Home Office bans Kanye West from entering UK 07. April 2026 (14:40) Rapper, who is legally known as Ye, has been criticised for making antisemitic remarks including voicing admiration for Adolf HitlerUK politics live – latest updatesThe rapper formerly known as Kanye West has been banned from entering the UK, the Home Office has said.West, who is legally known as Ye, has had his visa to enter and perform in the UK withdrawn, the department said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Porn, dog poo and social media snaps: the ‘taskers’ scraping the internet for Meta-owned AI firm 07. April 2026 (14:00) Scale AI gig workers describe desperation of using people’s personal profiles and copyrighted work to train AITens of thousands of people have been paid by a company part-owned by Meta to train AI by combing Instagram accounts, harvesting copyrighted work and transcribing pornographic soundtracks, the Guardian can reveal.Scale AI, 49%-controlled by Mark Zuckerberg’s social media empire, has recruited experts across fields such as medicine, physics and economics – putatively to refine top-level artificial intelligence systems through a platform called Outlier. “Become the expert that AI learns from,” it says on its site, advertising flexible work for people with strong credentials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘There’s a lot of desperation’: skilled older workers turn to AI training to stay afloat 07. April 2026 (14:00) They have degrees, expertise and years of experience – but can’t find work. For many Americans, AI training has become a last refuge in a brutal job marketWhen Patrick Ciriello lost his job and couldn’t find work for nearly a year, his family’s foundation crumbled.“You hear about people who hit rock bottom,” Ciriello told the Guardian. “Well, I was there.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Viktor Orbán told Putin ‘I am at your service’ in October phone call 07. April 2026 (13:28) Transcript reportedly details Hungarian leader offering whatever assistance he can to his Russian counterpartEurope live – latest updatesHungary elections explainerHungary’s Viktor Orbán offered to go to great lengths to help Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader “I am at your service” in an October call, it has emerged, prompting further scrutiny of Budapest’s ties to the Kremlin just as JD Vance arrived in the city.Air Force Two landed in Budapest on Tuesday morning carrying the US vice-president and his wife, Usha Vance, as Hungary reaches the final, heated days of a hard-fought election campaign that has played out against a backdrop of scandals regarding the relationship between Budapest and Moscow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
