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North American Edition
22nd April 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Meta tracks employee mouse movements for AI training

Meta is implementing new tracking software on U.S. employees' computers to monitor mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes. The initiative, known as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), aims to enhance the company's AI models by mimicking human interactions with technology. The tool will operate on work-related applications and websites, capturing occasional screenshots of employees' screens. According to an internal memo, the goal is to improve AI performance in tasks including selecting from dropdown menus and using keyboard shortcuts. "This is where all Meta employees can help our models get better simply by doing their daily work," the memo said.
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TECHNOLOGY

Law firm apologizes for AI 'hallucinations' in court filing

Elite law firm Sullivan & Cromwell has apologized to New York federal judge Martin Glenn for submitting a court filing with inaccurate citations and other errors generated by artificial intelligence. In a letter dated April 18, Andrew Dietderich, co-head of the firm's global restructuring group, said the filing contained multiple “hallucinations” made by AI software. Boies Schiller Flexner - which is also involved in the case - spotted the errors in the filing, Dietderich wrote in the letter to Glenn, chief judge of the U.S. ⁠Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. "I apologize on behalf of our entire team. I also called Boies Schiller Flexner ​LLP on Friday to thank them for bringing this matter to our attention and to apologize directly to them ​as well," Dietderich wrote.
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STRATEGY

Gates Foundation to cut 20% of staff

⁠The ⁠Gates Foundation ⁠is cutting up to ​500 jobs, or ‌roughly 20% of ‌its staff, ⁠over ⁠the next several years, and it ​has opened an external review of ​engagement with the ⁠convicted pedophile Jeffrey ​Epstein. The foundation's co-founder, Bill Gates, earlier this year said he regretted his association with Epstein and that he didn’t participate in the late sex offender’s crimes. Gates has been called to testify about his Epstein ties before Congress in June. “This is a challenging time for our organization in many ways, but it also highlights the critical importance of taking the tough actions now,” Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman wrote in a memo seen by the Wall Street Journal.
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WORKFORCE

TSA funding crisis looms

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may run out of funds to pay 50,000 workers in the coming weeks unless Congress intervenes. "The money would run out by early May," Mullin said during an appearance on "Fox and Friends." His warning follows President Donald Trump's directive in late March to utilize emergency funds to compensate TSA employees who had not received paychecks for approximately six weeks.
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CORPORATE

Tailored Brands files confidentially for U.S. IPO

Tailored Brands has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, signalling a potential return to public markets more than five years after emerging from bankruptcy. The menswear retailer, which operates over 1,000 stores across North America under brands including Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, is seeking to capitalize on improving IPO market conditions, although the size and pricing of the offering have not yet been disclosed. The offering also comes as demand for tailoring services increases, driven by trends such as resale clothing, weight-loss-driven wardrobe changes, and the ongoing need for fitted garments. The profession has declined sharply over decades due to offshoring and reduced training pathways, with the U.S. tailor workforce falling nearly 30% over the past decade, prompting retailers to invest in apprenticeships and training programmes to rebuild the talent pipeline. 
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LEGAL

Roblox agrees to $35.8m settlement over child safety concerns

Roblox has reached a $35.8m settlement with attorneys general in West Virginia, Alabama, and Nevada over allegations that it failed to adequately protect children on its platform, agreeing to implement stronger safety measures and fund education initiatives. The agreements require Roblox to enhance safeguards, including verifying the ages of all users and restricting adults from contacting users under 16, while part of the settlement funds will support child safety education programs. The settlements follow years of scrutiny over the platform’s exposure to harmful interactions, with officials stating the company had not done enough to prevent risks to young users. Roblox said it has already introduced multiple safety updates, including new account types for younger users, and will continue investing in protections. Despite the settlements, legal pressure remains, with several other U.S. states, including Tennessee, Texas, and Florida, continuing to pursue separate lawsuits over child safety concerns.
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CYBERSECURITY

OpenAI releases new cybersecurity model

OpenAI has released a model that is designed to autonomously find flaws or bugs in software, alerting cybersecurity professionals to fix the issues before they are exploited by bad actors. The launch of GPT-5.4-Cyber follows rival Anthropic's ‌announcement of frontier AI model Mythos. SiliconANGLE says OpenAI is pitching the release as preparation for more capable models expected later this year, saying that it is “fine-tuning our models specifically to enable defensive cybersecurity use cases, starting today with a variant of GPT-5.4 trained to be cyber-permissive.”
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INTERNATIONAL

Former Meta contractor to lay off more than 1,000 workers in Kenya

More than 1,000 workers in Kenya are set to be laid off after Meta, Facebook's parent company, ended its contract with local contractor Sama. The decision followed a lawsuit by former content moderators who alleged poor working conditions and low wages. Sama announced it received formal notice from Meta to terminate a “major engagement” at its Nairobi office, affecting 1,108 staff. The company said it is “actively supporting affected employees with care and respect.” The ongoing lawsuit seeks $1.6bn in compensation for the former moderators.

IBM scales back Bratislava workforce

IBM has announced significant job cuts in Bratislava, with up to 20% of its workforce at risk. The Slovak labor office reported a planned reduction of 439 positions in the business services sector. Employees have received redundancy notices, with some set to end their employment by 31 May. IBM's Bratislava center has seen its workforce shrink from 4,600 to around 3,000 in recent years. While the company has not commented on the reasons for the cuts, it has previously indicated that certain roles are no longer economically viable. Employees will receive severance packages of at least five months' salary.

Japan to collect more from outbound travellers

Japan will increase its international departure tax from 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen per person starting July 1, 2026. The tax, often dubbed the "Sayonara Tax," applies to all departing travellers, including foreign tourists and Japanese nationals. Infants under two and eligible transit passengers are exempt. The revenue aims to enhance tourism infrastructure and visitor services.
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OTHER

Nike pulls controversial Boston Marathon sign

Nike has removed a sign from its Newbury Street, Boston store that read “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated” after it drew significant backlash online. The sign, intended to inspire participants in the Boston Marathon, was up for just over a week. Nike acknowledged the misstep, saying: “One of them missed the mark. We took it down, and we'll use this moment to do better.” The removal followed criticism from runners, including Robyn Michaud, who highlighted the need for inclusivity in the sport. In response, Asics displayed a billboard promoting inclusivity for all runners and walkers.
 
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