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Sainsbury's pauses AI cameras after shopper ousted

BBC News

Sainsbury's pauses AI cameras after shopper ousted Sainsbury's has suspended its use of live facial recognition technology at one of its London branches after a customer was wrongly challenged as a shoplifter and asked to leave. Matt Arnold, 46, was buying items at the East Dulwich store when he was stopped by management at a self-service till. Describing the experience as a terrifying glimpse of the future, he has warned that retail surveillance tech risks humiliating customers and creating a system where staff feel compelled to follow automated alerts without applying human logic. The supermarket said it had apologised to Arnold and claimed the mistake was caused by human error, but critics have called for the technology to be scrapped. The incident happened on 6 August as Arnold - a comedy promoter getting supplies for a stand-up event hosted at the next door Dulwich Hamlet Football Club - was waiting for a staff member to approve an alcohol purchase.


Travel scams are on the rise - from fake tour guides to AI voice clones, these are the dangers holidaymakers need to spot

Daily Mail - Science & tech

You're viewing the US edition You can switch to the UK or AU homepage at any time using this menu. Queen Elizabeth's in-flight requests revealed - from a favourite drink to her secret weapon to fight jet lag The down-to-earth Cotswolds pub - serving pizzas and Negronis - that has its much fancier rivals truly'Stumped' Here's how to book with confidence and make the most of your package holiday Austria's 007 heaven: As the unveiling of the next Bond edges closer, how the film franchise's coolest attraction lets fans relive Daniel Craig's thrilling Spectre chase at 3,000M Would YOU go on a first date abroad? Singletons reveal what happened when they agreed to holiday with someone they'd just met The tiny European island with incredible beaches set for a tourism boost from The Odyssey - and it's not in Greece Is this the five-bed'secret' retreat - boasting its own pool, terrace and 60 acres - that Tom Holland and Zendaya stayed in on the lavish Beaverbrook estate after tying the knot (again)? The secret UK getaways where you can escape Britain's summer crowds, from glorious Welsh mountains to sleepy Norfolk villages Forget the overcrowded Canary Islands, this is why GREECE is the best place to visit this summer: Delicious food, gorgeous beaches, the friendliest locals. I've stayed in countless Greek hotels over the past 40 years - here are my top ten... Is this the world's most luxurious cruise ship?


Are AI recruitment tools affecting women's careers?

BBC News

'I've had to Botox my CV': Are AI recruitment tools affecting women's careers? The fear of becoming surplus to requirements because of advancements in AI is one shared by millions of workers, but are AI recruitment tools posing a specific threat to women trying to return to employment? After a career spanning decades, with senior corporate roles in fashion, and a period of freelancing, 52-year-old Stacey Duguid decided to find one last job. What followed was 16 months of sending gazillions of CVs, with little more than a handful of automated replies, despite never previously struggling to find work. Feeling lonely and shameful and wondering if it was a me problem, she posted on social media asking whether other women her age were having the same experience.


'Leicester Square, please guv': Self-driving taxis cleared for London streets 'later this summer'

The Guardian

'Leicester Square, please guv': Self-driving taxis cleared for London streets'later this summer' The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers - but with a human safety driver in place, for now. The companies said they would start trips in the UK "later this summer" before the full public launch. The San Francisco-headquartered Uber and London-based Wayve are racing against the Google-owned Waymo and its Chinese equivalent Baidu's Apollo Go to launch self-driving taxi services in London. Their progress is being watched closely because the British capital will be one of the first cities in the world to have American and Chinese tech firms operating on the same roads. Uber and Wayve said more than 100,000 Londoners were on their waiting list for the self-driving taxis.


A flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird

Robohub

Loons, gulls, puffins, and petrels are some of the 100 species of birds that can both fly and swim. These diving birds can plunge in water to swim after prey, and then leap back into the air to fly away. Now, inspired by these naturally aquatic aviators, engineers at EPFL and MIT have designed a robot that can swim underwater, and flap out of the water to continue flying through air, much like diving birds. The "flapping-wing aerial-aquatic vehicle," or FAAV, weighs less than 300 grams and is designed to help scientists study the mechanics that enable diving birds to fly through air and water. The robot has a central body, or fuselage, two flexible, flapping wings, and a steerable tail.


Extra 250m to boost Jewish community safety

BBC News

Police forces across England are to get a £251m funding boost to help protect Jewish communities following a rise in antisemitic attacks, the government has announced. The Metropolitan Police will receive £86m to recruit about 300 extra officers to help increase police presence in Jewish neighbourhoods, and around synagogues, schools and community centres. It comes after a series of antisemitic attacks in London, including the stabbing of two men in Golders Green in April, and the raising of the national terror threat level from substantial to severe. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the fund would deliver a step change in protection for Jewish communities. Met deputy commissioner Matt Jukes said the investment would allow the force to bolster its existing Community Protection Teams and establish further teams across three sites in London, as well as recruiting up to 300 officers and creating a Golders Green community hub.


Met gets extension to Palantir AI project after Sadiq Khan blocked deal

The Guardian

New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan police whose pilot with Palantir focuses on detecting misconduct by officers. New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan police whose pilot with Palantir focuses on detecting misconduct by officers. Mayor's office grants extra 12 months to run pilot while London force procures long-term supplier Wed 24 Jun 2026 18.14 EDTLast modified on Wed 24 Jun 2026 18.50 EDT The Metropolitan police have been granted a 12-month extension to a pilot project with the spy-tech firm Palantir while the force carries out a procurement process. The development comes weeks after the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, blocked a £50m deal between the Met and the US company to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations. Last month the mayor's office said there had been a "clear and serious breach" of procurement rules and said police had seriously considered only one supplier. Palantir's lawyers subsequently wrote to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) saying they intended to challenge the decision in court, the Times reported.


Met to expand use of live facial recognition into central London by Christmas

The Guardian

The Met plan to deploy static cameras in the West End and Soho, which have some of the highest crime rates in the capital. The Met plan to deploy static cameras in the West End and Soho, which have some of the highest crime rates in the capital. Technology to be used in six more areas next year as critics say tens of thousands of people will be forced into'digital police lineup' The Metropolitan police is to expand its use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology, first into London's West End by Christmas and then into a further six areas next year. The new cameras will be fixed, and could be attached to street furniture such as lamp-posts. Critics said the new plans mean tens of thousands of people will be forced into a "digital police lineup".


New video game console aims to get kids moving

BBC News

The company behind the UK's newest video game console is not concerned with the latest state-of-the-art graphics or hardware. Instead, David Lee, chief executive of US technology firm Nex, says its cube-shaped machine, the Nex Playground, is designed to get children moving. The relatively little-known device surprised the games industry when research firm Circana revealed it was the third best-selling console in the US over Black Friday 2025, outselling the Xbox Series S and X. While motion-controlled gaming is nothing new - Nintendo's Wii launched in 2006 - concerns around children's passive screen time remain a hot topic for many parents and politicians. Ahead of the UK launch I spoke to parents who already own the console in the US, and tried the machine myself to find out how it works - and if it can really get families feeling fitter.


Men jailed over work for Chinese intelligence in UK

BBC News

A Border Force officer and his handler who worked for Chinese intelligence in the UK have been jailed. Chi Leung Peter Wai, 40, was sentenced to 10 years and Chung Biu Bill Yuen, 65, given an eight year term after being found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service, an offence under the National Security Act. Wai used his position as a Border Force officer to access to the Home Office computer system to track Hong Kong dissidents in the UK, was also convicted of misconduct in public office. The judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told the men that their actions threaten the sovereignty of the state during sentencing remarks at the Old Bailey on Thursday. The dual Chinese-British nationals were found guilty after a trial last month.