News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
UK regulators assess risks of new Anthropic AI model | News.az
Anthropic has triggered urgent risk assessments in the United Kingdom after regulators raised concerns about potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities linked to its latest artificial intelligence model. British authorities are now working to evaluate possible threats posed by the system across critical financial infrastructure, News.Az reports, citing Reuters. The talks also involve major banks and financial institutions, as officials assess how the model could potentially expose vulnerabilities in sensitive IT systems. A briefing for banks, insurers, and financial exchanges is expected in the coming weeks. The scrutiny centers on Anthropic's newest AI system, reportedly referred to as "Claude Mythos Preview," which is part of a controlled testing initiative involving select organizations. Officials are particularly concerned about whether advanced AI capabilities could be exploited to: Anthropic has stated that the model is being tested under a program known as "Project Glasswing," designed to explore cybersecurity applications in a controlled environment. The company claims the model has already been used to detect thousands of vulnerabilities in widely used software, including operating systems and browsers. The concerns in the UK follow similar discussions in the United States, where financial authorities have also begun examining potential risks from advanced AI systems. Regulators say they are acting early to ensure that innovation in artificial intelligence does not create new systemic risks for global financial systems.
Polymarket Briefly Appears in Google News Before Sudden Removal
Analyst data showed fewer than 0.033% of Polymarket wallets have exceeded US$100,000 in total profits, underscoring the gap between platform hype and trader returns. Prediction market giant Polymarket briefly appeared in Google News results alongside established publishers before Google removed it and said the listing was an error. Ned Adriance, a Google spokesperson, said the site "briefly appeared in Google News in error" and is no longer surfacing in News, though the issue drew attention after searches tied to geopolitical events, including queries about ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, showed Polymarket odds directly under reporting from outlets such as Reuters and The Guardian. Social media posts pointing to the problem date back to January, but Google has not said when the listing began or how the platform entered its News index. Google also has not announced any broader rule change covering prediction market platforms in Google News. The company declined to say whether the incident came from an automated classification mistake or a manual error. Intact Placement in Google Finance The removal only affects Google News. Polymarket's separate placement in Google Finance remains in place, and that partnership, which Crypto News Australia reported back in November, still shows prediction market odds inside Google's financial data products. Overall, Polymarket has expanded its distribution through several mainstream platforms, including X, which now uses Polymarket as its official prediction market partner. Even MetaMask added Polymarket to its mobile wallet in October, letting users place bets without leaving the app. Those deals have widened Polymarket's reach well beyond crypto-native users. The Google News appearance stood out because it placed prediction market odds inside a product built around reported information rather than trading or financial data. Moreover, research by crypto analyst Andrey Sergeenkov found about 1% of Polymarket traders made more than US$5,000 (AU$7,250) in monthly profits. Only 0.015% managed that for four straight months. The share posting very large gains was even smaller. Just 0.033% of wallets recorded more than US$100K (AU$145K) in total profits. Polymarket is getting wider exposure through search, social, and wallet products, but some users on social media are asking why there is still no clear line between prediction markets as financial tools, betting products, and information sources.
Flight Chaos Across Asia: Over 1400 Delays, 67 Cancellations Leave Thousands Stranded
Key cities, including Delhi, Tokyo, Dubai, Jakarta, Bangkok, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Singapore, experienced severe operational strain. Air travel across Asia descended into chaos as widespread disruptions left thousands of passengers stranded at airports. At least 67 flights were cancelled and nearly 1,470 were delayed across countries, including India, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates, triggering long queues, missed connections, and overcrowded terminals. What began as scattered delays quickly snowballed into a region-wide crisis. Aviation data from April 12 reveals the scale was far more severe, with nearly 445 cancellations and over 3,800 delays recorded across Asia and the Gulf, as reported by the travel media platform Travel And Tour World. The disruption stretched from Japan and China to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, severely impacting both domestic and international travel corridors. Airports Under Pressure Major aviation hubs bore the brunt of the disruption. Cities like Jakarta, Tokyo, Beijing, Jeddah, and Dubai became congestion hotspots as airlines struggled to manage aircraft rotations and crew availability. Passengers travelling between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe faced long layovers, last-minute rerouting, and even overnight delays. Among the worst-hit airports, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta reported 216 delays and 13 cancellations, followed by Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport with 199 delays. In Japan, Tokyo's Haneda Airport recorded 182 delays, while Narita saw 90 delays and 10 cancellations. In India, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport logged 176 delays, with Mumbai and Bengaluru also witnessing significant disruptions amid heavy domestic traffic. Airlines Hit Hard Several airlines across regions reported operational setbacks. Carriers like China Eastern Airlines, Batik Air, SpiceJet, and ANA Wings were among the most affected. Travel And Tour World further reported that the Batik Air and United Airlines recorded the highest number of cancellations, with 10 each. Indian carriers faced a surge in delays -- IndiGo reported 93 delayed flights, while Air India logged 74 delays along with 4 cancellations. All Nippon Airways also reported 75 delays, largely linked to congestion in Tokyo. Major global carriers including Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Lion Air were not spared either, as network-wide disruptions rippled across routes. What Caused The Disruptions? The crisis appears to be the result of multiple overlapping factors. High passenger traffic, operational bottlenecks at major hub airports, and ongoing logistical challenges strained airline networks. Adding to the pressure are geopolitical tensions, airspace restrictions, and rising fuel costs, all of which have made it increasingly difficult for airlines to maintain smooth schedules. Airports with dense domestic and regional traffic -- especially in Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and India -- were the most vulnerable. Cities Facing Maximum Impact Key cities, including Delhi, Tokyo, Dubai, Jakarta, Bangkok, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Singapore, experienced severe operational strain. Jakarta and Bangkok recorded the highest number of delays, while Tokyo and Delhi also saw significant disruption due to heavy passenger volumes. What Passengers Should Do With delays and cancellations likely to continue in the short term, travellers are being advised to stay proactive: * Check real-time updates on airline apps and airport websites * Stay in touch with airlines for rescheduling or compensation * Arrive early at the airport to avoid last-minute stress * Keep travel documents easily accessible * Follow airport announcements for gate or timing changes While operations may stabilise gradually, the combination of heavy travel demand and ongoing operational challenges suggests that disruptions may persist for now. For passengers, staying informed and planning ahead remains the best way to navigate the ongoing travel uncertainty.
[Sensex Today] Stock Market Crash LIVE Updates: Sensex crashes 1,300 points, Nifty at 23,629; Failed peace talks, oil chaos trigger the decline
The US imposed a maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz, impacting nearly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil supply. Share Market Crash LIVE Updates: The failed US-Israel-Iran peace talks once again took a toll on global share markets today. Escalating geopolitical tensions led the Sensex to crash 1,613.09 points on April 13. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 also nosedived 461 points in early trade, hovering around 23,589.60. Markets had recovered significantly last week on hopes of de-escalation. However, the situation now appears grim again, making global markets volatile. The global impact of these developments was evident across share markets. The effect was also visible on the GIFT Nifty, which traded sharply lower at 23,746, indicating a significant decline for the Nifty 50. Its previous close stood at 24,200. This substantial gap-down is largely due to the prevailing uncertainty Crude oil prices climbed sharply on Monday, April 13, after crucial peace talks between the United States and Iran broke down over the weekend. Brent crude surged more than 7% to USD 103.47 per barrel, while US WTI rose 8.2% to USD 104.48, wiping out the brief calm seen during last week's ceasefire efforts. The spike came after US President Donald Trump confirmed that the 20-hour negotiations failed to resolve concerns around Iran's nuclear program. In response, the United States imposed a maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz. With nearly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil supply potentially at risk, analysts caution that prices could stay above the USD 100 mark as fears of prolonged supply disruption and escalating regional tensions grow. Asian markets are trading sharply lower on Monday, April 13, 2026, as investors react to the collapse of US-Iran peace talks and the looming naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell nearly 0.9% in mid-morning trade, while South Korea's Kospi and Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined around 1% each, highlighting concerns over potential energy supply disruptions in oil-dependent economies. In contrast, China's CSI 300 remained largely flat with a marginal 0.1% gain. However, the broader MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped 0.7%, and Singapore's Straits Times Index slipped 0.33%. The overall risk-off sentiment is being driven by a strengthening US dollar as a safe-haven asset and a sharp rise in crude oil prices, raising fears of renewed global inflation pressures
![[Sensex Today] Stock Market Crash LIVE Updates: Sensex crashes 1,300 points, Nifty at 23,629; Failed peace talks, oil chaos trigger the decline](https://news24online.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MARKET-DOWN.jpg.jpeg)
Bitget Promises SpaceX Pre-IPO Exposure, But Buyers Won't Own a Single Share
Crypto exchange Bitget is launching "IPO Prime," a new product designed to give retail investors access to companies that are not yet publicly listed. Leading the way is one of the most sought-after private-market targets in the world: SpaceX. Through a tokenized asset called preSPAX, users are intended to participate economically in a potential future IPO of Elon Musk's space company. Bitget has established itself in Vienna for its EU ambitions and aims to obtain the MiCA license for the EU from the Austrian capital. This means the crypto exchange is not yet regularly available to European users. IPO Prime operates on a subscription model: eligible users can apply for allocations in tokenized offerings, with the maximum allocation depending on the respective VIP tier on the platform. After the subscription period ends, the tokens are transferred to an over-the-counter market operated by Bitget, where they can be traded on an ongoing basis. The official launch of the preSPAX token is scheduled for April 21. The technical partner behind the scenes is Republic, a US-based platform for private-market investments. Bitget itself describes itself as a "Universal Exchange" with over 125 million users and an offering that has long extended beyond classic crypto tokens to include, among other things, tokenized stocks, ETFs, and commodities. Bitget CEO Gracy Chen frames the launch as a democratizing step: pre-IPO investments had previously been reserved for institutional investors and private capital networks, and IPO Prime is intended to open up this access. From the perspective of retail investors, the obvious appeal lies in access. SpaceX is considered one of the most valuable privately held companies in the world, and a direct stake through conventional channels is practically impossible. Tokenized constructs like preSPAX promise to circumvent this barrier. Added to this is liquidity: genuine pre-IPO shares are typically locked up for long periods. The secondary market set up by Bitget, by contrast, is intended to enable continuous trading, which at least theoretically allows for flexible entry and exit. The entry barriers are also likely to be significantly lower compared to classic private equity vehicles. Despite all the marketing rhetoric about "democratized access," it is worth taking a close look at what preSPAX actually is -- and above all at what it is not. No genuine ownership stake. Bitget itself makes clear in the disclaimer that the product merely reflects a "mirrored economic interest" in the potential upside of SpaceX in the event of a qualifying event. Buyers acquire neither shares nor voting rights nor a direct claim against SpaceX. What exactly triggers the economic performance depends on the occurrence of this event -- and on the contractual structure between Bitget, Republic, and the underlying structures. No approval from SpaceX. According to Bitget, the company itself has neither reviewed, approved, nor authorized the product. Investors therefore rely entirely on the construct of the providers, not on any official connection to SpaceX. Valuation and liquidity risk. Since no official market price exists for SpaceX shares, it is unclear how the token's price is supposed to be formed -- and how closely it is actually tied to the fundamental value of SpaceX. OTC markets at crypto exchanges can be thin; in volatile phases, wide spreads or temporarily near-illiquid positions are a risk. Regulatory uncertainty. Tokenized pre-IPO products operate in a gray zone between securities law, crypto regulation, and consumer protection. Bitget itself points out that the product is not available or suitable in every jurisdiction. For European users, additional questions arise around MiCA and national supervisory regimes. Counterparty risk. Anyone holding preSPAX is ultimately dependent on the continued existence and integrity of Bitget as well as the underlying structures. If one of these components fails, it is unclear what practically remains of the "mirrored economic interest." Total loss risk. Bitget itself states it unambiguously in the fine print: investors can lose their entire investment, and there is no guarantee of returns. IPO Prime is part of a broader trend in which crypto exchanges are increasingly blurring the boundary with traditional financial products -- from tokenized stocks and commodities to pre-IPO constructs. For providers like Bitget, this is a logical step in the competition for users, volumes, and differentiation. For investors, it creates a form of access that did not previously exist -- but coupled with a layer of complexity that simply does not exist in a classic stock portfolio. Anyone considering getting involved should understand preSPAX less as a "SpaceX investment" and more as a synthetic derivative on a hypothetical event whose occurrence, timing, and valuation remain open. That does not automatically make the product unattractive -- but it shifts the honest question from "Do I want to invest in SpaceX?" to "Do I trust the specific construct being used here to build an economic approximation of SpaceX?".
Airport chaos as easyJet passengers headed to Manchester stranded
Passport control delays meant passengers missed the Manchester-bound flight(Image: @Emily_Benn20) Hundreds of passengers found themselves stranded at a Milan airport amid border control chaos after an easyJet flight back to Manchester departed without them on Sunday (April 12). Approximately 100 passengers who were due to board the 11am flight back to Manchester Airport were left abandoned at Milan Linate airport due to border control checks. Images and footage circulating online captured scenes of pandemonium as lengthy queues snaked through the international airport. The disruption follows the UK government updating its travel guidance for those heading to the European Schengen area, which may now require travellers to register their biometric details upon arrival. The EU entry and exit system (EES) is an electronic system designed to replace the physical stamping of passports at border control. Massive queues resulted in scores of passengers being left behind as flights departed without them, including the easyJet service bound for Manchester. The airline confirmed it had held the aircraft for nearly an hour beyond its scheduled departure time, but was ultimately forced to leave due to restrictions on crew working hours. In a statement to the M.E.N, easyJet confirmed that affected passengers have been offered a 'free flight transfer', while urging travellers to allow extra time at the airport due to increased waiting times. The airline has also condemned the EES delays experienced by passengers as 'unacceptable', reports the Manchester Evening News. Emily Benn, from Grimsby, was part of a group of six passengers scheduled to board the 11am flight back to Manchester. The group are now travelling into Gatwick and will subsequently spend £400 on a taxi back to their vehicle at Manchester Airport. She told the M.E.N: "We got to the airport at 8am and our flight was due to leave Milan Linate at 11am. "As soon as our gate came on the board, we went straight to it and there was already a huge queue. The queue was for three separate flights, and there were hundreds of passengers all trying to get through. The new EES wasn't working, so we all had to be checked by two people on passport control. "It got to 11:20am and we were told the flight had left without us. They put us all on a shuttle bus and sent us back to the arrivals area, where we had to go back to the easyJet desk. We were told to rebook flights, so have booked to Gatwick and will then pay £400 for a taxi back to Manchester as that's where our car is parked. We are a party of five adults and one child, who is due to have spinal surgery in a few days." In a separate post on X, one passenger shared: "The 11am from Milan Linate to Manchester left without half the plane! Immigration queue for 1h 30mins. Then got escorted out of the airport and told that the plane had left without us. Had to pay for a hotel and fly to London Gatwick instead of Manchester. "What a nightmare!" another traveller posted. "You abandoned me and 122 other passengers in Milan. You flew to Manchester with 34 onboard. We queued for three hours and all the time the flight info remained at 'boarding' we were then told the delayed flight had left." An easyJet spokesperson commented: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport. "We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours. Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer. "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused." According to the Gov.uk website, passengers travelling to a Schengen area country for a short stay on a UK passport may be required to submit biometric details, including fingerprints and a photograph, upon entry. Travellers are not required to take any additional steps and EES registration carries no charge. "EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU," it stated. "EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border."
SpaceX IPO To Be Delayed Beyond June? Here's What Traders On Kalshi, Polymarket Think - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSL
As Elon Musk-led SpaceX prepares for its IPO, traders on prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are betting on the listing to be delayed beyond its planned June timeline. 90% Chance SpaceX IPO Gets Delayed 91% of the bettors on Polymarket on Sunday thought that the IPO would take place before September 30, while over 94% of the bets were placed on the IPO not happening before December 31. On Kalshi, bettors thought that there was a 92% and 93% chance that the IPO would take place in November and December, respectively. Interestingly, according to the contract, there was a 97% chance that the IPO would take place before June 1st next year. On the other hand, the contract on Polymarket suggests bettors think there's only a 46% chance the IPO takes place before June 30, while on Kalshi, bettors thought there was a 66% chance it took place before the end of June. IPO Concerns Analysts have cautioned investors against participating in the IPO, citing concerns with the commercial space flight giant's valuation, saying that participants in the IPO wouldn't be able to generate returns on their investments at a $2 trillion market cap. Elon Musk Rubbishes $2 Trillion Talks What could help boost the IPO are the series of rule changes adopted by the Nasdaq 100 index, including an expedited entry and counting listed and unlisted shares when calculating a company's market capitalization. The company was reportedly leaning towards a Nasdaq listing. Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.
Asia Air Travel Chaos: Delhi, Tokyo, Dubai Among Worst-Hit As 1,470 Flights Delayed, 67 Cancelled
In India, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport logged 176 delays, while Mumbai and Bengaluru also experienced significant disruptions due to high domestic traffic. Air travel across Asia was severely disrupted, with around 67 flights cancelled and nearly 1,470 delayed, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across multiple countries. The disruption affected nations including Thailand, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, India, and Indonesia, as airports struggled to handle heavy passenger volumes and operational challenges. Data from April 12 indicates a much larger scale of disruption during the day, with approximately 445 cancellations and 3,839 delays recorded across a wider region stretching from Northeast Asia to the Gulf, including China and Saudi Arabia. The situation led to overcrowded terminals and major schedule disruptions. Several major airports faced intense pressure. Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport reported the highest number of delays at 216 along with 13 cancellations, followed by Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport with 199 delays. In Japan, Tokyo's Haneda Airport saw 182 delays, while Narita recorded 90 delays and 10 cancellations. In India, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport logged 176 delays, while Mumbai and Bengaluru also experienced significant disruptions due to high domestic traffic. Airlines such as China Eastern Airlines, Batik Air, SpiceJet, and ANA Wings were among those most affected. Batik Air and United Airlines reported the highest cancellations at 10 each, while IndiGo recorded 93 delays and Air India reported 4 cancellations along with 74 delays. All Nippon Airways also logged 75 delays, largely linked to operations in Tokyo. Major cities including Delhi, Tokyo, Dubai, Jakarta, Bangkok, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Singapore saw heavy operational strain, with Jakarta and Bangkok recording the highest delays. The disruptions were driven by high air traffic, operational constraints, and pressure on major hub airports, along with ongoing geopolitical tensions, airspace restrictions, and rising operational costs, making it difficult for airlines to maintain schedules.
Family spends £1,600 to get home after easyJet flight leaves without them due to EES chaos
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The Hume family from Leeds woke extra early on Sunday morning to leave their Italian ski resort for Milan Linate airport. On their outbound journey from Manchester, Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie had queued for over an hour at passport control on arrival in Italy. Heeding the advice from easyJet to allow ample time to get through departure formalities, they arrived at the terminal nearly three hours before their flight back to Manchester was due to leave. But due to chaotic enforcement of the EU entry-exit system, they watched their plane depart without them - with more than 100 other passengers left behind. After staff working for easyJet said the family would have to pay £330 to be rebooked on the next available flight, five days later, they spent over £1,600 for a connecting flight via Luxembourg - which will see them arriving 24 hours late. Speaking to The Independent as they boarded the flight to Luxembourg, Mr Hume said he felt "gutted, upset, let down, absolutely shattered and poorer - much poorer". Of the 156 passengers said to be booked on easyJet flight 5420 to Manchester, it is believed only 34 boarded - leaving 122 behind in Italy. EasyJet said it is "sorry for any inconvenience caused" and that stranded passengers will be offered free transfers to alternative flights. Mr Hume, a teacher in West Yorkshire, said that after checking in their luggage, the family arrived at passport control at 9.15am. At the time only a handful of passengers were ahead of them. But as a gate had not yet been assigned for the Manchester flight, staff said they could not get their passports checked. "The two people working there wouldn't let us through, even though there was nobody going through passport control, because the gate hadn't been released," he said. But passengers who were booked on the other "non-Schengen" flights on Sunday morning - two on British Airways to Heathrow, and an easyJet flight to Gatwick - were allowed through. Mr Hume said: "People were arriving late for those London flights and they were just letting them through while holding us back." His wife nearly passed out in the heat, while a fellow passenger was sick into a bag. It appears that at least some of the passengers who made it onto the Manchester flight had simply lied and said they were going to London in order to be allowed through passport control. Finally the Manchester passengers started to be processed. Inexplicably, the frontier officials were demanding fingerprints and facial biometrics from all travellers - even though they had been collected on the way into Italy a week earlier. The EU entry-exit system rules stipulate that once both biometrics have been registered, only one should be taken on subsequent arrivals and departures. Mr Hume said: "There were two officers and one biometric machine. We had to do face scan, passport scan, and fingerprints. Every single person. But there were about 16 machines that could have been used automatically, and they didn't open them. So everything was going at a snail's pace." When they eventually got through, the flight had departed - but only after offloading all the baggage belonging to missing passengers. At the gate, the passengers were told there was a bus to luggage collection and that they would be put up in a hotel. A bus took them to baggage reclaim - but no staff were waiting to help them. Lynsey Hume asked for help at the easyJet desk, only to be told the family had been recorded as "no-shows" and nothing could be done for them Meanwhile her husband tried easyJet's live chat service. He was told: "The process passenger needs to go through at the airport is not our responsibility and if it resulted in passengers being late to their flight, the only way we can help is through a rescue transfer." This is the option to transfer to another flight at a price of £110 per person. After spending £432 on the homeward flight, Mr Hume was offered a refund of £19.91 - representing the tax element of the ticket. EasyJet has kept the remaining money. The family then set about finding alternative transport home. "Flights disappeared while we were searching," Mr Hume said. "Trains were £500 each and took a full day. Car hire one-way was £5,000. "So in the end we booked flights to Luxembourg, a hotel overnight, then a flight to Manchester the next morning. That's cost about £1,600 so far. One of my credit cards is now maxed out. "We'll land around 11am tomorrow, then still have to drive home. I'll miss work. "I'll try to claim on insurance, but I really feel this shouldn't be an insurance job. The airline should take responsibility. There's now 100 of us who won't ever use easyJet again." At least one other family who had been left behind in Milan by easyJet was on the Luxair flight to Luxembourg. A spokesperson for easyJet said: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport. "We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester. "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. "While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused." On Friday, the first day of full entry-exit system implementation, the Brussels-based trade association Airlines for Europe demanded "border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive". The Independent has asked the European Commission, the Department for Transport, the Foreign Office, Linate airport and the Milan Border Police for comment.
Family spends £1,600 to get home after easyJet flight leaves without them due to EES chaos
The Hume family from Leeds woke extra early on Sunday morning to leave their Italian ski resort for Milan Linate airport. On their outbound journey from Manchester, Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie had queued for over an hour at passport control on arrival in Italy. Heeding the advice from easyJet to allow ample time to get through departure formalities, they arrived at the terminal nearly three hours before their flight back to Manchester was due to leave. But due to chaotic enforcement of the EU entry-exit system, they watched their plane depart without them - with more than 100 other passengers left behind. After staff working for easyJet said the family would have to pay £330 to be rebooked on the next available flight, five days later, they spent over £1,600 for a connecting flight via Luxembourg - which will see them arriving 24 hours late. Speaking to The Independent as they boarded the flight to Luxembourg, Mr Hume said he felt "gutted, upset, let down, absolutely shattered and poorer - much poorer". Of the 156 passengers said to be booked on easyJet flight 5420 to Manchester, it is believed only 34 boarded - leaving 122 behind in Italy. EasyJet said it is "sorry for any inconvenience caused" and that stranded passengers will be offered free transfers to alternative flights. Mr Hume, a teacher in West Yorkshire, said that after checking in their luggage, the family arrived at passport control at 9.15am. At the time only a handful of passengers were ahead of them. But as a gate had not yet been assigned for the Manchester flight, staff said they could not get their passports checked. "The two people working there wouldn't let us through, even though there was nobody going through passport control, because the gate hadn't been released," he said. But passengers who were booked on the other "non-Schengen" flights on Sunday morning - two on British Airways to Heathrow, and an easyJet flight to Gatwick - were allowed through. Mr Hume said: "People were arriving late for those London flights and they were just letting them through while holding us back." His wife nearly passed out in the heat, while a fellow passenger was sick into a bag. It appears that at least some of the passengers who made it onto the Manchester flight had simply lied and said they were going to London in order to be allowed through passport control. Finally the Manchester passengers started to be processed. Inexplicably, the frontier officials were demanding fingerprints and facial biometrics from all travellers - even though they had been collected on the way into Italy a week earlier. The EU entry-exit system rules stipulate that once both biometrics have been registered, only one should be taken on subsequent arrivals and departures. Mr Hume said: "There were two officers and one biometric machine. We had to do face scan, passport scan, and fingerprints. Every single person. But there were about 16 machines that could have been used automatically, and they didn't open them. So everything was going at a snail's pace." When they eventually got through, the flight had departed - but only after offloading all the baggage belonging to missing passengers. At the gate, the passengers were told there was a bus to luggage collection and that they would be put up in a hotel. A bus took them to baggage reclaim - but no staff were waiting to help them. Lynsey Hume asked for help at the easyJet desk, only to be told the family had been recorded as "no-shows" and nothing could be done for them Meanwhile her husband tried easyJet's live chat service. He was told: "The process passenger needs to go through at the airport is not our responsibility and if it resulted in passengers being late to their flight, the only way we can help is through a rescue transfer." This is the option to transfer to another flight at a price of £110 per person. After spending £432 on the homeward flight, Mr Hume was offered a refund of £19.91 - representing the tax element of the ticket. EasyJet has kept the remaining money. The family then set about finding alternative transport home. "Flights disappeared while we were searching," Mr Hume said. "Trains were £500 each and took a full day. Car hire one-way was £5,000. "So in the end we booked flights to Luxembourg, a hotel overnight, then a flight to Manchester the next morning. That's cost about £1,600 so far. One of my credit cards is now maxed out. "We'll land around 11am tomorrow, then still have to drive home. I'll miss work. "I'll try to claim on insurance, but I really feel this shouldn't be an insurance job. The airline should take responsibility. There's now 100 of us who won't ever use easyJet again." At least one other family who had been left behind in Milan by easyJet was on the Luxair flight to Luxembourg. A spokesperson for easyJet said: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport. "We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester. "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. "While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused." On Friday, the first day of full entry-exit system implementation, the Brussels-based trade association Airlines for Europe demanded "border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive". The Independent has asked the European Commission, the Department for Transport, the Foreign Office, Linate airport and the Milan Border Police for comment.
US Banks urged to test Anthropic Claude Mythos by Trump administration: Here's why
Anthropic introduced Mythos earlier this month as its most capable frontier AI model to date. The Trump administration officials are reportedly encouraging Wall Street's largest banks to internally test Anthropic's latest AI model, known as Mythos - the one that Anthropic is scared to release to the public and is only willing to share it with few institutions for strengthening security vulnerabilities in their systems. This comes months after the Pentagon warned the AI firm as a 'supply chain risk', flagging it for use by government institutions. According to reports, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened an urgent meeting this week with chief executives from systemically important banks, including Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo. JPMorgan Chase was specifically named in connection with testing initiatives, while others have gained or expect access soon. During the gathering, officials urged bank leaders to take the model seriously and deploy its capabilities for vulnerability detection. Claude Mythos urges top US banks to test Mythos AI model Anthropic introduced Mythos earlier this month as its most capable frontier AI model to date. The company has chosen not to release it publicly due to its claimed unprecedented cybersecurity prowess. Instead, it is being shared selectively with partners, including major tech firms like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, as part of a program aimed at securing critical software. Anthropic claims the model has already exposed thousands of vulnerabilities in operating systems, web browsers, and popular applications, raising alarms about a new era of AI-driven cyberattacks. Officials did not hint at an imminent specific attack but stressed the need for banks to run the model against their infrastructures to strengthen defences. One source described the message as a warning - allowing advanced AI like Mythos to test internal systems could risk exposing customer information if not handled carefully. Banking leaders, including Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Bank of America's Brian Moynihan, and Citigroup's Jane Fraser, attended the session. JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon was invited but could not participate. The focus on testing Mythos internally positions it as a powerful tool for proactive defence that could also be weaponised by malicious actors. Testing directive follows rift between Anthropic-Pentagon The directive to US banks for testing the Claude Mythos model follows the episode between the AI firm and the Pentagon involving the usage of the former's AI model for defense projects. Anthropic had signed a $200 million contract with the Department of Defense in July 2025, making Claude the first major frontier AI model deployed on US military classified networks for tasks including intelligence analysis, operational planning, and cyber operations. Tensions, however, escalated in January 2026 when reports surfaced that Claude had assisted in a US military raid to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. An Anthropic employee reportedly raised questions with partner Palantir about potential violations of the company's usage policies, which strictly prohibit assistance with mass domestic surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous lethal weapons. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth viewed this as overreach by the company, prompting a renegotiation of the contract. The Pentagon demanded unrestricted "any lawful use" of the models, while Anthropic insisted on maintaining its core safety guardrails. Negotiations didn't work out after Hegseth issued a deadline for Anthropic to drop its restrictions. Despite last-minute offers and a meeting between CEO Dario Amodei and Pentagon officials, the two sides failed to agree on terms regarding surveillance and autonomous systems. Hegseth designated Anthropic a 'supply chain risk', ordering federal agencies and military contractors to stop business with the company. President Trump publicly backed the move, and rival firms OpenAI and xAI quickly secured deals to fill the gap. Anthropic sued to challenge the designation by the Pentagon.
Donald Trump officials push banks to test Anthropic's Mythos AI model, here is why
AI is no longer just a support tool for banks, it is quickly turning into something they may need to defend themselves against. In the US, some of the biggest financial institutions are now quietly experimenting with a powerful new AI system that can behave like a cyber attacker. The push is not coming from within the banking sector alone, according to Bloomberg. Officials linked to Donald Trump's administration are urging lenders to take this technology seriously and test how it could expose weaknesses in their own systems before someone else does. At the centre of this development is Mythos, a newly introduced AI model developed by Anthropic. Unlike traditional cybersecurity tools, Mythos is designed to think more like an attacker. It can scan systems, identify hidden vulnerabilities, and even figure out ways those weaknesses might be exploited. That dual capability -- defensive as well as offensive -- is what has caught the attention of regulators. So far, access to Mythos has been tightly controlled. JPMorgan Chase is among the early institutions that have begun working with the model. However, it is not alone for long. Other major players such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are also testing or preparing to test the system internally, according to people familiar with the matter. The urgency around this move became clearer after a high-level meeting held in Washington earlier this month. Senior executives from top Wall Street firms were called in on short notice by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. During the discussion, officials did not point to a specific ongoing threat. Instead, they delivered a warning that banks should start stress-testing their systems against advanced AI capabilities before those tools become widely available. This change in thinking reflects a growing concern among policymakers. Cybersecurity risks have always been a part of banking, but AI is changing the scale and speed at which attacks could happen. A system like Mythos does not just find a single loophole, it can connect multiple small weaknesses and turn them into a serious breach. This kind of "chained vulnerability" approach has historically been difficult even for skilled human hackers. Anthropic has highlighted some of these risks through its own internal testing. In one instance, the company found that the AI could identify ways to break into web browsers and allow a malicious website to access data from another site, potentially including sensitive financial information. In another case, the model was able to discover and combine multiple vulnerabilities on its own, a process that usually requires time, expertise and coordination when done manually. To manage these risks, the rollout of Mythos has been deliberately limited. Only a small group of organisations have been given early access under a programme known as "Project Glasswing." Alongside banks, companies like Amazon and Apple are also part of this initiative. The goal is to secure critical systems and understand the model's behaviour before similar technologies become more widely accessible. Government officials have also suggested that this is a matter of urgency. Kevin Hassett recently said, "It was appropriate that Secretary Bessent do what he did." He added, "We're taking every step we can to make sure that everybody is safe from these potential risks, including Anthropic agreeing to hold back the public release of the model until our officials have figured everything out."
Family spends £1,600 to get home after easyJet flight leaves without them due to EES chaos - AOL
The Hume family from Leeds woke extra early on Sunday morning to leave their Italian ski resort for Milan Linate airport. On their outbound journey from Manchester, Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie had queued for over an hour at passport control on arrival in Italy. Heeding the advice from easyJet to allow ample time to get through departure formalities, they arrived at the terminal nearly three hours before their flight back to Manchester was due to leave. But due to chaotic enforcement of the EU entry-exit system, they watched their plane depart without them - with more than 100 other passengers left behind. After staff working for easyJet said the family would have to pay £330 to be rebooked on the next available flight, five days later, they spent over £1,600 for a connecting flight via Luxembourg - which will see them arriving 24 hours late. Speaking to The Independent as they boarded the flight to Luxembourg, Mr Hume said he felt "gutted, upset, let down, absolutely shattered and poorer - much poorer". Of the 156 passengers said to be booked on easyJet flight 5420 to Manchester, it is believed only 34 boarded - leaving 122 behind in Italy. EasyJet said it is "sorry for any inconvenience caused" and that stranded passengers will be offered free transfers to alternative flights. Mr Hume, a teacher in West Yorkshire, said that after checking in their luggage, the family arrived at passport control at 9.15am. At the time only a handful of passengers were ahead of them. But as a gate had not yet been assigned for the Manchester flight, staff said they could not get their passports checked. "The two people working there wouldn't let us through, even though there was nobody going through passport control, because the gate hadn't been released," he said. But passengers who were booked on the other "non-Schengen" flights on Sunday morning - two on British Airways to Heathrow, and an easyJet flight to Gatwick - were allowed through. Mr Hume said: "People were arriving late for those London flights and they were just letting them through while holding us back." His wife nearly passed out in the heat, while a fellow passenger was sick into a bag. It appears that at least some of the passengers who made it onto the Manchester flight had simply lied and said they were going to London in order to be allowed through passport control. Finally the Manchester passengers started to be processed. Inexplicably, the frontier officials were demanding fingerprints and facial biometrics from all travellers - even though they had been collected on the way into Italy a week earlier. The EU entry-exit system rules stipulate that once both biometrics have been registered, only one should be taken on subsequent arrivals and departures. Mr Hume said: "There were two officers and one biometric machine. We had to do face scan, passport scan, and fingerprints. Every single person. But there were about 16 machines that could have been used automatically, and they didn't open them. So everything was going at a snail's pace." When they eventually got through, the flight had departed - but only after offloading all the baggage belonging to missing passengers. At the gate, the passengers were told there was a bus to luggage collection and that they would be put up in a hotel. A bus took them to baggage reclaim - but no staff were waiting to help them. Lynsey Hume asked for help at the easyJet desk, only to be told the family had been recorded as "no-shows" and nothing could be done for them Meanwhile her husband tried easyJet's live chat service. He was told: "The process passenger needs to go through at the airport is not our responsibility and if it resulted in passengers being late to their flight, the only way we can help is through a rescue transfer." This is the option to transfer to another flight at a price of £110 per person. After spending £432 on the homeward flight, Mr Hume was offered a refund of £19.91 - representing the tax element of the ticket. EasyJet has kept the remaining money. The family then set about finding alternative transport home. "Flights disappeared while we were searching," Mr Hume said. "Trains were £500 each and took a full day. Car hire one-way was £5,000. "So in the end we booked flights to Luxembourg, a hotel overnight, then a flight to Manchester the next morning. That's cost about £1,600 so far. One of my credit cards is now maxed out. "We'll land around 11am tomorrow, then still have to drive home. I'll miss work. "I'll try to claim on insurance, but I really feel this shouldn't be an insurance job. The airline should take responsibility. There's now 100 of us who won't ever use easyJet again." At least one other family who had been left behind in Milan by easyJet was on the Luxair flight to Luxembourg. A spokesperson for easyJet said: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport. "We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester. "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. "While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused." On Friday, the first day of full entry-exit system implementation, the Brussels-based trade association Airlines for Europe demanded "border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive". The Independent has asked the European Commission, the Department for Transport, the Foreign Office, Linate airport and the Milan Border Police for comment.
'We are stuck': Passengers stranded amid Milan Airport chaos after easyJet flight to Manchester takes off without them
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Passengers were left stranded in an airport in Milan amid border control chaos after an easyJet flight back to Manchester left without them on Sunday (April 12). It is thought there were around 100 passengers due to fly back to Manchester Airport on the 11am flight that were then left stranded at Milan Linate because of border control checks. Pictures and videos shared online showed scenes of mayhem as large queues formed at the international airport. It comes after the UK government updated its guidance to people travelling to the European Schengen area, meaning they may have to register biometric details when they arrive. The implementation of the EU entry and exit system (EES) is an electronic system that replaces the physical stamping of passports when going through boarding control. Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE - or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don't miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE. However large queues meant that swathes of customers were left stranded in the airport, and flights took off without them. This included the easyJet service to Manchester. However, the airline said that it held the plane for almost an hour extra, but had to eventually depart due to crew working hours. In a statement to the M.E.N, easyJet said passengers impacted have now been offered a 'free flight transfer' and they they urged passengers to arrive at the airport in plenty of time due to longer wait times. It has also slammed the EES waits that affected passengers as 'unacceptable'. Emily Benn, from Grimsby, was a member of a party of six due to catch the 11am flight back to Manchester. They are now flying into Gatwick and will then pay £400 for a taxi back to their car at Manchester Airport. She told the M.E.N: "We got to the airport at 8am and our flight was due to leave Milan Linate at 11am. "As soon as our gate came on the board, we went straight to it and there was already a huge queue. The queue was for three separate flights, and there were hundreds of passengers all trying to get through. The new EES wasn't working, so we all had to be checked by two people on passport control. "It got to 11:20am and we were told the flight had left without us. They put us all on a shuttle bus and sent us back to the arrivals area, where we had to go back to the easyJet desk. We were told to rebook flights, so have booked to Gatwick and will then pay £400 for a taxi back to Manchester as that's where our car is parked. We are a party of five adults and one child, who is due to have spinal surgery in a few days." In another post on X, a passenger wrote: "The 11am from Milan Linate to Manchester left without half the plane! Immigration queue for 1h 30mins. Then got escorted out of the airport and told that the plane had left without us. Had to pay for a hotel and fly to London Gatwick instead of Manchester." "What a nightmare!" a third posted. "You abandoned me and 122 other passengers in Milan. You flew to Manchester with 34 onboard. We queued for three hours and all the time the flight info remained at 'boarding' we were then told the delayed flight had left." An easyJet spokesperson said: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport. "We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours. Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer. "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused." According to the Gov.uk site, passengers travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, may be required to register biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, upon arrival. Travellers do not need to take any further action and there is no cost for EES registration. "EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU," it said. "EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border."
Family spends £1,600 to get home after easyJet flight leaves without them due to EES chaos
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The Hume family from Leeds woke extra early on Sunday morning to leave their Italian ski resort for Milan Linate airport. On their outbound journey from Manchester, Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie had queued for over an hour at passport control on arrival in Italy. Heeding the advice from easyJet to allow ample time to get through departure formalities, they arrived at the terminal nearly three hours before their flight back to Manchester was due to leave. But due to chaotic enforcement of the EU entry-exit system, they watched their plane depart without them - with more than 100 other passengers left behind. After staff working for easyJet said the family would have to pay £330 to be rebooked on the next available flight, five days later, they spent over £1,600 for a connecting flight via Luxembourg - which will see them arriving 24 hours late. Speaking to The Independent as they boarded the flight to Luxembourg, Mr Hume said he felt "gutted, upset, let down, absolutely shattered and poorer - much poorer". Of the 156 passengers said to be booked on easyJet flight 5420 to Manchester, it is believed only 34 boarded - leaving 122 behind in Italy. EasyJet said it is "sorry for any inconvenience caused" and that stranded passengers will be offered free transfers to alternative flights. Mr Hume, a teacher in West Yorkshire, said that after checking in their luggage, the family arrived at passport control at 9.15am. At the time only a handful of passengers were ahead of them. But as a gate had not yet been assigned for the Manchester flight, staff said they could not get their passports checked. "The two people working there wouldn't let us through, even though there was nobody going through passport control, because the gate hadn't been released," he said. But passengers who were booked on the other "non-Schengen" flights on Sunday morning - two on British Airways to Heathrow, and an easyJet flight to Gatwick - were allowed through. Mr Hume said: "People were arriving late for those London flights and they were just letting them through while holding us back." His wife nearly passed out in the heat, while a fellow passenger was sick into a bag. It appears that at least some of the passengers who made it onto the Manchester flight had simply lied and said they were going to London in order to be allowed through passport control. Finally the Manchester passengers started to be processed. Inexplicably, the frontier officials were demanding fingerprints and facial biometrics from all travellers - even though they had been collected on the way into Italy a week earlier. The EU entry-exit system rules stipulate that once both biometrics have been registered, only one should be taken on subsequent arrivals and departures. Mr Hume said: "There were two officers and one biometric machine. We had to do face scan, passport scan, and fingerprints. Every single person. But there were about 16 machines that could have been used automatically, and they didn't open them. So everything was going at a snail's pace." When they eventually got through, the flight had departed - but only after offloading all the baggage belonging to missing passengers. At the gate, the passengers were told there was a bus to luggage collection and that they would be put up in a hotel. A bus took them to baggage reclaim - but no staff were waiting to help them. Lynsey Hume asked for help at the easyJet desk, only to be told the family had been recorded as "no-shows" and nothing could be done for them Meanwhile her husband tried easyJet's live chat service. He was told: "The process passenger needs to go through at the airport is not our responsibility and if it resulted in passengers being late to their flight, the only way we can help is through a rescue transfer." This is the option to transfer to another flight at a price of £110 per person. After spending £432 on the homeward flight, Mr Hume was offered a refund of £19.91 - representing the tax element of the ticket. EasyJet has kept the remaining money. The family then set about finding alternative transport home. "Flights disappeared while we were searching," Mr Hume said. "Trains were £500 each and took a full day. Car hire one-way was £5,000. "So in the end we booked flights to Luxembourg, a hotel overnight, then a flight to Manchester the next morning. That's cost about £1,600 so far. One of my credit cards is now maxed out. "We'll land around 11am tomorrow, then still have to drive home. I'll miss work. "I'll try to claim on insurance, but I really feel this shouldn't be an insurance job. The airline should take responsibility. There's now 100 of us who won't ever use easyJet again." At least one other family who had been left behind in Milan by easyJet was on the Luxair flight to Luxembourg. A spokesperson for easyJet said: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport. "We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester. "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. "While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused." On Friday, the first day of full entry-exit system implementation, the Brussels-based trade association Airlines for Europe demanded "border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive". The Independent has asked the European Commission, the Department for Transport, the Foreign Office, Linate airport and the Milan Border Police for comment.
Noida protest: How salary talks turned into deadly chaos across the city; here's what happened over weekend
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'No communication': Rail chaos rocks city
Major track closures spark hours-long delays, massive queues across BrisbaneEmma KirkNewsWireMon, 13 April 2026 2:14PM Commuters in Brisbane's north faced major disruption after track closures triggered long queues and lengthy waits for replacement buses. Pictures taken at Northgate station show commuters lined up for hundreds of meters alongside Northgate train station while they waited for buses to travel into the city on Monday. The Courier Mail reports that some people had been waiting about 45 minutes for a bus. TransLink has warned major track closures would occur across the city throughout April while work was carried out to improve the southeast Queensland rail network. The metro service advised buses would replace trains at Northgate, Bowen Hills, Varsity Lakes and Boggo Road until Wednesday. "Some journeys may take significantly longer than usual," a TransLink spokesman said. "Please consider your travel options, plan ahead and allow extra travel time." Thomson Coachlines were contracted to add more bus services during the disruption and brought extra drivers and buses from Melbourne, Goondiwindi, Gympie and the Sunshine Coast to keep up with the demand. One commuter, Joanne McCarthy, told the ABC her normal one hour commute had taken more than two hours. "There were no buses there waiting for us," she said. "We had no communication whatsoever about what was happening. "I was thinking about jumping in an Uber, but you couldn't even get to the front of the line to get down the stairs to get an Uber." Queensland Rail has advised commuters to expect delays after industrial action over Easter resulted in track closures being extended across the network until April 30. Queensland Rail chief executive Kat Stapleton said rail replacement buses would continue to operate during closures to keep people moving. "Rail replacement buses will continue to operate as frequently as possible into the extended closure, as well as regular bus services, to help customers complete their journeys," she said. "Due to the extension of the closure, rail replacement buses will need to be allocated across multiple closure areas, so some services may run at a reduced frequency." Originally published as Major track closures spark hours-long delays, massive queues across Brisbane Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox. Sign up for our emails
Anthropic Takes on Microsoft Copilot With Deep Word Integration of Claude
AI company Anthropic has released a beta version of its Claude assistant as an add-in for Microsoft Word. The integration is aimed primarily at professionals who work intensively with documents on a daily basis, complementing earlier launches in Excel and PowerPoint from February 2026. Claude sits as a sidebar directly within Word and helps users draft, edit, and revise documents. A key feature is transparency around changes: every edit made by the AI can be introduced as a trackable revision (Track Changes), allowing users to accept or reject each step individually. Further features at a glance: Anthropic explicitly markets Claude for Word to professional groups who regularly work with extensive documents. Lawyers, finance professionals, and anyone carrying out iterative editing processes are particularly highlighted. As examples of typical use cases in the legal field, Anthropic cites the following prompts, among others: The beta version of Claude for Word is currently available exclusively to users on Anthropic's Team and Enterprise plans. The add-in is not accessible to individual users at this time. With the Word add-in, Anthropic continues its strategy of deeply integrating Claude into existing enterprise applications. Following the launches in Excel and PowerPoint, Word is now the next step in establishing Claude as a permanent fixture in everyday office work. "Designed for professionals who work extensively with documents, particularly in legal review, financial memo drafting, and iterative editing." The key difference from pure text generators lies in the seamless integration into existing workflows. Formatting is preserved, changes are traceable, and the need to switch between browser, chatbot, and document is eliminated. This positions Anthropic as a direct competitor to Microsoft's own Copilot, which is likewise integrated into Word.
From fear to likely acceptance, how US government may have changed its mind on Anthropic's Mythos with this 'directive' to American banks
What started as an alarm over Anthropic's powerful new AI model, Mythos, appears to be shifting toward cautious acceptance. According to a report by Bloomberg, top US officials are now asking the Wall Street banks to deploy the system internally in order to strengthen their defenses against cyber threats. As per the report, JPMorgan Chase has already started testing Mythos, with other major lenders such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley. This initiative is followed by a directive from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who summoned bank executives to Washington last week to emphasize the importance of using Mythos to detect vulnerabilities. The Bloomberg report states that the meeting held last week marked a notable shift. Earlier, the regulators had warned about the risks posed by AI-enabled cyberattacks, describing Mythos as potentially 'exceptionally dangerous'. However, now the officials are encouraging the banks to run the model against their own systems, not to address an immediate crisis but to build resilience. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the urgency reflects a broader push to ensure financial institutions are prepared: "We're taking every step we can to make sure everybody is safe from these potential risks."For now, Anthropic is limiting access to select partners including Google, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, and CrowdStrike under a program called Project Glasswing. The initiative aims to harness Mythos‑class capabilities for defensive purposes in a controlled environment.Anthropic emphasised that the fallout of uncontrolled release could be severe for economies, public safety, and national security. Cybersecurity experts say the company's decision reflects both genuine caution and its reputation as a "safety‑first" AI firm.Recently, executives from Canada's largest banks and top regulators gathered to discuss the cybersecurity risks posed by Anthropic's new Claude Mythos AI model, amid the growing concerns that the technology could be weaponised to exploit software vulnerabilities. According to a report by The Globe and Mail, the meeting was held by the Canadian Financial Sector Resiliency Group (CFRG), chaired by Bank of Canada COO Alexis Corbett, and included representatives from the Department of Finance, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), and executives from Canada's six biggest banks plus Desjardins Group.As per the report, Bank of Canada spokesperson Paul Badertscher emphasised that the meeting was not an emergency one but rather a 'situational awareness' session. "It can still hold meetings at the request of its members. 'Hey guys, we need to pay attention, there is something going on. Let's get together and talk about this.' That's what this was," he said.
'No communication': Rail chaos rocks city
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Commuters in Brisbane's north faced major disruption after track closures triggered long queues and lengthy waits for replacement buses. Pictures taken at Northgate station show commuters lined up for hundreds of meters alongside Northgate train station while they waited for buses to travel into the city on Monday. The Courier Mail reports that some people had been waiting about 45 minutes for a bus. TransLink has warned major track closures would occur across the city throughout April while work was carried out to improve the southeast Queensland rail network. The metro service advised buses would replace trains at Northgate, Bowen Hills, Varsity Lakes and Boggo Road until Wednesday. "Some journeys may take significantly longer than usual," a TransLink spokesman said. "Please consider your travel options, plan ahead and allow extra travel time." Thomson Coachlines were contracted to add more bus services during the disruption and brought extra drivers and buses from Melbourne, Goondiwindi, Gympie and the Sunshine Coast to keep up with the demand. One commuter, Joanne McCarthy, told the ABC her normal one hour commute had taken more than two hours. "There were no buses there waiting for us," she said. "We had no communication whatsoever about what was happening. "I was thinking about jumping in an Uber, but you couldn't even get to the front of the line to get down the stairs to get an Uber." Queensland Rail has advised commuters to expect delays after industrial action over Easter resulted in track closures being extended across the network until April 30. Queensland Rail chief executive Kat Stapleton said rail replacement buses would continue to operate during closures to keep people moving. "Rail replacement buses will continue to operate as frequently as possible into the extended closure, as well as regular bus services, to help customers complete their journeys," she said. "Due to the extension of the closure, rail replacement buses will need to be allocated across multiple closure areas, so some services may run at a reduced frequency."
