Safety

• De regering-Trump kondigde begin deze maand aan dat honderden babyvoedingmonsters die werden getest op giftige chemicaliën "voldoen aan een hoge veiligheidsstandaard", maar publieke gezondheidsvoorlichters waarschuwen dat deze claim in strijd is met gegevens die aantonen dat een meerderheid besmet was met gevaarlijke stoffen, zoals Pfas of ftalaten. • Onafhankelijke wetenschappers die de resultaten hebben beoordeeld, stellen dat de hiaten in de gegevens en de besmetting zorgen baren, hoewel zij toevoegden dat de testen ook enkele positieve punten laten zien en de US Food and Drug Administration prezen voor het uitbreiden van het testprogramma en het openbaar maken van de resultaten.

Eigenaar van Facebook en Instagram stelt dat heffingen niet gebaseerd mogen worden op de wereldwijde omzet van een bedrijf

• AI agents are emerging as tools to help social enterprises scale operations efficiently with leaner teams, addressing resource constraints in the social impact sector. • Without proper boundaries, AI agent deployment risks eroding trust, compromising data safety, and diminishing human connection—critical elements for social enterprises. • The development highlights the need for responsible AI implementation frameworks that balance automation benefits with ethical considerations and user trust in mission-driven organizations.

President says US navy will ‘guide’ stranded ships out of waterway but report says warship was hit by IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe world’s shipping industry has questioned if vessels will be able to travel safely to and from the Gulf after Donald Trump announced his latest plan to open the strait of Hormuz.The US president wrote on Monday that the navy would “guide” stranded ships out of the waterway, writing on his social media site Truth Social that the operation, “Project Freedom”, would be a humanitarian gesture “on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran”. Continue reading...

• SkyfireAI raised $11 million in funding to advance AI-driven autonomy in public safety and defense drones, announced this week amid booming AI investments. • The funding supports development of autonomous drone technologies tailored for critical missions, positioning the startup in high-stakes defense applications. • This reflects surging investor confidence in AI hardware integrations, following Big Tech earnings boosted by AI spending from Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta.

As antisemitic incidents rise, some Jewish people are asking if it’s time to leave – and where they might go nextFor many Jews sitting down with family and friends for Friday night dinner, the conversation is now turning to their “red line”. “What do we do? Do we have to leave?” asked Barry Frankfurt. Israel had once been a place some might have considered retiring to, to live by the sea. “Never in our lifetime has it been considered we need to run away, we need to seek refuge … and that place might have to be Israel,” said Frankfurt, a brand consultant in north London. “We might have to do that because we don’t feel safe in the country we call home.“Every couple of weeks you’ll hear of another couple or family in the community who have moved or will be moving soon to Israel,” he said. “And that should be the thing that shocks us as a country.” Continue reading...

Residents call for stronger action after two men attacked on north London street in suspected antisemitic incident “People feel scared, people feel unsafe,” says Baruch Stern from Gross Butchers, behind the cordon raised after two men were stabbed in north London in an apparent antisemitic attack.“People think, is it really the place for me to be here? Is the UK safe for Jewish people, or is it something we need to think about, moving away?” Continue reading...

Experts urge separate tracks for long-distance and commuter trains, among other measures, in the wake of Monday’s (Apr 27) train collision that killed 15 people and injured dozens.

NSW government urged to investigate if transport department refused to share cost of sensors that would detect a person entering coupling areaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe potentially life-saving safety upgrades to Sydney’s light rail, which a former Transdev employee has alleged were cancelled in order to save money, would have only cost about $2.2m, according to the whistleblower.The New South Wales government has been urged to investigate whether its transport department declined to share the cost of installing sensors that would detect a person entering the coupling area between two joined trams after a fatal incident in 2023. Continue reading...

• OpenAI released its Child Safety Blueprint on April 8, 2026, to address rising AI-generated child sexual abuse material in the US. • The blueprint focuses on faster detection, improved reporting, and efficient investigations, responding to over 8,000 IWF reports in early 2025, up 14% year-over-year. • It targets criminals using AI for fake explicit images and grooming messages amid policymaker scrutiny.

Much is expected of Online Safety Act and less from free speech advocates leaving new boss in difficult placeIan Cheshire’s Ofcom intray is big. It is available online under the regulator’s plan for 2026/27 and covers an array of industries: telecoms; broadband; the postal service; media and the online world.It is the latter that it going to dominate his tenure. Ofcom oversees the Online Safety Act, the legislation that regulates social media in the UK. Much is expected of the act from internet safety campaigners, and a bit less from freedom of speech advocates, which leaves Cheshire in a difficult place. Continue reading...

• Luna Systems, founded at Dublin City University in 2020, has raised €1.5 million to develop AI-powered Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) for cycling and motorcycles. • The company's 2026 product launches include a dual AI camera system for e-bike and motorcycle manufacturers featuring collision warning, blindspot detection, and headway monitoring with smartphone integration. • The funding accelerates Luna Systems' transition to a full system provider, inspired by automotive ADAS technology adapted for two-wheeled transportation where fatality rates remain elevated.

• U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) led two bipartisan bills that passed the House unanimously on March 26, 2026, aimed at strengthening federal oversight and enhancing safety at federal facilities. • The legislation targets improvements in regulatory compliance and security protocols across government properties nationwide. • This rare unanimous support highlights cross-party consensus on bolstering federal infrastructure resilience amid rising security concerns.

• On March 25, 2026, the U.S. House passed H.R. 5103 by 218-206, establishing a federal commission on public safety in Washington, D.C., to formalize President Trump's March 2025 executive order promoting maximum immigration enforcement. • The commission, comprising federal officials, will develop policies redirecting law enforcement for arrests and deportations in DC, aiming to increase enforcement speed. • This partisan measure underscores Republican priorities on capital safety and immigration amid ongoing debates over federal versus local authority.

European Commission says social messaging app is exposing children to grooming and sexual exploitationBrussels has opened an investigation into Snapchat over concerns that the social messaging app is exposing children to grooming, sexual exploitation and other criminality.In a separate decision on Thursday, the European Commission also said four pornographic websites were failing to prevent minors seeing adult content. Continue reading...

Leaseholders criticise plan to reclaim funds spent on destroyed Spectrum Building in DagenhamPeople who lost their homes when a tower block in Dagenham burned down say they are being made to pay for the building’s fire safety works after the government demanded its money back.Former leaseholders of the Spectrum Building, a seven-storey block of flats which was demolished after a major fire in August 2024, said it was “absolutely outrageous” the Greater London Authority (GLA) was seeking to reclaim £6m for the safety works because the blaze meant they were never completed. Continue reading...

Nasa reports show repeated warnings of close calls before crash that killed two pilots and injured 41 othersSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPilot safety concerns about New York’s LaGuardia airport were filed to aviation officials months before Sunday’s collision between an airplane and a firetruck left two pilots dead and 41 other people hospitalized.According to the aviation safety reporting system administered by the US space agency Nasa, a pilot using the airport in the summer wrote, “Please do something,” after air traffic controllers failed to provide appropriate guidance about multiple nearby aircraft. Continue reading...

• UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights scientists deliver over 16 presentations at the Society of Toxicology’s 65th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in San Diego starting March 23, 2026. • Key posters cover topics like PFAS exposure disrupting melanin synthesis in melanocytes, inhalation risks from 3D printing resins in dentistry, and thyroid hormone disruption using new approach methodologies. • Findings aim to provide decision-ready evidence on chemical health risks, as stated by VP Russell Thomas: 'Generating practical, decision-ready evidence about chemical exposures and health risks.'

• The House of Representatives returns Tuesday, March 24, 2026, with the Rules Committee preparing floor votes on bills addressing safety in Washington, D.C., Department of Homeland Security funding, and vessel security. • Speaker Johnson has no plans to bring a clean extension of FISA Section 702 to the floor this week, as the surveillance provision faces expiration in mid-April. • These votes occur amid ongoing bipartisan efforts in the House Financial Services Committee to initiate bicameral conference negotiations on differing housing bills between chambers.

Accusations of intimidation and harassment within UK diaspora including ‘aggressive’ and ‘coersing’ videos onlineIranians living in the UK have expressed safety concerns to authorities amid heightened tensions within the community linked to the conflict with the US and Israel.Videos online of individuals allegedly being “aggressive” and “coercing” in London, which is home to one of the UK’s largest Iranian communities, have led to some feeling unsafe, they claim. Continue reading...

• Washington legislators adjourned sine die on March 12 after passing five significant AI-related bills, including SB 1786 requiring provenance data in AI-generated video, image, and audio content, and HB 2311 establishing safety standards for chatbots targeting children. • SB 1786 was approved by the full Senate on March 3 and is nearing third reading in the House, while HB 2311 passed its second Senate reading on March 9 with a "Do pass" recommendation from the Senate ATT Committee on March 17. • The bills represent growing legislative momentum on AI regulation across states, with additional measures addressing false advertising claims for health products and algorithmic transparency still in committee hearings.

Exclusive: eSafety commission pointed to Musk’s promise that ‘removing child exploitation is priority #1’ in letter obtained by Guardian Australia The Australian online safety regulator warned Elon Musk’s X amid the Grok sexualised image generation scandal that it found child abuse material was “particularly systemic” on X and more accessible than “any other mainstream service”, correspondence obtained by Guardian Australia reveals.The eSafety commissioner wrote to X in January after its chatbot Grok was used to generate sexualised images of women and children online, in what the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described as “abhorrent”. Continue reading...

• On March 3, 2026, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee convened a hearing titled 'Less Hype, More Help: AI That Improves Safety, Productivity, and Care' to explore AI's role in enhancing quality of life, jobs, and economic growth. • The hearings underscore Congress's ongoing focus on AI use across sectors, including healthcare, as a major priority for policy. • Recent congressional attention highlights the Administration's interest in regulating AI to balance innovation and safety.