Reform activist suspended over racist and antisemitic comments remains election agent
A Reform UK activist in the Gorton and Denton byelection who was suspended over racist and antisemitic comments has been named as the election agent for three of the party’s candidates in Manchester ahead of polls on 7 May.Adam Mitula, an interim campaign manager in the Tameside area, confirmed in February that he had been suspended as a party member “pending investigation”.It came after evidence was published that appeared to show he posted a highly offensive racial slur aimed at black people, and also made what appeared to be a derogatory remark about Jewish women.A notice of election document published last Thursday shows that Mitula is now the election agent for Reform candidates standing in three wards in the Tameside area: Aron Webb, Audra Murray and Daniel Bennett.Mitula also appeared to have agreed with a Holocaust denier that the number of Jewish people murdered by the Nazis had been exaggerated.
Mitula later said his remarks had been taken out of context.Reform UK and Mitula have been approached for comment about his apparent involvement in campaigning for local elections on 7 May, when the party is tipped for major breakthroughs.The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods:The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories.Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs.
This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu.Select ‘Secure Messaging’.Our guide at theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the pros and cons of each.
His reappearance comes after a spate of axings, suspensions and resignations of senior Reform UK figures, including a number of candidates in Scotland and Wales, along with Chris Parry, the party’s high-profile Hampshire mayoral candidate, and Simon Dudley, its housing spokesperson.Jackie Olden, who is standing for the Green party in Denton South in Tameside, one of the wards where Mitula is again involved, said: “Time and again, we have seen a pattern of commentary and behaviour from the Reform leadership that aims to normalise division in our communities.“Here in Tameside, residents have already seen the impact of that approach.In Gorton and Denton, Reform’s campaigning has too often relied on divisive messaging that alienates parts of our community.”Allegations against Mitula, who was the interim campaign manager for Matthew Goodwin during the latter’s failed attempt to become an MP, were based on information gathered by the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate.
An X account associated with Mitula has since been deleted.Posts highlighted by Hope Not Hate included Mitula’s suggestion that “60-70%” of transgender people were paedophiles, that he would “never touch a Jewish woman”, and his use of the N-word.The Guardian also found tweets by Mitula where he claimed there were “Muslim no-go ghettoes in the UK”.In addition, in response to a post on black fathers, he wrote: “They are the best in leaving muims [sic] with no support.But those who care about families are very good people.
”
Meta creating AI version of Mark Zuckerberg so staff can talk to the boss
If you are one of Meta’s almost 79,000 employees and cannot get hold of the boss, do not worry. The owner of Facebook and Instagram is reportedly working on an AI version of Mark Zuckerberg who can answer all your queries.The AI clone of Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder and chief executive, is being trained on his mannerisms and tone as well as his public statements and thoughts on company strategy.The rationale behind the project, according to the Financial Times, is that employees could feel more connected to one of the most powerful people in Silicon Valley.The Meta chief has a history of creating and experimenting with digitalised versions of himself
Elon Musk’s X cuts payments to users who post clickbait
Elon Musk’s X has reduced payments to users who post clickbait and recycle news stories as it warned account holders against “flooding the timeline” with low-quality content.Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, wrote on the social media platform that all “aggregators” – users who quickly repackage and repost news from other accounts – had received less money from the creator revenue sharing programme.Under the scheme, X gives a share of advertising revenue to creators who have at least 500 verified followers and generate at least 5m views over a three-month period. Bier wrote that aggregators had their payouts reduced by 60% and that total will be reduced by a further 20%.“It became abundantly clear: flooding the timeline with 100 stolen reposts and clickbait everyday crowded out real creators and hurt new author growth,” he wrote
Booking.com warns customers of hack that exposed their data
The accommodation reservation website Booking.com has suffered a data breach with “unauthorised parties” gaining access to customers’ details.The platform said it “noticed some suspicious activity involving unauthorised third parties being able to access some of our guests’ booking information”.“Upon discovering the activity, we took action to contain the issue,” it said. “We have updated the pin number for these reservations and informed our guests
‘It feels as if I’ve made a new best friend’: my experiment with AI journalling
What’s it like to have a diary that talks back to you, offering comments and advice on your hopes, fears and lunch plans? I spent two months finding outEver since I was a teenager, I have kept some form of diary. These days I favour a paper one for creative brainstorming, and the Journal app on my iPad where I do a speedily typed brain dump every morning. I have always found it a great way to impose some sort of order on my random thoughts, a form of meditation.But I had never even heard of AI journalling until a Google search led me down a rabbit hole where I encountered people enthusing about two apps, Rosebud and Mindsera. It sounded as if Mindsera’s minimalist design was the best for writers
Dr TikTok: patients diagnose chronic illnesses with anonymous commenters’ help
TikTok users increasingly say the app has steered them toward diagnosing medical problems not yet identifiedMalina Lee, a 31-year-old wedding baker based in San Antonio, Texas, joined TikTok during the Covid pandemic lockdowns in 2020. Like many people at the time, she was bored and began using the platform to pass the time and advertise her business. She didn’t expect a cancer diagnosis.Four years after Lee joined the app, a commenter with the username “PickleFart” told her that her neck looked asymmetrical in a way that could suggest she had a goiter – an enlarged thyroid gland – and that she should get it checked out. The anonymous amateur clinician turned out to be right – Lee had thyroid cancer, received treatment quickly, and, less than a year later, was cancer free
AI companies know they have an image problem. Will funding policy papers and thinktanks dig them out?
OpenAI made a surprise announcement this week – not an update to ChatGPT or another multibillion-dollar datacenter – but a policy paper that called for a reimagining of the social contract based around “a slate of people-first ideas”. It’s the latest move in an aggressive effort by the major AI players to reshape the narrative around their industry, as polls show public disapproval of AI increasing.OpenAI’s 13-page paper, titled Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age, follows its surprise acquisition of tech-friendly podcast TBPN and its announcement of plans to open a Washington DC office that will feature a dedicated space called the OpenAI workshop for non-profits and policymakers to learn about and discuss the company’s technology.OpenAI’s rival Anthropic has meanwhile announced its own thinktank, the Anthropic Institute, which similarly proclaimed an intention to explore how the growth of AI would disrupt society.As disruptions from AI become more tangible and calls for greater scrutiny of big tech companies grows louder, the industry appears to be both recognizing the widespread discontent and looking for ways to reframe the debate
Cornichon shortage leaves British sandwich shops in a pickle
Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for chilli eggs with miso beans and spinach | Quick and easy
The US small town coffee shop that created a viral drink: ‘I still don’t understand how it went so far’
Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London WC2: ‘A rollicking list of cosy British joys’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
Benjamina Ebuehi’s sweet and salty chocolate chip cookies recipe | The sweet spot
Gentleman’s Relish is toast after its maker axes the pungent anchovy spread