
The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern.
Canadian facing ‘exponential’ rise in fraud as holidays, ail strike collideCanadians face a fresh wave of scams as fraudsters seize on the Canada Post strike to try to trick victims out of their cash. The last few weeks have seen an “exponential” rise in attempted fraud, ranging from phishing emails to deepfake phone calls, says Octavia Howell, chief information security officer at Equifax Canada. “Any time there is a major political event, a major strike or anything like that, we’ll see an uptick,” she said in a phone interview. “Not only is there a Canada post strike ... it’s the holidays.” Scams related to parcels and deliveries typically tick up in step with online shopping orders this time of year, but the work stoppage at Canada Post has led to even more fraud attempts amid the confusion around shipments, Howell said. Comprehensive figures on the latest batch of scams are not yet available from Equifax Canada, but the credit bureau’s daily updates have marked the rise nonetheless. Rather than the roughly half-dozen daily consumer fraud reports of previous increases, Equifax Canada’s investigations team is filing up to “87 in one report in one day coming from the same IP addresses,” said Howell. She called the trend “insidious.” “We’re seeing exponential growth in the amount of scams that are actually happening ... because, one, holidays, and then two, people aren’t able to get their shipments out.” Mail carriers walked off the job on Nov. 15, halting deliveries of letters and packages at the start of the holiday shipping season. Canada Post cautions users that it never reaches out about a delivery via text or email unless it has been requested to. The Crown corporation has asked Canadians to be on guard for telltale signs of a phishing scam or fraud attempt, including poor grammar, imagery inconsistent with Canada Post logos and a tracking number at odds with its standard format. The Better Business Bureau similarly cautioned users when the strike kicked off. “Watch out for fake package delivery offers during Canada’s postal strike,” the non-profit said in a release last month. It advised potential victims to verify delivery services, avoid unsolicited shipment offers from little-known companies and check for accreditation by the bureau before selecting a service. It also noted that scammers may send false messages claiming to be from Canada Post or another carrier asking for payment for undelivered items or offering “priority service.” “Do not click on links in unsolicited emails or texts. Instead, visit the official website of the courier service for updates,” the bureau said. Canada Post recommends customers contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if they receive a suspicious email, text or call related to the postal service.
Bears WR Rome Odunze's toe-tapping TD put the Bears on the board
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Yoshida Yasei’s “Override” easily took the top position in the Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20 of 2024, announced by Billboard Japan on December 6. The song, which came out in November 2023, generated buzz thanks to its MAD or remix videos. Billboard Japan talked to Yoshida Yasei about how he felt about the success of the song. See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news What led to “Override” racking up the views it did and becoming such a massive hit? Yoshida Yasei: Of all the songs I’ve released so far, “Override” had the fastest growth immediately after release. I thought that it had the potential to surpass “Laughin’,” which was my most famous song at the time. Then the number of plays started rising even faster at the start of this year, from around January 7. I was looking at the analytics info on Niconico and YouTube, and thinking, “Huh? Something’s going on here.” So you started to notice the memes. Yoshida Yasei: From around December, people started to create “Override” music remix videos, so I had this feeling that a derivative work boom might be coming on. The sudden increase in the number of remix videos at the start of the year caused the number of plays to rocket upward, and the buzz became a reality. After that, “Override” took the top position in the Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20 for the first half of 2024, announced on June 7, and then in the Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20 for 2024. Honestly, how did that make you feel? Yoshida Yasei: I was very happy. It felt like my song had become part of the culture. I thought that, given the amount of growth, this was a song that would live on in Vocaloid history. You know how on X (formerly Twitter), there are those posts that are like “Do you know this song?” and they have images of famous songs from each year? I was excited by the idea that “Override” would be used on one of those posts. It would be an honor to have one of my own songs included among all the distinguished famous songs on those lists. Looking at the lyrics, there’s a line that goes “It seems that a life of struggle, taking it to your very limits, is even crazier than what I’d imagined.” This feels, to me, like a very direct expression of frantic frustration. Yoshida Yasei: I made “Override” last October, over a year after leaving my previous work. At the time, I was truly desperate. “Override” was a song created by the physical embodiment of desperation. But, after the release, the song became a hit and I experienced being able to make a living from music. That gave me this tremendous sense of stability. The creation process was impulsive, so I didn’t really struggle with the melody that much. On the other hand, I did have to think deeply when I was writing the lyrics. Because of that, I have a lot of emotional investment in the song. So you worked through the difficult progress of writing the lyrics, but than people focused on the catchy melody and the distinctive choreography of the animated music video. They started meme-ing off them, which generated buzz. How does that make you feel? Yoshida Yasei: When I first started out as a Vocaloid producer, I wanted to make songs that led to the creation of a lot of derivative works and music video remixes. So, setting aside the issue of whether or not people’s creations matched the lyrics, I was happy about the whole phenomenon. I was watching like, “Huh, so this is another way things become popular. That’s pretty interesting.” The title “Override” is an IT term that refers to disregarding settings, properties, and the like and using different ones instead, right? Yoshida Yasei: Right. Once I’d decided on the title “Override,” I wrote lyrics that matched that aesthetic. Back when I was writing programs, I had this vague feeling that “life is all functions.” A function? Yoshida Yasei: Yes. A function is a system where you input something and the system outputs something else. In our lives, it’s like our birth supplies the input conditions and our death is the output of the function. Everything that happens in our lives—every event and every outcome—are a series of causes and effects. There are a countless number of these functions, chained together, so each person is like a program. I think some of those functions work against us. For example, your cultural capital differs depending on whether or not you were born in Tokyo. There are also functions that block access to things because of your bad luck. That’s where the concept of “Override” comes from. Overriding is like using a function with the same name to perform completely different operations. I think you can override these programs if you make enough of an effort, though. I see. Yoshida Yasei: I moved to Tokyo from Hokkaido last June. “Override” has the frantic frustration that I felt before I came to Tokyo and before “Override” became a hit. Living out in countryside, you face this downward spiral of “I don’t have access to this and I don’t have access to that.” By coming to Tokyo, I wanted to break this cycle. In other words, I wanted to overwrite the function that said “Input: You live in the countryside → Output: You have no access” with one that said “Input: You live in Tokyo → Output: You have access.” But, to be honest, when I had just moved, I was still in the same desperate situation I had been in before moving. You uploaded “Override” last November, and then the number of plays started skyrocketing. Although it did take a little time after coming Tokyo, it feels like you really did “override” your life. Yoshida Yasei: Indeed. Perhaps I overrode my fate. The chorus to “Override” has a very distinctive choreography that has quite a visual impact, so there are tons of people copying it. Where did that choreography come from? Yoshida Yasei: From the start, I had this mental image of meme-like movement, so I talked with illustrator Sisia, going into a lot of detail about what I wanted, like “I want an illustration like this” or “I want to keep this material separate from that material.” Sisia worked on the illustrations without knowing what the completed video would be like. I provided a lot of detail about the little jokes to be included and the way the art should look, and I’m really thankful about what wonderful illustrations they created. It sounds like you had a perfect balance of lyrical urgency and humor, which is what led to “Override” becoming the hit it’s become. Yoshida Yasei: Tongue-in-cheek memes were just right for balancing out the barbed lyrics, making it more joke-like. The music itself also has a light feel, but the sharp lyrics fit in smoothly. I feel like there was just this miraculous balance of different elements. I don’t think “Override” would have had the same feel if it were missing the memes or if the melody were different. Another thing that stood out is that after you uploaded the song, both in the comments on your own video and on X (formerly Twitter), you were actively encouraging people to make derivative works. Yoshida Yasei: I simply wanted there to be more derivative works, so I provided materials people could use and I shared works they made. It also felt a little like an experiment: “What would happen if a creator were actively involved in derivative works?” Ultimately, that generated buzz, and, like when the song broke the record for consecutive weeks in the charts, I was like “Oh, so this is how the story turns out.” As always, I looked at the whole thing from a third person perspective (laughs). 2024 was a year of overriding for you yourself, and it’s also the year in which “Override” carved its name in the Vocaloid charts. How do you feel looking back on this past year, in which “Override” led to so much creation? Yoshida Yasei: I experienced a lot of things this year that I’d never even imagined before. It was a year of major change for me. I was even surprised about how making new connections and meeting new people changed. So I really haven’t fully gotten my head around this year of tremendous change. In 2025, I hope to look back on my social media and photographs and gradually make some order out of all of it. — This interview by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan( MENAFN - Caribbean News Global) More than six workers among 10 and 4 enterprises among five in the world operate in the informal economy. Contrary to the old forecasts, informality has not diminished over time and is even increasing in many countries. Informal economies are typically characterized by a high incidence of poverty and severe decent work deficits. Without formalization, decent work for all and equity in society will remain an illusion. In 2015, the ILO adopted the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation . The Recommendation is a powerful tool to advance towards the attainment of SDGs . During the last years, a growing number of countries worldwide have developed strategies and policies to facilitate transition to formality. Social partners are also developing their relations with workers and enterprises in the informal economy. Formalization of the economy is a complex and long term process that often requires to combine interventions on laws and regulations with those aiming to foster productivity and the ability to generate wealth. For part of the workforce, the reduction of decent work deficits is the first step toward a progressive formalization in the longer term. The significant reduction of informality in some countries illustrates that achieving results is largely possible. Formalization Asia-Pacific forum drives efforts to formalize informal economy, addresses climate impact on vulnerable workers – Regional stakeholders urge integrated strategies to promote decent work, emphasizing climate resilience and systemic change ahead of 2025 International Labour Conference discussions. Cooperative care models address global needs and improve social well-being – Panelists at the session on cooperatives and the care economy explored how cooperatives and SSE entities can improve care provision, empower women, and foster decent work. The post Transition to formal economy appeared first on Caribbean News Global . MENAFN26122024000232011072ID1109033653 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
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The alleged incident occurred at a special education school in Dutchess County, New York. A shocking incident allegedly occurred recently involving a staffer and a 19-year-old autistic student that was captured on video. I heard about this story over the weekend and was stunned by the horrible allegations. Also See: The Unique Domes Dispensary Opens in Hudson Valley According to the Anderson Center for Autism website , the school which turned 100 years old this year was founded in 1924. Dr. Victor V. Anderson founded Anderson School in 1924 on a wooded estate overlooking the Hudson River. Dr. Anderson, a Human Resource staff at Macy’s, recognized that children with special needs would benefit from an integrated program that comprehensively addressed their educational, emotional and social needs. He began with one student. A century later, Anderson Center for Autism continues Dr. Anderson’s work; currently serving approximately 500 children and adults with autism, their loved ones and caregivers. New York Post reports that Garnet Collins, 50, is charged with brutalizing the youth at the publicly-funded boarding school run by the private Anderson Center for Autism in Staatsburg, NY. The case worker at the Dutchess County Center for Autistic Students allegedly grabbed a 19-year-old from Queens by his genitals and squeezed them in his grip while dragging the teen as he howled in agony, horrifying video shows, according to the article which also states that the Anderson Center swiftly fired the whistleblower who recorded the video and then alerted the teen’s parents. The video was first published by Fox 5 New York last month and can be seen here . The Fox 5 report also states that Collins was arrested by the New York State Police and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, a class E felony, and one count of forcible touching, a misdemeanor. He was released without bail the same day. Although he faces up to a decade in prison, legal experts say he is likely to serve no more than six months, and may even avoid jail time altogether. The father of the alleged victim Anil stated, that when he got the word of the incident, he immediately got in the car, drove upstate, pulled his son out of the residence, and contacted the New York State Troopers. "Every day. Every day. Every day. It kills me to think about the amount of abuse and torture he went through", he said. Take a Look Inside the Abandoned Bowling Ally in the Staatsburg Firehouse The Old Staastburg Firehouse (now Roosevelt Engine Co 5.) houses an abandoned bowling ally. Local Hudson Valley firefighters tell us that they believe the bowling ally was created back in the 50s and was used until the early 90s. Gallery Credit: Kurt Burns Plan an Unforgettable Trip to Hyde Park, New York Whenever I have out-of-town guests, these are some of my go-to spots to entertain in Hyde Park, New York. Gallery Credit: Conor Walsh Take a Tour of The New Hudson Valley Hospice House in Hyde Park, NY The New Hudson Valley Hospice House has opened in Hyde Park, NY right off route 9G and is available to assist Dutchess and Ulster County families. Gallery Credit: Conor WalshThe boxing community has been paying tribute following the death of Genadij Krajevskij at the age of 37. Krajevskij, who stepped into the ring with Tommy Fury in November 2020, was a respected and well-liked figure throughout his eight-year professional career. The British Boxing Board of Control's Midlands Area Council expressed their sympathies following his passing, stating: "We would like to pass our condolences and thoughts to Genadij Krakevskij's family and friends at this time. "The Baltic Bomber graced the away corner in the midlands area on numerous occasions. He was always a delight to be around in and out of the ring." VIPBoxing Promotions wrote: "It is with deep sorrow that we receive the news of Genadij Krajevskij's passing. We had the honour of featuring him in the VIP Shows on multiple occasions." Their post on social media added: "Rest in peace, Baltic Bomber." Known affectionately as the 'Baltic Bomber', Krakevskij was a stalwart of the English boxing scene, fighting in 76 professional bouts. His last bout saw him facing Levi Vaughan in Birmingham as recently as August. One boxing fan took to social media to express their condolences: "Terrible sad news. RIP Genadij Krakevskij a true warrior, and a lovely fella." Stockbridge Amateur Boxing Club also paid tribute, writing: "RIP to a proper fighter." Despite a record inside the ring that saw him victorious in only one of his 76 fights, Krakevskij made his mark through his charismatic personality. Boxing MC Phil Seymour reminisced about Krakevskij, describing him a "great presence at fight shows up and down the country." The fighter's sole triumph was a win over Ryan Broten, and VIP Shows, the promoter, shared a touching video of his reaction to the victory. They posted: "We had the honour of featuring him in the VIP Shows on multiple occasions. Our videographer, Lee Hogan, was fortunate enough to capture his sole professional victory during his 68th fight on a Frank Duffin show."