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United Airlines travelers with lost luggage have a new tool to track their bags. If the lost bag has an Apple AirTag in it, that information can now be passed directly to United, the airline announced Thursday. The new feature, called Share Item Location, allows travelers with an AirTag or other Find My network accessory to share the location with the airline’s customer service team to help locate their luggage in the event it’s misplaced. The feature is now available with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 or macOS 15.2. “Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. Travelers on United whose bags do not arrive at their destination can file a delayed baggage report with United and share the link to the item’s location either through the United app or via text message. After the report has been submitted, customer service agents will be able to locate the item on an interactive map alongside a timestamp of a recent update. The shared location will be disabled after a customer has the bag, and customers can also stop sharing the location of the item at any time on their own. The location link will also automatically expire after seven days. Using AirTags or other tracking devices on luggage is increasingly popular among frequent travelers, with a significant boom following the 2022 Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown, which displaced thousands of travelers over Christmas and into 2023, alongside much of their belongings. United says lost bags are rare, with more than 99% of its customers arriving with their bags. It says the new technology will help those with lost bags to recover them more quickly because the airline will have more information about them. Apple previously announced the new service will also be integrated at other air carriers, including Delta Air Lines. Others include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling.None
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Yoon's overnight attempt to shut down political activity, censor media and lock out opposition lawmakers stunned South Korea's longtime ally, the United States, which said it had no advance warning and issued a statement of concern. South Korea's transition to elected rule since a mass uprising in 1987 had been seen as so thorough that the United States increasingly spoke of its ally as a global partner. Meanwhile, Seoul billed itself as a new, ideal hub for international media as China clamped down on Hong Kong. President Joe Biden had even chosen Yoon as the host in March of his final Summit for Democracy -- a signature initiative of the outgoing US leader, who sought to champion liberal values globally, in an unstated repudiation of Donald Trump, who returns to the White House next month. But observers, while stunned by Yoon, said there were warning signs. Danny Russel, a top US diplomat for Asia under former president Barack Obama and who earlier served in South Korea, pointed to the deadlock in parliament where the opposition repeatedly sought impeachments against Yoon's administration. Yoon's move "was a complete surprise to me (but) yes, there were very obvious structural forces at work," he said. "There is a radically polarized political scene in Korea. The opposition has been pursuing scorched-earth political obstruction tactics," he said. But he pointed to the quick, large-scale protests that erupted after Yoon's declaration as a sign of a vibrant civil society ready to defend democracy. "One certainly would hope that this would serve as a wake-up call to both the ruling conservative party and the progressive opposition that both sides have gone too far and that there needs to be some process of reconciliation, of dealing with legitimate differences and grievances." Yoon himself had earlier shown signs of authoritarianism. In a national address last year, Yoon raged against supposed communists who have "disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates or progressive activists." A prosecutor, Yoon narrowly won the 2022 election on a platform of economic reform and advocated close ties with the United States as well as historic rival Japan. But his popularity swiftly slid and the opposition won the National Assembly. Celeste Arrington, a Korea expert at George Washington University, noted that Yoon had never held elected office before and had become increasingly frustrated. "This is really an extreme move that may signal, I think, the president's lack of political experience," she said. She said that martial law showed "some cracks in democracy" but that the quick reversal "gives me hope in the health and strength and vibrancy of democracy in South Korea." Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, expected Yoon's career to be over after attempting martial law, which constitutionally can only be imposed for wars or other emergencies. "Yoon's action is a damning reversal to decades of South Korean efforts to put its authoritarian past behind it," he said. The number of democracies worldwide soared starting in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union collapsed and student-led uprisings brought reforms elsewhere. But globally, democracy has been in retreat for the last 18 straight years, according to the Washington-based group Freedom House, which promotes political liberty. Democratically elected leaders have taken increasingly authoritarian steps in countries as diverse as India, Turkey and Hungary. V-Dem, another closely watched democracy index, had most recently ranked South Korea third in Asia after Taiwan and Japan. In the United States, Trump has rejected long-held norms, refusing to accept he lost to Biden four years ago -- culminating in his supporters violently rampaging through the US Capitol. Trump's rejection of democracy ultimately worked out for him: campaigning on the rage of 2020, he won last month's election. But experts said Yoon's power play -- and its reversal -- could in fact show a victory for democratic values. "Yoon is a deeply unpopular and ineffectual leader, but there was nothing I saw of people being dissatisfied with the way government runs," Alan Yu, a senior vice president at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said after a recent trip to Seoul. Darcie Draudt-Vejares of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that with the swift response to Yoon, "this crisis may ultimately strengthen Korean democracy by reaffirming civilian control and demonstrating institutional resilience." sct/nroThousands of Afghans on Thursday attended the funeral of the refugees minister, AFP journalists saw, after he was killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul the day before in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed on Wednesday afternoon in a suicide bombing at the ministry's offices in the Afghan capital. Thousands of men, many of them armed, gathered for Haqqani's funeral in his home village of Sarana, in a mountainous area of Paktia province, south of Kabul. The funeral included heavy security, with armoured vehicles, snipers and personnel manning the area and the road from Kabul, which was jammed with hundreds of cars as mourners travelled from surrounding provinces. Senior Taliban officials, including the Chief of Army Staff Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, and Maulawi Abdul Kabir, political deputy of the prime minister's office, attended the funeral, according to an AFP team on site. The deceased's nephew, the powerful interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, also attended, along with foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. In a speech there, Muttaqi said the latest IS attacks had been planned "abroad", denouncing, without naming them, "countries harbouring" the organisation. "We call on all nations to work together to stop the common enemy, which does not recognise any kind of morality." In September, the Taliban authorities said IS had training camps in Balochistan province of Pakistan, which also regularly faces jihadist attacks. - 'Protect our other leaders' - Haqqani, the highest ranked member of the Taliban government to be killed in an attack since their return to power, "was a big loss for us, the system and the nation", said Paktia resident Hedayatullah, 22. "May God protect our other leaders and keep them victorious." "Our leader... who had his life brutally taken away, achieved martyrdom," said Bostan, 53, haranguing the "cowardly attack" that killed Haqqani. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack on Thursday, offering condolences to the victims' families. "There can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on X. The European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the attack, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran. Haqqani -- who is on US and UN sanctions lists and never appeared without an automatic weapon in his hand -- was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban's two-decade insurgency. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a bomber detonated an explosive vest inside the ministry, according to a statement on its Amaq news agency, as translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Taliban authorities had already blamed IS for the "cowardly attack" -- the first targeting a minister since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country that year, ending their war against US-led NATO coalition forces. However, the regional chapter of IS, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks. bur-qb-sw/nroBOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey spent months clamoring for lawmakers to finish work on a sweeping jobs package she filed in March, and she wound up needing only about 60% of the time allotted for her review before making it law. Healey on Wednesday signed her approval on almost the entirety of the 319-page, roughly $4 billion package that offers hundreds of millions of dollars of long-term state support to the life sciences and climate technology industries, clears the way for development of a professional soccer stadium in Everett, controversially shields a nonprofit accused of predatory lending, and more. The governor is approaching the midpoint of her four-year term, and has now signed into law a major jobs package, a borrowing bill she believes will supercharge housing production and a tax relief package, all of which she identified as priorities. Agreeing to almost everything the Legislature packed into the bill, including scores of project earmarks, she did not veto any language from the bill (H 5100), and she sent a single section dealing with motor vehicle liability insurance back with a proposed amendment. “This legislation includes nearly all of the authorizations and transformative policy initiatives that I filed in March, bringing the total authorized to nearly $4 billion, and takes important steps toward implementing our economic development plan,” Healey wrote in a letter to lawmakers. “This bill is essential to keeping the Massachusetts economy strong and adaptable in a rapidly changing world.” Healey had until Sunday to review the bill, but decided Wednesday that she was ready to act. The measure reaches across different facets of the state’s economy, and lawmakers crammed it full of additional policy riders — some that are controversial — including language admitting Massachusetts to a national nurse licensure compact and a section that opponents say could shield a Boston nonprofit facing predatory lending accusations from lawsuits. One section would effectively protect BlueHub Capital, a Roxbury nonprofit that was sued in 2020 over predatory lending allegations, according to the Boston Globe. An earlier iteration of the language drew scrutiny from Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who described “serious consumer protection concerns,” the Globe reported. The issue burst into the spotlight Wednesday, when someone in the crowd interrupted Healey at an event in Waltham to criticize her for not vetoing the language. “I was your attorney general. I went after the subprime predatory lenders. I’m pretty well-schooled in this, and we took them on and took them down,” Healey replied. “I probably more than anybody know what it means to stand up ... and fight predatory lending.” On the borrowing front, large chunks of capital funding would flow to two industries that lawmakers and administration officials view as current or future cornerstones: life sciences, and climate technology. The law reauthorizes another $500 million over 10 years for the state’s Life Sciences Initiative, which launched under Gov. Deval Patrick and continued under Gov. Charlie Baker, and it boosts the annual life sciences tax incentive program from $30 million to $40 million. It includes $400 million in capital authorizations and $300 million in tax incentives for the climate tech field, which Healey described as “modeled on the same type of investments that have successfully transformed our life sciences sector into a global powerhouse.” Another $100 million will go toward creating a Massachusetts AI Hub. “Look, AI is here to stay. We’ve worked together to put together a program for an AI hub in Massachusetts that’s going to help transform all of our industries, and that includes small businesses,” Healey said in a speech to retailers on Wednesday. Many of the law’s most eye-catching provisions go beyond dollars and cents. One section would authorize municipalities and government entities to enter into project labor agreements, which often require unionized labor only. Another would allow the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to craft an alternative certification process for some teachers, which supporters say will help diversify the educator workforce. In a boost for the Kraft family and the New England Revolution soccer team they own, the law would remove the designated port area classification from a parcel of land in Everett, viewed as a key hurdle toward developing a new stadium there. It took lawmakers years to get on the same page supporting the change, and the final accord prohibits public funding from flowing toward construction of the stadium. Developers would also need to strike community mitigation agreements with the cities of Everett and Boston. Another section of the law installs new regulations around event ticket sales, including by prohibiting the use of “bots” that quickly snatch up many tickets. Consumer groups had criticized language outlining requirements for nontransferable tickets, arguing that it would give buyers fewer choices on the secondary markets, but Healey opted to sign her approval on the full package. Her only proposed amendment would change the amounts and effective date for new limits on motor vehicle insurance liability coverage. Healey wrote to lawmakers that the existing limits “have not been updated in over 30 years” and signaled support for raising them. “I support these limit increases, but I also recognize that the language as currently drafted would become effective immediately upon my signature, providing insurance companies inadequate time for implementation,” she wrote. “Insurers must update current policies and submit new forms and rates to the Commissioner of Insurance for review and approval before implementing these changes. Based on feedback from industry stakeholders, pushing out the effective date to July 1, 2025 will ensure that these changes take place in an orderly way.” The bill takes a limited run at tax policy changes to boost economic development, with tax incentives focused on the life sciences and climate tech sectors and a new tax credit to assist the live theater sector. On Oct. 31, the Tax Foundation released its State Tax Competitiveness Index, formerly the State Business Tax Climate Index, and Massachusetts ranked 41st among the 50 states. The foundation cited “overly burdensome” individual income taxes, property taxes, and unemployment insurance taxes in Massachusetts, and said property taxes here are “among the highest in the nation.” While the new income surtax on high earners is facilitating major new investments in education and transportation — two focus areas of businesses — the foundation blamed the 2022 constitutional amendment approved by voters statewide for “dismantling the state’s formerly competitive flat income tax and making Massachusetts less attractive for productive households and businesses.” Aides said the governor “will host a ceremonial signing event in the near future” to bring more attention to the new jobs law. Sam Drysdale and Michael P. Norton contributed reporting.
Y'all Mad at Blue Ivy Again, But This Time You've Gone Too Far. Here's Why
It was a day to stay home - if you could - across much of midwestern Ontario due to weather. “Pretty darn nasty. I tell everybody, stay at home. Be safe. Stay at home,” said Pat Dunn. All schools were closed across Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth Counties due to blizzard like conditions across the region. Several roads were closed, events were cancelled, even snowplows were pulled off the roads near Kincardine due to the onslaught of snow. “You just can't see anything. It's awful,” said Sidney Meyers, who travelled from Hanover to Wingham Thursday morning. As much as 60 centimetres of snow is expected to fall through Friday evening for the worst hit parts of the region. That’s on top of as much as 100 centimetres, which fell last week. “We're back almost to the old-fashioned style of winter,” said Dunn. “I know it's a lot of shock for a lot of people. It's the nice thing about technology. We can do an awful lot of things from the truck. You make phone calls, talk to people. A lot of people are home because they're not out and about. We do have to do the odd site visit, but, yeah, you just deal with it and stay in one spot as long as you can. Do your best.” Dunn was limiting his travel as much as he could Thursday, working for a fuel company. Emergency services were warning motorists to travel only if it was absolutely necessary, and to be prepared if they did venture out with a full tank of gas, a charged cell phone, and the winter necessities to survive potentially hours stuck in a ditch. Blizzard-like conditions in Wingham, Ont. seen on Dec. 12, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London) “Ask yourself, could we sit here for a few hours and be comfortable if we had to? We just don't want to see people heading out unprepared,” said Const. Craig Soldan with Huron County OPP. “They don't have any warm clothing. They don't have a blanket; they don't have a charged cell phone or a cell cord even to charge their phone in the car. You don't want to be in that situation.” Blizzard-like conditions in Wingham, Ont. seen on Dec. 12, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London) The blizzard-like conditions are expected to subside sometime on Friday, but until then, midwestern Ontario is pretty much closed. “Yeah, it's pretty rough. Anybody who's going out anywhere outside of town, I don't think I'd be able to work around that. I'd be going stir crazy saying, being like, I'm going to stay at home,” said Meyers. “It's been a wild winter so far. I’m waiting for spring,” said another driver, filling up their gas tank in Wingham. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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These LEGO Kits Are On Sale And Ready To Gift Black Friday May Be Over, But You Can Still Take Advantage Of These Amazing Sales On Amazon Canada It's Officially Travel Tuesday: Here Are The Best Deals On Flights, Hotels, And Vacations London Top Stories 'Music is good for the soul': A holiday concert warms spirits inside the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre Blizzard warning shuts down large parts of midwestern Ontario 40 to 80 cm of snow in some areas: Blizzard and snow squall warnings up across the region Road closures with deteriorating conditions Trailer comes lose from vehicle and hits hydro pole Expired Health Canada license leads to $7M cannabis seizure in Elgin County Dundas Street now open after morning structure fire Accused in bush bash shooting testifies claiming he feared for his life CTVNews.ca Top Stories Ottawa has sold its stake in Air Canada: sources Two senior federal government sources have confirmed to CTV News that the federal government has sold its stake in Air Canada. 'I recognize these footsteps': How Trump and 'coyote' smuggling changed life at the border Bent signs bolted to the rail threaten fines and imprisonment should violators cross the boundary into the United States, a warning many people are choosing to ignore simply by walking around the barrier. She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case According to court documents, detectives reopened the cold case in 2017 and then worked with a forensics company to extract DNA from Baby Garnet's partial femur, before sending the results to Identifinders International. Danielle Smith announces new team to patrol Alberta-U.S. border Premier Danielle Smith says her government will create a team of specially-trained sheriffs tasked with patrolling the Alberta-U.S. border. McDonald's employee who called 911 in CEO's shooting is eligible for reward, but it will take time More than 400 tips were called into the New York Police Department's Crime Stoppers tip line during the five-day search for a masked gunman who ambushed and fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. Man who set fires inside Calgary's municipal building lost testicle during arrest: ASIRT Two Calgary police officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident that saw a suspect lose a testicle after being shot with an anti-riot weapon. Country star Morgan Wallen sentenced in chair-throwing case Country music star Morgan Wallen on Thursday pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour counts of reckless endangerment for throwing a chair from the rooftop of a six-storey bar in Nashville and nearly hitting two police officers with it. Doug Ford says cutting off U.S. energy supply amid tariff threats a 'last resort' Premier Doug Ford says that cutting off the energy supply to the U.S. remains a “last resort” amid the threat of a promised 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods but he is warning that his government is ultimately prepared to use “every tool” in its toolbox “to protect the livelihoods of the people of Ontario.” Ho ho, oh no: Man sought by police goes down chimney and gets stuck A Massachusetts man trying to escape from police shimmied down the chimney. And got stuck. Kitchener 'Enough is enough': Doug Ford says Ontario could hand encampment drug users $10,000 fines, prison Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is introducing a suite of measures to help municipalities “address and dismantle” homeless encampments around the province, including steep fines for people who use drugs. Marathon budget meeting ends without setting Waterloo Region budget Waterloo Region Council was expected to set the 2025 budget on Wednesday, but after a marathon meeting, councillors left the horseshoe without making a final decision. Settlement reached in complaint over Canada Post layoffs as strike hits four weeks The union representing Canada Post workers says an unfair labour practice complaint over the company's layoffs has been resolved. Barrie Significant weather event declared in Owen Sound amid blizzard warning The City of Owen Sound has declared a significant weather event with the region under a blizzard warning on Thursday as lake-effect snow squalls hammer the area. Jack-knifed tractor-trailer in Gravenhurst as squalls continue A jack-knifed tractor-trailer caused lane closures along Highway 11 near Bethune Drive South in Gravenhurst. Teen arrested in connection to threat made toward high school: OPP Provincial police arrested a 17-year-old from Bolton accused of making a threat toward a local high school. Windsor Shots fired in South Windsor, one injured An investigation is underway after the Windsor Police Service said multiple shots were fired at a group of people in South Windsor. One injured in Windsor kitchen fire One person has been injured following a kitchen fire in Windsor. Woman charged after throwing pot of coffee in Chatham business: CKPS Chatham-Kent police charged a woman who allegedly threw a pot of coffee when asked to leave a business in Chatham. Northern Ontario BREAKING | Northern Ont. bank employee taken to hospital with serious injuries after shooting An employee at Northern Credit Union in Wawa, Ont., was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a shooter entered the branch and opened fire Thursday morning, the financial institution said in a statement. Stabbing in wooded area of Sudbury results in attempted murder charge Sudbury police have charged a man, 28, with attempted murder after a stabbing in wooded area off Leslie Street on Wednesday night. Ottawa has sold its stake in Air Canada: sources Two senior federal government sources have confirmed to CTV News that the federal government has sold its stake in Air Canada. Sault Ste. Marie BREAKING | Northern Ont. bank employee taken to hospital with serious injuries after shooting An employee at Northern Credit Union in Wawa, Ont., was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a shooter entered the branch and opened fire Thursday morning, the financial institution said in a statement. Snow squall warnings in the Sault Ste. Marie area, up to 50 cm expected by Friday Snow squall warnings issued for the Sault Ste. Marie area off Lake Superior as 30 to 50 cm of snow is expected by Friday. Ontario man charged with sex trafficking underage girls from Sudbury, Kingston Two young girls, from Sudbury and Kingston, Ont., were rescued from sex trafficking in the GTA and their suspected abuser has been charged, but police fear there may be more victims. Ottawa Crews begin removing cargo from ship stuck in St. Lawrence River in eastern Ontario Crews have started work on a new attempt to refloat a cargo ship that ran aground in the St. Lawrence River nearly three weeks ago. Here's what will cost more in the 2025 City of Ottawa budget Ottawa residents will be paying more to board the O-Train and buses, have the garbage picked up, turn on the taps, park on city streets and use recreation facilities in 2025. CTV News Ottawa looks at things that will cost more in Ottawa next year. Two additional arrests made in connection with Val-des-Monts death investigation Police have arrested two additional people in connection with an investigation into a woman's death north of Gatineau earlier this month. Toronto 'Enough is enough': Doug Ford says Ontario could hand encampment drug users $10,000 fines, prison Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is introducing a suite of measures to help municipalities “address and dismantle” homeless encampments around the province, including steep fines for people who use drugs. Video shows suspects armed with sledgehammer break into spa in Markham Three teenagers and a 19-year-old man have been arrested and three more are at large in connection with a series of spa robberies in Markham and Toronto, one of which was captured on security camera. Dog found after vehicle stolen in Toronto A dog that was inside a vehicle when it was stolen in Toronto on Wednesday has been found, police say. Montreal Montreal homicide rate dropped by more than 20 per cent in 2023: Statistics Canada Newly released figures from Statistics Canada shows that the rate of homicides in the Montreal area dropped significantly in 2023 compared to the previous year. Quebec to pay 30 times more for power out of N.L. plant after decades-long dispute Quebec and Newfoundland announced today a new arrangement that will see Quebec pay 30 times more for power from the Churchill Falls hydroelectricity plant in Labrador. Montreal suburb declares 'end of deer saga' after killing 105 animals in urban park A Montreal suburb is declaring the 'end of the deer saga' today after completing its plan to cull a growing herd of white-tailed deer in one of its parks. Atlantic Bass River, N.S., bridge partially collapses A bridge in Bass River, N.S., partially collapsed on Wednesday. The wooden structure was under construction when one side gave way and fell into the river. N.S. Premier Tim Houston reveals new cabinet, department names The new cabinet for the Nova Scotia government will have its swearing-in ceremony Thursday afternoon. Deal between Ottawa and N.S. First Nation over contested fishery nearly done: lawyer The lawyer for a Mi'kmaq band that has battled Ottawa over its lobster harvest rights says a deal settling the "centuries-old" fishing dispute is nearly complete. Winnipeg 'Concerning:' Manitoba homicides spiked in 2024 Manitoba RCMP has seen a spike in homicides in 2024. New hammer rule to be tested at next Grand Slam of Curling event As far as curling experiments go, a new rule that will be used at the next Grand Slam competition looks like a doozy. Colleen Bready's Forecast: How long will the extreme cold last? Extreme cold continues to hold its grip on much of Manitoba and northwestern Ontario on Thursday. Calgary WATCH LIVE | Calgary police to hold news conference following young woman's death Calgary police will hold a news conference Thursday to speak about the death of a young woman found badly injured on Calgary's Nose Creek Pathway on Monday. Danielle Smith approval rating holds steady at 45%: poll A new poll from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds that Alberta Danielle Smith’s approval rating once again remains relatively unchanged. Man who set fires inside Calgary's municipal building lost testicle during arrest: ASIRT Two Calgary police officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident that saw a suspect lose a testicle after being shot with an anti-riot weapon. Edmonton BREAKING | Travis Vader, killer of Lyle and Marie McCann, denied day parole The man who killed an Alberta couple in 2010 has been denied day parole. BREAKING | Edmonton police chief to assume leadership roles in Alberta public service, executive council Dale McFee will start a job in the high level of Alberta's government three days after his last day as the chief of Edmonton Police Service in February. Former Alberta premier Rachel Notley quitting legislature seat as of Dec. 30 Former Alberta premier and NDP Leader Rachel Notley is leaving the legislature. Regina Sask. premier says collaboration needed to tackle border security and avoid Trump tariffs Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says an “all hands-on-deck approach” is needed to address border security concerns to avoid U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat on products from Canada and Mexico. Three charged after Regina police officer assaulted during break and enter investigation Three people are facing a lengthy list of charges after a break and enter investigation led to a Regina police officer being assaulted and injured Tuesday night. Regina General Hospital parkade set to open, will provide 686 more parking spots The grand opening of a new parkade at Regina's General Hospital was celebrated on Thursday. Staff and visitors to the medical centre will be able to use the new facility on Monday. Saskatoon Nearly 1,500 people in Saskatoon are homeless, according to the latest count Nearly 1,500 people in Saskatoon are homeless, according to the latest point-in-time (PiT) Count conducted by the city and outside partners. Prince Albert police release photo of suspect in family/grandparent scam The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) is releasing a photo of a person of interest in connection with a family/grandparent emergency scam following multiple reports. Sask. premier says collaboration needed to tackle border security and avoid Trump tariffs Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says an “all hands-on-deck approach” is needed to address border security concerns to avoid U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat on products from Canada and Mexico. Vancouver Crews search for missing skier at B.C. resort Police and rescue crews are searching for a man who was last seen boarding a ski lift at B.C.'s Sun Peaks Resort Tuesday. Man charged after victim pinned to tree with vehicle in Victoria A 34-year-old man is facing multiple criminal charges after allegedly striking a man with his vehicle and pinning him against a tree in Victoria, causing serious injuries. Star centre J.T. Miller set to return to Vancouver Canucks lineup against Panthers Star centre J.T. Miller will return to the Canucks’ lineup on Thursday when Vancouver hosts the Florida Panthers. Vancouver Island Man charged after victim pinned to tree with vehicle in Victoria A 34-year-old man is facing multiple criminal charges after allegedly striking a man with his vehicle and pinning him against a tree in Victoria, causing serious injuries. Police say 42 vehicles vandalized in 'campaign of destruction' in Nanaimo, B.C. Mounties are investigating after more than 40 vehicles were vandalized in what police described as a "campaign of destruction" across Nanaimo, B.C. Crews search for missing skier at B.C. resort Police and rescue crews are searching for a man who was last seen boarding a ski lift at B.C.'s Sun Peaks Resort Tuesday. Stay Connected
There's good news for PlayStation Plus subscribers, because Sony is about to reveal a new batch of free PS4 and PS5 games. The December 2024 PS Plus Essentials will be announced by Sony on November 27, before launching a week later on December 3. December's batch of games will replace the current line-up, which includes Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, Ghostwire Tokyo and Death Note Killer Within. If you want to grab the current games and next month's releases, then now is a good time to join PS Plus, because memberships are discounted as part of Sony's Black Friday sale. As for the December line-up, fans have been attempting to predict the next wave of games ahead of the official reveal. Based on the monthly predictions thread over on Reddit , many fans believe Forspoken, Hades, Atomic Heart, Terminator Resistance or Resident Evil Village will join the line-up. Resident Evil Village feels long overdue for PS Plus, so don't be surprised if it finally makes an appearance in December. You can also add Resident Evil 2 and Resi 3 Remake to that list. Terminator Resistance is another game that feels like a good fit for PlayStation Plus in December. Elsewhere, there are plenty of picks for Assassin's Creed games such as Mirage and Unity. Ubisoft's Prince of Persia The Lost Crown also gets a mention. Other realistic picks include Deathloop, Signalis, Suicide Squad, Lords of the Fallen, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Quarry, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Snowrunner and Viewfinder. That's on top of Wrestlequest, Judgement, Payday 3, Jusant, Cocoon, Like a Dragon Gaiden, Moving Out, CrossCode, LEGO Hobbit, Everspace 2, Shenmue 3, Mafia 3 and Stray. I could definitely see Stray making an appearance after all this time, although the publisher may want to add some distance following its recent release on Nintendo Switch. Other people believe we could see games like Castlevania Advance Collection, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Planet Zoo, Hitman World of Assassination, or EA Sports WRC make an appearance in December. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, Hogwarts Legacy, Sonic Frontiers, Subnautica: Below Zero, Harold Halibut, Dave the Diver, Cult of the Lamb, Metro Exodus, The Pathless and Art of Rally also receive votes. Some of the more eye-catching picks include Cyberpunk 2077 and Sea of Thieves, which both seem unlikely, but would equally make fantastic additions. A PS Plus release of Sea of Thieves would help boost the player count, while a Cyberpunk 2077 launch would help CD Projekt sell more units of its Phantom Liberty DLC. A few Final Fantasy games feature in the predictions thread, although one of them seems unrealistic. Indeed, while I could definitely see Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core joining the line-up, I don't think we'll be seeing Final Fantasy 16. Other unlikely additions include Rise of the Ronin, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Gran Turismo 7, Topspin 2K25, God of War Ragnarok, Lies of P, Spider-Man Miles Morales, Dark Souls Remastered, Red Dead Redemption and Nier Automata.A Stanford University in a federal court case in Minnesota for submitting a sworn declaration that contained made-up information has blamed an artificial intelligence chatbot. And the bot generated more errors than the one highlighted by the plaintiffs in the case, professor Jeff Hancock wrote in an apologetic court filing, saying he did not intend to mislead the court or any lawyers. “I express my sincere regret for any confusion this may have caused,” Hancock wrote. Lawyers for a YouTuber and Minnesota state legislator suing to overturn a Minnesota law said in a court filing last month that Hancock’s expert-witness declaration contained a reference to a study, by authors Huang, Zhang, Wang, that did not exist. They believed Hancock had used a chatbot in preparing the 12-page document, and called for the submission to be thrown out because it might contain more, undiscovered AI fabrications. It did: After the lawyers called out Hancock, he found two other AI “hallucinations” in his declaration, according to his filing in Minnesota District Court. The professor, founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab, was brought into the case by Minnesota’s attorney general as an expert defense witness in a lawsuit by the state legislator and the satirist YouTuber. The lawmaker and the social-media influencer are seeking a court order declaring unconstitutional a state law criminalizing election-related, AI-generated “deepfake” photos, video and sound. Hancock’s legal imbroglio illustrates one of the most common , a technology that has since San Francisco’s OpenAI released its in November 2022. The AI chatbots and image generators often produce errors known as hallucinations, which in text can involve misinformation, and in images, absurdities like six-fingered hands. In his regretful filing with the court, Hancock — who studies AI’s effects on misinformation and trust — detailed how his use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to produce his expert submission led to the errors. Hancock confessed that in addition to the fake study by Huang, Zhang, Wang, he had also included in his declaration “a nonexistent 2023 article by De keersmaecker & Roets,” plus four “incorrect” authors for another study. Seeking to bolster his credibility with “specifics” of his expertise, Hancock claimed in the filing that he co-wrote “the foundational piece” on communication mediated by AI. “I have published extensively on misinformation in particular, including the psychological dynamics of misinformation, its prevalence, and possible solutions and interventions,” Hancock wrote. He used ChatGPT 4.0 to help find and summarize articles for his submission, but the errors likely got in later when he was drafting the document, Hancock wrote in the filing. He had inserted the word “cite” into the text he gave the chatbot, to remind himself to add academic citations to points he was making, he wrote. “The response from GPT-4o, then, was to generate a citation, which is where I believe the hallucinated citations came from,” Hancock wrote, adding that he believed the chatbot also made up the four incorrect authors. Related Articles Hancock had declared under penalty of perjury that he “identified the academic, scientific, and other materials referenced” in his expert submission, the YouTuber and legislator said in their Nov. 16 filing. That filing also questioned Hancock’s reliability as an expert witness. Hancock, in apologizing to the court, asserted that the three errors, “do not impact any of the scientific evidence or opinions” he presented as an expert. The judge in the case has set a Dec. 17 hearing to determine whether Hancock’s expert declaration should be thrown out, and whether the Minnesota attorney general can file a corrected version of the submission. Stanford, where students can be for using a chatbot to “ ” without permission from their instructor, did not immediately respond to questions about whether Hancock would face disciplinary measures. Hancock did not immediately respond to similar questions. Hancock is not the first to submit a court filing containing AI-generated nonsense. Last year, lawyers Steven A. Schwartz and Peter LoDuca were fined $5,000 each in federal court in New York for submitting a personal-injury lawsuit filing that contained fake past court cases invented by ChatGPT to back up their arguments. “I did not comprehend that ChatGPT could fabricate cases,” Schwartz told the judge.None
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh holds 'Public Durbar' in Kathua district
Editorial: Maharashtra mandateHenry Siu The best way for Hong Kong to cope with US president-elect Donald Trump's expected technology restrictions against China is to integrate into national development, says Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong. Sun also said Hong Kong - which would be affected by restrictions on China - should enhance its infrastructure and leverage its advantage of being highly internationalized to ensure sustainable IT development. One such infrastructure, Sun added, is the city's section of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, which is projected to be a world-class research, academic and industry platform. Sun made his comments yesterday after the government promulgated a development outline on the Hong Kong park last week. "The Hetao area is less than four square kilometers and is not suitable for large-scale manufacturing. But it can integrate the advantages of Hong Kong and the mainland to create a world-class industry, academic and research [platform] and a cluster for pilot production and transformation," Sun said. "Two different socio-economic and judicial systems integrating in one place. If it is successfully established, it has to be a great practice and a successful example of one country, two systems. "I am confident that the park can be a crucial source of new quality productive forces for the country." Sun recalled his friends from Shanghai did not understand how developing the Northern Metropolis and Hetao zone benefits Hong Kong. "I told them today's Northern Metropolis is like Shanghai's Pudong district in the old days, and that the Hetao zone is similar to Pudong's Oriental Pearl Tower," Sun said. "They immediately understood that Hetao is an essential part of Hong Kong's future development." As for how to facilitate the flow of people, materials, capital and data between the two places, Sun said it depends on the place's arrangement. The current plan is to set up a whitelist system for Hong Kong visitors from Shenzhen, with preregistration to simplify customs clearance. Sun also said the occupancy rate of Science Park is at 95 percent and the government should continue to supply land for innovation purposes. He said the innovation sector in the city has been attracting funds from different places around the world and appealed to the sector to procure products from various markets instead of relying on a single market. Sun said Hong Kong must strive for more funds and understand the interaction between the introduction of funds and industrial development, while the government should also speed up the construction of an IT ecosystem to improve Hong Kong's attractiveness. The government has achieved good results in introducing enterprises to Hong Kong, especially targeting IT enterprises in the past two years. "I hope I will not only participate in the signing ceremony of introducing enterprises but also the groundbreaking ceremony," he said. henry.siu@singtaonewscorp.com
General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi mapping unit returned to the Bay Area in September, about a year after one of its cars hit a pedestrian . That didn’t last long, though, as GM announced today that it “plans to realign its autonomous driving strategy and prioritize development of advanced driver assistance systems on a path to fully autonomous personal vehicles.” If you don’t speak press release, that’s GM’s way of saying it’s done with robotaxis and will instead focus on bringing more advanced versions of its Super Cruise automated driving technology to privately owned vehicles. GM cited the time and resources it would take the scale up Cruise’s robotaxi business as the motivation for the decision, as well as the competition in the market. While this announcement is probably disappointing for many of the employees who dedicated years of their lives to making Cruise robotaxis a reality, the good news for them is that they should still have jobs for now. GM says it plans to acquire the remaining 10 percent of the self-driving tech company that it doesn’t already own and have its internal technology team eventually absorb Cruise. That said, GM also plans to “restructure and refocus Cruise’s operations” after it acquires the remaining shares, a move that it believes will cut annual spending by more than $1 billion starting in mid-2025. With cuts that large incoming, it’s hard to imagine some jobs won’t be lost in the process. Then again, it’s also possible some employees will simply be assigned to different roles within the company. We’ve reached out to GM for more information on how this decision will impact Cruise’s employees and will update when we receive a response. “GM is committed to delivering the best driving experiences to our customers in a disciplined and capital efficient manner,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “Cruise has been an early innovator in autonomy, and the deeper integration of our teams, paired with GM’s strong brands, scale, and manufacturing strength, will help advance our vision for the future of transportation.” GM’s decision to focus on bringing self-driving technology to privately owned vehicles will likely be disappointing for urbanists, environmentalists and pedestrian safety advocates who understand that self-driving cars would ruin cities instead of fixing them , but let’s also not forget another group that will be impacted by this decision — the thrill seekers who enjoy playing a forbidden game of Hide the Hog in the back seat of Cruise’s robotaxis . Without driverless taxis to hook up in, what are they supposed to do? Use the bed in an apartment like the rest of us?Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina KhanMaking a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is promising expedited federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion. But like other Trump plans, the idea is likely to run into regulatory and legislative hurdles, including a landmark law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact before deciding on major projects. Environmental groups called the plan a clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The chief policy advocacy officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council says Trump should be careful what he wishes for. She said, "What if someone wants to build a waste incinerator next to Mar-a-Lago or a coal mine next to Bedminster golf course?” Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Andrew Ferguson to be the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Ferguson is already one of the FTC's five commissioners. He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday evening that Ferguson has “a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country.” The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. Proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons is halted by federal, state judges The proposed $24.6 billion merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons floundered on Tuesday after judges overseeing two separate cases both halted the merger. A federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the proposed merger until an in-house administrative judge at the Federal Trade Commission considers it. Shortly afterward, a judge in Washington state issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in that state, saying it lessens competition. Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 proposed what would be the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. But the Federal Trade Commission and the state of Washington sued earlier this year. Kroger and Albertsons said Tuesday they are disappointed in the decisions and are reviewing their options. Biden says he was 'stupid' not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, like Donald Trump had done in 2020. He noted Tuesday in a speech at the Brookings Institution that Trump likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he defended his economic record and challenged Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Trump’s decision to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Former chairman of state-owned bank China Everbright Group jailed for 12 years for corruption BEIJING (AP) — Chinese official broadcaster CCTV says a former chairman of the state-owned bank China Everbright Group has been jailed 12 years for embezzlement and bribery. Tang Shuangning, who had also held senior posts at the People’s Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission, was arrested in January, part of a wider wave of prosecutions of senior officials accused of financial crimes. A court in the city of Tangshan, about 100 miles east of Beijing, found him guilty of taking advantage of his position at the state-owned bank in “seeking convenience for others” in jobs and loans, in exchange for illegal payments. The court said he had accepted illegal property with a total value of more than $1.5 million. Trustee over Infowars auction asks court to approve The Onion's winning bid A trustee who oversaw the bankruptcy auction of Alex Jones’ Infowars is asking a judge to approve The Onion’s winning bid for the conspiracy-filled platform. Trustee Christopher Murray took the stand Tuesday in the second day of testimony at a hearing where a judge is scrutinizing the satirical news outlet’s winning offer. He told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston that he was there asking a court to approve the sale of Infowars’ parent company to The Onion’s parent company. It is not clear how quickly Lopez will rule. The Onion wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into parodies. GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit. Instead the Detroit automaker will focus on development of partially automated driver-assist systems like its Super Cruise, which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. In a statement Tuesday, GM said it would get out of robotaxis due to what it described as the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market. What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends show NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google has released its annual “Year in Search," rounding up 2024's top trending searches. It shows terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated overall search trends, led by queries for Copa América, the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the U.S. election led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about excessive heat and this year’s Olympic Games followed. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped searches in Google’s people category this year — followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. US defense secretary in Japan to support alliance as Osprey aircraft safety causes concern TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has met with officials in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington's commitment to regional security as threats rise from China and North Korea. Austin’s visit on Tuesday also came amid growing concerns over the safety of Ospreys. The military aircraft have been grounded in the United States following a near crash at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico last month. The incident was caused by weakened metal components. It was similar to a fatal crash off southwestern Japan last year. The U.S. measure prompted the suspension of Ospreys operated by Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force. Small businesses plan events, start marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping season The holiday shopping season is underway, and this year small businesses have less time to capitalize on the busy shopping period. Only 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year. But there are still ways to make the most of a shorter season. One key strategy is for owners to promote deals to customers wherever they can, from social media to physical ads. The National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Online shopping is expected to grow too. Adobe Digital Insights predicts an 8.4% increase online for the full season.