How to protect your communications through encryptionVictoria Police are investigating an incident in the downtown core on Christmas Eve, involving a stolen vehicle that evaded officers before being recovered. Around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, officers received a call from the owners of a stolen vehicle that it had been spotted being driven downtown, Vic PD confirmed in an email to Victoria News. (Video courtesy of Taylor Hixson) Officers located the vehicle and moved into position behind it. However, the driver ran a red light, which caused officers to end their pursuit for public safety reasons. Police located the stolen vehicle again, a few moments later, immobile. In an attempt to prevent the individual from fleeing further, officers executed a manoeuvre which resulted in the stolen vehicle losing one of its tires. Despite the damage, the vehicle managed to flee the scene on three wheels. The pursuit resumed as the stolen vehicle sped down some of Victoria's busiest arteries. Many social media users commented on the event and posted videos of the sighting. “Holy there is a guy driving a three-wheeled 4x4 down Douglas sparks flying with two dozen cops chasing them they almost hit us,” said Facebook user Takuma Valcourt. VicPD confirmed that the stolen vehicle was later recovered, and the investigation remains ongoing.( ) rival in electric vehicles ( ) is Thursday's pick. The China-based EV maker has recovered from a harsh earnings sell-off and its stock broke out of a base Thursday. Zeekr holds the No. 5 spot out of 35 stocks in the auto manufacturers sector, which ranks No. 54 out of the 197 groups covered by Investor Business Daily. Tesla stock holds the top spot. Zeekr began delivering electric vehicles in October 2021. On Dec. 1, Zeekr announced it , or a 106% year-over-year increase. Investors are awaiting word on next week. China Stock Hits Buy Point And New High Shares powered up more than 7% Thursday before easing and breaking out in an erratic base with a 31.50 . The EV stock is in the 5% buy zone up to 33.08. Zeekr stock also hit an all-time high Thursday, topping its previous record reached the session following its initial public offering on May 10. The electric vehicle stock has made a heroic recovery from a 23.7% drop after the company reported . Shares have climbed around 58% from the Nov. 15 low. Its is also on a steep upward incline after mid-November lows. And its has bolstered four weeks ago. Electric Vehicle Maker's Deliveries Pop Its came in at 27,011 for a 106% jump over the prior year. As a result, Zeekr reported a lower-than-expected loss for the third quarter on Nov. 14 but missed sales estimates. Zeekr delivered 55,003 vehicles in the third quarter of 2024, or a 51% year-over-year increase. Gross margin slid to 16.0% from 16.3% a year ago. Its sales growth has slowed to 36% from 63% over the last three quarters. The EV maker continues to post losses, but looks to be improving in 2024 and 2025. Zeekr's of B indicates fairly heavy institutional buying over the last 13 weeks. And of 1.2 shows positive demand for Zeekr stock over the last 50 days.
WiMi Develops a Quantum Technology-Based Random Access Memory ArchitectureAsian shares rise after Wall Street rally ends tough week
NEW YORK (AP) — Jason LaCroix felt privileged to work from home, especially as a father to two young children. He needed flexibility when his son, then 6, suffered a brain injury and spent 35 days in intensive care. LaCroix, a senior systems engineer based in Atlanta, took time off and then worked from home while managing his son’s care and appointments. But LaCroix was laid off last February from that job, where he’d been working remotely for five years. His new role requires him to spend four days a week in a company office and commute for three hours a day. “I want to be around for my kids,” LaCroix, 44, said. “It’s very important for me to be around for my son, because we almost lost him.” Heading into 2025, thousands of workers face an unsettling reality: after years of working from the comfort of home, they must return to the office full-time for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic or look for new work. Employees at Amazon , AT&T and other companies have been called back to the office five days per week. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to fire federal workers who don’t show up to do their jobs in-person. “People always want to have flexibility,” said Mark Ma, a University of Pittsburgh associate professor of business administration. “I have never heard anyone telling me that I thank my job because it’s so rigid in its schedule.” Ma researched what happened when technology and finance companies in the S&P 500 stopped allowing employees to work remotely in recent years. He found the companies experienced high turnover rates after implementing return-to-office mandates, especially among female employees — who often have childcare responsibilities — and senior-level executives. “Over the years, people have adjusted their lives. They’ve figured out, ‘Oh wow, I can pick my kids up for school. Wow. I can caretake for my aging parents while I am still working,'” said Shavon Terrell-Camper, a therapist and mental wellness coach. “Once you have tasted work-from-home ... it’s difficult to see your life going back to something that could’ve been unsustainable from the beginning.” Workers and experts have advice to share about how to navigate the changes when an employer calls you back to the office . Employers can compromise if their goal is to increase how much time staff members spend together. Ma suggests an “employee-choice” approach which gives teams the authority to decide how many days they will work in the office as a group. If that’s not an option, employees also can ask to adjust their hours. LaCroix leaves home at 5 a.m. and works in the office until 2 p.m. to reduce time in traffic and allow him to be home when his kids get off the bus after school. His employer requires eight hours in the workplace but is flexible on which hours. “A lot of people are pushing back, and they are trying to work out scenarios to see what type of flexibility does exist within the mandate,” Terrell-Camper said. Some are coming up with work-arounds that aren’t endorsed by upper management. “Coffee badging” is a technique that involves heading to the office, swiping a company ID, having a coffee and leaving to work from home. Desperate to hold onto valuable employees, supervisors have tried a “hushed hybrid” approach, where they take their subordinates’ ID badges and swipe them “in” and “out” to make it appear they’ve been in the office, Ma said. It’s best to have an honest conversation with a manager about any personal needs and to “ask for forgiveness ahead of time, because your family is the most important thing,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certification Institute. Many companies have employee assistance programs that do more than most people realize, such as directing employees to resources that can help them care for parents or children, she said. Medical conditions can make it especially challenging to work on-site. Kyle Anckney, a public relations strategist based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has cerebral palsy and needs a nurse to help him change a catheter three times a day. His health insurance will only send a nurse to one location, so working in an office isn’t an option. “If that weren’t an issue, I could find my way into the office,” he said. Anckney, who ran his own PR firm for years, was seeking director-level roles, but a recruiter told him he should consider less-senior roles because of his need to work remotely. Instead, he applied to director-level jobs that were advertised as on-site or hybrid, and then reached out to explain his circumstances and ask if the hiring companies were open to him working from home. “While I would never normally, especially in a career setting, lead with, ‘I have cerebral palsy and I’m in a wheelchair,’ I’m finding that I’m almost having to make myself vulnerable in that way just to see if the opportunity is even there for me,” Anckney said. Landing a fully remote job can be competitive. “There are going to be many people that don’t have the luxury just to leave” their current jobs if they’re required to return to the office, “especially in a volatile market such as we’re in right now,” Terrell-Camper said. Attorney Holly Keerikatte was recently working on-site five days a week at a hospital, commuting about three hours a day and looking for a role that allowed more time with her family. She received two job offers. One was fully remote. The other paid 50% more but required a long commute. She recalled reading the phrase, “The only people who remember you worked late are your children.” She chose the remote job. “My primary driver is what’s best for my family,” Keerikatte said. “My advice is to be up-front and transparent about what you want, what you’re looking for and why.” When faced with the inevitability of returning to an office, look for the positives. Friendships can blossom as colleagues take coffee breaks together or sample new lunch spots. In-person conversations can spark ideas that wouldn’t surface at home. Employers can ease the transition by organizing activities that create camaraderie. For example, managers can put together a series of talks about the transition and have groups share what works for them, Dufrane said. Face-to-face contact allows people to better understand what colleagues are thinking and doing, which helps prevent resentment and can provide helpful feedback. Video director Deborah Ann DeSnoo, who owns Plug-In Inc., a video production company in Chofu, Japan, says she has worked in many countries where the film industry was male-dominated and female directors like her were uncommon. She makes a point to connect with colleagues in person, giving her a chance to bond. “You can read the air in a different way, and you find a solution,” DeSnoo said. “When you’re on a Zoom and they ignore you, there’s nothing you can do.”pinstock/E+ via Getty Images PRFZ strategy Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1500 Small-Mid ETF ( NASDAQ: PRFZ ) was launched on 09/20/2006 and tracks the FTSE RAFI US 1500 Small-Mid Index. It has 1451 holdings, a 30-day SEC yield of 1.05% and a net Quantitative Risk & Value (QRV) provides you with risk indicators and data-driven, time-tested strategies. Get started with a two-week free trial now. Fred Piard, PhD. is a quantitative analyst and IT professional with over 30 years of experience working in technology. He is the author of three books and has been investing in data-driven systematic strategies since 2010. Quantitative Risk & Value Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.North Korean nationals indicted in scheme using IT workers to funnel money for weapons programs
In Week 11 when the New York Jets played the Indianapolis Colts, Breece Hall suffered a knee injury. Hall was able to play through the injury while rehabbing over the team’s bye week. This meant he was more than capable of playing in the Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks. This was a very questionable decision from the team’s coaches to allow Hall to even play and further aggravate the knee in games that just simply didn’t even matter. In that game, Hall fumbled twice and just played horribly. He didn’t look at all like the Breece Hall fans came to know, and it was obvious he was playing hurt. Despite his injury, Hall played in a season-low 62% of offensive snaps, which is still a very good amount for someone who is injured. Unfortunately, the Week 13 game against Seattle more than likely marked the end of the former Iowa State star’s season. At this point, there’s no reason to rush Hall back when these games don’t mean anything. It seems unlikely that the Jets star running back will see the field again this season, and some may argue this is what the Jets should do. With that said, this more than allows both Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen to truly show Jets fans what they are capable of and see a fair amount of action on the field. If what we saw in Week 14 against Miami is any indication, all hope may not be lost for the New York Jets in their ground field game. All Hope May Not Be Lost For The New York Jets Following Breece Hall’s Injury Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis were almost identical in their stats, nearly splitting their time on the field 50/50. Allen finished the game with 43 rushing yards on 11 carries. He also caught the ball four times for 38 yards. As for Davis, he ran for 40 yards, on 10 carries, and even got on the board with a touchdown. Similarly to Allen, Davis also proved to be a receiving back, catching the ball three times for 27 yards. In total, Allen was on the field for 37 offensive snaps, while Davis was on for 36 offensive snaps, nearly identical. Since the preseason, Allen has been showing a ton of potential and multiple flashes of excellence. With his playing time now being extended, it’s very possible we could see a heavier workload for Allen in the coming weeks. On the other hand, Davis has shown that he can be a great pass-catcher, especially in recent weeks, despite being mainly used on the Jets’ special teams unit for almost the entirety of the 2024 NFL season. Combined, both Allen and Davis tallied a total of 148 total yards and a touchdown. These are certainly numbers Breece Hall could reach by himself, but it’s worth noting the potential is certainly there for each of these two running backs. As the season winds down, and with the Jets mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, it’s time to see what the Jets should do when it comes to their ground game going forward. These final four weeks could be crucial in figuring that out. Despite the injury, Breece Hall is certainly still the best back on the team, and that’s not something that can be argued. However, if the race is between Allen and Davis, it should be interesting to see what each back could do with some good time on the field. It would be smart to use these final few weeks to evaluate how to make the team what it has to be in 2025 and beyond, and truthfully, that could start with the running game. Losing Hall is a tough pill for any Jets fan to swallow. Hall is the team’s best play-maker, and certainly the Jets best running back. However, the smart thing to do is to let Hall sit for the remainder of 2024 and not further injure anything. With all of that said, all hope may not be lost when it comes to the Jets’ ground game. Davis and Allen both contain a lot of potential, and either one could be a decent RB2 if given the chance. So, now one question remains, in 2025, who will it be? This article first appeared on JetNation.com and was syndicated with permission.Preview: Antalyaspor vs. Kayserispor - prediction, team news, lineupsNEW YORK (AP) — A Brooklyn real estate magnate accused of working with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal campaign contributions to New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge tied to the scheme, federal prosecutors said Monday. Erden Arkan, the owner of a real estate construction firm, was one of several individuals implicated in the sprawling corruption indictment brought against Adams in October. He would be the first to plead guilty in a public proceeding. In court papers, prosecutors said Arkan planned to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by collecting campaign contributions for Adams that were made under the name of someone other than the true contributor. Adams then used those funds to fraudulently obtain public funding under the city’s matching funds program, which provides a generous match for small-dollar donations, prosecutors allege. A lawyer for Arkan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney for Adams, Alex Spiro, said in an emailed statement that the decision would have "no bearing on the Mayor’s case whatsoever.” “We know from the government’s own interviews that Mr. Arkan repeatedly said that Mayor Adams had no knowledge of his actions," Spiro said. A well-known member of New York’s Turkish community, Arkan is a co-owner of KSK, a Brooklyn-based construction firm specializing in luxury condominiums. His firm’s ties to Adams emerged in November 2023, as investigators searched his residence, along with the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser and his liaison to the Turkish community. Adams was subsequently charged with accepting bribes in the form of luxury travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals hoping to buy his influence for their benefit. He has pleaded not guilty and vowed to remain in office as he fights the charges. The indictment details an April 2021 dinner organized by the Turkish official in which Adams personally solicited illegal campaign contributions from Arkan — identified in court papers only as “Businessman-5.” The following month, Arkan hosted a fundraiser at KSK’s headquarters for Adams in which 11 of his employees donated between $1,200 and $1,500 to the campaign. Each was reimbursed by the construction firm, prosecutors allege, making the contributions illegal straw donations. Arkan later confirmed to the FBI that he had spoken to the Turkish official about the fundraiser. He initially denied reimbursing his employees, prosecutors said. As he sought to recruit others to raise money for Adams, Arkan appeared to acknowledge misgivings about the fundraising scheme, telling prospective donors in New York's Turkish community that it “may feel like swimming against the current but unfortunately this is how things work in this country,” according to the indictment. As Adams gears up for an April trial, he has pledged to fight the case “with every ounce of my strength and my spirit." But his administration has faced overlapping scandals and investigations, leading to the resignations of his police commissioner , schools chancellor , multiple deputy mayors and his director of Asian affairs . His former buildings commissioner was also charged in a separate bribery conspiracy case involving real estate officials last year. Last week, Adams' former top advisor and close confidante, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was charged by state prosecutors for allegedly accepting bribes from two real estate developers seeking to speed the process of construction approvals. She has pleaded not guilty. Jake Offenhartz And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press
(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, blasted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou for her agency approving illegal border crossers as sponsors for illegal border crossers. At a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing , Biggs also pointed out that the sponsors were found to be committing Social Security and other fraud under her watch. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.Expanded CFP field draws more bets and on more teamsBy KELVIN CHAN LONDON (AP) — After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is a garble that can’t be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won’t be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here’s a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you’re an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there’s a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption on all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent, or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal’s encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp , so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger , which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels” but contrary to popular perception, it doesn’t turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France . Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Huawei is set to host a highly anticipated launch event in Dubai this December, where the company will unveil several innovative products that promise to redefine the tech landscape. The event marks a pivotal moment for the brand, unveiling groundbreaking products like the Huawei Mate X6, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4, and Huawei nova 13 Series. The new products will set new benchmarks for design, functionality, and user experience in the mobile and audio markets. As Huawei continues to solidify its position as a leader in the tech industry, this launch will underscore the company’s expanding influence in international markets.A New Era for Foldable Phones Huawei’s latest flagship foldable, the Huawei Mate X6, will be unveiled during the Dubai launch. The phone is expected to redefine the future of foldable smartphone technology. It is among the company’s most advanced foldables to date. The Mate X6 is expected to take mobile photography to new heights, building on Huawei’s legacy of pioneering smartphone cameras of the Mate Series. Besides the Mate X6, Huawei will unveil its next-generation audio products, including the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4. These earbuds will be the first to feature Huawei SOUND, offering an immersive audio experience. They will also include AI-driven noise reduction technology, designed to isolate the wearer’s voice during calls while eliminating environmental noise—a feature that significantly enhances call quality, particularly in noisy environments. Consumers can also look forward to the launch of the Huawei nova 13 series, a new midrange smartphone that brings a unique interweaving design and an array of exciting features. The nova 13 series offers significant upgrades over its predecessors, including enhanced camera capabilities, a performance boost, and more. Additionally, the new Huawei MatePad 11.5 will deliver a paper-like experience, perfect for light office productivity, efficient learning, and everyday tasks. A Strategic Milestone The Dubai event, scheduled for the 12th of December, will mark the global unveiling of Huawei’s several innovative products. The MEA market is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions for technology, and Huawei is committed to strengthening its regional presence. By continuing to introduce groundbreaking products, Huawei is positioning itself to shape the future of mobile technology while reinforcing its role as a global tech powerhouse. Copy 12/12/2024 10Killer Whale that Carried Dead Calf for 1,000 Miles Gives Birth Again to Live Calf