A majority of social media influencers don’t verify information before sharing it with their audiences, a study published Tuesday by the UN’s scientific and cultural arm found, underscoring concerns that some of the biggest online figures can uncritically spread misleading claims. According to the UNESCO study , 62 per cent of surveyed creators said they don’t vet the accuracy of content before sharing it with their followers. Roughly one-third of influencers said they shared information without checking its validity if it originated from a source that they trusted, while 37 per cent said they verified information with a fact-checking site before circulation. The study, which surveyed 500 digital content creators across 45 countries and territories in August and September 2024, included creators with more than 1,000 followers. While only 12 per cent of the surveyed influencers said they produced content about “current affairs/politics and the economy,” UNESCO warned that “the low prevalence of fact-checking highlights their vulnerability to misinformation, which can have far-reaching consequences for public discourse and trust in media.” Rather than verifying information, more than four in 10 influencers said they evaluated a source’s credibility by “popularity” — the number of likes and views it had received — while one in five said trusted friends and experts were the most common factor in determining an online source’s credibility. Only 17 per cent said documentation and evidence was their top factor in gauging credibility. “The prevalent lack of rigorous critical evaluation of information highlights an urgent need to enhance creators’ media and information literacy skills, including identifying and using reliable fact-checking resources,” UNESCO said. The study comes in the wake of the 2024 US presidential election, in which social media influencers played a key role as an information source for voters. During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris harnessed social media influencers and podcasters with millions of followers, including Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper, to appeal directly to voters. A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that almost 40 per cent of young Americans aged 18 to 29 “regularly” get their news from influencers, most of whom have never been employed by a news organization. And a separate survey from Pew found that more than half of American adults “at least sometimes” get their news from social media. “But unlike journalists who are often equipped with skills and tools to assess sources’ credibility and verify facts, digital content creators often lack formal training in these areas, which can lead to challenges in ensuring the accuracy of their content,” UNESCO said. Online influencers generally do not rely on official sources of information, such as government-issued reports and documents, the UNESCO study found. Roughly six in 10 influencers deferred to their own personal experiences as a source of information, while nearly 40 per cent used their own research and interviews with knowledgeable sources. Mainstream news and online sources tied for third, accounting for 37 per cent each. To this point, 69 per cent of the surveyed influencers believed they were promoting “critical thinking and digital literacy” despite not engaging in thorough fact-checking or source evaluation. “Everything I post is based entirely on material drawn from my own life experiences,” Zhang Zhaoyuan, a China-based influencer, told UNESCO in an interview. Still, others were more scrupulous in their presentation of information. Kassy Cho, a UK journalist with more than 30,000 followers on Instagram, told UNESCO she often looks to mainstream media “just to understand like what is going on around the world” as a jumping-off point. Influencer promoted mis- and disinformation has posed a thorny challenge for governments. Earlier this year, false claims that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing their neighbors’ pets and eating them exploded on social media, amplified by right-wing influencers and the Trump campaign. While city officials attempted to fact-check the baseless claims, they were outmatched by viral claims that led to bomb threats, school closures, and a community largely under siege. In September, a Justice Department indictment alleged that a suite of major conservative influencers — including Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and Dave Rubin — assembled by Tenet Media unwittingly took in millions of dollars from Russia to promote divisive narratives that achieved the Kremlin’s goals. While the influencers were not accused of wrongdoing by the Justice Department, the indictment highlighted how opaque the sector is. Social media platforms have also largely removed guardrails preventing the spread of misinformation. Elon Musk’s X, for instance, relies on “Community Notes” to address misleading or altogether false information, and seldom removes content. The platform’s efforts are often undermined by Musk himself, who has gutted the platform’s moderation team since acquiring the company in 2022 and often uses his personal account to promote misinformation. Similarly, while YouTube prohibits the monetization of videos that include demonstrably false claims that risk undermining trust in electoral and democratic processes, the Google-owned company has still profited from content that champions election misinformation. And while Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, imposes penalties on users who share fact-checked content, the platform does not remove the posts. Unlike their counterparts in the mainstream media, online influencers are not obligated to divulge the source of their funding or whether their content was sponsored. The UNESCO study confirmed that influencers are not always upfront about funding. While 53 per cent of respondents said they had created sponsored content or endorsed brands and products, 7 per cent said they didn’t disclose their sponsorships, instead presenting content “as if it were unsponsored.”Amphenol, IBD Stock Of The Day, Showing Accelerating Growth
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These former teammates are going toe-to-toe. Or, in this case, shin-pad to shin-pad. And while workhorse Rasmus Andersson is right now leading the NHL in blocked shots, he doesn’t expect his old buddy to be spending very long in his rearview mirror. Chris Tanev has, after all, made a career out of collecting contusions by sacrificing his body in front of 90 m.p.h. slappers. “Yeah, I probably won’t be beating him,” Andersson said. “That’s kind of his specialty, and he is really good at it. “I take a lot of pride in it, too, but dethroning Chris on it will be pretty tough.” Maybe so. But it’s worth noting that Tanev, who signed this summer with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, is currently sitting second out of 715 players on the league shot-blocking charts. During Monday’s , the 28-year-old Andersson dead-ended four more shots before they could reach rookie netminder Dustin Wolf. The Flames’ top-pairing defenceman has now racked up 72 blocks this fall. Tanev, meanwhile, has been credited with 68. Heading into Tuesday’s action around the loop, New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba was third on this mettle podium — see what we did there? — at 61. “I always say it’s a non-negotiable, and I have been lucky enough that it’s hit me quite a few times this year,” Andersson told Postmedia before the Flames departed on their current road trip. “You just try to be in the right spot, and we do block quite a bit of shots around here, especially when you’re on the penalty kill. A lot of teams are trying to shoot from up top against us, and I try to just front it and it’s been hitting me quite a bit. And then it’s a lot of one-on-ones. When you play shooters, you have your stick in the lane and you get those too. “You just try to be in the right spot and do the right thing. It can be uncomfortable at times, but it feels good too when you eat one from a good player.” Tanev, whose selfless style made him a fan favourite during his own stint at the Saddledome, isn’t the least bit surprised to see that Andersson is repelling all that rubber. As the 34-year-old told Postmedia in Toronto: “Especially in the system that they play, where the D are by the net a lot, you have to front a lot of pucks. He’s really good at that.” In their four winters together in Calgary, Tanev watched Andersson consistently boost his block totals — from 68 in the pandemic-shortened campaign to 125 and 136 and then to 186 in 2023-24. He’s currently on pace for 260-some this season. “That wasn’t Ras initially, when we first started together (in Stockton),” said Flames bench boss Ryan Huska. “But that goes a little bit to the people you’re around, as well. So when you watch how important a player like Chris Tanev is in regards to doing whatever he has to do to help the team win, it rubs off on people that are around you. “Ras is a very astute player. He thinks it well. He watches other people. He recognizes what needs to be done to win, and then he’ll take it on. I think that’s part of him maturing and growing as a player and putting himself in a position to be one of the best now.” Andersson is definitely in the MVP mix for the Flames through the first quarter of this season, one of the biggest reasons this surprise squad is second in the Pacific Division standings at 12-7-3. Heading into Wednesday’s date with the Red Wings in Detroit (5:30 p.m. MT, Sportsnet 360/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), he continues to lead the team in points, with 13. While the Flames need more production from some of their big-ticket forwards, nobody is grousing about the offensive oomph they’re getting from the righty rearguard in No. 4. Andersson has also potted a pair of shootout goals, including Saturday’s winner . And his nightly workload has never been higher. He’s one of only a half-dozen NHLers who is currently averaging 25-plus minutes per contest. He logged a season-high 28:05 in Ottawa, including 7:33 on the penalty kill. Although he’d probably love a couple of weeks in February where he wasn’t getting pelted with pucks, he seems like a shoo-in to be selected to represent Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off. “Ras is a really good player, all-around,” Tanev said. “He is playing really well for them. (Blocks) are just part of it.”
UnitedHealth projects 2025 operating cash flow below estimates( MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN - The Embassy of Kingdom of Netherlands has invited Ahmed Oweir during an event for its PROSPECTS programme in June to share his story with the partners and media on benefiting from the programme to the refugees community in Jordan. Syrian refugee Ahmed Oweir, 26, is one of the beneficiaries of the "Mashreq" Entrepreneurship Programme, implemented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other implementers of PROSPECTS programme, which was concluded in June 2024, and resumed phase two for more four years. Oweir is the CEO of a platform which is serving many young people in the fields of education, commerce, working opportunities. The platform was established in 2017 as a courses providing platform for educational purposes. Then the platform was developed to provide two services: training and livelihood courses and selling second-hand clothes and furniture. Unable to continue his school after 8th grade due to the financial difficulties of his six-member family, Oweir said he decided to establish an educational platform. "I had to work with my father for around 12-13 hours a day to help in providing for the family." The platform then was developed to include more services such as advertising installing tiles, scraping and marble. The "Scrap" platform is founded for engaging sellers and buyers with taking into consideration "SDG no. 3" on environment. At the beginning of his journey, he said he learned technology by a borrowed laptop and faced difficulties in finding courses which are not misleading due to his lack of knowledge Engaging in the acceleration courses through "Mashreq Incubator," he said was able to access a network of lawyers and entrepreneurs. "Scrap" online platform is now on the level of competing with other famous platforms such as "Open Souq", "OLX" and "Market Place". The "Scrap" platform has seven employees, and recorded 50 per cent products, 20 per cent subscriptions, he said. Now, "Oweir is the co-lead for the StartMashreq programme, an IFC advisory programme launched in 2023. The programme offers mentorship, coaching, and support to entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities," IFC said in its website. MENAFN16122024000028011005ID1109000139 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.Jurors are considering whether to convict Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, who raps as Yak Gotti, on gang, murder, drug and gun charges. The original indictment charged 28 people with conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Opening statements in the trial for six of those defendants happened a year ago . Four of them, including Young Thug, pleaded guilty last month. The rapper was freed on probation. Stillwell and Kendrick rejected plea deals after more than a week of negotiations, and their lawyers chose not to present evidence or witnesses. Both seemed to be in good spirits Tuesday morning after closings wrapped the previous night. Kendrick was chatting and laughing with Stillwell and his lawyers before the jury arrived for instructions. Kendrick and Stillwell were charged in the 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas Jr., also known as “Big Nut,” in an Atlanta barbershop. Prosecutors painted Stillwell and Kendrick as members of a violent street called Young Slime Life, or YSL, co-founded in 2012 by Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. During closings on Monday, they pointed to tattoos, song lyrics and social media posts they said proved members, including Stillwell, admitted to killing people in rival gangs. Prosecutors say Thomas was in a rival gang. Stillwell was also charged in the 2022 killing of Shymel Drinks, which prosecutors said was in retaliation for the killing of two YSL associates days earlier. Defense attorneys Doug Weinstein and Max Schardt said the state presented unreliable witnesses, weak evidence and cherry-picked lyrics and social media posts to push a false narrative about Stillwell, Kendrick and the members of YSL. Schardt, Stillwell's attorney, reminded the jury that alleged YSL affiliates said during the trial that they had lied to police. Law enforcement played a “sick game” by promising they would escape long prison sentences if they said what police wanted them to say, Schardt said. He theorized that one of those witnesses could have killed Thomas. The truth is that their clients were just trying to escape poverty through music, Schardt said. “As a whole, we know the struggles that these communities have had,” Schardt said. “A sad, tacit acceptance that it’s either rap, prison or death.” Young Thug’s record label is also known as YSL, an acronym of Young Stoner Life. Kendrick was featured on two popular songs from the label’s compilation album Slime Language 2, “Take It to Trial" and “Slatty," which prosecutors presented as evidence in the trial. Weinstein, Kendrick’s defense attorney, said during closings it was wrong for prosecutors to target the defendants for their music and lyrics. Prosecutor Simone Hylton disagreed, and said surveillance footage and phone evidence supported her case. “They have the audacity to think they can just brag about killing somebody and nobody’s gonna hold them accountable,” Hylton said. The trial had more than its fair share of delays. Jury selection took nearly 10 months , and Stillwell was stabbed last year at the Fulton County jail, which paused trial proceedings. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker took over after Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case in July because he had a meeting with prosecutors and a state witness without defense attorneys present. Whitaker often lost patience with prosecutors over moves such as not sharing evidence with defense attorneys, once accusing them of “poor lawyering.” But the trial sped up under her watch. In October, four defendants, including Young Thug , pleaded guilty, with the rapper entering a non-negotiated or “blind” plea, meaning he didn't have a deal worked out with prosecutors. Nine people charged in the indictment, including rapper Gunna , accepted plea deals before the trial began. Charges against 12 others are pending. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case. Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon
Shopify Inc. Cl A stock rises Wednesday, outperforms marketNewcastle United suffered a disappointing home defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League , ending their three-match winning run in all competitions. Goals from Tomas Soucek — the first Newcastle had conceded from a corner in the league this season — and the right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka secured a 2-0 win for West Ham, whose manager Julen Lopetegui has been under pressure in recent weeks. Advertisement It was only the third time that Newcastle have lost in the league at St James’ Park in 2024, and counts as a big missed opportunity for Eddie Howe’s side, who sit 10th in the table after 12 games. Chris Waugh analyses the key talking points from the defeat at St James’ Park... Newcastle could have gone two points off Man City The international break definitely did come at the wrong time for Newcastle. Three successive wins in all competitions heading into the two-week hiatus and that momentum has been well and truly checked. Optimism and expectation are dangerous in these parts. There was so much belief among the home faithful heading into this game and, given the respective recent fortunes of both sides, that was understandable. But Newcastle’s season so far has been a case of false starts, stuttering form and inconsistency. Howe keeps mentioning the word “consistency”, admitting that, while it is “boring”, it is what Newcastle desperately require. Newcastle have scored just 13 goals in 12 Premier League matches and only five players have found the back of the net this season, the second-lowest in the top flight. They are not the free-flowing side in attack of the past two seasons, or at least they have only been so on frustratingly few occasions in 2024-25. This defeat was costly, not only affecting their confidence levels, but also representing a missed opportunity. A win would have sent Newcastle sixth, only a point behind the Champions League positions and two shy of second-placed Manchester City. Instead, Newcastle are ninth, only three points above West Ham, who are 14th. The table is ridiculously congested, but even so, until Newcastle start stringing a run of wins together, they will not be able to realise their European-qualification ambitions. Burn was sorely missed in the Newcastle defence Heading into this match, Newcastle had the second-meanest defence in the Premier League. After conceding just four goals in their last seven matches across all competitions and registering four clean sheets during that time, Howe’s side were showing signs of rediscovering the excellent defensive form they displayed throughout the 2022-23 campaign, when they qualified for the Champions League. Advertisement While West Ham were restricted to a first-half expected goals (xG) return of just 0.21 and managed only two shots on target, Newcastle did show uncharacteristic sloppiness when defending a set piece to gift the visitors a 10th-minute lead. Lloyd Kelly , deputising at left-sided centre-half with Dan Burn serving a one-match suspension after picking up five bookings, was marking Soucek. But a couple of feints and some decent movement from Soucek bamboozled Kelly, who lost his man, allowing the Czech Republic international to direct a free header into the right-hand corner of the net from an Emerson Palmieri corner. It was the first time Newcastle had conceded from a corner this season, at the 70th attempt, highlighting Burn’s importance in such situations. He was a fixture of the team who qualified for the Champions League two seasons ago, albeit primarily from left-back, and his height and experience are influential. There was so much optimism and expectation on Tyneside heading into this game and yet one lapse of concentration burst that positive momentum inside 10 minutes. Wilson’s return a rare positive For the first time this season, Callum Wilson was named in a matchday squad. And, for the first time since the final day of 2023-24 at Brentford, he made an appearance, too. Wilson missed the first 14 matches in all competitions due to back and hamstring injuries, while he had featured in just six of a possible 37 across all competitions in 2024. Across six appearances this calendar year, he had played for only 262 minutes due to a succession of fitness issues. Having the 32-year-old back among the substitutes was a huge boost for Newcastle. Yet, by the time he was introduced in the 68th minute, the home side were already 2-0 down and lacking direction. Wilson replaced Anthony Gordon and joined Alexander Isak up front, as Howe switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with Harvey Barnes on the left wing and Jacob Murphy on the right. Advertisement It did not have the desired effect. The gaps between the defence, midfield and front two were too large, and Newcastle were disjointed in their build-up play, at times even directionless. Wilson was rarely given a clear-cut chance, even if he did appeal for a penalty when Konstantinos Mavropanos appeared to put his arms around the striker in the box. Wilson being fit again is a positive for Newcastle, even if it was not on the night. What did Eddie Howe say? We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference. What next for Newcastle? Saturday, November 30: Crystal Palace (A), Premier League, 3pm UK, 10am ET Recommended reading (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
( MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN - The Embassy of Kingdom of Netherlands has invited Ahmed Oweir during an event for its PROSPECTS programme in June to share his story with the partners and media on benefiting from the programme to the refugees community in Jordan. Syrian refugee Ahmed Oweir, 26, is one of the beneficiaries of the "Mashreq" Entrepreneurship Programme, implemented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other implementers of PROSPECTS programme, which was concluded in June 2024, and resumed phase two for more four years. Oweir is the CEO of a platform which is serving many young people in the fields of education, commerce, working opportunities. The platform was established in 2017 as a courses providing platform for educational purposes. Then the platform was developed to provide two services: training and livelihood courses and selling second-hand clothes and furniture. Unable to continue his school after 8th grade due to the financial difficulties of his six-member family, Oweir said he decided to establish an educational platform. "I had to work with my father for around 12-13 hours a day to help in providing for the family." The platform then was developed to include more services such as advertising installing tiles, scraping and marble. The "Scrap" platform is founded for engaging sellers and buyers with taking into consideration "SDG no. 3" on environment. At the beginning of his journey, he said he learned technology by a borrowed laptop and faced difficulties in finding courses which are not misleading due to his lack of knowledge Engaging in the acceleration courses through "Mashreq Incubator," he said was able to access a network of lawyers and entrepreneurs. "Scrap" online platform is now on the level of competing with other famous platforms such as "Open Souq", "OLX" and "Market Place". The "Scrap" platform has seven employees, and recorded 50 per cent products, 20 per cent subscriptions, he said. Now, "Oweir is the co-lead for the StartMashreq programme, an IFC advisory programme launched in 2023. The programme offers mentorship, coaching, and support to entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities," IFC said in its website. MENAFN16122024000028011005ID1109000139 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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DETROIT (AP) — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don't buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts aren't fastened. The agency estimates that the new rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect, according to a statement. The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks, buses except for school buses, and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Before the rule, seat belt warnings were required only for the driver's seat. Under the new rule, outboard front-seat passengers also must get a warning if they don't fasten their belts. Front-center seats will not get a warning because NHTSA found that it wouldn't be cost effective. The agency said most vehicles already have warnings for the outboard passenger seats. The rule also lengthens the duration of audio and visual warnings for the driver's seat. The front-seat rules are effective starting Sept. 1 of 2026. Rear passengers consistently use seat belts at a lower rate than front passengers, the agency says. In 2022, front belt use was just under 92%, while rear use dropped to about 82%. About half of automobile passengers who died in crashes two years ago weren’t wearing belts, according to NHTSA data. The seat belt rule is the second significant regulation to come from NHTSA in the past two months. In November the agency bolstered its five-star auto safety ratings to include driver assistance technologies and pedestrian protection. Safety advocates want the Department of Transportation, which includes NHTSA, to finish several more rules before the end of the Biden administration, because President-elect Donald Trump has said he’s against new government regulations. Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, urged the department to approve automatic emergency braking for heavy trucks and technology to prevent impaired driving.