NHL Live Tracker: Maple Leafs vs. CapitalsVANCOUVER — The Better Business Bureau in British Columbia is warning Taylor Swift fans of scams ahead of the superstar's Vancouver concerts, highlighting one case in which a social media profile was allegedly hacked and used to sell fake tickets. It says $2,000 was stolen from fans hoping to attend the shows, which will be at BC Place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The warning comes after police in Toronto last month arrested a woman for allegedly selling about $70,000 worth of fake Swift tickets ahead of the concerts there. The Better Business Bureau said in a news release on Monday that the case in B.C. was reported on its Scam Tracker database. It said the complainant, who wasn't identified, reported that scammers took over her social media profile and used its messaging function to trick people into buying "non-existent concert tickets." The bureau said people needed to be vigilant when buying tickets online, especially for major events such as Swift's concerts that could be "a hot spot" for scammers. It advised fans to buy tickets from trusted vendors or reputable brokers while also double-checking with sellers about the tickets' authenticity even if they are a friend or an acquaintance. Using credit cards for the purchase may also grant consumers some protection, the bureau said. "If someone claims to be selling tickets to a sold-out concert just before the date or at an amazing price, think twice," it said. "Scammers love to prey on fans of any artist or sporting event by claiming to have impossible-to-get-tickets for them." Swift's three sold-out shows at Vancouver's B.C. Place end her record-breaking Eras Tour. As the city prepared for thousands of fans to descend, transit operator TransLink said Monday it would provide extra bus, SkyTrain, and SeaBus services on all three concert nights. It said the West Coast Express commuter train would also run on Saturday, leaving Mission, B.C. at 4 p.m. to head into the city and then returning from Vancouver's Waterfront Station at midnight. The statement said fans could expect a singalong on the SeaBus and live performances at Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station near B.C. Place, with extra staff working to help manage crowds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. The Canadian Press
Middle East latest: Lebanon closes all its land border crossings with Syria except one
CU Buffs AD Rick George: ‘I believe (Coach Prime) wants to be here for the long haul’Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas treeTrump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the Pentagon
A DoorDash delivery driver took to social media to share how much she earned in a day, and people had a lot to say about tipping. Coralie James on the Facebook group detailing how much she makes as a food delivery driver. In the post, James asked group members to roast people who think Skip, Uber Eats, and DoorDash drivers “make sooo much money.” James explains that drivers are in charge of their own gas and that there’s no minimum wage or vehicle maintenance compensation. She added that DoorDash only pays drivers $2 to $4, leaving drivers to rely on tips. “Because let’s face it, the drivers are out there doing the driving for you so you can stay home and be comfortable,” she stated. James then urged people to tip their drivers like they’d tip their dog groomers, nail technicians, and hairstylists. The post includes screenshots of James’ earnings, which amounted to $183.28 after working for almost 10 hours, of which she was active for over six hours. Commenters were divided on the issue. However, others had a different take and had no issues with tipping their delivery drivers. “People that don’t tip shouldn’t use their service,” one person wrote. “Maybe this is the only job they have, and they can’t find another one.” “Thank you for allowing us to remain comfortable and warm in our homes while having lunch or supper delivered. Sincerely, a tipping customer,” wrote another. One person criticized other commenters, stating, “Check your damn entitlement, or don’t use service-based industries as your personal catering company.” Where do you stand on this issue? Whether you’re a food delivery driver or a customer, please share your thoughts in the comments or email us at .Key details about the man accused of killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO
Albany teachers and district officials have yet to land a deal on a new contract, as the strike enters its third week. However, there was movement over the key issue of managing class size over the weekend. Last week we introduced Dusty Bryant, who police evicted from Albany's designated resting site for homeless individuals. This week, we check in to see what's happening with Dusty. In mediation updates released Sunday night, Nov. 24, by Greater Albany Public Schools, the district’s communications director Becca Mallery said the district had offered teachers a class size fund of $500,000 per year. That's up from their $300,000 offer. That fund could be tapped to staff up classrooms like by adding an educational assistant or hiring another teacher, which the district estimates would cost GAPS around $100,000. The union had previously asked for a $1.5 million fund, though late last week lowered their ask to $500,000 for the first year of any approved contract, while demanding a $1.5 million fund for the second and third years of an agreement. The GAPS bargaining team has also offered lower class size thresholds for its pre-k through eighth grade classes for core subjects like English, math and social studies. The district offered lower thresholds for Title 1 or higher poverty schools in the district. Striking teachers at West Albany High School and Memorial Middle School formed picket lines along Queen Avenue, on Nov. 12. The strike has entered its third week. Those thresholds, when surpassed, would prompt a review process from a school building committee, which would make recommendation on how to address a classroom’s size, with options like hiring additional staff and blending classrooms on the table. Those recommendations would be presented to the district’s Human Resources director, other district officials and the union’s president, who will all ultimately decide how funds are spent. Appeals to their decisions would go before the superintendent and then the school board, which would have the final say. The union has previously requested hard class size caps and has tied the issue of high-class sizes to classroom safety and challenges managing student behavior. In their own statement, the Greater Albany Education Association said “small progress” was made over the weekend, but that the process offered by the district to address class size concerns "restricts teacher voice and choice." No mediation was scheduled for Monday, Nov. 25. While the district’s nearly 9,000 students were scheduled to be off this week for parent-teacher conferences and the Thanksgiving break, conferences were canceled because of the strike. GAPS students will have been out of school for a total of three weeks since Nov. 11, missing nine school days. Albany teachers started their first strike in decades on Nov. 12 , after Veterans Day. Since then, organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of Albany have seen an uptick in demand for their services. According to an update from Albany City Manager Peter Troedsson last Friday, the school closure has also driven demand for Albany Public Library services, with staff creating 93 new accounts since the strike began — 30 of which are youth accounts — and experiencing a doubling in youth program participants. With no deal over the weekend, teachers were back at their picket lines, Monday, Nov. 25. Striking teachers also scheduled community forums Monday evening at the Linn-Benton Community College Calapooia Center at the Albany campus. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Team Velocity® Announces Latest Breakthrough Technology with Automated Deal Alerts and Customer Scoring
By TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.H&M Move has launched a new training collection with Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimović. According to H&M, the collaboration blends "Zlatan's unparalleled expertise in sports with H&M Move's commitment to innovation and style". The collection launched December 3, following multiple design sessions between the pairing. Of the process, Ibrahimović shared: "Collaborating with the H&M Move team has been an amazing journey where I could bring my expertise as a professional athlete to the design table." The footballer said: "Together, we have created a training collection that not only performs at the highest level but also looks and feels great. I am proud to share this with my fans and H&M Move’s customers who are as passionate about training as I am." READ MORE: New Look's 'chic' £29.99 bag is 'exactly' what shoppers have been looking for this season READ MORE: Amazon shoppers rave about 'brilliant' car dehumidifier that saves 'time and fuel' on cold mornings Key pieces in the collection include "versatile shorts in multiple lengths for various training needs" such as the d ouble-layered sports shorts in DryMoveTM for £32.99 available in sizes S to XXL. The brand also provides "a selection of performance-driven T-shirts and engineered mesh tanks with strategically placed perforation for enhanced ventilation". For example, the r egular fit sports top in DryMoveTM for £12.99 which is available in four colours with sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. The loose fit sports hoodie in DryMoveTM for £37.99 provides a functional fabric designed to keep moisture away from the skin, while essential training accessories such as water bottles , sports towels and socks ensure you have everything you need for a successful session. There are options for both adults and kids, with prices falling under £40 - allowing you to stock up on multiple pieces or pick some up as Christmas gifts. You can browse the Selected by Zlatan edit here. Elsewhere, Gymshark is still running its Black Friday sale, with an extra 20% off everything using code EXTRA25. This deal only lasts until midnight on December 6, so you will have to be fast.
Nazmie was shivering after assault, court toldTrump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the PentagonAnalysis: After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon
Analysis: After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon
Kyren Wilson reveals he was left ‘feeling like his head would explode’ during UK Snooker Championship winSyria govt loses control of key city Daraa