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New York government to monitor its use of AI under a new lawVANCOUVER - Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. “Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them,” Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. “We don’t see these types of reports going away,” Pare said. “We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There’s going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online.” Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said “the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn’t slowed down.” “The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what’s going on,” she said. THE RISE OF ‘SEXTORTION’ Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It’s been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term “sextortion” has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. “The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward,” she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. “Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence,” she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It’s not going undetected any longer, she said. “Additionally, there’s been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms.” Pare said “it’s up to each individual platform” to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. “With mandatory reporting, it’s putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported,” she said. “That being said, there are times when things don’t get located.” That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. “It’s shocking that up until now, we’ve relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we’ve just relied on them to do the right thing,” she said. “What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different.” ‘CANADA IS REALLY BEHIND’ The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split “makes sense,” noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. “There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online,” she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. “Canada is really behind,” she said. “The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon.” In the absence of national legislation, province’s have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don’t comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.‘s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it’s not enough. “A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries,” she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. “We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024.tnt sports 。

Editorial written by Bloomberg Opinion Editorial Board. News that President-elect Donald Trump’s team wants to hack away at the forbidding tangle of U.S. bank regulation is welcome in the abstract. In practice, though, much will depend on the details. The goal should be simplifying financial oversight more broadly — not just defanging a tough watchdog. No doubt, the current system is unwieldy. At the federal level — excluding an array of separate state regulators — three entities oversee banks, two supervise markets, one aims to protect consumers and another defends against financial crimes. Many large institutions must submit to all of them. Senior managers of an average bank today spend some 42% of their time on compliance-related tasks. Worse, such fragmentation at times allows risks to fall through the cracks. Much of this system was designed decades ago for a simpler world. One glaring example is the separation of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. One was established 90 years ago to protect investors in securities such as stocks and bonds; the other was created 50 years ago to oversee commodities markets and related futures and options contracts. Today, when many financial companies trade in both markets, the two supervisors often overlap and don’t always properly communicate. In 2011, after the chaotic bankruptcy of derivatives broker MF Global Holdings Ltd., a congressional postmortem detailed how the commissions failed to coordinate their approach to the company’s deteriorating finances and disagreed about where to safeguard its customers’ money. Such bifurcation is anomalous by global standards, and policymakers have been talking about combining the two for decades. In a familiar tale, however, politics has taken precedence over common sense: The House Committee on Agriculture has been loath to cede its oversight of the CFTC, which attracts hefty campaign donations from financial companies. (The SEC is under the House Financial Services Committee.) If Trump wants a relatively clear-cut reform, this would be a good place to start. Merging the two commissions would help streamline the rules, reduce compliance costs and ease cooperation with regulators overseas. It would be an ambitious change but not a radical one: Both a former CFTC commissioner and a current SEC commissioner have endorsed the idea. Reforming banking oversight would be less straightforward. It’s true that the U.S. has too many regulators — including the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — in addition to state banking authorities. But this morass defies easy fixes; simply folding the FDIC into the Treasury Department, as the Trump team is considering, will likely create more problems than it solves. A better approach would be to create a single prudential authority charged with protecting the financial system. The new body could be overseen by a board that includes representatives from the Fed, the Treasury and the FDIC, while doing away with the OCC entirely. Ideally it would also oversee nonbank companies, such as asset managers, that play a significant role in the system.IOWA CITY — The Iowa football team picked up the commitment of Central Michigan transfer Jonah Pace on Monday. Pace The 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive lineman announced the decision on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a post captioned: Stay the path. A Marengo, Illinois native, Pace appeared in 37 games over the course of four seasons with the Chippewas. He racked up 54 total tackles, including 30 solo stops, 12 tackles for loss, including five sacks, one forced fumble, one blocked kick and two passes defended. Nebraska reportedly also had interest in the veteran run stuffer. A three-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite rankings out of high school, Pace originally picked Central Michigan over offers from Illinois State, Indiana State, Murray State, North Dakota and Western Illinois. Pace joins Auburn transfer Hank Brown as the only two transfer portal commits for the Hawkeyes since the start of the winter transfer window two weeks ago. Did Logan Jones actually surprise teammates with post announcing his return to Iowa? Ferentz expects Brendan Sullivan to start Iowa’s bowl game, reveals other Hawkeye QB news Iowa transfer portal tracker: Hawkeyes add MAC defensive lineman Get local news delivered to your inbox!Seven new big-name brands joined the popular shopping complex in 2024, including the likes of Nike, Primark, Ninja Warrior, and PureGym. Major construction work has been happening across the park throughout the year, not only for new stores in 2024 but for upcoming brands soon to arrive in the new year. Catherine Furlong, centre director at Teesside Park, told The Northern Echo this week: “What a year 2024 has been for us”, “Seven new brands have joined the Teesside Park family as well as the new golf concept in Hollywood Bowl. “We have delivered some amazing community initiatives including our Bright Lights and Young Readers programmes which have supported more than 200 local young people with both employment and education. “There’s been so much positive feedback from our visitors and we’re super excited about lots more to come next year!” So as the year comes to a close, we’ve rounded up all the changes at Teesside Park this year, and what shoppers can expect in 2025. Sportswear giant Nike was the first to open its new store at Teesside Park in 2024, taking over the former New Look in February. Nike at Teesside Park (Image: Teesside Park) Nike Unite is a newer concept rolled out by the chain, which aims to better represent the community its branch is located in. Stocking a variety of sportswear for men, women and children, the 11,855 sq ft location offers “everyday essentials” alongside select seasonal items. Hollywood Bowl relaunched in March this year following a huge £2 million makeover. Hollywood Bowl at Teesside Park The site is now home to a 12-hole minigolf course, 31 bowling lanes, a new bar and a refreshed amusement area, after taking over the former Imperial City restaurant next door. It also added a five-lane VIP section for those who wanted to bowl in luxury. Hundreds of shoppers flocked to Teesside Park in May after Primark opened its doors for the first time inside the former Mothercare unit. Primark at Teesside Park (Image: Sarah Caldecott) 700 customers queued for the opening, which created 180 new jobs for the region and followed months of anticipation for the new site. Set across two floors and measuring 37,100 sq ft, the store stocks clothing, kidswear, beauty, lifestyle and home. Ninja Warrior opened its adventure park at Teesside Park in July, boasting a replica obstacle course of the hit ITV show. Ninja Warrior (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) The adventure park offers something for all ages - with dozens of obstacles and inflatables to traverse, including the warped wall. Kids are also able to take on one Ninja Warrior UK’s largest inflatables, featuring an obstacle course, slides, and battle zone. Beauty brand Rituals launched at the shopping complex in late October, in part of the former H&M, which has been closed since June 2022. Rituals before opening (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) The space was initially set to be taken over by Frasers Group’s Tessuti chain - but this never came to fruition and the unit was divided into three. The store - which sells a range of products for the “body, mind, and soul” - came months after the brand appeared on park plans in May. Just one day after the opening of Rituals, British fashion and lifestyle chain White Stuff opened up nextdoor, also in part of the former H&M. White Stuff (Image: UGC) The launch date saw 20% off almost everything in store, and even some glasses of prosecco - with the first 50 people inside gifted with a Teesside tote bag. PureGym opened its first Teesside site at the complex on November 1, following a major renovation of the former Millennium nightclub. PureGym at Teesside Park (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) The site was gutted by construction crews before being transformed - with the site now featuring hundreds of pieces of state-of-the-art equipment, a functional zone, free weights area, fixed resistance, cardio equipment, and a fitness studio and a cycle studio. Fashion retailer Mango opened its new store in a section of the former H&M in December, months after the Spanish retailer first lodged plans for signs at the site. Inside Mango (Image: TEESSIDE PARK) The store has been decked out with warm tones, neutral colours, and a range of materials including ceramic, tuff, wood, marble, sparto grass, and leather items. Works have been continuing on a huge new unit at Teesside Park for several months that will soon become Sports Direct’s new home at the complex. The new Sports Direct (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) Frasers Group - which owns the sporting chain - announced last year that the sportswear firm would be expanding into a new 40,000sq ft space, featuring a GAME and Evans Cycles. The upcoming store is made up of the former Laura Ashley, Argos, USC, and MenKind stores, which have been merged to create an amalgamated unit. The store is set to open in spring 2025 - with an exact date not known. Meanwhile, designer chain Flannels, which also falls under the Frasers Group umbrella, is set to take over the current Sports Direct store. The current Sports Direct (Image: GOOGLE) The firm - which sells designer brands such as Stone Island, Boss, Gucci, Vivienne Westwood, and Polo Ralph Lauren - will soon be transforming the 20,000-square-foot unit. The Northern Echo understands that Flannels will also open in late spring - but it is not known when the current Sports Direct will close its doors. B&M (Image: Michael Robinson) Discount retailer B&M opened its new 34,686 sqft store in November 2022, taking over the former Toys R Us store. When the new store was announced, the chain confirmed a garden centre would soon open also, with signs on the front saying it would be launching in spring or summer 2024. However, earlier this year, B&M confirmed it was planning to open the new garden centre in March 2025. It is not known why the addition has been delayed.

, /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual today announced the appointment of to executive vice president and chief digital and information officer. In his role, Gordon will be accountable for technology and digital strategy, with oversight of the company's AI capabilities, software engineering, data engineering, enterprise architecture, technology infrastructure, and information risk and cybersecurity. He also has responsibilities for the company's digital products and foundational tech capabilities. Gordon will report to Northwestern Mutual and join the company's senior leadership team. "Dave's deep technology experience, collaborative style and track record of success make him well-positioned to lead Northwestern Mutual's overarching tech and digital strategy," said , president, Northwestern Mutual. "His leadership across a strong team of technology disciplines will ensure that we continue to enhance the relevance and improve the experience of working with Northwestern Mutual." Gordon previously served as vice president and chief technology officer with responsibilities for the software development of the company's customer experience, digitally enabled products and corporate solutions, since joining Northwestern Mutual in 2023. Prior to Northwestern Mutual, Gordon served as chief technology and data officer with USAA Federal Savings Bank, U.S. chief technology and operations officer with BMO Harris Bank, and credit card divisional CIO and head of IT operations with Capital One. He holds an MBA from the and a bachelor's degree in computer science from . Gordon succeeds , who recently stepped down from his role as executive vice president and chief digital and information officer to pursue new opportunities. "I'm thankful for Christian's leadership that spanned nearly two decades at Northwestern Mutual," said Gerend. "He's had a meaningful impact on our employees, financial advisors and clients throughout his tenure and has set us up successfully for the future." has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With over of total assets being managed across the company's institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, more than in revenues, and worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 110 on the 2024 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2024. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Includes investments and separate account assets of Northwestern Mutual as well as retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Northwestern Mutual

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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal President Joe Biden's executive order on artificial intelligence security, setting the stage for deregulation for AI companies by nominating pro-business, pro-startups Silicon Valley leaders. The nomination of Jacob Helberg, an outspoken China critic, for a key State Department post indicates Trump’s intention to lead over China in AI, according to analysts. “We're likely to see quite a great focus on countering China when it comes to AI – beating China, when it comes to having the most advanced AI capabilities,” says Ruby Scanlon, a researcher on technology and national security at Center for a New America Security. Click here for the full story in Mandarin .

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Patrick Mahomes was pumped up when the NFL schedule was released and he saw his Kansas City Chiefs were playing on Christmas Day for the second straight season. His excitement lasted for only a short time. "Until I realized it was on Wednesday," Mahomes said Monday. Plenty of sore bodies will take the field Wednesday when the Chiefs (14-1) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) in what will be the third game in 11 days for both teams. Both squads just played on Saturday. The Chiefs posted a 27-19 home win over the Houston Texans and the Steelers fell 34-17 to the host Baltimore Ravens. "You're not going to feel great," Mahomes said of the short week. "That's kind of just what it is. You don't make excuses in this league. You go out and play football, and you fight until the very end, and you try to get a win at the end of the day. "You're motivated to play a great football team, to play in Pittsburgh in a great environment, a great stadium. It'll be rocking playing on Christmas, so everybody's going to be watching." If Kansas City wins Wednesday, it clinches the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs have 14 victories for the third time in the past five seasons. The franchise has never won 15 games in a season. Kansas City hasn't committed a single turnover during its five-game winning streak. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson isn't fond of hearing "turnover" after he made two big mistakes in Saturday's loss to the Ravens. Wilson lost a fumble after a 19-yard gain to the Baltimore 4-yard line in the second quarter and later was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey, who returned it 37 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Wilson called it "unacceptable" and now has his focus on making amends against Kansas City. "I don't think there's enough time to really sulk or worry or fear," Wilson said. " ... The one thing I'm not going to do is keep my head down, though. I know for us we got so much great confidence in who we are and what we can do and how we're going to respond. "We can't let a tough game like this take us into a negative state of mind because there's a lot more to play for and a lot more we're searching for, and we can still win the (AFC) North." Wilson is correct. If the Steelers win their final two regular-season games, they will win their division. They would have clinched it last weekend if they had won in Baltimore. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is hardly concerned about Wilson's miscues. It was the veteran signal-caller's first time committing multiple turnovers in nine games with the team. "He's tough on himself because he's got a desire to be great," Tomlin said. "He wants to lead us to victory. He owns that. I don't expect that to be an issue in terms of his readiness or trajectory of this week." Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) missed Pittsburgh's walkthrough on Monday. Standout receiver George Pickens (hamstring) was a full participant and may return after missing the past three games. Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (back) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) also could return to action. Jackson's return would be big if Porter can't play. Kansas City also held a walkthrough on Monday. Left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring), safety Chamarri Conner (concussion) and star defensive end Chris Jones (calf) missed the session. Jones was injured against Houston. Meanwhile, Mahomes said his sore ankle is feeling better than it did last week. The Chiefs lost 20-14 to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day last season. Kansas City has won the past three meetings with the Steelers, including a 42-21 rout in an AFC wild-card game on Jan. 16, 2022. --Field Level MediaSeyond Announces Plan to Go Public via De-SPAC Transaction on Hong Kong Stock Exchange

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