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By BEN FINLEY The Christmas tradition has become nearly global in scope: Children from around the world track Santa Claus as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Related Articles National News | Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after being treated for the flu National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Social Security’s full retirement age will jump in 2025. When can you collect your full benefits? National News | Today in History: December 24, former defense secretary pardoned in Iran-Contra scandal National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages , from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats , such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War , predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics . The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as the one in 2018 , and this year . Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’” Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.None
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2025 just has to be better 2024 has been a rough year for Americans. We had the pandemic from which to recover, the roughest presidential election I’ve seen in my entire life and skyrocketing food prices. So I’m hoping 2025 will be better for us since Donald Trump again will be our president. The Democrats have made a mess of everything, and the voters said at the polls that they had enough and put Trump back in office. I just hope that he keeps his promises on making America great again and won’t disappoint us. The cycle of politics is this: The Democrats mess everything up, and the Republicans have to clean up their messes. PAUL HAYES Urbana
THE mother of tragic Sara Sharif said yesterday: “It is not human to do this to your own child” after the ten-year-old’s dad was found guilty of her murder. Olga Domin, 38, lost a court battle to keep Sara from the clutches of evil Urfan Sharif, stepmum Beinash Batool and uncle Faisal Malik . Advertisement 7 The mother of tragic Sara Sharif said: 'It is not human to do this to your own child' Credit: Simon Jones - Commissioned by The Sun 7 Sara and mum Olga in one of girl’s videos Credit: Instagram 7 Heartbroken Olga said: 'I hope he will be dying in jail' Credit: Simon Jones - Commissioned by The Sun 7 Sara's evil dad Urfan Sharif was found guilty of her murder Credit: PA She believes the trio, who will be sentenced on Tuesday, should suffer as much as Sara — and die in jail. Her body was found by police in her bunk bed on August 10, 2023. A post mortem uncovered 25 fractures and 71 external injuries, including six human bite marks, and burns from a domestic iron. Last night a friend of Olga said of Sharif: “How could social services ever give Sara to that man? Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS BEACH ‘MURDER’ Chilling moment student 'scopes out' beach where he ‘stabbed mum 10 times' BABY BLUES From DNA tests to split that 'wrecked' baby reveal... celeb pregnancy break-ups “He’s the worst of the worst. He treated her like a dog. Taxi driver Sharif, 43, throttled Sara and beat her with a cricket bat and metal pole, sometimes tying her hands and legs together with parcel tape. She was made to wear makeshift hoods during attacks and Sharif urged another child to hit her like a punchbag as if it was a game. Batool, 30, often called Sharif back from work saying Sara was being naughty and knowing he would beat her up . Advertisement Most read in The Sun WARMING UP Scots set for 21C swing as temperature rise to bring an end to sub zero freeze SEARCH ENDS Missing traveler is found after month-long search that led to dad's suicide GET OUT I'm an ex-Gers star who was sacked after one game - I was surprised I got that long Exclusive JUNGLE WINNINGS Coleen Rooney signs first big money deal after I’m A Celeb success Meanwhile, Malik, 29, who lived with them in a flat then a cramped three-bedroom house in Woking, Surrey, failed to raise the alarm whenever Sara was attacked. Sharif hit Sara twice on the abdomen when she lay dying because he thought she was pretending to be ill. Moment armed police storm plane at Gatwick to arrest Sara Sharif's dad & stepmum - as pair found GUILTY of murder The brute refused to call for medical help and it is suspected the three jet-washed Sara’s body before fleeing to Pakistan, leaving her in the bottom bunk. She had started wearing a hijab to school to conceal injuries to her face and head. Advertisement An Old Bailey jury yesterday found Sharif and Batool guilty of murder following an eight- week trial. Malik was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child. Polish national Olga said: “I still can’t believe what is going on, this situation. “It’s not human to do this stuff to your own child. Advertisement I hope he will be dying in jail Mum Olga “I can’t believe he was hitting her belly when she was dying. I still can’t manage that. They should all get the same for what they were doing. Monster is too nice word for him anyway. “I hope he will be dying in jail.” Paying tribute to “angelic” Sara, who dreamed of being on The X Factor, Olga said: “She was always laughing, smiling. "She loved all the kids. She was always helping, and making videos. She was an amazing child. She was saying ‘I’ll be a model’. Advertisement “I just don’t get why she is where she is.” Sara was living with Olga from 2015, when they fled to a domestic refuge to escape Sharif’s violence. 7 The ten-year-old's body was found by police in her bunk bed last year Credit: PA 7 Stepmum Beinash Batool will also be sentenced next week Credit: PA Advertisement He was having supervised contact at a Sure Start centre in Reading before a family court hearing in 2019 which ruled Sara should live with Urfan. It is understood Olga did not contest the ruling at the time. Friends say Sharif took accusations made against him and threw them back at Olga — and used the same tactic in his trial by blaming Batool for Sara’s murder, before admitting he too beat her up. Olga was allowed contact with Sara, supervised by Batool, but she said the couple blocked this a few years before Sara’s death. Advertisement The youngster has been laid to rest in Poland in a grave bearing her mum’s surname and adorned with flowers. Olga visits daily. Newly released pictures show Sara playing with other children in a garden, and sitting in front of a teepee which Olga made for her. Olga also said in a statement released through Surrey Police: “My dear Sara, I ask God to please take care of my little girl, she was taken too soon. “Sara had beautiful brown eyes and an angelic voice. Sara’s smile could brighten up the darkest room. Advertisement “Everyone who knew Sara will know her unique character, her beautiful smile and loud laugh. “She will always be in our hearts , her laughter will bring warmth to our lives. We miss Sara very much. Love you Princess.” Sharif also dished out horrific abuse to Olga, who said he did it all with “really evil eyes”. Sara had beautiful brown eyes and an angelic voice. Sara’s smile could brighten up the darkest room Olga She said: “He choked me with a belt, he tried to set me on fire, he beat me with his fists. He was putting the oil on my body. His friend stopped him. He already had the lighter in his hand.” Advertisement Olga said Sharif would sleep with money all the time and she had to plead for cash for food for the children. She added: “He told me that he dressed me and no one would help me if I left him because I don’t know the language and I have never worked here. “He said he didn’t like my friend. I wasn’t allowed to meet her. I went to pick up something from the shop and he wouldn’t let me out. I was working nights cleaning the pubs. "They kicked him out of McDonald’s (where he was a shift manager) because he was stealing money. He didn’t have a job. He took all the money from me. Advertisement “He took £4,000 from (benefits back payment). I took £100 to buy clothes for my kids and he hit me because I took the money. “He would be cunning and would take my phone and he locked me out around three times. “When he did this he had evil eyes, really evil eyes. I was alone in a foreign country, without a language, without a family, until I finally realised that this was not the life I had and left.” Olga was taken to a domestic violence refuge in 2015 and their divorce was completed in 2017. Advertisement Sick Sharif spent six days lying to Old Bailey jurors, claiming Batool was an “evil psycho” and the “true villain of the piece”. On his seventh day in the witness box, Sharif dramatically confessed to beating Sara with a cricket bat and pole and ultimately killing her. But the self-confessed coward could never bring himself to admit he had murdered Sara. At one point he told the court he beat her repeatedly and intended to cause her “really serious harm” — but he then went back on his testimony insisting he had never meant to hurt her ever. Advertisement Police found a note by her body, written by Sharif, which said: “I legally punished her and she died.” He choked me with a belt, he tried to set me on fire, he beat me with his fists Olga Once he landed in Pakistan, he called 999 to say: “I’ve killed my daughter. I legally punished her and she died.” Batool and Malik both refused to give evidence. Det Chief Insp Craig Emmerson, of Surrey Police, said the trio only sought to preserve their own interests and showed no remorse. Advertisement Mr Emerson added: “Sara was a bright and lively little girl who loved singing and dancing. Read more on the Scottish Sun SNOW JOKE Snow maps reveal the Scotland areas forecast to have a white Christmas OFF THE AIR 'Gutted to hear this', fans cry as BBC Scotland series axed after 19 years “Sara’s spirit and bravery and resilience in the face of the suffering that she endured has shone through from the vast inquiries that have been undertaken in this case. “Sara’s young life was brought to an end as a result of the brutal abuse and unspeakable violence inflicted on her by Sharif and Batool, which Malik did nothing to prevent.” 7 Sara wore a hijab to school to conceal injuries to her face and head Credit: PA AdvertisementDARZALEX® (daratumumab) subcutaneous formulation shows 51 percent reduction in risk of progression to active multiple myeloma for patients with high-risk smouldering multiple myelomaIdentity cybersecurity company has received FIDO2 certification for its access management product, confirming that it complies with the FIDO Alliance standards for secure authentication. The certification was awarded to CyberArk Workforce Identity, an enterprise identity and access management product that is part of the CyberArk Identity Security Platform. The Israel and U.S.-headquartered information security firm has made a string of acquisitions since its Nasdaq IPO in 2013, identity management platform in 2020. The acquisition allowed CyberArk to boost its identity management capabilities. The company’s latest acquisition is machine identity management and identity and access (IAM) firm Venafi which was announced in October this year. “From day one, CyberArk has been a security-first company,” says Peretz Regev, chief product officer at CyberArk. “As cyber threats continue to evolve, increasingly targeting identities and identity infrastructure, it is crucial that we continue to provide our customers with industry-leading tools to secure every identity with privilege controls, on the endpoint and in every application.” In October, the company also technology from enterprise identity authentication company Badge to eliminate the storing of user credentials. FIDO certification represents a significant market opportunity for CyberArk, given the widespread adoption of the passwordless approach in the U.S. and elsewhere, not just amongst businesses but also public sector organizations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is a case in point. The USDA had trouble issuing personal identity verification (PIV) cards to all its workers, because the agency employs large numbers of seasonal workers who are ineligible for . Yet the cards were essential to access government systems, and so the USDA allowed these workers to bypass the card, obtaining a user ID and password instead. However, issues quickly arose when it came to light that sophisticated phishing campaigns could make such credentials vulnerable. USDA needed phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA). Furthermore, some USDA employees work in lab environments that require decontamination procedures that the standard identification card cannot survive. USDA sought a technical solution that provides the same protections as a PIV but withstands decontamination. USDA adopted FIDO capabilities as its centralized technology architecture already supported it. Using cryptographic keys on user devices, FIDO’s authentication tools are phishing-resistant and allow the authentication of user identities without using passwords. To date, some 40,000 registered users, some of whom have previously required PIV exemptions, have accessed USDA’s network using FIDO without the risks involved using usernames and passwords. FIDO depends on non-password authentication factors like biometrics. FIDO passkeys have a growing profile among organizations and awareness amongst the general public. The USA’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has a full report on USDA’s successful FIDO implementation . | | | | | | | |
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Ahmedabad: A young woman, aged 23, from Vasna area of the city, approached the Cybercrime police with a complaint on Monday, stating that she was defrauded of Rs 5.20 lakh by an individual who claimed to be a pilot at Heathrow Airport in the UK. The fraud occurred over nine months. In her FIR, the complainant, employed as an accountant with a US-based company, stated that a man identifying himself as Steven contacted her through Instagram. After she accepted his follow request, they began communicating regularly. He claimed to be an American national working as a pilot at Heathrow Airport. Their communication shifted to WhatsApp after exchanging telephone numbers. Approximately one month into their interaction, he unexpectedly requested $250, citing his mother's asthma treatment. He claimed his bank accounts were inaccessible and required urgent financial assistance. The complainant transferred the money on March 28 to a bank account as directed by the accused. She noticed the recipient account was of an Indian national, which Steven explained was his Indian colleague's account at the airport. Subsequently, he requested additional funds, claiming his mother passed away and he needed money for urgent travel to the US. The complainant revealed that Steven accessed her banking information and secured a credit card loan of Rs 5 lakh. Upon his persistent requests for more money, she realised it was a fraud and contacted the Cybercrime helpline. Based on her complaint, Cybercrime police registered offences under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal breach of trust, cheating, and impersonation, besides charges under the Information Technology Act. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes .
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Nick Cave calls Bob Dylan’s complimentary tweet after Bad Seeds show “a lovely pulse of joy”Google on Wednesday announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. "Gemini 2.0 is about making information much more useful," Pichai said in the announcement, emphasizing the model's enhanced ability to understand context, think multiple steps ahead and take supervised actions on behalf of users. The developments "bring us closer to our vision of a universal assistant," he added. The release sent shares in Google soaring by more than four percent on Wall Street a day after the stock already gained 3.5 percent after the release of a breakthrough quantum chip. The tech giants are furiously taking steps to release more powerful AI models despite their immense cost and some questions about their immediate usefulness to the broader economy. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. The tech giants promise that agents will be the next stage of an AI revolution that was sparked by the 2022 launch of ChatGPT, which took the world by storm. Gemini 2.0 is initially being rolled out to developers and trusted testers, with plans for broader integration across Google's products, particularly in Search and the Gemini platform. The technology is powered by Google's sixth-generation TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) hardware, dubbed Trillium, which the company has now made generally available to customers. Google emphasized that Trillium processors were used exclusively for both training and running Gemini 2.0. Most AI training has been monopolized by chip juggernaut Nvidia, which has been catapulted by the AI explosion to become one of the world's most valuable companies. Google said that millions of developers are already building applications with Gemini technology, which has been integrated into seven Google products, each serving more than two billion users. Gemini 2.0's powers are expected to come in early 2025 to Google's search application, still the company's main money-maker. The first release from the 2.0 family of models will be Flash, offering faster performance while handling multiple types of input (text, images, video, audio) and output (including generated images and speech). Gemini users worldwide can already tap into a chat-only version of Flash, the company said, with testers given access to a multimodal version that can interpret images and surroundings. Google also said it was experimenting with a product that can use software apps, websites and other online tools, much like a human user. OpenAI and Anthropic have unveiled similar features. The company also teased a new version of Project Astra, a smartphone digital assistant like Apple's Siri that responds to images as well as verbal commands. arp/des
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday stated that if the current Government fails to meet the expectations set by the people in the recent mandate, it could lead to citizens losing hope in envisioning a prosperous future. He emphasised that Government officials must dedicate themselves to building a Government that fulfils the aspirations of the people. President Dissanayake made these remarks while addressing the staff of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, after officially assuming duties as its Minister. Upon his arrival at the Ministry, the President was warmly welcomed by the staff. He expressed heartfelt appreciation for the contributions made by the Ministry’s officials in navigating the country through the recent economic crisis. The President also emphasised the importance of continued collective effort, stating that everyone’s support would be essential in achieving future successes. President Dissanayake further stated that while the country has a history of judging Government officials based on preconceived notions during political transitions, moving forward, their contributions will be the sole benchmark for evaluation. He assured that if any unfair treatment or undue obstacles arise in the course of their duties, he would stand firmly in their defence. He also acknowledged the public’s lack of trust in revenue-generating departments and admitted that changing this perception would be challenging. However, he emphasised that under the new Government, all officials now have the opportunity to rectify any negative impressions and rebuild public confidence in their roles. The President stated that threatening officials or disregarding their opinions in the presence of the media is not a part of his Government’s policy. He emphasised that the new approach to transformation involves fostering self-discipline and accountability. The President invited all Government officials to unite in this effort to create a positive change. The event was attended by Deputy Ministers Professor Anil Jayantha Fernando, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, and Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena, along with other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance.
Syria is ‘more strategically important’ to US than Afghanistan: KhalilzadU.S. president-elect Donald Trump and those in his corner continue to muse about annexing Canada, though Canadian officials have largely sidestepped those comments. In a post on the social media platform X, Eric Trump shared a doctored photo of his father purchasing Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal on Amazon, with the phrase “We are so back!!!” Since winning the presidential election in November, Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st state.” On Trump’s Truth Social platform, he’s also repeatedly referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the “governor” of Canada. Trump has also threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada, which has prompted discussions at both the federal and provincial levels on the best way to deal with the incoming Trump government. Carleton University professor Aaron Ettinger said federal officials have rightly been dismissing the social-media posts and maintained a “focus like a laser beam” on the real and “existential threat” of tariffs. “This strikes me as being profoundly unserious,” said Ettinger, who has studied Canada-U.S. relations during the first Trump presidency. “These are taunts; these are churlish provocations that are not mature, and do not reflect just how serious the coming trade war is,” he said. Ettinger said Trump is likely continually posting about Canada because it plays well to his supporters, without being seen as a real threat of annexation. “We know his moves. He makes fun of, he belittles, he mocks, because he can,” he said. But he said that a vacuum of leadership in Ottawa from embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is spurring “the freelancing of some of the provincial leaders” in response to Trump’s comments. For example, Ontario Premier Doug Ford weighed in on Trump’s postings on Dec. 18, telling media that “we’ll never be the 51st state. We’re Canada; we’re proud to be Canadians. We’ll always fight for that.” Ettinger said civil society is similarly better to focus on convincing Americans to not impose damaging tariffs on Canada, instead of amping up anti-Trump rhetoric. “Canadians should worry first about what Canada’s actual national interests are,” he said. “We’re not going to out-trash talk Donald Trump, so don’t even bother trying and focus instead on the core stuff that really matters.” In response to Trump’s threats, the Trudeau Liberal government has unveiled a $1.3 billion spending package over six years to address Trump’s threats, which concern border security and the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman has repeatedly characterized Trump’s comments as gentle ribbing between two close countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said on Dec. 13 that she has quipped to Republican senators that they could join Canada as the eleventh province. Greenland’s head of government, Múte Bourup Egede, suggested that Trump’s latest calls to purchase the territory from Denmark would be as meaningless as those made in his first term. “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” he said in a statement. “We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom.” Panama President José Raúl Mulino has also rebuffed Trump’s musing about taking over the Panama Canal. “Every square metre of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to,” he said in a video, to which Trump fired back on his social media site, “We’ll see about that!”