Trump Media Trademark Filing For 'TruthFi' Hints At Potential Digital Wallets, Asset TradingSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law marks a new warning for the worldwide fragility of democracy, even in a country hailed as a model of political transformation. Yoon's overnight attempt to shut down political activity, censor media and lock out opposition lawmakers stunned South Korea's longtime ally, the United States, which said it had no advance warning and issued a statement of concern. South Korea's transition to elected rule since a mass uprising in 1987 had been seen as so thorough that the United States increasingly spoke of its ally as a global partner. Meanwhile, Seoul billed itself as a new, ideal hub for international media as China clamped down on Hong Kong. President Joe Biden had even chosen Yoon as the host in March of his final Summit for Democracy -- a signature initiative of the outgoing US leader, who sought to champion liberal values globally, in an unstated repudiation of Donald Trump, who returns to the White House next month. But observers, while stunned by Yoon, said there were warning signs. Danny Russel, a top US diplomat for Asia under former president Barack Obama and who earlier served in South Korea, pointed to the deadlock in parliament where the opposition repeatedly sought impeachments against Yoon's administration. Yoon's move "was a complete surprise to me (but) yes, there were very obvious structural forces at work," he said. "There is a radically polarized political scene in Korea. The opposition has been pursuing scorched-earth political obstruction tactics," he said. But he pointed to the quick, large-scale protests that erupted after Yoon's declaration as a sign of a vibrant civil society ready to defend democracy. "One certainly would hope that this would serve as a wake-up call to both the ruling conservative party and the progressive opposition that both sides have gone too far and that there needs to be some process of reconciliation, of dealing with legitimate differences and grievances." Yoon himself had earlier shown signs of authoritarianism. In a national address last year, Yoon raged against supposed communists who have "disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates or progressive activists." A prosecutor, Yoon narrowly won the 2022 election on a platform of economic reform and advocated close ties with the United States as well as historic rival Japan. But his popularity swiftly slid and the opposition won the National Assembly. Celeste Arrington, a Korea expert at George Washington University, noted that Yoon had never held elected office before and had become increasingly frustrated. "This is really an extreme move that may signal, I think, the president's lack of political experience," she said. She said that martial law showed "some cracks in democracy" but that the quick reversal "gives me hope in the health and strength and vibrancy of democracy in South Korea." Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, expected Yoon's career to be over after attempting martial law, which constitutionally can only be imposed for wars or other emergencies. "Yoon's action is a damning reversal to decades of South Korean efforts to put its authoritarian past behind it," he said. The number of democracies worldwide soared starting in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union collapsed and student-led uprisings brought reforms elsewhere. But globally, democracy has been in retreat for the last 18 straight years, according to the Washington-based group Freedom House, which promotes political liberty. Democratically elected leaders have taken increasingly authoritarian steps in countries as diverse as India, Turkey and Hungary. V-Dem, another closely watched democracy index, had most recently ranked South Korea third in Asia after Taiwan and Japan. In the United States, Trump has rejected long-held norms, refusing to accept he lost to Biden four years ago -- culminating in his supporters violently rampaging through the US Capitol. Trump's rejection of democracy ultimately worked out for him: campaigning on the rage of 2020, he won last month's election. But experts said Yoon's power play -- and its reversal -- could in fact show a victory for democratic values. "Yoon is a deeply unpopular and ineffectual leader, but there was nothing I saw of people being dissatisfied with the way government runs," Alan Yu, a senior vice president at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said after a recent trip to Seoul. Darcie Draudt-Vejares of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that with the swift response to Yoon, "this crisis may ultimately strengthen Korean democracy by reaffirming civilian control and demonstrating institutional resilience." sct/nrohttps www rich9 ph 。

Kellyanne Conway was heard castigating Meghan McCain last week, reportedly taking her to task for past comments made about her marriage, according to the Daily Beast . After appearing on the same panel during The Washington Post’s post-election Global Women’s Summit last Thursday, Conway confronted McCain, a onetime host of “The View.” According to onlookers, Donald Trump insider Conway left McCain shaken after being scolded for calling Conway’s marriage to George Conway “gross” during a slew of years-old television appearances. As one witness told the Daily Beast, “Kellyanne walked up to Meghan and said, ‘I wasn’t going to say this while I was miked but do you remember what you said about me and my marriage on ‘The View’? You called my marriage ‘gross.’” “Meghan looked shaken and was just trying to get out of there,” the observer later added. Both Republican insiders acknowledged the encounter in statements to the Daily Beast. Conway explained how she “waited until the cameras and microphones were off to privately and calmly address the very public insults she has directed at my family.” McCain squirmed at the idea of Conway’s marriage during a 2020 appearance on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” and on “The View.” Going on the offensive, she went on to say that McCain “may wish to outrun her recent past as a years-long resident Mean Girl on ‘The View’ and Bravo, where her mouth was a spigot of vile and bile hurled toward people and topics she does not know,” namely Conway’s marriage and children. For her part, McCain told the Daily Beast, “It was a bizarre experience and certainly not what I expected when I accepted an invitation to speak at an event hosted by The Washington Post and Tina Brown.” “The only reason why their marriage was ever a hot topic was because they were constantly airing their dirty laundry to America,” she went on. McCain was referring to Conway’s previous public clashes with both her daughter Claudia Conway and her ex-husband, never-Trump conservative George Conway. While the couple announced they were divorcing in spring of 2023, Claudia Conway and her mother made amends after tensions between the two peaked around the 2020 election. The mother-daughter duo opened up about being on opposite ends of the political spectrum during a September episode of Fox Nation’s “Here’s The Deal with Kellyanne Conway.” “I can look at you and love you even though you have a different political opinion than I do,” Claudia Conway told her mom. “And we can be humans at the end of the day. The divisiveness and the lack of unity in our political atmosphere right now is what is going to drive us further apart.” Related From Our Partner

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Thursday's Scores

Munster were pushed all the way at Thomond Park in their URC clash with the Emirates Lions and earned a 17-10 victory. Tries from Thaakir Abrahams, Shane Daly and Alex Kendellan proved to be enough to get their third win of the league campaign. Head of rugby operations, Ian Costello, was happy with large parts of the victorious performance but admitted that there is still plenty to work on ahead of their Champions Cup opener with Stade Francais next week. “There’s aspects of the performance that we have to tidy up, Costello said following the full time whistle. “Our game management wasn’t where it needed to be. We started really well in the first 20, got one score and never capitalised to get another. “We made a couple of mistakes that I thought rattled us and that second quarter was poor. We had focused on a fast start and set the same in the second half. “If I’m honest, the second half performance - what it said about us. Our identity. What we stood for. What we represent. I thought it was outstanding. Probably summed up by that goal line set when we went the length of the field. “What I saw was real intent. Real work rate to get off the ground. The physical side was impressive and just how hard we worked. That’s what we looked for tonight. “When you see the conditions, that’s going to give you a good chance to win the game. We put that up as the highest value. Especially tonight with the team we had out.” One area where Munster have struggled this season has been at set piece but there were shoots of improvements in that area against the Lions, with the lineout in particular hitting the mark. New forwards coach consultant, Alex Codling, has made an immediate impact in that area and Munster hit 90% of their lineouts against the Lions. “He came in last week with a huge amount of energy,” Costello said about Codling. “A real technical coach and the lads have responded really well to him. “We lost one lineout tonight. The way he has engaged the lads and the way they have bought in. A couple of the key lineout forwards in Fineen (Wycherley) and Evan (O’Connell) have been driving that with him. A really good start on the back of a good 10 days for him and the pack.” Costello added that he was delighted with how short term signing Dian Blueler and Evan O’Connel fared on their full debuts. “I thought Dian was outstanding. I don’t know how many times he carried. We will see the stats tomorrow. A couple of times we were thinking about taking him off but he would pull out another big tackle or another big carry. “We went as deep as we could with him and then Kieran Ryan, an Academy player, came on and did really well. “We have known for a long time that it was a question of when and not if Evan would come through. He has been so impressive at U20s level. We have given him time to physically develop as well. He is stronger and more powerful and I think that allowed him to dominate a bit more tonight. Really pleased with him.”

Vikings withstand Bears' furious rally, win on field goal in OT

Jack Fitzpatrick knew something was up when he got a call from his 75-year-old mother asking him if he was in jail. His mother, who had recently purchased a flip phone after years of aversion to technology, told him that she’d received a call from someone claiming to be him; they sounded just like him and even referred to her using the nickname that Fitzpatrick has been calling her since he was a kid. She was told by the caller that she needed to send him $6,000 via FedEx immediately to pay for a lawyer to bail him out. She needed to send the money to Quebec, which was especially curious seeing as she lives in a small town in northern New Brunswick and her son lives just outside Halifax. Fitzpatrick knew right away that it was a scam, but the detail with which it was executed took him aback. “I’d like to think I’m pretty security-aware, but again, they had my voice and they had my mom’s name,” Fitzpatrick, 39, says, now a few months removed from the experience. Though he was able to stop her from sending anything to anyone, the fact that she could be targeted so specifically and convincingly was alarming. Falling for scams has never been easier. In 2022, Canadians lost more than $58 million to spear phishing scams, which are a form of scam that target individuals with specific names, events or pieces of information, according to — in other words, highly personalized cyberattacks that can come via text message, email or by phone. In 2023 alone, Canadians lost a staggering $567 million to fraud — an increase of $37 million from 2022 and $187 million since 2021. Ali Dehghantanha, a professor of cybersecurity and threat intelligence at the University of Guelph and the founding director of the Cyber Science Lab, says even seasoned tech professionals fall for generative AI-driven email scams and fake links. With AI-assisted scams increasingly prevalent online, the days of being able to easily recognize scam emails by finding obvious typos and poor formatting are all but over. Still, there are ways to keep things locked down as the busy holiday shopping season ramps up. Experts say that using two-factor authentication, taking a moment to verify the legitimacy of transactions, and using “safe” words to distinguish between family members and fraudsters can keep your data safe from malicious online actors this holiday season. Ivo Wiens, field chief technology officer of cybersecurity at CDW Canada, advises using two-factor authentication whenever possible as an extra layer of security when banking and shopping online. Two-factor authentication — sometimes stylized as “2FA” — can be set up within banking and finance apps or through external apps like Google Authenticator or Duo; it prompts you for a one-time verification code to make sure it’s really you trying to log in to your account. “It’s like having a lock and an alarm system on your house,” Wiens says. “Think of that (as) the equivalent for your digital accounts.” It may be annoying — and slow down the snappy pace you’re used to when shopping — but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to making financial transactions online. If you can’t get two-factor authentication enabled on banks and other accounts, Dehghantanha recommends any form of SMS or text message alerts to make sure that you catch any fraudulent charges or entries the moment they come across your account’s dashboard. At the very least, it’ll help develop a habit of checking (and rechecking) all transactions. “If your bank is not offering that, at least enable notifications — whether it’s SMS or app notifications — from your bank for every single purchase,” Dehghantanha adds, which can be done through the notifications settings in various banking and finance apps. Perhaps less obviously, Wiens recommends having a “safe” word to use with family to quickly determine whether you’re actually speaking with a member of your family. AI-driven impostor scams like the one that targeted Fitzpatrick’s mother are becoming increasingly common, he says, and having quick and clear checks that can help identify fake voices, doctored video and look-alike profiles can be a game-changer. “This helps spot the scammers pretending to be family members,” Wiens says. “Having that word that you share as a family, the family secret word that you can call out for when this is happening.” Making sure you’re speaking to a real family member is even more important amid a rise in identity theft. As a result, it may be worth it to invest in identity monitoring — services that scan the web to check if your personal information appears in a data breach — or fraud insurance, Equifax Canada chief information security officer Octavia Howell says, just in case. “Fraud and identity insurance is out there to help people get back on their feet,” Howell advises. “Because we know that when your identify is stolen or when you’re defrauded for anything, it’s very difficult for you to do it on your own.” Experts say some digital scams can be avoided simply by recognizing them. Though there may be a temptation to blaze through online transactions, shipping confirmations and coupon codes, taking even a few seconds to double-check transactions, verify the legitimacy of offers and closely examine URLs for things like typos in names can save you a headache down the line. Professionally made, convincing-looking, fake online stores are more common (and effective) than you might think; blocked 9.9 million attempts by users to access fake shops in September and 13.4 million such attempts in October, with more fake pop-ups expected ahead of Black Friday and Christmas. So if a deal in an email or pop-up ad looks too good to be true, it usually is, says Wiens. “It’s like getting a counterfeit bill nowadays, that even bank tellers have trouble spotting,” Wiens says. “That’s why it’s crucial to slow down and verify.” Back in Nova Scotia, Fitzpatrick advises getting a second opinion to give yourself time to critically examine the situation, in line with the “slow down and verify” approach. “If you have something like that — that doesn’t make much sense — and you can’t get a hold of the person, tell the story to somebody else,” Fitzpatrick says. “Someone who’s emotionally removed.”Commentary: Philippines politics is often mad. 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Special Prosecutor In Trump's Jan. 6 Case Asks For Dismissal Ahead Of Inauguration Day(BPT) - The holidays bring a whirlwind of excitement, sales, and unfortunately also scams. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Week mean increased online transactions, e-commerce traffic, and a heightened focus on fulfilling customer orders — all of which make small businesses, especially micro-businesses, prime targets for cybercriminals. According to Bank of America's Small Business Owner's Report , more than half of small business owners said cybersecurity threats have impacted their business. Unlike larger corporations with dedicated IT departments, many small and micro businesses lack proper security infrastructure, leaving them more vulnerable to and harmed by threats. A single scam or breach can be costly and can put a business behind during the busy holiday season. Scammers know how to exploit the season's hustle and bustle. But don't let the Grinch steal your seasonal success — arm yourself with these tips from the pros at Norton Small Business to stay protected and keep the holiday cheer intact. The Naughty List: Common Holiday Cyber Scams Phishing: Fake emails or texts disguised as retailers or shipping services claim "Order issues" or "Tracking updates." Clicking these links can lead to malicious sites or stolen credentials. Payment fraud: Increased holiday transactions mean a higher risk of stolen credit card use, chargebacks, and "friendly fraud," where buyers dispute charges after receiving goods. Physically damaged cards during in-person payments and mismatched addresses for online transactions can be red flags. The impact of malware: Cybercriminals target businesses with malware that locks its data or steals customer information, disrupting holiday operations. Website vulnerabilities: Unpatched software or weak security measures on your e-commerce site can lead to data breaches or malicious code injections. Gift card fraud: Hackers might target or even brute-force codes for digital gift cards, either to steal funds or use them fraudulently, which can result in financial loss and impact customer trust. In today's digital-first world, cybersecurity is no longer optional — it's a necessity. With cyber threats evolving constantly, safeguarding your business requires vigilance, informed employees, and robust practices. Investing in cybersecurity tools is a simple way to address these concerns. The Nice List: 7 Cyber Safety Tips for the Holidays Train Employees to Spot Scams: Equip your team to recognize phishing attempts, avoid suspicious links, and adopt the mantra: "When in doubt, throw it out!" Secure Your Systems and Networks: Use strong passwords, enable a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for all remote work, and keep software, operating systems, and drivers up to date to patch vulnerabilities. Guard Sensitive Data: Avoid sharing personal or company information over email and rely on secure payment platforms to handle transactions. Double Down on Authentication: Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on critical accounts like banking, e-commerce, and email for an added layer of security. Backup Your Data Regularly: Protect yourself against ransomware and system failures by maintaining up-to-date backups of important business information. Protect E-Commerce and Gift Cards: Use secure payment processors and set clear refund policies to deter disputes. Employ tools like CAPTCHA to prevent hackers from brute-forcing codes and monitor for unusual activity. Invest in Cybersecurity Solutions: Tools like Norton Small Business Premium offer round-the-clock protection for your devices, data, and online activity — no IT skills required. In a world where scams are harder to detect it is good to have extra help. Owners and employees can check in real time if something might be a scam with the free Norton Genie app . With a simple screen shot, this AI-powered scam detection tool can tell you if a text message, social media post, email or website message is likely to be a scam, what makes the content suspicious, and what to do next. Beyond just protecting your systems, it's essential to build trust with your customers by showing them that your business takes cybersecurity seriously. Displaying security badges on your website, being transparent about how customer data is protected, and offering secure payment options can go a long way in fostering customer confidence and retention. The holidays are a time of opportunity for both small businesses and scammers. By adopting these best practices, you can protect your business, your customers, and your peace of mind this season. Think of Norton Small Business as your holiday helper, protecting your devices and data while you focus on operating your business. With easy setup and robust features, it's your always-on IT department working 24/7 to protect your business and employees. Visit https://us.norton.com/products/small-business for more information.