Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Trades unions are warning Andy Burnham that Labour’s policy on cutting zero-hours contracts risks failing to live up to the party’s manifesto.Union leaders are seeking reassurances from the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, amid what the TUC has condemned as “scaremongering” from business groups.The unions were alarmed by limitations on who will qualify for new guaranteed hours contracts, mooted in Labour’s recent consultation document on the policy.Joanne Thomas, the general secretary of shop workers’ union Usdaw, said: “The right to a contract that guarantees the hours you normally work is a matter of basic fairness and security. It must be applied…

Downtown traffic has snarled, as crews scurry to put up barriers, weld down manhole covers and even relocate traffic lights.The National Gallery of Art has conducted vibration studies and put up protective panels around some of its outdoor sculptures, while other nearby Smithsonian museums prepared to reduce public access.Airlines have rerouted flights, as the closest airport braces for a temporary shutdown. And at least one school within the exclusion zone has had to go fully remote.Even before the first engine has revved in Washington’s first Grand Prix this weekend, the effects of turning a warren of museums and historic landmarks…

Large tablets often feel large and unwieldy, but some manufacturers have taken this into consideration by combining lightweight designs with premium materials and excellent viewing angles. These top-tier models excel in performance and can easily be paired with keyboards or even second displays. But nothing beats the convenience of picking up a large tablet and hitting the road.Tablets are considered “large” if they are 10-15 inches. The larger the screen size, the larger the working area is, which is especially useful if you’re using a tablet as a laptop replacement. Not all tablets approach 15 inches, but there’s more than…

Cybersecurity companies this week shared information about new and updated banking trojans targeting users worldwide. These types of malware can enable their operators to phish credentials, steal sensitive user data, and remotely control compromised devices.  Manic ThreatFabric has detailed Manic, described as an Android malware that combines banking trojan and spyware capabilities.  The malware has mainly been used against Ukraine, including banks, government services, and messaging applications. However, it has also been observed targeting Russian and European financial institutions, global cryptocurrency and fintech services, and military-focused messaging apps.  Distributed via malicious websites and droppers, the malware enables attackers to log…

By July 18, 2028, a stablecoin could still move freely across blockchains and yet disappear from the buy menu on an American exchange. Under the Treasury Department’s proposed GENIUS Act rules, a digital asset service provider wouldn’t be able to offer or sell a payment stablecoin to someone in the United States from that date unless its issuer fits one of the law’s permitted categories.The proposal doesn’t ban an offshore token from circulating abroad or moving between private wallets; it just controls how regulated businesses distribute that token inside the US. For Tether’s USDT, the biggest issue is therefore whether…

Hefty US tariffs on some Canadian products took effect on Saturday after days of negotiations that went down to the wire failed to produce an agreement. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that his country will match the US tariffs “dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses”, after officials said late Friday that Washington and Ottawa had not managed to strike a deal. The lack of a final agreement means that new 50-percent duties, set to impact some $20 billion of Canadian exports to the United States, took effect on Saturday.  US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters…

Bill White, the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, condemned the suspension in a social media post Friday, writing that the Trump administration would be “reviewing any relationships we have with Ghent University,” and defended Cofnas against what he described as scapegoating.“The United States government regularly funds and supports research, academic exchanges, and other engagements with overseas universities,” White continued. “Dishonest, corrupt institutions that engage in, or reward, scapegoating mob behavior are not desirable partners for us.”The university has two ongoing grants from the Department of Defense, whose collective obligations are worth $869,000, according to USAspending.gov.The American Embassy in Belgium and Ghent…

More than 100 French and British former diplomats have said Palestine is being erased in front of the world’s eyes and called for urgent action including trade and arms sales bans to press Israel to accept a Palestinian state.An unprecedented joint letter dispenses with diplomatic language by accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and warning that the world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy.Arguing that Britain and France played a key role in the formation of the modern-day Middle East and noting that both countries took the step of recognising Palestine as a state in 2025, the diplomats contend…

The Phoenix Home transmitter only has one HDMI input for the source video and the receiver only has one HDMI out for connecting to a TV or projector. This was never an issue for me and kept things simple.The transmission quality is frankly amazing. The Phoenix transmits in 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per second (fps) and supports Dolby Atmos, DTS, and 7.1 channel surround sound. It can transmit up to 500 feet away in clear areas with no obstacles, and 75 feet through walls, floors, and ceilings. That’s a better range than the more expensive options like…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of this decade’s defining technologies. From healthcare and finance to manufacturing and education, organizations increasingly rely on AI to automate repetitive tasks, uncover patterns hidden within large datasets, and support faster decision-making. Cybersecurity has experienced a similar transformation. While attackers employ AI to automate cyberattacks and accelerate vulnerability discovery, defenders are adopting AI to improve threat detection and enhance incident response. Security Operations Centers (SOCs) receive a high volume of alerts from endpoints, cloud workloads, network devices, identity providers, and business applications. Although SIEM and XDR platforms provide visibility into these environments, analysts often…