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A NEWCASTLE business owner's application for insurance has been rejected by their insurer, due to concerns a new tobacconist nearby was at risk of being fire bombed by organised crime gangs fighting for control of the illegal tobacco trade. Login or signup to continue reading The building's owner, who the Newcastle Herald has chosen not to name for fear of reprisals, said they were shocked when their run-of-the-mill insurance renewal for a commercial building was denied. "This is purely because of the tobacconist that is next door, they are seeing this as a huge risk due to the amount of fire bombings/malicious damage these types of businesses tend to get," an email from their mortgage broker said. The owner was "stunned" the insurer's concerns regarding the tobacconist - which had appeared only a few months ago - outweighed their claimless insurance record. "They're not even a tenant," they owner said. "Even though I don't smoke or vape, the organised crime aspect is now impacting me. "The building needs to be insured, otherwise I'm defaulting on the conditions of the mortgage and it could be foreclosed. "I was shocked, you count on the fact you can get insurance on a building in Australia, particularly in a Newcastle suburb that is low crime." The high cigarette taxes and cost-of-living crisis have led to a massive spike in illegal tobacco products. The black market in tobacco and vapes is estimated to be worth at least $2 billion a year. Across the nation, there have been almost 200 fire bombings linked to the illicit tobacco turf war, including 14 in NSW. NSW Police Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja described the spate of fire bombings as "traditional standover tactics". That was how the intimidation started, he said. "That's how it usually starts, they send a message, sometimes it's just they get a verbal threat," he said. "If you're not listening, they will then target that premises ... they'll do everything they can to target that business by setting alight that business, or neighbouring businesses." Criminals are using stolen cars to plough into the front of the tobacconists, and then set the vehicle alight. Some tobacconists have sought to protect themselves from the ram raids by installing bollards. However, that has led to instances of criminals setting alight the neighbouring business to get to their target. "I have fears it will escalate," Detective Superintendent Arbinja said. "I look at other states and I can see how much it's risen. I don't want that to happen in NSW." Newcastle-based Nationals senator Ross Cadell said "mum and dad business owners" were now getting caught in the crosshairs of the illegal tobacco war. "This is the real cost to normal business and property owners of a government that refuses to look reality in the face," Senator Cadell said. "Our vaping policy and illegal tobacco enforcement have created an atmosphere that serious organised crime runs the show at the cost of legitimate business." Senator Cadell said a parliamentary inquiry into illicit tobacco heard criminals were growing increasingly brazen as the lucrative market continued to grow. "We're getting told at a federal level that organised crime members are no longer focusing on harder drugs with harsher penalties," Senator Cadell said. "They don't give a damn, there's as much money in illegal tobacco and vapes and they are absolutely ready to use violence or do fire bombings." After a few weeks of "frantic phone calls and a lot of stress", the anonymous Newcastle building owner managed to secure insurance with a different provider. "I had a couple of weeks before insurance expired, but I was worried that because I got knocked back by one [insurer], I would get rejected by others," they said. "One of the questions they ask is if you've ever been denied insurance before and they see it as a red flag." The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said it was not aware of any broader trend among insurers in relation to risk appetite regarding tobacco retailers, but understood some insurers "may be taking this into account when pricing and renewing premiums". "Each insurer has their own approach to calculating premiums," an ICA spokesperson said. "Risks are something that can change over time and insurers typically price premiums according to that risk." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. 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is reshaping the workplace, but many employees are still unsure how to use it. PwC, a professional services firm, is addressing that gap with "prompting parties." In 2023, announced it was investing $1 billion over three years to expand its AI capabilities. Later that year the company launched My AI, an upskilling initiative for employees to get trained on how to use AI responsibly. But Leah Houde, the chief learning officer at PwC, told Business Insider that after the initial AI trainings, there was still a skill gap when it came to employees actually putting the technology to use, even though employees wanted to know more about how to use it. In 2024, AI was among the top five terms searched in PwC's internal learning and development platform, compared to being in the top 15 in 2023 and not even in the top 100 in 2022, PwC represenatives told BI. "The cognitive load that it takes to just try something new in the course of doing what you're normally doing is hard," Houde said, adding that many employees just didn't know where to start with AI prompts, which are the written instructions given to an AI tool in order to elicit a useful response. People needed a safe, low-stakes place to play with the tools. That's where the parties came in. The group sessions, which can be run independently amongst teams or by a company AI leader, are aimed at making employees comfortable using like Microsoft Copilot and ChatPwC — the company's internal version of ChatGPT. The sessions focus on real use cases, so employees can collaboratively experiment with using AI to help them solve a problem or accomplish a task that's specific to their team. Houde said the sessions are like a "playground where I'm not working on a client deliverable or writing an email to my boss or something that might give me anxiety that I don't want to mess up with AI." She said experimenting in a group setting also allows employees to learn from each others' prompts, giving them new ideas about what AI can do. It's also made them more likely to try out AI on their own time too, Houde said. Since launching in March, PwC said it has hosted nearly 500 prompting parties and over 880 more have been requested, so they are scaling up to meet the demand. Houde said becoming familiar with AI was especially important for employees at PwC as a professional services firm, since the company's clients often turn to its employees to get their own questions about AI answered. Workforce experts previously told BI's Tim Paradis that getting employees up to speed with AI is necessary, and that it will require the help and . A survey published by in November found the rate of AI adoption among desk workers had plateaued, despite companies continuing to invest heavily in AI for their business. But Houde said it's not just AI or other technical skills that employees at PwC want more training on. Terms like "inclusion" and "inclusive mindset" are among the top searched on the company's training platform every year. "The thing that it says to me is that the human interaction is always going to matter," she said. Going forward, Houde said she's most excited about how AI can be used to create personalized learning and development plans for people based on their current skills and where they want to go in their careers. Instead of generically recommending the same trainings to everyone, AI can flag trainings that are most relevant to each individual. "AI is now enabling us to understand the skills our people have and make connections between the skills that they have and the skills that they're going to need to progress," Houde said. Read the original article onDonald Trump is keeping a track of those companies who are not contributing to his inaugural fund, will he go after them?

UConn snaps ACC curse, beats North Carolina in Fenway BowlA GIRL was found brutally strangled to death in woodland just two hours after she disappeared - more than 30 years ago. Stacey Queripel, seven, was reported missing by her mum from her home in the Ladybank area of Bracknell at 7pm on January 24, 1993. A police dog handler found her body at 9pm the same day in the woods near South Hill Park in the Berkshire town. Her cause of death was strangulation, a post-mortem examination concluded. An inquest later recorded Stacey's brutal death as unlawful killing. No-one has ever been charged over Stacey's murder despite fresh police appeals. Last year Thames Valley Police's Peter Beirne said: "I believe there are people who have information or suspicions about Stacey’s murder. "But for whatever reason they have yet to inform the police. The time has come to provide that information." Beirne added: "If you have any suspicions whatsoever, we want to hear from you. "My team will never stop investigating cold case murders and sexual offences. "We have secured convictions for 19 stranger rapes and six murders with ever advancing forensic technology. "We will lock up more offenders, and bring justice to other victims and their families. "We are determined to discover the truth about what happened to Stacey. "So I reiterate again that if anyone has any information or even a suspicion as to what happened, please contact us or Crimestoppers. "Get that burden off your shoulders and let us investigate any information that you have." If you can help detectives, call 101 or visit a police station quoting reference 650 (23/1). Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Thames Valley Police has been contacted for an update on the investigation.

Julia Bradbury said she has become more focused on her health than she has ever been after “death looked her in the eyes”. The 54-year-old TV presenter revealed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and later underwent a mastectomy during which her breast plus two lymph glands were removed before reconstruction took place. Bradbury has since stopped drinking alcohol and has changed the priorities in her life, but revealed she has received some pushback on social media from sharing her approach. She told The Times Weekend magazine: “I wasn’t close to death, but death looked me in the eyes. So I am more focused on my health than I ever have been. “I don’t drink, I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. “When I came home from my mastectomy, I promised I would spend time outside every day, and that is my mantra, however poor it might be in this shitty winter.” Bradbury, who has since been given the all-clear, said a doctor recently helped her reframe how she utilises her energy. She recalled: “He said, ‘This drive that you have – you’re running on a credit card. You can push through all sorts of things. But is that the best thing for you?’. “I realised you don’t have to win every race. You don’t have to overcome everything. I don’t want to max out the credit card.” The presenter previously discussed her experience in an ITV documentary, Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer And Me, which followed her as she came to terms with her diagnosis and prepared to undergo her single mastectomy. She also regularly shares her wellness and fitness tips with her more than 270,000 Instagram followers. However, she revealed she has had pushback from people saying, “I was healthy, I go to the gym, I got cancer, and now its metastasised and I’ve got secondary cancer. So are you blaming me for my illness?”. Responding to the accusations, she added: “No. All I’m saying is, this is what I went through. It was a wake-up call, and it made me look at life differently. “It made me prioritise my sleep, emotional health, and give more time to my loved ones. “If I drink more than four units of alcohol a week, my risk of reoccurrence goes up by 28%. But people find me giving up drinking infuriating.” Bradbury, who has a 13-year-old son Zephyr, and nine-year-old twins Xanthe and Zena, said having children later in life has caused her to not be as “patient” as she feels she should be at times after becoming more set in her own ways. “People think that after you’ve got a cancer diagnosis, you become this beautiful angel with a halo, and a super mum and do everything right”, she added. “But no, you make the same mistakes. I lose my temper, and I can hear myself saying things that I can’t believe I’m saying. “None of us know what we’re doing, really. We’re just doing our best. I know they do have lots of love. They are told that they’re loved every day.”Insurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad rule BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian opposition war monitor and a pro-government media outlet say government forces have withdrawn from much of the central city of Homs. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. Losing Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Syria’s embattled leader, Bashar Assad. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastily arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 2 Pearl Harbor survivors, ages 104 and 102, return to Hawaii to honor those killed in 1941 attack PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors have returned to the Hawaii military base for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. Both are over 100 years old. They joined active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for an observance hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.Son of Soul Music Legend Catches Race Rant on Video

Medina-Pingree/Buchanan upends Central McLean in ND Class B volleyball quarterfinalsThe South African Teachers Union (SAOU) supports the public publication of matric results because matriculants are not personally identifiable, as only their examination numbers are disclosed. SAOU executive Officer Paul Sauer said they also supported the current modus operandi of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to disseminate the results. “However, we are aware that with the new trends in technology, as well as the switch-off of print media, this problem will become less in the future,” he added. Information Regulator order Earlier this month, the DBE said it would go ahead with the publication of matric results in newspapers on 14 January. This is despite an order from the Information Regulator (IR) that the results should not be published in newspapers. DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the department was no longer releasing the names and surnames of the candidates, and therefore not contravening the Popi Act. “They are saying by releasing the results we are contravening with the Popi Act, but we argued that we are only using examination student numbers, not names like we did last time,” said Mhlanga. “Exam numbers are not identifiable, I mean you cannot know who the number belongs to. That is where we are standing,” he explained. Afriforum join case This has resulted in a dispute between the IR, DBE and AfriForum over the release of the matric results. Last month, the IR announced that it would fine the DBE R5 million for failing to comply with an enforcement notice in November, which ordered the department to make an undertaking that it would not publish the 2024 matric results in the media. ALSO READ: Gwarube takes charge of Bela Act amid Sadtu criticism However, AfriForum Head of Cultural Affairs Alana Bailey said the civil rights organisation was ready to oppose IR’s urgent court application regarding matric results. “AfriForum’s legal team has informed the IR that it is ready to take legal action if the IR proceeds with an urgent application to prevent the publication of the 2024 matric results. In a letter to the IR’s legal representative, AfriForum requested to be added as a co-respondent if the IR goes ahead with the case against the Department of Basic Education on 7 January 2025,” she said. Bailey said the request was based on compliance with the court order issued on 18 January 2022, which recommended the publication of matriculation results. “At the time, AfriForum and other parties brought the case to ensure that the 2021 matric results could be published on public platforms. The court order confirmed AfriForum’s opinion that the publication of examination numbers without names provided sufficient protection of the privacy of the matriculants while also being in the public interest,” she added. ALSO READ: Language barriers in education affecting pupils’ performance, says Gwarube Bailey said this past week, the IR not only announced that it was fining the DBE for the intended publication of the results but also approached the court on an urgent basis to try to stop the publication thereof. “Based on the court order, AfriForum considers the enforcement order of the IR invalid and is therefore ready to oppose any action against the DBE and the publication of the results. Matriculants have a right to privacy, but also the right to access their results on public platforms, provided that their names are not published. This is an established practice, and the court has already conceded that this is in everyone’s interest,” she said. Popi Act breach claims In November, the IR spokesperson Nomzamo Zondi said the DBE was issued with an enforcement notice on 4 November 2024. The IR found that the department was not compliant with Section 11 of the Popi Act. It was found to be in breach of the conditions for the lawful processing of personal information, specifically by failing to obtain consent from either the pupils or their parents or guardians, for publishing the results of the 2023 National Senior Certificate examinations. Zondi said the IR has directed the DBE to obtain consent from parents or guardians of pupils who will write the matric examination in 2025 before publishing their results in newspapers. NOW READ: Class of 2024: Matric results, re-markings and rewrites — everything you need to know

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. After scoring a goal on Monday, U.S. men's soccer star Christian Pulisic joined the wave of athletes who are pulling out President-elect Trump's "YMCA" dance as a celebration. Pulisic told reporters afterward he "thought it was funny" and said the dance moves were not "political" in nature. But that didn't save him from scrutiny. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Christian Pulisic and Megan Rapinoe. (Getty Images/IMAGN) The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) did not address Pulisic’s dance, but cut that part of the clip out when reposting the score on its social media accounts. However, anonymous USSF officials expressed dismay to The Athletic on Tuesday. "Literally nobody here is surprised," a USSF employee told the outlet . "It doesn’t feel that way, at least. But it’s still really disappointing, to say the least." Another employee added that the organization has "more pressing things to worry about." Well, a former member of the United States men's soccer youth program took a shot at the media for ripping Pulisic, posting a story by The Athletic that was headlined, "Christian Pulisic, the Donald Trump dance and why true leaders consider the impact of their actions." The United States' Christian Pulisic brings the ball down the pitch as Jamaica's Tayvon Gray gives chase during their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match at CityPark in St. Louis on Monday. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) "Megan Rapinoe shouts and screams about every radical liberal idea and the soccer media claps like seals at her. Christian Pulisic does the trump dance and now the soccer media says he should worry about what ‘message’ it sends," Andrew Carleton wrote on X on Wednesday . In the story, The Athletic writer Jeff Reuter also warned the soccer star to "consider the impact" of the dance move and why he "may come to regret" it. United States forward Christian Pulisic controls the ball as Jamaica midfielder Joel Latibeaudiere defends during their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match at CityPark in St. Louis on Monday. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images) "Pulisic can dance if he wants to. Any fan of 1980s one-hit wonders knows that. But it’s one thing to say you’re a leader and another to do what leaders do: consider how their actions will be perceived by their teammates and others," he wrote. "And yes, that extends to dances — especially when you’re literally mimicking the dance of an elected leader. Rather than any of the countless apolitical shimmies he could have chosen, this was a deliberate reference." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Carleton last played in the United Soccer League for the Las Vegas Lights last year. He was a member of the US U20 team in 2019. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter .AP News Summary at 6:33 p.m. EST