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DALLAS — The city of Dallas received hundreds of complaints last year of rental scooters being strewn around the streets when they were brought back last year. And to combat that issue, DART is launching a pilot program giving riders somewhere to leave these scooters. Several DART rail stations and bus transfer centers will now have designated scooter parking zones for riders to use. These six zones can be seen at Victory, EBJ/Union, SMU/Mockingbird stations and the CBD West Transfer Center downtown. DART said the goal of this program is to clear areas of clutter and walking hazards for riders, as well as to provide those who use the scooters somewhere to access or park them. This program will run for a few months, starting this month. “Whether people like them or not, scooters have become a popular form of transportation across our service area,” DART Vice President of Capital Design and Construction Trey Walker said in a statement. “We’re acknowledging this fact while attempting to get ahead of scooter clutter at our stations with this pilot program. We want to ensure that our transit stations remain safe, and we continue to maximize efficiency with our train and bus operations.” Each zone is specially marked and clear of walkways, platforms and paths. DART says it will work with the city to process data for rental companies, ensuring the scooters are equipped with geofencing technology to mark their locations. Two of the companies, Lime and Bird, are working with DART to place scooter locations on the GoPass app to make it easier for riders to find these scooters. The parking zones will also be monitored by DART staff to determine their effectiveness.
This is a step in the recruitment process of any UK employer seeking to recruit skilled workers from other countries. The sponsor licence enables businesses to sponsor non-UK nationals to fill skill-short industries, thus helping them fill crucial positions. It’s a complicated and expensive process, though, and the knowledge of costs can accumulate fast. In this tutorial, we’re going to answer all the questions you might have about the sponsor licence cost, the application process and what you need to think about when you decide to become an employer. Why Do Companies Require A Sponsor Licence? Following Brexit, immigration law from outside of the UK demands all employers in the UK acquire a sponsor licence to seek talents coming from outside. Hence, it is an urgent priority in sectors such as construction, healthcare, information technologies and hospitality sectors to source qualified labourers with expertise because of acute skilled-labour shortages that occurred after this change. Submission for a sponsor licence shows proof and a business is established that is legitimate towards external foreign talents for employment. Knowledge of Sponsor Licence Cost Sponsor licence cost depends on the business size and kind of licence required. The following details break down the major cost considerations: Application Charges The cost of a sponsor licence application will vary with regard to the classification of the sponsoring business, which could either be classified as a small or charitable sponsor or a medium/large sponsor. In 2024, this will cost Small or Charitable Sponsors: £536 Small Sponsor: £1,476 A company is considered a small sponsorship if it satisfies two of the following conditions: Annual turnover of £10.2 million or less Total assets of £5.1 million or less Less than 50 staff Medium and large sponsors pay higher fees since more administrative monitoring is involved. Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Every sponsored worker must be issued with a Certificate of Sponsorship, which incurs an additional fee: Skilled Worker CoS: £199 per certificate Temporary Worker CoS: £21 per certificate The CoS type depends on the worker's visa category. The employer should have enough money to pay for all the certificates when strategising on recruitment. Immigration Skills Charge Also, the Immigration Skills Charge needs to be paid by the sponsors who employ skilled workers to support the development of UK-based workers. The amount of the charge is computed in this way: Small or Charitable Sponsors: £364 for the first year and £182 for every next six months Medium or Large Sponsors: £1,000 for the first year and £500 for every next six months. This fee applies to every sponsored worker and, as such, greatly enhances the total sponsor licence fees charged to employers employing a group of people. Additional Costs Besides the core charges, employers need to consider the following extra expenses that they may incur: Legal Advice: An immigration solicitor can facilitate your process and charges from £1,000 to £5,000 depending on how complex your case is. Compliance Audits: To keep a sponsor licence, companies have to comply with the Home Office. They can hire professionals to audit and ensure compliance, which may add to the costs. Renewal Fees: Sponsor licences are valid for four years, and then they need to be renewed. Renewal fees are the same as the initial application fees (£536 or £1,476). Sponsor Licence Application Process Knowing what the process entails in applying for a sponsor licence helps the employer to carry out the sponsor licence application efficiently. Here is a step-by-step simplified guide: 1. Check Eligibility Ensure that your business qualifies for the application. The criteria include: There is a real need to sponsor workers. You can provide lawful and appropriate employment as demonstrated. There are proper HR systems that monitor the sponsored workers. 2. Gather Supporting Documents Different documents are needed by applicants to support the application. These include: Registration documents Trade presence document in the UK Tax-related compliance Your business and industry are dependent on specific requirements. Late or missing, or even rejected, documents can delay or even reject you. 3. Online Application Submission Online applications are submitted to the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) portal. In this stage, the owner has to pay the right amount for the sponsor licence cost. Otherwise, we can't let the application go through. 4. Preparation for Compliance Visit The Home Office visits the business to see if everything they require in the way of sponsorship is met. During this visit, they will look at your HR system, followed by your recruitment practices and your ability to monitor sponsored workers. 5. Waiting for the Response Standard processing usually takes 8 to 12 weeks for applications. The sponsor licence application will receive priority processing on payment of £500 extra, so the decisions will be available within 10 working days. This video tells you everything you need to know about sponsor licence applications. Maintaining Compliance as a Sponsor After you receive a sponsor licence, you are obliged to maintain compliance in order not to be penalised or lose your licence. Key responsibilities include: Reporting changes in the circumstances of sponsored workers to the Home Office. Keeping accurate records of the immigration status of employees and their work assignments. Making sure sponsored workers continue to meet visa conditions. Failure to comply with these duties can result in fines, suspension, or cancellation of your sponsor licence. The Real Cost of Sponsorship Though the initial sponsor licence fee is substantial, there are ongoing compliance costs, renewal fees, and charges such as the Immigration Skills Charge, which need to be accounted for by the employer. For these costs to be managed properly, therefore, proper planning and budgeting are essential. Invest in Your Workforce with Confidence The possession of a sponsor licence would be a priceless asset for UK employers wishing to widen their workforce using international talent. Good budgeting with a sponsor licence means identifying what application fees and subsequent ongoing charges are associated with that licence. If done right, the process will be smooth, and businesses will find it easy not just to build the team with the right skill set and diverse workforce but also to navigate the process well. If you need expert advice on managing sponsor licence costs or ensuring compliance, A Y & J Solicitors is here to help. A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with sponsor licence applications. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us at +44 20 7404 7933. We’re here to help!Gluten-Free Products Market Overview, Latest Trends, Growth Drivers, Opportunities, Key Segments, Leading Players, And Recent Developments
WASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 2, 2022. A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” US officials recommend encrypted messaging apps amid "Salt Typhoon" cyberattack, attributed to China, targeting AT&T, Verizon, and others. The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Trump's pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel was allegedly the target of cyberattack attempt by Iranian-backed hackers. Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online. Picture this: You're on vacation in a city abroad, exploring museums, tasting the local cuisine, and people-watching at cafés. Everything is going perfectly until you get a series of alerts on your phone. Someone is making fraudulent charges using your credit card, sending you into a panic. How could this have happened? Cyberattacks targeting travelers are nothing new. But as travel has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the volume of hackers and cybercriminals preying upon tourists. Financial fraud is the most common form of cybercrime experienced by travelers, but surveillance via public Wi-Fi networks, social media hacking, and phishing scams are also common, according to a survey by ExpressVPN . Spokeo consulted cybersecurity sources and travel guides to determine some of the best ways to protect your phone while traveling, from using a VPN to managing secure passwords. Online attacks are not the only type of crime impacting travelers—physical theft of phones is also a threat. Phones have become such invaluable travel aids, housing our navigation tools, digital wallets, itineraries, and contacts, that having your phone stolen, lost, or compromised while abroad can be devastating. Meanwhile, traveling can make people uniquely vulnerable to both cyber and physical attacks due to common pitfalls like oversharing on social media and letting your guard down when it comes to taking risks online. Luckily, there are numerous precautions travelers can take to safeguard against cyberattacks and phone theft. Hackers can—and do—target public Wi-Fi networks at cafés and hotels to gain access to your personal information or install malware onto your device, particularly on unsecured networks. Travelers are especially vulnerable to these types of cybersecurity breaches because they are often more reliant on public Wi-Fi than they would be in their home countries where they have more robust phone plans. This reliance on public, unsecured networks means travelers are more likely to use those networks to perform sensitive tasks like financial transfers, meaning hackers can easily gain access to banking information or other passwords. One easy way to safeguard yourself against these breaches is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, while traveling. VPNs are apps that encrypt your data and hide your location, preventing hackers from accessing personal information. An added bonus is that VPNs allow you to access websites that may be blocked or unavailable in the country you are visiting. To use a VPN, simply download a VPN app on your phone or computer, create an account, choose a server, and connect. Pickpockets, scammers, and flagrant, snatch-your-phone-right-out-of-your-hand thieves can be found pretty much everywhere. In London, for instance, a staggering 91,000 phones were reported stolen to police in 2022 , breaking down to an average of 248 per day, according to the BBC. Whether you're visiting a crowded tourist attraction or just want peace of mind, travel experts advise taking precautions to make sure your phone isn't physically stolen or compromised while traveling. There are several antitheft options to choose from. If you want a bag that will protect your phone from theft, experts recommend looking for features like slash-resistant fabric, reinforced shoulder straps, hidden zippers that can be locked, and secure attachment points, like a cross-body strap or a sturdy clip. For tethers, look for those made of tear-resistant material with a reinforced clip or ring. If your phone falls into the wrong hands, there's a good chance you won't be getting it back. Out of those 91,000 phones stolen in London in 2022, only 1,915 (or about 2%) were recovered. The good news is that you can take precautions to make the loss of your phone less devastating by backing up your data before you travel. With backed-up data, you can acquire a new device and still access your photos, contacts, messages, and passwords. Moreover, if you have "Find My Device" or "Find My Phone" enabled, you can remotely wipe your stolen phone's data so the thief cannot access it. It's safest to back up your data to a hard drive and not just the cloud. That way, if you have to wipe your device, you don't accidentally erase the backup, too. In order for the previous tip on this list to work, "Find My Phone" must be turned on in advance, but remotely wiping your device isn't the only thing this feature allows you to do. The "Find My Phone" feature enables you to track your device, as long as it's turned on and not in airplane mode. This is particularly helpful if you misplaced your phone or left it somewhere since it can help you retrace your steps. While this feature won't show you the live location of a phone that has been turned off, it will show the phone's last known location. With "Find My Phone," you can also remotely lock your phone or enable "Lost Mode," which locks down the phone, suspends any in-phone payment methods, and displays contact information for returning the phone to you. If your phone was stolen, experts caution against taking matters into your own hands by chasing down the thief, since this could land you in a potentially dangerous situation and is unlikely to result in getting your phone back. Strong passwords for important accounts help protect your information while you travel, but it's just a first step. The National Cybersecurity Alliance recommends creating long, unique, and complex passwords for every account and combining them with multifactor authentication to create maximum barriers to entry. If you're worried about remembering these passwords, password managers can be a vital tool for both creating and storing strong passwords. Password managers are apps that act as secure vaults for all your passwords. Some even come with a feature that allows you to temporarily delete sensitive passwords before you travel and then easily restore them once you return. Story editing by Mia Nakaji Monnier. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
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Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreamsLIVING standards will not improve if an EU reset ties Britain to Brussels’ rules, warns a former Brexit adviser. Labour’s plans to align with EU standards would “severely constrain” the UK’s ability to cut costs for families, trade consultant Shanker Singham says. His stark intervention comes after a leak revealed Brussels’ demands to raid British fishing waters, bring back free movement for under-30s, and hand power to European judges in exchange for softer goods checks and a security pact. Mr Singham told The Sun: “The new Government’s mission is to increase household income and decrease household costs. Their success will depend on this. “The Government should therefore look at the EU reset in the wider context. They should ask whether any potential change negatively affects their ability to improve the UK’s regulatory system in goods and services to generate greater household income.” Mr Singham warned that EU rules could harm the UK’s position in trade blocs such as the CPTPP — membership of which is considered a major Brexit dividend. READ MORE ON BREXIT He said: “Dynamic alignment or an agreement that required it would make it difficult to do a deal with the US to avoid Trump tariffs, or even to remain a member of the CPTPP.” He suggested a better move would be to unilaterally recognise EU standards in areas such as food and medicine, while letting manufacturers make different products to export elsewhere. Labour insists its bid to reset ties will not mean having to rejoin the EU.
