Day: July 3, 2024

Artificial intelligence threat makes data protection priority for Philippine military  East Asia Forum

This month, #InsideCIA will feature the Directorate of Operations (DO). When most people think of #CIA, this is the Directorate they probably think of…

The DO handles the collection of intelligence acquired by human sources (human intelligence or HUMINT). When necessary, and under unique circumstances, they conduct covert action as directed by the president.

Learn more: https://www.cia.gov/about/organization/#directorate-of-operations

#InsideCIA #TheDirectorates

Violent crime in Brooklyn was down slightly during the month of June, according to the most recent police data, but the borough still saw a significant number of shootings and sexual assaults.

The overall rate of major felonies — rape, murder, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto — dropped by about 4% during the 28-day period from June 3-28, in comparison to the same span last year. A total of 2,507 incidents were reported during that time, down from 2,615 in 2023.

But there were outliers. Rape increased in both the Brooklyn South and Brooklyn North patrols, and some nabes saw a rise in robbery, vehicle theft, and assault.

Two men were shot in a Brownsville apartment building on June 8. File photo by Lloyd Mitchell

The number of rapes reported in June jumped by 21.4%, from 14 to 17, in Brooklyn South; and by 35%, from 20 to 27, in Brooklyn North. The increase was particularly stark in the 84th Precinct, which includes Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, and Downtown Brooklyn, where four rapes were reported — a dramatic increase from zero during the same period in 2023. 

Though robbery dipped slightly in Brooklyn North from June 3-28, robbery is up in the patrol and across Brooklyn year-to-date, and a total of 172 robberies were reported in the patrol during the most recent 28-day period. That included a robbery pattern reported in the 90th and 79th Precincts in Bed-Stuy and Williamsburg. Cops said two moped-riding suspects robbed victims in separate incidents in those precincts on June 4 — ripping chains from two different women’s necks as they sped by on the moped.

An alleged robber took things further in Bushwick on June 8, when he took hostages at gunpoint while attempting to rob a money transfer store on Irving Avenue. After hours of negotiations with police, the suspect gave up and turned himself in without stealing anything or injuring the hostages. 

Shootings were also split across the borough’s two police patrols. In Brooklyn South, 11 shootings were reported between June 3-30 — the same as were reported in the during that period last year; and the rate of murders dropped by 80%, with just one murder reported. Shooting incidents in the patrol are down 21% year-to-date, and murder is down 33.3%, from 36 last year to 24 this year.

In Brooklyn North, though, shootings jumped 50% from June 3-30, from 16 to 24 this year. Year-to-date, shootings in Brooklyn North have jumped 6.1%, from 98 to 104. The murder rate in Brooklyn North during June was flat, at five, but has jumped 5.7% year-to-date, with a total of 37 murders reported. 

Two seniors were injured in a shooting on June 16. File photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Gun violence in Brooklyn North has been concentrated in a cluster of neighborhoods, especially in Brownsville’s 73rd Precinct.

Though no murders were reported in the 73rd Precinct during June, per police data, murder in the precinct has risen 225% this year, and a total of 13 people have been killed in the neighborhood so far this year. The precinct saw seven shootings between June 3-30, though, up 225% from two reported during the same period last year. So far this year, shooting incidents in the precinct have risen 77.8%, from 18 to 32. 

On June 8, two men were shot and injured inside a Brownsville apartment building. A week later, two seniors were shot in the nabe — and cops said it was not clear if the victims were the intended targets. 

Traffic fatalities have also risen year-to-date across Brooklyn, though they dipped in Brooklyn North between June 3-30. Three people were killed in Brooklyn South during that period, and though police data reported no traffic fatalities in Brooklyn North, at least one woman was killed in the area — an 83-year-old woman who was struck and killed by a dump truck in Boerum Hill on June 28. 

Year-to-date, traffic fatalities are up more than 9%, in Brooklyn South, wbere 24 people have died; and 33.3% in Brooklyn North, where 12 people have died. 

I visited Rome during the high season, and a few things could’ve improved our trip.

Alesandra Dubin

• My family visited Rome during the peak summer season, and it was hot and crowded.
• I wish I’d bought travel insurance for my whole family and hadn’t relied on the hop-on, hop-off bus.
• We should’ve explored more in the morning and at night to avoid the sweltering midday heat. 

When I planned a trip to Rome for my family in late July last year, I knew it was dubious timing, and I could expect the destination to be hot and crowded.

Summer is high season in Rome, and the city saw an estimated 35 million tourists that year — a huge increase from 2022. Plus, those numbers are only predicted to go up in 2024.

But, I reasoned, what choice did I have traveling with school-aged kids bound by school vacation schedules? We went anyway, and our trip wasn’t flawless — but I definitely learned a lot.

Here’s my first and best tip, unfiltered: If you can, avoid Rome in the high season when landmarks are packed shoulder to shoulder, rates are expensive, and it’s extremely hot.

If you go anyway like I did, preparation is key to a successful, comfortable trip that’s memorable for the right reasons.

Here are my five top takeaways to help you enjoy your stay.

Just get the travel insurance

I hope my travel tips spare other travelers some headaches, too.

Alesandra Dubin

Our trip got off to a rough start when my son got sick and couldn’t travel as scheduled. Unfortunately, I only had a travel insurance policy for myself, not my whole family.

That meant my daughter and I traveled to Rome without my husband and son, and we spent hours working the phones to get them rebooked for the following day when my son was well enough to fly.

In the high season, this medically necessary reshuffling cost us a small fortune, sending us way over budget right off the bat and setting a stressful tone to the trip.

When I returned home, I bought a policy that covers all four named members of our family for an annual term, and I’ll never travel without one again.

Sit out the midday heat indoors

Rome is beyond hot in the high season, with regular highs in the 80s and 90s Fahrenheit. (Fortunately, we missed the historic heat wave the previous week that actually forced the closure of certain European landmarks for safety.)

Try to stay indoors during the excruciating midday heat — ideally in a place with air conditioning. The best option is to plan to explore as much as possible in the cooler early mornings and evenings.

Fortunately, many top attractions are open at night, including the Colosseum, which has lighting installed to make it glow. Unfortunately, we positively baked in the sun here during our daytime tour.

One thing we did right was visit Rome’s catacombs at midday. I’d read it’s a great thing to do during the heat because it’s always cooler underground, and it was indeed a wonderful reprieve from the heat.

Spring for the pre-opening tour at the Vatican to avoid crowds

To that end, if the Vatican is on your list of must-visit landmarks in Rome, I’d strongly advise you to pay extra and book a pre-opening tour. These allow you to visit before the crowds come after the official opening time.

You can avoid the midday heat, and you might have a more spiritual experience if you’re not being jostled by crowds of people wielding selfie sticks.

Book everything well in advance

If you have your heart set on particular tours or landmarks, book them in advance.

Alesandra Dubin

Don’t wing your trip during Rome’s high season.

Plan to book all your tours well in advance of your travel dates — months ahead, if possible — otherwise, you’ll likely find them all sold out when you try to find last-minute bookings.

If it helps, you can filter for tours with generous cancellation policies when you search on platforms like Viator.

Manage your expectations for the hop-on, hop-off bus system

After a wonderful solo experience riding the hop-on, hop-off bus in the springtime in London, I had high hopes that this mode of transportation would be a great option for our family in Rome.

Unfortunately, our bus moved achingly slow — so much so that we were a half hour late for our Colosseum tour (which we would’ve had to forfeit had it not been semiprivate with a forgiving guide).

Plus, the air conditioning felt tragically ineffective as we sat in traffic for hours. It was hardly the scenic delight I had hoped for, and I’ll know not to depend on it for the next trip.

4 июля британцы выбирают новых депутатов Палаты общин. Консервативная партия, формирующая правящий кабинет уже 14 лет, потерпит, скорее всего, тяжелейшее поражение. Кто придет на смену тори? И почему такую мощь в современной Британии обрели ультраправые националисты во главе с Найджелом Фараджем?

https://t.co/GFBG3WccDe#SouthCaucasus South Caucasus https://t.co/8vT2S8zbge
Ilham Aliyev #IlhamAliyev#NewsAndTimes #NT #TNT #News #Times#World #USA #POTUS #DOJ #FBI #CIA #DIA #ODNI#Israel #Mossad #Netanyahu#Ukraine #NewAbwehr #OSINT#Putin #Russia #GRU #Путин, #Россия… https://t.co/VdS7BsOvZ2 pic.twitter.com/6PLxmPlUud

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) July 3, 2024

Встреча с председателем правления ПАО «Газпром нефть» Александром Дюковым • Президент России https://t.co/3VvnBE4TYW pic.twitter.com/KKb1sBa9YT

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) July 3, 2024