job

A top Amazon executive has said the US technology giant has blocked more than 1,800 job applications from suspected North Korean agents.

North Koreans tried to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identities, Amazon’s chief security officer Stephen Schmidt said in a LinkedIn post.

“Their objective is typically straightforward: get hired, get paid, and funnel wages back to fund the regime’s weapons programs,” he said, adding that this trend is likely to be happening at scale across the industry, especially in the US.

Authorities in the US and South Korea have warned about Pyongyang’s operatives carrying out online scams.

Amazon has seen a nearly one-third increase in job applications from North Koreans in the past year, said Mr Schmidt in his post.

He said the operatives typically work with people managing “laptop farms” – referring to computers based in the US that are run remotely from outside of the country.

The firm used a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and verification by its staff to screen job applications, he said.

The strategies used by such fraudsters have become more sophisticated, Mr Schmidt said.

Bad actors are hijacking dormant LinkedIn accounts using leaked credentials to gain verification. They target genuine software engineers to appear credible, he said, urging firms to report suspicious job applications to the authorities.

Mr Schmidt warned employers to look out for indicators of fraudulent North Korean job applications, including incorrectly formatted phone numbers and mismatched education histories.

In June, the US government said it had uncovered 29 “laptop farms” that were being operated illegally across the country by North Korean IT workers.

They used stolen or forged identities of Americans to help North Korean nationals get jobs in the US, said the Department of Justice (DOJ).

It also indicted US brokers who had helped secure jobs for the North Korean operatives.

In July, a woman from Arizona was sentenced to more than eight years in jail for running a laptop farm to help North Korean IT workers secure remote jobs at more than 300 US companies.

The DOJ said the scheme generated more than $17m (£12.6m) in illicit gains for her and Pyongyang.

WASHINGTON — President Trump intends to preview his agenda for next year and beyond in a live speech from the White House on Wednesday night. His remarks are coming at a crucial time as he tries to rebuild his steadily eroding popularity.

The White House offered few details about what the Republican president intends to emphasize in the 6 p.m. PST speech. Public polling shows most U.S. adults are frustrated with his handling of the economy as inflation picked up after his tariffs raised prices and hiring slowed.

Trump’s mass deportations of immigrants have also proved unpopular even as he is viewed favorably for halting crossings along the U.S. border with Mexico. The public has generally been nonplussed by his income tax cuts and globe-trotting efforts to end conflicts, attack suspected drug boats near Venezuela and attract investment dollars into the United States.

In 2026, Trump and his party face a referendum on their leadership as the nation heads into the midterm elections that will decide control of the House and the Senate.

Trump has said that he thinks more Americans would back him if they simply heard him describe his track record. Administration officials say investment commitments for new factories will reverse the recent decline in manufacturing jobs and that consumer activity will improve dramatically as people receive increased tax refunds next year.

“It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” Trump said in a Tuesday social media post announcing the speech.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump would discuss his achievements this year and his plans for the remainder of his second term.

Trump has been omnipresent on social media and television this year with his impromptu news conferences and speeches. But addresses to the nation often can be relatively sober affairs, as was Trump’s June address describing the U.S. bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran.

The president has eschewed the messaging discipline that’s common among most politicians, an authenticity that appeals to some voters and repels others.

In a speech in Pennsylvania last week, he said his tariffs might mean that American children should have fewer dolls and pencils, while confirming a previously denied story from his first term in 2018 that he did not want immigrants from “shithole” countries.

On Monday, Trump on his social media site blamed Rob Reiner’s vocal objections to the president for the killing of the actor-director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.

A report released on Tuesday showed a jobs market that looks increasingly fragile, even if the overall economy still appears to be stable.

Employers were adding on average 122,750 jobs a month during the first four months of this year. But since Trump announced his broad tariffs in April, monthly job gains have averaged a paltry 17,000 as the unemployment rate has climbed from 4% in January to 4.6%.

Trump’s team has blamed Democratic lawmakers for shutting down the government for the job losses reported Tuesday during October. The president continues to blame his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for any challenges the nation might face over inflation or ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Boak writes for the Associated Press.

Gogglebox’s Helena Worthington has been a fan favourite since joining the Channel 4 show eight years ago and now her family is expanding

Everything you need to know about pregnant Gogglebox star Helena Worthington

• Helena Worthington joined Channel 4 show Gogglebox back in 2017 for series 10 with the rest of the Worthington family: her mum Alison and Alison’s partner George. And it didn’t take them long to become firm favourites with fans. Over the years, the family – who live in Manchester – have had fans in stitches thanks to their hilarious one-liners and comical takes on the telly highlights.
• Away from the programme, Helena is in a relationship with partner Dan. She is also a proud mum to six-year-old son Erwin. Recently, Helena confirmed she was pregnant as she reflected on welcoming another child into the family. Taking to her Instagram, Helena shared several snaps from a recent day out.
• In the caption she penned: “Pregnant. Tired. Raging indigestion. Still crouching down to explain why we don’t dig up all the bullbs. 33 weeks pregnant at RHS Bridgwater with my first baby, while waiting for my next one. We took Erwin here often when he was a new bean. These in-between moments feel really precious lately — messy, slow, and very real. I’m excited but I feel weird that Erwin will seem so big all of a sudden.”
• While the Worthington family films their segments for Gogglebox at Alison and George’s abode, Helena has made a cosy nest of her own in Salford with Dan and Erwin. Her Instagram is a gallery of domestic bliss, featuring everything from handmade crochet blankets to walls adorned with artwork, all set against a palette of vibrant colours.
• When she’s not on Gogglebox, Helena is an accomplished artist and focuses on sculpting and painting. Her artwork has been displayed in prestigious venues such as The Whitworth Art Gallery and The Manchester Open at Home, and her paintings have found homes in various private collections. In a candid chat with ilovemanchester.com, Helena opened up about her personal life. Reflecting on what sparked her artistic journey, she shared: “When I was very little I used to draw on the walls and in my mum’s cook books and then blame it on my brother… so I guess that was the start of things.”

READ THE FULL STORY: Gogglebox star confirms she’s pregnant as fans rush to congratulate

ZOE Ball celebrated her daughter Nelly’s 16th birthday with a big bash this weekend, reuniting with her ex husband Norman Cook for the milestone.

The party coincided with the shock news that Zoe has quit her Radio 2 show after just seven months at the helm.

Zoe shares Nelly and son Woody, 24, with Norman, who she split from in 2016 after 18 years together.

But the former couple remain on good terms, and reunited for their daughters big birthday this weekend.

Sharing an insight into the bash, Zoe posted a reel on Instagram and wrote: “Baby Girls Early 16th Birthday Party…oldies snuck in before it kicks off

“We love you beautiful noodle, can’t wait for the gossip.”

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The bash featured giant balloons spelling out Nelly’s name, along with a banner which read “Holy s**t you’re 16”.

Nelly’s older brother Woody was there to celebrate his sibling, as Zoe shared a snap of her two kids together.

Their dad, Norman, also appeared in high spirits as he donned a shirt with Nelly’s face printed across it.

It seems that Norman, also known as Fatboy Slim, was fittingly behind the DJ decks for the night, too.

The bash came just hours after it was revealed that Zoe has quit her BBC Radio 2 lunchtime show.

Zoe took on the show just seven months ago, after she stepped down from the station’s breakfast show.

She is set to be replaced by Emma Willis, who says she is a “huge fan” of the show.

Speaking on air on Saturday, Zoe told listeners: “I have loved being betwixt my dear friends Romesh (Ranganathan) and Rylan (Clark), and you know, I love you all to bits, but I’m not disappearing completely.

“Obviously, it’ll be Christmas Crooners and I’m doing an eras show in the new year, more on that later.”

“I am thrilled to tell you that you will be in the safest of hands, because there is a super woman who is no stranger to you all, but this does mean that she will officially become a member of the Radio 2 family.”

Emma said she is excited to be taking on the role: “I’m a huge fan of Radio 2, so I’m absolutely chuffed to be joining the family – and it’s a real honour to follow in the huge footsteps Zoe leaves behind, who’s someone I admire and adore.”

The new host signed off: “I’m very much looking forward to spending my Saturday lunchtimes with the Radio 2 audience and I’ll happily be the filling to a Romesh and Rylan sandwich!”

The news comes as Zoe is one of the “Golden Ten” shortlist of presenters that BBC bosses have lined up to step into the shoes of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.

The Sun revealed that Zoe was one of the ten stars put through their paces in order to find the perfect on screen partnership in a top-secret chemistry test.