Author: Elon Mark

Paramilitary fighters with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces began withdrawing from the battle-torn capital of Khartoum in large numbers on Wednesday, fleeing a city they had occupied since a ruinous war broke out nearly two years ago.The capture of the city by Sudan’s military marks a dramatic turning point in what is currently Africa’s largest war. The Rapid Support Forces, known as the R.S.F., is likely to withdraw to its stronghold in Darfur, in the west of the country, according to analysts.Surveillance drone footage circulated by Sudan’s military showed hundreds of R.S.F. fighters crossing a dam on the Nile at Jebel…

One is a veteran TV executive. The other emerged from the world of digital media. Both are now chief executives of major public media organizations appearing before Congress on Wednesday, where they will face tough questioning from lawmakers.Here’s a look at their backgrounds.Katherine MaherC.E.O., NPRMs. Maher, 41, has spent much of her career leading digital media organizations. She joined NPR last year after serving as chief executive of Web Summit, an organization that holds technology events around the world. Before that, she was the chief executive of The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.Ms. Maher joined…

Password managers are the vegetables of the internet. We know they’re good for us, but most of us are happier snacking on the password equivalent of junk food. For nearly a decade, that’s been “123456” and “password”—the two most commonly used passwords on the web. The problem is, most of us don’t know what makes a good password and aren’t able to remember hundreds of them anyway.The safest (if craziest) way to store your passwords is to memorize them all. (Make sure they are long, strong, and secure!) Just kidding. That might work for Memory Grand Master Ed Cooke, but…

Last year, when Andre Rouhani and Gabriela Reyes toured Culdesac Tempe, a rental development outside of Phoenix, the place looked pretty sweet. It had winsome walkways, boutique shops and low-slung white stucco buildings clustered around shaded courtyards.The only surprise came when Mr. Rouhani, 33, a doctoral student at Arizona State University, asked about resident parking and was told there was none.The couple had two dogs, a toddler and another baby on the way. “Long story short, we decided that all the pros outweigh the cons,” Mr. Rouhani said in a recent phone interview. The family gave its car to Ms.…

It’s an age-old question: How does a business generate and grow its profits? Many business owners and entrepreneurs would argue that the answer is simple: sell more products and increase revenue. But according to the service-profit chain, that’s just one piece of a much larger framework. Understanding the service-profit chain is crucial for business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives, as it directly impacts revenue and long-term success. Here’s a primer on its key elements. Free E-Book: Your Guide to Online Learning SuccessAccess your free e-book today. DOWNLOAD NOW What Is the Service-Profit Chain? The service-profit chain is a business management framework…

Late Saturday night, technicians at Kennedy Space Center in Florida moved the core stage for NASA’s second Space Launch System rocket into position between the vehicle’s two solid-fueled boosters.Working inside the iconic 52-story-tall Vehicle Assembly Building, ground teams used heavy-duty cranes to first lift the butterscotch-orange core stage from its cradle in the VAB’s cavernous transfer aisle, the central passageway between the building’s four rocket assembly bays. The cranes then rotated the structure vertically, allowing workers to disconnect one of the cranes from the bottom of the rocket.That left the rocket hanging on a 325-ton overhead crane, which would lift…

Carbon dioxide has been detected on a planet outside our solar system for the first time. The gas has been observed directly by the James Webb Space Telescope on four exoplanets, all belonging to the HR 8799 system, located 130 light-years from Earth. The detection of CO2 offers clues as to how distant planets form, with the observations providing strong evidence that these four giant planets formed in much the same way as Jupiter and Saturn, through the slow formation of solid cores. The findings were published in the most recent issue of The Astronomical Journal.“By detecting these strong formations…

Finally, Wessler recommends that travelers be sure to update their operating systems on both laptops and phones before crossing the border. That’s because CBP could, in some cases, use tools like Cellebrite or GrayKey to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in those devices, accessing them without the user unlocking them. “It may be that if your operating system is six months out of date, your device is vulnerable,” Wessler says. “The newest version may not be.”Keep Passwords SecretThis is the tricky part. American citizens can’t be deported for refusing to give up passwords for social media accounts or encrypted devices, says the…

Turkey has been plunged into a political crisis after the authorities arrested Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and the top rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on accusations of corruption and supporting terrorism.The biggest protests in more than a decade have erupted across the country, with Mr. Imamoglu ousted from his position and jailed hours before Turkey’s main opposition party designated him its candidate in the next presidential election.Mr. Imamoglu has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. Many people have accused the government of using the courts to sideline a perceived political threat to Mr. Erdogan, who has…

Relaxing in a United Airlines Club lounge is now going to cost airline regulars much more.United is overhauling its lounge membership program, reducing amenities and increasing the cost to enter the dozens of United Clubs worldwide, including locations in Tokyo, Chicago and Los Angeles.At a time when lounges are more in demand than ever, United travelers who purchase annual memberships can now expect to pay more for less.A United Club membership previously included unlimited visits to United Clubs worldwide, entry for two guests — either two adults or one adult and dependent children under 21 — and access to participating…