Whatsapp

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) examined a lab-grown 6.87-carat stone that growers intentionally shaped to imitate a rough natural-diamond crystal. The near-colorless stone is believed to be the first time creators of a synthetic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond have shaped it to resemble a rough diamond, according to an article in the spring issue of the institute’s Gems & Gemology quarterly journal. Upon investigation with the use of raman spectroscopy, the results confirmed that the material was a diamond, with its near-octahedral shape similar to that of a natural rough crystal. Further analysis showed that it was not a true octahedron, as only one set of opposing faces was parallel. Microscopic observation under differential interference contrast revealed extremely flat faces marked mainly by parallel polishing lines, unlike the growth steps and trigons typically seen on natural octahedral faces. The facet junctions were extremely rough, possibly due to measures taken to improve the color, after which the main faces appear to have been repolished, the institute explained. X-ray Laue diffraction showed that none of the stone’s faces matched the planes in a way that is typical of a natural-diamond octahedron. Two opposite faces matched planes in a manner consistent with the stone being

... $100000 in an alleged cryptocurrency scam after being approached through LinkedIn and WhatsApp, according to the Scotch Plains police...

LONDON  -  A WhatsApp group chat was used to send hundreds of millions of euros in cash around the world, funding organised crime and extremism with no paper trail, an investigation by European broadcasters has found. The 532-member group chat, called “Traders of Greater Europe”, was used to arrange cash transfers across borders for their clients, including to British cities such as Birmingham and London. In one case, payments from Brussels went to militants from the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) investigative journalism network, which includes the BBC, also found wider evidence of similar cash transfer systems being used in people smuggling and drug trafficking. The group chat, which contained more than 82,000 messages sent between late February and December 2022, was first uncovered by Belgian investigating magistrate Vincent Guerra. An investigating magistrate is a judge who examines evidence in complex cases before trial and makes a recommendation about whether they should proceed. Guerra said the number of transactions was “staggering” and the network covered “the entire planet”. The case began as an investigation into terror financing, but “it became just a drop in the ocean of transactions”, he said. Members of the group

Copy link E-mail Facebook WhatsApp Bluesky X LinkedIn Threads Reddit Photos: Juan Suarez Photo Feature by Juan Suarez HAVANA TIMES – On the northeastern coast of the capital, Guanabo, a seaside town, is becoming increasingly distant from what it once was. Its beaches, once cheerful, are now sad and dirty. Its empty, dark streets seem to long for the memory of those lively, crowded times. Power outages lasting more than 20 hours, water shortages, and a deathly silence dominate the atmosphere today. See more photo features here on Havana Times.

Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, will begin charging businesses for customer-service messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026. The company will also introduce charges for utility messages sent in response to users within an open 24-hour customer-service window. The changes mean businesses that rely on WhatsApp for customer support and automated communications will face additional operational costs. According to a notice on the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta said it would introduce per-message charges for service messages, which have been free since November 1, 2024. “Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge on a per-message basis for all service messages, consistent with how Meta charges for template messages. These messages have not been charged since November 1, 2024,” the company said. Meta also announced charges for utility messages sent while the 24-hour customer-service window remains open. “Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge on a per-message basis for utility messages sent in response to users (within an open 24-hour customer service window). These messages have not been charged since July 1, 2025.” WhatsApp rolls out new security features to protect accounts Service messages are non-template replies sent by businesses after customers initiate conversations. Utility messages, meanwhile

Natasha Poly for Perfect Issue 11.Photographer: Willy VanderperreFashion Editor: Katie Grand Writer: Byan Yambao Natasha Poly Zooms me from Amsterdam on a Saturday evening, fresh from the gym, hair pulled into a slick ponytail, wearing a plunging white vest. Her skin glows with the kind of frightening perfection that makes her look less human than bionic. My numero uno.  As I was finding my place in fashion in the early 2000s, she was quietly becoming the gold standard. Her runway walk of yesteryears infiltrated my core being. Put me on a goddamn airport moving walkway with music blasting through my AirPods and I will start mincing toward passport control, one foot directly in front of the other, summoning my inner Natasha. More than 20 years into her career, the precision is severe. No lost decade. No comeback. Luck expires. Most careers zigzag. Natasha’s is laser guided. Fashion kept moving the target. She never missed. ‘The challenge is to reinvent yourself all the time,’ she says. ‘You have to show yourself from different perspectives so people don’t get used to this one image.’ Earlier in her career, it was go, go, go: red-eye flights, night shoots, life out of a suitcase.

Fara Homidi is diving into a new category. Developed over four years and housed in an acid-yellow vessel, Pool Slick Lash Lacquer, $48, is the brand’s first mascara. Available now at farahomidi.com and sephora.com, the product is offered in two shades — Absolu (glossy black) and Cabana (walnut brown) — and boasts the barrier benefits of tubing mascara but with a sleek, damp-like finish. The eponymous founder said she was inspired by the women who swam and sunbathed by the pool at her apartment complex when she was a kid. “I just remember when they would come out of the water, their eyelashes would be water-sheened and a little bit darker, and glistening and so beautiful, almost like they were wearing mascara without it being mascara,” she recalled. Related Articles Paloma Elsesser for Fara Homidi’s new Pool Slick Lash Lacquer, $48. While the formula consists of plankton extract, pink pepper and pomegranate seed oil to stimulate the hair follicles, hydrate and darken the lashes, the star feature is the precision-curved wand. Made with solid brush fibers, the applicator combs and controls the placement of the product so the finish is clump-free. And like most other innovations in the brand’s assortment

Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is set to introduce charges for certain business messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026.The change will primarily affect companies using the official WhatsApp Business Platform, previously known as the WhatsApp Business API. Banks, fintech companies, e-commerce platforms, telecommunications operators,…... Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is set to introduce charges for certain business messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026. The change will primarily affect companies using the official WhatsApp Business Platform, previously known as the WhatsApp Business API. Banks, fintech companies, e-commerce platforms, telecommunications operators, logistics firms and large retailers that use WhatsApp for customer support and transaction-related communication are among businesses likely to feel the impact. However, ordinary WhatsApp users and most small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app on mobile devices will not be affected by the new charges. Under the existing arrangement, a message from a customer to a business opens a 24-hour customer service window, during which businesses can send free-form service messages and certain utility messages without paying Meta. That arrangement is set to change from October 1, when Meta will begin applying per-message charges to service messages

BERLIN: WhatsApp has introduced three new security features designed to give users better protection for their accounts. The updates allow users to store multiple passkeys for a single account, make two-step verification more secure and provide additional information when calls come in from unknown numbers – though the latter is not available on all devices. Here's a closer look at the three new features. 1. Passkeys Users can now store more than one passkey for an account, which Meta said was particularly useful for those who use both iOS and Android devices. To add further devices, go to Settings, then Account, then Passkeys. Passkeys are a login method that does away with passwords entirely, using automatically generated cryptographic keys that are exchanged in the background. They are considered especially secure because, unlike passwords, passkeys cannot easily be stolen, guessed or forgotten. They are also seen as convenient, as users only need to confirm their identity briefly via fingerprint, Face ID or a screen lock code. 2. Two-step verification This security feature is being improved by allowing users to choose an individual password instead of the previous six-digit PIN. The two-step verification option itself remains optional. Activating it is advisable, however

WhatsApp’s August 25 security announcement says the service is replacing the six-digit PIN used for two-step verification with a longer password that can include letters, numbers and special characters. The extra credential is intended to protect an account even when someone else obtains its one-time registration code. The rollout also allows more than one passkey on an account and gives Android users additional context about calls from numbers outside their contacts. A same-day TechCrunch report describes all three changes and notes that multiple passkeys are meant to accommodate people using WhatsApp across Android and iOS. The password protects the step after the one-time code WhatsApp’s stronger two-step verification targets account takeovers in which an attacker obtains the temporary code sent during phone-number registration. When two-step verification is enabled, the additional password remains a separate barrier: possession of the one-time code alone should not complete registration on another device. The previous credential was restricted to six digits. Allowing a longer combination of letters, numbers and special characters expands the possible credential space and makes an unpredictable password harder to guess. The new format does not automatically make every password strong, however; a short, obvious or reused choice can still weaken the