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PLAINS, Ga. — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died at his home in Plains, Georgia. His death comes more than a year after the former president entered hospice care. He was 100 years old. Here are some significant events in Jimmy Carter's life: — Oct. 1, 1924: James Earl Carter Jr. is born in Plains, Georgia, son of James Sr. and Lillian Gordy Carter. — June 1946: Carter graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy. — July 1946: Carter marries Rosalynn Smith, in Plains. They have four children, John William (“Jack”), born 1947; James Earl 3rd (“Chip”), 1950; Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), 1952; and Amy Lynn, 1967. — 1946-1953: Carter serves in a Navy nuclear submarine program, attaining rank of lieutenant commander. — Summer 1953: Carter resigns from the Navy, returns to Plains after father’s death. — 1953-1971: Carter helps run the family peanut farm and warehouse business. — 1963-1966: Carter serves in the Georgia state Senate. — 1966: Carter tries unsuccessfully for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. — November 1970: Carter is elected governor of Georgia. Serves 1971-75. — Dec. 12, 1974: Carter announces a presidential bid. Atlanta newspaper answers with headline: “Jimmy Who?” — January 1976: Carter leads the Democratic field in Iowa, a huge campaign boost that also helps to establish Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus. — July 1976: Carter accepts the Democratic nomination and announces Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota as running mate. — November 1976: Carter defeats President Gerald R. Ford, winning 51% of the vote and 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 240. — January 1977: Carter is sworn in as the 39th president of the United States. On his first full day in office, he pardons most Vietnam-era draft evaders. —September 1977: U.S. and Panama sign treaties to return the Panama Canal back to Panama in 1999. Senate narrowly ratifies them in 1978. — September 1978: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Carter sign Camp David accords, which lead to a peace deal between Egypt and Israel the following year. — June 15-18, 1979: Carter attends a summit with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev in Vienna that leads to the signing of the SALT II treaty. — November 1979: Iranian militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 hostages. All survive and are freed minutes after Carter leaves office in January 1981. — April 1980: The Mariel boatlift begins, sending tens of thousands of Cubans to the U.S. Many are criminals and psychiatric patients set free by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, creating a major foreign policy crisis. — April 1980: An attempt by the U.S. to free hostages fails when a helicopter crashes into a transport plane in Iran, killing eight servicemen. — Nov. 4, 1980: Carter is denied a second term by Ronald Reagan, who wins 51.6% of the popular vote to 41.7% for Carter and 6.7% to independent John Anderson. — 1982: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter co-found The Carter Center in Atlanta, whose mission is to resolve conflicts, protect human rights and prevent disease around the world. — September 1984: The Carters spend a week building Habitat for Humanity houses, launching what becomes the annual Carter Work Project. — October 1986: A dedication is held for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. The center includes the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and Carter Center offices. — 1989: Carter leads the Carter Center’s first election monitoring mission, declaring Panamanian Gen. Manuel Noriega’s election fraudulent. — May 1992: Carter meets with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at the Carter Center to discuss forming the Gorbachev Foundation. — June 1994: Carter plays a key role in North Korea nuclear disarmament talks. — September 1994: Carter leads a delegation to Haiti, arranging terms to avoid a U.S. invasion and return President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. — December 1994: Carter negotiates tentative cease-fire in Bosnia. — March 1995: Carter mediates cease-fire in Sudan’s war with southern rebels. — September 1995: Carter travels to Africa to advance the peace process in more troubled areas. — December 1998: Carter receives U.N. Human Rights Prize on 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. — August 1999: President Bill Clinton awards Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter the Presidential Medal of Freedom. — September 2001: Carter joins former Presidents Ford, Bush and Clinton at a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington after Sept. 11 attacks. — April 2002: Carter’s book “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood” chosen as finalist for Pulitzer Prize in biography. — May 2002: Carter visits Cuba and addresses the communist nation on television. He is the highest-ranking American to visit in decades. — Dec. 10, 2002: Carter is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” — July 2007: Carter joins The Elders, a group of international leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to focus on global issues. — Spring 2008: Carter remains officially neutral as Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton battle each other for the Democratic presidential nomination. — April 2008: Carter stirs controversy by meeting with the Islamic militant group Hamas. — August 2010: Carter travels to North Korea as the Carter Center negotiates the release of an imprisoned American teacher. — August 2013: Carter joins President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton at the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and the March on Washington. — Oct. 1, 2014: Carter celebrates his 90th birthday. — December 2014: Carter is nominated for a Grammy in the best spoken word album category, for his book “A Call To Action.” — May 2015: Carter returns early from an election observation visit in Guyana — the Carter Center’s 100th — after feeling unwell. — August 2015: Carter has a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. He plans to receive treatment at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. — August 2015: Carter announces that his grandson Jason Carter will chair the Carter Center governing board. — March 6, 2016: Carter says an experimental drug has eliminated any sign of his cancer, and that he needs no further treatment. — May 25, 2016: Carter steps back from a “front-line” role with The Elders to become an emeritus member. — July 2016: Carter is treated for dehydration during a Habitat for Humanity build in Canada. — Spring 2018: Carter publishes “Faith: A Journey for All,” the last of 32 books. — March 22, 2019: Carter becomes the longest-lived U.S. president, surpassing President George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018. — September 18, 2019: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter deliver their final in-person annual report at the Carter Center. — October 2019: At 95, still recovering from a fall, Carter joins the Work Project with Habitat for Humanity in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s the last time he works personally on the annual project. — Fall 2019-early 2020: Democratic presidential hopefuls visit, publicly embracing Carter as a party elder, a first for his post-presidency. — November 2020:The Carter Center monitors an audit of presidential election results in the state of Georgia, marking a new era of democracy advocacy within the U.S. — Jan. 20, 2021: The Carters miss President Joe Biden’s swearing-in, the first presidential inauguration they don’t attend since Carter’s own ceremony in 1977. The Bidens later visit the Carters in Plains on April 29. — Feb. 19, 2023: Carter enters home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. — July 7, 2023: The Carters celebrate their 77th and final wedding anniversary. — Nov. 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter dies at home, two days after the family announced that she had joined the former president in receiving hospice care. — Oct. 1, 2024 — Carter becomes the first former U.S. president to reach 100 years of age , celebrating at home with extended family and close friends. — Oct. 16, 2024 — Carter casts a Georgia mail ballot for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, having told his family he wanted to live long enough to vote for her. It marks his 21st presidential election as a voter. — Dec. 29, 2024: Carter dies at home.
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If you're looking for additional affordable gifts, check out our latest Black Friday deals , including phone deals and our new shopping tricks for 2024 sales .The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening. The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTE in a supermarket. Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her, however focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video. At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTE to ask for the clip to be taken down. “I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris. “It was a very important moment on the campaign. “And RTE and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.” The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”. Mr Harris’s partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, said he was not aware of the approach to RTE by Fine Gael. “I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said. “I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it. “The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people. “And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society. “Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives. “And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier in the day described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTE as “chilling”. However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTE’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts. Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”. Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTE Prime Time debate on Tuesday. “Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said. “There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal). “The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. “I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak, winning for the first time at home this season and ending the Indianapolis Colts' slim playoff hopes Sunday didn't salvage the season for the New York Giants. The main positive in the 45-33 win that Drew Lock led with four touchdown passes and a late TD run was the Giants (3-13) got to walk off the field with smiles for the first time in months after a season of misery that will could lead to major changes. Another factor from the win: New York no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Giants coach Brian Daboll, who has had two straight losing seasons following a playoff berth in 2022 in his first year, said that he was happy the team got a chance to celebrate after losing eight straight at MetLife Stadium. “Those guys put a lot into it. They come out, they grind every day. They have good attitudes,” Daboll said. “It’s never easy when you when are losing. But I’m proud of the character and all the people in the building, and I’m mostly happy for them.” Lock, who threw two pick-6s in the loss to Atlanta a week ago, sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan'Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on Oct. 6. “I've won a lot in my life,” Slayton said. "I wouldn’t say I ever forget the feeling of winning, but, you know, obviously it’s nice to get that feeling back today.” Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league's worst offense set a season high for points. Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of 3 and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and 7 yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter. Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, clinched the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 5-yard run. “It’s kudos to him,” said Nabers, who now has 104 catches for 1,140 yards and six touchdowns. “He looked over the film, found some things that he could get better on and did all that through the week, and it showed how good he can be.” The 45 points were the most for New York since putting up 49 in a 52-49 loss to the Saints in 2015. It’s the Giants most in a win since a 45-14 rout against Washington in 2014 and most at home since a 52-27 win against the Saints in 2012. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards. “That’s why we drafted him, where we drafted him,” Daboll said. “I’ve been asked about it since training camp and I think the response has been, ‘He’s a pretty good football player.’” Flacco was 26 of 38 for 330 yards with two interceptions, the second by rookie Dru Phillips shortly after Lock's TD run. Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards in a win over Tennessee last week, finished with 125 yards on 32 carries. Pierce had six catches for 122 yards. The Colts came into the game needing to win their final two games and also get help to make the playoffs. “We had something to play for today and obviously we didn’t get it done," Flacco said. The Colts haven't made the playoffs since posting an 11-5 record in 2020. “It's hard to explain,” said Colts coach Shane Steichen, who led the team to a 9-8 record in his first season in 2023. “We had to play a complete game. We haven’t done it all year. We have to be on the same page, and to go out there like that is obviously not good enough.” Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy become the third pair of rookies to have more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. The previous duo was running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006. Colts: Richardson was inactive with foot and back injuries sustained against Tennessee. Giants: DL Armon Watts (knee) was ruled out in the first half. Colts: Finish the regular season by hosting Jacksonville. Giants: At Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the Eagles. AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
RCM Technologies' division president Michael Saks sells $235,006 in stockA boss at a large car dealership has described the “heartbreak” of making staff redundant for the first time after a “devastating” fire. Philip Skinner, joint managing director of Ron Skinner and Sons, said there had been “sleepless nights” and “a lot of worry” following the blaze which ripped through its site in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, in August. But he also spoke of his family’s determination to rebuild and said the recent opening of a new showroom in the town was a “new era" for the company. More than 350 cars were destroyed in the fire, alongside machinery, with Mr Skinner estimating that losses run into the millions, with 18 recent redundancies. The fire was first reported early on Saturday 16 August. “By the time I got here, the entire building was totally ablaze and I was just amazed at the scale of it, I couldn’t believe what was going on,” said Mr Skinner. He was initially confused to see firefighters only working on the outer edges of the building, but was told the “intensity of the fire due to the stock was so great, [that] to put water on would have caused a bigger fire”. In the hours that followed Philip and his brother Mark, also a managing director, were “in a state of shock”. But they knew they had to visit their mother, 88-year-old Rachel Skinner, who set up the business with her husband, the late Ron Skinner, in 1968. “Calling in at 7 o’clock in the morning, I didn’t want to frighten her but I had to tell her," he said. “ She had a good 10-minute cry. But she is a proper business lady and by about two o’clock that afternoon, sitting around my mother’s dining table with my brother, it was very much: ‘Boys - time to roll up your sleeves, and get it put back up'.” But the journey to realise that ambition and open a new showroom in Tredegar at the end of last month has been “very difficult,” he admitted. “Nothing was recoverable - everything completely destroyed, even cars that were outside were being burnt to shells.” There were wages and “large bills” still to be paid, with things going “down to the wire” in those initial weeks. Family and friends put money into the business, which also has showrooms in Cardiff, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. Eventually talks with the insurance company made the brothers realise they would have to make some job losses. According to Mr Skinner, who started in the company’s workshop 43 years ago, that was a first. “It was very difficult and I had to stand back," he said. "It was still heartbreaking to see the people I have worked with for so long take voluntary redundancy and leaving.” Before the fire 164 people worked for the company, with 18 people taking redundancy in recent weeks. For those that remain, including Jonathan Robinson, 32, a sales manager, the goal has been the opening weekend. “The response has been immense,“ said Mr Robinson, who has worked for the firm for 12 years. “We weren’t really expecting the turnout in Storm Bert that we got but it was so refreshing to see the love for the company throughout the community.” The new showroom in Tredegar is not as big as the old one, but there are plans to expand in time. “We are very positive for the future,” said Philip Skinner. “ It feels like going back 25 years to one of our oldest sites and kicking off again - this is the start of what will be a new era."
Clemson 75, Penn St. 67AUBURN — When Central Maine Community College’s criminal justice program began to run out of room, a decision was made to create a stand-alone building to house what can be noisy sessions with students firing blanks, shouting and simulating hostage situations or other scenarios. The Central Maine Community College maintenance crew — Brian Landry, left, Dan Graham and Matthew Walker — built the Public Service Simulation Center at CMMC in Auburn. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal The school has a maintenance team made up of three CMCC graduates, who were tapped to build what is known as the Public Service Simulation Center. The concrete, sprinkler system, heating and air conditioning and plumbing were contracted out. Everything else was done by the trio. Dan Graham is the facilities director at the school. He graduated from the electrical program in 2002, studied electromechanical engineering and was a foreman with a commercial construction company. Brian Landry graduated in 1997 and is the school’s electrician. Matthew Walker is a 2022 graduate of the carpentry program and is the school’s master carpenter. He was still a student when he began working on the building. “We built an electronics lab after I graduated,” Graham said. “The president of the college at the time hired myself and another former graduate to design the current electronics lab. And then when I graduated, they hired me on to build it.” The school saves a lot of money by doing such projects itself, but it is not focused solely on the bottom line, according to Graham. “An architect gave us basically the structural plans for the building,” he said, “and then basically everything else design wise was done by us.” That means everything from paint color to fixtures, ceiling, lighting and the layout of the rooms. The process allows the school to customize the building to the needs of the program at a fraction of the cost. In this case, it got a $2 million building for $1 million, paid with grant money and capital funds. The trade-off was time. It took twice as long to build, but it includes some unique features and functions. There is a classroom with all types of electronics, including cameras and microphones in the simulation areas so instructors can monitor what is happening live in a control room or play back specific scenes to show students what they did right or wrong. There is also an armory room where all the weapons outfitted with a laser system are locked down. Dan Graham stands in a doorway of the Public Service Simulation Center at Central Maine Community College in Auburn. The room has moveable walls so students or emergency workers in training can simulate dangerous situations. The lighting in the ceiling was created by the team from CMCC to suit the needs of the room and has been copied around campus. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal The back section of the building can be blacked out and has interlocking panels that can be assembled to simulate a house or building that trainees must navigate, fake blood and all. Locker rooms include showers so students can clean up after physical exercises in the grassy area behind the center, which can often include mud. There is also a garage that can be used for simulations that require more space. Walker had the sharpest learning curve of the trio, working one day a week on the building as he attended classes. “I would come in and we’d frame,” he said. “I got a really good part of setting the trusses on the roof, but then, by the time I finished graduating, we still had a lot of the exterior.” So he painted and installed tile in the bathrooms, ceiling tiles and custom ceiling tile lighting. To make it symmetrical, the tiles had to be centered in the room or hallway at an angle, which was challenging, Walker said, but one of his favorite parts of the project. “Putting that at an angle was a real highlight — it’s different,” he said. “You never see anything like that, you know. I mean, when you work in a job like this, and you start to notice those things.” The worst part, Walker said, was insulating the building. “We sheathed it, then we wrapped it in ice and water shield,” he said. “We wrapped it in foam, and then we wrapped it again in sheathing. So, we literally circled this building five times (to comply with codes), just before we could put siding on.” Walker was guided by the more experienced Graham, who acted as foreman and electrician Landry, who worked for 15 years in commercial construction before joining CMCC. For Landry, the toughest part was working alone for the most of the time. “I did all the electrical — if it’s an outlet, light projector on the wall fire alarm system, security system, ethernet cable, speakers, everything,” he said. “Wire up the boilers, wire all the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment.” When Landry was not wiring something, he would help build walls or with anything else that needed be done. The best part, he said, was finally seeing the project completed. Other projects at the campus had to be prioritized, while some had to be put off until the building was completed. Matthew Walter stands outside the armory room used to store StressVest training weapons at the Public Service Simulation Center at Central Maine Community College in Auburn. Walker was a student when he began working on the building. He is now a master carpenter at the school. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal “I kind of like seeing the finished product, especially the amount of time we put into it,” Graham said. “The thing I don’t like about it is how much we lose on the rest of the campus, because there’s a lot of stuff that I walk by and you see nicks in the wall and like, man, I wish I had time to fix that, but I gotta put this fire out first.” All three men said they like to see how people react to the finished product, which is not the only project they have tackled together. “You get a lot more pride in what you do because you see it every day,” Graham said. “You see how people react to it, and that’s kind of my favorite thing in the whole project is watching other people react to the spaces when they go in.” Students use the center about 90% of the time. When school is not in session and on weekends, the facility is used by those in local, state and federal law enforcement for training. In their downtime, the three men have differing interests. Graham said he likes to work on antique cars. “I’ve got a lot of old race cars,” he said. “I like playing sports — basketball. I was national championship in basketball, so I like playing sports. I’m coaching my daughter’s team now.” Landry says one of the reasons he took the job was to be able to spend more time with his family. “Watching my kids grow up,” he said, “and being part of their sports teams. Coaching and being able to see their games, going to practices and just being a dad.” Landry said he also enjoys snowmobiling and a little golf, but mumbled something about getting too old to do some of the things he used to do. Walker, the youngest of the trio, said he loves that he can be the cross-country coach at Bruce M. Whittier Middle School in Poland. “I do a lot of restoring of antique furniture,” he said, “and I have a whole collection of old antique power tools that I’ve restored and hand tools that I’ve restored.” “Working” is a monthly feature highlighting an individual, group or business and focuses on what they do for their job. It is a great way to recognize people for their work or an entire career. If you would like to nominate someone for recognition, send an email to cwheelock@sunjournal.com . Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous
Two adults were taken to hospital after a fire that started in the basement of an apartment building in Centretown West in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to the Ottawa Paramedic Service. Ottawa Fire Services says firefighters received multiple calls shortly before 4 a.m., reporting there was smoke in the basement of a low-rise building in the 300 block of Cambridge Street. When crews arrived at the scene and saw flames were coming out the basement window, they declared a working fire to request additional resources. They then started extinguishing the fire by advancing a hose line inside the building. The fire was declared under control at 4:11 a.m. It was contained to the area of origin before it could spread into the entire building, Ottawa fire says. Firefighters then searched the structure for any occupants and did not find anyone inside. The two adults were reported to be in stable condition, an Ottawa paramedics spokesperson said. An OC Transpo bus provided shelter for the residents, while firefighters fought the flames. Victim Services was also dispatched to provide the necessary help. The investigation into what led to the fire is ongoing. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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These LEGO Kits Are On Sale For Boxing Day 2024 The Waterpik Advanced Water Flosser Will Make Cleaning Your Teeth So Much Easier — And It's 41% Off For Boxing Day Ottawa Top Stories 4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal FOG ADVISORY | Environment Canada warns of 'near-zero' visibility as fog blankets Ottawa Here's how you can watch CTV News at Six on Sundays during the NFL season Eastern Ontario farm wants your Christmas trees to feed its animals: ’They do like the fresh needles’ Two taken to hospital following basement fire in Centretown West OPP warning of thin ice after two recreation vehicles fall through eastern Ontario lakes Ottawa OPP seizes $28K, suspected drug tablets following traffic stop on Highway 417 What's happening in Ottawa over the holidays CTVNews.ca Top Stories Detractors in Liberal ranks at mercy of Trudeau decision: analyst As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. 2 teenagers arrested, 1 suspect at-large after attack involving bear spray, machete A pair of teenaged boys have been charged with aggravated assault after police said they attacked a man with bear spray and a machete Friday evening. Possible explosion at Metro Vancouver strip mall under investigation Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a potential explosion at a Metro Vancouver strip mall Sunday morning. A plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters, officials said. Recognize the name Jolt Cola? The 1980s soda aims to make a comeback — this time with even more caffeine Jolt Cola, the soda brand that gained attention in the 1980s for offering “all the sugar and twice the caffeine,” is heading back to stores in 2025. This time, it’s promising more than twice the original caffeine content. Looking to get rid of your Christmas tree? This farm will feed it to its goats Now that the holidays are almost over, many people may be looking to dispose of their Christmas tree. One farm in Massachusetts is letting people do just that, in a furry and eco-friendly way. 'Let's not panic': Canada picks up the pieces after ugly Latvia loss at world juniors Canada was embarrassed on home soil 3-2 by Latvia — a country it had thumped by a combined 41-4 score across four previous meetings — in a shocking shootout Friday. 4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal The earth moved in the Maniwaki area this Sunday morning. No damage was reported after a 4.1 magnitude earthquake rattled the Maniwaki area in western Quebec, according to Earthquakes Canada. 'Sonic 3' and 'Mufasa' battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office Two family films dominated the holiday box office this week, with 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' winning the three-day weekend over 'Mufasa' by a blue hair. Atlantic TSB investigating airplane landing incident at Halifax airport The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says they are investigating an aircraft incident at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport that caused temporary delays to all flight operations Saturday night. N.B. entrepreneur honours memory of mother with 'thank you' note legacy N.B. entrepreneur Emily Somers honours her mother with 'thank you' notes. 75-year-old man hospitalized after being struck by vehicle: Bridgewater police A 75-year-old Lunenburg County man is in hospital after being struck by a vehicle in Bridgewater, N.S., Friday morning. Toronto ‘Significant rainfall,’ and fog expected in the GTA, much of southern Ontario Sunday It’s expected to be a wet and foggy day across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Sunday, with as much as 30 mm of rain expected in some locations. Suspect charged after woman found dead at Niagara Falls home A suspect has been charged after a woman was found dead inside her Niagara Falls home. SIU investigating after Toronto cops discharge sock round, less-lethal firearm at man that resulted in serious injuries The province’s police watchdog is investigating after Toronto officers discharged sock round and less-lethal firearm at a man who had allegedly stabbed another person in the city’s Rockcliffe-Smythe area on Saturday morning. Montreal Over a dozen community groups refuse to leave Montreal centre despite eviction order More than a dozen groups have refused to vacate a community centre in Montreal's Ahuntsic neighbourhood despite an eviction order from their landlord, Quebec's largest school service centre. Earthquake near Maniwaki felt in Gatineau, Ottawa, and Montreal A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Maniwaki, Que., on Sunday morning, according to Earthquake Canada. Authorities change plan to free stranded vessel near Vercheres The Canadian Coast Guard announced on Sunday morning that a change of strategy was underway to salvage the vessel that ran aground on Christmas Eve in the St. Lawrence River, in the Verchères sector of the Montérégie region. Northern Ontario Mississauga tow truck driver charged for impersonating a cop in northern Ont. A southern Ontario resident has been charged for allegedly impersonating a peace officer during a towing incident in northwestern Ontario. Detractors in Liberal ranks at mercy of Trudeau decision: analyst As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Montreal motorist dead after 5-vehicle collision in Kirkland Lake: OPP Ontario Provincial Police in Kirkland Lake, Ont., are investigating a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 11 that killed one person. Windsor Crews battle two apartment fires in under two hours Windsor Fire and Rescue responded to two calls at Ouellette Avenue apartment buildings Sunday morning. Rainfall warning in effect across the region It’s a wet and gloomy day across the region. Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for Windsor, Essex County, and Chatham-Kent. 4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal The earth moved in the Maniwaki area this Sunday morning. No damage was reported after a 4.1 magnitude earthquake rattled the Maniwaki area in western Quebec, according to Earthquakes Canada. London Fatal crash in Middlesex County Middlesex County OPP attended the scene of a fatal motor vehicle collision in Strathroy-Caradoc early Sunday morning. New Year’s Eve in London’s Victoria Park You can ring in 2025 this Tuesday night at London’s free New Year’s Eve in the Park celebration. 'Let's not panic': Canada picks up the pieces after ugly Latvia loss at world juniors Canada was embarrassed on home soil 3-2 by Latvia — a country it had thumped by a combined 41-4 score across four previous meetings — in a shocking shootout Friday. Kitchener Cambridge industrial plant dealing with major damages after fire A fire Saturday morning has a Cambridge industrial plant dealing with major damage. Emergency crews respond to Mapleton, Ont. barn fire Mapleton, Ont. emergency crews are battling a barn fire that broke out Sunday morning. A plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters, officials said. Barrie Deluxe taxi goes up in flames in Barrie parking lot Some locals were quick to pull out their cellphones and capture a minivan as it went up in hot flames in a Barrie parking lot. Region under rainfall warning, fog advisory Many areas across Simcoe Muskoka, upper York Region and Grey County are under rainfall warnings and fog advisories as of Sunday morning. $47K in drugs seized, man arrested in alleged domestic assault Police in Owen Sound made one arrest and seized a ‘large’ quantity of multiple drugs after responding to an alleged domestic assault on Saturday. Winnipeg 2 teenagers arrested, 1 suspect at-large after attack involving bear spray, machete A pair of teenaged boys have been charged with aggravated assault after police said they attacked a man with bear spray and a machete Friday evening. Experts, province urge caution over ice conditions after man dies in Hanover The province, along with outdoor enthusiasts, are urging people to use caution near frozen bodies of water after a man died when his skid steer loader fell through the ice. Cross-country ski race returns to Windsor Park The Prairie Holiday Loppet made its long-awaited return to Winnipeg’s Windsor Park Saturday, with dozens of racers hitting the trails. Calgary 1 man hospitalized after being shot in leg near Calgary’s Drop-In Centre One man was taken to hospital after a shooting downtown Saturday night. 1 arrested after 3 stabbed in Airdrie, including 2 youth Airdrie RCMP have arrested a male in connection with multiple aggravated assaults that left three people injured. Jonathan Huberdeau scores twice as Calgary Flames beat San Jose Sharks 3-1 Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and the Calgary Flames beat San Jose 3-1 on Saturday night, handing the Sharks their seventh straight loss. Edmonton Edmonton street photographer captures moments and people one frame at a time A local photographer who is passionate about capturing moments in one-hundredth of a second embraced many styles of his trade before landing on one which truly represents his mantra: street photography. 2 vehicles fall through ice at Sylvan Lake, promoting police warning RCMP issued a warning Saturday after two vehicles fell through the ice on Sylvan Lake. Olympic Games in 2026 on the horizon for world champion ski jumper Alex Loutitt The words "why not me" are tattooed on the back of Alexandria Loutitt's hand between her thumb and wrist. Regina Regina police charge 2 youths in city's 6th homicide of 2024 Two Regina teens are facing murder charges in connection to the death of a Regina man on Boxing Day. Regina man showcases local bead supply business Jeramy Hannah recently began selling beading supplies, after he realized the beaders in his life were struggling with a lack of local vendors, prompting him to create a business called Bead Bro. 'A great holiday memory': Echo Valley Provincial Park gets plenty of visitors at Skate the Park launch Families and groups of friends made use of the good weather as the new season of Skate the Park got underway at Echo Valley Provincial Park. Saskatoon U18 provincials curling tournament underway in PA Teams from across Saskatchewan are in Prince Albert for the U18 curling provincials. Police made two arrests following a shooting in Saskatoon A swift response from Saskatoon police led to the arrest of a man and woman following a reported shooting Friday afternoon. Saskatoon fire crews battle house fire Saskatoon firefighters responded to a house fire on the 100 block of Klassen Crescent Friday afternoon. Vancouver 2 shot during fight outside Surrey pub Two people were injured in a shooting outside of a Surrey pub in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to authorities. Possible explosion at Metro Vancouver strip mall under investigation Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a potential explosion at a Metro Vancouver strip mall Sunday morning. How to recycle your Christmas tree in Metro Vancouver During the first weeks of January, cities in Metro Vancouver offer several options for recycling Christmas trees, from putting them in the green bin, to curbside pick-up, to chipping fundraisers that benefit local charities. Vancouver Island Victoria police seek witnesses, additional victims after hit-and-run spree A woman is facing seven charges after allegedly committing multiple hit-and-run crashes in a stolen vehicle while impaired, according to police in B.C.'s capital. Online child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it's here to stay Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Vancouver man defrauded Chinese developers of US$500K, court rules A Vancouver man has been ordered to pay more than US$500,000 after a B.C. Supreme Court judge found he had defrauded the would-be developers of a real estate project in China of that amount. Kelowna B.C. team building 100 beaver 'starter homes' in the name of wetland preservation More than 70 manmade beaver dams have been installed in Interior waterways since the B.C. Wildlife Federation project launched last year with the goal of building 100 dams by the end of 2025. B.C. man charged with drug trafficking and weapons offences after CBSA investigation A resident of B.C.'s Interior has been charged with weapon and drug trafficking offences after an investigation launched by border agents at Vancouver International Airport earlier this year. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Stay ConnectedTice, Otieno lead Quinnipiac to 75-69 OT win over Hofstra
Former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza is transferring to Indiana, ESPN reported Tuesday. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound sophomore passed for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 games for the Golden Bears in 2024. Over two seasons at Cal, Mendoza completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 4,712 yards, 30 TDs and 16 picks in 20 games. He also rushed for 197 yards and four scores. Mendoza will compete to replace Kurtis Rourke in Bloomington. Rourke guided the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff, where their season ended Friday in a 27-17 first-round loss at Notre Dame. Mendoza's younger brother, Alberto, was a freshman quarterback at Indiana this season. He played in one game, completing his only pass attempt for 6 yards in a Sept. 6 win against Western Illinois. Fernando Mendoza was ranked as the No. 4 overall player in the transfer portal by ESPN. --Field Level MediaStudy: Maryland women must save $364,337 more than men for comfortable retirement
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 170,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the height of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protester Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. “I think it’s impossible to make prices fall to what they were a few years back. It makes me cry,” said protester Laia Pizjuán. “It's so upsetting. I know so many people who are in a bad situation. I have relatives living together in crowded apartments because they can’t afford to live on their own.” Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department's operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden's commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump's statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump's rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl's mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden's decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. _______ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
Lazio are guaranteed a place in at least the Europa League play-offs as they are , while Roma boost their chances of getting into the top 24. The Biancocelesti put in a dominant performance in Amsterdam to with goals from Loum Tchaouna, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and veteran Pedro. It puts them on 16 points from six games in the Europa League, joint top with Athletic Club, but ahead on a superior goal difference of +11. This guarantees them a place in the top 24 places, which is worth a spot in at least the play-offs, although the top eight is what allows teams to go directly into the Round of 16. at the Stadio Olimpico to bolster their position to 14 on nine points. As things stand, it would still be enough to qualify the Giallorossi for a seeded spot in the play-offs draw. The top eight go directly into the Round of 16, teams from 9-16 are seeded in the play-offs, facing a side from 17-24. The sides from 25 place onwards are eliminated from Europe altogether when this phase concludes in January.CBC resurrects plans for live New Year’s Eve broadcast specialsWho is Georgia President Mikheil Kavelashvili? Ex-Premier League soccer player who scored memorable goal versus Manchester United
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 4, 2024-- At AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com , Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp (NASDAQ: GRAB), announced that Grab has selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider. With AWS, Grab is pursuing a technology-led strategy to accelerate growth across its mobility, deliveries, and financial services verticals, including its new digibanks, while continuing to improve its operational efficiencies and reduce IT infrastructure costs. Grab relies on the world’s leading cloud to serve 41.9 million monthly transacting users 1 and over 13 million driver and delivery partners 2 registered on its platform. Every second, Grab processes over a hundred transactions, receives over 500k GPS pings and services over 50,000 ETA requests. AWS powers Grab’s critical compute, storage, networking, and database functions. By leveraging AWS's resilient, secure, and elastic cloud, Grab accelerates innovation, rapidly launches new services, and scales efficiently across its eight-country footprint: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. “At Grab, our strategy for growth is anchored on constant innovation to outserve the needs of our users and partners,” said Suthen Thomas Paradatheth, CTO of Grab. “This requires rapid experimentation, while ensuring security and stability, along with the ability to fully harness the potential of the latest tech like generative AI. We're pleased to extend our partnership with AWS as our preferred cloud partner to continue to support us on this journey.” Grab optimizes operating costs with AWS As Grab looks to balance growth with cost discipline, it is using AWS Cloud to power the majority of its operations in Southeast Asia across verticals such as mobility, deliveries, and financial services and entities, including its digibanks in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. By adopting AWS’s suite of cloud-based solutions, Grab has been able to gain agility and reduce operational costs. Grab uses analytics service AWS Clean Rooms, which enables secure, privacy-preserving data collaboration between different entities and organizations. Grab also leverages AWS’s purpose-built databases and has migrated more than 400 backend application services from traditional virtual servers to AWS Graviton2 processors to drive high performance, as well as cost and energy efficiency. Grab relies on AWS to scale securely, swiftly, and with stability On-demand transactions made by Grab customers were up 22% in the third quarter of 2024. To cater to this surge in demand for services, Grab uses Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) as its transactional database coupled with Amazon DynamoDB. This ensures high availability, scalability, and adaptability of its platform to drive exceptional customer experience fueled by more accurate searchable data. With AWS, Grab seamlessly adapts to evolving customer needs by easily adjusting resources dynamically based on user demand. For example, during peak times like holiday sales, Grab can easily accommodate increased traffic to make transactions across the superapp seamless. Conversely, during off-peak periods, resources can be scaled down to save costs. As it looks to accelerate growth with initiatives focused on affordability, high value offerings, and digital banking, AWS provides Grab with a stable and scalable infrastructure to support this rapid expansion. For instance, Grab continues to scale its revamped Advance Booking feature across the region. It also did a region-wide roll out of its improved Group Order feature and continues to drive adoption for it, making it easier for users to join the group order, track food delivery updates, and split the bill. With AWS, Grab was also able to build and launch digital banks in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as GX Bank in Malaysia, which was launched in under 16 months, scaling rapidly to serve close to one million customers within the first year of launch. Accelerating AI-led growth at Grab with AWS As one of the pioneers of AI adoption in Southeast Asia, Grab is committed to being at the forefront of exploring how the latest AI technologies can better serve and respond to the needs of its users and partners. Catwalk, Grab’s machine learning (ML) model platform, is built on Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS), and has been used to deploy over 1,000 AI models in production, such as route guidance and pricing. With Catwalk, Grab provides users’ real-time decision-making across its services and delivers personalized experiences like tailored restaurant recommendations, loyalty rewards, and bespoke financial services based on users’ preferences. In addition, Grab uses AWS’s custom-designed AWS Inferentia chips with specialized ML inference capabilities to cost efficiently power its AI-powered services, including map enhancements and fraud detection in its digital banks. Grab also leverages AWS as the underlying compute infrastructure for its many AI initiatives. The superapp stores hundreds of petabytes of data and processes over 200 TB of data—the equivalent of 200,000 full-length movies—on AWS daily. This data forms the foundation of Grab's advanced analytics, ML, and AI initiatives, with AWS powering innovations across the company’s services offerings. Building on AWS’s compute foundations, Grab continues to develop and implement several AI-powered use cases, particularly to improve driver productivity and support merchant growth. By integrating large language models (LLMs) with point-of-interest data and historical customer notes, Grab has refined its last-mile guidance system for delivery partners. This enhancement provides drivers with more precise drop-off instructions, enabling them to complete more trips every hour, leading to higher earnings, while expediting food delivery to consumers. Additionally, Grab has rolled out a new feature that uses AI to create appetizing descriptions of food dishes in five of its eight markets. This has boosted order completion rates, bringing particular benefits to smaller, unique restaurants on the platform and enhancing the overall dining experience for customers. "AWS is proud to support Grab in its mission to drive innovation and enhance customer experiences across Southeast Asia," said Jeff Johnson, managing director, ASEAN at AWS. "By leveraging AWS's unparalleled operational performance, scalability, and cutting-edge technologies, Grab is able to deliver personalized, seamless transactions to millions of users throughout the region. As the leading cloud provider, AWS is uniquely positioned to help Grab optimize its price performance, boost operational efficiency, and continually evolve its broad suite of data-powered services. We're excited to continue collaborating with Grab as it navigates the dynamic landscape of ecommerce and superapp development, ensuring it stays at the forefront of innovation in the digital economy.” About Grab Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. Serving over 700 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries - Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - Grab enables millions of people everyday to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending and insurance, all through a single app. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone, and strives to serve a triple bottom line: to simultaneously deliver financial sustainability and have a positive social and environmental impact in Southeast Asia. About Amazon Web Services Since 2006, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any workload, and it now has more than 240 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, media, and application development, deployment, and management from 108 Availability Zones within 34 geographic regions, with announced plans for 18 more Availability Zones and six more AWS Regions in Mexico, New Zealand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit aws.amazon.com . About Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews. ______________________ 1 As of Grab Q3’24 results 2 As per Grab ESG Report 2023 View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204105661/en/ CONTACT: Grab Media Team press@grab.comAmazon.com , Inc. Media Hotline Amazon-pr@amazon.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC NEVADA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL TRANSPORT SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS FINANCE INTERNET BANKING DATA MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS TECHNOLOGY DELIVERY SERVICES FINTECH DATA ANALYTICS PAYMENTS APPS/APPLICATIONS SOURCE: Amazon.com , Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/04/2024 06:30 PM/DISC: 12/04/2024 06:28 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204105661/enMiddle East latest: Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon
With one of the most exciting AFL seasons done and dusted, it’s time to see how horribly wrong — or right — we were at the start of the year. Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. In January, we made a series of bold predictions for the 2024 season that, despite holding merit at the time, were still more likely to fail than succeed.Now it’s time to take a look back at which ones we got right and which ones were totally off the mark. BOLD PREDICTION: The Blues make the Grand Final VERDICT: Nope Carlton were one of the premiership favourites in pre-season, but their 2024 campaign was cruelled by injuries which meant they never really looked like featuring on the biggest stage of all. The Blues were bundled out in a hugely disappointing elimination final against eventual premiers Brisbane, conceding the first nine goals of the game. Twin towers Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay missed games through injury at the end of the season, while ruck Tom De Koning also missed a large chunk of the back end. Defenders Mitch McGovern, Adam Saad and Jordan Boyd all had disrupted seasons, while Adam Cerra, Zac Williams and Lachie Fogarty also spent some time on the sidelines. Overall, Carlton’s 2024 campaign was disappointing, but now all eyes turn towards whether or not they can bounce back in 2025. BOLD PREDICTION: Michael Voss wins Coach of the Year Award VERDICT: Nope There’s no doubt 2025 will be an intriguing year for the Blues, can Michael Voss find a way to get the most out of a talented group? Things were looking promising this time last year, but now the jury is out. The Blues arguably went backwards in 2024, but injuries certainly did play a part. Brisbane Lions premiership coach Chris Fagan won the award, while former Sydney coach John Longmire came runner-up. Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell rounded out the podium after he lifted the Hawks from cellar dwellers to premiership contenders. While we don’t know the full breakdown, you’d imagine Geelong coach Chris Scott, Giants head honcho Adam Kingsley and Port Adelaide mastermind Ken Hinkley would all have finished higher than Voss. A huge 2025 looms. BOLD PREDICTION: Brodie Grundy returns to All-Australian form VERDICT: Almost... Brodie Grundy was a key contributor to Sydney’s successes in 2024, but he didn’t quite reach those All-Australian levels he has before. After a turbulent year at Melbourne, Grundy returned to the number one ruck role at Sydney and performed admirably. The star Swan averaged 18 disposals, five clearances and 4.7 tackles a game as he started to get back to some good form. Max Gawn earned a seventh All-Australian blazer, while breakout Roos ruck Tristan Xerri and Collingwood tall Darcy Cameron were the other rucks to make the All-Australian squad. St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall was also considered an unlucky omission. Grundy was probably in the next batch of talls, including Tim English and Toby Nankervis. A stronger season and an increased output than what Grundy has produced in the past couple of years, but not quite All-Australian calibre. BOLD PREDICTION: The Suns break into the top eight VERDICT: Not yet We can probably rinse and repeat this one for 2025. Surely, the Suns aren’t far off from featuring in September action. In their first season under new coach Damien Hardwick, the Suns finished 13th with a win-loss record of 11-12. It was a bizarre year for the Suns, who were a dominant force on their home decks at People First Stadium and TIO Stadium, but didn’t win a game on the road until round 22 against Essendon at Marvel. The club’s had a refresh and a rebrand and will be hoping that next year is the year they break through for their maiden finals appearance. Their talented youth will only get better with another pre-season under their belts, while the acquisitions of damaging half-backs Daniel Rioli and John Noble will add the rebound out of the back half that they struggled with so much. Is 2025 the year they finally break the drought? BOLD PREDICTION: Three teams will drop out of the top eight VERDICT: Correct We were spot on with this one and the numbers didn’t lie. It’s been two every year since the top eight began and the average is approximately 2.8 per season. BOLD PREDICTION: The Saints are one of them VERDICT: Correct As we predicted, there was a bit of a dip for the Saints in 2024. They had a focus on getting experience into their younger brigade and they also lost some games they probably should’ve won. The likes of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Darcy Wilson and Mitch Owens all had strong campaigns that resulted in top 10 finishes in the best and fairest, while Mattaes Phillipou had a strong end to the season as well. They’ve attacked the draft hard again this year, securing Gippsland Power high-flyer Alix Tauru and Bendigo Pioneers product Tobie Travaglia, who both look like players for the future. The Saints will be hoping to improve on their win-loss record of 11-12 and push back towards September action in 2025. BOLD PREDICTION: But Max King returns to top form VERDICT: Nope As promising as Max King is, injuries limited the key forward to just 12 games in 2024. The Sandringham Dragons product booted 19 goals for the year at an average of 1.6 per game which was well down on his previous two years where he averaged 2.4 and 2.5 goals a match. It was the worst year of King’s career if you exclude 2019 (ACL injury so no games) and his first year in 2020, according to the AFL Player Ratings system. There’s no doubt that when fit, King is one of the most promising key forwards in the competition. The Saints have shown tremendous faith in King, extending his contract until the end of the 2032 season, can he repay that faith? 2025 will be a big year. BOLD PREDICTION: The Power also drop out VERDICT: Nope Port Adelaide strung together another strong home and away season, finishing in second spot with a win-loss record of 16-7. It was the fourth time in five years that Ken Hinkley’s side have featured in September action, yet they haven’t gone on to reach the big dance on any of those occasions. Right now, it feels like they’re home and away experts and then crumble under the finals pressure. Our bold prediction questioned how their recruits would fare and it’s fair to say they didn’t exactly fire. Brandon Zerk-Thatcher is probably a tick as a defender, while Jordon Sweet assumed the number one ruck role by seasons end. Ivan Soldo sought a trade out of South Australia after just one year and Esava Ratugolea is on the fringes of the side heading into 2025. They’re so strong at home, so expect the Power to be around the mark of the top four again in 2025, but the challenge for them is progressing further through a finals campaign. BOLD PREDICTION: And the Josh Carr handover is made official VERDICT: Not yet Six months ago, it looked like Ken Hinkley’s job was on thin ice. They’d lost three consecutive matches to the Blues, Giants and Lions but they went on to win eight of their last nine in a scintillating end to the season. Post-match after the gritty win over St Kilda, Ken Hinkley was emotional in an on-field interview with Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones, highlighting how much he loved the playing group and how much the playing group loved him. The Power were thumped in a qualifying final by Geelong but bounced back in the semi against Hawthorn, before going down to the Swans in a preliminary final. Hinkley still remains in the hot seat, but there’s a sense amongst the competition that Josh Carr will inherit that throne sooner rather than later. Hinkley is yet to reach a grand final during his time as senior coach, a role he has held for 12 years. Carr has been a part of the Power footy program for several years and the club could execute a handover similar to that at the Swans, where Dean Cox took over from John Longmire. It feels inevitable that Carr takes over, but don’t rule out the Power making a bold play and trying to poach someone if Hinkley does step aside some time in 2025. BOLD PREDICTION: The Crows take their spot VERDICT: Not even close Adelaide were one of the biggest disappointments in 2024, if not the biggest disappointment. After finishing 10th with a win-loss record of 11-12 in 2023, there were high hopes that the Crows could return to September action for the first time since 2017. While it was overall a poor season, there were a few shining lights for Matthew Nicks’ side. Midfielder Jake Soligio showed positive signs of growth, while exciting youngster Max Michalanney is going to become a serious player. Izak Rankine played some good footy and Ben Keays was joint winner of the Best and Fairest alongside captain Jordan Dawson. Draftee Sid Draper has been tearing up the training track and is on target to feature in round one, while the likes of Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Rachele and Dan Curtin should only get better with another pre-season under their belts. At the end of the day though, the Crows weren’t as good as they could’ve been in 2024, given the talent at their disposal. BOLD PREDICTION: And Jordan Dawson finishes in the top three of the Brownlow Medal count VERDICT: Also no Let’s be honest, this one was pretty bold! Dawson finished equal 16th in this year’s Brownlow Medal count, polling 18 votes, two less than last year, where he finished 13th (including ineligible players). Dawson did not poll a vote in his first five games and just one in his final six, so it was the middle part of the year where he did his best work. His inconsistent campaign was a bit reflective of Adelaide’s season as a whole. Playing mainly through the midfield, the former Swan averaged 24.5 disposals, five marks and 6.1 tackles. The Crows skipper will no doubt have a huge pre-season to try and give himself the best chance of leading the Crows to their first finals campaign since 2017 and return to some of the best form of his career. BOLD PREDICTION: Dustin Martin finishes in the top five VERDICT: Nope There was clearly a bit of nostalgia behind this one and let’s be honest, it wasn’t even close to being correct. Martin polled just one Brownlow Medal vote this year for his performance in round 11 against Essendon, where he amassed 23 disposals and three goals. Injury and then retirement meant he played just one match of the last eight of the season and he had clearly lost his edge that will see him go down as one of the greats. A superb career and one we were so lucky to be able to witness. BOLD PREDICTION: Then moves to the Gold Coast VERDICT: Still, no Wow, wasn’t this one bubbling away for some time! There were murmurings of Dusty reuniting with former coach Damien Hardwick up at the Suns, but nothing materialised and he is happily retired. He is the only three-time Norm Smith Medallist, a triple premiership player, four time All-Australian and 2017 Brownlow Medallist. He’ll go down as one of the greatest ever Tigers and a true champion of the game. BOLD PREDICTION: The Dogs come in VERDICT: Yes! The Bulldogs made the finals yet again after narrowly missing out in 2023, which was a step in the right direction. The Bulldogs are one of the biggest mysteries in the competition right now. Their list is incredibly talented, and their best football is electric, but they struggle to piece it all together for a prolonged period of time. The club continues to back in premiership coach Luke Beveridge who never backs down from a challenge and will be looking to press towards a top four berth in 2025. Their youth is exciting, but it is important that they capitalise while the likes of Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar are in career-best form. BOLD PREDICTION: But the Cats miss out again VERDICT: Nope Year after year, the Cats continue to prove the footy world wrong. Chris Scott’s side made it all the way to a preliminary final in 2024, falling just short to eventual premiers Brisbane. The Cats have featured in September every year bar three since 2004. That is an absurd period of time to be featuring at the pointy end of the season. The scary thing is, you’d imagine the Cats only get better in 2025. The recruitment of former Bulldog Bailey Smith will bolster their midfield stocks dramatically, while if they can get ex-Blue Jack Martin fit, that could be a bargain. It would take a brave person to write them off again. BOLD PREDICTION: The Hawks just miss out VERDICT: Not quite Can we give this one a tick? We predicted the Hawks would surge up the ladder this year, just not all the way to a semi-final. No one saw that coming, especially after their poor start where they sat 0-5 and then 1-6. The evolution of ‘Hokball’ has been a joy to watch this season. Sam Mitchell’s side have played with plenty of dash and dare and they’ve had the celebrations to match. The scary thing? They could be even better in 2025 and are genuine premiership contenders. The core of their list is still young and will only improve, while the additions of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle will further bolster their defensive stocks. The sky is the limit for these young Hawks. BOLD PREDICTION: And Jack Ginnivan thrives VERDICT: We’ll pay this one! A move to Hawthorn under Sam Mitchell has resulted in Jack Ginnivan playing the best footy of his career. Ginnivan averaged 16.5 disposals, 3.9 marks and 2.7 tackles a game this year, booting 28 goals. He’s become an integral part of one of the best forward lines in the competition and loves to get under the skins of his opponents. He’s become an absolute fan favourite amongst the brown and gold faithful and will be key in Hawthorn’s quest for success. It’s fair to say, he’s put a messy exit from Collingwood behind him and is absolutely thriving. BOLD PREDICTION: Fremantle remains stranded outside the top eight VERDICT: Bang on We were spot on with this one, the Dockers missing out on the top eight by just two premiership points. It went down to the last game of the season, if they had been able to defeat Port Adelaide on their home deck, then they would’ve squeezed Carlton out. The general consensus right now though is that the Dockers could be the biggest risers of 2025. They’ve added former Tiger Shai Bolton to their weaponry, while young gun Murphy Reid could make an impact early on in the year, too. Fremantle have stars across every single line. In defence, Luke Ryan, Jordan Clark and Alex Pearce have been super, while the on-ball brigade of Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Hayden Young genuinely could be the best in the competition. Their forward half improved as Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss took big strides forward and the ruck duo of Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson gives them great flexibility. It’s exciting what they could produce next year. BOLD PREDICTION: And Justin Longmuir goes VERDICT: Nope Justin Longmuir signed a one-year extension in March, tying him to the Dockers until the end of 2025. There’s no doubt that the pressure will be on Longmuir next year to try and get the best out of his side, because they are just so talented. It’s never easy entering the final year of your contract, but his future really is in his hands. A strong season will surely see him recontracted, but if the Dockers can’t feature in September, the heat will well and truly be on. BOLD PREDICTION: Finn Callaghan jumps into the All-Australian side VERDICT: Nope This was another pretty bold call, but one that didn’t eventuate. Giants youngster Finn Callaghan had a strong year but it definitely wasn’t All-Australian calibre. Callaghan took a small step forward from his 2023 campaign, lifting his disposals average (22.9), tackles (3.6) and clearances (3.4) and will be an exciting player to track in the years to come. He is clean with ball in hand, smooth-moving in traffic and has plenty of drive out of stoppage. He also managed to finally get some continuity with his body, playing 24 games for the year. Intriguingly, Callaghan did not finish in the top 10 in the club best and fairest. BOLD PREDICTION: And Jamarra Ugle-Hagan does too VERDICT: Nope A strong season for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, but not All-Australian worthy. The former number one draft pick booted a career-high 43 goals this season and continued his steady increase year-on-year. Alongside Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy, the Bulldogs have a three-pronged attack that is the envy of the competition. He improved his consistency this year, kicking at least one goal in 19 out of 22 appearances this season. At his best, Ugle-Hagan is flying for his marks and kicking miraculous goals. Should he continue his upwards trajectory, hitting that 50-goal mark for the first time in his career won’t be out of the question in 2025. BOLD PREDICTION: With one club offering him a 10-year contract VERDICT: We’ll pay it! We’re going to claim this one! According to the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph, clubs were offering “lifetime deals” to Ugle-Hagan early in the season to try and lure him out of the Kennel. Ralph reported that deals “as much as 11 or 12 years” were tabled to Ugle-Hagan, but ultimately, he decided to re-sign with the Dogs. The star forward put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension in May, tying him to the club until the end of 2026. Keep an eye on what he can produce next year. BOLD PREDICTION: The grand final start time stays put VERDICT: Correct The AFL decider indeed remained in its traditional afternoon slot. Instead, the AFLW grand final had its start time moved to the evening. But, while we correctly predicted nothing would change in Andrew Dillon’s first season in charge, we did tease that an eventual tweak might be ‘inevitable’ — and that might too be the case, given the success of the night grand final in the women’s competition. “A night grand final is pretty special ... Maybe we might see it in the men’s, who knows? ... Maybe not!” said victorious North Melbourne AFLW skipper Emma Kearney post-GF. BOLD PREDICTON: Any issues with the score review system will be a thing of the past VERDICT: Tongue in cheek Admittedly this one was tongue in cheek, but the spotlight once again was on the score review system in 2024. At the start of the year, the system was being used too often and for too long and then there’s the AFLW score review system, which had a few kinks in it to begin with. An error with the new ball tracking technology in the Suns and Pies clash incorrectly recorded that the ball was touched, when the video clearly showed the ball had not been touched. The Suns went on to lose that game and the AFL issued a statement afterwards apologising for the mistake.China’s trade with other countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative will keep growing in 2025, fueled by many emerging economies’ surging demand for products to meet their need for green transformation, consumption upgrade and industrialization, said market watchers and businesses leaders on Thursday. They noted that this trend is also driven by Chinese exporters’ efforts to diversify markets and reduce risks linked to protectionism and “decoupling” attempts by certain countries, along with advancements in both regional connectivity and supply chain operations. China’s trade with other economies involved in the BRI grew by 6 percent year-on-year to 18.74 trillion yuan ($2.57 trillion) between January and November, said the General Administration of Customs. Meanwhile, China’s trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 8.6 percent on a yearly basis, while its two-way trade value with Latin America and Africa increased 7.9 percent and 4.8 percent year-on-year, respectively. Benefiting from the tangible growth of the BRI, favorable conditions created by the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and China-Europe freight train services have all provided strong support for China and its partners involved in the BRI to boost their trade ties, said Wan Zhe, a professor at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University. Countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, in particular Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Vietnam, are also experiencing strong demand for goods and infrastructure projects, providing Chinese exporters with opportunities for growth, said Wan. Lyu Yue, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, part of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said China has nurtured a number of innovative companies and industrial clusters with strong international competitiveness. They have been transitioning toward green growth in recent years. She said that the increase in new orders from other BRI economies will not only lead to new growth points for Chinese manufacturers, but also propel them to invest in new plants, service centers and innovation facilities in markets involved in the BRI. Huzhou Sany Loader Co Ltd, a Huzhou, Zhejiang province-based equipment manufacturer, has been heading in that direction. The company began to export electric-powered loaders to BRI markets, specifically to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil, since last year. The average price of each unit is around 1 million yuan, which is twice the price of traditional diesel loaders. “Our calculations show that the operating cost of electric loaders is about one-third to one-quarter that of diesel loaders, bringing significant savings for users,” said Gao Pengfei, head of the company’s research and development unit. “Our export growth will focus on electrified products in the coming years,” said Gao, stressing that it is practical for Chinese manufacturers to expand their sales channels in more emerging markets to hedge against the risks brought forth by protectionism. Amphenol High Speed Technology (Nantong) Co Ltd, a Nantong, Jiangsu province-based wire and cable manufacturer, shipped a batch of cable worth 1.35 million yuan from its plant to Vietnam by trucks earlier this month. This is the 198th batch of cables exported by the company to countries participating in the BRI this year. The company exported 1.45 billion yuan of wire and cable products during the January-November period, jumping 190 percent year-on-year. More than half of its exports were shipped to BRI markets, said Nanjing Customs. The ongoing reshaping of the global supply chain has created new opportunities for Chinese companies to align their capabilities with evolving market needs, said Hu Weizhong, the company’s general manager. Source: China Daily
SAN DIEGO — The deployment of military troops to the southwestern border is nothing new. Presidents both Republican and Democrat have called on military support in San Diego and elsewhere many times over the years to assist with border security tasks, from surveillance to reinforcing barriers. But President-elect Donald Trump’s hint this past week that he may use armed forces to carry out mass deportations could veer into new territory. Trump signaled his plans in response to a social media post by the president of the conservative Judicial Watch group, who stated that the incoming Trump administration is prepared to “declare a national emergency and will use military assets” to address illegal immigration “through a mass deportation program.” Further details of how the Trump administration will do so remain unclear. The troops who have previously worked along the border have performed support background roles — often discreetly — and not in an enforcement capacity that has them interacting with migrants. The same goes for the California National Guard members who are currently deployed in San Diego. The question becomes whether Trump’s plan goes beyond that. In San Ysidro, just across the border from Tijuana, some residents still remember during the first Trump administration the spectacle that U.S. Army and Marine troops, including some from Camp Pendleton, brought to the area — even for a community used to the heavy presence of border agents. That’s when hundreds of active-duty troops were sent in 2018 to support operations along the California-Mexico border in response to the arrival of migrant caravans from Central America. “We do have a very strong Border Patrol presence,” said Mónica Delgadillo, a San Ysidro resident for over 40 years. “But the military or the National Guard was something very different.” Army personnel spent days installing concertina wire at the U.S.-Mexico fence to make it more difficult to scale and fortifying areas around the ports of entry to prevent large crowds from rushing into the U.S. They joined previously deployed National Guard members who had been maintaining Border Patrol vehicles, working in dispatch stations and manning remote video surveillance systems. The following year, amid a national emergency declaration to replace the border wall, more troops were sent to the southern border to help install wire barriers and monitor crossings. Trump also used the declaration to divert Pentagon funds to help finance the wall project. Troops were also called upon during the Biden administration to support the Department of Homeland Security as the agency dealt with the lifting in 2023 of a COVID-era policy that mostly closed the border to asylum seekers. The troops assisted with administrative and support tasks, not law enforcement activities. The Posse Comitatus Act restricts the federal military from performing civilian law enforcement duties, except where authorized by Congress. One of the statutory exceptions to the law is the Insurrection Act. Gov. Gavin Newsom has continued to deploy the California National Guard to assist with drug interdiction — primarily targeting fentanyl trafficking — at ports of entry. Recently, state officials said the agency’s counter-narcotics task force helped law enforcement partners seize more than 1.7 million pills of fentanyl in October. “This program continues to be extremely successful — providing critical support to law enforcement agencies in combating illicit drug trafficking and transnational criminal activity,” the agency said in a statement. But while the National Guard operates under the control of the governor, in certain circumstances the president has the authority to federalize the National Guard. Cal Guard officials said that deployment of National Guard forces is governed by distinct criteria for state and federal missions, and that they will “not speculate on potential changes or future missions.” Trump and his advisers have offered a few hints. Last year, Trump’s proposed deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, told The New York Times that military funds would be used to build “vast holding facilities that would function as staging centers” for immigrants as their cases progressed and they waited to be flown to other countries. He went further in a radio interview , proposing calling on “red state governors” and asking for their National Guards: “We will deputize them as immigration enforcement officers. They know their states, they know their communities, they know their cities.” Trump has also vowed to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to “target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.” Lee Gelernt, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who spearheaded the legal challenge in San Diego to Trump’s policy of separating migrant families at the border, said that use of the military to carry out deportation under such law “is flatly illegal.” “The law requires an invasion by a foreign government, which is why it’s only been used previously during declared wars with foreign enemies,” he said in a statement. Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and co-founder of the San Diego chapter of the Truman National Security Project, called the plan to use the military to address civilians “outrageous.” “We are not a country that has the military running through the streets interacting with our civilians,” he said. “That’s just not a thing. In San Diego, we have a lot of military here, but they are our neighbors. And our neighbors here know that, like they can use their own eyes and see, that we don’t have this massive crisis that’s been fabricated in people’s eyes.” Migrant encounters between ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped by more than 55% since President Joe Biden issued an executive order restricting asylum in June, according to Customs and Border Protection data. As of 2022, the most recent year for which federal and Pew Research Center estimates are available, there were about 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. About 1.8 million of them were living in California. During a recent visit to San Diego, retired Mexican ambassador Martha Bárcena, who served as Mexico’s ambassador to the United States during the Trump administration, said it would be “irresponsible” to think that proposals like mass deportations were merely campaign promises. But she said she expects many of Trump’s policies to be challenged in court. ©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row