Advertisement Finance firms are keen on AI agents that can automate combinations of tasks. Demand for AI agents is giving birth to a new class of startups and VCs hungry to invest in them. It was a topic of conversation at the Evident AI Symposium in New York on Thursday. "Talk to this like a teammate and treat it like a teammate." That's Danny Goldman's guidance to private-equity customers of his startup, Mako AI , which offers a generative AI assistant for junior finance professionals and is backed by Khosla Ventures, an early investor in OpenAI. Related Video US Bank has used AI for fraud detection as well as brand campaigns, but CMO Michael Lacorazza says the potential of the technology is yet to be fully understood His hope is that "engaging with Mako looks much more like engaging with a real human associate than a software tool," he previously told BI. Goldman, who worked in private equity before cofounding Mako AI, predicts that in a year or two, every junior on Wall Street will have their own AI direct report. It's not just juniors, either. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, is a "tremendous user" of the bank's generative AI assistant suite . Teresa Heitsenrether, JPMorgan's chief data and analytics officer, said at a conference last week that JPMorgan is working toward giving employees AI assistants that are specific to them and their jobs. Wall Streeters, say hello to your new coworker. Across the industry, AI agents are beginning to permeate the labor force as assistants who can help humans prep for meetings, write their emails, and wade through troves of information to answer questions almost instantaneously. Advertisement In many cases, AI agents are still limited to specific, individual tasks like querying internal data and creating PowerPoints and emails. To take AI agents a step further, technologists and startup investors are fueling a shift to so-called multi-agent systems that coordinate several AI agents to complete more complex tasks more autonomously. Some tech executives at the Evident AI Symposium said they could see a world with more artificial intelligence agents than humans by 2025. But what will work and life look like in an increasingly hybrid world with humans and bots? Well, that's still being worked out, according to a number of tech executives at the Evident AI Symposium Thursday. "What's really exciting about agents is that we are still figuring out the tasks they're actually good at, the tools they know how to use, the tools we have to teach them how to use," said Gabriel Stengel, cofounder and CEO of Rogo , which is building the generative AI equivalent of a junior banker . Advertisement Another question that still needs to be answered is how to define when an agent is smarter or not than a human, said Kristin Milchanowski, chief AI and data officer of BMO Financial Group. To some extent, benchmarking humans against AI agents is already happening. In a recent University of Cambridge study that compared who could run a business better, AI outperformed humans on most metrics including profitability, product design, and managing inventory. But they fell short when it came to making decisions on the fly. Heitsenrether, speaking at the Evident AI conference, told the audience that, over time, she expects AI to be seamlessly embedded in an employee's workflow. By this time next year, she said that she hopes to have a clearer picture of what a more personalized AI assistant for each employee might look like. Advertisement But unlocking more autonomous uses of AI is going to require more than technological breakthroughs. "We don't have a lot of trust right now in these systems," Sumitra Ganesh, a member of JPMorgan's AI research team, said at the symposium. "We have to slow-walk it to release it to people who are experts who can verify the output and go, 'Okay, that looks fine, you can take that action,'" Ganesh said. "But that's kind of babysitting these agents at this point," she added. "But hopefully, it's like training wheels — at some point, we will be confident enough to let them go."
Morgan Rogers looked to have given Unai Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home at the death, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. A very controversial finish at Villa Park 😲 Morgan Rogers' late goal is ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the match ends 0-0 ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MyYL5Vdy3r — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 Emiliano Martinez had earlier displayed why he was named the best goalkeeper in the world as his wonder save kept his side level in the second half. The Argentina international paraded his two Yashin Trophies on the pitch before kick-off at Villa Park and then showed why he won back-to-back FIFA awards when he denied Francisco Conceicao. Before Rogers’ moment of drama in the fourth minute of added time, the closest Villa came to scoring was in the first half when Lucas Digne’s free-kick hit the crossbar. But a draw was a fair result which leaves Villa out of the top eight on goal difference and Juventus down in 19th. Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. The opening 30 minutes were forgettable before the game opened up. Ollie Watkins, still chasing his first Champions League goal, had Villa’s first presentable chance as he lashed an effort straight at Di Gregorio. Matty Cash then had a vicious effort from the resulting corner which was blocked by Federico Gatti and started a counter-attack which ended in Juventus striker Timothy Weah. Villa came closest to breaking the deadlock at the end of the first half when Digne’s 20-yard free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar and went over. Martinez then produced his brilliant save just after the hour. A corner made its way through to the far post where Conceicao was primed to head in at the far post, but Martinez sprawled himself across goal to scoop the ball away. How has he kept that one out?! 🤯 Emi Martinez with an INCREDIBLE save to keep it goalless at Villa Park ⛔️ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/OkcWHB7YIk — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 Replays showed most of the ball went over the line, but the Argentinian got there with millimetres to spare. At the other end another fine goal-line block denied John McGinn as Manuel Locatelli got his foot in the way with Di Gregorio beaten. The game looked to be petering out until a last-gasp free-kick saw Rogers slam home, but whistle-happy official Gil Manzano halted the celebrations by ruling the goal out.Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records showNORTH ALABAMA 100, DALTON STATE 69
President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Samuel Agbeluyi, recently had an interactive session with members of the Finance Correspondent Association of Nigeria (FICAN), during which he shed some light on President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills and also explained why the proposals are for the overall good of the country’s economy. Tony Chukwunyem reports President Tinubu’s tax reform bills, currently before the National Assembly, have sparked a lot of controversy among various groups in the country, with some critics questioning the President’s decision to send the bills to the lawmakers at this time. What is your take on the issue? I’m not here to say whether the timing of the tax reform bills is right or wrong. I even believe that it is right and that we need those amendments passed as quickly as possible so that the Nigeria can actually benchmark its economy against other countries’. As we are speaking, a lot of people want to invest in Nigeria. The President is going all over the world, marketing the country. It is good to market the country, but the people who are coming into Nigeria, will do their background check; they will still do all the necessary findings before they come because you are just one of several countries in the world. So for them to come, there has to be certainty on what they want to put on the table. I will give you an example. Taxation is a major point; it is a major variable that they must be sure of before they come in. So for tax professionals, how do you advise an American or a French person that we have about 65 types of taxes; how do you explain that? You are already demarketing the country yourself. And if you don’t say it, you are telling lies and as a professional you are not supposed to tell lies. These 60 or 65 taxes, depending on the state you are visiting, exclude the activities of non-state actors; those ones who would come to your shop and ask you to do something (part with your money) otherwise they would disrupt your business. You are carrying goods from one point to another and they are not allowing you to do that. So for tax professionals we have been longing for this kind of bill so that we will have certainty of the law guiding and administering the tax arrangement in the country. Also, statistics reveal that only nearly five different types of taxes that we have among the 60 or 65, are actually bringing in over 90 per cent of our tax revenue. Now how do you bother the system, disturb a business, disturb a company, disturb the personnel working with company with about 60 different types of taxes that are not helping the country? If revenue is by the number of taxes that you collect, Nigeria’s tax to GDP will be over 30 per cent. So why are we struggling with a low tax to GDP ratio? So, it means that we just have those things as nuisance tax as we call them. You are not helping the system. President Tinubu mentioned his dislike for multiple taxation immediately after he assumed office and he walked the talk and set up a committee and we are where we are today. So to me, that we are bringing sanity to the tax space is a great thing. Imagine the fact that companies receive letters from local government that they want to check their books; states will write that they want to check their books for various tax responsibilities; FIRS will also write. The laws that set up these tax laws and responsibilities allow for audit. So you can’t say FIRS don’t come and audit me. FIRS can call you for audit and they can do investigation. The state has the same power. So when you subject somebody who is operating in a very hostile business environment to this kind of tax administration, you are not helping that system. And after sometime, people don’t want to do business again. They will prefer to put their money in treasury bills. They would say, let me invest somewhere else and I won’t need to bother myself with diesel, generator and these people coming from revenue office. That is not helping us because you can only create employment when people do business; when they set up companies. So the benefits of the tax reform bills are enormous. You have the benchmark for the threshold for small business being raised from 25 per cent to 50 per cent; that is a major move. What they are saying is that, have more money in your hand; go and do your business; once you are prosperous enough, then you can visit us or we can visit you. But if you are still operating between the 25 and 40 per cent threshold, most likely, your working capital will be impaired. And you know getting money from the banks, particularly for SMEs in Nigeria, is a tall order. Also, you know that you can’t drive economic activities with taxation because without economic activities there will be no taxation. The moment you put too much pressure on companies, they will fold up and they will not be there tomorrow for you to collect anything. Can you share your views on the debate over the proposed derivation of Value Added Tax (VAT) based on consumption? We have talked so much about derivation as if it is the only thing in the VAT bill. If you buy equipment, before now, the money you expend to put the infrastructure for the equipment and the like in place, let’s say N200 million, by virtue of what we have as at today, depending on the nature of that equipment, you can’t retrieve your money until five or 10 years. But what is being proposed in this bill is that your equipment, the amount you spend on assets, will be zero rated. Zero rated means that you can claim the input. So that in that year, you will claim the input and that is all and of course your turnover or whatever it is that is your output. Another aspect of the benefit of this bill is that before now, once you do the differential and government needs to refund money to you, under this bill, the process for refund is made simpler. But as we speak and I have been in practice for quite some time, no company can get refund from the FIRS until they subject you to another round of audit and that will take years. So the amount of relief that is being given to the tax payer under this proposal is enormous. And again I repeat that the derivation principle, if it would pose a problem, then it can dropped. Everybody must be carried along. If state A is not doing well the fall out of not doing well will get to the state that is doing well. So beyond economic activity you also need to look at the social aspects of the bill and the political balancing, that is fair. How would you react to the view that the reason there is so much controversy about the tax reform bills is that the Presidency didn’t consult widely enough before sending them to the National Assembly? There was a lot of consultation among tax professionals within the six geo political zones in the country, but evidently it is not enough. And I think it won’t be enough. What we tax professionals need to know is that we have talked to ourselves and those who were not part of the consultation have all the facilities to read what was going on. But for the political leaders, I was expecting a lot of consultations and buyin, because without buy in, this massive change will look strange to some people and that is what we are seeing. I expect that consultation at this level to be led by the President himself. This is because Nigeria has a lot to gain once this thing is successful and we have a lot to lose should it not be successful-God forbid. So I expect the Presidency, the political leaders to lead the consultations. Let’s not be carried away; and that is why as an Institute, we are sticking to the technical points. The political leaders know how they can actually talk to themselves. So we recommend that this should be done immediately so that everybody will be on the same page. Won’t low income earners be adversely affected by these bills as it appears they are not being consulted? I don’t see how it will adversely affect them. Even at the point of deliberation on the bill some state internal revenue chairmen asked questions about who would be paying personal income tax in form of PAYE in the their states under the new minimum wage. Now, let’s work with the statistics. What do you actually receive from somebody receiving N30, 000? In any country, the big people are the ones who actually pay personal income tax and statistics have shown that they are under 10 per cent. So we have all the big people in the country so what they need to do is to be good. Now there is another school of thought that says don’t exempt anybody; once they pay N1 or N2 into the pocket of the government it gives them the moral right; a sense of belonging. But ‘sense of belonging’ for somebody who is dying? So, I think that the voice for exception for low earners should be louder. Years ago, I represented this Institute-I was not the President then- at a public hearing held by the National Assembly on minimum tax. As an Institute we have spoken against minimum tax. This is because, minimum tax is capital erosion. Somebody has done his business for a year, he didn’t make profit (because you are supposed to subject his profit to tax computation), but he didn’t make profit and you say he must do minimum tax. Where is he getting the money from? From his capital. So you are eroding the capital. And in Nigeria, we have gone through a lot of trails, if I can use that word. As the President said: ‘Let the poor breathe’. If we must follow that slogan, then exempt the low earner so that Nigeria will be better. What is likely to be the impact of the tax reform bills, if passed, on financial inclusion? I will go back to the cashless economy policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its naira redesign programme. For those of us who have travelled outside this country, how often do you see people carrying cash? God help you if you are a black man and you get to any store in London and you bring out 100 pounds or 50 pounds. I have met a Briton who said he has never sighted 50 pounds in his life time. And we are carrying cash up and down in Nigeria. Who benefits? I’m speaking to the benefits of cashless economy and the naira redesign programme. Whatever the immediate past CBN Governor has done right, we acknowledge; whatever he has not done right, we isolate and deal with it on its merit and not to throw everything into the dustbin. So let’s take the very reasonable conclusion on the cashless economy: many people should have access to banking services. However, to do that, you also need to talk to CBN. The outrageous charges are also one of the things driving people away from the banks. Thank God for the fintechs; those ones are doing better. And I say to the established banks; they’d better wake up on time before they drive all of us to the fintechs. I have entered major hotels in this country and I bring out my debit card and I see Moniepoint or Opay and I say, where are the big banks of this world? Let it not be like NITEL and the experience we are having now. So don’t drive away people from the banking sector through outrageous charges. Once you don’t do that many people will come into that space and of course it will be easy to trace transactions. Furthermore, government must hold consultations on the tax reform bills at a very senior level; it should not be left to technocrats alone. When they are in a meeting and there are aspects that are not too clear to them, they can bring in technocrats to make our presentations and we leave the hall for them. They understand their language; they know how to talk to themselves. They need to do that at this time. But the most important thing is this. Let us assume that all the issues are resolved and the bills become an Act. If we give our money in terms of our tax payments to the government and we still see this kind of lifestyle shown by Local government chairmen, spouses of local government chairmen, state governors and by the leadership at the Federal level, it will be difficult for you to have voluntary compliance. I say this with all emphasis. So we appeal to our political leaders- it is a fiduciary duty to the nation-before you leave large go and be a Dangote. And the Dangote himself is not even living large. So as a political leader stop living large at our expense; tone down the opulence. Once you do this, you will restore the trust deficit that has been lost. Once the trust deficit is restored then there will be voluntary compliance, once there is voluntary compliance, cost of collection will go down and revenue will go up. This is the way to go; this is what we recommend to government. We won’t be tired of giving our recommendations. This is because we are the ones advising people to go and pay your taxes; it’s the right thing to do; its what will make Nigeria great and so on. The Economic stabilisation bills, which we pray will turn into an Act, will not on its own make Nigeria an el dorado. What will make Nigeria an el dorado is very good usage of tax revenue.
United States women’s head coach Emma Hayes admitted she initially grappled with how best to behave during ‘God Save The King’ ahead of her side’s goalless draw with England in their Wembley friendly. The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds ? pic.twitter.com/R4d8EArqTp — U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 30, 2024 Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. England and USA shared a goalless friendly draw at Wembley (John Walton/PA) Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. “This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again.” ? Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) November 30, 2024 Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”A passenger plane skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport yesterday, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers south of Seoul. The Transport Ministry said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that had arrived from Bangkok and that the crash happened at 9:03 a.m. A total of 179 people — 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders weren’t immediately identifiable — died in the fire, the South Korean fire agency said. Emergency workers pulled two people, both crew members, to safety. Health officials said they are conscious and not in life-threatening condition. Among the 177 bodies so far found, officials have so far identified 88 of them, the fire agency said. The passengers were predominantly South Korean, as well as two Thai nationals. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Seoul received confirmation from South Korean authorities that the two Thai passengers were among the fatalities. The fire agency deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to contain the blaze. About 1,570 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other officials were also sent to the site, according to the fire agency and transport ministry. Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed, apparently with its landing gear still closed, overrunning the runway and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility, triggering an explosion. Other local TV stations aired footage showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane, which was engulfed in flames. Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, told a televised briefing that the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognizable among the wreckage. Lee said that workers were looking into various possibilities about what caused the crash, including whether the aircraft was struck by birds, Lee said. Transport Ministry officials later said their early assessment of communication records show the airport control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land and gave its pilot permission to land in a different area. The pilot sent out a distress signal shortly before the plane overshot the end of the runway and skidded across a buffer zone before hitting the wall, the officials said. Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan said workers have retrieved the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the plane’s black box, which will be examined by government experts investigating the cause of the crash and fire. He said it may take months for investigators to complete their probe. The runway at the Muan airport will be closed until Jan. 1, the ministry said. Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed deep condolences to the families of those affected by the accident in a post on social platform X. Paetongtarn said she ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide assistance immediately. Kerati Kijmanawat, the director of Airports of Thailand, confirmed in a statement that Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport with no reports of abnormal conditions with the aircraft or on the runway. Jeju Air in a statement expressed its “deep apology” over the crash and said it will do its “utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident.” In a televised news conference, Kim E-bae, Jeju Air’s president, bowed deeply with other senior company officials as he apologized to bereaved families and said he feels “full responsibility” for the incident. Kim said the company hadn’t identified any mechanical problems with the aircraft following regular checkups and that he would wait for the results of government investigations into the cause of the incident. Family members wailed as officials announced the names of some victims at a lounge in the Muan airport. Boeing said in a statement on X it was in contact with Jeju Air and is ready to support the company in dealing with the crash. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” Boeing said. The incident came as South Korea is embroiled into a huge political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment. Last Friday, South Korean lawmakers impeached acting President Han Duck-soo and suspended his duties, leading Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to take over. Choi, who traveled to the site in Muan, called for officials to employ all available resources to find the missing and identify the victims as soon as possible. The government declared Muan a special disaster zone to provide assistance to the families of victims and designated a weeklong national mourning period through Saturday. Yoon’s office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, presided over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff to discuss the crash and reported the details to Choi. Yoon expressed condolences to the victims in a Facebook posting. The Muan crash is one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history. The last time South Korea suffered a large-scale air disaster was in 1997, when a Korean Airline plane crashed in Guam, killing 228 people on board. HYUNG-JIN KIM & KIM TONG-HYUNG, SEOUL, MDT/AP
In a message to the American people, the King expressed “great sadness” at the news of Mr Carter’s death, describing him as “a committed public servant” who “devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”. He added: “His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977. “My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.” Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981 and spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Carter had “lived his values in the service of others to the very end” through “decades of selfless public service”. Praising a “lifelong dedication to peace” that saw him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Sir Keir added: “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.” Tributes to Mr Carter followed the announcement of his death by his family on Sunday, more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.” Very sorry to hear of President Carter’s passing. I pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. pic.twitter.com/IaKmZcteb1 — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 29, 2024 US President Joe Biden, one of the first elected politicians to endorse Mr Carter’s bid for the presidency in 1976, said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.” Speaking to reporters from his family vacation in the US Virgin Islands, Mr Biden said his predecessor represented “the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away” and the world had lost a “remarkable leader”. Asked if there were any lessons President-elect Donald Trump could learn from Mr Carter, he answered: “Decency, decency, decency”. Over six decades, Jill and I had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. pic.twitter.com/irknhZ6CJY — President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris said Mr Carter “reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion”. “His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come,” she said. “Our world is a better place because of President Carter.” Other UK politicians also paid tribute to Mr Carter. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was “an inspiration” who “led a truly remarkable life dedicated to public service with a genuine care for people”. Scottish First Minister John Swinney described the former president as “a good, decent, honest man who strove for peace in all that he did”, while Welsh First Minister said he was “a remarkable man” and “a humanitarian and scholar”. Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said Mr Carter’s “life was a testament to public service”. He added: “I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need.” Gordon Brown, another former prime minister, said it was a “privilege” to have known Mr Carter, who “will be mourned, not just in America, but in every continent where human rights are valued”. Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington DC before being buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and, finally, the White House, where he took office as 39th president in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked more than four decades leading The Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center virtually eliminated Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service
TECNO’s latest AI-powered PHANTOM V Flip 2 5G now on first sale for only P27,999GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Treysen Eaglestaff's 19 points helped North Dakota defeat Waldorf College 97-57 on Sunday night. Eaglestaff shot 6 of 11 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 from the line for the Fightin' Hawks (6-9). Mier Panoam added 13 points and six rebounds. Zach Kraft had 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. Gene Noble led the way for the Warriors with 12 points and six rebounds. Emmanuel Ferguson scored 10 and Ugo Ejiofor pitched in with nine points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .