Latest news with #Saunders
AFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
No evidence of mandatory face scans for Canadians at US border
"Facial recognition checks now mandatory for Canadians entering the U.S. by car," reads the text inside a May 19, 2025 Facebook photo. The caption accompanying the image, which was also shared on TikTok, claims new border screening procedures would include photographing travelers for the purposes of verifying their identification documents. Separate posts spread similar claims about required facial recognition scans for Canadians at land border crossings on Facebook and Instagram. Image Screenshot of a Facebook post taken May 30, 2025 With an emphasis on immigration enforcement, have been marked by concerns of potentially unlawful deportations and moves to scrap the longstanding birthright citizenship policy. The president's occupation with border security precipitated trade tensions with Canada, after he alleged his country's northern neighbor fails to stop the dangerous drug fentanyl and undocumented migrants from reaching the United States. The changing relationship between the two countries already led to misleading claims about commerce and travel, and the rumor that Canadians would now be subjected to mandatory facial recognition scans are similarly . Recent reporting from the tech magazine Wired found CBP was planning to photograph every traveler entering and exiting the United States in personal vehicles to match their face to their identification documents (archived here and here). According to the CBP website, biometric data collection, which can include face scans and fingerprinting, is currently in testing for entries by vehicles at border crossings into Buffalo, New York and Brownsville, Texas (archived here and here). Publications from the CBP about the Buffalo and Brownsville crossings, as well as a report on a testing period for the technology at entry points into Arizona and Texas, said the system would attempt to take photos of each occupant of a vehicle entering through certain marked lanes but that travelers may still opt out of the data collection by crossing the border through different gates (archived here, here and here). Image Screenshot of a US Customs and Border Control report taken May 30, 2025 Expanding biometric collection (archived here). Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer practicing in Blaine, Washington close to the border with British Columbia (archived here), said he had seen travelers prompted to take face scans at nearby crossings when entering on foot, but not by car. "Are they going to hold up a camera and take everyone's picture? Well, if they do that it's going to delay the whole process," Saunders said. Wired reported the system testing was still turning out errors and that CBP was calling for pitches from tech companies for tools which could scan the faces of people inside vehicles. US citizens have the option to refuse scans at pedestrian land and air entr (archived here). The fact-checking organization Snopes reported Canadian and Bermudian passport holders travelling to the United States for tourism are not required to provide biometric data. The Government of Canada's online travel advice states most Canadian citizens entering the United States are exempt from biometric collection except those who require a visa or documentation of their arrival and exit dates (archived here). For Saunders, new facial recognition procedures do not necessarily raise privacy concerns as travelers already consent to screening when they cross a border, but he said the addition of data collection categories could be "a slippery slope." Read more AFP's reporting on misinformation and disinformation in Canada here.
West Australian
4 days ago
- West Australian
Man jailed after exotic snakes, turtles, iguanas found in foul-smelling package marked as ‘toys' during border search
A man's attempt to import a series of exotic animals into Australia – some of which died during the ill-fated voyage – has been exposed after the plot was foiled by border force officials. Queensland man Jesse Sayeg was this week handed a nine-month jail term after pleading guilty in Caloundra Magistrates Court to three offences related to the illegal importation of live exotic animals. The case was cracked open in March 2023 when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers became suspicious of a package sent from the Philippines. A strong odour from the package prompted them to alert the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). An X-ray of the parcel, which has been misdeclared as 'toys' and sent under a false name, revealed a consignment of reptiles and spiders. A DAFF veterinarian opened the package to discover three snakes, six iguanas, three soft shell turtles and three tarantulas stuffed into calico drawstring bags. Many of the animals were dead. The discovery launched a two-year, multi-agency investigation dubbed Operation Cascade, which uncovered a broader criminal network spanning three Australian states including Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Subsequent search warrants led authorities to seize a further trove of exotic species, including two hog nose snakes, 45 tarantulas, three eco-skeleton spiders, two scorpions, an African hedgehog and an alligator snapping turtle. DAFF Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity, Operations and Compliance, Justine Saunders, warned of the serious risks posed by such illegal activity. DAFF Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity, Operations and Compliance, Justine Saunders, said the illegal introduction of exotic animals into Australia poses a significant threat. 'Exotic animals can carry biosecurity risks and diseases unknown in Australia, potentially devastating agriculture, native wildlife and even human health,' Ms Saunders said. She said breaches of Australia's biosecurity laws are treated with the utmost seriousness, carrying penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment and fines as high as $1.65 million for individuals, or $8.25 million for companies. 'DAFF has more than a thousand biosecurity officers working at our borders and in mailrooms every day who are trained to pick up anomalies in the system,' she said. Ms Saunders said wildlife trafficking was a major global crime, ranking just behind arms, drugs and human trafficking in scale. 'DAFF, along with other government agencies, are united in their commitment to eradicate the illicit wildlife trade and will take vigorous and relentless action to seek out those responsible, bring them to justice and stop this global crime.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wellstar proposes new hospital in Acworth
Wellstar is proposing that a new new 230-bed hospital be built in Acworth, citing the growing need in the northern part of Cobb County. The healthcare company said Thursday it had filed a letter of intent with the Georgia Department of Community Health, the first step in the process to get a certificate of need for a new hospital. The new facility would be located on Cobb Parkway across from the Wellstar Acworth Health Park. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Wellstar is improving access to care, and this new hospital is the latest in a series of projects that do just that,' said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. Wellstar said in a statement it is expected to file a detailed certificate of need on or before June 23, which would include architectural rendering and how the hospital would serve the community's health needs. 'The area is growing so much that even when our new tower at Wellstar Kennestone opens next year, the region will need more hospital beds,' Saunders said. 'A new hospital in Acworth would fill a crucial need for the region's medical care.' Cobb County's estimated population is 787,538 as of July 1, 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau says. The population was 766,149 in the 2020 census and 688,078 in the 2010 census. RELATED STORY: Wellstar announces what they're going to do with the old Atlanta Medical Center 'Access to healthcare has been expanding throughout Cobb County, but we still have an unmet need for hospital beds in the northern portion of our county,' said Lisa Cupid, chairwoman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. 'Wellstar is deeply committed to our region, and we're grateful that they recognized this need and are stepping forward with a solution.' Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood said the city's population has exploded, growing 'fivefold in ten years.' 'A hospital would be extremely beneficial to our community, and we appreciate Wellstar's willingness to meet our need,' he said. TRENDING STORIES: Tornado touches down in Henry County, 18-year-old critically injured 'Life doesn't feel real:' Family mourns GA 9-year-old found shot in car Report of person with box cutters draws large police response to Lavista Road, DeKalb police say Wellstar said it has more than $1.4 billion in major projects in the works across the state, including expanding facilities at Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar Paulding and Wellstar Spalding. The medical center growth outside the perimeter comes after the company closed the Atlanta Medical Center in 2022. That 22-acre campus has sat vacant since the closure and will be redeveloped, Wellstar officials said last year. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Definity's Travelers Canada deal could prompt consolidation as need for scale key, CEO says
By Nivedita Balu TORONTO (Reuters) -Canadian property and casualty insurer Definity Financial's $2.4 billion purchase of Travelers Cos' Canadian business could spur a wave of consolidation in Canada's insurance sector, its CEO said. The deal announced Tuesday will establish Definity as the fourth-largest property and casualty insurer in Canada and helped shares hit a record high on Wednesday. "In Canada, you need size and scale to keep investing in technology and AI and data and be relevant to your brokers and customers," CEO Rowan Saunders said in an interview. Saunders said the P&C insurance industry in Canada is a lot more fragmented and competitive than the banking industry, which is dominated by six big banks. Several foreign players operate in Canada, offering competitive products as insurance becomes a necessity in wildfire-prone regions in the western part of the country and floods become more regular occurrences due to climate change. "This might be a tipping point where a number of these international players will be paying attention to this deal and saying: 'If Travelers, at C$1.6 billion (in annual premiums), didn't think they had enough scale ... how would these companies that are much smaller than that do the same?'" "I think that could be a decision or a question that's asked around boardrooms, which might be a catalyst for ongoing consolidation in our industry." Scaling up will help insurers invest in technology systems, artificial intelligence, data and build efficient supply chain systems to deal with increasing claims from rising catastrophic events or personal claims. Saunders said deal talks began in New York last May where he discussed with Travelers' CEO Alan Schnitzer the importance of scale in Canada. Definity's purchase of Travelers' Canadian personal insurance and the majority of its commercial insurance business will add roughly C$1 billion in annual premiums to its personal lines business and C$600 million in annual premiums to its commercial unit. Definity's shares were up 13% on Wednesday at C$78.62. Sign in to access your portfolio
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Definity's $3.3B Travelers deal to keep 1,400 jobs in Canada; what it means for workers, brokers, and policyholders
In one of the biggest moves in Canada's insurance sector in recent years, Definity Financial Corp. is set to acquire the Canadian operations of U.S. giant Travelers for $3.3 billion, a deal that could reshape the competitive landscape for both customers and insurers. However, while major acquisitions often come with job cuts, this one doesn't: more than 1,400 Traveler employees across Canada will keep their jobs as the two firms merge under one brand. With the deal, Definity will become Canada's fourth-largest property and casualty insurer, rising from sixth place. It will now manage $6 billion in total annual premiums, a sign of its growing footprint in the insurance sector. 'This is a big step in our journey to build a Canadian champion,' said CEO Rowan Saunders, adding that Definity has been growing faster than the rest of the industry. For consumers, this could mean more options under Canadian leadership, as Definity plans to expand personal and commercial lines, including specialty insurance like cyber, marine, and professional liability. Jobs and services to stay Travelers Canada employs over 1,400 people across Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Definity has confirmed that all employees will be retained, and operations will be combined under one brand. Live Events The continuity of jobs and local operations means policyholders should not expect sudden service disruptions. Travelers will, however, keep its Canadian surety business. What's in it for customers? With this acquisition, Definity adds about $1.6 billion in new premiums, including $1 billion in personal insurance alone, a 30 per cent jump. More scale can help the company invest in better digital tools, expand coverage types, and offer competitive pricing. Definity already operates brands like Sonnet (a digital-first insurer), Petline, and Family Insurance. The expanded size may also allow it to negotiate better rates with reinsurers, potentially benefiting consumers in the long run. Sign of bigger shifts ahead? This deal also highlights a growing trend: consolidation. Strong Canadian firms are stepping up as foreign players like Travelers pull back. Saunders hinted that more mergers may follow, especially with over 100 insurers still in the market. 'If a big, strong, North American company like Travelers feels scale is important… many others may be thinking the same,' he said. The transaction still needs regulatory approval and is expected to close by early 2026. Until then, customers of both companies can expect business as usual, but likely with big changes ahead.
