Gerry Butts says Trudeau less likely to remain leader since Freeland quitATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ----- By Bill Barrow for the Associated Press Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.
A SUPERMARKET giant is selling Terry's Chocolate Orange for just £1 just in time for Christmas. Co-op has slashed the price from £1.50 to just a quid for certain shoppers. 2 Shoppers have been rushing to pick up the bargain Credit: Hot UK Deals 2 Other chains are selling the choc for around £1.50 Credit: Supplied But you have to be signed up to the chain's loyalty scheme to bag the bargain. News of the discount was posted to the deal-finding site HotUKDeals. The shopper said: "Terry's Chocolate Oranges £1 members price at the Co-op, seen in Dronfield but this is likely to be a National deal." Users were quick to respond in the comments hailing the low price. Read more on chocolate SWEET DEAL Surprising supermarket selling Celebrations tubs for cheaper than Asda and Tesco CHOC FULL Shoppers rush to buy Cadbury selection boxes at major supermarket for just £1 One said: "Yes....the proper price!!" Another commented: "The price they should be." The post also received a 749% heat rating which means fellow shoppers agree it's a bargain price. According to the comments the deal only appears to be available to Orange member cards, not Blue. Most read in Money FEEL THE HEAT Cheapest way to heat a room in your home revealed - it could save you £229 TRUMP UP Donald Trump urged to invest 'fistful of dollars' in late mum's Scottish home LEAVING TOWN High street giant to shut branch as mystery surrounds shopping centre future SHAKE IT UP McDonald's is making a big change to menus in days and customers can't wait Co-op membership also gives you access to discounts across all its brands, including insurance, funeral care, and legal services. You can either join online , via the Co-op app, or in-store. Slash Your Xmas Costs: Top 5 Money-Saving Tips from a Cash-Savvy Mum If you're not currently a member, signing up is easy and costs just £1. This gives you access to all their lower prices in stores for members as well as personalised offers. It's worth calling ahead to your local store to check if they are offering the deal before you head out. You can use websites like Trolley, Price Spy and Price Runner which let you compare prices on thousands of products. A quick search with the Google Shopping/Product tab can bring up what some retailers are selling items for too. It's worth going direct to discounters' websites like B&M and Home Bargains too as they often have cheap chocs on sale. Plus the closer we get to Christmas it's likely even more offers will pop up too. But these deals do seem to come and go quickly so it's worth stocking up while you have the chance. This appears to be the lowest price available on Terry's Chocolate Oranges currently according to Trolley. Tesco and Aldi are selling the treats for £1.49, while Asda, Morrisons and Iceland have priced them at £1.50. Sainsbury's Nectar card customers can also bag them for £1.50. While Morrisons and Ocado are the most expensive at £2. How to save money on chocolate We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs... Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars. Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere. Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal. Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced. They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged. Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar. So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger. Elsewhere, Morrisons has slashed the price of Cadbury selection boxes to just £1. Plus, Co-op has reduced the price of Celebrations from £5.50 to just £4.50 for most of December. Read more on the Scottish Sun THE FAB THREE I'm A Celeb's finalists REVEALED as last star evicted ahead of closing show AISLE BE THERE Lidl's cheeky Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour adds two more Scots spots Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk . Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Former US President Jimmy Carter has died at 100
Meridian Federation of Teachers and school board approve five-year contractWhether you're following Master Chief and the United Nations Space Command (UNSC)'s fight against the Covenant by watching the Halo TV series or playing the Halo games in order , you might be wondering what's the deal with the religious alien hegemony that threatens humanity. We've collected the main points of their history here to give you a quick rundown of who they are and what their goals are. While much of Halo's iconography comes from the UNSC, Halo vehicles and troops, and, more importantly, the Spartans (not just Master Chief), the Covenant might be one of the most unique hostile alien factions ever conceived for a sci-fi story. The fact that the Halo franchise has been quite successful with novels and comic books definitely helped flesh out its universe. However, the games did a great job on their own by painting a complex picture of the big extraterrestrial menace. Once you've read this article and know your enemy, grab your battle rifle and head on over to our list of the Halo games, ranked worst to best . While you're in that "war against mankind" realm, it kinda feels imperative to take a look at the best alien invasion movies of all time and the best alien invasion games of all time too. Can't be too prepared! Warning: Spoilers from this point onwards for most of the Halo game series. Halo's Covenant: Who are they? The Covenant, also referred to as the Covenant Empire or Hegemony, was a gigantic religious faction comprised of multiple alien species that controlled most of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way Galaxy for thousands of years. It originally started as an alliance between the San'Shyuum (Prophets) and the Sangheili (Elites), but later expanded to "assimilate" other species including the Huragok (Engineers), Mgalekgolo (Hunters), Unggoy (Grunts), Kig-Yar (Jackals), Yanme'e (Drones), and Jiralhanae (Brutes). All were united in the ardent worship of what remained of the ancient Forerunners' leftover technology and artifacts. Despite initial conflicts due to disagreements about how to interact with Forerunner relics, the Covenant eventually became an unstoppable force across the Orion Arm. The San'Shyuum and Sangheili, the founders of the Hegemony, governed the other species that they saw as inferior and disposable. The massive theocratic cultural hegemony eventually began chasing the mission of achieving transcendence through the Great Journey which would be triggered by the Halo rings (which they called the Sacred Rings). Halo's Covenant: War against the UNSC In the year 2525, humanity first encountered the Covenant on the planet Harvest. Many leaders thought the species would be a fine addition to the hegemony, but the Hierarchs (Truth, Mercy, and Regret) knew of humanity's status as the Forerunners' descendants and chosen inheritors. Since that information leaking would likely cause the Covenant to descend into chaos and make the San'Shyuum lose their personal power, they declared that humanity (the prophesized Reclaimers) were to be exterminated. After decades of war, some Sangheili began to question why humanity wasn't offered a chance to join the Covenant, especially when they'd proven surprisingly determined and hard to defeat, largely due to their Spartans supersoldiers. Meanwhile, break-off factions also started to rebel, the main one being the Banished, led by a Jiralhanae stalker named Atriox. They disagreed with the Prophets' rule, but still waged war against humans. The UNSC suffered a major blow in 2552, when the stronghold planet of Reach fell to the Covenant. However, a single vessel named the Pillar of Autumn escaped battle to one of the seven Halo rings the Hegemony was after. Fighting on the ring-world followed, with Spartan-II John-117 (Master Chief) aka "The Demon" leading the remaining UNSC forces; they secured victory by destroying the ring after they became aware of the Covenant's plans. The Supreme Commander of the fleet present during the first Halo battle, the Sangheili Thel 'Vadam, was initially branded a heretic for his failure to save the ring. However, Thel 'Vadam later became an Arbiter (the highest possible rank for his species) and was tasked with cleaning out heretics to prove his loyalty. At the same time, the High Prophet of Regret stumbled upon the human homeworld of Earth and escaped by making a slipspace jump. They were followed by the UNSC frigate In Amber Clad, the slipspace leading both parties to a second Halo ring. Master Chief ended Regret's life and managed to shut down the second ring. Following the recent unreliability and rumors of heresy, the remaining Hierarchs replaced the Sangheili with the Jiralhanae as their military leaders. This led to the Sangheili revolting once they were targeted by the Jiralhanae, and so the Great Schism began. Meanwhile, the UNSC frigate In Amber Clad, now controlled by the Flood (the organic threat the Forerunners tried to erase with Halo rings and led to their extinction) crashed into the moving holy city of High Charity, a place consumed by chaos and the relentless Flood. The Prophet of Mercy was killed during this attack, and Truth escaped to Earth. The new conflict, plus the many losses suffered by both sides, led to the Sangheili and humanity forming a tentative alliance to stop the Jiralhanae, Truth's forces, and the Flood. On Earth, Truth discovered a Forerunner construction located in Kenya that generated a portal to the Ark installation, a giant installation located outside the galaxy that could activate all of the Halo rings at once. Truth barricaded himself inside the Citadel, a control center of the Halo rings, but the joint UNSC and Sangheili forces broke through the Covenant's defenses alongside the Flood-infected High Charity. John-117 and the Arbiter found and killed Truth, and then deactivated the rings. Following the events at the Ark, the Covenant dissolved. The San'Shyuum went into hiding, other species scattered, and a formal alliance between the humans and the Sangheili was established. There was, however, the problem of splinter factions and the Banished repeatedly striking against the Sangheili and UNSC, trying to complete the work left undone by the late Covenant. Most of the Jiralhanae kept opposing the Sangheili, but some chose to serve as laborers under them. The post-Covenant power vacuum allowed the Banished to amass a rather sizable degree of control. This would go on to cause many problems for both the Sangheili and the UNSC, who were busy shutting down other major threats, such as the rogue AI Cortana. Meanwhile, Thel 'Vadam, former Arbiter, restored the pre-Covenant government as the Swords of Sanghelios, which was based on their ancient homeworld. This led to more fights amongst their own ranks over their faith and how to move forward. Other former member races of the Covenant – those who didn't want to be part of more interstellar affairs – returned to their respective homeworlds or vanished into unknown space. There were, however, many members of the former Covenant who looked for asylum on Earth. Later conflicts over the Halo rings and Forerunner tech would be started by Atriox's enduring Banished. They dealt substantial blows to UNSC forces, including John-117, by becoming experts in guerrilla warfare. Atriox's Banished also managed to free a being called the Harbinger from imprisonment. This creature is a member of another ancient species capable of surviving the firing of the Halo Array, who had been incarcerated by the extinct Forerunners. This is where the current video game timeline ends with the finale of Halo Infinite. It's an ongoing conflict and storyline, but we'll need to wait for the next installment for more info.
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Jamshedpur: Many beneficiaries, mostly from poor families were deprived of food grains distributed through the public distribution system (PDS) in Jamshedpur and adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan, National Human Rights Commission's rapporteur for Jharkhand, Suchitra Sinha, said. Based on the complaints of these deprived beneficiaries, Sinha conducted raids at several PDS outlets in the past few days to take stock of the situation. Talking to TOI, Sinha said, "The raids conducted at various PDS outlets revealed gross anomalies where beneficiaries' thumb impressions were collected through the biometric system but were not given food grains. After recording their fingerprints, the beneficiaries were given hand-written notes on plain paper, informing them about the date when food grains would be distributed. But when they went to collect rice and wheat on the specified date, most of them had to return empty-handed as they were informed that food grains stocks had exhausted. This had been happening over a long period. "Moreover, registers at godowns and shops showed several loopholes and discrepancies. Many of the shops also used faulty measuring machines to dupe the beneficiaries," she said. Sinha, a former IAS officer, further said, "Many of the PDS shops exist only in ration cards but their addresses could not be traced physically. The beneficiaries associated with such PDS outlets have never received any rice, wheat or other items issued by the govt. The staff of my office have received many threats over the phone to stop the surprise visits to the PDS outlets, owned by powerful persons, threatening them with dire consequences." On the difficulties faced during the raids, Sinha said, "Vinod Kumar Jha and Lal Sardar, who own PDS outlets in the Jugsalai area and were summoned for questioning, never appeared and kept their mobile phones switched off. Beneficiaries have lodged several complaints against them." The shops she raided included -- Maa Mansa Mahila Samiti PDS Centre (Adardih), Chandra Mohan Gorai PDS Centre, (Adardih), Om Prakash Sharma PDS Centre (Sonari), Amresh Kumar PDS Centre (Sakchi), Anand Deo Rajak PDS Centre (Sonari), Anita Devi PDS Centre (Sonari), Ajay Kumar PDS Centre (Jugsalai) and Anil Kumar Chaudhary PDS Centre (Jugsalai). Informing that a report in this regard has been prepared and would be submitted to the NHRC soon, Sinha added, "The govt should take a serious note of such anomalies as they concern the welfare of the poor. If PDS owners in city areas are openly flouting norms, those in villages may be worse as the beneficiaries have less contact with the officials." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
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"Even if you spent hours researching your health plan before making a selection, there's always a possibility for the occasional surprise once coverage kicks in, which is why it's important to assess your healthcare coverage and address any gaps before January 1," said Doug Armstrong, Vice President of Health Products and Services at AARP Services, Inc. "AARP members can take advantage of benefits available to them to help find the coverage and savings information they seek." 1. Examine your vision coverage Eye health is important to quality of life, both in terms of moving around safely and appreciating your surroundings. Regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist or optometrist can help make sure your vision is sharp while also monitoring for any issues. However, many health insurance plans don't include vision coverage. 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We must think historically to cool down our post-election emotions. Historical perspectives clarify our recent presidential election and lower its post-election temperature. Let’s start with feudalism, of kings and lords, which we inherited from our Anglo-European past which had ruled the known world for over a millennium. Then, the American Revolution came and overthrew feudalism and ushered in a new democratic system, governed by ourselves and leaders chosen by us according to our own precepts of freedom. This post-feudal new world lasted for over two centuries — until this past Nov. 5. Contrary to its conventional images of the Dark Ages and oppression, a few scholars have considered feudalism as an ideal system of social order and as a pre-modern community of peace and harmony. As historical fact, this idyllic feudalism, where lords and peasants lived in good order and harmony, came to its end: Earth-shaking events were coming in waves, most notably in scientific discoveries, religious revolts, radical perspectives in Renaissance and Enlightenment, and the emboldening New World — which told feudal rulers that their time was up. Two types of responses, quite fateful for their historic consequences, emerged from feudal societies to face the inevitable “modern” world: One from the Old World and the other from the New World. The Old World, mostly European, decided to welcome the new developments by prudently combining their existing tradition, religion and habits with the new ways of thinking — half-feudal and half-democratic — that would accommodate the changes without destroying their old system. With this new combination, where society is modern but people think traditional, the Old World kept its community and social order in a form generally known as “social democracy” which continues today in most European nations. The New World produced a rather different response. With the backdrop of open land and physical distance from the Old World, the American colonies chose a completely radical break from feudalism. Following the Revolution, the New World realized humanity’s fondest dream of “liberal democracy” (emphasizing individual liberty, unlike Europe’s social democracy), as the new model for idealized self-governance and America’s own self-image as “the Shining City on a Hill.” Liberal democracy satisfied the restless American soul for nearly two centuries, first with wide open frontier society of freedom and equality and later with consumer capitalism to its heart’s content. No nation on Earth or in history had enjoyed the range of physical comfort and convenience like post-World War II American consumers. The age of affluence was upon America, which created an entirely new kind of human generations and personality: The typically solitary American consumer lived in a post-human society, always restless in search of something better for himself. He wanted everything he consumed to be better than before, faster and louder, more thrilling and pleasing. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Hollywood responded with the entertainment revolution, expanding three television channels to 3,000 with cable TV, then to three million with the internet to meet the new demands. America even conquered the time-and-space limitations of nature: entertainment was now always available across time and space — night or day, here or yonder, at will. Upon the consumer’s instant command, movie stars sang, danced, and told jokes and athletes ran and jumped — all to please the new lord. In this society where everything seemed possible and available, the line of sanity between reality and fantasy blurred, and the largely frivolous “choices” covered up the harsh conditions of powerlessness for the masses under the liberal-democratic version of the American Dream. Liberal democracy is both a blessing and a curse. As a blessing, it allows maximum individual indulgences. As the curse, the very nature of individual choice makes it difficult for us to control the consequences of our own choice. Such a system requires a high degree of citizen intelligence and social consciousness. It’s like giving a child a loaded gun and expecting a happy ending. With the gun, the child already possesses the power not to be responsible, like those who struggle with credit cards, even with pre-set limits. No such systems ever survived their own indulgences, and America’s libertine (woke?) anything-goes culture — expertly orchestrated by America’s best and brightest — could not moderate its own civic degeneration. These master psychologists, working for politicians and corporations, kept us deep in our own cesspool, flailing with minor daily irritations that morphed into major political wraths. Under Democrats, life was a sweet dream only in illusion or hypocrisy as our economic cruelty did not (and does not) allow such fantasies to become reality. With the world’s largest wealth-poverty gap, individual lives can improve indefinitely only in Hollywood dreams and Disney fantasies. Soon Democrats, already characterized as an “elitist” party, were seen as largely unrelated to the actual daily lives of working Americans. Still dreaming of the pre-capitalist era, liberal America had become ungovernable and its lives unlivable. The stage was now set for Donald Trump who promised to clear the liberal swamp with his imperial magic wand. Back in power, he is remaking everything in America except money and entertainment. This way, Trump is having the best of both worlds — populist and capitalist: He gets votes from dumb masses and dollars from smart billionaires. Democrats are just in shock and awe of his genius. As democracy replaced feudalism, Trump’s imperial democracy is replacing liberal democracy. In this new era that began on Nov. 5, we have taken our first baby steps, like Adam and Eve after the fall, toward an entirely unknown future — both foreboding and expectant. There, waiting for us is the judgment on the liberal fruit of indulgence that we had picked and consumed, a gift from the capitalist-serpent who whispered to us that we could live “as gods.” Historians would write the rest. Jon Huer, columnist for the Recorder and retired professor, lives in Greenfield and writes for posterity.Seahawks-Bears called ‘worst game in NFL history’ as fans demand huge change to Thursday Night Football
Liverpool Fans Are Furious With Jamie Carragher’s Cole Palmer CommentsTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli soldiers raided a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Israel's bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. The war was sparked by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage by Palestinian militants. Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, although only two thirds are believed to still be alive. Here’s the latest: WASHINGTON — A leading global food crisis monitor says deaths from starvation will likely pass famine levels in north Gaza as soon as next month. The U.S.-created Famine Early Warning System Network says that’s because to a near-total Israeli blockade of food and other aid in that part of Gaza. The finding, however, appears to have exposed a rift within the Biden administration over the extent of starvation in northern Gaza. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, disputes part of the data used in reaching the conclusion and calls the intensified famine warning “irresponsible.” Northern Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its 14-month war with Hamas militants. UNITED NATIONS — Israel’s foreign minister has requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to condemn recent missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and to condemn the group's Iranian allies for allegedly providing the group with weapons. Gideon Saar said in a letter Tuesday to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States, which holds the council presidency this month, that the Houthis are violating international law and council resolutions. “This Iranian-backed terrorist group continues to endanger Israel’s and other nations’ security, as well as the freedom of maritime navigation, in flagrant violation of international law,” Saar said. “All of this malign activity is done as part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region.” The U.S. Mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to an email asking when the council meeting will be held. The Houthis have said they launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea – and on Israel -- with the aim of ending Israel’s devastating air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli war in Gaza followed Hamas’ deadly October 2023 attacks in southern Israel. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military investigation has concluded that the presence of troops inadvertently contributed to the deaths of six hostages killed by their Hamas captors in Gaza. The hostages' bodies were discovered in a tunnel in late August, an event that shook Israel and sparked some of the largest anti-war protests since the war began. The investigation found that the six hostages were killed by multiple gunshots from their captors after surviving for nearly 330 days. The Israeli military’s “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages,” the report found. According to the investigation, the Israeli military began operating in the area where the hostages were being held in southern Gaza about two weeks before their discovery, under the assumption that the chances of hostages in the area was medium to low. On August 27, hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi was found alone in a tunnel , causing the Israeli military to halt operations for 24 hours to determine if there could be other hostages in the area. The military discovered the opening leading to the tunnel where the bodies of the six hostages were located on August 30. A pathological report estimated the six hostages were killed on August 29. The six hostages killed were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin , whose American-Israeli parents became some of the most recognized spokespeople pleading for the hostages’ release, including addressing the Democratic National Convention days before their son’s killing. “The investigation published tonight proves once again that the return of all hostages will only be possible through a deal,” the Hostages Families Forum said in response to the investigation. “Every passing moment puts the hostages’ lives in immediate danger.” JERUSALEM — The Israeli negotiating team working on a ceasefire returned from Qatar to Israel on Tuesday, the prime minister’s office said, after what it called “a significant week” of talks. After months of deadlock, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to reach a deal. According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, the proposed agreement would take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding 100 hostages, over one-third of whom are believed to be dead. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “some progress” in efforts to reach a deal, but added he did not know how long it would take. CAIRO — Israeli soldiers took control of a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday. Some of the patients had to walk to another hospital while others were driven by paramedics, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi. He did not specify how many patients had evacuated. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. The army later said its soldiers had left the hospital. The military said it had assisted with evacuating the patients and had not ordered the hospital closed. However, al-Wahidi said only one doctor and maintenance person were left behind. The Indonesian Hospital is one of three hospitals left largely inaccessible in the northernmost part of Gaza because Israel has imposed a tight siege there since launching an offensive in early October. The Israeli army said Tuesday’s operation at the Indonesian Hospital came after militants carried out attacks from the hospital for the past month, including launching anti-tank missiles and planting explosive devices in the surrounding area. The Health Ministry accused Israel of “besieging and directly targeting” the three hospitals in northern Gaza. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said Israeli drones detonated explosives near the hospital and that 20 people were wounded, including five medical staff. The Israeli military declined to comment on the operation around the hospital. DAMASCUS — Scores of Syrian Christians protested in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, demanding greater protections for their religious minority after a Christmas tree was set on fire in the city of Hama a day earlier. Many of the insurgents who now rule Syria are jihadis, although Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and spent years depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. It remains unclear who set the Christmas tree on fire Monday, which was condemned by a representative of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham who visited the town and addressed the community. “This act was committed by people who are not Syrian, and they will be punished beyond your expectations," the HTS representative said in a video widely shared on social media. "The Christmas tree will be fully restored by this evening.” On Tuesday, protesters marched through the streets of Bab Touma in Damascus, shouting slogans against foreign fighters and carrying large wooden crosses. “We demand that Syria be for all Syrians. We want a voice in the future of our country,” said Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church as he addressed the crowd in a church courtyard, assuring them of Christians’ rights in Syria. Since HTS led a swift offensive that overthrew President Bashar Assad earlier this month, Syria’s minority communities have been on edge, uncertain of how they will be treated under the emerging rebel-led government. “We are here to demand a democratic and free government for one people and one nation,” another protester said. “We stand united — Muslims and Christians. No to sectarianism.” DOHA — Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said that ceasefire negotiations to end the war in Gaza were ongoing in Doha in cooperation with Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators. “We will not leave any door unopened in pursuit of reaching an agreement,” said Majid al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday. Al Ansari added that rumors the ceasefire would be reached before Christmas are “speculation.” The ceasefire negotiations come at a time when winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. Families of the approximately 100 hostages who have been held for 445 days in Gaza are also worried their loved ones will not survive another winter. In a press conference, al-Ansari also called on the international community to lift sanctions on Syria as quickly as possible on Tuesday. “The reason was the crimes of the previous regime, and that regime, with all of its authority, is no longer in place, therefor the causes for these sanctions no longer exist today,” he said. DAMASCUS, Syria — American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group. Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead. Zakka told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad. He added that U.S. President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive. Zakka said he believes Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating. Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip. Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, although he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. TEL AVIV, Israel — Hannah Katzir, an Israeli woman who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and freed in a brief ceasefire last year, has died. She was 78. The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of people taken captive, confirmed the death Tuesday but did not disclose the cause. Her daughter, Carmit Palty Katzir, said in a statement that her mother’s “heart could not withstand the terrible suffering since Oct. 7.” Katzir’s husband, Rami, was killed during the attack by militants who raided their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her son Elad was also kidnapped and his body was recovered in April by the Israeli military, who said he had been killed in captivity. She spent 49 days in captivity and was freed in late November 2023. Shortly after Katzir was freed, her daughter told Israeli media that she had been hospitalized with heart issues attributed to “difficult conditions and starvation” while she was held captive. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's military said the projectile was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory, but it set off air raid sirens overnight in the country's populous central area, sending residents looking for cover. Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said a 60-year-old woman was seriously wounded after being hurt on her way to a protected space. There was no immediate comment from Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. It was the third time in a week that fire from Yemen set off sirens in Israel. On Saturday, a missile slammed into a playground in Tel Aviv, injuring 16, after Israel’s air defense system failed to intercept it. Earlier last week, Israeli jets struck Yemen’s rebel-held capital and a port city, killing nine. Israel said the strikes were in response to previous Houthi attacks.