No. 5 Alabama has a reputation as 3-point gunners, but it's defense and rebounding that have become a focus as the Tide welcome South Dakota State to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to end the 2024 calendar year. Alabama (10-2) is frequently thought of as an offensive 3-point shooting free-for-all program, but Nate Oats' 2024-25 squad has thrived largely on the basis of inside play. The Tide are shooting 62.2 percent on their two-point attempts and grab 45 rebounds per game, each figure placing the team among the national leaders in those categories. Alabama does still shoot an average of 31 3-point shots per game, again one of the nation's highest totals. But so far, Alabama's 31.2 percent connection rate is very ordinary. But connecting inside and owning the glass has held benefits for Alabama. Meanwhile, defense has concerned Oats, particularly coming off a 97-90 win over North Dakota on Dec. 18. Oats issued warnings about players losing spots in the rotation if defensive execution didn't improve. Alabama passed the first post-North Dakota test in an 81-54 win over Kent State on Sunday. "We did make a big point of emphasis on defense, especially after that debacle up in North Dakota," said Oats after the Kent State victory. "It was a much better defensive effort, so it will be a lot better Christmas break for us." Alabama won the rebounding battle over Kent State 60-40, although Oats contended that the Tide "gave up too many second-chance points." Alabama made 72 percent of its two-point attempts even as just 9 of 35 3-point attempts connected. Alabama has battled personnel uncertainty early in the season. An Achilles injury ended the season of guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. just as transfer Chris Youngblood was preparing to return from an ankle injury. The Tide have 11 players averaging double-digit minutes and eight averaging 7.4 points per game or better, led by super senior guard Mark Sears with 17.8 ppg. Super senior forward Grant Nelson remains a key player, leading the Tide with 8.7 rebounds per game while adding 12.8 ppg. Meanwhile, South Dakota State (9-5) will pin its upset hopes largely on Aussie transfer Oscar Cluff. A 6-foot-11 senior who transferred in from Washington State, Cluff has averaged 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Cluff is connecting on 71.4 percent of his shot attempts. He's also shooting 79.2 percent at the foul line and has stabilized a young Jackrabbits team with four freshmen among the top seven scorers. "Oscar's just built the right way," said coach Eric Henderson. "We have probably played through the post more than any other team in the country the last five years and we just felt like we needed a big man that had some experience and boy does he ever." Cluff had a streak of five straight double-doubles, but that ended in recent losses to Nevada and Colorado. The Jackrabbits won 87-72 over Chadron State in their last game on Dec. 19. --Field Level MediaCritical Gmail Warning: Google Prompts Exploited in Ongoing Attacks
> Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Jimmy Carter, the Georgia peanut farmer who became a U.S. president and a Nobel Prize-winning activist for peace and human rights, has died. He was 100. Carter's post-presidency had been widely seen as more successful than his time in the White House, and he called it " more gratifying ." even into his 90s, crusading for human rights, writing books, building homes for the needy with his own hands, teaching Sunday school, and traveling the world in the pursuit of peace. Carter graduated from the United States Naval Academy, participated in the Navy's fledgling nuclear-powered submarine program, and served two terms as a Georgia state senator and one as governor before he was elected to the White House. He became the nation's 39th president in 1977, defeating President Gerald Ford in the election more than two years after the Watergate scandal drove Richard Nixon from the Oval Office. Carter had been on hospice care for more than a year. His family announced in February 2023 that he had entered end-of-life care in his home after a series of hospital visits. His wife, Rosalynn , who had been diagnosed with dementia in early 2023, briefly entered hospice herself at age 96 before dying on Nov. 19, 2023. Carter turned 100 in October, bringing a new flood of tributes and accolades. His grandson Jason Carter said it was gratifying for Jimmy Carter to see a reassessment of his presidency and legacy. After losing his reelection bid in 1980, he remained active in public issues, including speaking at age 95 in support of Joe Biden at the virtual Democratic National Convention in August 2020. Some commentators viewed him as the nation's "most successful ex-president." He wrote more than 40 books , including "Faith," which he released when he was in his mid-90s. Days after his 93rd birthday, he offered to go to North Korea amid a nuclear crisis in an attempt to establish a permanent peace between Pyongyang and Washington. And at age 96, he denounced Republican efforts to restrict voter access in his home state. Carter lived longer than any other U.S. president, surpassing the late George H.W. Bush, who died in November 2018 at age 94. When Carter reached that milestone in March 2019, Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo said he was still active. "Both President and Mrs. Carter are determined to use their influence for as long as they can to make the world a better place," Congileo said at the time. "Their tireless resolve and heart have helped to improve life for millions of the world's poorest people." U.S. stock markets have historically closed for a day of mourning to honor the death of a president. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia — the first U.S. president born in a hospital. His father ran a general store and invested in farmland. His mother, known as "Miss Lillian," was a nurse. Carter attended the U.S. Naval Academy. During one of his visits home from Annapolis, his younger sister Ruth set up a date with their neighbor and lifelong friend. Upon graduation in 1946 from the academy, he married that young woman, Eleanor Rosalynn Smith, when she was 18. (On July 7, 2023, the Carters celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary , marking a record-long marriage for a first couple.) In the Navy, he served on submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets and attained the rank of lieutenant. He joined then-Capt. Hyman Rickover's nuclear submarine development program. He did graduate work at Union College in reactor technology and nuclear physics and became senior officer of the pre-commissioning crew of the second nuclear submarine, the Seawolf. After his father died in 1953, Carter resigned from the Navy and returned to Georgia, taking over the family farms and becoming active in local politics. He served in the Navy Reserve until 1961. Elected governor in 1971, he was considered one of the leaders of the "New South" — a progressive who condemned racial segregation and inequality. During his presidential campaign, he ran as an outsider, hoping to capitalize on the anti-Washington sentiment in the post-Vietnam/Watergate era. "My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm running for president," a beaming Carter said in the opening of his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in July 1976. He offered to create jobs in a nasty economy with a 7.9% unemployment rate, and to set a squeaky-clean example as a born-again Christian from outside the Beltway, unblemished by Washington's scandals. On the eve of the election, however, he gave an interview to Playboy magazine in which he made this shocking confession: "I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." Still, the man with the huge smile and genteel Georgia drawl handily won the Electoral College by 297-240 but received only 50.1% of the popular vote to Ford's 48%. Once in office, Carter empowered his running mate, Walter Mondale, to transform the vice presidency into a policy-driving office. On the domestic front, in addition to stagflation and recession, Carter had to deal with the Love Canal ecological disaster in Niagara Falls, New York, which led to the creation of the environmental Superfund. He also ended federal price regulations for airlines, trucking and railroads; signed the bailout of Chrysler in 1979; and elevated the Department of Education into a separate Cabinet-level agency. One of his biggest domestic problems was the festering energy crisis, which stemmed from the Arab oil embargo that began during the 1973 Middle East war. He termed the crisis "the moral equivalent of war." In symbolic gestures, he wore a Mister Rogers-styled cardigan, turned down the White House heat, installed solar heating panels in the executive mansion, created the Department of Energy and pressed for tax incentives for installation of home insulation. In international affairs, he campaigned for human rights, successfully concluded the Camp David peace accords between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, negotiated the return to Panama of the Canal Zone, established full diplomatic relations with communist China and reached an agreement on the SALT II nuclear arms limitation treaty with Moscow. Then came the fateful end of the year 1979: The disastrous 444-day Iranian hostage standoff began in November, and the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in December, resulting in Carter's call for a U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by radical student followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on Nov. 4, 1979, and the subsequent siege made the Carter administration seem impotent. Even the first lady recalled during a CNBC interview in 2014 that she urged her husband to "do something, anything!" Five months into the crisis, Carter ordered a military mission, Operation Eagle Claw, to rescue the American hostages. The mission ended in humiliation: In the process of aborting the plan because of operational difficulties, a U.S. helicopter crashed into a transport plane at the desert staging area, killing eight servicemen. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who advocated diplomacy over force to resolve the hostage crisis, resigned. "I know this is a matter of principle with you, and I respect the reasons you have expressed to me," Carter said in a handwritten note to Vance. The crisis finally ended with the release of 52 Americans on Jan. 20, 1981, the day the man who ended Carter's single-term presidency took the oath of office — Ronald Reagan. Before the 1980 election between Carter, Reagan and independent John Anderson, Sen. Ted Kennedy waged an unsuccessful challenge to the president for the Democratic nomination. In a 2014 interview with CNBC, Carter said he probably would have been easily reelected had he rescued the hostages. "It would have shown that I was strong and resolute and manly," he said. "I could have wiped Iran off the map with the weapons that we had. But in the process a lot of innocent people would have been killed, probably including the hostages. And so I stood up against all that advice, and then eventually all my prayers were answered and all the hostages came home safe and free." Summing up the Carter presidency, former aide Stuart Eizenstat wrote in a 2015 op-ed in The New York Times that the nation's 39th president had numerous accomplishments. "It is enormously frustrating for those of us who worked closely with him in the White House to witness his presidency caricatured as a failure, and to see how he has been marginalized, even by his fellow Democrats," Eizenstat wrote. "His defining characteristic was confronting intractable problems regardless of their political cost." Carter remained active after he left Washington at age 56. He and Rosalynn volunteered for Habitat for Humanity , building affordable housing for the needy, and he established the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and The Carter Center in Atlanta. Founded in 1982, the center has sent observers to monitor elections in more than three dozen countries. The center has also led health efforts, including the push to eradicate the tropical parasitic Guinea worm disease. The center's motto is "Waging peace. Fighting disease. Building hope." "I still hope to outlive the last Guinea worm ," Carter told CNN in May 2018. (He came close. The Carter Center reported there were only 13 human cases in 2023.) Carter, who also taught at Emory University, traveled extensively to promote peace, human rights and economic progress. In one mission, President Bill Clinton secretly dispatched him to North Korea in 1994 to help mediate a nuclear dispute with dictator Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather. In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for what the awards committee called "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." However, his actions were not always well-received. His efforts in his long campaign for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors included the 2006 book "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid," which was perceived as antisemitic and biased against Israel. In particular, one sentence provoked an outcry: "It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel." In an interview with NPR , Carter was asked about the passage. "That was a terribly worded sentence which implied, obviously in a ridiculous way, that I approved terrorism and terrorist acts against Israeli citizens," he said. "The 'when' was obviously a crazy and stupid word. My publishers have been informed about that and have changed the sentence in all future editions of the book." (It became: "It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they renounce all acts of violence against innocent civilians and will accept international laws, the Arab peace proposal of 2002, and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace.") In the 2014 CNBC interview, Carter said the Camp David Accords and other peacemaking stood among his greatest achievements as president. "I kept our country at peace, which has happened very rarely since the Second World War, and I tried to work for peace between other people who were not directly related to the United States, like between Egypt and Israel. I normalized diplomatic relations with China, and I implemented a very strong human rights commitment that brought about a change throughout Latin America, for instance, from totalitarian military dictatorships to democracies," he said. "So I would say the promotion of peace and human rights were the two things that I'm most proud." Had he been elected to a second term, he told CNBC, "I could have implemented very firmly the peace agreement that I negotiated with Israel and its neighbors that was never fully implemented." "I'd like to be remembered as a champion of peace and human rights. Those are the two things I've found as a kind of guide for my life. I've done the best I could with those, not always successful, of course," he told CNBC. "I would hope the American people would see that I tried to do what was best for our country every day I was in office." Survivors include sons John "Jack," James "Chip," and Donnel "Jeff" and daughter Amy. Jack ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Nevada in 2006. Jack's son Jason lost a bid for Georgia governor in 2014 to then-incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Carter's brother Billy, whose antics stirred up unwanted attention during the Carter White House years, died in 1988. On Aug. 12, 2015, the former president revealed that he had melanoma and that surgery on his liver confirmed that it had metastasized there and to his brain. A week after his cancer diagnosis announcement, Carter held a remarkably frank news conference at the Carter Center to discuss his prognosis and the prospect of facing death. "I've had a wonderful life, I've had thousands of friends, and I've had an exciting and adventurous and gratifying existence," he told reporters. Illustrating that peace of mind, the former president took this picture when he returned home from the news conference: After four months of treatment, including targeted radiation and immunotherapy, Carter announced in early December 2015 that a subsequent brain scan showed no signs of the original cancer spots and no new ones. Then in March 2016, he announced he no longer needed regular cancer treatments. Months later, in July, he addressed the Democratic National Convention by video, urging people to vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump . And at an Atlanta Braves game in September 2015, the former first couple was caught on the "kiss cam." Former President Jimmy Carter smooches wife on Atlanta Braves' kiss cam http://t.co/eq5KbHftsn #NBCNightlyNews pic.twitter.com/QT5Prl6T8f In 2019, at age 94, Carter fell in his home and broke a hip when he was preparing to go turkey hunting. "President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit," the Carter Center said. He underwent hip replacement surgery but had to cancel plans to resume teaching Sunday school six days after the accident. Later that year, just before a planned week at an October 2019 Habitat for Humanity project in Tennessee, the 95-year-old Carter fell in his home while heading to church. Although he suffered a black eye and needed 14 stitches in his head, Carter appeared 400 miles away at a concert that night in Nashville to support the project. Wielding a power drill and other building tools, he soon joined the volunteer construction crews. Then, two weeks later, he fell in his house and suffered a pelvic fracture. But in another two weeks, he was back at church, giving a lesson on the Book of Job and talking about facing death during his 2015 cancer treatment. "I obviously prayed about it. I didn't ask God to let me live, but I just asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death. And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death. It didn't really matter to me whether I died or lived," Carter told the congregation of 400 people at Maranatha Baptist Church on Nov. 3, 2019, according to the church's feed on Facebook. "I have since that time been absolutely confident that my Christian faith includes complete confidence in life after death." During the Covid pandemic, the Carters decided not to travel to Biden's inauguration, but weeks later, they were fully vaccinated and were back in their usual seats in the front pew of Maranatha Baptist for Sunday services. " It's hard to live until you're 95 years old," Carter told People magazine days after reaching that milestone. "I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse: Someone who will take care of you and engage and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life." — Michele Luhn and Lynne Pate contributed to this report.
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — Kam Craft’s 34 points led Miami (OH) over Bethany (WV) 112-70 on Sunday. Craft had a big night from beyond the arc for the RedHawks (6-3), as he made 10 of Miami’s 22 3-pointers. Brant Byers scored 21 points while going 8 of 10 (5 for 7 from 3-point range). Eian Elmer had 20 points and shot 7 for 13, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc. Ben Guffey led the way for the Bison with 12 points. Troy Hixson added 11 points for Bethany. Cole Dailey finished with 10 points. Miami took the lead with 19:17 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 62-28 at halftime, with Byers racking up 17 points. Miami outscored Bethany by eight points in the second half, and Craft scored a team-high 20 points in the second half to help secure the victory. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Winter adventures away from the lift lines
Essential winter gadgets for your home Must-have winter gadgets for your kitchen Winter gadgets to keep your office warm Gadgets every traveler needs to survive winter The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More Latest Mobiles Lava O3 Pro ₹6,999 Vivo X200 5G ₹65,999 Lava Yuva 4 ₹6,999 Tecno POP 9 4G ₹6,499 Itel Color Pro 5G ₹9,199 Vivo Y18T ₹9,499 Lava Blaze 3 5G ₹10,999 Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G ₹26,999 Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G ₹32,999 Vivo Y300 5G ₹21,517How Time’s CEO of the year 2024 Lisa Şu sends memos at midnight, holds meetings on weekends and...
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It seems that this new chapter may be just around the corner as Gere revealed on the , that they intend to be in the Spanish capital in time to celebrate Thanksgiving, next Thursday November 28. Why is Richard Gere moving to Madrid, Spain? Aside from revealing how much his wife loves the traditional US holiday, he also chatted about why they have taken the decision to make a European move. The most apparent is that Alejandra is Spanish; as a result, their children are bilingual, so they will have no issues integrating. Incidentally, when asked if he was bilingual too, claimed with a cheeky smile “that he speaks 15 languages perfectly”. He then went on to say that he wouldn’t demonstrate it as he didn’t want “to hurt you [Jimmy Fallon] by doing it right now.” Most Read on Euro Weekly News He also shared that Alejandra, whom he married in 2018, grew up in a big Spanish family where her grandmother was kind of the glue that held it together. He went on to say: “’And the grandmother passed away [about] two years ago, so my wife, I can see her morphing into the new grandmother of this extended family.” It appears she is looking to get started on this role within the family very quickly as she has reportedly invited 35 people for Sunday lunches. Which celebrities have decided to leave the US? Interestingly, Richard Gere and his wife are not the only celebrities who have decided to leave the US for pastures new. In fact, several high-profile names have or are in the process of starting a new chapter elsewhere. This list includes Eva Longoria, Ellen DeGeneres, and her wife Portia de Rossi, who have both publicly stated that Donald Trump’s recent election triumph is the reason behind their move. For Eva Longoria, a better alternative is spending her time between Spain and Mexico, stating that “the US is becoming dystopian.” In the case of Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, they have set up home in the Cotswolds in South West England. There are other celebrities on the list who are in the process of looking at alternative countries to live in, and perhaps for some, they are looking for a more traditional Mediterranean lifestyle like Gere, but for others, is the changing political landscape in the US behind their exodus?
Warning: Do not pay full price for new games on Steam this weekendWeek 12 of the 2024 NFL regular season featured an 'embarrassing' crowd 10 minutes before kickoff on Sunday. The Las Vegas Raiders hosted the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Broncos topped the Raiders, 29-19, in the Week 12 game. The Raiders lost starting quarterback Gardner Minshew to a season-ending injury in the loss. Las Vegas dropped to 2-9 on the season under head coach Antonio Pierce. While the Raiders struggled on the field, the crowd was apparently in rough shape about 10 minutes before kickoff. Video of a sparse Raiders crowd, with a lot of blue and orange mixed in, went viral on social media. NFL/X Mike Klis of 9News shared the video footage. "Lotta orange mixed in with empty seats 10 minutes before kickoff at Allegiant Stadium," he wrote. NFL fans reacted to the video on social media. "That's what you get with what they charge for tickets. 300 bucks. No wonder folks in Vegas don't care to come," one fan added. "Can’t blame ticket prices every year it’s obvious the opponent fans are showing up. Reminds me of Charger games when they were in San Diego," one fan responded. "Davis should be ashamed how loud the crowd is for the losing teams. It’s just sickening now. Every game is an away game," one fan added. "Lots of orange in the crowd. Worst home field disadvantage in the NFL," one fan added. Lotta orange mixed in with empty seats 10 minutes before kickoff at Allegiant Stadium. #9sports pic.twitter.com/ub1yGjmFPC Cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles - and even Dallas, with the sparkling AT&T Stadium - are always going to be attractive destinations for visiting NFL fan bases. But it's certainly rough to experience in person, if you're there to cheer for your own team, and your chants are getting drowned out by the road team.
The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low. After two exhausting weeks of chaotic bargaining and sleepless nights, nearly 200 nations banged through the contentious finance pact in the early hours in a sports stadium in Azerbaijan. But the applause had barely subsided in Baku when India delivered a full-throated rejection of the dollar-figure just agreed. "The amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It's a paltry sum," said Indian delegate Chandni Raina. "This document is little more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face." Nations had struggled to reconcile long-standing divisions over how much rich nations most accountable for historic climate change should provide to poorer countries least responsible but most impacted by Earth's rapid warming. EU climate envoy Wopke Hoekstra said COP29 would be remembered as "the start of a new era for climate finance". Sleep-deprived diplomats, huddled in anxious groups, were still revising the final phrasing on the plenary floor hours before the deal passed. At points, the talks appeared on the brink of collapse, with developing nations storming out of meetings and threatening to walk away should rich nations not cough up more cash. In the end -- despite repeating that no deal is better than a bad deal -- they did not stand in the way of an agreement, despite it falling well short of what they wanted. The final deal commits developed nations to pay at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developed countries green their economies and prepare for worse disasters. That is up from $100 billion under an existing pledge but was slammed as offensively low by developing nations who had demanded much more. "This COP has been a disaster for the developing world," said Mohamed Adow, the Kenyan director of Power Shift Africa, a think tank. "It's a betrayal of both people and planet, by wealthy countries who claim to take climate change seriously." A group of 134 developing countries had pushed for at least $500 billion from rich governments to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. UN climate chief Simon Stiell acknowledged the deal was imperfect. "No country got everything they wanted, and we leave Baku with a mountain of work still to do. So this is no time for victory laps," he said in a statement. The United States and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. The final deal "encourages" developing countries to make contributions on a voluntary basis, reflecting no change for China which already provides climate finance on its own terms. Wealthy nations said it was politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, returns to the White House in January and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. The deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Wealthy countries and small island nations were also concerned by efforts led by Saudi Arabia to water down calls from last year's summit in Dubai to phase out fossil fuels. The main texts proposed in Baku lacked any explicit mention of the Dubai commitment to "transitioning away from fossil fuels". A number of countries had accused Azerbaijan, an authoritarian oil and gas exporter, of lacking the experience and will to meet the moment, as the planet again sets temperature records and faces rising deadly disasters. bur-np-sct/lth/tym
First dog-friendly cruise scheduled for 2025. Organizers hope it turns into a recurring event.The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low. After two exhausting weeks of chaotic bargaining and sleepless nights, nearly 200 nations banged through the contentious finance pact in the early hours in a sports stadium in Azerbaijan. But the applause had barely subsided in Baku when India delivered a full-throated rejection of the dollar-figure just agreed. "The amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It's a paltry sum," said Indian delegate Chandni Raina. "This document is little more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face." Nations had struggled to reconcile long-standing divisions over how much rich nations most accountable for historic climate change should provide to poorer countries least responsible but most impacted by Earth's rapid warming. EU climate envoy Wopke Hoekstra said COP29 would be remembered as "the start of a new era for climate finance". Sleep-deprived diplomats, huddled in anxious groups, were still revising the final phrasing on the plenary floor hours before the deal passed. At points, the talks appeared on the brink of collapse, with developing nations storming out of meetings and threatening to walk away should rich nations not cough up more cash. In the end -- despite repeating that no deal is better than a bad deal -- they did not stand in the way of an agreement, despite it falling well short of what they wanted. The final deal commits developed nations to pay at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developed countries green their economies and prepare for worse disasters. That is up from $100 billion under an existing pledge but was slammed as offensively low by developing nations who had demanded much more. "This COP has been a disaster for the developing world," said Mohamed Adow, the Kenyan director of Power Shift Africa, a think tank. "It's a betrayal of both people and planet, by wealthy countries who claim to take climate change seriously." A group of 134 developing countries had pushed for at least $500 billion from rich governments to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. UN climate chief Simon Stiell acknowledged the deal was imperfect. "No country got everything they wanted, and we leave Baku with a mountain of work still to do. So this is no time for victory laps," he said in a statement. The United States and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. The final deal "encourages" developing countries to make contributions on a voluntary basis, reflecting no change for China which already provides climate finance on its own terms. Wealthy nations said it was politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, returns to the White House in January and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. The deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Wealthy countries and small island nations were also concerned by efforts led by Saudi Arabia to water down calls from last year's summit in Dubai to phase out fossil fuels. The main texts proposed in Baku lacked any explicit mention of the Dubai commitment to "transitioning away from fossil fuels". A number of countries had accused Azerbaijan, an authoritarian oil and gas exporter, of lacking the experience and will to meet the moment, as the planet again sets temperature records and faces rising deadly disasters. bur-np-sct/lth/tym
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Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’Replacing Storied Huey Helicopters as Part of U.S. Air Force Fleet Modernization Milestones for Boeing and 30-Year-Old Armor Firm TYSONS CORNER, Va. , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing's recent delivery of the first MH-139A Grey Wolf production aircraft to the U.S. Air Force is a milestone for both Boeing and Integris Composites, Inc . In 2018, Boeing was selected as the prime contractor with Leonardo as an original equipment manufacturer to develop the MH-139A aircraft that will provide improved capabilities and greater flexibility than the UH-1N Huey. This icon of military aviation since the Vietnam War is used by the Air Force to protect America's intercontinental missile bases. On Aug. 5, 2024 , Boeing announced delivery of the first production vehicle fitted with armor from Integris. For Integris Composites, this delivery marks the realization of a strategic goal established in 2015 — to be a credentialed Tier One supplier to aerospace manufacturers. "This event signifies the culmination of a nine-year journey," said Andrew Bonham , president of Integris Composites, Inc. "Our European business was previously established as a global aerospace supplier. In 2015, our U.S. management team set the goal of attaining Tier One supplier status with OEM aviation companies and U.S. Department of Defense decision-makers. By 2017, we achieved AS9100 certification, a vital credential for aerospace companies, ensuring compliance with stringent quality and safety standards," Bonham explained. "Then in 2018, Boeing awarded us a contract to develop and engineer the MH-139A armor system. Development, design, and qualification work with Boeing, and Research, Development, Test and Evaluation aircraft with the Air Force followed. Now, thanks to a follow-on contract with Boeing, we are manufacturing the armor kits for the production aircraft," explained David Cordova , chief commercial officer. Integris Composites, Inc. has become a credentialed Tier One supplier to aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and prime defense contractors. "Besides Boeing, we have contracts with Bell Flight , Airbus, Velocity Systems, QinetiQ, Battelle Memorial Institute, Mack Defense, American Rheinmetall Vehicles, and the Air Force Institute of Technology ," said Cordova. "Achieving Tier One aerospace supplier status enhances our already strong business and solidifies our reputation as a trusted provider of ballistic armor systems for vehicles, aviation, and personnel. These systems offer critical protection for personnel operating in hostile environments such as warfighters, tactical security personnel and elite law enforcement units," Cordova continued. "Integris Composites produces the most advanced strength-to-weight-ratio in armor for military organizations throughout the world," Cordova continued. Last year Integris Composites became the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour, a global company founded in Europe 30 years ago. Dusty Landing Photo: An MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter lands on a soft dirt field as part of developmental testing. Department of Defense photo by Samuel King Jr. , Air Force. Appearance does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Contact: David Cordova , Chief Commercial Officer Integris Composites USA , Inc. david.cordova@integriscompositesus.com +1 704 458 7796 Photos: https://www.prlog.org/13049620 Press release distributed by PRLog View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integris-composites-produces-armor-for-boeing-mh-139a-grey-wolf-rotorcraft-302315537.html SOURCE Integris Composites, Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
A former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has applauded the emerging global status of the yearly Okpoama International Beach Carnival at the Brass Island saying it has added to the steady growth of the country’s entertainment industry. Sylva particularly applauded the performances of Patoranking, Nyanya, Spiro, and other emerging musical and comic artists that stormed Bayelsa and thrilled guests, tourists, and residents who attended the carnival. The former Minister of State for Petroleum described the event as beautiful sights and sounds from this year’s Okpoama International Beach Carnival. He said: “The best of our country’s musical talents performed and enjoyed the ambiance of Brass Island,” he said. “Indigenous musical prospects were given the chance to perform alongside Internationally recognized stars in a deliberate act of raising their stock. “Ultimately, the dream of making Okpoama a proper globally recognized tourism destination is in sight.” Okpoama International Beach Carnival has always paraded top musical and comic artists yearly and attracted multitude of tourists from within and outside the state. In the time past, Timaya, Davido, Wizkid, and Tiwa Savage were among the top artists who identified with and thrilled visitors at previous events. The event has always presented an indispensable opportunity for people outside the state to enjoy Bayelsa hospitality and savour local state delicacies. The 2025 Okpoama International Beach Carnival, which MC Senibo coordinated as the Master of Ceremony is usually organized by Sylva’s team and political associates including Kojo Sam to highlight the potential of Okpoama and Brass Island as a destination of choice for tourists.Nvidia's Jensen Huang caught on the wrong foot? Report says the 10th richest man is using legal loopholes to allegedly avoid $8 billion in taxes
Noah Waterman's driving, twisting shot in the lane with 1.2 seconds left rescued Louisville from a home upset bid by Eastern Kentucky, escaping with a 78-76 home victory on Saturday. The Cardinals (8-5) equaled their win total from the 2023-24 campaign. Louisville claimed a 71-61 edge on a James Scott dunk with 6:17 remaining, but Eastern Kentucky (6-7) followed with a 12-1 run to claim the lead on Devontae Blanton's layup with 2:20 to play. The teams traded baskets until Waterman's shot in the final seconds provided the difference. Terrance Edwards Jr. made one of two free throws to pad the Cardinals' margin with 0.4 seconds to play. Louisville grabbed a season-high 21 offensive rebounds in the win. The Cardinals were led by Edwards' 20-point performance on 6-for-12 shooting. J'Vonne Hadley dropped in 15 points and added 10 rebounds, four on the offensive end. Chucky Hepburn added 14 points despite six turnovers and guard Reyne Smith had 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. Waterman contributed 12 points, none more significant than the game winner. Eastern Kentucky's George Kimble III keyed the Colonels' rally with 24 points, with 17 coming in the second half. Blanton scored 22 points on 10-for-23 shooting. Guard Jackson Holt added 15 points, shooting 3-for-5 from 3-point range. The game was a back-and-forth battle throughout. Louisville stretched a first-half lead to as many as 15 points, in part by canning nine 3-point shots in the first 20 minutes, as opposed to just two in the second half. The Cardinals led 46-37 at halftime and stretched their lead back to 13 before a 12-2 led by 3-pointers from Holt and Mayar Wol pulled the Colonels back into the game midway through the second half. The Cardinals will take on North Carolina at home on Wednesday. Eastern Kentucky opens Atlantic Sun play at Central Arkansas on Thursday. --Field Level Media