lodigame 646
Oscar Fairs from Benfleet, Essex, was diagnosed with a rare 7cm ependymoma brain tumour in August 2023 and underwent seven surgeries, one round of chemotherapy and one round of radiotherapy to be told palliative care was the only option. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family raise £100,000 towards a treatment trial in France. It is with deep and profound sadness that West Ham United confirm the tragic passing of our U15s Academy goalkeeper Oscar Fairs, following his brave battle with cancer. Rest in peace, brave Oscar. — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 13, 2024 West Ham footballers donated £27,000, chairman David Sullivan donated £10,000 and Arsenal footballer and former West Ham star Declan Rice gave £5,000, according to Ms Fairs. On Friday, West Ham announced that the 15-year-old had died. Sporting director Mark Noble said: “Oscar was adored by everyone at the Academy – not only was he a great goalkeeper, he was a true Hammer and a fantastic young person, who will be deeply missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him. “I have wonderful memories of Oscar playing in my garden – (my son) Lenny and his teammates all loved him. “He was a friendly, happy, well-mannered and polite young man, who had such a bright future ahead of him, and it is just so unimaginably devastating that he has been taken from his family and friends at this age. “The thoughts and sincere condolences of everyone at the Club are with Oscar’s parents, Natalie and Russell, and his brother Harry, and we kindly ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time.” All scheduled Academy fixtures over the weekend have been postponed as a mark of respect.
Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as US president struggled with a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis but brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday, the Carter Center said. He was 100. “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” A Democrat, he served as president from January 1977 to January 1981 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 US election. Carter was swept from office four years later in an electoral landslide as voters embraced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, the former actor and California governor. Carter lived longer after his term in office than any other US president. Along the way, he earned a reputation as a better former president than he was a president — a status he readily acknowledged. His one-term presidency was marked by the highs of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, bringing some stability to the Middle East. But it was dogged by an economy in recession, persistent unpopularity and the embarrassment of the Iran hostage crisis that consumed his final 444 days in office. In recent years, Carter had experienced several health issues including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. Carter decided to receive hospice care in February 2023 instead of undergoing additional medical intervention. His wife, Rosalynn Carter, died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. He looked frail when he attended her memorial service and funeral in a wheelchair. Carter left office profoundly unpopular but worked energetically for decades on humanitarian causes. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition of his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Carter had been a centrist as governor of Georgia with populist tendencies when he moved into the White House as the 39th US president. He was a Washington outsider at a time when America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal that led Republican Richard Nixon to resign as president in 1974 and elevated Ford from vice president. "I'm Jimmy Carter and I'm running for president. I will never lie to you," Carter promised with an ear-to-ear smile. Asked to assess his presidency, Carter said in a 1991 documentary: "The biggest failure we had was a political failure. I never was able to convince the American people that I was a forceful and strong leader." Despite his difficulties in office, Carter had few rivals for accomplishments as a former president. He gained global acclaim as a tireless human rights advocate, a voice for the disenfranchised and a leader in the fight against hunger and poverty, winning the respect that eluded him in the White House. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and resolve conflicts around the world, from Ethiopia and Eritrea to Bosnia and Haiti. His Carter Center in Atlanta sent international election-monitoring delegations to polls around the world. A Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher since his teens, Carter brought a strong sense of morality to the presidency, speaking openly about his religious faith. He also sought to take some pomp out of an increasingly imperial presidency — walking, rather than riding in a limousine, in his 1977 inauguration parade. The Middle East was the focus of Carter's foreign policy. The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty, based on the 1978 Camp David Accords, ended a state of war between the two neighbours. Carter brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for talks. Later, as the accords seemed to be unravelling, Carter saved the day by flying to Cairo and Jerusalem for personal shuttle diplomacy. The treaty provided for Israeli withdrawal from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the establishment of diplomatic relations. Begin and Sadat each won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. By the 1980 election, the overriding issues were double-digit inflation, interest rates that exceeded 20% and soaring gas prices, as well as the Iran hostage crisis that brought humiliation to America. These issues marred Carter's presidency and undermined his chances of winning a second term. On Nov. 4, 1979, revolutionaries devoted to Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, seized the Americans present and demanded the return of the ousted shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the United States and was being treated in a US hospital. The American public initially rallied behind Carter. But his support faded in April 1980 when a commando raid failed to rescue the hostages, with eight US soldiers killed in an aircraft accident in the Iranian desert. Carter's final ignominy was that Iran held the 52 hostages until minutes after Reagan took his oath of office on Jan. 20, 1981, to replace Carter, then released the planes carrying them to freedom. In another crisis, Carter protested the former Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He also asked the US Senate to defer consideration of a major nuclear arms accord with Moscow. Unswayed, the Soviets remained in Afghanistan for a decade. Carter won narrow Senate approval in 1978 of a treaty to transfer the Panama Canal to the control of Panama despite critics who argued the waterway was vital to American security. He also completed negotiations on full US ties with China. Carter created two new US Cabinet departments - education and energy. Amid high gas prices, he said America's "energy crisis" was "the moral equivalent of war" and urged the country to embrace conservation. "Ours is the most wasteful nation on earth," he told Americans in 1977. In 1979, Carter delivered what became known as his "malaise" speech to the nation, although he never used that word. "After listening to the American people I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can't fix what's wrong with America," he said in his televised address. "The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart soul and spirit of our national will. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America." As president, the strait-laced Carter was embarrassed by the behaviour of his hard-drinking younger brother, Billy Carter, who had boasted: "I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer." Jimmy Carter withstood a challenge from Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination but was politically diminished heading into his general election battle against a vigorous Republican adversary. Reagan, the conservative who projected an image of strength, kept Carter off balance during their debates before the November 1980 election. Reagan dismissively told Carter, "There you go again," when the Republican challenger felt the president had misrepresented Reagan's views during one debate. Carter lost the 1980 election to Reagan, who won 44 of the 50 states and amassed an Electoral College landslide. James Earl Carter Jr was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, one of four children of a farmer and shopkeeper. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1946, served in the nuclear submarine program and left to manage the family peanut farming business. He married his wife, Rosalynn, in 1946, a union he called "the most important thing in my life." They had three sons and a daughter. Carter became a millionaire, a Georgia state legislator and Georgia's governor from 1971 to 1975. He mounted an underdog bid for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination and out-hustled his rivals for the right to face Ford in the general election. With Walter Mondale as his vice presidential running mate, Carter was given a boost by a major Ford gaffe during one of their debates. Ford said that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration," despite decades of just such domination. Carter edged Ford in the election, even though Ford won more states — 27 to Carter's 23. Not all of Carter's post-presidential work was appreciated. Former President George W. Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, both Republicans, were said to have been displeased by Carter's freelance diplomacy in Iraq and elsewhere. In 2004, Carter called the Iraq war launched in 2003 by the younger Bush one of the most "gross and damaging mistakes our nation ever made." He called George W. Bush's administration "the worst in history" and said Vice President Dick Cheney was "a disaster for our country." In 2019, Carter questioned Republican Donald Trump's legitimacy as president, saying "he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf." Trump responded by calling Carter "a terrible president." Carter also made trips to communist North Korea. A 1994 visit defused a nuclear crisis, as President Kim Il Sung agreed to freeze his nuclear program in exchange for resumed dialogue with the United States. That led to a deal in which North Korea, in return for aid, promised not to restart its nuclear reactor or reprocess the plant's spent fuel. But Carter irked Democratic President Bill Clinton's administration by announcing the deal with North Korea's leader without first checking with Washington. In 2010, Carter won the release of an American sentenced to eight years of hard labour for illegally entering North Korea. Carter wrote more than two dozen books, ranging from a presidential memoir to a children's book and poetry, as well as works about religious faith and diplomacy. His book "Faith: A Journey for All," was published in 2018.Fate puts diehard Detroit Lions fan from Texas at Soldier Field at the right time to save a life
As the first full year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, 2024 has come with its unique share of challenges and triumphs. As we look back at the ongoing year, this is the perfect time to reflect on the President’s vision for a transformed Nigeria and how 2024 has provided numerous opportunities to manifest that vision. On so many fronts, the outgoing year has brought significant policy and legislative milestones that are helping to cement the very foundations of the President’s grand vision for Nigeria. Take the examples of the Students Loan Fund and the Consumer Credit Corporation, two institutions targeted at putting more resources in the pockets of the Nigerian people, empowering them to turn their dreams into opportunities. With the Students Loan Fund, we are seeing, for the first time in decades, Nigerian students at tertiary level, getting targeted federal assistance to pursue their academic ambitions, through long-term loans (and stipends) that are designed to not be burdensome in any way. In less than one year, more than 300,000 Nigerian students have already benefited. With the Consumer Credit scheme, we are seeing affordable financing being made available to workers, to enable them to afford life’s necessities. Every developed country is built around a functioning credit system that fuels consumer spending and translates into economic growth. Nigeria is now finally on that path. Also in 2024, we also saw the first steps in the implementation of a new electricity framework in the country, conferring the state governments with greater agency and responsibility. Building on a recent constitutional amendment, the President signed into law the 2024 Electricity Act that is now guiding a pioneering set of states into rolling out their own regulated electricity markets. Indeed, for Nigeria to be truly able to achieve economic development, we must allow the subnational governments more room for real economic impact. With the new Electricity Act, states can now play a much bigger role in attracting investments into on-grid and off-grid solutions, ensuring that more electricity gets to more Nigerians. This concept of giving more power and opportunities to the states is one of the defining governing philosophies of President Tinubu – as Governor of Lagos two decades ago he was one of the leading advocates of true federalism in Nigeria. Now, as President, he has not abandoned those ideals. In July 2024 we saw the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, empowering local governments to an extent we have not seen in our recent history. The President has since empaneled an Inter-Ministerial Committee that will ensure the full enforcement of that judgement. For the state governments, President Tinubu’s economic reforms have triggered a dramatic surge in revenues, which is allowing the states to do more for their people. The last FAAC meeting saw the sharing of a record N1.727 trillion amongst the three tiers of government. These resources are meant to deliver bigger dividends of development to Nigerians. For those who have taken the effort to be familiar with the ongoing tax reforms, the bills currently before the National Assembly also represent another fiscal boon for the subnational governments, with the Federal Government choosing for example to take an even smaller portion of VAT than it currently gets. The Presidential Initiative on CNG marked its first year of implementation recently, with the number of vehicle conversion centres in the country rising from fewer than 10 to more than 120. The goal is to make CNG a fuel of choice for private and commercial transportation in Nigeria, bringing down costs by as much as 50 to 60 per cent. We are already seeing enthusiastic uptake of the initiative, and the government is supporting this by way of fiscal incentives and subsidised conversions. The year is closing with the massive news of the final investment decision (FID) by Shell and its partners on the Bonga North deep offshore oil project, which is Nigeria’s first deep offshore FID in over a decade. This FID was preceded by the one by Total and NNPC Limited on the 300 million cubic feet per day Ubeta gas project. Together these two projects represent over $5 billion in investment value. These long-awaited investment decisions have now finally happened because the investors behind them can see, from the President’s policies and actions, that Nigeria is truly serious and ready for oil and gas investment. A series of presidential directives issued at the beginning of 2024 have unleashed the biggest wave of investor interest in our country’s energy sector in a while. In 2024, our security forces neutralised more than 8,000 terrorists and bandits, and arrested 11,600 others, with more than 10,000 weapons recovered. Additionally, about 8,000 kidnap victims were successfully rescued. The goal is to keep driving down the numbers of victims, while scaling up efforts to make crime and criminality unattractive in Nigeria. On the foreign affairs front, 2024 has been a most encouraging year, despite several challenging geopolitical developments around the world, including in our corner of West Africa. This year Nigeria was awarded the hosting rights for the new African Energy Bank, which will prove to be game-changing for energy financing in Africa. As we reposition ourselves to be a global energy hub, this is a most fitting complement. Nigeria is asserting itself as a country that cannot be ignored on the global stage. In 2024, President Tinubu hosted heads of state and/or government from India, the world’s largest democracy, and from Germany, Europe’s largest economy. He was welcomed on a State Visit to France, at a very exciting time in the history of mutuallybeneficial relations between Nigeria and France. Nigeria was specially invited to the G20 Summit for the second consecutive year running, and we forged deeper relations with South Africa through our Joint Presidential Bi-national Commission. As we step into a new year, during which we will mark the second anniversary of the Tinubu Administration, we will surely see even more of the positive outcomes of the President’s reforms, in infrastructure, agriculture, security, healthcare, education, creative and digital economy and many other areas. The tax reforms, when passed into law and assented to, will cut personal and corporate income taxes for tens of millions of Nigerians, while also expanding VAT exemptions. Consumer credit and student loans will reach many more people. Important indices such as foreign reserves position, trade surplus, oil production, and GDP growth are set to continue rising, even as greater work goes into permanently taming inflation. The 2025 budget – the very fittingly-themed: ‘Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity’– is a convincing pointer of the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining the positive course in which we are headed as a nation. We will continue to seek the understanding of Nigerians on this journey of, in the President’s words in the 2025 budget speech: “Economic renewal and institutional development.” The sacrifices will all surely be rewarded, and we shall surely and steadily advance towards our desired destination – a country where a progressively better life will be guaranteed for everyone, regardless of where in the country they happen to reside. Under President Tinubu’s watch, 2025 will represent a leap forward, towards that deserved destination.Cue up the classics: nation's first FM station turns 50
Egypt Daily News – Numerous demands and proposals were presented by a number of major investors in Egypt, during their meeting yesterday evening, with Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, which constitute a road map for reviving the Egyptian economy, achieving targeted growth rates, and eliminating various crises. The meeting was characterized by frankness regarding concerns about inflation rates, the dollar deficit, interest rates, domestic and external debt, in addition to competition from the state, energy provision, etc. The Prime Minister’s responses and comments were also very frank and clear about the plans to deal with all these files and which are as follows: Engineer Ahmed Ezz, Chairman of the Ezz Steel Group, called for the necessity of reconsidering policies aimed at increasing growth rates in various sectors, including the construction and real estate development sector, which in turn will contribute to increasing the activities of the building materials industries. He said, “It is not possible for a country the size of Egypt to have its construction sector grow by only about 3.5% next year.” Taking the iron sector as an example, where the average annual consumption of iron in 2010 was approximately 9.9 million tons, while in the last three years it reached 6.5, 6.4, and 6.2 million tons, respectively. While a country like Vietnam, similar to Egypt in terms of its population, its iron consumption exceeds 13 to 14 million tons annually. Ezz blamed this decline in iron consumption on “harsh” building controls and requirements, which prevent 70% of citizens from being able to build their own homes. Explaining that he does not demand the return of random construction; but “by setting rules that stimulate the return of construction activity again.” He also called for opening the door to appointments in the state’s administrative apparatus. “To introduce a new generation and new ideas,” especially since we have 40,000 Egyptian students studying at foreign universities. The CEO and Managing Director of Talaat Moustafa Holding Group, Hisham Talaat Moustafa, confirmed that the hard currency crisis is the biggest challenge that Egypt is currently facing, due to its serious effects on inflation, in addition to the rise in interest rates. Mustafa stressed the need for the government to seek specialized expertise that has proven successful in certain sectors, noting that the private sector will not be able to bear the high interest rates, which have reached 32%. He explained that the private sector bears burdens for which it is not responsible, noting that the liberalization of energy prices and increased liquidity were among the main factors behind the rise in inflation rates, which requires radical solutions. He also pointed out that corporate financing structures were established based on interest rates ranging between 13-14%, while doubling these rates within one year puts great pressure on companies, raising questions about their ability to continue. Mustafa called for the formation of a ministerial committee that includes the Central Bank to review the impact of high interest rates on the private sector, and to follow up on the sustainability of companies’ financing structures in light of these challenges. He stressed the need to also look at the state budget and the problems of the banking sector, which were exacerbated by the high interest rates. He added that the dollar deficit crisis is considered one of the biggest economic obstacles facing Egypt, explaining that international investors are looking for stability in the local currency to ensure their returns. He stressed that the continued decline in the value of the Egyptian pound negatively affects the internal rates of return (IRR) in foreign currency, which weakens confidence and hinders attracting foreign investments. Mustafa stressed the importance of developing sustainable solutions to the hard currency crisis through thoughtful financial and monetary policies that ensure macroeconomic stability, which restores confidence to investors and contributes to achieving long-term stability for both the private sector and the national economy in general. Yassin Mansour, President of Palm Hills, described the exchange rate of the dollar against the pound as “the basis of the inflation problem” in Egypt, calling for ideas “from outside the box” to solve this dilemma. He focused on the need to strengthen the country’s two most important sources of hard currency, the first of which are remittances from Egyptians abroad. “Incentives must be introduced to double it, including unifying the exchange rate.” As for the second source, tourism, he pointed out the importance of conducting more comprehensive studies of international markets, to attract more visitors from them. He also considered that granting residency, or even citizenship, to foreigners in exchange for buying a property in Egypt is “insufficient.” Rather, priority should be given to canceling some taxes to attract buyers mainly from Europe and England. Ahmed Al-Suwaidi, Managing Director of El-Suwaidi Electric Company, called for focusing on industrial investments, setting clear goals for industrialization and providing a stable investment environment by installing laws and regulations for a period that allows investors to plan. Al-Suwaidi pointed out the availability of competitive advantages enjoyed by industrial investment in Egypt, such as low production costs, considering that not requiring companies implementing infrastructure projects to rely on local products missed an opportunity to localize the industry, similar to the experience of Saudi Arabia, which was able, for example, to attract investments exceeding $30 billion wind turbine industry. Hani Berzi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Edita Food Industries, in turn stressed the danger of high interest rates on investment, calling on the government to find a mechanism to provide low-cost financing to the private sector. He said: “Absorbing the high interest rates has become very difficult for us and the food industry sector, and placing these burdens on the consumer by increasing the prices of products has also become difficult because it affects purchasing power.” Berzi pointed out that there was a shock to the export sectors due to the reduction of the budget for reimbursing export burdens this year to 23 billion pounds instead of 40 billion pounds according to a previous government promise. He expressed his objection to this reduction, and called for a new program to support exports starting in the next fiscal year. During the meeting, businessman Hassan Heikal criticized the increase in local and foreign debt rates, and the state’s general budget bearing a greater interest. “The local public debt on the budget reached 10 trillion pounds. When an interest rate of 30% is added, the interest on the debt becomes 3 trillion pounds. In my opinion, there are no resources for the Egyptian state that can convince a financial man that there will be a balance in the next visible term,” according to Heikal. He pointed out that the Egyptian state has $140 billion in debt in the budget, with an interest rate of 6%, which means that the state has a dollar debt interest of about $15 billion annually, and the ratio of external public debt to gross domestic product may be low, but with regard to our net dollar resources, there is a problem.” Heikal presented several proposals during the meeting, including transferring state assets to the Central Bank of Egypt, zeroing out debts in pounds, and establishing a sovereign fund affiliated with the Central Bank that includes companies, real estate, and lands of all governmental and sovereign agencies. He said: “The state’s general budget sells these assets to the central bank, which leads to the zeroing out of its debts and interest on them, and the central bank owns this fund by a majority percentage compared to a percentage of the sovereign entities that place their private companies in it.” Heikal added: This fund can be exploited to achieve the goal of budget unity at the state level, and benefit from the returns to finance development projects and state plans. This idea was implemented before in a similar manner in Spain, Italy, and Greece to save them during the debt crisis. Sherif El-Khouly, partner and regional director of ACTIS, pointed out that there are opportunities to attract international investors to manufacture in Egypt for the purpose of export, especially with a geopolitical situation that represents challenges to major global economies, following the new US administration. Al-Kholy called for the inclusion of representatives of the Egyptian private sector in the Supreme Council for Investment, and suggested focusing on manufacturing components of renewable energy plants. Mirna Arif, General Manager of Microsoft Egypt, called for giving priority to the private sector in any projects that will be proposed, and pointed out that the investor needs to deal with a single port whose parts are controlled by modern technology, such as the “one-stop-shop” mechanism, which needs major development to overcome the surprises that arise. The investor meets her on his way. Arif stressed the importance of reconsidering any new laws that may create sudden financial burdens on investors, hindering their ability to properly plan financially for their projects. Omar Muhanna, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Bank, said that the private sector’s share of credit declined to 24% due to the economic crises to which Egypt was exposed, including the rise in interest rates. He added that the challenges facing the private sector must be addressed, noting that it represents 70% of economic activity in Egypt. He explained that the investment climate in Egypt still faces many problems that prevent attracting investments, such as the slow implementation and application of decisions issued by the state. He stressed that Egypt needs to accelerate the pace of the state’s exit from many economic activities, especially in specific sectors. He stated that despite the efforts made to support foreign investment, foreign investors are still hesitant to enter the market, due to concern about competing with the country, which enjoys advantages that the private sector may not obtain. He said that despite the efforts also being made to deepen the industry, such as improving industry licenses and developing industrial zones, the current trend towards import substitution must be re-evaluated. “We focus a lot on deepening the industry and it has improved a lot over the past period, but this does not have to be at the expense of the policy direction.” Industrial products are for export, not to replace imports. We have been saying for a while that we will do import substitution, and this does not make any difference in the end, because an essential part of my imports is an essential commodity, and the part that I replace Imports are very simple, it will not make a difference at all, and it will not have any positive effects.” Mohamed Al-Etreby, CEO of the National Bank of Egypt, said that 2,360 companies left Egypt for the Emirates in the first half of this year 2024, due to the facilities in the business environment there. He added that Egypt is a country that has all the capabilities, and that inflation will decrease and interest rates will fall between 3 and 6% during the year 2025. He stressed that two foreign exchange rates cannot be allowed again, because of its negative repercussions on dollar resources and the investment climate in Egypt in general, he pointed out that the unification of the exchange rate contributed to a tremendous growth in the National Bank’s proceeds from waiving the currency during the past months, in addition to a significant growth in remittances from Egyptians abroad. Khaled Abu Al-Makarem, Chairman of the Export Council for Chemical Industries and Fertilizers, confirmed that achieving the state’s goals to reach Egyptian exports to 145 billion dollars requires working to double the allocations for the Export Burdens Refund Program by no less than 50 billion pounds as a minimum. He said that what happened this year in terms of reducing allocations for reimbursing burdens to 23 billion pounds, including 20 billion pounds in cash support and 3 billion pounds in support for exhibitions, missions and other services, is insufficient, and that reducing support rates by 70% may have a negative impact until the end of June and the beginning of the new fiscal year. Abu Al-Makarem pointed out that Egyptian exports, despite the challenges facing the export sector, including reduced support, were able to achieve an increase of $4 billion during the first 11 months of 2024 to reach $36.3 billion, compared to $32 billion during the same period in 2023, and there is an opportunity to exceed $38 billion. dollars by the end of the year and achieving a good growth rate of 10% compared to last year. He noted that there are some challenges that can be solved quickly that will contribute to increasing Egyptian exports by an additional 5% during the first quarter of 2025, the most important of which is solving the problem of supplying gas to Egyptian factories and its regularity, especially since there are a number of industries that depend on it as a main raw material for industry, and what happened There is a supply deficit during 2024, which is expected to continue to some extent during the next year, causing a contraction in production. Abu Al-Makarem called on the government to have a clear vision regarding gas supplies to factories, saying, “We are aware of the problem and we are all trying to deal with it, either by importing or by being content with what is currently available, but a clear vision is required that reveals to us the extent to which the problem will remain.” He also called for the necessity of activating the decision to cancel vacations at customs ports to facilitate customs clearance operations, stressing the burdens that businessmen bear as a result of delays in customs clearance, amounting to half the value of the exported or imported counter or letters, stressing the necessity of working 7 days a week in Customs ports because until now the decision has not been implemented in some ports. Growth rates over the past two years were not as hoped and targeted, but the state’s vision and continued implementation of steps for economic reform gives more hope for achieving growth rates exceeding 4% next year and then reaching 6 and 7%. -We, as a country, were destined to exist in a very hot and very turbulent region, which imposed on us many major direct and indirect repercussions on the Egyptian economy. We are keen to maximize the role of the private sector in the economy, as a greater regulator of markets, while the state is present in some strategic sectors in which states adhere to a clear and specific role. -The Egyptian state attaches great importance to the debt file, whether domestic or foreign, and Egypt is committed to that and is working to continue the downward trend of the debt. The dues for refunding late export burdens have been settled until January 2023, and we have set the start of the new program from July 1, 2024. Currently, the numbers have been tentatively estimated at around 60 billion pounds. The Cabinet approved a contract from the International Finance Corporation to offer all Egyptian airports for management and operation in partnership with the private sector. -There are proposals to offer infrastructure, such as roads, treatment and desalination plants, to the private sector for management and operation. We expect gas production to gradually return after it was affected by the economic crises, and in 2025 we will be able to meet not only needs but also expansions. -Customs will work for 7 days starting from the new year to facilitate customs clearance operations. Local gas is sold at less than the real market value, and the state prefers to sell gas locally to the Egyptian industry that supports the economy through job opportunities and economic growth rates, even if at a price lower than the export price, which brings greater returns to the state. -Forming advisory groups from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, to discuss each of the investors’ proposals, and the government will follow up on the implementation of those decisions and overcome any challenges. -Regarding the dues for refunding late export burdens, the settlement was made until January 2023, and we set the start of the new program from July 1, 2024, and currently the numbers have been tentatively estimated at around 60 billion pounds, and the Minister of Finance obtained the approval of the Council of Ministers today to pay in more than one way. Between two and three years for all those eligible, and we will announce this in detail. -This year, despite the current crises, we will reach about 15.5 million tourists in the tourism sector, and we aim to reach 18 million tourists next year. -We expect growth in the tourism sector this year to be in the range of 10 to 11%, but we want this rate to reach 15% next year. -The final touches are being put on two very large projects in the tourism sector, with the aim of doubling the number of tourist rooms in the area surrounding the Pyramids Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the old downtown area. The Council of Ministers approved a contract with the International Investment Corporation (IFC) to offer all Egyptian airports to the private sector. -We encourage the private sector to enter the field of establishing airline companies, through alliances or partnerships with the state, to implement this proposal, which contributes to increasing the Egyptian aviation fleet. -Terminating all licenses for tourism projects within a period not exceeding one month by granting them a golden licence -We are working on two new initiatives, the first to finance working capital for expansions of new lines and factories, and the second is another initiative to create hotel rooms. -2024 is the heaviest year for debt repayment, and despite this, nearly $39 billion has been repaid. -We aim to increase tourism revenues to break the usual figure of $20 to $22 billion, which represents the dollar deficit in the country.
Three levers to fix crisis in open-source softwareDavid Coote will not appeal against the termination of his contract by referees’ body PGMOL, the PA news agency understands. Coote was sacked earlier this month after the emergence of a video in which he made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said that a thorough investigation had concluded he was “in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable”. “Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” PGMOL’s statement on December 9 added. Referee David Coote was sacked earlier in December (Richard Sellers/PA) The video which triggered PGMOL’s investigation into Coote’s conduct first came to public attention on November 11. In it, Coote is asked for his views on a Liverpool match where he has just been fourth official, and describes them as “s***”. He then describes Klopp as a “c***”, and, asked why he felt that way, Coote says the German had “a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown” and had accused him of lying. “I have got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him,” Coote said. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (Peter Byrne/PA) The Football Association opened its own investigation into that video, understood to be centred on that last comment and whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constituted an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules. The investigation by PGMOL which led to Coote’s contract being terminated is also understood to have looked at another video which appeared to show Coote snorting a white powder, purportedly during Euro 2024 where he was one of the assistant VARs for the tournament. European football’s governing body UEFA also appointed an ethics investigator to look into the matter.
Steel Magnolias actress Sally Field is mom to three sons, whom she has said are the "three things I am most proud of in my life". "They are kind and loving, productive human beings, each very different from the other," she once said of her sons – Peter, Eli, and Sam – and here is all you need to know about the three. Peter Craig Sally and her then-husband Steven Craig welcomed their first child, son Peter, on November 10, 1969. The actress fell pregnant at the end of the second season of the 1960s sitcom The Flying Nun , two years after she wed Steven, her high school sweetheart. However, they split in 1974 and as a young boy Peter grew up, with his younger brother Eli, between movie sets and the commune where his father lived, living in a "crazy" class dynamic. "I was a little naked kid running around a commune. We’d be barefoot and covered with mud, and every now and then my mom would send a car over to pick us up, and all the kids would come running over to it and look at it like the apes at the beginning of 2001," he said. Peter became an author and used his own childhood as inspiration; he told the Los Angeles Times that his high school experience was the "kind of public school lunacy that goes on," sharing that he was "a geek who got to hang out with the cooler kids, getting into trouble and blowing off school, house parties, not going home for weeks at a time". He dropped out of school at age 16 and his father forced him to get a job in construction. Peter ended up attending the acclaimed Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, and published his first novel, The Martini Shot , in 1998.He published two further novels, before he moved into screenwriting, penning the script for the 2010 Oscar-nominated film The Town with Ben Affleck. Peter also worked on the scripts for the third and fourth The Hunger Games films, Bad Boys 4 Life, The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick , which saw Peter get his first Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is dad to two daughters whom he welcomed with first wife Amy Scattergood, and a son with second wife Jennifer DeFrancisco. "My oldest son is this miraculously loving parent to his two little girls," Sally once said of Peter's own parenting skills. "They won't have any trouble knowing how to love or be loved. To raise children who go on to be great parents is an accomplishment — that's the Oscar moment in life." Peter is now married to teacher Cristina Esposito. Eli Craig: Eli was born on May 25, 1972, and he has also formed his own career in Hollywood as a producer and director. His debut was the cult horror comedy movie Tucker & Dale vs Evil, and he previously revealed his mom was the first person he sent his script to for advice. "She was the first one who said, 'This is really funny,'" he recalled in 2011. "'The encouraging thing was, I don't think she's ever seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. " But in 2008 Sally told Oprah Winfrey that she didn't think her son would say she had "done a lot of things well". "It's true; when he was grown, he told me that I didn't discipline him enough. Can you believe it? I said, 'I'd like you to try to discipline the kind of boy you were. You were absolutely uncontainable!'" His second film was Little Evil, starring Evangeline Lilly and Adam Scott, and it was released on Netflix in 2017, and he has aso directed his mom for an episode of her former TV serie s Brothers & Sisters. In 2004 Eli married his wife Sasha, a former actress known as the Yellow Ranger on the 2000 series Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue ; they welcomed two sons. Sam Greisman: Sam is Sally's youngest son and the only child she welcomed with ex-husband Alan Greisman, whom she wed in 1983 and divorced in 1994. Sam, 37, is a writer and producer, known for Dinner with Jeffrey (2016) and After School (2015), and is an internet personality with over 46,000 Instagram followers. "I've always been a momma's boy — painfully, occasionally ashamedly so. Perhaps too obsessed with her," Sam wrote in 2023 in an essay for People magazine. "Maybe it's because I'm the youngest, by sixteen years. Maybe it's because I was a shy little kid and my mom was a safe space; a hip I was attached to. Maybe it's because gay men feel a certain undeniable affection for award-winning actresses. Who knows! Whatever it is, we have always been incredibly close." Sally "didn't even bat an eye" when Sam came out as gay to her, and the two have come together to publicly support the LGBTQ community, including in 2012, when Sam introduced his mom as she was presented with the Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality Award
US News Today Live Updates on December 27, 2024 : US to scrap country quota for H-1B visas? Here's how Indian professionals are likely to be affected
NEW YORK (AP) — Free agent pitchers Luis Gabriel Moreno and Alejandro Crisostomo were suspended for 80 games each by Major League Baseball on Friday following positive tests for performance-enhancing substances under the minor league drug program. Moreno tested positive for Nandrolone, and Crisostomo tested positive for Boldenone and Nandrolone, the commissioner’s office said. A 26-year-old right-hander, Moreno was released by the New York Mets’ Class A Brooklyn Cyclones on Tuesday. He was 5-1 with a 5.33 ERA in 12 relief appearances this season for Brooklyn after spending 2016-23 in the San Francisco Giants organization. Crisostomo, a 24-year-old right-hander, was released by Minnesota on Aug. 24 after going 0-1 with a 7.13 ERA this year with the Florida Complex League Twins. He signed with Boston in 2017, spent 2018 in the Dominican Summer League with the Red Sox, then signed with Minnesota and spent 2023 with the Twins DSL team. Nineteen players have been suspended this year for positive drug tests, including eight under the minor league program and nine under the new program for minor league players assigned outside the United States and Canada. Two players have been suspended this year under the major league drug program. Noelvi Marté , a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, missed the first 80 games following a positive test for boldenone. Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games on June 23 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut . AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Teenage West Ham goalkeeper dies aged 15 after cancer battleTrump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’SAN DIEGO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins LLP reminds investors that a class action was filed on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Marqeta, Inc. (NASDAQ: MQ) securities between August 7, 2024 and November 4, 2024. Marqeta creates digital payment technology for innovation leaders. For more information, submit a form , email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003. The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that Marqeta, Inc. (MQ) Failed to Disclose the Impact of Regulatory Scrutiny on its Business Prospects According to the complaint, during the class period, defendants failed to disclose that Marqeta understated the regulatory challenges affecting its business outlook and therefore, would have to cut its guidance for the fourth quarter of 2024. The complaint alleges that on November 4, 2024, Marqeta announced third quarter 2024 financial results and revised its fourth quarter projections to "reflect[] several changes that became apparent over the last few months with regards to the heightened scrutiny of the banking environment and specific customer program changes." The complaint further alleges that Marqeta's CEO and CFO actually knew of the heightened regulatory scrutiny affecting the Company's business from the beginning of the year, which they revealed in connection with the November 4 announcement. On this news, Marqeta’s stock price fell $2.53 per share, or 42.5%, to close at $3.42 per share on November 5, 2024. What Now: You may be eligible to participate in the class action against Marqeta, Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must submit their application to the court by February 7, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here . All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. About Robbins LLP: A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002. To be notified if a class action against Marqeta, Inc. settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/53e69218-456a-4e86-81b7-b14619b1f825
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained ahead of the Christmas break. "Today is a quiet pre-Christmas Day of trading," said Kevin Burkett, a portfolio manager at Victoria, B.C.-based Burkett Asset Management. While markets in both Canada and the U.S. were mild, Burkett suggests watching the markets closely during the holiday season, a contrast to what's typically a sleepy period for markets. "We're continuing to watch markets very closely here because you've got some tectonic plate shifting in terms of the macroeconomic backdrop," he said. "It's all the political conversations both in Canada and in the U.S." Burkett added fiscal policy seems to be disconnected from monetary policy in the post-pandemic period. "The fiscal policy may shift and that shift absolutely has market implications both in the short and long term," he said. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. Statistics Canada released its latest numbers on Canada's economic growth, up 0.3 per cent in October — driven by the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector. The loonie continued its slide, trading for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The telecom sector was the biggest loser at the closing on TSX, which Burkett attributed to "tax loss selling happening at the end of the year." Competition Bureau Canada announced on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc. for allegedly making misleading claims about its infinite wireless plans. The stock price for Rogers, which is hovering near 52-week lows, fell 0.7 per cent on Monday. Meanwhile, BCE was down almost 1.4 per cent and Telus dropped 0.9 per cent. Burkett suggested the day's poor performance among telecom companies was likely tax loss selling since it's almost the end of the year. "It's been a tough year for the communication services sector," he said. South of the border, communications services was the top-performing sector, led by large-cap tech companies. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX: GSPTSE, TSX: CADUSD, TSE: BCE, TSE: RCI. B) Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com .Is he a hero? A killer? Both? About the same time the #FreeLuigi memes featuring the mustachioed plumber from “Super Mario Brothers” mushroomed online, commenters shared memes showing Tony Soprano pronouncing Luigi Mangione , the man charged with murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan , a hero. There were posts lionizing Mangione’s physique and appearance, the ones speculating about who could play him on “Saturday Night Live,” and the ones denouncing and even threatening people at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s for spotting him and calling police. It was all too much for Pennsylvania's governor, a rising Democrat who was nearly the vice presidential nominee this year. Josh Shapiro — dealing with a case somewhere else that happened to land in his lap — decried what he saw as growing support for “vigilante justice.” The curious case of Brian Thompson and Luigi Mangione captivated and polarized a media-saturated nation. It also offers a glimpse into how, in a connected world, so many different aspects of modern American life can be surreally linked — from public violence to politics, from health care to humor (or attempts at it) . It summons a question, too: How can so many people consider someone a hero when the rules that govern American society — the laws — are treating him as the complete opposite? Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, on Monday at the police station in Altoona, Pa. Writings found in Mangione's possession hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed and an expression of anger toward “parasitic” health insurance companies. Bullets recovered from the crime scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” reflecting words used by insurance industry critics, written on them. A number of online posts combine an apparent disdain for health insurers — with no mention of the loss of life. “He took action against private health insurance corporations is what he did. he was a brave italian martyr. in this house, luigi mangione is a hero, end of story!” one anonymous person said in a post on X that has nearly 2 million views. On Monday, Shapiro took issue with comments like those. It was an extraordinary moment that he tumbled into simply because Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania. Shapiro's comments — pointed, impassioned and, inevitably, political — yanked the conversation unfolding on so many people's phone screens into real life. “We do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,” the governor said. “In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice.” But to hear some of his fellow citizens tell it, that's not the case at all. Like Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, D.B. Cooper and other notorious names from the American past, Mangione is being cast as someone to admire. Luigi Nicholas Mangione is escorted into Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Regina Bateson, an assistant political science professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has studied vigilantism, the term to which Shapiro alluded. She doesn’t see this case as a good fit for the word, she says, because the victim wasn’t linked to any specific crime or offense. As she sees it, it's more akin to domestic terrorism. But Bateson views the threats against election workers , prosecutors and judges ticking up — plus the assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump this past summer — as possible signs that personal grievances or political agendas could erupt. “Americans are voicing more support for — or at least understanding of — political violence,” she said. Shapiro praised the police and the people of Blair County, who abided by a 9/11-era dictum of seeing something and saying something. The commenters have Mangione wrong, the governor said: “Hear me on this: He is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning." A person demonstrates Monday near the McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where police earlier in the day arrested Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, in the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO in Manhattan. Even shy of supporting violence, there are many instances of people who vent over how health insurers deny claims. Tim Anderson's wife, Mary, dealt with UnitedHealthcare coverage denials before she died from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2022. “The business model for insurance is don’t pay,” Anderson, 67, of Centerville, Ohio, told The Associated Press . The discourse around the killing and Mangione is more than just memes. Conversations about the interconnectedness of various parts of American life are unfolding online as well. One Reddit user said he was banned for three days for supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after testifying he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot two people in 2020 during protests. “Do you think people are getting banned for supporting Luigi?” the poster wondered. The comments cover a lot of ground. They include people saying the UnitedHealthcare slaying isn't a “right or left issue" and wondering what it would take to get knocked off the platform. “You probably just have to cross the line over into promoting violence,” one commenter wrote. “Not just laughing about how you don’t care about this guy.” Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Memes and online posts in support of the 26-year-old man, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.