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CMC Recognized as One of America's Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek for 2025By BILL BARROW, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.gbet7 。

Jae Crowder is officially back in the league. The veteran forward officially struck a deal to join the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the team announced. Terms of that contract are not yet known, though the Kings put him to work right away. Crowder was in the starting lineup for Sacramento in their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Monday night. welcome to the 916, 🤝 — Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) Crowder, 34, spent the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 13-year veteran, who was first selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, will join his ninth team in the league once his deal with the Kings is official. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season in Milwaukee. Crowder helped lead both the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in back-to-back years, though he’s yet to win a championship. Crowder became a free agent this past offseason, and he worked out with the Kings over the summer, though he was unable to strike a deal to land with any team. The Kings are dealing with significant injuries, and have lost seven of their last 10 games entering Wednesday’s contest in Minnesota. Forward Trey Lyles is out for at least three weeks with a right calf strain, which he sustained in Monday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. DeMar DeRozan will also miss Wednesday’s game with lower back muscle inflammation, though it’s unknown how long he’ll be sidelined. Third-year coach on Tuesday after he chased down an official in their loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, too. Though it’s unclear what his role will be with the franchise just yet, Crowder should be able to provide some much-needed depth in the frontcourt behind Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis at least in the near future. We’ll see if he’s the missing piece to lift the Kings out of their slump.Former US President Jimmy Carter dead at 100

Addressing a press conference here, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh raised questions over outcome in Maharashtra where BJP and its allies Shiv Sena and NCP are heading for a landslide victory. Published: November 24, 2024 2:32 AM IST By Edited by Congress on Saturday expressed satisfaction over the result of Jharkhand assembly polls, saying the party has done well in the state and that it will analyse the outcome in Maharashtra which is “completely opposite” to the expectations and “very strange”. Addressing a press conference here, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh raised questions over outcome in Maharashtra where BJP and its allies Shiv Sena and NCP are heading for a landslide victory. Jairam Ramesh said somewhere “there is a conspiracy” to defeat the Congress. Pawan Khera said BJP suffered a setback in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha polls about five months back and raised questions over BJP’s strike rate in Maharashtra assembly polls. He said the Congress was concerned about its electoral transparency and will continue to raise concerns about electoral process. “The Lok Sabha election was fought in the name of Modi ji in Maharashtra, BJP lost it. The same state gives the same BJP 132 out of 148 seats within 4-5 months. What kind of strike rate is this? ...Is this strike rate possible? Democracy is our concern. Electoral transparency is our concern. Can the BJP reverse anti-incumbency? We complained continuously. Jairam Ramesh had complained about the name being deleted from the Election Commission’s website from the house of a woman BJP leader. All the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi had complained. No answer was given,” he said. “Whether we win or lose, we will continue to question the election process. In a country where exam papers are leaked, can we blindly trust the machines? You cannot shut us up by showing the results of Jharkhand. To date, apart from the poetry, we have not received any concrete answer from the Election Commission,” he added. Jairam Ramesh said the setback in Maharashtra does not mean that the party will step back from its agenda including demand for caste census. “We will definitely analyse the result that has come. But today we can say that even those who won did not anticipate that this result would come. We were assuming that we will get the mandate. The farmers of Maharashtra are angry, the working class of Maharashtra is against the government. And the atmosphere that was there in Maharashtra 4-5 months ago, the same atmosphere is there today too, we were assuming this and everyone accepted this,” he said. “But the results that have come are completely opposite to this. But this does not mean that we will step back from our agenda... somewhere there is a conspiracy to defeat us... The result of Maharashtra is very strange, I cannot use any other word for it, it is absolutely strange,” he added. Khera said in Jharkhand, RSS and BJP “tried to make a laboratory” in tribal areas but it was rejected. “Himanta Biswa Sarma became their poster boy. The poster boy left no stone unturned there...The people of Jharkhand completely rejected this kind of politics and again made a working government win with a good majority. Congress performed well there,” he said. In Maharashtra, BJP has won or is ahead in 132 seats, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has won or is ahead in 57 seats and NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is poised to win 41 seats. The state has 288 assembly seats. The constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a rude jolt with Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray poised to win 20 seats, Congress 16, and NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar only 10 seats. In Jharkhand, the ruling JMM led the ruling coalition to a convincing victory. The JMM has won or is leading on 34 seats. Its allies are poised to win 22 more seats – Congress 16, RJD on 4 and CPI(ML) two. BJP is ahead or has won 21 seats. Polling was held for 81 seats in Jharkhand. This is first time since the creation of the state that an alliance has won polls after five years in power. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . TopicsTORONTO (AP) — Hannah Miller scored a power-play goal with 1:38 remaining in the game, lifting the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women’s Hockey League season opener on Saturday. With Boston standout Hilary Knight in the penalty box for a vicious boarding penalty on Sceptres defender Renata Fast, Miller made good on her rebound attempt on a shot by Daryl Watts with a half-open net. Fast recovered for an assist on the winner before 8,089 fans at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Fleet challenged the goal, but video review deemed Miller’s shot was good. Sarah Nurse got Toronto on the board with a short-handed tally 11:50 into the first period and Emma Maltais added an empty-net strike with 12 seconds left. Boston’s Hilary Knight opened the scoring 3 minutes in, sending a slap shot past Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell, who registered 18 stops on the night. Toronto outshot Boston 41-19. Boston goalie Aerin Frankel, a big reason why her team advanced to the Walter Cup final last spring, had 38 saves. Sceptres: Billie Jean King MVP Natalie Spooner missed the season opener. The PWHL scoring champion underwent left knee surgery in June after getting injured in Game 3 of Toronto’s first-round series against Minnesota. Fleet: Defender Emma Greco played her first game for Boston. She was part of the Walter Cup-winning Minnesota team that defeated Boston in a three-game series last spring. With the game tied 1-1, the Sceptres failed to score during a 59-second 5-on-3 advantage midway through the second period. Boston blocked five shots during the span. Last year, Toronto enjoyed an 11-game win streak en route to its regular-season championship, including three wins against Boston. Boston will play its home opener on Wednesday, a rematch with the Walter Cup-champion Minnesota. Toronto visits Ottawa on Tuesday. AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Musk causes uproar by backing German far-right party ahead of key electionsBy Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as U.S. 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.” The Carter Center said there will be public observances in Atlanta and Washington. These events will be followed by a private interment in Plains, it said. Final arrangements for the former president's state funeral are still pending, according to the center. Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, served as president from January 1977 to January 1981 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 Nov. 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 U.S. 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 neighbors. 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 unraveling, 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 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. HOSTAGE CRISIS On Nov. 4, 1979, revolutionaries devoted to Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had stormed the U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. ties with China. Carter created two new U.S. 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 and 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 behavior of his hard-drinking younger brother, Billy Carter, who had boasted: "I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer." 'THERE YOU GO AGAIN' 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 U.S. 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 actually 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 hard labor 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. (Reporting and writing by Will Dunham; Additional reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Bill Trott, Diane Craft and Lisa Shumaker)

How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Sunday, December 1Mark Martin represented the very best of stock car racing. He won 40 Cup Series races and acquired millions of fans with his dominant driving style. For as much as he was loved for his stellar performances on the track, he was also loved for being a gentleman on it. One of the competitors who admired him for the same is Kyle Petty. Richard Petty’s son expressed in a 2012 interview that Martin was the cleanest driver that he has raced against. He used an interesting analogy to explain why. “Many years ago, there used to be bears at the fair, and you could go in and wrestle the bear,” he said. “And if you’d just sit there, the bear would just sit there.” “But the harder you wrestled the bear, the harder the bear wrestled you – and that’s the way Mark was. If you raced him clean, he’d race you clean. And if you wanted to race him dirty, Mark could come back, and he could put a bumper to you and give you exactly what you gave him.” None could have put it better than Petty did. Watching Martin’s earlier races makes it obvious that he always wanted to be ethical. He gave faster drivers plenty of room to pass, knowing that there would be chances to get them back fair and square. At the same time, he was never someone to be pushed over. Denny Hamlin’s critical opinion of Mark Martin’s driving style The Next Gen car has introduced a level of parity across the field that makes passing an extremely difficult task. Especially on short tracks. Would Martin’s style of letting competitors simply pass with the hope of getting them back later work in the modern world of NASCAR? Denny Hamlin does not think so. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver came under heavy scrutiny after a race in Pocono last year for racing harshly against Kyle Larson. The driver said, defending himself, that even someone like Martin would have to rethink his driving style with the way the sport is currently, and gave reason for the fandom to think. He said , “ Even Mark Martin would have to adjust his style in this type of car because of the days of the gentleman letting the guys go, and you will just go and get them later. It’s just a different game these days. I wish we could go back to those days, but that is not where we are at. You have to adapt to where you are at. You adapt, or you die.” The strong reasoning in Hamlin’s words cannot be ignored. Maybe Martin wouldn’t have been such a gentleman driver if he had been put in one of the Next Gen cars. But then again, there are plenty of drivers who race clean every week and still manage to win races. Ryan Blaney, for one, is generally considered a class act and he won the championship in 2023.

WildBrain (TSE:WILD) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?Photo: The Canadian Press In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanised Brigade press service, servicemen of the 24th Mechanised Brigade fire 120mm mortar towards Russian positions near Chasiv Yar town, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanised Brigade via AP) The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate range missile based on it’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ?They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war, Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords.

“The Ultimatum” just returned for its third season with a twist that even the producers didn’t see coming. In the first episode, viewers were introduced to six couples who were ready to start the challenging experiment. For those who aren’t familiar with the show, the Netflix dating series follows couples at a crossroads: one person has issued the other an ultimatum to either marry them or break up. Before each contestant makes a decision, they must split from their original partner and select another cast member to date during a three-week trial period. When those three weeks end, the original couples reunite before revealing in the finale if they want to get engaged or end their relationship. During Seasons 1 and 2, some contestants quit early on in the experiment — one couple left to tackle their issues and another had a surprise proposal . In Season 3 of “The Ultimatum” — which released five episodes on Dec. 4 — the trend continued. After the six couples met, selected different partners and moved in together, the show unexpectedly announced in Episode 4 that four contestants had left. “Earlier in the day, Dave, Vanessa, Micah and Chanel secretly met off camera,” a title card informed viewers. “That evening, surveillance cameras captured them packing.” Footage then showed Vanessa Hattaway and Dave Adams, who had been dating for three years prior to signing up for “The Ultimatum,” and Micah Hardeman and Chanel Watkins, who had been together for two-and-a-half years, gathering their belongings in their separate apartments. “Dave, Vanessa, Micah and Chanel quickly departed, abruptly ending their experience,” the next title card said. The four contestants were not shown again. While Chanel and Dave chose to re-couple with each other, Micah selected Mariah Zernik and Vanessa partnered with Nick Tramontin. Following Micah and Vanessa’s departures, Mariah and Nick had to continue the rest of their three-week trial alone. Mariah told the cameras, “I had just come home from the mall, and Micah’s not here. His stuff was gone and the book he lent me was gone so I’m confused as to why he left and didn’t say a word.” Nick shared a similar experience. “I came back to the apartment and I’m alone,” he said. “Vanessa packed up her things and left. There was no goodbye.” After the episodes were released, Micah, Chanel, Vanessa and Dave cryptically addressed their time on the show and why they exited the experiment early on social media. Dave uploaded an Instagram post that showed his cast photo on one slide and the same photo on a second slide engulfed in flames. “How it looked on @ultimatumnetflix vs. how it felt. Season 3 out now,” he captioned the snap and included a grimacing face emoji and flame. When one social media user commented that Dave was wrong for leaving, he replied, “Beg to differ.” Vanessa also shared her cast photo on Instagram and reacted to fans beneath the post. In response to one viewer who disagreed with Vanessa choosing to leave, she wrote, “Aw I know I just had to do what was best for my mental health.” She added, “You’re only seeing 1%.” The same user responded and said Vanessa owed Nick an apology for how she left. Vanessa commented, “You don’t know what happened behind scenes I have nothing to apologize for.” Vanessa told multiple fans that she will possibly share more after the reunion airs. Chanel and Micah uploaded a joint post to Instagram that featured a series of sweet snaps of them holding hands and posing together. One fan commented and asked why the couple quit. “Whew! Long story you only seen 1% of it all there’s so much more to it but it’s not our story to tell...” Chanel answered. Micah spoke about on the show on his Instagram story. He shared a photo of him staring at Chanel when she chose to re-couple with Dave. “When you’re contemplating crashing out,” he captioned the snap and included two crying-laughing emoji. He also added Kendrick Lamar’s song “tv off” to the post. “The Ultimatum” creator Chris Coelen, whose production company Kinetic Content is also behind “Love Is Blind,” addressed the surprising exits in an interview with Variety . He said that after the contestants re-coupled and moved in together, showrunner Stephanie Boyriven called him and said Dave and Chanel told producers they were unsure they wanted to complete the experiment. “Then they snuck around. As a group, they secretly met. And listen, they’re adults. We don’t put restrictions on what people do or don’t do,” Coelen said. “But the expectation from the other participants is, ‘We’re going to be in trial marriages. Let’s actually do that, and not go hang out with our original partner.’” The creator shared, “The next call I got was that Micah was gone and didn’t have a conversation with anyone.” Coelen then spoke to Dave, Vanessa and Chanel and informed them, “‘We support whatever you want to do,’” he said. Coelen said it was apparent that the three did not want to stay. “We’re committed to supporting the participants and to being very transparent with them about what the experience is and that it can be very challenging,” he continued. “And if they are wanting to really commit to it and lean into it, then we are there with them the entire way, and if they aren’t, we’re also there with them the entire way.” He also explained why the show did not pair Nick and Mariah together. “I don’t feel like that would have been legitimate. The whole point of the dating week is for them to really choose — themselves — someone that they think has the qualities of someone that they could potentially marry, and then be in a trial marriage,” Coelen said. He confirmed that Dave and Vanessa participated in the reunion, which will stream Dec. 18, but revealed Chanel and Micah did attend. TODAY.com has reached out to Kinectic Content and Vanessa, Dave, Chanel and Micah for comment.

Elon Musk causes uproar for backing Germany’s far-right party ahead of electionsAries : This is a time of discovery. You will have a desire to get out of your comfort zone and get new experiences. Look to update your skills and strive for certifications that may help you climb your career ladder. Do not argue with co-workers, and instead, focus on selling ideas with confidence. December’s energy is favourable for people who are willing to take risks in their careers. However, this month is not especially lucky when it comes to love. Do not rush into new relationships, as misunderstandings may arise. Taurus : Think about the areas of your life that require change, release, and creating a healthier emotional and financial environment. In terms of your career, this month will be a mixed bag. Candidates may get annoyed by such actions as postponing the interviews or cases where the employer is unclear about what they want. This is a good time to review insurance policies, wills, and long-term financial plans. Purchases of real estate or vehicles may be further discussed before the final decision is made. Gemini : This month’s energy challenges you to assess how effectively you collaborate and build the stability of your connections. This is a good time for singles to find that special someone through friends, business acquaintances or at work. For the committed, a discussion about the future is always useful and can make you and your partner see things in the same way. Concerning career, do not take all the work to yourself; it will be more productive if the work is divided. Networking will be especially useful this month. Cancer : The month is about maintaining order and tidiness and solving any problems that may still remain to hinder your progress. This is a time to deal with work assignments and demonstrate how well you can handle projects. Be careful with details because small errors can cause bigger problems. You may get involved in helping a family member deal with some difficulties. This may feel overwhelming, but it will enhance the relationships. If you have neglected health symptoms, now is the time to seek advice. Leo : You may need self-assertion and a wish to be noticed both in private and working life. However, moderation is the word when it comes to enthusiasm because it can lead to hasty decision-making. In your career, this is a month of creativity and risk-taking. A balance between creativity and business-mindedness will lead to desirable outcomes. If you are thinking about investing in real estate or the stock market, it is the right time to consider long-term goals. Singles will gain attention due to their charm and energetic personality. Virgo : This month may make you want to create balance in your private life. For those working, the focus should be on managing working responsibilities with other obligations. Financially, this is a good time to invest in real estate, though make sure to read the contract carefully. This is a favourable period for family gatherings and conversations, especially those concerning property or work division. If you are a student, this period is beneficial for research and courses that need a systematic approach. Libra : It is a month where you get a chance to learn new things through asking questions and making efforts. You may feel more confident in expressing yourself and participating in activities that make you better. In your career, it is the time to demonstrate your communication skills and foster good working relationships with your colleagues or clients. Those who are interested in writing, speaking, or social activities may get a job in public relations, sales or teaching. For those who are in love, this deepens the relationship through short trips. Scorpio : It’s the time to focus on your budget, work on your interpersonal skills, and be consistent with your behaviours in achieving your life goals. Financially, December is all about stability and planning. This is a good time to take stock of your financial position, be prudent in your spending, and consider your investment options. Discussions with parents or siblings regarding issues related to property, money or any future plans may come up. Cold weather may increase your likelihood of developing throat problems. Sagittarius : The month challenges you to own your life, improve yourself, and create momentum for the year. You will be full of energy and ready to chase your goals, but it is advisable to combine this energy with planning. At work, take the lead on projects that showcase your talents. Single people can get attention without any problem, and it is possible to meet someone who will be a powerhouse of energy. Family life will be pleasant this month as you will lead the people around you with a positive attitude. Capricorn : It is a time for relaxation, rejuvenation and shedding off all the troubles of the past. This time may be less social than usual, but it is a good chance to get some perspective and set goals. In your career this month, you may need patience and work in the background. Do not take risks this month because the energy is more suitable for steady growth than grand gestures. It is not advised to make large purchases or invest during this period. Take care of your health because stress can cause you to feel tired. Aquarius : December is a month of opportunities and recognition in your career. You can get a job through referral, hence the need to maintain a connection with your network. This is a good moment to assume leadership positions. Your skills to mobilise people and engage them towards a common cause will define you. Stock investments may bear fruit, especially if they are associated with technology-based industries. For singles, this is a time to find a partner through social or business-related contacts. Pisces : This is a month in your career where you can reap big if you put more effort and concentration. This is a time to be proactive and show your worth at the workplace. One will be able to effectively coordinate tasks and deal with issues that will earn the respect of supervisors and peers. In love, the stars make you loyal and committed to the person you are in a relationship with. Those who are single may get attracted to people who are focused and ambitious. Work commitments may overshadow your family time. ---------------------- Neeraj Dhankher (Vedic Astrologer, Founder - Astro Zindagi) Email: info@astrozindagi.in , neeraj@astrozindagi.in Url: www.astrozindagi.in Contact: Noida: +919910094779

Mass protests in Georgia fueled by the governing party’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union entered a second week on Thursday, with police cracking down on the protesters with increasing force in an attempt to curb the demonstrations. On Wednesday, an opposition leader was dragged into a police car and arrested, his party said. Several other activists have been arrested and scores of demonstrators and some journalists have been brutally beaten. Georgian journalist Guram Rogava was doing a live broadcast from a protest when a riot policeman rushed up to him and hit him in the head on Friday. Rogava suffered fractured facial bones in the assault. After being discharged from the hospital Monday with an immobilized neck and a bandaged head, he said he was lucky to be able to move his hands and talk. “It was clear that they were deliberately attacking media representatives,” he told The Associated Press. "The government is in such a state that, for some reason, its survival instinct dictates the need to intimidate the media.” The ruling Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in the disputed Oct. 26 election, a vote widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s EU aspirations. The opposition and the pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with neighboring Russia’s help and have boycotted parliament sessions. Opposition protests gained new momentum after the Georgian Dream’s decision last Thursday to put the EU accession talks on hold. Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rallies and beat scores of protesters, who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital’s central boulevard. On Wednesday, the Coalition for Change opposition party said that police raided its offices and detained its leader, Nika Gvaramia. It shared a video showing several officers dragging Gvaramia into a car. Activists have also been arrested in police raids on offices of several opposition parties and non-government organizations, and one of them, Aleko Elisashvili, was in hospital for injuries he suffered during the detention. More than 300 protesters have been detained and over 100 people have been treated for injuries. One of the protesters, 22-year-old Aleksi Tirqia was placed in an induced coma after he was allegedly hit with a tear gas capsule. The crackdown has drawn a strong condemnation from the United States and EU officials. Speaking Thursday at a ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced what he described as a brutal “repression of those calling for their country to stay on the path to closer ties with Europe.” Lazare Maghlakelidze, a 20-year-old student who joined the protests, said policemen who detained him at the protest early on Monday threatened to rape him and then hit him over the head several times. “They started beating me up immediately as soon as they made sure that there were no cameras around,” Maghlakelidze said. Despite a head injury and a broken nose, he says he's even more determined to keep protesting. Georgian Special Investigation Service, a government agency that investigates alleged abuse of power, said it was investigating violence against protesters and interference with the journalists’ professional work. It said that more than 300 people, including journalists and protesters, have reported violations of their rights during the protests. Tamar Oniani, a human rights lawyer, said such investigations in the past never gave visible result and no officer has faced charges of at least suspension from duty. He argued that police brutality appeared to have the authorities' blessing. “It was systemic, widespread violence against demonstrators, just because of the fact that they were at the demonstration and they were protesting,” Oniani said. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party said the raids of the opposition groups' offices targeted those who encouraged violence during protests in an attempt to topple his government. “I wouldn’t call this repression; it is more of a preventive measure than repression,” Kobakhidze said. President Zourabichvili refused to recognize the official election results and contested them before the Constitutional Court, which rejected her appeal earlier this week. Zourabichvili, who plays a largely ceremonial role, has urged the country’s Western partners to respond to police brutality against protesters and raids of opposition groups by putting “strong pressure on a ruling party that is driving the country over the cliff!” “Do not be late!” she wrote on the social platform X. The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that the country meets the bloc’s recommendations, but put its accession on hold and cut financial support in June after the passage of a “foreign influence” law that was widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms. The law requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.

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