wolf slots game

wolf slots game

None

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russian media said Sunday, hours after a stunning rebel advance seized control of Damascus and ended his family’s 50 years of iron rule . Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire and waved the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. The swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," President Joe Biden said , crediting action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” and said rebel groups are “saying the right things now” but the U.S. would assess their actions. Russia requested an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to discuss Syria, according to Dmitry Polyansky, its deputy ambassador to the U.N., in a post on Telegram. The arrival of Assad and his family in Moscow was reported by Russian agencies Tass and RIA, citing an unidentified source at the Kremlin. A spokesman there didn't immediately respond to questions. RIA also said Syrian insurgents had guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. Earlier, Russia said Assad left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. The leader of Syria's biggest rebel faction, Abu Mohammed al-Golani , is poised to chart the country’s future. The former al-Qaida commander cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance. His Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the U.N. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, al-Golani visited the Umayyad Mosque and described Assad's fall as “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he said Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and split among armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in remote areas. Syrian state television broadcast a rebel statement saying Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been released. They urged people to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state,” and announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. An online video purported to show rebels freeing dozens of women at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed . At least one small child was seen among them. “This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he,” said one relative, Bassam Masr. "I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years.” Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi appeared on state TV and sought to reassure religious and ethnic minorities, saying: “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.” “We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. Damascus residents prayed in mosques and celebrated in squares, calling, “God is great.” People chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Soldiers and police fled their posts and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Families wandered the presidential palace, walking by damaged portraits of Assad. Other parts of the capital were empty and shops were closed. “It’s like a dream. I need someone to wake me up," said opposition fighter Abu Laith, adding the rebels were welcomed in Damascus with “love.” Rebels stood guard at the Justice Ministry, where Judge Khitam Haddad said he and colleagues were protecting documents. Outside, residents sought information about relatives who disappeared under Assad. The rebels “have felt the pain of the people,” said one woman, giving only her first name, Heba. She worried about possible revenge killings by the rebels, many of whom appeared to be underage. Syria’s historically pro-government newspaper al-Watan called it “a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood.” It added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements ordered from above. A statement from the Alawite sect that formed the core of Assad's base called on young Syrians to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.” The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall within days as the Syrian army melted away. The road to Damascus from the Lebanese border was littered with military uniforms and charred armored vehicles. Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, which provided crucial support to Assad, abandoned him as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Assad’s rule was a major blow to Iran and its proxies, already weakened by conflict with Israel . Iran said Syrians should decide their future “without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.” The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Hossein Akbari, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, said it was “effectively impossible” to help the Syrian government after it admitted the insurgents' military superiority. Speaking on Iranian state media from an undisclosed location, he said Syria's government decided Saturday night to hand over power peacefully. “When the army and the people could not resist, it was a good decision to let go to prevent bloodshed and destruction,” Akbari said, adding that some of his colleagues left Syria before sunrise. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking on state TV, said there were concerns about the “possibility of civil war, disintegration of Syria, total collapse and turning Syria into a shelter for terrorists.” Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali has said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video on Syrian opposition media showed armed men escorting him from his office to a hotel. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need “to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is “stability and safe transition.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned positions. Israel’s military later warned residents of five southern Syria communities to stay home for their safety, and didn’t respond to questions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the U.S., views it as occupied, and the Arab League on Sunday condemned what it called Israel’s efforts to take advantage of Assad’s downfall to occupy more territory. Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, contributed.Social media ban to 'test' Dutton as opposition frays

WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. 2024 was already a dispiriting year for Boeing, the American aviation giant. But when one of the company's jets crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, it brought to a close an especially unfortunate year for Boeing. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish Sunday's incident from the company’s earlier safety problems. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines who is now a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link the incident Sunday to two fatal crashes involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane. The Boeing 737-800 that crash-landed in Korea, Price noted, is “a very proven airplane. "It’s different from the Max ...It’s a very safe airplane.’’ For decades, Boeing has maintained a role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But the the past year's repeated troubles have been damaging. The company's stock price is down more than 30% in 2024. The company's reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and left a combined 346 people dead. In the five years since then, Boeing has lost more than $23 billion. And it has fallen behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new planes. Last fall, 33,000 Boeing machinists went on strike, crippling the production of the 737 Max, the company's bestseller, the 777 airliner and 767 cargo plane. The walkout lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included 38% pay raises over four years. In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max. Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence to argue that Boeing’s deception had played a role in the crashes.) But the plea deal was rejected this month by a federal judge in Texas, Reed O’Connor , who decided that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in choosing an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement. Boeing has sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun departed as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety.

Virginia’s booming data center industry is driving unprecedented energy demands, straining the state’s natural gas infrastructure and prompting calls for new pipelines. A Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, or JLARC, report warns that expanding pipeline capacity may be necessary to meet the surge, bringing with it additional logistical and environmental challenges. Some efforts to expand pipeline capacity are already underway. In October, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based energy firm Williams Companies filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, or SSEP, which would add about 55 miles of pipeline — mostly in Southwest Virginia — to the existing 10,000-mile Transco Pipeline stretching from Texas to New York. This follows the company’s approval last year for its Commonwealth Energy Connector Project in Southside, designed to link in Greensville County with the Columbia Gas Virginia Reliability Project. That initiative, now under construction, will deliver natural gas to the Hampton Roads region, addressing growing energy needs in that part of the state. The Mountain Valley Pipeline’s right-of-way is seen from Boones Mill on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The Southgate extension project, an effort to extend the Mountain Valley Pipeline from Pittsylvania County into North Carolina, began consultations with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, this year for permit reviews. In October, Balico, the Herndon-based developer previously associated with the canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline, proposed a massive data center campus with 84 buildings and an on-site natural gas plant for power. However, strong community opposition forced the company to scale back its plans. Mike Atchie, director of community and project outreach for Williams Companies, emphasized the importance of the SSEP, which seeks to expand natural gas infrastructure across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. “It ensures that infrastructure exists to support the rapid economic and population growth in the southeast,” Atchie said, adding that it also meets the region’s growing demand for stable and reliable energy to heat homes and power essential services. The recent pipeline developments have drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups, which warn about the potential impact on waterways the projects may need to cross and the continued reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels. Scientists link these emissions to worsening climate change, including more frequent and intense storms. “Basically, we’re looking at two co-located projects,” said Jessica Sims, a field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, a Boone, North Carolina-based nonprofit clean energy advocacy group. “You have two projects, co-located in Pennsylvania County, approximately [that] could be built at the same time.” Williams Company plans to add about 55 miles of pipeline in Virginia and North Carolina through a series of loops: parallel pipes designed to increase carrying capacity along existing lines. In Virginia, the Eden Loop would include about 30.8 miles of 42-inch-wide pipeline running from Pittsylvania County into Rockingham County, North Carolina. The loop also includes two 33,000-horsepower, electric-powered compressor stations, in addition to others in North Carolina. A map shows the extent of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based energy firm Williams Companies' Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. Williams has requested approval for the project by February 2026, with an in-service date set for Nov. 1, 2027. Among the gas recipients are the city of Danville and Southwest Virginia Gas, which would take 1,500 and 5,000 dekatherms, respectively. “Without new capacity, there is a risk of repeating past shortages and power outages,” Atchie said. “The expansion taps into established pipeline corridors to minimize environmental and landowner impacts and will be built and maintained using Williams’ industry-leading safety standards, including 24/7 monitoring and rigorous maintenance.” The SSEP pipeline is planned to follow a similar route to the 31-mile Southgate Extension project, which the team behind the Mountain Valley Pipeline announced last year it would be reviving. Since then, the company has engaged with federal and state regulatory agencies, including the DEQ, to discuss the permits required for the project’s revised scope, spokesman Shawn Day said. But Sims of Appalachian Voices raised concerns during a State Water Control Board meeting last month about Virginia code provisions that allow the DEQ to waive the requirement for a Section 401 permit under the federal Clean Water Act if the pipeline is below 36 inches. The Mountain Valley Pipeline right-of-way and some piping is visible beside Virginia Route 460, Sunday, July 16, 2023, in Elliston. The revised plans reduced the Southgate pipeline from 75 to 31 miles, eliminating the need for a controversial compressor station, but increased the pipeline diameter from 24 and 16 inches to 30 inches, still under the threshold allowing the DEQ to waive the need for a water permit. “The cumulative impacts from two major construction projects is one reason to give South gain more scrutiny than last time,” Sims told the board, pointing to its proximity to the SSEP project. When asked by the Virginia Mercury if the DEQ would waive any permits for the Southgate Extension project, DEQ spokesman John Giese said the agency has not received formal plans. “Southgate/Equitrans has informed [the] DEQ of their intent to move forward on a project and has discussed their general layout and timing of design,” Giese said. “However, no formal plans or permit application(s) have been submitted to [the] DEQ for review.” The project is aiming to be operational by 2028 “to provide PSNC Energy and Duke Energy with an affordable, reliable and resilient natural gas supply to meet residential and business demand and generate electricity,” Day said, adding the project “will secure all necessary permits and authorizations.” The JLARC report highlighted natural gas as the most viable option for on-site power generation, a necessity for many large-scale projects in Southwest Virginia. “Of the current technologies available, only natural gas appears viable for on-site generation, and it can be deployed only close to pipeline infrastructure that has sufficient capacity to serve generation needs,” the report says. A engineering plan shows a data center campus and on-site power generation source in Pittsylvania County. In Pittsylvania County, Balico initially proposed a 2,300-acre data center campus with a 3,500-megawatt natural gas plant, but withdrew the plan after significant community pushback. In November, the company submitted a scaled-down application for a project requiring “more than 760 acres” and rezoning land for “private electric power generation,” with a letter of intent from Mountain Valley Pipeline owner EQT “for the supply of a sufficient volume of natural gas to fuel the power plant proposed for the campus.” The proposal is expected to be reviewed next year. Nearby, the town of Hurt passed a resolution supporting the project, agreeing to provide 2 million gallons of water per day through the construction of a new water plant. Community opposition to the original proposal had largely centered on the water demands of the project. This story was originally published in the Virginia Mercury . Charlie Paullin covers energy and environment for the Virginia Mercury. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.New Delhi: Industry body CII in its budget suggestions for 2025-26 has recommended lowering the excise duty on fuel to boost consumption, especially at the lower income level, arguing that fuel prices significantly drive inflation. The budget could also consider reducing marginal tax rates for personal income up to Rs 20 lakh per annum. This would help trigger the virtuous cycle of consumption, higher growth and higher tax revenue, said CII. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Asserting that the gap between the highest marginal rate for individuals at 42.74 per cent and the normal Corporate Tax Rate at 25.17 per cent, is high, it said, inflation has reduced the buying power of lower and middle-income earners. "The central excise duty alone accounts for approximately 21 per cent of the retail price for petrol and 18 per cent for diesel. Since May 2022, these duties have not been adjusted in line with the approximately 40 per cent decrease in global crude prices. Lowering excise duty on fuel would help reduce overall inflation and increase disposable incomes," the industry body said. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said domestic consumption has been critical to India's growth story, but inflationary pressures have somewhat eroded the purchasing power of consumers. "Government interventions could focus on enhancing disposable incomes and stimulating spending to sustain economic momentum. Persistent food inflationary pressures particularly impinge upon low-income rural households who allocate larger share to food in their consumption basket", he added. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program According to him, while recent quarters have shown promising signs of recovery in rural consumption, targeted government interventions, such as increasing per unit benefit under its key schemes like MGNREGS, PM-KISAN and PMAY, and providing consumption vouchers to low-income households, can further enhance the rural recovery. In its pre-budget proposals, CII has also recommended an increase in the daily minimum wage under the MGNREGS from Rs 267 to Rs 375 as suggested by the 'Expert Committee on Fixing National Minimum Wage' in 2017, with the industry body estimating that this will entail an additional expenditure of Rs 42,000 crore. Further, it urged the government to raise the annual payout under the PM-KISAN scheme from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000. Assuming 10 crore beneficiaries, this will entail an additional expenditure of Rs 20,000 crore, CII said. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also sought an increase in the unit costs under the PMAY-G and PMAY-U schemes, which have not been revised since the scheme's inception. The CII suggested the introduction of consumption vouchers, targeted at low-income groups to stimulate demand for specified goods and services over a designated period. The vouchers could be designed to be spent on designated items (specific goods and services) and could be valid for a designated time (like 6-8 months), to ensure spending. The beneficiary criteria can be defined as Jan-Dhan account holders who are not beneficiaries of other welfare schemes. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Texas has nation's top recruiting class after landing elite defensive lineman from Georgia

She’s taken selfies with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, traveled to Hawaii to interview Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and had one-on-one chats with Ryan Reynolds, Selena Gomez, Kris Jenner, Patrick Mahomes and Lily Collins. Now after all the viral moments, Taylen Biggs has secured big-time Hollywood . The 11-year-old budding influencer and media personality has inked with Creators, which will focus on amplifying her upstart career as a journalist, actor, creator and fashion influencer. News of the partnership comes after Biggs made her acting debut in Hallmark’s , which premiered just days ago on Nov. 30. Biggs counts more than 917,000 followers on Instagram, more than 1.4 million on TikTok, and more than 38,000 subscribers on YouTube. She has modeled for a kids clothing line designed by the Kardashians in addition to collaborations with such brands as Disney, MTV, Claire’s, Walmart, Nike, Adidas and Netflix. Of linking up with Wasserman, Biggs recently told , “They understand that I don’t want to be boxed, that I want to explore, learn, grow and inspire while staying true to my values and heart.” Wasserman Creators launched last year as a division of Casey Wasserman’s diversified management and enteratainment firm. The company’s roster features content creators like Kaitlyn Bristowe, MatPat, The Professor, Nicole Combs, MMG, Gideon General, Alex Bennett and others. See some of Biggs’ work below. Someone pinch me! Im really sitting here talking to @Selena Gomez 🥹🥰 thank you @Rare Beauty for your amazing 10/10 Make A Rare Impact Initiative! THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood ReporterJimmy Carter was respectively known as St Jimmy - universally revered for his good deeds in the poorest countries in the world and for the impeccable moral probity of his character, writes JONATHAN AITKEN By JONATHAN AITKEN FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 23:29 GMT, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 23:35 GMT, 29 December 2024 e-mail View comments 'Jimmy Who?' they derisively called him when he started to run for the Presidency of the United States in 1975. By the time Jimmy Carter died yesterday at the age of 100 he was respectively known as St Jimmy – universally revered for his good deeds in the poorest countries in the world and for the impeccable moral probity of his character . The paradox of James Earl Carter was that during his single term of office as the 39th President of the United States he was widely regarded as a failure. But as an ex-President he was universally acclaimed as a huge success. After his crushing defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1980 Carter turned the tables in terms of his historical and personal reputation. Over the next 43 years he grew in stature. His record was re-evaluated. His reputation and status soared as he won the Nobel Peace Prize and became venerated as an outstanding pioneer in human rights, conflict resolution, and the eradication of severe diseases in Africa. In many marginalised countries and deprived communities Jimmy Carter was hailed as a hero, admired around the world for his natural rapport with the oppressed. 'I am accused of being an outsider and I plead guilty to the charge', declared candidate Carter in the early stages of his slow burning effort to win the Democratic Party 's nomination for the 1976 Presidential campaign. It was a time when America was in turmoil, reeling from the scandals of Watergate, the shock of its first ever war defeat in Vietnam, and the growing belief that 'The Imperial Presidency' was the cause of the nation's problems. By the time Jimmy Carter died yesterday at the age of 100 he was respectively known as St Jimmy – universally revered for his good deeds in the poorest countries in the world and for the impeccable moral probity of his character Jimmy Carter pictured with his wife Rosalynn Carter who was an American writer and activist President Jimmy Carter, right, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II are photographed with French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, at Buckingham Palace in May 1977 Former President Jimmy Carter receiving his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, in 2002 Against this background, a homespun outsider of transparent humility and sincere religious belief caught the voters' mood of wanting political change, particularly when he promised to cut the White House and Washington down to size. But after Carter had narrowly defeated the incumbent President Gerald Ford, he took office with little or no understanding of how to deliver his promises let alone how to run America's domestic and foreign policy. Carter failed as a national leader because he thought he could run the Presidency in the same personalised quirky style he had used in his single term as governor of Georgia. His top White House aides were good ol' boy cronies from his home state – but few of them were up to the job. He lost sight of the fact that a President must be a strategist. Carter was a workaholic micromanager who immersed himself in small print details and administration. He even insisted on personally controlling the bookings for the White House tennis court! The power barons of Congress never quite knew what to make of Carter who came across to them as an aloof and ascetic loner. Even with a Democrat majority in both houses, the President declined to make friends with his supporters or cut deals with his opponents. So his legislative programme failed. His promises to stimulate the economy and introduce measures to solve the energy crisis never got off the ground. America felt poorer and colder, suffering from a malaise of national self-confidence. Part of the problem was Carter's personality. To the public he was an enigma. He had no ability to make Americans feel good about themselves. Jimmy Carter pictured in his family's peanut field in Plains, Georgia, on August 19, 1978 Jimmy Carter (C) and First Lady Rosalynn Carter (R) and their eldest son Jack Carter (L) walking outside The White House in Washington, DC in 1977 A young Jimmy Carter with his dog Bozo in Plains, Georgia, USA, circa 1937 Henry Kissinger, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter sit together during a lunch meeting on the White House patio in Washington, U.S., August 15, 1977 Within the Washington Beltway his enemies saw him as vacillating and indecisive. His friends were mystified by his remoteness. Practically no-one except for his devoted wife Rosalynn – nicknamed the 'Steel Magnolia' for her inflexibility – ever enjoyed personal empathy with the 39th President. Read More BREAKING NEWS Jimmy Carter dead at 100: Former US President passes away in his Georgia home The chilliness was a major weakness in dealing with his fellow politicians who came to reciprocate the hostility they felt he showed them. More troublingly, Jimmy Carter lacked the leadership skills to reach out and reassure the country beyond Washington. His fireside chats were devoid of warmth and his set speeches seemed stilted. His thin, reedy voice gave him, said his acerbic rival Senator Eugene McCarthy 'the eloquence of a mortician'. Although he lacked charisma of a national communicator, Carter was authentic in his personal sincerity and private faith. On the campaign trail he emphasised his outsider credentials as a small Southern farmer, a Sunday school teacher and 'a born-again Christian' a term which he single-handedly made famous. He promised that he would never tell a lie and that he would bring honesty and integrity back into government. The voters believed him although his piety came in for some ridicule when he gave an interview to Playboy admitting that he had 'lusted in his heart' after other women. Former US president Jimmy Carter (L) and Cuban President Fidel Castro listen to the US National Anthem after Carter's arrival at Jose Marti airport in Havana on May 12, 2002 Former US President Jimmy Carter gives the call to rise up before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018 President Jimmy Carter (L) and his wife Rosalynn (R) and their family sitting for a portrait at The White House in Washington, DC, USA, March 26, 1979 In many marginalised countries and deprived communities Jimmy Carter was hailed as a hero, admired around the world for his natural rapport with the oppressed In both domestic and international policy, Carter was a dedicated champion of human rights. His father, who started the family peanut farm, was an old fashioned segregationist. But his mother argued for the rights of her black neighbours. Their son Jimmy followed the maternal example and adopted the anti-discrimination fervour of a new liberal Southerner. Read More Inside Jimmy Carter's final months in hospice care before his death at 100 From the White House he appointed black Cabinet officers, judges, ambassadors and senior officials on a scale undreamed of by any previous President. He was equally determined to ensure that women became full partners in all phases of policy making. His affirmative actions and appointments transformed the look of the US government at senior levels. On the international stage, Carter put human rights at the forefront of his foreign policy. At the time his initiatives in this field were often derided as the empty gestures of a righteous preacher, cut off from the realpolitik of world affairs. But in his dogged way Carter persevered and gradually succeeded. Some years after leaving office he was asked by Presidential historian Theodore H White what he thought were his most lasting achievements? 'Emphasis on human rights', replied the ex-President. 'I printed that commitment on worldwide consciousness. It may have permanent results ...' History has vindicated that judgement. In his diplomacy Carter had one remarkable success which was entirely personal. Tireless in his quest to defuse tensions in the Middle East he organised the 1978 Camp David summit between Israel and Egypt. The ground breaking Accords signed there have stood the test of time. These agreements would have been impossible to achieve without the tenacity and sincerity of Jimmy Carter. Carter gives a speech after receiving the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize at Oslo City Hall Former President Jimmy Carter, left, and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, sit together during a reception to celebrate their 75th anniversary President Jimmy Carter (C) with Egyptian President Anwar al Sadat (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin during Middle East peace negotiations at Camp David Former US president Jimmy Carter helps build a house as he visits the construction site of houses being built by Carter's Habitat for Humanity foundation for victims of the January 2010 earthquake in Leogane President Jimmy Carter (R) walking with Egyptian President Anwar al Sadat (L) during Middle East peace negotiations Only he could have succeeded in corralling Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt at Camp David for thirteen days. Read More BREAKING NEWS Donald Trump says world owes Jimmy Carter a 'debt of gratitude' after death at 100 Eventually he persuaded them that the honour of the American President could permit them to lay down arms against each other. The final year of the Carter presidency was a sea of troubles. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The domestic economy deteriorated. Ayatollah Khomeini's revolution in Iran compounded the President's difficulties, ruining his reputation with its knock-on effects of soaring oil prices, diplomatic humiliations, and a military disaster. The President's luck ran out after 53 Americans were taken hostage at the US Embassy in Tehran by Islamic revolutionaries. After months of fruitless efforts to get them freed, Carter ordered their rescue by America's elite Delta Force. In giving the go ahead on April 19 1980 the President over-ruled the advice of his Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, who opposed the mission because of its high risks. Instead Carter backed the plan of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Tragically, their Operation Eagle Claw turned out to be a fiasco. In the harsh conditions of the Iranian desert, three of the Delta Force's eight helicopters malfunctioned because of sandstorms. A fourth helicopter crashed into a C130 transport plane killing eight Special Forces commandos. The mission had to be aborted. No hostages were rescued. US President Jimmy Carter sitting atop his limousine as his motorcade drives through Bardstown, Kentucky in 1979 President Jimmy Carter on television at the Reagan-Bush team's headquarters, the Century Plaza Hotel, in Los Angeles Jimmy Carter helps erect a frame during a Habitat for Humanity project October 4, 2010 in Washington Former US President Jimmy Carter gives the media an update on his recent cancer diagnosis at the Carter Center in Atlanta in 2015 President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains Jimmy Carter was devastated by this failure. Three decades after the event he said the greatest regret of his Presidency was not having used his power as Commander-in Chief to send more helicopters. At the time he was physically and mentally shattered. Soon after giving the order to abort he went out for an early morning jog in the Rose Garden of the White House, watched by his Acting Chief of Staff Alonzo McDonald who later told me 'I have never seen a man look more utterly sad and dejected'. Read More How Jimmy Carter shattered royal protocol by kissing Queen Mother on the LIPS leaving her horrified But in Tehran, the hostages remained incarcerated by the Ayotollah's mobs, whose jubilant taunts provided a nightly reminder on the news bulletins of the shaming of American pride. At home, with the election looming, domestic inflation soared to 18 per cent. Carter was severely weakened in the primaries by having to beat off a bruising challenge from Senator Edward Kennedy. The Republican contender, Governor Ronald Reagan won the Presidential debates by portraying himself as strong, decisive, charismatic and likable. None of these adjectives could be applied to the incumbent. With his support draining away, the President's personal pollster, Patrick Caddell gave his boss the dire news in a private memorandum 'By and large the American people do not like Jimmy Carter' said it's final sentence 'Indeed a large segment could be said to loathe him'. By polling day the loathing of the President turned into a landslide for Reagan. Carter lost the election by 49 Electoral College votes to 489. He carried only 6 States while Reagan won 45. Never had a sitting occupant of the White House been so politically trounced and so personally humiliated. Former President Jimmy Carter stands behind his birthday cake during his 90th birthday celebration Jimmy Carter, accompanied by his wife Rosalynn, daughter Amy, and grandson Jason tells supporters at a Washington hotel that he has conceded the election to challenger Ronald Reagan Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter gestures during his speech at the American University of Beirut (AUB) Members of President Jimmy Carter's staff cry as the President and Mrs. Carter depart from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington for Camp David Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter dance to the Marine Band in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington on November 9, 2000 After losing office, ex-President Carter went home to his modest farmhouse in Plains. At 56 he was too young to retire so he began working as a carpenter for Habitat for Humanity. This Christian organisation, based just down the road from Plains, built low cost housing for the poor and for those who lost their homes in natural disasters. The sight of a former President wielding a hammer to rebuild tenement blocks in New York City or shanty towns devastated by earthquakes in Haiti caused many Americans to re-assess Carter the private citizen. His humility, idealism and selflessness were admired, particularly after he opened the non-profit making Carter Centre in Atlanta with the objective of ameliorating suffering and disease. These ambitious goals were often achieved by Jimmy Carter in the decades after he left the White House. His medical programmes operated in 65 countries in the developing world. In Africa his campaign to eradicate the killer Guinea Worm disease was successful. His initiatives were also responsible for reducing Malaria, river blindness and Trachoma while at the same time improving nutrition among some of the worlds' poorest communities by ambitious agricultural developments. He was tenacious in his service to the underdogs of humanity. In the course of his global travels, Jimmy Carter became heavily involved in conflict resolution. He and his Centre developed an impressive record of helping to resolve conflicts in Haiti, Bosnia, Sudan, Uganda and other countries. In North Korea, Carter undertook a secret peace mission to Kim Il-sung which achieved a nuclear freeze in the region for several years. In 2002 the ex-President was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing democracy, human rights and peaceful solutions in several of the world's most difficult countries. Former US president George Bush, President Bill Clinton, former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter wave to the attendance after being announced at the George Bush Library in College Station, Texas US President Jimmy Carter (L) with Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan at the White House in Washington in 1979 Jimmy Carter, framed by a campaign sign held by supporters, leaving a Washington hotel in 1980 The cause that engaged him most passionately was the plight of the Palestinian people, whose sufferings he described as 'one of the greatest human rights crimes on earth'. After one visit to the West Bank he stopped off in London to address an audience of Parliamentarians in Westminster. Embarrassingly only five or six MPs showed up of which I was one. The former leader of the free world seemed quite unfazed by the low turnout. His modesty and self-effacement made his mastery of detail on the complex Arab-Israeli dispute seem all the more impressive. At the end of the meeting I asked the ex-President where he was travelling to next. 'Back to Plains' he said 'I don't like to miss teaching Sunday School at our church. And I don't like to be away from Rosalynn for too long'. It was a reminder that the quintessence of Jimmy Carter was his commitment to faith and family values. A transparently good and decent man he did more to make the world a better place after losing the Presidency than he did while in office. It was a paradox that his achievements were greater when he was vulnerable than when he was powerful. Perhaps his strength was that he remained faithful to his Christian ideals at all stages, high and low, of his life's journey. He would not be disappointed with such an epitaph. Share or comment on this article: Jimmy Carter was respectively known as St Jimmy - universally revered for his good deeds in the poorest countries in the world and for the impeccable moral probity of his character, writes JONATHAN AITKEN e-mail Add comment

NEW YORK :TikTok advertisers were in no rush to shift their marketing budgets after a U.S. appeals court upheld a law on Friday requiring a divestment or ban of the popular Chinese-owned short video app, citing TikTok's continued survival despite years of threats. Chinese tech firm ByteDance must sell TikTok's U.S. assets by Jan. 19 or the app that is used by 170 million Americans will face an unprecedented ban that jeopardizes billions in ad revenue. TikTok and ByteDance had argued that the law is unconstitutional and violates Americans' free speech rights. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. With TikTok's future in the U.S. uncertain, advertising executives said brands are maintaining their activities on the app, while ensuring they have a plan B. "Advertisers have not pulled back from TikTok, though several are developing contingency plans for potential reallocation of investment should there be a ban," said Jason Lee, executive vice president of brand safety at media agency Horizon Media. Horizon is working with clients to prepare for a variety of scenarios if the app is sold or banned, Lee said. Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook and Instagram, stands to gain the majority of TikTok's ad revenue if the app is banned, followed by Alphabet's YouTube, said Erik Huberman, CEO of marketing agency Hawke Media. Both companies have introduced short-form video features in the past few years to compete with TikTok. Still, "there's no decision to make until there's a decision to make," he said. TikTok's U.S. ad revenue is expected to reach $12.3 billion this year, according to estimates from research Emarketer. By comparison, analysts on average expect Meta Platforms' advertising revenue in 2024 to reach about $159 billion, according to LSEG data. The potential boon for rivals propelled stocks on Friday. Meta Platforms shares rose to an all-time record high of $629.78 earlier on Friday, and were up 2.3 per cent at $622.85 in late afternoon regular trading. Alphabet shares were up 1.1 per cent at $176.21. Trump Media & Technology, which operates the Truth Social app and is majority-owned by President-elect Donald Trump, rose 3 per cent to $34.78. Shares of Snap, owner of messaging app Snapchat, rose 1.89 per cent to $12.40.