super ace jackpot demo President Joe Biden mourns Jimmy Carters death, orders official state funeral to honor him“Climate change isn’t waiting for international pledges, and neither can the world’s most vulnerable nations, because every delayed dollar costs lives, livelihoods and a chance at survival.” The conclusion of COP29 reiterates a troubling reality for emerging economies: the yawning gap between climate finance needs and actual disbursements. Estimates to address the escalating climate crisis stand at US$1.3 trillion, but developed nations have pledged to mobilize only $300 billion annually by 2035. Although touted as a tripling of the previous $100 billion annual target set in 2009, this commitment has met with sharp criticism from developing nations, which deem it insufficient. Analysts from the Center for Global Development estimate that existing commitments, including contributions from multilateral development banks and private finance, could already account for approximately $200 billion annually by 2030. Contributions from emerging economies such as China could potentially raise the total to $265 billion. However, concerns about inflation eroding the real value of these funds persist. By 2035, the $300 billion commitment is projected to shrink to the equivalent of $175 billion, assuming a 5 percent annual inflation rate. Whether you're looking to broaden your horizons or stay informed on the latest developments, "Viewpoint" is the perfect source for anyone seeking to engage with the issues that matter most. By registering, you agree with 's Please check your email for your newsletter subscription. The absence of explicit provisions for new and additional funding raises concerns about how much of this finance may be redirected from existing aid, potentially undermining the Sustainable Development Goals. This financial chasm, symptomatic of a global system ill-equipped to address pressing climate challenges, demands a new approach. Emerging economies, constrained by limited resources, cannot afford to rely solely on international pledges. They must explore innovative, pragmatic strategies to mobilize capital, ensuring returns that align with the current economic structure. Climate resilience hinges on mitigation and adaptation projects. Mitigation focuses on reducing or preventing the causes of climate change, for instance, through renewable energy projects. These include jobs such as those in construction, operations and maintenance of renewable energy facilities. Adaptation involves adjusting systems and practices to cope with the impacts of climate change. Flood protection and growing drought-resistant crops are examples. But here’s the paradox. Mitigation projects may generate tangible economic benefits such as direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities. But adaptation measures – equally essential, if not more – such as building climate-resilient infrastructure or improving water management, often lack direct revenue streams. For emerging economies where public budgets are stretched thin, financing these efforts is particularly challenging. Here, large sections of people don’t have the disposable income to invest in financial instruments, such as green bonds or insurance schemes. Thus, the key lies in reimagining climate finance frameworks to attract private capital while ensuring measurable returns. This requires blending financial innovation with tangible incentives and institutional reforms. One promising approach is linking returns to local economic multipliers. For instance, if the government invests in flood protection infrastructure, it generates jobs in construction, opportunities for suppliers providing material and allied local businesses. These workers and businesses, in turn, spend their wages or profits on goods and services within the local economy, stimulating further economic activity. This will ensure that investments generate tangible community benefits while offering returns to investors. Another solution is tying payouts for impact-linked bonds to metrics such as job creation, agricultural productivity or improved public health outcomes. Such bonds, designed to finance projects with social or environmental objectives such as improving health and boosting agricultural productivity attract a diverse range of investors including governments, development banks, private investors and impact investment funds. Unlike traditional bonds with fixed interest payments, these bonds offer payouts depending on the success of the project. For instance, if a project meets specific goals such as reducing carbon emissions or improving literacy rates, the bond issuer may offer higher returns to investors. This performance-based structure attracts investors who are looking to achieve both financial returns and positive social or environmental outcomes. With partial underwriting by governments or international organizations, these bonds also reduce investor risk while driving societal benefits. Similarly, local carbon credit markets can empower communities to take up projects like reforestation or urban greening and thus generate carbon credits. These credits can be traded internationally, providing revenue for reinvestment and compensating investors in the process. Another avenue lies in monetizing climate resilience through public infrastructure. Green infrastructure projects such as flood-resistant housing or renewable-powered transit systems can be designed to generate revenue through user fees, tolls or public-private lease agreements. Shared energy saving models, where savings generated from reduced energy consumption are shared between stakeholders, are good solutions too. Here, savings generated from energy efficiency improvements leading to reduced energy consumption are shared between all parties involved: building owners, tenants and investors. Such models create financial incentives to invest in energy saving technologies and practices. Given the heavy debt burdens of many emerging economies, restructuring climate debt also offers a viable pathway to free up resources for climate projects. Debt-for-climate swaps allow international creditors to forgive portions of debt in exchange for climate investment commitments. A country could, for example, use these funds to build mangrove forests that serve as natural flood barriers, reducing future disaster costs. International financial support might be available for countries that get debt relief, particularly if the project contributes to global climate goals. Another option is issuing green sovereign debt instruments that tie lower interest rates to achieving specific climate targets. Impact investors looking for both returns and sustainability outcomes would be attracted to such measures. The potential of the international diaspora remains largely untapped. Governments can issue diaspora green bonds, appealing to communities abroad with higher disposable incomes and a vested interest in their home country. These bonds could fund visible projects, such as solar farms or water systems. Remittance-based financing platforms could also automatically channel a fraction of remittances into dedicated climate funds, creating a steady funding pipeline for adaptation projects. Technology-driven solutions can also address one of the biggest challenges in climate finance: perceived risk. For instance, AI-driven climate risk insurance can use advanced analytics to design tailored insurance products that pool risks across industries or geographies. The premiums collected could fund adaptation efforts, while payouts provide a safety net for investors if climate events disrupt projects. Likewise, blockchain for transparent financing can boost investor confidence by ensuring accountability. For example, blockchain could track funds raised for reforestation in real time, verifying progress on planting, maintenance and carbon sequestration, thereby enhancing trust and reducing financial risks. Striking a balance between financial returns and social impact is critical. Risk mitigation through guarantees from multilateral development banks or international financial institutions can play a pivotal role. These could cover a portion of losses on climate bonds, making them more attractive to private investors. Blending philanthropy and profit also offers a hybrid model where philanthropic funds cover high-risk costs, while private investors benefit from the profits. Integrating social return metrics such as lives saved can further broaden the appeal of climate investments. By adopting strategies such as tying investor returns to measurable local benefits, leveraging technology to reduce risks and mobilizing underutilized resources such as diaspora capital, emerging economies can reshape their climate financing landscape. ---Jimmy Carter's 1977-1981 presidency included successes like the Camp David peace accords, but also enough controversy for U.S. voters to see him as weak — and send him packing after only one term. Carter's legacy, however, was largely built on his post-presidency, the longest in U.S. history. Here are a few key moments in the life of Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100. The Panama Canal During his first year in office, Carter went back on a campaign promise and decided to hand back management of the Panama Canal — which had been in U.S. military control since its construction at the start of the 20th century. "Fairness, and not force, should lie at the heart of our dealings with the nations of the world," he said at the signing of the canal treaties with Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos on September 7, 1977. Carter was ridiculed for the move, which gave Panama control over the canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the end of 1999. History, however, has looked upon the deal as a deft bit of diplomacy. Giving Panama a meatier role in the canal's management in the run-up to the transfer allowed for stability and broke with America's image as an overbearing imperialist power in Latin America. Morality in politics Upon his arrival in the Oval Office, Carter looked to distance himself from the realpolitik practiced by his predecessors — a vestige of the Cold War — and placed human rights at the heart of his agenda. "Our principal goal is to help shape a world which is more responsive to the desire of people everywhere for economic well-being, social justice, political self-determination and basic human rights," he said in a 1978 speech at the U.S. Naval Academy. In concrete terms, Carter notably signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1977. It was eventually ratified by the United States in 1992 after being blocked for years by the Senate. Camp David Accords In September 1978, Carter invited Israeli Premier Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington. After 13 days of secret negotiations under Carter's mediation, two accords were signed that ultimately led to a peace treaty the following year. The diplomatic triumph was cited when Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Crisis of confidence In the summer of 1979, the economy rocked by inflation and his approval rating in free fall, Carter addressed the American people in a nationwide televised speech on July 15. In that half-hour, he responded to his critics on his lack of leadership, instead laying the blame on a national "crisis of confidence." "The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America," he said. The speech was poorly received and would come back to haunt him. Five cabinet members resigned that week. Iran hostage crisis The hostage crisis — more than 50 Americans were held for 444 days at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran from November 1979 to January 1981 — was the death knell for Carter's presidency. A failed military rescue mission in April 1980 all but extinguished his chances of reelection later that year. Operation Eagle Claw was thwarted by sandstorms and mechanical problems — eventually, the mission was aborted. In the subsequent withdrawal, two American aircraft collided, killing eight servicemen. In the following days, then secretary of state Cyrus Vance resigned, and the mission's failure symbolized Carter's inability to resolve the crisis. The hostages were eventually freed on the same day that Republican Ronald Reagan took office, after thumping Carter at the polls in November 1980. The Carter Center Carter remained extremely active into his 90s despite his retirement from political life. In 1982, he founded the Carter Center, which has focused on conflict resolution, promoting democracy and human rights, and fighting disease. Carter — often viewed as America's most successful former president — traveled extensively, supervising elections from Haiti to East Timor, and tackling thorny global problems as a mediator. The Elders Carter was also a member of The Elders, a group of former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to promote peace and human rights. Fellow Nobel peace laureates South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu (who died in 2021), former Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson and the late U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also belonged to the group.

Liverpool ended a 15-year wait for a win over Real Madrid as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo put them on the brink of guaranteeing a place in the last 16 with a fifth successive win. They say revenge is a dish best served cold and on a chilly night on Merseyside Liverpool finally got one over on their European nemesis for the first time since 2009, also on this ground, with a deserved 2-0 success. They could even afford the rare sight of Mohamed Salah missing a penalty, moments after Caoimhin Kelleher added another moment to a highlight reel already substantial for a second-choice goalkeeper by saving Kylian Mbappe’s spot-kick. Victory over the 15-time winners has seemed especially long in coming as seven defeats and a draw in the last eight meetings barely tell the whole story after two heartbreaking final losses in 2018 and 2022. And while extending their 100 per cent record to maintain top spot and providing a huge morale boost ahead of Sunday’s visit of Manchester City the result cannot erase the hurt previously inflicted. This injury-ravaged Madrid side still contains two players of their generation in Mbappe and Jude Bellingham but they are currently not the force they were, although you would still not rule them out of being involved in Munich in May such is their pedigree in the competition. But for now the Arne Slot bandwagon rolls on with a remarkable 17th win in 19 matches. For a while it appeared Darwin Nunez, who has been strangely lacking in his traditional catalytic chaos this season, would take centre-stage as he looked up for the challenge in his third successive start. But while the will was there he was all out of luck as in only the fourth minute he saw his shot saved by Thibaut Courtois and only just cleared off the line by Raul Asencio after the ball rebounded back off the defender. That chance had been created deep in Liverpool territory where, much to Anfield’s delight, Salah robbed Mbappe to spring the counter-attack. Nunez then found the Real goalkeeper, man of the match in their 2022 final victory over Liverpool in Paris, in the way of his close-range stab. In between, in typical style, Nunez had gone down in the penalty area after Asencio had raised his hands to the Uruguayan’s throat and then brought one of the loudest cheers of the night by beating Bellingham with a Cruyff turn not far from the Liverpool area. Another huge cheer rang out for the 21-year-old Conor Bradley, whose perfectly timed tackle on the edge of the penalty area dispossessed a charging Mbappe on a one-man counter-attack. Still Liverpool probed for the opener – with a Nunez header across goal too far in front of Diaz, whose header from Mac Allister’s chip was palmed away – and that continued after the break as they sensed Real were there for the taking. It came seven minutes in when Mac Allister collected a pass from Bradley, instructed to play further forward in the second half, and clipped an angled shot through the crowd and past Courtois. Moments later the Argentina international had even more time to pick his spot from the edge of the area but placed his shot wide. But the pivotal moment came in the 61st minute. Andy Robertson needlessly left his trailing leg in the way for Lucas Vazquez to trip over and referee Francois Letexier wasted no time in pointing to the spot. However, Kelleher guessed the right way to deny Mbappe and Anfield exploded again. To be fair to the French official, who had been frustrating Liverpool with his decisions all night, was equally as quick to award Salah a penalty when Ferland Mendy tripped him. Many of the crowd were already cheering as the ball left the Egyptian’s foot but, for once, his aim was off and for a brief moment the ground was swallowed up in a vacuum of disbelieving silence. But it did not last long as Gakpo rose highest to power home Robertson’s cross and Anfield could enjoy some long-awaited payback. The only concern, with City four days away, were late injuries to Bradley and centre-back Ibrahima Konate.Capital Increase in Genmab as a Result of Employee Warrant Exercise

BGT 2024-25: Uncapped Allrounder Beau Webster Added To Australia Squad For Pink-Ball Test

Federal Minister for Gilgit-Baltistan & Kashmir Affairs and States & Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Engr Amir Muqam on Sunday said that federal government was making untiring efforts for revival of the economy and promotion of trade and investment in the country. Addressing the concluding session of the two days Swat Trade Show 2024 as Chief Guest in Mingora Swat district, he said that the trickled down effects of the Govt prudent economic and fiscal reforms have started viable and the price hike was slashed down to a single digit which is a great triumph indeed. He termed the Trade Devolopment Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)’s efforts for empowerment and promotion of local businesses as positive besides economic development of the region was important. Engr Amir Muqam said that Swat trade show would help provide opportunities to local traders in expansion of their bussiness and attract investment besides enhancing the country’s economy significantly. The Federal Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was making solid efforts to resolve the economic issues in the country, he said, adding the Prime Minister and his team was making untiring efforts to put the country back on road to economic prosperity. Reiterating the sacrfices rendered by the people of Khyber Pakthunkwa especially of Malakand Division and Swat for peace and stability of Pakistan, Amir Muqam said that agitation politics of PTI was no solution to the KP’s problems and expressed the hope that focus would be made on the law and order situation besides resolution of the masses problems in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He claimed that huge amount was being spent on carrying out of malicious propganda on social media against state institutions which was highly deplorable. He said that politics of hooliganism and propganda against state institutions was not in the country’s interest, hoping that PTI would use the Govt resources on welfare of masses rather than aimless sit ins and staging agitation marches in Islamabad. He said that then PTI Govt has put the country into the verge of bankruptcy while the Shehbaz Sharif Govt in its past 14 months tenure had saved the country’s from an economic default.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Aidan O'Connell passed for two touchdowns, tight end Brock Bowers broke two rookie NFL records , and the Las Vegas Raiders won for just the fourth time this season, 25-10 over the struggling New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Bowers' seven catches for 77 yards gave him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards this season, eclipsing Mike Ditka's 1961 rookie tight end mark of 1,067 yards receiving and Puka Nacua's 2023 mark of 105 catches by a rookie at any position. Bowers also surpassed Darren Waller's franchise mark of 107 receptions in a season, which had stood since 2020. Ameer Abdullah rushed for 115 yards for the Raiders (4-12) — the journeyman running back's first 100-yard game in his 10 NFL seasons. O'Connell finished with 242 yards passing, including a 3-yard TD pass to Jakobi Meyers and an 18-yarder to Tre Tucker. Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals — his longest from 54 yards — for the Raiders, who didn't look fazed by flight delays on Saturday that got them into their hotel after midnight, less than 12 hours before kickoff. With former Raiders QB Derek Carr unable to suit up for the Saints (5-11) because of his injured left, non-throwing hand, rookie Spencer Rattler received his fifth career start. He remained winless as a starter after completing 20 of 36 passes for 218 yards and one TD with two interceptions. Rattler also rushed for 46 yards to finish as New Orleans' leading rusher for a second straight week. The Saints used trickery to take an early 7-3 lead . Running back Kendre Miller took what looked like a toss sweep to the right before throwing a lateral back to his left, where Rattler caught it and threw 30 yards downfield to wide-open tight end Foster Moreau in the end zone. Las Vegas moved in front for good on O'Connell's short scoring pass to Meyers with a minute left in the second quarter. Saints: Miller left the game with concussion symptoms in the second quarter. LB Jaylan Ford appeared to suffer a serious lower right leg injury on punt coverage in the fourth quarter. DE Payton Turner left with an ankle injury. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling was treated on the field late in the game — but walked off on his own — after a hard collision over the middle. Raiders: Host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Saints: Visit Tampa Bay on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Related Articles Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70

Facing rising competition in the AI chip space, Nvidia is reportedly turning to robotics. The $3.3 trillion company, whose tech has helped drive the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), will launch the next version of compact computers for humanoid robots — dubbed Jetson Thor — in the first half of next year, the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday (Dec. 29). According to the report, Nvidia is jockeying to become the top platform in what it argues is a coming robotics boom. “The ChatGPT moment for physical AI and robotics is around the corner,” Deepu Talla , Nvidia’s vice president of robotics, told the FT, adding that he believes the market is at a “tipping point.” The FT report noted that this effort comes as Nvidia is expecting more competition for its chips from rivals like AMD , as well as cloud computing titans like Google and Amazon. Now, the company is investing in the “physical AI” space to help the new robotics firms grow. For example, it joined Microsoft and OpenAI in a February funding round that valued humanoid robotics company Figure AI at $2.6 billion . While Nvidia does not break out figures for its robotics product sales, the FT report said that this part of its business represents a smaller share of its revenue. Data center revenue, for example, made up around 88% of the $35.1 billion in sales Nvidia reported in the third quarter . In other robotics/AI news, PYMNTS wrote recently about research at MIT that developed an AI system that could let warehouse robots deftly handle odd-shaped packages and navigate crowded spaces without putting human workers in danger. It’s a breakthrough happening at a moment when retailers and logistics companies are facing increasing pressure to automate amid surging eCommerce demand. Although robots excel at repetitive tasks such as moving pallets, MIT’s PRoC3S technology could finally solve the long-standing challenge of robots safely performing more complex warehouse jobs that usually require human dexterity and spatial awareness. “In theory, PRoC3S could reduce a robot’s error rate by vetting its initial LLM-based assumptions against more specific and accurate understandings of the warehouse environment,” Erik Nieves , CEO and co-founder at Plus One Robotics , told PYMNTS. “Think about it like this: A warehouse robot operating solely on LLM guidance has been described how to complete a task. The PRoC3S concept goes one step further by placing a digital robot in a simulated environment of that task. It’s essentially the difference between classroom instruction and a really good field trip.” As PYMNTS has reported, robotics and AI technologies are transforming traditional distribution yards via specialized autonomous vehicles outfitted with robotic arms that can handle complex tasks such as connecting brake lines and positioning trailers, operating alongside human workers.