HSE denies holding on to land during housing crisisQatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Pre-medical students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) learned about the growing importance of medical physics in diagnosis, treatment and patient care during a field trip to Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Sixty students in the second year of the pre-medical program visited HMC to learn how rapid advances in technology are making a sound understanding of physics more crucial than ever for a physician. Supervised by Dr. Mohammad Yousef, professor of physics at WCM-Q, the students visited HMC’s state-of-the-art National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), one of the region’s most advanced cancer hospitals. They were welcomed by the centre’s highly trained doctors and medical physics specialists who explained how new technologies, including AI, are making the diagnosis and treatment of cancer far more effective. Dr. Yousef said: “Medical physics has often been considered a niche field in the past but emergence of new technologies and their application in almost all fields of medicine mean that the modern physician must have a good understanding of the concepts and language of physics in order to fully realize the potential of these advances for their patients.” The students saw first-hand how cancer specialists work in large care teams alongside radiation oncologists and other imaging specialists, using the latest generation of medical imaging technology to identify the location of tumours in human tissue with very high levels of accuracy. This accurate mapping allows the team to deliver targeted treatments, eliminating the cancerous cells while minimizing harm to surrounding healthy tissue. The students also learned how AI is now being used to identify cancer cells from medical imaging scans far more quickly and accurately than when the task is performed by humans alone. Physicians who have a good grasp of physics are better able to understand the technical aspects of such technologies and to communicate effectively with the technical team. This definitely translates to optimal levels of patient care, explained Dr. Yousef. He said: “Our curriculum at WCM-Q is carefully designed to produce 21st century physician-scientists who are adept at utilizing advanced new technologies to enhance patient care. A solid grounding in physics, coupled with field trips like this, allow students to see firsthand how these technologies save lives, and therefore become incredibly impactful parts of their training. We are very grateful indeed to our friends and colleagues at Hamad Medical Corporation and the Cancer Care Centre for making us so welcome and showing us the incredible work they do.” Copy 05/12/2024 10Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. (NYSE:PLYM) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.24
Jimmy Carter's critics turned his name into a synonym for weakness over the Iranian hostage crisis. But by any measure, he also scored major achievements on the world stage through his mix of moralism and painstaking personal diplomacy. The 39th president of the United States, who died at age 100 on Sunday, transformed the Middle East by brokering the Camp David Accords, which established an enduring and once inconceivable peace between Israel and its most serious adversary at the time, Egypt. Carter again brought a sense of righteousness and nearly obsessive attention to detail to negotiate the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, defying furor by US conservatives. In two decisions with lengthy reverberations, Carter followed up on Richard Nixon's opening by recognizing communist China, and he began arming jihadists in Afghanistan who fought back against the Soviet Union, which would collapse a decade later. But Carter was crushed by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election in no small part due to foreign affairs after religious hard-liners toppled Iran's shah and seized US embassy staff, whose 444 days in captivity were broadcast nightly on US television. Carter ordered an aborted rescue mission in which eight US troops died in a helicopter crash. Asked at a 2015 news conference about his biggest regret, Carter replied: "I wish I'd sent one more helicopter to get the hostages -- and we would have rescued them and I would have been reelected." The Iran debacle led to attacks that Carter was "weak," an image he would struggle to shake off as Republicans cast him as the archetypal contrast to their muscular brand of foreign policy. The former peanut farmer's public persona did little to help, from a widely panned speech pleading for shared sacrifice to an incident that went the pre-internet version of viral in which Carter shooed away a confrontational rabbit from his fishing boat. Robert Strong, a professor at Washington and Lee University who wrote a book on Carter's foreign policy, said the late president had been inept in public relations by allowing the "weak" label to stick. "The people who worked with Carter said exactly the opposite -- he was stubborn, fiercely independent and anything but weak," Strong said. "That doesn't mean he was always right, but he wasn't someone who held his finger in the wind allowing whatever the current opinion was to win." Strong said that Carter defied his political advisors and even his wife Rosalynn by pushing quickly on the Panama Canal, convinced of the injustice of the 1903 treaty that gave the meddlesome United States the zone in perpetuity. "Every president says, 'I don't care about public opinion, I'll really do what's right,'" Strong said. "Most of the time when they say that, it's not true. To a surprising extent with Carter, it was true." Carter, a devout Christian, vowed to elevate human rights after the cold realpolitik of Nixon and Henry Kissinger. Years after the fact, he could name political prisoners freed following his intervention in their cases, and took pride in coaxing the Soviet Union to let thousands of Jewish citizens emigrate. But the rights focus came to a head on Iran when Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi -- a Western ally whose autocratic rule by decree brought economic and social modernization -- faced growing discontent. Reflecting debate throughout the administration, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter's more hawkish national security advisor, believed the shah should crush the protests -- a time-tested model in the Middle East. Secretary of state Cyrus Vance, who would later quit in opposition to the ill-fated helicopter raid, wanted reforms by the shah. Stuart Eizenstat, a top adviser to Carter, acknowledged mistakes on Iran, which the president had called an "island of stability" on a New Year's Eve visit a little more than a year before the revolution that ultimately saw the shah flee the country. But Eizenstat said Carter could not have known how much the shah had lost support or that he was to die from cancer within months. "It was the single worst intelligence failure in American history," Eizenstat said in 2018 as he presented a book assessing Carter as a success. Uniquely among modern US presidents, much of Carter's legacy came after he left the White House. He won the Nobel Peace Prize more than two decades after his defeat at the polls. The Carter Center, which he established in his home state of Georgia, has championed democracy and global health, observing elections in dozens of countries and virtually eradicating guinea worm, a painful infectious parasite. Carter also took risks that few others of his stature would. He paid a landmark visit to North Korea in 1994, helping avert conflict, and infuriated Israel by asking if its treatment of the Palestinians constituted "apartheid." But the accusations of weakness never went away. Conservative academic William Russell Mead, in a 2010 essay in Foreign Policy magazine, called on then-president Barack Obama to avoid "Carter Syndrome," which he described as "weakness and indecision" and "incoherence and reversals." Carter personally responded in a letter that listed accomplishments on the Camp David accords, China, the Soviet Union and human rights, while describing the fall of Iran's shah as "obviously unpredictable." "Although it is true that we did not become involved in military combat during my presidency, I do not consider this a sign of weakness or reason for apology," he wrote.
Blame it on the food and drink?Flag football scours nation with talent camps to uncover next wave of stars
Former US president Jimmy Carter has died aged 100. Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “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 honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” World leaders have paid tribute to Mr Carter, including US President Joe Biden, who was one of the first politicians to endorse Mr Carter for president in 1976 and said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.” Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Carter was “a principled man who dedicated his life to seeking to advance the cause of peace across the world”. He added: “On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I express my sympathies to President Carter’s children and extended family, to President Joe Biden, to the people of the United States, and to his wide circle of colleagues and friends across the globe.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally, the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center managed to virtually eliminate Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Two weeks before Election Day, activists from across the country gathered for an online rally heralding the historic number of state ballot initiatives seeking to change the way people vote. Hopes were high that voters would ditch traditional partisan primaries and embrace ballots with more candidate choices. Instead, the election reform movement lost almost everywhere it appeared on a statewide ballot. “It turns out, in retrospect, we weren’t yet ready for prime time,” said John Opdycke, president of the advocacy group Open Primaries, which organized the rally. In Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota — a mixture of red, blue and purple states — voters rejected either ranked choice voting, open primaries or a combination of both. The open primary proposals sought to place candidates of all parties on the same ballot, with a certain number of top finishers advancing to the general election. Under ranked choice voting, people can vote for multiple candidates in order of preference. If no one receives a majority of first place votes, then candidates who receive the fewest votes are eliminated and their votes redistributed to people’s next choices. Election reform advocates raised about $110 million for the statewide ballot measures, vastly outpacing their opponents, according to an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance figures that could grow even larger as post-election reports are filed. Still, their promotional push wasn’t enough to persuade most voters. “While Americans are frustrated with politics, I think most Americans are just fine with the traditional way of voting,” said Trent England, executive director of Save Our States, which opposes ranked choice voting. Advocates for alternative election methods had thought momentum was on their side after Alaska voters narrowly approved a combination of open primaries and ranked choice voting in 2020. Then voters in Nevada — where initiatives proposing constitutional amendments require approval in two consecutive elections — gave first-round approval to a similar measure in 2022. But Nevada voters reversed course this year. In Alaska, an attempt this year to repeal open primaries and ranked choice voting appears to have fallen just short of passing, garnering 49.9% support in results released Wednesday. Final results are expected to be certified Nov. 30. In addition to Alaska, versions of ranked choice voting already exist in Maine ‘s federal elections and about 50 counties or cities. Voters in Washington, D.C., and the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, both approved ranked choice voting this November. And voters in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota, reaffirmed their use of it. Data suggests that ranked choice voting rarely results in different outcomes than traditional elections won by candidates receiving a plurality, but not majority, of support. The AP analyzed nearly 150 races this fall in 16 jurisdictions where ranked choice voting is authorized, ranging from the Board of Assessors elections in the Village of Arden, Delaware, to the presidential elections in Alaska and Maine. The ranking system was needed in just 30% of those cases, because the rest were won by candidates receiving a majority of the initial votes. Nationwide, just three candidates who initially trailed in first-place votes ended up winning after ranked vote tabulations — one for Portland City Council and two for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In San Francisco, two progressive candidates campaigned together, encouraging voters to rank them No. 1 and 2. Initially, they fell behind a moderate candidate who would have won a traditional election. But after six rounds of rankings, one of the progressive candidates emerged the victor when the other was eliminated and his supporters’ votes were redistributed to her. Supporters of ranked choice voting point to that as a success, because it avoided two similar candidates splitting the vote and both losing. “It’s kind of like a pressure valve – you don’t always need it, but when you do, you really do,” said Deb Otis, director of research and policy at FairVote, which advocates for ranked choice voting. In Portland, Oregon, voters used ranked choice voting for the first time this November in their mayoral and City Council elections, even as Oregon voters simultaneously rejected a measure to implement it for federal and statewide offices. Political outsider Keith Wilson, who led Portland’s 19-person mayoral field with about one-third of the initial vote, ultimately won election after 19 rounds of ranked tabulations. One City Council seat took at least 30 rounds to decide. But not everyone participated in the new voting method. About one-fifth of Portland voters skipped the council races, and about one-in-seven voters left the mayoral election blank. Opponents of ranked choice voting contend that some people find it confusing and don’t vote in ranked races. Academic research also has cast doubt on the benefits of ranked choice voting, said Larry Jacobs, a professor of politics at the University of Minnesota. Fewer Black voters tend to rank candidates than white voters, he said, and there is little evidence that ranked choice voting reduces political polarization or negative campaigning. “I think the tide for ranked choice voting is turning away from it,” Jacobs said. Groups that heavily financed this year’s election reform initiatives aren’t giving up, but may retool their approach. Supporters are considering whether to separate the efforts to end partisan primaries from those to adopt ranked choice voting, and whether to focus more on incremental changes that state legislatures can make instead of on high-stakes initiatives to amend state constitutions. Opdycke said some of this year’s initiatives may have launched prematurely, counting on ads to persuade voters without first cultivating enough grassroots support. “I think there’s a deeper appreciation for the kind of brick work, foundation-building, conversation creation that has to go on as a precursor of launching a formal campaign,” he said. Unite America, which spent around $70 million this year in its effort to end partisan primaries, is analyzing voter surveys and focus group results to help reshape its approach. “The question is not if we should continue that effort,” Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano said, “but how are we ultimately going to succeed at it?”Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Los Angeles Lakers remain steadfast in their trade evaluation process, adhering to their established criteria. “I’ve heard the Lakers have been patient with the trade approach relatively and it’s been more of them waiting toward that February 6 date,” Buha said at the 1:05:45 mark in the newest episode of his Buha’s Block podcast. “If the right deal comes up sooner they will make it but it’s seemingly been more than kind of waiting this out until mid-to-late January on the early side.” Lakers are in no hurry to make much-needed moves. Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka indicated the team’s openness to exploring potential blockbuster trades. However, he emphasized the need for thorough evaluation, setting a timeline of approximately 30 games to assess the current roster’s strengths and weaknesses. The Lakers apparently came across the right deal. On its face, Pelinka’s deal sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, addresses a need for non-Lebron James/Anthony Davis offense and sturdiness on defense, as well as alleviating Russell’s high expense. But the Lakers’ top needs still need to be addressed, so Buha’s assertion remains relevant. The Lakers have been strongly and consistently linked to Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, as well as other big men, such as Walker Kessler and Robert Williams III. They have also expressed interest in several backcourt players, most recently the Sacramento Kings, De’Aaron Fox, as well as, Kyle Kuzma of the Wizards and the Utah Jazz’s Collin Sexton. The Lakers’ recent strategic changes have fueled a resurgence resulting in five wins over the last six games. That along with the addition of Finney-Smith allows Pelinka more time to find the right fit to push its competitive edge to its highest level. So at the very least this move buys them more time. This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.
Winston’s performance in snowy win over Steelers adds new layer to Browns’ quarterback conundrum
U.S. Urinary Catheters Market Poised for Tremendous Growth from 2024 to 2032
OTTAWA — The Atlantic Liberal caucus is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as party leader in a letter. The letter dated Dec. 23 was shared publicly today by New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, who has been saying since the fall that Trudeau should step down. Atlantic caucus chair and Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois penned the letter, saying the events following Chrystia Freeland's cabinet resignation, signals from the opposition parties to declare non-confidence at the first opportunity, and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats make it no longer "tenable" for Trudeau to continue to lead the party. Conservative MP John Williamson said Friday he plans to introduce a non-confidence motion at the next public accounts committee meeting on Jan. 7. If that motion is successful at committee, it would be forwarded to the House of Commons and could be voted on as soon as Jan. 30, triggering an election if it passes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. David Baxter, The Canadian PressCommerce Bancshares senior vice president sells $53,364 in stockCouple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes
GCC-4001 is under clinical development by Artiva Biotherapeutics and currently in Phase II for Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma (AITL)/Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy. According to GlobalData, Phase II drugs for Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma (AITL)/Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy does not have sufficient historical data to build an indication benchmark PTSR for Phase II. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. GCC-4001 overview GCC-4001 (AB-101) is under development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, pemphigus vulgaris, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia, peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), R/R classical Hodgkin lymphoma, lupus nephritis (LN) and autoimmune disorders. The therapeutic candidate is an allogeneic, non-engineered, cord blood-derived natural killer (NK) cell therapy. It is administered through intravenous route and is being developed based on AlloNK platform. Artiva Biotherapeutics overview Artiva Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company developing allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat hematologic cancers or solid tumors. It is investigating AB-101, an allogeneic NK cell therapy used for the treatment of B-cell malignancies; AB-201, a CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor-modified natural killer) cell therapy targeting HER2 positive solid tumors; and AB-202 against CD19 positive B-cell malignancies. Artiva Biotherapeutics utilizes its proprietary CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) platform to improve NK cells’ therapeutic activity and tumor-targeting capability. Artiva Biotherapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California, the US. For a complete picture of GCC-4001’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .
Trial of Nima Momeni, accused of murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee, goes to juryRussia shares lower at close of trade; MOEX Russia Index down 2.00%Democrats have an ego problem, Teamsters president Sean O’Brien says. The head of the nation’s largest union said the party that once stood for the working class has “somehow lost their way” and it just cost them the election. He told the Herald Tuesday that the party of AOC — New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — and VP Kamala Harris failed to grasp today’s political climate. “They feel it’s a birthright that they would get our support,” he said. “It’s troubling. They can’t dictate how voters should think. “It’s the fault of some Democrats who just forgot where they came from,” the Boston native added. “They need to be a little humble about it.” The Herald reached out to O’Brien on Christmas Eve as his interview with Tucker Carlson was going viral. In that sitdown, O’Brien confirmed he was told by Harris pre-election that she wasn’t going to abide by the Teamsters’ full set of questions and answers. That roundtable, held after President Biden announced he wasn’t going to seek reelection, was cut short with the VP only answering a quarter of their 16 questions. Trump answered all of them, the New York Post added. “On the fourth question, one of her operatives or one of her staff slips a note in front of me — ‘This will be the last question.’ And it was 20 minutes earlier than the time it was going to end,” O’Brien told Carlson . “And her declaration of the way out was, ‘I’m going to win with you or without you,’’ O’Brien added. “Damn. I thought I was arrogant. That’s really arrogant,” Carlson responded. The Post and Carlson’s podcast both state O’Brien called former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who had just left as Labor Secretary under Biden to take the job as head of the NHL players’ labor union, asking “Who does this (expletive) lady think she is?” O’Brien told the Herald Tuesday he has not argument with anyone making money, it’s the “attitude” that galls him. “The Democratic party, as I was brought up to believe in Boston, was always the party of the blue-collar, grassroots, working class who fought hard,” he said. “Let’s take care of them.” As O’Brien told the Herald right after the November election, “there’s got to be a vision.” The angst in the Democratic party after an election that swept President-elect Donald Trump back into the White House — and with Republicans set to control both chambers of Congress — is a stinging rebuke of the party of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, he added in mid-November. “The Democrats need a reset. Nancy Pelosi needs to take a look in the mirror, and do it sooner than later,” O’Brien said. “Good leaders look for a succession plan and that clearly wasn’t the thought process.” O’Brien, who first joined the Teamsters at 18 in Charlestown, said his Boston upbringing has him always seeking bipartisan solutions, but manipulation by entrenched media handlers and a Democratic party that had “no ground game” and stubbornly left “talent” on the sidelines, has exposed a critical “disconnect.” He offered up the example of his powerful GOP convention address this summer that he was ready to deliver at the DNC — that’s until enemies on the “far left” ripped him for being seen with Republicans. The Teamsters voted not to endorse in this presidential election. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has over 1.4 million active members and 500,000 retirees making it one of the largest unions on Earth. O’Brien is the no-nonsense head of that guild and a lifelong Democrat. But the price of groceries doesn’t escape him, he added, or seeking out like-minded worthy leaders.
5 Stocks for Canadian Dividend Investors
