7788bet Manitoba continues to have the highest rates of child poverty in Canada, according to findings released in the 2024 Manitoba Child and Family Poverty Report Tuesday. The report highlights an increase in child and family poverty in the province, with Winnipeg Centre showing the highest rate of child poverty among urban federal ridings. Data from the 2022 tax filers reveals a sharp rise in poverty rates, particularly among children under 18 and under 6. The report’s findings also show that the percentage of children living in food-insecure households in Manitoba rose to 32.6% in 2023 from 25.7% in 2022. “As the provincial government is getting ready to roll out its poverty reduction strategy, we hope they will engage with us on the findings and the proposed solutions in this report,” said Dr. Sid Frankel, senior scholar at the University of Manitoba and member of the Campaign 2000 national steering committee. “Our recommendations are not a comprehensive list but offer some small, intermediate and large actions the province can commit to now, and then again, of course, at budget time.” Experts warn of the serious consequences of food insecurity for children and adolescents, who are more likely to face health issues, including increased hospital visits and mental health challenges. Dr. Natalie Riediger, Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba, noted, “Children and adolescents living in food insecure households are more likely to be hospitalized, visit the emergency room, require day surgery, and access health services for mental or substance use disorders.” Local organizations also see the issue worsening. “Every day, we see the need growing in our community and the desperation that unmet needs bring about,” said Mary Burton of Zoongizi Ode. “There have been some positive movements from the government but when the situation has been allowed to get this bad, we need much more.” The Christmas Cheer Board has reported a 27% increase in requests for help since 2021, with more than 21,000 requests expected this year. “We have even moved away from providing the traditional Christmas dinner because people are having so much trouble just meeting basic needs,” said Shawna Bell, executive director of the Christmas Cheer Board. Meaghan Erbus from Harvest Manitoba echoed these concerns, “The stats we provided for this report are just the tip of the iceberg. Our upcoming Voices report, to be released in December, has stories that prove resiliency but also heartbreak.” The report also highlights the deepening income inequality in Manitoba, where the richest 10% earn 22.6 times more than the lowest 10%. “It is clear that income inequality is alive and well in Manitoba,” said Kate Kehler of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. “Inequality is greater in Manitoba than in Canada as a whole. We need an equity lens on taxes at all three levels of government.” The report calls for immediate and comprehensive action to address these issues, with a particular focus on addressing the root causes of poverty, improving access to basic needs, and ensuring that education and social systems work for all Manitobans. Dr. Sid Frankel said, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it,” quoting the late Murray Sinclair. “We know there are better ways to educate and care for our children and we need the commitment to implement them.” As the province prepares to launch its poverty reduction strategy, advocates said the government needs to take these recommendations seriously and prioritize urgent action to reduce child and family poverty.AP News Summary at 9:17 p.m. ESTAnkita Sharma, a native of Durg, Chhattisgarh, completed her graduation before pursuing a management program in her hometown. She then moved to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC but later returned to Durg and chose to prepare independently. Published: November 27, 2024 1:10 AM IST By Edited by Ankita Sharma, a native of Durg, Chhattisgarh, completed her graduation before pursuing a management program in her hometown. She then moved to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC but later returned to Durg and chose to prepare independently. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . Topics

US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who led US crackdown on cryptocurrencies, to step down Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will step down from his post on January 20. Since taking the lead at the SEC, the commission has been aggressive in its oversight of cryptocurrencies and other regulatory issues. President-elect Donald Trump had promised during his campaign that he would remove Gensler, who has led the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry and repeatedly called for more oversight. But Gensler on Thursday announced that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated. Bitcoin has jumped 40% since Trump’s victory. Elon Musk's budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump's second term WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has put Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in charge of finding ways to cut government spending and regulations. It's possible that their efforts will lead to a constitutional clash. This week, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would encourage the Republican president-elect to refuse to spend money allocated by Congress, which would conflict with a 1974 law that's intended to prevent presidents from blocking funds. If Trump takes such a step, it would quickly become one of the most closely watched legal battles of his second administration. Musk and Ramaswamy also aim to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce. Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, rising above $98,000 for the first time Thursday. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Stock market today: Wall Street climbs as bitcoin bursts above $99,000 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 was pulling 0.7% higher Thursday after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 532 points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. The biggest remaining unsanctioned Russian bank hit with U.S. sanctions, nearly three years into war WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s third largest bank, Gazprombank and its six foreign subsidiaries were hit with U.S. sanctions on Thursday. The action is intended to curtail Russia’s ability to evade the thousands of sanctions imposed on the nation since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the sanctions targeting Russia’s largest remaining non-sanctioned bank would further diminish Russia’s military effort and “will make it harder for the Kremlin to evade U.S. sanctions and fund and equip its military.” In addition, more than 50 internationally connected Russian banks 40 Russian securities registrars, and 15 Russian finance officials were hit with sanctions. Trump's incoming chief of staff is a former lobbyist. She'll face a raft of special interests WASHINGTON (AP) — As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, his election victory is likely to embolden those who think they can get his ear. There's the prospect that his second administration could face many of the same perils as his first, when there were influence-peddling scandals. That will test the ability of Susie Wiles, his incoming chief of staff, to manage a growing number of high-powered figures such as Trump’s children, son-in-law Jared Kushner and billionaires like Elon Musk. Wiles herself is a former lobbyist, but Trump's transition team rejected any suggestion that her past work would make her susceptible to pressure. House passes bill that would allow Treasury to target nonprofits it deems to support terrorism WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House passed legislation that would give the Treasury Department unilateral authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism. It is a proposal that has alarmed civil liberties groups about how a second Trump presidency could use it to punish political opponents. The bill passed 219-184, with the majority of the support coming from Republicans who accused Democrats of reversing course in their support for the “common sense” proposal only after Donald Trump was elected to a second term earlier this month. It now goes to the Democratic-controlled Senate where its fate is uncertain. Boar's Head listeria outbreak is over with 10 dead and dozens sickened by tainted deli meat U.S. health officials say a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to a massive recall of popular Boar's Head deli meats is over. Ten people died and 61 were sickened in 19 states in the outbreak. Illnesses were reported between late May and mid-September. The outbreak is considered over 60 days after the last reported illness. Boar's Head officials recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide, shuttered a Virginia plant that made the products and permanently stopped making liverwurst. The company continues to face lawsuits and federal scrutiny.

President Joe Biden made a special appearance before the media while on holidays to deliver his remarks on the death of former US President and a fellow Democrat, Jimmy Carter. Carter died at the age of 100 on Sunday, the Carter Center announced in a social media post. While addressing the nation on the former President's death, the 82-year-old took a dig at President-elect Donald Trump - his arch-rival. As Biden spoke just days before he is set to leave the office for Trump, he stressed Jimmy Carter's 'decency,' perhaps as opposed to the 78-year-old President-elect. "Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking by someone who needs something and just keeps walking?" Joe Biden reflected. "Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk?" "I can't, I can't," said Biden, seemingly taking a dig at Trump. Here's the video of the moment: Notably, when Jimmy Carter made his bid for the White House in 1976, Joe Biden was one of the only Senators to support him, going against the Democratic elite of that time. As he spoke in between his winter holidays at the US Virgin Islands, Biden recalled how he and his friend were "lifelong friends" of the Carter family. Also read: Jimmy Carter Family: All About Ex-President's 22 Grandchildren "I've been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years it dawned on me," Biden said. "I've always been proud to say, and he used to kid me about it, that I was the first national figure to endorse him in 1976 when he ran for president." "There was an overwhelming reason for it," Biden added, emphasizing that it was Jimmy Carter's "character." Carter was someone "who embodied the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away," Biden added. "In today's world some look at Jimmy Carter and see a man of a bygone era, with honesty and character, faith and humility... But I don't think it's bygone era," he said. "I see a man not only of our time but for all times." Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.

However, some state workers failed to return to their jobs and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt”. Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Mr Assad’s brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant, who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali for the first time. Mr Jalali stayed in Syria when Mr Assad fled and has sought to project normalcy since. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Mr Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a UN official said some government services had been paralysed as worried state employees stayed at home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonised by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Mr Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. “I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” In a video shared on a rebel messaging channel, Mr al-Sharaa said: “You will see there are skills” among the rebels. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Mr Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets.

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Renuka Rayasam | (TNS) KFF Health News In April, just 12 weeks into her pregnancy, Kathleen Clark was standing at the receptionist window of her OB-GYN’s office when she was asked to pay $960, the total the office estimated she would owe after she delivered. Clark, 39, was shocked that she was asked to pay that amount during this second prenatal visit. Normally, patients receive the bill after insurance has paid its part, and for pregnant women that’s usually only when the pregnancy ends. It would be months before the office filed the claim with her health insurer. Clark said she felt stuck. The Cleveland, Tennessee, obstetrics practice was affiliated with a birthing center where she wanted to deliver. Plus, she and her husband had been wanting to have a baby for a long time. And Clark was emotional, because just weeks earlier her mother had died. “You’re standing there at the window, and there’s people all around, and you’re trying to be really nice,” recalled Clark, through tears. “So, I paid it.” On online baby message boards and other social media forums , pregnant women say they are being asked by their providers to pay out-of-pocket fees earlier than expected. The practice is legal, but patient advocacy groups call it unethical. Medical providers argue that asking for payment up front ensures they get compensated for their services. How frequently this happens is hard to track because it is considered a private transaction between the provider and the patient. Therefore, the payments are not recorded in insurance claims data and are not studied by researchers. Patients, medical billing experts, and patient advocates say the billing practice causes unexpected anxiety at a time of already heightened stress and financial pressure. Estimates can sometimes be higher than what a patient might ultimately owe and force people to fight for refunds if they miscarry or the amount paid was higher than the final bill. Up-front payments also create hurdles for women who may want to switch providers if they are unhappy with their care. In some cases, they may cause women to forgo prenatal care altogether, especially in places where few other maternity care options exist. It’s “holding their treatment hostage,” said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the Patient Advocate Foundation . Medical billing and women’s health experts believe OB-GYN offices adopted the practice to manage the high cost of maternity care and the way it is billed for in the U.S. When a pregnancy ends, OB-GYNs typically file a single insurance claim for routine prenatal care, labor, delivery, and, often, postpartum care. That practice of bundling all maternity care into one billing code began three decades ago, said Lisa Satterfield, senior director of health and payment policy at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . But such bundled billing has become outdated, she said. Previously, pregnant patients had been subject to copayments for each prenatal visit, which might lead them to skip crucial appointments to save money. But the Affordable Care Act now requires all commercial insurers to fully cover certain prenatal services. Plus, it’s become more common for pregnant women to switch providers, or have different providers handle prenatal care, labor, and delivery — especially in rural areas where patient transfers are common. Some providers say prepayments allow them to spread out one-time payments over the course of the pregnancy to ensure that they are compensated for the care they do provide, even if they don’t ultimately deliver the baby. “You have people who, unfortunately, are not getting paid for the work that they do,” said Pamela Boatner, who works as a midwife in a Georgia hospital. While she believes women should receive pregnancy care regardless of their ability to pay, she also understands that some providers want to make sure their bill isn’t ignored after the baby is delivered. New parents might be overloaded with hospital bills and the costs of caring for a new child, and they may lack income if a parent isn’t working, Boatner said. In the U.S., having a baby can be expensive. People who obtain health insurance through large employers pay an average of nearly $3,000 out-of-pocket for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker . In addition, many people are opting for high-deductible health insurance plans, leaving them to shoulder a larger share of the costs. Of the 100 million U.S. people with health care debt, 12% attribute at least some of it to maternity care, according to a 2022 KFF poll . Families need time to save money for the high costs of pregnancy, childbirth, and child care, especially if they lack paid maternity leave, said Joy Burkhard , CEO of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, a Los Angeles-based policy think tank. Asking them to prepay “is another gut punch,” she said. “What if you don’t have the money? Do you put it on credit cards and hope your credit card goes through?” Calculating the final costs of childbirth depends on multiple factors, such as the timing of the pregnancy , plan benefits, and health complications, said Erin Duffy , a health policy researcher at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. The final bill for the patient is unclear until a health plan decides how much of the claim it will cover, she said. But sometimes the option to wait for the insurer is taken away. During Jamie Daw’s first pregnancy in 2020, her OB-GYN accepted her refusal to pay in advance because Daw wanted to see the final bill. But in 2023, during her second pregnancy, a private midwifery practice in New York told her that since she had a high-deductible plan, it was mandatory to pay $2,000 spread out with monthly payments. Daw, a health policy researcher at Columbia University, delivered in September 2023 and got a refund check that November for $640 to cover the difference between the estimate and the final bill. “I study health insurance,” she said. “But, as most of us know, it’s so complicated when you’re really living it.” While the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover some prenatal services, it doesn’t prohibit providers from sending their final bill to patients early. It would be a challenge politically and practically for state and federal governments to attempt to regulate the timing of the payment request, said Sabrina Corlette , a co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. Medical lobbying groups are powerful and contracts between insurers and medical providers are proprietary. Because of the legal gray area, Lacy Marshall , an insurance broker at Rapha Health and Life in Texas, advises clients to ask their insurer if they can refuse to prepay their deductible. Some insurance plans prohibit providers in their network from requiring payment up front. If the insurer says they can refuse to pay up front, Marshall said, she tells clients to get established with a practice before declining to pay, so that the provider can’t refuse treatment. Related Articles Health | Which health insurance plan may be right for you? Health | California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health | Sharyl Attkisson: The raw milk debate, and a Maryland farm owner who says it’s good for you Health | Your cool black kitchenware could be slowly poisoning you, study says. Here’s what to do Health | Does fluoride cause cancer, IQ loss, and more? Fact-checking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims Clark said she met her insurance deductible after paying for genetic testing, extra ultrasounds, and other services out of her health care flexible spending account. Then she called her OB-GYN’s office and asked for a refund. “I got my spine back,” said Clark, who had previously worked at a health insurer and a medical office. She got an initial check for about half the $960 she originally paid. In August, Clark was sent to the hospital after her blood pressure spiked. A high-risk pregnancy specialist — not her original OB-GYN practice — delivered her son, Peter, prematurely via emergency cesarean section at 30 weeks. It was only after she resolved most of the bills from the delivery that she received the rest of her refund from the other OB-GYN practice. This final check came in October, just days after Clark brought Peter home from the hospital, and after multiple calls to the office. She said it all added stress to an already stressful period. “Why am I having to pay the price as a patient?” she said. “I’m just trying to have a baby.” ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.However, some state workers failed to return to their jobs and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt”. Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Mr Assad’s brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant, who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali for the first time. Mr Jalali stayed in Syria when Mr Assad fled and has sought to project normalcy since. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Mr Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a UN official said some government services had been paralysed as worried state employees stayed at home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonised by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Mr Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. “I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” In a video shared on a rebel messaging channel, Mr al-Sharaa said: “You will see there are skills” among the rebels. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Mr Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets.

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OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Ghais used his speech at the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku on Nov. 20 to emphasize the pivotal role oil and gas continue to play, dubbing hydrocarbons a “gift from God,” as the producer group looks to stamp its narrative on the world’s leading climate event. Ghais was echoing somewhat controversial opening comments on Nov. 12 by Ilham Aliyev, the president of OPEC+ member Azerbaijan, which is hosting COP29. “Petroleum and petroleum-derived products continue to shape how we heat and cool our homes, construct our buildings and transport ourselves from A to B,” Ghais said, pointing to the role of hydrocarbons in food production and transportation, as well as medical research and manufacturing. “However access to the benefits of these products, benefits unfortunately often taken for granted, is far from universal,” he added, noting that 685 million people lack electricity access — most of them in Africa — and 2.1 billion rely on unsafe cooking fuels. The challenge, Ghais said, is to ensure energy access and meet future demand while reducing emissions. As a result, the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, which saw countries agree to restrict global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, should focus on cutting emissions, not rejecting energy sources, the secretary general added. Parties at the summit were inching toward an agreement on Nov. 20 to mobilize financing to help nations trim emissions. The last COP agreement, agreed in Dubai in 2023, was held up partly by oil producers opposing suggestions of a fossil fuel “phase out,” sources told S&P Global Commodity Insights at the time. Unlike other forecasters, including the bearish International Energy Agency and Commodity Insights, OPEC, which sees itself as the swing producer in the crude market, does not see oil demand peaking through 2050, insisting rising consumption in non-OECD nations will drive demand ever higher. Indeed, the fact that 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity has become a rallying cry for OPEC+, which includes African producers — Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan. Meanwhile, OPEC has claimed that warnings of peak oil could sap vital investment needed to meet global demand in the absence of scalable alternative energy sources. Its members hold 79.1% of the world’s proven crude reserves, equivalent to 1.24 trillion barrels, and expect to be the last men standing in the oil market due to their relatively low cost of production. Nevertheless, with members’ budgets underpinned by oil revenues, OPEC has pushed back against efforts to restrict fossil fuel use. The Vienna-based group has suggested new technologies, such as carbon capture and reductions in flaring, can help reduce the climate impact of oil and gas, but critics claim such technologies will only prolong fossil fuel use. “OPEC has consistently advocated a balanced approach where nothing and no one should be dismissed,” Ghais told COP29 attendees. “We need to embrace all energies, leverage all available tech and ensure that the needs of all peoples around the world are taken into account.” The heavy presence of the oil and gas sector did not go unnoticed at the world’s largest climate summit, with oil majors, smaller companies and organizations such as OPEC out in full force. Last year at COP28, world leaders agreed to work toward “transitioning away from fossil fuels” despite stiff opposition from various oil producers including OPEC. This year, many parties including the EU sought further details on the measures needed to accelerate the shift from oil, gas and coal, amid pressure to reaffirm that commitment pledged in Dubai, prompting significant pushback from petrostates like Saudi Arabia, with a number of them negotiating text excluding the words “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” In the latest text of the so-called UAE dialogue, which builds on last year’s commitments, there was nevertheless a passing mention. The UAE dialogue “will provide a space for consideration of the energy transition in developing countries, including action and support for their transition away from fossil fuels, and innovative solutions for both developed and developing countries,” it says. Source:Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show

계엄령 해제 뒤 윤 대통령의 침묵... 일정 전면 취소, 실장·수석 사의 표명DEADLINE NEXT WEEK: Berger Montague Advises Paragon 28 (NYSE: FNA) Investors to Contact the Firm Before November 29, 2024