PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MG)—a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions—today announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Natalia Shuman as MISTRAS Group’s new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2025. Ms. Shuman brings over two decades of leadership experience to MISTRAS Group, having held executive roles at prominent global organizations in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) industry. Most recently, as Group Executive Vice President and Group Operating Council Member for Eurofins Scientific, she led over 12,000 employees, driving growth strategies, operational excellence, and strategic value creation. Known for scaling billion-dollar enterprises through organic growth and M&A, Ms. Shuman has a proven track record of fostering strong teams and delivering innovative, value-driven solutions. Building on a Strong Foundation Ms. Shuman succeeds Manuel (Manny) N. Stamatakis as the CEO, who has been serving as both Interim CEO and the Executive Chairman of the Board since October 2023. Mr. Stamatakis will continue in the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, providing strategic oversight and support to the CEO and the Company’s leadership team. The Board of Directors extends its gratitude to Mr. Stamatakis for his exemplary service as Interim CEO during a pivotal time for the Company, helping to advance key initiatives and positioning MISTRAS Group for future growth. Mr. Stamatakis expressed the Board’s confidence, stating: "Today's announcement is the result of a deliberate, rigorous search to find the right leader to continue MISTRAS Group’s pursuit of profitable growth and sustainable improvement in shareholder value. Natalia’s extensive experience, proven leadership, and fresh perspective make her the ideal choice to guide MISTRAS toward achieving its strategic goals and unlocking its full potential.” “I’m honored to join MISTRAS Group to lead the Company into its next phase of growth,” said Ms. Shuman. “Working alongside Manny, the Board of Directors, and the leadership team, I am committed to building on the strong foundation established and driving meaningful value for all our stakeholders." Leadership Excellence in TIC and Across Global Industries A global business leader with extensive experience across diverse industries and cultural landscapes, Ms. Shuman has demonstrated a strong ability to achieve results in business-to-business services, spanning manufacturing, energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, industrial services, and construction. As North American CEO for Bureau Veritas, Ms. Shuman oversaw 7,000 employees across 130 offices and laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. She spearheaded a period of significant growth and transformation, steering the company to a diversified, more resilient business model. She also championed a unified “one company” culture, elevating brand recognition in North America. Before joining Bureau Veritas, Ms. Shuman led international business operations at Kelly Services, a global staffing and human resources outsourcing company. She is also recognized as a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion, receiving accolades from several prominent organizations. Ms. Shuman earned a dual Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia Business School and London Business School. About MISTRAS Group, Inc. - One Source for Asset Protection Solutions® MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MG) is a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, helping to maximize the safety and operational uptime for civilization’s most critical industrial and civil assets. Backed by an innovative, data-driven asset protection portfolio, proprietary technologies, strong commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, and a decades-long legacy of industry leadership, MISTRAS leads clients in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, renewable and nonrenewable power, civil infrastructure, and manufacturing industries towards achieving operational and environmental excellence. By supporting these organizations that help fuel our vehicles and power our society; inspecting components that are trusted for commercial, defense, and space craft; building real-time monitoring equipment to enable safe travel across bridges; and helping to propel sustainability, MISTRAS helps the world at large. MISTRAS enhances value for its clients by integrating asset protection throughout supply chains and centralizing integrity data through a suite of Industrial IoT-connected digital software and monitoring solutions. The company’s core capabilities also include non-destructive testing field and in-line inspections enhanced by advanced robotics, laboratory quality control and assurance testing, sensing technologies and NDT equipment, asset and mechanical integrity engineering services, and light mechanical maintenance and access services. For more information about how MISTRAS helps protect civilization’s critical infrastructure and the environment, visit https://www.mistrasgroup.com/ . Contact: Nestor S. Makarigakis Group Vice President, Marketing and Communications MISTRAS Group, Inc. marcom@mistrasgroup.com +1 (609) 716-4000 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a06ebcd-e31e-4295-892e-c6b91f4b67fbBrock Purdy and Nick Bosa are not available for the San Francisco 49ers when they enter Green Bay with designs on finding their finishing kick on Sunday afternoon. Purdy is out with a right shoulder injury and won't leave the sideline at Lambeau Field, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, when he also declared Bosa out and confirmed journeyman Brandon Allen would make his 10th career start at quarterback. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said the 49ers are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy's long-term prognosis. Allen's last NFL start on the road was with the Bengals at the Ravens in 2020. Allen completed 6 of 21 passes for 48 yards with two interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 0.0 in a 38--3 loss. "It's definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our guys in a good position to win the game," Allen said Friday. "And obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that, but for time being, it is an opportunity for me." Purdy took the practice field Thursday with the intent to participate. His shoulder tightened significantly, and the 49ers ushered him off the field to meet with trainers. Purdy beat the Packers in the NFC divisional playoffs at San Francisco in January, but Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. A victory against the visiting 49ers on Sunday would bolster the Packers' playoff chances, send a conference rival below .500 and avenge a bitter playoff defeat. Those seemingly rank in no particular order for the Packers (8-3), although they don't shy from living at least partially in the past ahead of a Week 12 showdown. San Francisco eliminated Green Bay 24-21 in the NFC divisional playoffs last season, scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. "That's what you've got to sit with all offseason, is going back, watching the game, trying to see what you could have done better," Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. "What you could have done differently in that game. ... Just knowing that's the team that knocked us out, we're definitely hungry for this game." Ditto for San Francisco. The 49ers fell to 5-5 after last week's 20-17 home loss to Seattle, done in by Geno Smith's 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds to play. Still only a game behind NFC West-leading Arizona, the reigning conference champion 49ers are just 1-3 in division play and can ill afford to lose more ground. A visit to AFC East leader Buffalo awaits after the trip to Green Bay. While they're dealing with plenty of not-so-good news on the injury front, the 49ers do anticipate the return of other contributors. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who missed the past two games following the death of his 1-year-old daughter, practiced Wednesday. Tight end George Kittle also is eager to play after a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him against the Seahawks. "Very excited," Kittle said. "Can't pass up playing the Packers, so no, I will be out there for sure." Allen was a three-year starter at Arkansas but has been a journeyman backup since entering the NFL in 2016 as the 201st overall pick of the Jaguars. Shanahan and LaFleur have been fierce competitors since twice working together, first as low-level assistants with the Texans in 2008, then on the so-called "dream team" staff in Washington that also included Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel and Raheem Morris; and two seasons with the Falcons (2015, 2016) where LaFleur was quarterbacks coach and Shanahan called the plays. Shanahan scored the most recent win over LaFleur in January. Green Bay has won seven of the past eight regular-season meetings between the franchises. But the familiarity and shared-brain approach to offense that has the coaches completed each other's play calls has led to some tight games. The past three at Lambeau Field were all decided by three points. Green Bay, which hosts a home game on Thanksgiving next Thursday, is starting a run of three games in 12 days. They'll play back-to-back Thursday games. Their Week 14 game is at Detroit. That might make it good news for LaFleur that surprising contributors have emerged of late. Packers wideout Christian Watson had a career-best 150 receiving yards on only four catches during last week's 20-19 road win against the Chicago Bears. His diving 60-yard reception in the fourth quarter put the Packers in position for Love's go-ahead, 1-yard scoring run with 2:59 to play. Watson entered the game with eight catches for 83 yards over his previous three contests, but LaFleur assured Watson remains a "big part" of the attack. "He's a guy who's got every measurable known to man in terms of the size, the speed, and it's not like those were easy plays he was making," LaFleur said. "He was making tough, contested catches." San Francisco will aim to generate more pressure against Love than the Bears, who sacked him just once. The 49ers collected four sacks against the Seahawks, with Bosa and Leonard Floyd contributing 1.5 apiece. Recent regular-season history between the Packers and 49ers at Lambeau Field has favored Green Bay. The Packers have won seven of their past eight home games against the 49ers and are 22-11 versus San Francisco at home all-time. Green Bay leads the series 34-28-1. --Field Level Media
Scott Bessent a credible, safe pick for Treasury: expertsVANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX-V: RKV, the “ ”, “ ”, or “ ”) a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new cancer therapies based on novel DNA-damage response technologies is pleased to announce the closing of a $3.0 million private placement. The private placement consists of 50,000,000 units (the “ ”) at a price of $0.06 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a “ ”) and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a “ ”). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to subscribe for and purchase one Common Share of the Company for a period of 24 months from the date of issue at a price of $0.10 per Common Share. Rakovina retains the right to accelerate the Warrant exercise period if, upon written notice to the holder, the 20-day volume-weighted average price of its Common Shares exceeds $0.30. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid cash finder’s fees to Canaccord Genuity Corp., Ventum Financial Corp., Haywood Securities Inc., Research Capital Corporation, Hampton Securities Limited, Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. and Leede Financial Inc. (each a “ ”, and collectively, the “ ”) in the aggregate amount of $180,841 and issued a total of 3,021,872 non-transferable finder’s warrants (each, a “ ’) to the Finders, in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “ ”). Each Finder’s Warrant entitles the holder thereof to subscribe for and purchase one Common share of the Company for a period of 24 months from the date of issue at a price of $0.10 per Common Share, subject to acceleration on the same terms as the Warrants issued in connection with the private placement. The private placement is subject to the final acceptance of the TSXV and all securities issuable in connection with the private placement are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws. The proceeds of the private placement will be used to accelerate both discovery and development of the Company’s proprietary drug candidates, shortlisted from the Deep Docking and Variational AI platforms. “This overwhelming response from our investors underscores the strength of our science, the extraordinary talent and dedication of our team and the transformative potential of our therapies,” said Jeffrey Bacha, Executive Chairman of Rakovina Therapeutics. “We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us and remain resolute in our mission to utilize leading AI technologies to develop innovative solutions for cancer care.” The Company extends its heartfelt thanks to its investors, partners, and team for their unwavering support as Rakovina continues its work to bring new hope to patients and families affected by cancer. Rakovina is pleased to announce its engagement of Fairfax Partners Inc. as its Investor Relations (IR) partner. With extensive expertise in investor engagement strategies, Fairfax will implement a comprehensive six-month IR program designed to enhance Rakovina’s market presence and expand its investor base. The program, which includes an option to renew for an additional six months, focuses on complementing traditional IR efforts with targeted online marketing campaigns, activation of a robust social media influencer network, and collaboration with external consultants and global wealth management channels. These initiatives will support Rakovina’s strategic plan for 2025 by institutionalizing its investor base and strengthening its distribution capabilities. Under the agreement, Fairfax will receive a monthly fee of $5,000 plus GST, a one-time setup fee of $15,000 plus GST, and a marketing budget of $120,000 plus GST, disbursed as follows: $80,000 upon signing and $40,000 two months later. Services provided by Fairfax include inbound and outbound phone communications, website and social media management, marketing material preparation, news release support, and roadshow assistance, ensuring Rakovina’s IR efforts align with market expectations. Fairfax Partners Inc., located at 306-1238 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC, confirms that neither its directors nor officers hold any securities of Rakovina. For inquiries, please contact connect@fairfaxpartners.com. “We are thrilled to partner with the seasoned team at Fairfax Partners to expand our investor base and increase awareness of Rakovina Therapeutics’ vision. Fairfax’s creative and forward-thinking approach to investor relations will be a critical asset as we enter a pivotal year. By harnessing their extensive network and digital expertise, we aim to significantly enhance our market presence and deliver lasting value to our shareholders,” said Mr. Bacha. Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. is dedicated to developing innovative cancer therapies targeting the DNA-damage response. The company has established a development pipeline of novel DNA-damage response inhibitors by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate the identification and optimization of drug candidates. Rakovina Therapeutics aims to advance one or more of these candidates into human clinical trials in collaboration with pharmaceutical partners and secure marketing approvals from Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other international regulatory agencies. Further information may be found at This release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Company and its respective business, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the terms of the private placement, the closing of the private placement, the receipt of final TSXV approval, the proposed business plan of the Company; the Company’s commitment to advancing new cancer therapies; the ability of the Company to extract value from its AI collaborations; the Company’s ability to execute on its business plans while maintaining high standards of research; the ability of Pharma Inventor Inc. to accurately provide medicinal chemistry support; the projected timeline and effectiveness of the Company’s strategy to utilize the Deep Docking AI platform; and the Company’s ability to generate shareholder value. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “is expected”, “expects”, “scheduled”, “intends”, “contemplates”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “proposes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events, or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of the Company. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks regarding the medical device industry, economic factors, regulatory factors, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth and competition. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events, or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The reader is referred to the Company’s most recent filings on SEDAR for a more complete discussion of all applicable risk factors and their potential effects, copies of which may be accessed through the Company’s profile page at David Hyman, Chief Financial Officer Invest Relations &Media Michelle Seltenrich 778-773-5432
Bitcoin catapulted above $100,000 for the first time on Thursday, a milestone hailed even by sceptics as a coming-of-age for digital assets as investors bet on a friendly U.S. administration to cement the place of cryptocurrencies in financial markets. Once it broke $100,000 in Thursday's Asian morning, boosted by U.S. President-elect Trump's nomination of pro-crypto Paul Atkins to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, it was soon at an all-time high of $103,649. It last fetched $98,803, up 0.95% on the day BTC=. The total value of the cryptocurrency market has almost doubled over the year so far to hit a record over $3.8 trillion, according to data provider CoinGecko. By comparison, Apple alone is worth about $3.7 trillion. Bitcoin's march from the libertarian fringe to Wall Street has minted millionaires, a new asset class and popularised the concept of "decentralized finance" in a volatile and often controversial period since its creation 16 years ago. Bitcoin has more than doubled in value this year and is up more than 50% in the four weeks since Donald Trump's sweeping election victory, which also saw a slew of pro-crypto lawmakers being elected to Congress. "CONGRATULATIONS BITCOINERS!!! $100,000!!! YOU’RE WELCOME!!! Together, we will Make America Great Again!" Trump said on Truth Social, his social media network, on Thursday. "We're witnessing a paradigm shift," said Mike Novogratz, founder and CEO of U.S. crypto firm Galaxy Digital. "Bitcoin and the entire digital asset ecosystem are on the brink of entering the financial mainstream - this momentum is fuelled by institutional adoption, advancements in tokenisation and payments, and a clearer regulatory path." Trump - who once labelled crypto a scam - embraced digital assets during his campaign, promising to make the United States the "crypto capital of the planet" and to accumulate a national stockpile of bitcoin. "We were trading basically sideways for about seven months, then immediately after Nov. 5, U.S. investors resumed buying hand-over-fist," said Joe McCann, CEO and founder of Asymmetric, a Miami digital assets hedge fund. Bitcoin's proponents cheered Trump's nomination of Atkins to the SEC. A former SEC commissioner, Atkins has been involved in crypto policy as co-chair of the Token Alliance, which works to "develop best practices for digital asset issuances and trading platforms," and the Chamber of Digital Commerce. "Atkins will offer a new perspective, anchored by a deep understanding of the digital asset ecosystem," said Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith. "We look forward to working with him ... and ushering in – together – a new wave of American crypto innovation." A slew of crypto companies including Ripple, Kraken and Circle are also jostling for a seat on Trump's promised crypto advisory council. Part of the landscape Bitcoin has proven a survivor through precipitous downturns. Its move into six-figure territory is a remarkable comeback from a dip below $16,000 in 2022 when the industry was reeling from the collapse of the FTX exchange. Founder Sam Bankman-Fried was subsequently jailed. Analysts say the growing embrace of bitcoin by big investors this year has been a driving force behind the record-breaking rally. U.S.-listed bitcoin exchange-traded funds were approved in January and have been a conduit for large-scale buying, with more than $4 billion streaming into these funds since the election. "Roughly 3% of the total supply of bitcoins that will ever exist have been purchased in 2024 by institutional money," said Geoff Kendrick, global head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered. "Digital assets, as an asset class, is becoming normalised," he said. It is already becoming increasingly financialised, with the launch of bitcoin futures BTCc1 in 2017 and a strong debut for options on BlackRock's ETF IBIT.O in November. Crypto-related stocks have soared along with the bitcoin price, with shares in bitcoin miner MARA Holdings MARA.O and exchange operator Coinbase COIN.O each up around 65% in November. Software firm Microstrategy MSTO.O, which has repeatedly raised funds to buy bitcoin and held an aggregate of about 402,100 bitcoins as of Dec. 1, has gained around 540% this year. Trump himself unveiled a new crypto business, World Liberty Financial, in September, although details have been scarce and billionaire Elon Musk, a major Trump ally, is also a proponent of cryptocurrencies. Some say the asset remains a speculative or investment vehicle and not an instrument for payments. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell likened bitcoin to gold, “only it's virtual, it's digital." "People are not using it as a form of payment, or as a store of value. It's highly volatile, it’s not a competitor for the dollar." While earlier big bitcoin rallies have been followed by significant pullbacks, its wider adoption now may help tamp down volatility, analysts said. "That is not to say that there will not be 30-50% drawdowns over time, but my base case is that the nature of the drawdowns will be less severe than what we saw in the last bear market," Sean Farrell, head of digital asset strategy at Fundstrat Global Advisors, said. "Passive flows into ETFs, a liquid options market, corporate treasury adoption, and nation state adoption will likely play a large role in dampening volatility," Farrell said. 'Who can prohibit it' Cryptocurrencies have been criticised for their massive energy consumption and use in crime around the world, and the underlying technology is far from delivering a revolution in the way money moves around the globe. The U.S. and Britain announced on Wednesday they had disrupted what they described as a global money laundering ring which used cryptocurrency to help rich Russians to evade sanctions and launder cash for drug traffickers. Although calculations vary, the Cambridge University Centre for Alternative Finance estimates bitcoin uses around the same amount of electricity each year as Poland or South Africa. Still, as Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out at an investment conference on Wednesday: "Who can prohibit it? No one." And its longevity is perhaps testament to a degree of resilience. "As time goes by it's proving itself as part of the financial landscape," said Shane Oliver, chief economist and head of investment strategy at AMP in Sydney. "I find it very hard to value it ... it's anyone's guess. But it does have a momentum aspect to it and at the moment the momentum is up." — Reuters
By DAVID BAUDER Time magazine gave Donald Trump something it has never done for a Person of the Year designee: a lengthy fact-check of claims he made in an accompanying interview. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg The fact-check accompanies a transcript of what the president-elect told the newsmagazine’s journalists. Described as a “12 minute read,” it calls into question 15 separate statements that Trump made. It was the second time Trump earned the Time accolade; he also won in 2016, the first year he was elected president. Time editors said it wasn’t a particularly hard choice over other finalists Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate Middleton. Time said Friday that no other Person of the Year has been fact-checked in the near-century that the magazine has annually written about the figure that has had the greatest impact on the news. But it has done the same for past interviews with the likes of Joe Biden, Netanyahu and Trump. Such corrections have been a sticking point for Trump and his team in the past, most notably when ABC News did it during his only debate with Democrat Kamala Harris this fall. There was no immediate response to a request for comment on Friday. In the piece, Time called into question statements Trump made about border security, autism and the size of a crowd at one of his rallies. When the president-elect talked about the “massive” mandate he had received from voters, Time pointed out that former President Barack Obama won more electoral votes the two times he had run for president. The magazine also questioned Trump’s claim that he would do interviews with anyone who asked during the campaign, if he had the time. The candidate rejected a request to speak to CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the magazine said. “In the final months of his campaign, Trump prioritized interviews with podcasts over mainstream media,” reporters Simmone Shah and Leslie Dickstein wrote. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.Don't write the obituary of the lunch hour just yet
Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”The Rattlers finally notched their first win in the Snake Pit after two one possession home games, defeating the previously undefeated Cornerstone Christian Warriors 66-56. The Rattlers improved to 7-7 overall with senior forward Donovan Riddick leading the team in scoring with 20 followed by senior forward Josiah Hollman with 19 and senior point guard Cash Good with 18. “We knew what we had to do,” Riddick said. “We executed exactly how our coach wanted us to do. We needed to pass and move the ball around. We took the initiative to go about the game plan and we executed.”
MOL Switch to Invest in Heirloom, a U.S. DAC Technology Developer- Contributing to Spread and Expansion of Negative EmissionsNeurocrine Biosciences Announces FDA Approval of CRENESSITYTM (crinecerfont), a First-in-Class Treatment for Children and Adults With Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia