yy88888 ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio General Assembly sent a bill to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk that would allow people and conservation organizations to collect and share native plant seeds with other like-minded people. House Bill 364 is hoped to encourage people to plant more native plants, which would create native plant habitats to ensure Ohio’s natural species thrive, according to a statement from The Nature Conservancy. HB 364 passed unanimously the Ohio House in June 12 and unanimously in the Senate on Dec. 18. The bill also eliminates certain weeds from the list of those that a manager of a road or railroad must remove. It’s the native plant provisions that have conservationists excited. “Once signed into law, this will have a significant impact on efforts throughout the state to remove invasive plants and replace them with plants native to Ohio, provide more habitat to threatened insects and even help individuals who want to create their own pollinator garden ,” said Mary Turocy, director of policy and government relations for The Nature Conservancy Ohio, in a statement. The organization has collected native seeds on its preserves throughout Ohio to replant on other areas its preserves to replace invasive plants or restore fields previously used for farming or pasture. “Native plants have an impact across the ecological food web,” said Peter Blank, Northwest Ohio program manager for The Nature Conservancy. “Native plants provide sanctuary for pollinators, like bees and butterflies, and a habitat for beneficial insects like beetles, dragonflies and wasps, which prey on people pests—like mosquitoes—and pests that damage agricultural crops. More insects mean more food for small mammals and birds, which then benefits hawks and owls. And it all starts with native plants.” Two examples of native plants that could become more prominent across Ohio are milkweed and Blazing Star. Monarch butterflies love milkweed. The Blazing Star Moth only eats the Blazing Star, which sprouts tall stocks of purple or pink flowers. Without these plants, neither species could survive. Stories by Laura Hancock Lt. Gov. Jon Husted visits Mar-a-Lago. Could he succeed JD Vance as Ohio’s next U.S. senator? Dec. 23, 2024, 2:31p.m. After OSU team doctor abuse, Gov. DeWine signs bill that expands medical board’s authority over sexual misconduct Dec. 20, 2024, 1:46p.m. Gov. DeWine vows to veto ‘medical free speech’ provision OK’d by legislators Dec. 20, 2024, 11:38a.m. Legislation to tamp down DEI, perceived liberal bias on college campuses dies without passage Dec. 19, 2024, 1:12p.m. Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines hunger as an uncomfortable or painful physical sensation caused by insufficient consumption of dietary energy. The World Bank says that the hunger rate in Africa are especially acute, with one out of five people going hungry each day. For more than a decade, conflict and economic hardship have remained the key drivers of hunger in Nigeria. Ongoing violence causes disruptions in markets and farming, severely limiting people’s ability to earn income and forcing families to leave their homes. In the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Nigeria ranks 110th out of the 127 countries surveyed. With a score of 28.8% in the 2024 GHI, the country’s level of hunger is severe. Global Hunger Index is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are based on four components: undernourishment- the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake; child stunting :-the share of children who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic under nutrition; child wasting: the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute under nutrition; child mortality: the share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly showing a fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments. Based on the values of the four indicators, GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale, reflecting the severity of hunger, where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst. Each country’s GHI scores is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming. Recently a joint report of the Federal government and the United Nations says Nigeria faces one of its worst hunger crises with more than 33.1 million expected to be food insecure next year, compared with 24.8 million this year. Finance Minister, Wale Edu, says 5 million households in Nigeria have so far received cash handout of 25,000 Naira each as part of the government’s program to help the most vulnerable families. But Chi Lael, the World Food Program spokesperson in Nigeria, reportedly said that ‘’economic decisions felt like a direct attack on people’s wallet, hitting hardest every time they try to buy food.’’ Nigeria’s food insecurity has been worsened by economic sanctions imposed against Russia by Western countries since its military operation in Ukraine. In fact the world food security is currently in danger due to the disruption of international supplies by the United States and its allies through the imposition of various prohibitions. The European Union, EU, import tariff is common to all EU countries but the rates of duty differ from one kind of import to another depending on what they are, and where they come from, depending on the economic sensitivity of the products. Unfair business practices such as illegal contacts and agreements, price fixing and market sharing, though prohibited under EU competition rules, remain rampant. In her mission letter recently to the incoming EU Competition Commissioner-designate, Teresa Ribera, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, begins with ‘’Europe needs a new approach to competition policy – one that is more supportive of companies to scale up their global markets...’’ Observers say In noting that competition policy should help companies scale up, Von der Leyen seems to advocate a significant departure from past practice and favor more state intervention in markets, and support for industrial policy that allows anticompetitive mergers that could threaten food security. For Africa, a new colonial threat stares in the form of European dominance of African policy on genetically modified organisms, GMO, and its imposition of GMO production standards. A coalition of academics and civil society organizations has said GMO foods pose severe risks to human health and the environment with a claim MO crops have created novel and alarming problems, including genetic contamination and uterine fibroids in women of young ages. In Nigeria uterine fibroids reportedly account for 3.2-7.8% of gynecological cases and 68.1% of hysterectomy cases. Across the country farmers have complained that GMOs reduce productivity in the second planting season, meaning farmers can not replant these seeds but must purchase new ones to plant in the next planting season. . Analysts see the EU position on GMOs as jihad against Africa’s food and environmental health, and against its Agricultural sovereignty . In like manner their proliferation of military bases on the continent today may have been based on self-serving and hypocritical motives. But this is not receiving attention in parts of Africa. Global food insecurity has been worsened by Western sanctions against Russia because Nigerians industry reportedly accounts for around 20% of the global fertilizer trade market, thereby ensuring food security for 1.5 billion people in the world. The West’s sanctions policy is resulting in food becoming scarcer and costing more in Africa and other developing nations as Brazil which depend on Russian products to produce soy bean oil. According to projections by the World Bank, the current world food shortages would certainly lead to large political crises, with the proliferation of civil wars and armed conflicts over food resources. Now there are far scarier predictions about this problem. Considering a possible situation of generalized famine in emerging countries on all continents, we can be close to some of the greatest cases of political and military instability in history. That is why that President Tinubu must activate all known social safety nets to enable Nigerians survive the current deepening food insecurity in the land now the World Bank has said that Nigerians would wait for 10 to 15 years to reap the benefits of his economic reform.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100In 2024, Canadians can contribute up to 18% of their earned income from the previous year to their Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), with an annual maximum of $31,560. This figure is indexed to inflation, which means it increases slightly each year to keep pace with the cost of living. The RRSP is one of Canada’s most effective tools for retirement planning, allowing individuals to save for the future while enjoying tax benefits today. The flexibility of contributions, paired with the ability to defer taxes on investment growth, makes it an attractive option for Canadians looking to secure their financial future. So, how should you get started? Savings and gains The primary benefit of contributing to an is the immediate tax deduction. For instance, if you earned $100,000 in 2023 and contributed $20,000 to your RRSP, your taxable income would be reduced to $80,000. This could result in significant tax savings, depending on your tax bracket. Furthermore, investments held within an RRSP grow tax-free, meaning you don’t pay taxes on dividends, interest, or capital gains while the money remains in the account. Taxes are only applied when you withdraw funds, typically during retirement, when your income (and tax rate) is often lower. If you’re looking for a strong investment option to include in your RRSP, consider ( ). NWC is a prominent Canadian and grocery chain with operations in some of the most remote and underserved regions of Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and even parts of the Caribbean and Oceania. This unique geographic footprint allows the company to enjoy relatively low competition and stable demand, making it an excellent choice for long-term, resilient growth. Financially, NWC has shown consistent performance. As of October 2024, the company boasts a market capitalization of $2.5 billion. The company’s beta of 0.65 indicates lower volatility compared to the broader market – thus making it an appealing option for conservative investors seeking stability within their RRSP portfolios. The numbers NWC’s recent earnings report also underscores its strength. The company recently reported 4.6% year-over-year growth in revenue, reaching $616.9 million. Higher same-store sales drove this increase in its Canadian operations, as well as the positive impact of new store openings. Net income experienced a slight year-over-year decline of 4%. Yet the company’s operating cash flow of $258.3 million highlights its robust ability to generate cash and fund future growth initiatives. Another compelling aspect of NWC is its commitment to returning value to shareholders through dividends. With a forward annual dividend rate of $1.60 per share and a yield of 3%, NWC offers investors a steady income stream. Its payout ratio of 56.9% suggests that the company retains enough earnings to reinvest in its business while rewarding shareholders. Notably, NWC has a history of sustaining and growing its dividend, making it a reliable choice for income-focused investors. Looking ahead, NWC is well-positioned for continued success. The company has been actively pursuing strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiency and expand its market reach. Its focus on meeting the unique needs of underserved communities gives it a competitive edge, particularly as these markets tend to be less affected by economic downturns. Plus, NWC’s ability to adapt to changing consumer trends, such as increasing demand for online grocery services, further supports its positive outlook. Bottom line Including a company like NWC in your RRSP offers a blend of stability and growth potential. The stock’s beta ensures it doesn’t experience wild market swings. Yet its strong financial fundamentals and reliable dividend payments make it a cornerstone investment, especially for those building a retirement portfolio. When combined with the tax-deferred growth of an RRSP, NWC becomes an even more attractive option for long-term investors.

An Amsterdam district court on Tuesday sentenced five men to up to six months in prison for violence that erupted around a UEFA Europa League football match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots, which caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate antisemitic attacks, left five people in the hospital and 20 others with minor injuries. More than 60 people were detained. The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to 6 months in prison, another to 2 1/2 months and two to 1 month in jail. A fifth defendant received 100 hours of community service. A series of violent incidents took place between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soccer fans around the soccer match. Some of the violence was condemned as antisemitic, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offering to evacuate Maccabi supporters. The violence, which garnered headlines worldwide, damaged Amsterdam’s reputation as a beacon of tolerance and a haven for persecuted religions, including Jews. “It seems that the violence arose from strong pro-Palestine sentiments and dissatisfaction with the situation in Gaza, and related anger against the Israelis present,” the prosecutors’ office said in a statement at the conclusion of hearings two weeks ago. The five defendants, who are all Dutch residents and aged between 19 and 32, were accused of public violence, theft and assault. The November 8 game was allowed to go ahead after the Netherlands’ counterterror watchdog found there was no “concrete threat” to Israeli fans, and the match wasn’t considered a high risk. Even so, Amsterdam authorities banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the Johan Cruyff Arena. According to an investigation, the day before the game the authorities reported several incidents, including Israeli fans tearing a Palestinian flag from an Amsterdam building and attacking a taxi. Six more suspects will have their trials at a later date, including three minors. Under Dutch rules, proceedings for juveniles are held behind closed doors. Police are continuing to investigate the violence and have released images of several suspects they want to identify.

The leader of Sinn Fein has expressed determination to form a government of the left in Ireland as she insisted her party’s performance in the General Election had broken the state’s political mould. Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center simply said in posting about Carter’s death on the social media platform X. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. ‘Jimmy Who?’ His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. ‘A wonderful life’ At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.LONDON/CAIRO/DUBAI: Famine in Sudan has expanded to five areas and will likely spread to another five by May, the global hunger monitor reported Tuesday, while warring parties continue to disrupt humanitarian aid needed to alleviate one of the worst starvation crises in modern times. Famine conditions were confirmed in Abu Shouk and Al-Salam, two camps for internally displaced people in Al-Fashir, the besieged capital of North Darfur, as well as in residential and displaced communities in the Nuba Mountains, according to the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Phase Classification (IPC). The committee also found that famine, first identified in August, persists in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp. The five-member review committee vets and verifies famine findings produced by technical analysts. In its Tuesday report, the review committee predicts famine will expand to five additional areas in North Darfur — Um Kadadah, Melit, Al-Fashir, Tawisha and Al-Lait — by May. The committee identified another 17 areas across Sudan at risk of famine. The IPC estimated about 24.6 million people, about half of all Sudanese, urgently need food aid through May, a sharp increase from the 21.1 million originally projected in June for October through February. The findings were published despite the Sudanese government’s continued disruption of the IPC’s process for analyzing acute food insecurity, which helps donors and humanitarian groups direct aid where it is most needed. On Monday, the government announced it was suspending its participation in the global hunger-monitoring system, saying the IPC issues “unreliable reports that undermine Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity.” The IPC is an independent body funded by Western nations and overseen by 19 large humanitarian organizations and intergovernmental institutions. A linchpin in the world’s vast system for monitoring and alleviating hunger, it is designed to sound the alarm about developing food crises so organizations can respond and prevent famine and mass starvation. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are engaged in a civil war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and are adamantly opposed to a famine declaration for fear it would result in diplomatic pressure to ease border controls and lead to greater foreign engagement with the RSF. In a Dec 23 letter to the IPC, the famine review committee and diplomats, Sudan’s agriculture minister said the latest IPC report lacks updated malnutrition data and assessments of crop productivity during the recent summer rainy season. The growing season was successful, the letter says. It also notes “serious concerns” about the IPC’s ability to collect data from territories controlled by the RSF. Under the IPC system, a “technical working group,” usually headed by the national government, analyzes data and periodically issues reports that classify areas on a one-to-five scale that slides from minimal to stressed, crisis, emergency and famine. In October, the Sudanese government temporarily stopped the government-led analysis, according to a document seen by Reuters. After resuming work, the technical working group stopped short of acknowledging famine. The Famine Review Committee report released today said the government-led group excluded key malnutrition data from its analysis. A recent Reuters investigation found that the Sudanese government obstructed the IPC’s work earlier this year, delaying by months a famine determination for the sprawling Zamzam camp for displaced people where residents have resorted to eating tree leaves to survive. The civil war that erupted in April 2023 has decimated food production and trade and driven more than 12 million Sudanese from their homes, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis. The RSF has looted commercial and humanitarian food supplies, disrupted farming and besieged some areas, making trade more costly and food prices unaffordable. The government also has blocked humanitarian organizations’ access to some parts of the country. “We have the food. We have the trucks on the road. We have the people on the ground. We just need safe passage to deliver assistance,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, director of food security and nutrition analysis for the UN’s World Food Program. In response to questions from Reuters, the RSF said the accusations of looting were “baseless.” The RSF also said millions of people in areas it controlled were facing “the threat of hunger,” and that it was committed to “fully facilitating the delivery of aid to those affected.” The government said that problems delivering aid were caused by the RSF. The IPC report says both parties to the conflict have imposed “bureaucratic procedures and approval processes” that “severely limit both the reach and scale of humanitarian efforts.” Only 10 percent of people in the areas the IPC reviewed received food assistance in the last three months, the IPC report says. At least a dozen aid workers and diplomats contacted by Reuters for this story said tensions increased between the Sudanese government and humanitarian aid organizations after the IPC determined Zamzam was in famine in August. The sources said the government is slowing the aid response. The government’s general and military intelligence services oversee aid delivery, subjecting international aid approvals to the SAF’s political and military goals, the sources said. The government is slow to approve visas for aid workers, and several aid workers said it has discouraged NGOs from providing relief in the hard-hit Darfur region, which is largely controlled by RSF forces. The government has told aid organizations “there are no legitimate needs in Darfur, so you should not work there, and if you continue to respond to needs there, you should not expect visas,” said one senior aid official, who asked not to be named. The number of visa applications awaiting approval for non-UN aid workers has skyrocketed in the last four months, and the percentage approved has plummeted, according to data maintained by Sudan’s INGO Forum, which represents and advocates for international non-governmental organizations in the country. The government didn’t respond to specific questions about the blocking of visas. In the past, it has said that the majority of visa requests are approved. In October, the Sudanese government pressured the U.N. to remove the top humanitarian aid official for Sudan’s embattled Darfur region after the person traveled there without government authorization, three sources told Reuters. Requests for authorization had stalled, the sources said. The government told the UN it would throw the official out if he was not withdrawn, the sources said. The UN complied. The government didn’t respond to questions about the aid official’s removal. A UN spokesperson said the organization doesn’t comment on staff “working arrangements.” – Reuters

In 2024, Canadians can contribute up to 18% of their earned income from the previous year to their Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), with an annual maximum of $31,560. This figure is indexed to inflation, which means it increases slightly each year to keep pace with the cost of living. The RRSP is one of Canada’s most effective tools for retirement planning, allowing individuals to save for the future while enjoying tax benefits today. The flexibility of contributions, paired with the ability to defer taxes on investment growth, makes it an attractive option for Canadians looking to secure their financial future. So, how should you get started? Savings and gains The primary benefit of contributing to an is the immediate tax deduction. For instance, if you earned $100,000 in 2023 and contributed $20,000 to your RRSP, your taxable income would be reduced to $80,000. This could result in significant tax savings, depending on your tax bracket. Furthermore, investments held within an RRSP grow tax-free, meaning you don’t pay taxes on dividends, interest, or capital gains while the money remains in the account. Taxes are only applied when you withdraw funds, typically during retirement, when your income (and tax rate) is often lower. If you’re looking for a strong investment option to include in your RRSP, consider ( ). NWC is a prominent Canadian and grocery chain with operations in some of the most remote and underserved regions of Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and even parts of the Caribbean and Oceania. This unique geographic footprint allows the company to enjoy relatively low competition and stable demand, making it an excellent choice for long-term, resilient growth. Financially, NWC has shown consistent performance. As of October 2024, the company boasts a market capitalization of $2.5 billion. The company’s beta of 0.65 indicates lower volatility compared to the broader market – thus making it an appealing option for conservative investors seeking stability within their RRSP portfolios. The numbers NWC’s recent earnings report also underscores its strength. The company recently reported 4.6% year-over-year growth in revenue, reaching $616.9 million. Higher same-store sales drove this increase in its Canadian operations, as well as the positive impact of new store openings. Net income experienced a slight year-over-year decline of 4%. Yet the company’s operating cash flow of $258.3 million highlights its robust ability to generate cash and fund future growth initiatives. Another compelling aspect of NWC is its commitment to returning value to shareholders through dividends. With a forward annual dividend rate of $1.60 per share and a yield of 3%, NWC offers investors a steady income stream. Its payout ratio of 56.9% suggests that the company retains enough earnings to reinvest in its business while rewarding shareholders. Notably, NWC has a history of sustaining and growing its dividend, making it a reliable choice for income-focused investors. Looking ahead, NWC is well-positioned for continued success. The company has been actively pursuing strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiency and expand its market reach. Its focus on meeting the unique needs of underserved communities gives it a competitive edge, particularly as these markets tend to be less affected by economic downturns. Plus, NWC’s ability to adapt to changing consumer trends, such as increasing demand for online grocery services, further supports its positive outlook. Bottom line Including a company like NWC in your RRSP offers a blend of stability and growth potential. The stock’s beta ensures it doesn’t experience wild market swings. Yet its strong financial fundamentals and reliable dividend payments make it a cornerstone investment, especially for those building a retirement portfolio. When combined with the tax-deferred growth of an RRSP, NWC becomes an even more attractive option for long-term investors.

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DEAR ABBY: Six months ago, I began seeing a man I like very much but don't want to be intimate with. We are in our "young" 70s, and both of us were widowed two years ago after 50-year marriages. We agreed early on that neither of us will remarry. We are affectionate, and he'll occasionally kiss my cheek, nape of my neck or forehead. We hug. That's as much as I want. I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, but I'm worried he may want more intimacy, which I am not willing to give. What advice do you have for me? -- LIMITED IN INDIANA DEAR LIMITED: Because you are sure you don't want an intimate relationship with this man and are being given signals that he may want more from you, talk frankly with him about it. You are both mature people, and it's the only fair way to handle a situation like this. You may find, to your relief, that you are misreading his intentions. If you aren't, he needs to know he's barking up the wrong tree. DEAR ABBY: My father dated someone for several years. She broke up with him around five years ago. She's a pleasant person, so we stay in touch via Christmas cards. Recently, she texted me that she was sending me a box of mementos, including pictures from their relationship. I was away on business, so I didn't have a chance to respond. The shoebox arrived this morning, and I just received a text from her asking if I had received it. Honestly, I feel this was inappropriate because the relationship was between my father and her. I believe she should have sent the items to him instead. How should I respond? -- ONLY THE SON IN NEW JERSEY DEAR ONLY THE SON: Respond by telling the woman the box arrived. She may have sent it to you because she wanted no more direct contact with your father. Call your dad, tell him his ex-girlfriend sent the mementos to you, ask if he wants them or would prefer you dispose of them and then follow his guidance. DEAR ABBY: I have been happily single for most of my life, and I treasure the friendship and company of my other women friends. My question concerns a situation that happens frequently when one of them starts dating or marries. They seem to feel I should enjoy the company of BOTH of them together from then on. My response has been to refuse any invitations, but it feels rude and impolite. I would appreciate your advice, and thank you! -- SINGLE LADY IN THE MIDWEST DEAR SINGLE LADY: Running away isn't the answer. Instead of cutting off these women without explanation when they become involved in a romantic relationship, it would make more sense to point out to them that women (and men) communicate differently when members of the opposite sex are present. It's the truth. Couples don't have to be joined at the hip 100% of the time, and, in fact, it's healthier for their relationship when they sometimes socialize as individuals.Canada’s Trudeau returns home after Trump meeting without assurances that tariffs are off the table