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A little over six months ago Ezra, a young Congolese artist, landed in Australia with his large family straight from one of the largest refugee camps in Malawi to a quiet, leafy street where he appreciated the sounds of chirping birds. or signup to continue reading "Cockatoos are the most unique creatures I've ever seen in my life and that's why I decided to paint them," he told AAP. "There is much security here not the same as overseas, we were insecure." The 18-year-old was referring to Dzaleka, the sprawling United Nations-administered camp housing over 50,000 people, mostly comprised of Democratic Republic of Congolese like himself where millions have fled violence into neighbouring countries in recent years. "Once you move outside of the camp, you would get beaten and robbed. You have no rights once you step outside of the camp," Ezra noted. The renewed fighting in February between Rwanda-backed Tutsi rebels and the army in the resource-rich nation has displaced over seven million internally. "Sometimes I look at it (violence in DR Congo) on social media and feel depressed because we have friends and relatives back in Congo so I usually feel sad about it." Packed in classrooms of 250 students in the Malawi refugee camp where his learning was impeded, Ezra was quickly drawn to stencil drawing and painting aged 9. "I didn't get the chance to study arts formally because I was assisting my family financially but I started learning from my friends and would pick up information from them then use my own perspective and my own ideas." He and one of his brothers would sell chickens at the markets to make ends meet because they would go hungry for days without food due to looters. "Life was so difficult. I couldn't even afford to have my own mobile phone so I couldn't even capture what my paintings are about," he said. Since joining a creative arts mentorship program with Settlement Services International, a large Australian agency tasked with resettling refugees, he has been able to track his progress with photos of his canvases on his phone. The initiative which began last year is spearheaded by Ghasan Saaid, a prolific Sudanese-Australian visual artist who is a manager with the Humanitarian Settlement Program which helps new arrivals navigate their way in Australia from education to housing to finding a job. "Art is powerful because there's emotions and it's a very good tool for healing where artists become leaders in their communities," Mr Saaid explained. "So when we take care of those talents we are increasing the sense of belonging and enriching the cultural scene in Australia too." The creative arts project run out of Sydney provides refugees with artistic opportunities whether it is in music, theatre or visual arts with a professional industry setting. They pair them with experts and masterclasses in collaboration with cultural bodies such as the Art Gallery of NSW and link them with local art centres such as Casula Powerhouse and Blacktown Arts Centre in culturally diverse western Sydney with the view to earning a living off their work. "The art scene in Australia is very difficult to navigate especially with all the settlement barriers so ... guidance is the best thing to nurture them," Mr Saaid said. This was Ezra's experience, having sold one of his paintings displayed at an exhibition at NSW Police headquarters recently. He is hard at work painting a couple of new canvases for an upcoming exhibition next month marking International Human Rights Day. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementLiverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League has been cut to seven points after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Newcastle. Chelsea moved up to second by thrashing last-place Southampton 5-1, while Arsenal are third – also on 28 points – after a 2-0 win over Manchester United. A new era of the UEFA Champions League is here, only on Stan Sport. Also on Wednesday night, fourth-placed Manchester City ended their seven-game winless run with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Liverpool’s result will give hope to their title rivals after Fabian Schar’s 90th-minute equaliser at St James’ Park. Arne Slot’s team had twice come back from a goal down to take the lead in the 83rd through Mohamed Salah’s second goal of the match. But the Merseyside team were denied an eighth-straight win when Newcastle produced a fightback of their own. Chelsea took advantage with a third straight league win and are ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. More Football City also reduced the gap and are nine points behind Liverpool after finally ending the worst run of results of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career. “We needed it. The club, the players, everyone needed to win,” Guardiola said. Liverpool’s title credentials were given a stern test by Newcastle, who led at halftime through Alexander Isak and again in the second half through Anthony Gordon. Goals from Curtis Jones and Salah twice levelled the game before Salah looked to have sealed the win late on. Schar’s equaliser meant Liverpool dropped points for only the third time this season after drawing against Arsenal and losing to Forest. Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said this week that his team was not in the title race, but the standings tell a different story. The London team are Liverpool’s closest challengers after their latest win against 10-man Southampton. Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho were all on target in the rout at St Mary’s Stadium. Southampton had briefly levelled through Joe Aribo, but Chelsea was already 3-1 up and in control when Jack Stephens was sent off before the break. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images) Making his first start since September, Kevin De Bruyne showed City exactly what they have been missing by scoring a goal and creating another as the four-time defending champions got back to winning ways. The Belgium playmaker provided the cross for Bernardo Silva to give City an eighth-minute lead against Forest at the Etihad Stadium. He produced a trademark finish to sweep the ball past goalkeeper Matz Sels in the 31st to put City on course for a first win in eight games. Jeremy Doku made it 3-0 in the 57th, but it was De Bruyne’s performance that stood out after seeing much of his season disrupted by a groin injury. A first win in six games for Everton moved Sean Dyche’s team further away from the relegation zone, while back-to-back losses for Wolverhampton left the club second from bottom of the standings. Ashley Young and Orel Mangala put Everton in control before two second-half own goals from Craig Dawson sealed a 4-0 win for the Merseyside club, who are five points clear of the bottom three. Aston Villa ended an even longer winless run by beating Brentford 3-1 to secure a first victory in nine games in all competitions. Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins from the penalty spot and Matty Cash were on target.

DOWN HOME: Blowing lid off love story49ers make change to All-Pro defender's status on the eve of their Week 17 matchup with Lions

Thor Explorations Ltd. ( OTCMKTS:THXPF – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 30,100 shares, a decline of 57.1% from the November 30th total of 70,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 189,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Thor Explorations Trading Up 2.3 % THXPF stock opened at $0.22 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $0.21 and a 200-day moving average of $0.21. Thor Explorations has a 12-month low of $0.11 and a 12-month high of $0.25. About Thor Explorations ( Get Free Report ) Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Thor Explorations Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thor Explorations and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Gold Moves Lower, Rumble Shares JumpJimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

Minister of electricity and energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced the appointment of eight preferred bidders under the renewable energy independent power procurement programme Bid Window 7. The programme aims to procure 615MW to provide capacity and energy services to Eskom at eight sites in North West, the Free State and Gauteng. The programme has a combined contracted capacity of 1,760MW. Ramokgopa also announced eight preferred bidders under the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) Bid Window 2. The department said both bid windows were released to market on December 14 last year and bids were received in August this year. Evaluations were conducted over three months by independent bid evaluation committees under strict security measures at the Independent Power Producers Office. Ministerial spokesperson Tsakane Khambane said the seventh bid window of the REIPPPP (REIPPPP BW 7) was designed to facilitate the procurement of up to 5,000MW in renewable energy capacity, comprising 1,800MW Solar PV and 3,200MW onshore wind capacity. She said the department received a total of 48 bid responses, totalling over 10.2GW, including 40 from solar PV and eight from onshore wind projects on August 15. After the independent evaluation, 30 solar PV projects and four onshore wind projects were evaluated as compliant with the requirements of the request for proposals (RFP). Of these, eight solar PV projects, totalling 1 760MW, have been appointed as preferred bidders under the REIPPPP Bid Window 7. “The department is further considering the appointment of additional compliant bidders in both onshore wind and solar PV that are eligible for appointment as preferred bidders, subject to value for money negotiations and the reallocation of MW under this bid window from onshore wind technology to solar PV technology, as provided for in the RFPs,” said Khambane. Total investments from the eight solar PV preferred bidders in this bid window is R31.4bn. The preferred bidders have committed to creating 1,570 job opportunities during construction and operations. TimesLIVE

On Dec. 23, I made a year-end resolution. For the remaining nine days of the year, I won’t be touching a single drop of alcohol. When friends commented that this quest was quite unrealistic given all the upcoming parties, I reasoned that I don’t like alcohol anyway— especially the debilitating headache that I always get from a hangover even if I only had one drink. I was successful for a grand total of 24 hours. At “noche buena,” one of my cousins brought a bottle of Limoncello—a drink I genuinely love— and my year-end resolution was immediately discarded and demoted to a humorous holiday-related anecdote. This episode is typical of people’s various resolutions as the year changes. Due to what psychologists call the “fresh start effect,” individuals are more inclined to pursue positive changes following temporal landmarks such as birthdays or, in this case, the end and start of a year. However, as many of us know from personal experience (and confirmed by research), many of these pursuits toward self-betterment often falter and fail. The self-help industry has often trumpeted positive thinking as the key to achieving our goals. Proponents assert that we will be more motivated and focused if we just take the time to properly visualize our desired outcome while engaging in encouraging self-talk. Positive thinking also includes telling other people about one’s plans. They claim that sharing our resolutions with others enables us to attract support and compels us to be more accountable. While these insights sound good in theory, they often fall short in practice. For instance, a study conducted among hip replacement surgery patients found that the more they imagined themselves having a smooth recovery, the less motivated they were to move their new joints. Another study found that the more overweight individuals imagined a thinner version of themselves, the less success they had in losing weight. Dr. Gabriele Oettingen, a renowned psychology professor and researcher, argues that our hyperfixation on positive thinking is actually what could be hindering us from reaching our aspirations. After 20 years of researching the impact of positive thinking on people’s lives, Oettingen discovered that when people imagine themselves attaining the future they want, they tend to hold on to the positive feelings that come with that image while neglecting the need to strategize and mobilize. She also highlighted that telling others about our plans could make us less likely to do it consistently. Since we have already received social affirmation for our intention to act, many might no longer feel motivated to put in the actual work. As an alternative, Oettingen suggests practicing a concept she calls “mental contrasting.” This cognitive strategy focuses on helping an individual visualize their desired goals and imagine how it feels like to attain them while simultaneously acknowledging the obstacles that may hinder their achievement. The strength of the mental contrasting technique lies in its ability to promote a more pragmatic kind of optimism. By envisioning both the positive aspects of achieving a goal and the potential difficulties, one also becomes more proactive in developing actionable plans to overcome them. Mental contrasting also helps people see how their habits contribute to obstacles. This translates into concrete behavioral changes and a stronger sense of responsibility for their progress and challenges. Oettingen crafted the “Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan” or the WOOP goal-setting strategy to guide individuals on operationalizing mental contrasting in their day-to-day lives. It starts with identifying your Wish or what you want to accomplish, imagining the best Outcome from this goal, reflecting on the Obstacles that could keep you from completing it, and then developing a Plan using if-then statements that outline how one will overcome those barriers. Subsequent studies have shown that mental contrasting effectively facilitates behavior change across various contexts, from helping students perform better academically and enabling professionals to reach their career objectives to assisting individuals to achieve desired health-related behaviors (e.g., weight loss and smoking cessation). This approach is particularly relevant in my work with low-income communities. Given that many of our scholars routinely encounter various poverty-related barriers to success, we have always incorporated Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset in our lessons—encouraging students to embrace challenges and setbacks as a necessary component of learning and growth. While this is a good start, teaching them mental contrasting concretely helps them to navigate circumstance-specific barriers better. The beauty of mental contrasting is that it doesn’t diminish the power of hope or optimism; it grounds them in reality and action. As we prepare to welcome a new year, it is worth reflecting on how we could embrace this approach to guide the success of our goals and for all those we mentor. —————- [email protected] Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .

FILE; An air travel passenger rushes with excitement to meet her pick-up after arriving at LAX for Thanksgiving in 2021. Allen J. Schaben/Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images In this week's air travel news, three national travel organizations are predicting the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of passenger numbers at U.S. airports; Spirit Airlines says its Chapter 11 filing should have no immediate impact on customers or flight operations; American expands new boarding group enforcement technology to scores of airports; Southwest plans to add another Hawaii route from Sacramento; Mexico's Volaris is adding three new routes out of Oakland International; TAP Air Portugal's new sale has fares to Europe as low as $399 round trip from SFO; low-cost carriers Allegiant and Frontier announce more California routes; Delta starts offering Shake Shack burgers in domestic first-class cabins; Los Angeles International begins testing people-mover trains in its Central Terminal Area; a new Capital One lounge at Washington Reagan National features cuisine from a celebrity chef with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Three organizations have issued air travel forecasts for the Thanksgiving holiday period, and they all agree on one thing: It will likely be the busiest ever. AAA's annual Thanksgiving travel forecast, which covers the period from Nov. 26 (the Tuesday before the holiday) to Dec. 2 (the Monday after), predicts that 5.84 million Americans will fly domestically. That's 2.1% more than last year and 10.7% more than the last pre-pandemic year of 2019. While AAA predicts the number of people traveling, the airline industry — as represented by the trade group Airlines for America (A4A) — projects the total number of flights taken over a longer period. From Nov. 22 through Dec. 2, the organization said, U.S. airlines are expected to carry more than 31 million passengers — "an all-time high." That's an increase of 5% over last year's holiday period, and it... Jim Glab

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reviva l Gold Inc. (TSXV: RVG, OTCQX: RVLGF) (“Revival Gold” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce voting results for the election of directors at its Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of Shareholders held on November 21 st , 2024, in Toronto. A total of 114,232,316 common shares representing 57.81% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares were voted in connection with the AGM. Shareholders approved all items of business before the AGM including the election of Directors as follows: Following the AGM, Revival Gold re-appointed Tim Warman as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, Robert Chausse as Audit Committee Chair, Wayne Hubert as Compensation Committee Chair, Maura Lendon as Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Chair, and Larry Radford as Technical, Safety, Environment and Social Responsibility Committee Chair. Additionally, Revival Gold’s executive leadership consisting of Hugh Agro, John Meyer and Lisa Ross, were re-appointed as President & CEO, VP, Engineering & Development, and VP & Chief Financial Officer, respectively. Following seven years of service with the Company, Revival Gold announces the retirement of Steve Priesmeyer as Vice President, Exploration, effective December 31 st , 2024. Mr. Priesmeyer was a founding member of the Revival Gold exploration team in 2017 and has been a tireless champion of Revival Gold’s exploration efforts. Mr. Priesmeyer played a key role in the assembly and discovery of the multi-million-ounce Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project in Idaho, and the acquisition and integration of the Company’s new Mercur Gold Project in Utah earlier this year. Mr. Priesmeyer’s leadership, deep knowledge of geology and mineral exploration, and strong ‘shoulder to the wheel’ have been invaluable to Revival Gold’s development and success. Mr. Priesmeyer’s day-to-day involvement in the business will be missed but he will continue his association with Revival Gold as a technical consultant to assist with the transition and for special assignments as needed. Ongoing exploration leadership duties will be assumed by Revival Gold’s Chief Geologist, Dan Pace, B.A., M.Sc. (Economic Geology), Regis. Mem. SME, Member SEG. “Steve has had a tremendous impact on Revival Gold success and, together with the team that Steve assembled, is credited with Beartrack-Arnett’s emergence as one of the largest new discoveries of gold in the United States in a decade,” observed Hugh Agro, Revival Gold’s President & CEO. “Steve’s leadership, knowledge and commitment have played a vital role in developing the Company and building a strong foundation for future growth. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire Revival Gold team, we extend our sincere thanks to Steve and wish him all the best in his retirement,” added Agro. Mr. Pace joined Revival Gold in 2023 and quickly helped transform the Company’s in-house geoscience capabilities and capacity with a focus on data-driven techniques to refine and improve upon Revival Gold’s exploration targeting and results. Mr. Pace obtained his master’s degree in Economic Geology from the University of Reno in Nevada, U.S.A. and has a wide breadth of technical experience and a fifteen-year track record of project generation and ore deposit discovery. Mr. Pace is a co-discoverer of the exceptional Silicon gold deposit in Nevada. “Revival Gold remains committed to building value through responsible exploration and development at Beartrack-Arnett and Mercur,” commented Agro. “We are excited about Dan’s expanded role in the business, and we look forward to carrying on Revival Gold’s exceptional past track record of gold discovery.” Pursuant to the Company’s stock option plan, Revival Gold has granted 3,195,000 incentive stock options (the “Options”) to directors, officers, and consultants of the Company as part of its annual compensation plan. The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.35 per share for a period of five years and are subject to vesting provisions. About Revival Gold Revival Gold is a pure gold, mine developer operating in the western United States. The Company is advancing engineering and economic studies on the Mercur Gold Project in Utah and mine permitting preparations and ongoing exploration at the Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project located in Idaho. Revival Gold is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol “RVG” and trades on the OTCQX Market under the ticker symbol “RVLGF”. The Company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada with its exploration and development office located in Salmon, Idaho. Additional disclosure including the Company’s financial statements, technical reports, news releases and other information can be obtained at www.revival-gold.com or on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. For further information, please contact: Hugh Agro, President & CEO or Lisa Ross, CFO Telephone: (416) 366-4100 or Email: info@revival-gold.com . Cautionary Statement Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release includes certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. securities legislation (collectively “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “will,” or “plan.” Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking statements could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this document include, but are not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals and future plans, and statements of intent, the implications of exploration results, mineral resource/reserve estimates and exploration and mine development plans. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to maintain the modelling and assumptions upon which the interpretation of results are based after further testing, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, changes in regulatory requirements, political and social risks, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, uncertainties or challenges related to mineral title in the Company’s projects, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity and in particular gold prices, delays in the development of projects, capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates, the continued availability of capital, accidents and labour disputes, and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, an inability to raise additional funding, the manner the Company uses its cash or the proceeds of an offering of the Company’s securities, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, future climatic conditions, the discovery of new, large, low-cost mineral deposits, the general level of global economic activity, disasters or environmental or climatic events which affect the infrastructure on which the project is dependent, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR+. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR+ for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect the Company’s ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

Paul McCartney Wants to Finish a New Solo Album Next Year

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. 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. Bill Barrow, The Associated Press

Stock market today: Wall Street wavers at the start of a holiday-shortened week

Man City Equal Chelsea’s Unwanted League Feat After 4-0 Defeat To Spurs

SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote. The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon's ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president's impeachment. Yoon's martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon's impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn't reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result "very regrettable" and an embarrassing moment for the country's democracy that has been closely watched by the world. "The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue," he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. There are worries that Yoon won't be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office because his leadership took a huge hit. Many experts say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties' efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Woo repeatedly urged ruling party members to return to the chamber to participate in the vote, waiting several hours for them to come. At one point, Democratic Party leaders visited a hall on the floor below the main chamber where PPP lawmakers were gathered, attempting to persuade them to vote. After being blocked from entering, they angrily accused the conservatives' leadership of preventing its lawmakers from voting freely. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won't shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country's political turmoil, "including matters related to my term in office." "The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot," Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a "den of criminals" bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces." The turmoil resulting from Yoon's bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon's martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. Yoon's speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon's early exit from office. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon's speech was "greatly disappointing" and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon's martial law "unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup." The passage of Yoon's impeachment motion appeared more likely Friday when the chair of Yoon's party called for his removal on Friday, but the party remained formally opposed to impeachment. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing and singing along to K-pop songs with lyrics changed to call for Yoon's ouster. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP's headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon's supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon's wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon's party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon's martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country's defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of "anti-state activities." Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him. Copyright 2024 NPRShaping