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Some quotations from Jimmy Carter: We have a tendency to exalt ourselves and to dwell on the weaknesses and mistakes of others. I have come to realize that in every person there is something fine and pure and noble, along with a desire for self-fulfillment. Political and religious leaders must attempt to provide a society within which these human attributes can be nurtured and enhanced. — from 1975 book “Why Not the Best?” Our government can express the highest common ideals of human beings — if we demand of government true standards of excellence. At this Bicentennial time of introspection and concern, we must demand such standards. — “Why Not the Best?” I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry. — “Why Not the Best?” Christ said, “I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.” I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do — and I have done it — and God forgives me for it. But that doesn’t mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock. — Interview, November 1976 Playboy. This inauguration ceremony marks a new beginning, a new dedication within our Government, and a new spirit among us all. A President may sense and proclaim that new spirit, but only a people can provide it. — Inaugural address, January 1977. It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation and recession. ... All the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. ... It is a crisis of confidence. — So-called “malaise” speech, July 1979. But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations. Each generation must rediscover the meaning of this hallowed vision in the light of its own modern challenges. For this generation, ours, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants. — Farewell Address, January 1981. We appreciate the past. We are grateful for the present and we’re looking forward to the future with great anticipation and commitment. — October 1986, at the dedication of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum. War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children. — December 2002, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. Fundamentalists have become increasingly influential in both religion and government, and have managed to change the nuances and subtleties of historic debate into black-and-white rigidities and the personal derogation of those who dare to disagree. ... The influence of these various trends poses a threat to many of our nation’s historic customs and moral commitments, both in government and in houses of worship. — From 2005 book “Our Endangered Values.” I think that this breakthrough by Barack Obama has been remarkable. When he made his speech (on race) a few months ago in Philadelphia, I wept. I sat in front of the television and cried, because I saw that as the most enlightening and transforming analysis of racism and a potential end of it that I ever saw in my life. — August 2008, commenting on then-Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy. I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president. ... No matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect. — September 2009, reacting to Rep. Joe Wilson’s shout of “You lie!” during a speech to Congress by President Barack Obama. I’m still determined to outlive the last guinea worm. — 2010, on The Carter Center’s work to eradicate guinea worm disease. You know how much I raised to run against Gerald Ford? Zero. You know how much I raised to run against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You know how much will be raised this year by all presidential, Senate and House campaigns? $6 billion. That’s 6,000 millions. — September 2012, reacting to the 2010 “Citizens United” U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting unlimited third-party political spending. I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States. — From 2014 book “A Call to Action.” I don’t think there’s any doubt now that the NSA or other agencies monitor or record almost every telephone call made in the United States, including cellphones, and I presume email as well. We’ve gone a long way down the road of violating Americans’ basic civil rights, as far as privacy is concerned. — March 2014, commenting on U.S. intelligence monitoring after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks We accept self-congratulations about the wonderful 50th anniversary – which is wonderful – but we feel like Lyndon Johnson did it and we don’t have to do anything anymore. — April 2014, commenting on racial inequality during a celebration of the Civil Rights Act’s 40th anniversary. I had a very challenging question at Emory (University) the other night: “How would you describe the United States of America today in one word?” And I didn’t know what to say for a few moments, but I finally said, “Searching.” I think the country in which we live is still searching for what it ought to be, and what it can be, and I’m not sure we’re making much progress right at this moment. — October 2014 during a celebration of his 90th birthday. The life we have now is the best of all. We have an expanding and harmonious family, a rich life in our church and the Plains community, and a diversity of projects at The Carter Center that is adventurous and exciting. Rosalynn and I have visited more than 145 countries, and both of us are as active as we have ever been. We are blessed with good health and look to the future with eagerness and confidence, but are prepared for inevitable adversity when it comes. — From 2015 book, “A Full Life.”

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Sunday, December 1, 2024 Spain ’s new law requiring tourists to share personal information has sparked widespread outrage, particularly among British holidaymakers. Starting December 2, tourists will be required to provide extensive details about their travel plans, including the hotels they will stay at, the vehicles they plan to rent, and a range of personal data. This has led to heated debates online, with some social media users calling for a boycott of Spanish destinations. The new rules, which aim to protect Spain from organized crime and terrorism, require accommodation providers to collect up to 31 pieces of information from guests. Currently, hotels ask for basic ID or passport details, but the new regulations will significantly expand the scope of required data. New Data Requirements for Tourists Under the new law, tourists must provide: The regulations will apply not only to traditional hotels but also to short-term rentals like Airbnb. Children under 14 are exempt from the rule, but adults traveling with minors will be required to explain their relationship with the child. Backlash and Calls for Boycott Many social media users have criticized the new measures, calling them invasive and reminiscent of “Big Brother” surveillance. One user tweeted, “Boycott Spanish islands altogether, rather go to Turkiye anyway,” while another commented, “No great loss there. I hated my two weeks on holiday there.” The backlash has been particularly strong from UK tourists, as Spain remains a top destination for British travelers. Spain Defends the Measures In defense of the law, Spain’s Secretaria de Estado de Seguridad (State Secretariat for Security) stated that the new regulations are necessary to combat terrorism and organized crime, both of which often involve foreign nationals. The government emphasized that the rules are aimed at safeguarding public safety, as “the greatest attacks on public safety are carried out by both terrorist activity and organized crime, in both cases with a marked transnational character.” Fines for Non-Compliance While there are no penalties for tourists who fail to comply with the new rules, accommodation providers will face fines if they do not collect the required information from guests. This has added to the controversy, with critics arguing that the burden of compliance will unfairly fall on businesses. As the new regulations loom, tourists are left divided, with some voicing concerns over privacy while others defend the measures as necessary for security. Only time will tell whether Spain’s bold new approach will impact its tourism industry.COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with a neck injury late in the first half of Saturday's game at No. 24 Missouri. Jackson appeared to injure his neck while trying to tackle Missouri running back Jamal Roberts. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Home | News | Opinion G20 Keeps The Idea Alive Opinion: G20 keeps the idea alive Though overshadowed by wars and the return of Trump, the summit in Brazil raised debates on revitalising multilateralism By Telangana Today Published Date - 26 November 2024, 11:55 PM By Akhil Kumar, Anudeep Gujjeti Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies met last week in Brazil for their annual summit overshadowed by two major wars and the return of Donald Trump as President of the United States. As the world is increasingly becoming interconnected and facing challenges such as climate change, energy volatility, hunger and poverty, and growing economic and social inequality, a multilateral forum like G20 aims to address them as they affect every border, continent and ocean. The G20 was formed in 1999 against the backdrop of the financial crisis of the late 1990s that hit East Asia and Southeast Asia in particular. It aimed to secure global economic stability by involving middle-income countries. Over the years, the grouping agenda has expanded to address a wide range of global issues, reflecting the evolving challenges of the international community. It became a crucial platform where world leaders actively engaged in dialogue and coordinated actions to navigate the complexities of global order. Non-Traditional Security Citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, which states that 733 million people are undernourished in 2024, Brazil President Lula da Silva inaugurated the “Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty” at the G20 summit. At a time when global discourse is dominated by traditional security concerns such as increasing military budgets, protecting national boundaries, strengthening military alliances and building national defence, the formation of alliance brought non-traditional/non-conventional security back into the spotlight. In 2015, all 193 UN member states adopted the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ which aimed to end poverty and hunger, and achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030. The progress, especially in reducing poverty, inequality and hunger, was severely hampered by systemic and regional factors like Covid-19, supply chain disruptions and conflicts in multiple regions of the world. In his remarks at the session on ‘Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported Brazil’s initiative of the alliance and reiterated the adverse impacts of conflicts on Global South’s access to “food, fuel and fertilizer.” Interestingly, it was in Brazil during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 20), 2012, a process was launched to develop a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, one area where the summit remained elusive was of climate change. Considering that it happened while the Conference of Parties (COP) 29 negotiations were under way in Baku, Azerbaijan, there were high expectations from the summit over concrete outcomes on climate change but the G20 statement did not directly refer to any move away from fossil fuels. This in turn caused fears and dilemmas among the negotiators at COP29. The return of Trump could mean a setback to climate change negotiations as he is dismissive of climate change and is a pro-oil and gas supporter, whose campaign slogan had been “drill-baby-drill”. According to experts at COP29, less-developed countries might need about $1 trillion a year assistance to turn green and without US’ financial and technological support these countries will be pushed towards fossil fuels to meet their energy demands. Claimant over Global South Moreover, as the idea of the Global South gains traction, India and China, two prominent Asian powers and members of BRICS, continue to jostle for leadership within this emerging bloc. Ahead of the G20 Summit, the two nations reached an agreement to disengage along a contentious Himalayan border, an area that witnessed the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. During the summit, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping articulated their vision for leadership in the Global South. India emphasised that global conflicts have a disproportionate adverse impact on developing nations, and advocated the need for peace and cooperation for their progress. Hinting at greater support for Global South, President Xi outlined China’s commitment through eight key initiatives, including the promotion of a “high-quality” Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a cornerstone of China’s foreign policy that channels substantial investments into infrastructure projects across the developing world. Additionally, China, in collaboration with Brazil, South Africa and the African Union, announced the launch of the ‘Open Science International Cooperation Initiative.’ This initiative aims to facilitate the transfer of scientific and technological innovations to benefit nations within the Global South. As a forum for dialogue and cooperation, G20’s success is contingent upon its efforts to strengthen both its legitimacy and its operational efficacy Many countries within the Global South have expressed growing concerns about Chinese policies, particularly where Chinese loans have burdened developing nations such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Kenya. However, it is undeniable that China’s economic footprint in the Global South, through extensive loans and investments, remains significantly larger than that of India, despite its recent challenges with stalled economic growth. India seeks to strengthen its relationship with countries in the Global South, particularly in Africa, by addressing human-centric and multidimensional concerns such as food security, energy and health. However, achieving a transformative impact on the challenges faced by developing countries requires a more substantial allocation of financial resources to strengthen these partnerships. While India emphasises equity and inclusivity with reforms in multilateral institutions to represent the interests of the Global South, China, on the other hand, is positioning itself to shape a new global order, where it assumes the role of the dominant player. Wars Divide G20 The wars raging in Europe and West Asia dominated the discussions at the summit. In their final joint communique, leaders adopted a more neutral stance in addressing the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, reflecting a cautious approach to these complex issues. During the summit, Ukraine launched longer-range US-supplied missiles into Russian territory for the first time, prompting Moscow to revise its nuclear doctrine. This escalation raised concerns among G20 leaders, further intensifying the tension surrounding the conflict. Although some of the European countries wanted a direct reference to Russia over its role in the conflict, the final communique refrained from it, leaving Ukraine’s Western allies disappointed. Similarly, there wasn’t any direct reference to Israel over its actions against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah in the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. The G20 members, which include strong supporters of Israel like the US and Argentina, as well as pro-Palestinian nations such as Turkey, reaffirmed the urgent need to enhance humanitarian aid to the region. They also called for a ceasefire and reiterated their support for a two-state solution. As a forum for dialogue and cooperation, the G20’s success is contingent upon its efforts to continually strengthen both its legitimacy and its operational efficacy, ensuring that it remains a relevant and influential platform for addressing global economic and political challenges. Despite receiving comparatively less media attention than previous iterations, the latest summit raised debates on the necessity of revitalising multilateralism, supporting the Global South, and discussions on issues of non-traditional security aspects such as combating hunger and poverty, addressing climate change, and ensuring energy security. (Akhil Kumar has a PhD from Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad. Anudeep Gujjeti is Assistant Professor, Centre of Excellence for Geopolitics and International Studies, REVA University, Young Leader, Pacific Forum, USA) Follow Us : Tags Brazil China Climate change Donald Trump Related News Gautam Gambhir flies back to India due to ‘personal emergency’ Trump to slap 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, 10% on China Opinion: Designing innovative India Editorial: Too little, too lateMinskip To Stage A Christmas Fayre And Concert

Arkansas DE Landon Jackson carted off field and taken to hospital with neck injuryGS1 pushes barcode adoption for patient safety, better workflow for health care workers

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'Other cases have taken more months and years': Former world No. 4 questions Sinner and Swiatek doping cases timelinesGame-day relicsATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey gambling regulators have handed out $40,000 in fines to two sportsbooks and a tech company for violations that included taking bets on unauthorized events, and on games that had already ended. In information made public Monday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement fined DraftKings $20,000. It also levied $10,000 fines on Rush Street Interactive NJ and the sports betting technology company Kambi. According to documents released by the state, Rush Street accepted 16 bets worth $1,523 in Nov. 2021 on a college basketball game between the University of North Carolina-Asheville and Tennessee Tech University after the game had already concluded with a UNC victory. Kambi told the enforcement division that a trader had failed to manually remove that game from its betting markets, saying it had stopped receiving messages from its own sports data provider due to a network connectivity error. Kambi said it has updated its guidelines and retrained its traders to prevent a recurrence. Kambi, which is based in Malta, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday. Rush Street declined comment, and DraftKings had no immediate comment Monday. DraftKings stopped using Kambi in 2021. In March 2022 Rush Street took seven bets totaling just under $2,900 on three Magic City Jai Alai games after the results were already known. Kambi told the division it experienced a connectivity issue that allowed the bets to be accepted after the games were over. An explanation of what Kambi did to address the situation was blacked out in documents released by the division. A month earlier Rush Street took 13 wagers worth $8,150 with pre-match odds on a Professional Golf Association match after the event had already begun. In this case, Kambi told the division a newly hired trader failed to enter the correct closing time time for bets on the event. The trader and a supervisor underwent retraining. DraftKings was fined for taking bets on unapproved events including Russian basketball for nine months in 2020 and 2021. It eventually voided over $61,000 in bets and returned the money to customers after being directed to do so by the state. In this case, Kambi told the division it misidentified this particular Russian basketball league as one that was approved for wagering in New Jersey. DraftKings told the state it did not catch the error, either. In 2020, DraftKings accepted 484 wagers on unapproved table tennis matches. Kambi incorrectly enabled the events for wagering without conditions required by the state, the division said. In Feb. 2022, the division said DraftKings took pre-season NFL bets involving specific players but did not give the state specific information on what information was to be included in the bets, drawing 182 wagers worth nearly $7,000 that were later voided and refunded to customers. Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge wins his second AL MVP award after leading MLB with 58 home runs

TEHRAN- Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has announced that, contrary to published reports, the TRT Persian channel does not possess an operating license. In a statement published on Monday, the ministry clarified its position regarding a recent newspaper article that discussed the issuance of an operating license for the Persian section of Turkey's TRT television network. The ministry asserted that it has not granted any such license, and the claims regarding authorized activities by this network are inaccurate. In October, remarks made by Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, the General Director of Turkey's state broadcaster TRT, sparked controversy. He stated, "We are in a state of confusion and discomfort for Iran. We must do this," while announcing plans to launch a Persian-language channel as part of TRT's expansion into 41 foreign languages by year's end. These comments raised concerns among the Iranian public. In response, Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi communicated with Turkish officials to express apprehensions regarding Sobaci's statements. He urged that "such statements should be avoided," highlighting the need for unity among Muslim nations amidst regional tensions and the growing aggression of the Zionist regime. Salehi welcomed Turkey's commitment to enhancing cultural relations, emphasizing that "the Islamic Republic of Iran's fundamental foreign policy principle is to strengthen ties with its neighbors, with Turkey occupying a significant position." He pointed to the robust political and cultural connections between the two countries and the opportunities for collaboration in the designated Year of Iranian-Turkish Culture. Describing culture as a vital foundation for cooperation, Salehi insisted that both nations should leverage their shared cultural resources. He acknowledged recent initiatives in media collaboration, asserting Iran's readiness to bolster these ties in a manner that aligns with the interests of both countries. During this dialogue, Fahrettin Altun, Director of Communications for Turkey's Presidency, reiterated Turkey's dedication to strengthening political and cultural relationships with Iran. He noted the importance of fostering communication and mutual understanding between the two nations and referred to a recent meeting between the two presidents that emphasized expanding cooperation across all sectors. Altun expressed regret over Sobaci's comments, clarifying that "any statement contradicting this has no connection with the thinking and approach of the Turkish President and government." He reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to friendship and cooperation with Iran, underscoring that challenges can be addressed through dialogue. The conversation concluded with a mutual commitment to ongoing cooperation while being mindful of media narratives and public sentiment. SAB/