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Felt lost in 2024? Reminiscing can help start the new year with purpose
Mystery disease kills dozens in Congo – what we know so far
GENEVA (AP) — Netflix has secured the U.S. broadcasting rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031 as the streaming giant continues its push into live sports. The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not given, though international competitions in women’s soccer have struggled to draw high-value offers. “Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix isn’t just about streaming matches,” its chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement. “It’s also about celebrating the players, the culture and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sport.” Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul. Some viewers reported streaming problems , however. Netflix also will broadcast two NFL games on Christmas Day: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. That’s part of a three-year deal announced in May. World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences, and the last women's edition in 2023 earned FIFA less than 10% of the men's 2022 World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had publicly criticized public broadcasters , especially in Europe, for undervaluing offers to broadcast the 2023 tournament that was played in Australia and New Zealand. That tournament was broadcast by Fox in the U.S. “This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game,” Infantino said. The World Cup rights mark another major step in Netflix’s push into live programming. It’s recipe that Netflix has cooked up to help sell more advertising, a top priority for the company since it introduced a low-priced version of its streaming service that includes commercials two years ago. The ad-supported version is now the fastest growing part of Netflix’s service, although most of its 283 million worldwide subscribers till pay for higher-priced options without commercial. But Netflix is still trying to sell more ads to boost its revenue, which is expected to be about $30 billion. Netflix executives have predicted it might take two or three years before its ad sales become a major part of its revenue. Netflix expects to spend about $17 billion on programming this year — a budget that the Los Gatos, California, company once funneled almost entirely into scripted TV series and movies. But Netflix is now allocating a significant chunk of that money to sports and live events, a shift that has made it a formidable competitor to traditional media bidding for the same rights. FIFA will likely use the Netflix deal to drive talks with European broadcasters that likely will be hardball negotiations. Soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire, a co-host of The Price of Football podcast, suggested the deal was “a bit of a gamble" for FIFA and “saber-rattling” by Infantino. “(Netflix) get experience of football broadcasting, FIFA can say, ‘we are now partnering with a blue chip organization, so watch out you nasty Europeans,’” Maguire, an academic at the University of Liverpool, said in a telephone interview. FIFA and Infantino also want to raise the price of broadcast deals to help fund increased prize money and close the gender pay gap on the men’s World Cup. At the men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 32 team federations shared $440 million in prize money. For the women’s 2023 tournament , FIFA had a $152 million total fund for prize money, contributions to teams’ preparation costs and payments to players’ clubs. In FIFA’s financial accounts for 2023 , the soccer body reported total broadcasting revenue of $244 million. In the year of the men’s 2022 World Cup it was almost $2.9 billion. The next Women's World Cup will be a 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027, played in Brazil from June 24-July 25. The U.S. originally bid jointly with Mexico. The 2031 host has not been decided, though the U.S. likely will bid for a tournament which FIFA is expected to try to expand to 48 teams. That would match the size of the 104-game format of the men's World Cup that debuts in 2026 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup after the U.S. won the two previous titles — in France in 2019 and Canada in 2015. More than 25 million viewers in the U.S. watched the 2015 World Cup final, a 5-2 win over Japan, played in Vancouver, Canada, in a time zone similarly favorable to Brazil. FIFA tried to sign Apple+ to an exclusive global deal to broadcast the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup which is being played in 11 U.S. cities next June and July. Broadcast networks showed little interest in the FIFA club event that will now be broadcast for free on streaming service DAZN, which is building closer business ties to Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the next Women's World Cup, Netflix will "produce exclusive documentary series in the lead-up to both tournaments, spotlighting the world’s top players, their journeys and the global growth of women’s football,” FIFA said. AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerJet sking Santa visits Bolsa Chica, and best spots to snap seaside holiday card photosEmpowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of MetLife, Inc. ( NYSE:MET – Free Report ) by 8.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,408 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 788 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in MetLife were worth $858,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in MetLife by 244.4% in the third quarter. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC now owns 310 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its stake in shares of MetLife by 131.9% in the 3rd quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MetLife by 374.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 351 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of MetLife by 177.3% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 416 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in MetLife by 37.0% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. 89.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MET shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on MetLife from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 19th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on MetLife from $89.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on MetLife from $92.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com upgraded MetLife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on MetLife from $91.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $88.46. MetLife Stock Up 1.7 % Shares of NYSE:MET opened at $86.60 on Friday. MetLife, Inc. has a one year low of $62.81 and a one year high of $86.94. The stock has a market cap of $59.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.46, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.16 and a quick ratio of 0.16. The company has a 50 day moving average of $82.48 and a 200-day moving average of $76.02. MetLife Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 5th will be given a $0.545 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 5th. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. MetLife’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.95%. About MetLife ( Free Report ) MetLife, Inc, a financial services company, provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services worldwide. It operates through six segments: Retirement and Income Solutions; Group Benefits; Asia; Latin America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and MetLife Holdings. The company offers life, dental, group short-and long-term disability, individual disability, pet insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, vision, and accident and health coverages, as well as prepaid legal plans; administrative services-only arrangements to employers; and general and separate account, and synthetic guaranteed interest contracts, as well as private floating rate funding agreements. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MET? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MetLife, Inc. ( NYSE:MET – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for MetLife Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MetLife and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Legal Tech Market Is Likely to Experience a Tremendous Growth in Near Future 12-20-2024 07:47 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: AMA Research & Media LLP Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on "Legal Tech Market Insights, to 2030" with 232 pages and enriched with self-explained Tables and charts in presentable format. In the Study you will find new evolving Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities generated by targeting market associated stakeholders. The growth of the Legal Tech market was mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world. Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Research @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/102028-global-legal-tech-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Some of the key players profiled in the study are: Blue J Legal (Canada), Anaqua Inc. (United States), CrimsonLogic (Singapore), INTELLEX (Singapore), Kira Inc. (Canada), LexisNexis (United States), Pensieve (India), Practice Evolve (Australia), Resolve Software Group (RSG) (Australia), Casetext Inc. (United States), Catalyst Repository Systems (United States). Scope of the Report of Legal Tech Legal technology, also known as Legal Tech, refers to the technology and software that are used to provide legal services. Legal technologies have turned into the essential element of competition among legal-market stakeholders. Traditional law firms are facing a very large amount of pressure from clients to deliver more at less cost and higher quality. This goes with the advent of reforms in the legal market, especially those pushed by new technological opportunities. Legal technologies allow legal service provider to enhance productivity, offer innovative digital products such as cybercrime consultation, contract management, due diligence, which improves legal-service delivery and quality while keeping costs at a low level. Specifically, scholars have defined legal technology as the application of technology and to help law firms with practice management like billing, big-data, e-discoveries and document storage. The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: by Application (Document Management System, E-Discovery, Practice and Case Management, E-Billing, Contract Management, IP-Management, Legal Analytics, Others), Components (Software, Solutions), Enterprise Size (Large departments (40+ attorneys), Mid-sized departments (10-39 attorneys), Small departments (1-9 attorneys)), End-Users (Clients, Lawyers) Market Trends: Increasing Automation in Legal Industry Increasing Demand for More Efficiency from Legal Profession Opportunities: Growing Smart Contacts Need of Legal Input in Each Case Market Drivers: Increasing Number of Attorneys Move From Outside Counsel to In-House Counsel for Corporations Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. Have Any Questions Regarding Global Legal Tech Market Report, Ask Our Experts@ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/102028-global-legal-tech-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Legal Tech Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Legal Tech market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary - the basic information of the Legal Tech Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Legal Tech Chapter 4: Presenting the Legal Tech Market Factor Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country 2015-2020 Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Legal Tech market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions (2024-2030) Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source finally, Legal Tech Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/102028-global-legal-tech-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Middle East, Africa, Europe or LATAM, Southeast Asia. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA - 08837 Phone: +1(201) 7937323, +1(201) 7937193 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com About Author: AMA Research & Media is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enables clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. This release was published on openPR.
From porn star to pixelated pleasure. Chloe Amour, a 33-year-old adult film star, has revealed that she sold her likeness to an AI company to reduce the pressures of her demanding career. The Las Vegas-based performer has spent years working with major studios in the adult film industry and being a real-life “Pretty Woman” , but as her workload continued to bulge, she decided to use a virtual alter ego to interact with her fans when she’s unavailable. This move is not only a way to ease her workload, but also part of a growing trend in the adult entertainment industry where performers are utilizing AI to maintain their presence online. Amour explained that while she enjoys connecting with her fans, there are moments when she can’t fulfill all their desires. “When I chat with my fans directly, sometimes there’s things that they want to talk about with me, or there’s things that they want from me that I might not be able to give them,” she told the Daily Mail . “But through AI, they have the same likeness of me, and it’s like I can be everything that they want me to be in a sense.” No one’s being fooled though. “It’s very transparent because they’re aware that this is AI, it’s not me physically behind the device communicating with you — you know that you’re paying for,” Amour said. Her decision came after an AI company approached her with an offer to create her virtual counterpart. In exchange for a fee, she provided the company with photos, videos, and personal details to make the AI version as lifelike as possible. Amour acknowledges that AI still feels “scary and weird” to her at times, but she appreciates the ability to lighten her workload. “When you’re booked for [porn] shoots, you’re at the beck and call of that company,” she explained. “You’re gonna be on set for anywhere between, four, six, eight, ten, twelve hours, who knows?” Using a virtual persona to engage with fans allows her to take a break while maintaining her online presence. However, she does have one regret. “I should’ve signed up with them sooner because I would’ve gotten a bigger bonus!” she laughed. Amour’s AI persona is just one of many AI-generated women used to keep men company. The growing trend of AI avatars in the adult entertainment world is a sign of how technology is changing the landscape. In fact, some fans are now able to create their own custom virtual partners, from their appearance to their personality traits, hobbies and sexual preferences. Platforms like CamSoda have taken this even further by allowing users to build personalized AI “girlfriends” that become permanent features on the site. These virtual companions are available 24/7, responding instantly to users’ requests, and offering a level of privacy that traditional live-streamed cam shows cannot. A top tech executive has predicted that “AI girlfriends” will create $1B in business . Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout, wrote a blog post on X in which he shared that he met a man in Miami who “admitted to me that he spends $10,000/month” on “AI girlfriends.” “I thought he was kidding,” Isenberg wrote. “But, he’s a 24-year-old single guy who loves it.” Isenberg said he was left “speechless” by the encounter and predicted that “someone will build the AI-version of Match Group and make $1B+.” Match Group is the parent company of dating apps such as Tinder, Match.com, Hinge, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish. While users and some sex workers are embracing the technology, others aren’t too turned on to the idea . Facebook and Instagram reportedly host thousands of explicit ads for AI-generated companions and “girlfriend” apps – and sex workers are accusing Meta of double standards when it comes to policing smut. Some human sex workers raised concerns over Meta favoring AI-powered sex services and letting them multiply while barring human sex work on Facebook and Instagram as “adult content.”Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title with victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old achieved the feat with a 23-yard run during the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ crushing 41-7 success at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley is 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams, ahead of next week’s regular season finale against the New York Giants. However, he could be rested for that game in order to protect him from injury ahead of the play-offs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept alive their dreams of reaching the play-offs by overcoming the Carolina Panthers 48-14. Veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield produced a dominant performance at Raymond James Stadium, registering five passing touchdowns to equal a Buccaneers franchise record. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC conference number two seed for the post season with a 40-14 success over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Josh Allen passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another. Buffalo finish the 2024 regular season undefeated at home, with eight wins from as many games. The Indianapolis Colts’ hopes of reaching the play-offs were ended by a 45-33 defeat to the Giants. Malik Nabers exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Ihmir Smith-Marsette broke a 100-yard kick-off return to give the Giants their highest-scoring output under head coach Brian Daboll. Quarterback Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and accounted for a fifth on the ground to seal the win. Elsewhere, Mac Jones threw two touchdowns to help the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 20-13, while the Las Vegas Raiders beat the New Orleans Saints 25-10.
CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter had 26 points in Middle Tennessee's 95-88 win over South Florida on Friday. Porter shot 9 for 12 (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Blue Raiders (5-1). Essam Mostafa scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds. Kamari Lands shot 6 for 12, including 4 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.
— Oct. 1, 1924: James Earl Carter Jr. is born in Plains, Georgia, son of James Sr. and Lillian Gordy Carter. — June 1946: Carter graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy. — July 1946: Carter marries Rosalynn Smith, in Plains. They have four children, John William (“Jack”), born 1947; James Earl 3rd (“Chip”), 1950; Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), 1952; and Amy Lynn, 1967. — 1946-1953: Carter serves in a Navy nuclear submarine program, attaining rank of lieutenant commander. — Summer 1953: Carter resigns from the Navy, returns to Plains after father’s death. — 1953-1971: Carter helps run the family peanut farm and warehouse business. — 1963-1966: Carter serves in the Georgia state Senate. — 1966: Carter tries unsuccessfully for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. — November 1970: Carter is elected governor of Georgia. Serves 1971-75. — Dec. 12, 1974: Carter announces a presidential bid. Atlanta newspaper answers with headline: “Jimmy Who?” — January 1976: Carter leads the Democratic field in Iowa, a huge campaign boost that also helps to establish Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus. — July 1976: Carter accepts the Democratic nomination and announces Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota as running mate. — November 1976: Carter defeats President Gerald R. Ford, winning 51% of the vote and 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 240. — January 1977: Carter is sworn in as the 39th president of the United States. On his first full day in office, he pardons most Vietnam-era draft evaders. —September 1977: U.S. and Panama sign treaties to return the Panama Canal back to Panama in 1999. Senate narrowly ratifies them in 1978. — September 1978: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Carter sign Camp David accords, which lead to a peace deal between Egypt and Israel the following year. — June 15-18, 1979: Carter attends a summit with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev in Vienna that leads to the signing of the SALT II treaty. — November 1979: Iranian militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 hostages. All survive and are freed minutes after Carter leaves office in January 1981. — April 1980: The Mariel boatlift begins, sending tens of thousands of Cubans to the U.S. Many are criminals and psychiatric patients set free by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, creating a major foreign policy crisis. — April 1980: An attempt by the U.S. to free hostages fails when a helicopter crashes into a transport plane in Iran, killing eight servicemen. — Nov. 4, 1980: Carter is denied a second term by Ronald Reagan, who wins 51.6% of the popular vote to 41.7% for Carter and 6.7% to independent John Anderson. — 1982: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter co-found The Carter Center in Atlanta, whose mission is to resolve conflicts, protect human rights and prevent disease around the world. — September 1984: The Carters spend a week building Habitat for Humanity houses, launching what becomes the annual Carter Work Project. — October 1986: A dedication is held for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. The center includes the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and Carter Center offices. — 1989: Carter leads the Carter Center’s first election monitoring mission, declaring Panamanian Gen. Manuel Noriega’s election fraudulent. — May 1992: Carter meets with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at the Carter Center to discuss forming the Gorbachev Foundation. — June 1994: Carter plays a key role in North Korea nuclear disarmament talks. — September 1994: Carter leads a delegation to Haiti, arranging terms to avoid a U.S. invasion and return President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. — December 1994: Carter negotiates tentative cease-fire in Bosnia. — March 1995: Carter mediates cease-fire in Sudan’s war with southern rebels. — September 1995: Carter travels to Africa to advance the peace process in more troubled areas. — December 1998: Carter receives U.N. Human Rights Prize on 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. — August 1999: President Bill Clinton awards Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter the Presidential Medal of Freedom. — September 2001: Carter joins former Presidents Ford, Bush and Clinton at a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington after Sept. 11 attacks. — April 2002: Carter’s book “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood” chosen as finalist for Pulitzer Prize in biography. — May 2002: Carter visits Cuba and addresses the communist nation on television. He is the highest-ranking American to visit in decades. — Dec. 10, 2002: Carter is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” — July 2007: Carter joins The Elders, a group of international leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to focus on global issues. — Spring 2008: Carter remains officially neutral as Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton battle each other for the Democratic presidential nomination. — April 2008: Carter stirs controversy by meeting with the Islamic militant group Hamas. — August 2010: Carter travels to North Korea as the Carter Center negotiates the release of an imprisoned American teacher. — August 2013: Carter joins President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton at the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and the March on Washington. — Oct. 1, 2014: Carter celebrates his 90th birthday. — December 2014: Carter is nominated for a Grammy in the best spoken word album category, for his book “A Call To Action.” — May 2015: Carter returns early from an election observation visit in Guyana — the Carter Center’s 100th — after feeling unwell. — August 2015: Carter has a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. He plans to receive treatment at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. — August 2015: Carter announces that his grandson Jason Carter will chair the Carter Center governing board. — March 6, 2016: Carter says an experimental drug has eliminated any sign of his cancer, and that he needs no further treatment. — May 25, 2016: Carter steps back from a “front-line” role with The Elders to become an emeritus member. — July 2016: Carter is treated for dehydration during a Habitat for Humanity build in Canada. — Spring 2018: Carter publishes “Faith: A Journey for All,” the last of 32 books. — March 22, 2019: Carter becomes the longest-lived U.S. president, surpassing President George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018. — September 18, 2019: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter deliver their final in-person annual report at the Carter Center. — October 2019: At 95, still recovering from a fall, Carter joins the Work Project with Habitat for Humanity in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s the last time he works personally on the annual project. — Fall 2019-early 2020: Democratic presidential hopefuls visit, publicly embracing Carter as a party elder, a first for his post-presidency. — November 2020:The Carter Center monitors an audit of presidential election results in the state of Georgia, marking a new era of democracy advocacy within the U.S. — Jan. 20, 2021: The Carters miss President Joe Biden’s swearing-in, the first presidential inauguration they don’t attend since Carter’s own ceremony in 1977. The Bidens later visit the Carters in Plains on April 29. — Feb. 19, 2023: Carter enters home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. — July 7, 2023: The Carters celebrate their 77th and final wedding anniversary. — Nov. 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter dies at home, two days after the family announced that she had joined the former president in receiving hospice care. — Oct. 1, 2024 — Carter becomes the first former U.S. president to reach 100 years of age , celebrating at home with extended family and close friends. — Oct. 16, 2024 — Carter casts a Georgia mail ballot for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, having told his family he wanted to live long enough to vote for her. It marks his 21st presidential election as a voter. — Dec. 29, 2024: Carter dies at home.
A “mystery disease” recently struck the south-western corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), killing between 67 and 143 people over two weeks . The disease was reported to cause flu-like symptoms of fever, headache, cough and anaemia. An epidemiologist told Reuters that it was mainly women and children who were seriously affected by the disease. But little else is known about the disease so far. Health officials in the DRC are urgently investigating this incident to identify the cause of this deadly outbreak. Initially, they would consider possible diseases known to be endemic to the region such as malaria, dengue or Chikungunya . However, they are likely to face difficulties detecting the cause because of diagnostic testing infrastructure issues , as well as difficulties with sample collections, transport of those samples to laboratory and testing. In low-income countries, such as the DRC, many clinical laboratories can only test for common pathogens. Limitations in the quality and performance of some of their clinical laboratories are also a problem. If it is not one of the usual suspects, the detection of rarer pathogens often requires samples to be sent to more specialist laboratories that can do specialised tests, such as gene sequencing. This could mean that samples need to be sent to laboratories abroad. However, the international sharing of such biological samples is highly contentious over concerns that the benefits of doing so are often not fairly shared between countries. Another priority for local health officials is to understand the extent and severity of the outbreak. The high mortality and number of cases of people affected are alarming. However, it is not easy to work out the true extent of such outbreaks, as not all infected patients will be detected. Not all infected people seek care. Clinics may be few and far between, especially in remote areas, and are often understaffed. Indeed, the DRC has fewer than two doctors per 10,000 population (by comparison the UK which has more than 31 doctors per 10,000 population). Even if patients did attend a hospital or clinic, not all infections would be diagnosed. Not all patients would be tested for infection, and not all detected infections are reported to the health authorities. The lack of information about the cause, extent and number of infected people makes it hard to accurately assess the threat it poses. But this is not an isolated risk. Outbreaks of new infectious diseases have occurred regularly over the years . This is partly driven by climate change, changing population demography, urbanisation and deforestation that enables the “spillover” of infections from animals to humans. Unfortunately, our global infectious disease radar is broken. Disease surveillance is fragmented globally . In poorer countries, there will be many areas where diseases are not detected or are detected late. Surveillance services are often poorly resourced and understaffed, staff often lack training or supervision, and reporting may not be standardised. There is also often a significant delay from the time a person gets infected, and is diagnosed with the disease, to the time it is reported to the public health authorities . This in turn delays disease control responses to outbreaks. These problems are worse in resource-poor settings, such as in sub-Saharan Africa. What solutions are being tried? One World Health Organization (WHO) initiative being trialled in several countries across Africa, South America and south Asia, is the 7-1-7 initiative . This sets aspirational targets for outbreaks of infectious diseases to be detected within seven days, notified to public health authorities within a day, and seven days to complete an initial response. This is a laudable aim but it may still be too late for fast-moving outbreaks. Another solution is to better integrate and better coordinate existing surveillance activities and systems. One such WHO initiative is Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR), which has mainly been deployed in Africa over the past two decades. IDSR has had mixed success so far. A recent review found information technology system issues, financial constraints and data-sharing problems, as well as workforce gaps. Other global initiatives include the International Pathogen Surveillance Network brought together by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, and recent efforts to promote collaborative surveillance across different agencies and sectors (from human health to animal health and the environment) to work together and share information as well as expertise. The effectiveness of such initiatives remains to be seen, but they are a step in the right direction. Without better disease surveillance globally, we may not detect the next pandemic until it is too late. Andrew Lee has previously received research funding from the National Institute for Health Research. He is a member of the UK Faculty of Public Health and the Royal Society for Public Health, and has previously worked for Public Health England. He was previously funded by the International Association of National Public Health Institutes as a technical advisor for their global review of disease surveillance.California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation said Sunday. Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia — the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House. Carter died “peacefully” at his home in Plains, “surrounded by his family,” The Carter Center said in a statement. “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” Chip Carter, the former president’s son, said in the statement. Carter was the oldest living ex-US leader and the nation’s longest-lived president — an outcome that seemed unlikely back in 2015 when the Southern Democrat revealed he had brain cancer. But the US Navy veteran and fervent Christian repeatedly defied the odds to enjoy a long and fruitful post-presidency, after four years in the Oval Office often seen as disappointing. During his single term, Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years that included brokering a peace deal between Israel and Egypt dubbed the Camp David Accords. But his administration hit numerous snags — the most serious being the taking of US hostages in Iran and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980. He also came in for criticism for his handling of an oil crisis. In November of that year, Republican challenger Ronald Reagan clobbered Carter at the polls, relegating the Democrat to just one term. Reagan, a former actor and governor of California, swept into office on a wave of staunch conservatism. – Active post-presidency – As the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged — one that took into account his significant post-presidential activities and reassessed his achievements. He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and he was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice. He observed numerous elections around the world and emerged as a prominent international mediator, tackling global problems from North Korea to Bosnia. Carter, known for his toothy smile, said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency. He taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s. In recent years, he had received various hospital treatments, including when he revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation. US Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who is the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr preached, wished the Carter family comfort as the former president entered hospice last year. “Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God,” Warnock wrote on X, then Twitter. “In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.” In April 2021, President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, met with the Carters at their home in Plains. The White House later released a photo showing the couples smiling together, although only Rosalynn was seen by the press outside, bidding the Bidens farewell while using a walker. Rosalynn, Carter’s wife of 77 years, died on November 19, 2023 at age 96. The former president, who looked frail, poignantly appeared at her memorial service in a wheelchair, with a blanket on his lap bearing their likenesses. Carter is survived by the couple’s four children, three sons and a daughter. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
