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( MENAFN - UkrinForm) Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with a U.S. delegation headed by Ambassador-at-Large of the State Department Nathaniel Fick, and the main topic was cybersecurity. According to Ukrinform, Umerov posted this on Facebook. The meeting was also attended by Doug Beck, director of the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation, and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink. The Defense Minister emphasized that in the field of cybersecurity, Ukraine seeks to adopt the US experience in countering digital threats as much as possible. “We have a successful example of cooperation with American experts from the Hunt Forward team, thanks to which we jointly identify vulnerabilities in our digital systems and strengthen protection,” the minister said. Ukraine, he emphasized, has already demonstrated that it is able not only to learn but also to share its best practices. Together with his team, Umerov presented to the American delegation digital solutions of the Ministry of Defense, including the Army+ and Reserve+ applications and the DELTA unified ecosystem for military needs. He also informed about the creation of the Cyber Incident Response Center, which will become an important element in countering the enemy on the digital battlefield. “We agreed with Nathaniel Fick and Doug Beck to further deepen cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of cybersecurity,” the Defense Minister said. He emphasized that the priority is to increase investment in Ukrainian innovations, strengthen the digital infrastructure that is invulnerable to hostile attacks and introduce the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence. The Minister thanked the US partners for their comprehensive support of Ukraine and assistance in building cyber defense. As Ukrinform reported, Canada and France will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression in cyberspace . Photo: Rustem Umerov / Facebook MENAFN14122024000193011044ID1108993307 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom), the national orchestrator of Oman’s green hydrogen strategy, and German technology company thyssenkrupp nucera have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in supporting the fast-growing green hydrogen sector in the sultanate, with the aim of fostering future cooperation. Under the terms of the MoU, Hydrom and thyssenkrupp nucera plan to explore the potential for localising the assembly and service hubs for water electrolyser production. Identifying opportunities for localisation and exploring further development prospects are key elements of the intended partnership. The MoU was signed in the presence of Oman’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, H E Salim Nasser al Aufi, during Hydrom’s inaugural gH2 Investor Day in Muscat. “Hydrom is coordinating all green hydrogen activities, including the master plan for the sector in Oman. At thyssenkrupp nucera, we are committed to bringing our extensive expertise in electrolysis technology to support this ambition. With decades of experience and innovative solutions in the electrolysis business, we are well-equipped to strengthen our presence in the Middle East and lay the foundation for a successful green hydrogen sector in Oman in partnership with Hydrom,” said Dr Werner Ponikwar, CEO of thyssenkrupp nucera, in the press statement. Eng Abdulaziz Said al Shidhani, Managing Director of Hydrom, said, “Green hydrogen has the potential to be a central element in Oman’s clean economy, supporting a more sustainable and decarbonised future. By developing a competitive and sustainable green hydrogen ecosystem, we aim to position the sultanate as a leading global green hydrogen hub. Collaborating with thyssenkrupp nucera is another significant step towards achieving our ambition.” Thyssenkrupp nucera offers world-leading technologies for high-efficiency electrolysis plants. The company possesses extensive knowledge in the engineering, procurement, and construction of electrochemical plants.
Saudi Arabia launches drive to ensure purity of Zamzam water for worshippersBy BILL BARROW ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center simply said in posting about Carter’s death on the social media platform X. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A 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. 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.” 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
LGBTQ-inclusive books remained top targets of bans and “ soft censorship ” throughout 2024, but titles that centered queer characters and explored topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity continued to find fierce advocates in readers and booksellers. We asked NBC Out readers and booksellers across the country about their favorite lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer books of 2024. Here’s a selection of what we heard: ‘Private Rites’ by Julia Armfield A version of King Lear that is queer and climate-dystopian, “this book is haunting and surreal,” said Kelsey Jagneaux, the events coordinator at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida. “It delivers on all the heightened drama of its source material while perfectly reimagining the contentious daughters of this modern Lear,” Jagneaux said. Readers may recall Armfield’s powerful debut novel, “Our Wives Under the Sea,” which balanced elements of horror and the supernatural while exploring the story of a lesbian couple involved in a deep-sea research mission. ‘Coexistence’ by Billy-Ray Belcourt “Coexistence,” the debut short story collection of Indigenous writer and academic Billy-Ray Belcourt is the top pick of Julie Wernersbach, the owner of Hive Mind Books, a queer bookstore and coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York. “These short stories center the interior lives of young, gay intellectuals who are deeply introspective about their relationships with other men, their families, their work, themselves, their Indigenous identities and with the history of their Canadian land and ancestors,” Wernersbach said. “I love fiction that deals directly with philosophical ideas, poetry and the life of the mind, and that puts it right alongside sex and longing and love and family. Belcourt’s work is intricate, nuanced, and deep, very much working through and with ideas. And if you’ve spent any time on apps like Grindr, there’s plenty in this collection for you about intimacy, too.” ‘Housemates’ by Emma Copley Eisenberg Emma Copley Eisenberg’s bestselling queer road-trip romp was a favorite 2024 read of Samantha Puc, coordinator of The Nonbinarian Book Club at The Nonbinarian Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York. “‘Housemates’ is such a beautifully queer take on the quintessential American road trip novel that asks pertinent and timely questions about art, connection and what sustains us as we age, especially in relationship to bad actors and the harm they perpetuate,” Puc said. In this latest book, Eisenberg — whose 2020 true-crime book, “The Third Rainbow Girl,” explored a double murder in rural Appalachia — “focuses particularly on how her characters embody their desires, centering fatness and queerness with attention toward complexity and how hard it can be to figure out who you are and what you want when you’re young, in love and thrust into the spotlight,” Puc added. ‘Little Rot’ by Akwaeke Emezi An “unsettling, spicy and thrilling literary fiction with the most diverse cast” is how Chelsia Rice, co-owner of Montana Book Company in Helena, Montana, describes “Little Rot.” The novel, which follows five friends through the murky underbelly of a fictionalized Nigerian city, begins with a breakup and then races forward, taking its characters on a harrowing journey. “It is a steamy entanglement of chaos. It’s brutal, it’s thrilling and nobody is left unscathed. There’s representation of all genders and sexualities. This book just blew my mind,” Rice said. ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’ by TJ Klune The highly anticipated sequel to “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” this novel is part of “The Cerulean Chronicles” fantasy series. NBC Out readers loved both books, and they aren’t alone: “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is considered one of the most popular fantasy novels of the past decade. The books follow Arthur Parnassus, the headmaster of an orphanage. He hopes to be the father of the children who live there, who are magical and described as dangerous. A story of found family and resistance, this series is beloved by readers, and its author dedicated the book to the transgender community. ‘Exhibit’ by R.O. Kwon R.O. Kwon’s second novel explores the relationship between two Korean American women who both find themselves at a crossroads — and drawn to each other. “This book is full of sexy sentences, startling images, complicated characters and unexpected moments of tenderness,” said Rachel Knox, co-host of the Tombolo Book Club at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida. “Two women, with different art forms, brush up against one another at just the right time and form something larger than the sum of their parts. I kept finding myself picking up this book and flipping back to sections, rereading them and feeling like they were perfect little arias.” ‘American Teenager’ by Nico Lang A nonfiction option for readers interested in true stories about LGBTQ people, “ American Teenager ” was recommended by Susan Post, the owner of BookWoman in Austin, Texas. Post said “no other book supporting trans families has generated so much interest in our store.” She added that BookWoman sold more than 75 copies of journalist Nico Lang’s debut title in one weekend. “Being such a personal look into the lives of trans youth, ‘American Teenager’ has profoundly touched those who care about trans and other queer youth,” she said. In an interview with NBC News this year , Lang described how they spent nearly a year traveling the country to document the lives of eight trans teens as the transgender community was being targeted by hundreds of state bills seeking to restrict their access to gender-affirming care and sports, among other things. ‘The Pairing’ by Casey McQuiston An NBC Out reader favorite, “The Pairing” is a dual-point-of-view novel about Theo and Kit, two bisexual exes who have accidentally booked themselves on the same European tour. Surprised to see each other, they make a bet on who can sleep with their tour guide first, and a hookup competition ensues. But is a second-chance romance in the cards for these two? Pick up this book for descriptions of scenic European travels, food and wine and a blend of romance and self-discovery we’ve come to expect from the author of “Red, White & Royal Blue,” “One Last Stop” and “I Kissed Shara Wheeler.” ‘In Universes’ by Emet North Considered one of the best science fiction and fantasy books of the year, “In Universes” is a kaleidoscopic debut of parallel worlds that can be read as a stand-alone novel or a series of interconnected short stories. The book follows various versions of Raffi, a queer physicist who exists in a multiverse and searches for belonging and love as they cross space and time. This was a favorite of Charlie Crawford, co-owner of Montana Book Company, who found it both compelling and unusual. ‘On Strike Against God’ by Joanna Russ Joanna Russ’ 1980 feminist novel “On Strike Against God” was out of print for decades before being reissued this year. The story follows Esther, a divorced professor who falls in love during the social upheaval and feminist consciousness-raising of the 1970s. “A bitingly funny coming-out novel about first love and first failure, it captures the pains and pleasures of coming into yourself and falling out of step with the world around you. Esther is the original feminist killjoy — acerbic, brilliant, obsessive, confrontational, deeply relatable. In this edition, editor Alec Pollak approaches contextualizing a controversial, difficult, crucial period of lesbian feminist history with deep generosity and seriousness,” said Ira Beare, the co-operator of Bookends in Florence, which describes itself as “the last lesbian bookstore in Western Massachusetts.” Beare added this book is “everything a reissue should be — perfect for mean lesbians, later-in-life lesbians, academic lesbians, archive enthusiasts (who do tend to be lesbians) and anyone interested in feminist literary history.”Musk Causes Uproar by Backing Germany's Far-Right Party Ahead of Key Elections
( MENAFN - UkrinForm) Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with a U.S. delegation headed by Ambassador-at-Large of the State Department Nathaniel Fick, and the main topic was cybersecurity. According to Ukrinform, Umerov posted this on Facebook. The meeting was also attended by Doug Beck, director of the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation, and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink. The Defense Minister emphasized that in the field of cybersecurity, Ukraine seeks to adopt the US experience in countering digital threats as much as possible. “We have a successful example of cooperation with American experts from the Hunt Forward team, thanks to which we jointly identify vulnerabilities in our digital systems and strengthen protection,” the minister said. Ukraine, he emphasized, has already demonstrated that it is able not only to learn but also to share its best practices. Together with his team, Umerov presented to the American delegation digital solutions of the Ministry of Defense, including the Army+ and Reserve+ applications and the DELTA unified ecosystem for military needs. He also informed about the creation of the Cyber Incident Response Center, which will become an important element in countering the enemy on the digital battlefield. “We agreed with Nathaniel Fick and Doug Beck to further deepen cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of cybersecurity,” the Defense Minister said. He emphasized that the priority is to increase investment in Ukrainian innovations, strengthen the digital infrastructure that is invulnerable to hostile attacks and introduce the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence. The Minister thanked the US partners for their comprehensive support of Ukraine and assistance in building cyber defense. As Ukrinform reported, Canada and France will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression in cyberspace . Photo: Rustem Umerov / Facebook MENAFN14122024000193011044ID1108993307 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.TEMPLEGATE tackles Friday's racing confident of banging in a winner or two. Scroll down for all his selections. THE SUN RACING MEMBERS ENCLOSURE The only place to get Templegate's tips first - and at the best prices - is by joining Sun Racing's brilliant Members Enclosure. Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing's best winning team and get... Four free racing tickets, four times a year - worth £300 Templegate’s daily tips at the BEST prices before anyone else Exclusive access to Templegate's daily NAP Tomorrow’s copy of The Favourite at 9pm today Exclusive insights from top trainer Ben Pauling VIP competitions from Racing Breaks each month New customer offer with Coral Become a member today for just £1* *For the first month then £3 per month thereafter. SIGN UP NOW 18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk STUZZIKINI (2.50 Chepstow, nap) He looked a National type when winning the Troytown for Gordon Elliott at Navan last time. He wasn’t stopping at the end of three miles there and shapes like a real stayer. It’s relatively early days and he can improve past his handicap mark. BOOTHILL (2.30 Kempton, nb) He fell in this race 12 months ago and ran his best race since when second to Jonbon in the Shloer at Cheltenham last time. He pushed that class act to within two lengths and will appreciate these conditions. A repeat of that effort would be good enough. DR TJ ECKLEBURG (3.25 Chepstow, treble) He seemed to have plenty left in the tank when winning at Haydock last time and a 7lb rise in the weights won’t put the brakes on. Templegate's verdicts CHEPSTOW Most read in Horse Racing CHRISTMAS HORROR Dad killed in his own home on Christmas Day named as women, 33, arrested ST MIRREN 2 RANGERS 1 Boyd-Munce stuns Gers with winner deep into added time in Paisley XMAS TRAGEDY Real Madrid star's 'brother-in-law' is shot dead in Christmas Day horror REFFIN' HELL Motherwell boss Kettlewell fumes at referee's DEMEANOUR in Celtic defeat 1.05 NOCTE VOLATUS has a cracking record at Chepstow and saw off a big field over this trip here in October. He then ran another decent race at Ascot when staying on strongly in the closing stages. He’s back from the same handicap mark with every chance again. Lowry’s Bar got the best of a battle when landing his first chase victory at Exeter 21 days ago. He’d ideally like it softer but is improving and looks a major threat. Le Milos has dropped to 5lb below his last winning mark but he hasn’t been seeing out his races for a little while. It would be no surprise to see him bounce back for the Skeltons. Venetia Williams may not quite be in the form of a couple of weeks ago but her Georges Saint is still a threat. He didn’t fire at Ludlow last time after a couple of decent wins over this trip. He could still be ahead of the handicapper. Fidelio Vallis was pulled up after a year off at Newbury last time and showed he was better than that when scoring at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day. 1.40 NIETZSCHE HAS boasts some fancy form in France where he was beaten just over a length in an Auteuil Grade 1 last month. He has plenty of pace for this trip and likes cut in the ground. He should be capable of better. Opec had eight lengths in hand when winning a Newbury Listed contest last month. She had the race won a long way out and gets the valuable mares’ allowance which only boosts her chances. This is hotter company but she should be up to it. Static has moved to Olly Murphy from France and was a distant third in a Cheltenham Grade 2 latest. He’ll need to raise his game but this is just his third run for current connections. Hot Fuss was a fair handicapper on the level and landed his first hurdles victory at Sandown earlier this month. This is a much hotter contest but he could hit the frame under Harry Cobden. Melon clocked a fair time when scoring on hurdles debut at Donny just 14 days ago. He’ll have to take another step up in this company. 2.10 DANS LE VENT has tumbled to almost a stone below his last winning hurdles mark and showed some promise at Haydock last month. He has plenty of stamina for this trip and looks a big price to make the placings at least for Welsh trainer Evan Williams. Woodie Flash seems to have improved for being held up on his past two runs, with a win at Ffos Las followed by a close second in decent company at Lingfield last time. A 5lb rise for that looks fair over his favourite distance. Madaket finished a place behind Woodie Flash latest and he’s 3lb better off at the weights today. Phantomofthepoints could do with more rain as he loved the mud when going close at Haydock last month. He is a thorough stayer who will go from the front and could hold on for a place. Bill Baxter enjoyed coming back to hurdles when second at Uttoxeter latest and has an each-way chance from this reduced mark. Tune In A Box landed a big pot at Punchestown in April and ran his best race since when a close-up fourth at Cheltenham latest. He has a chance over an ideal trip. 2.50 STUZZIKINI looked a National type when winning the Troytown for Gordon Elliott at Navan last time. He wasn’t stopped at the end of three miles there and shapes like a real stayer. It’s relatively early days and he can improve past his handicap mark. Elliott has another good chance with Where It All Began under Sean Bowen. He was far from disgraced when eighth in the Irish National and comes here fresh. Galia Des Liteaux has been laid out for this and ran a decent race in the Coral Cup at Newbury last time. He would ideally like the ground a bit softer but should be right there. Iron Bridge was a distant third in this 12 months ago but is 6lb lower in the handicap today so has every chance of matching that effort. Monbeg Genius was a good second at Haydock on comeback and has run well around here before. He will enjoy this test of stamina. Fontaine Collonges has a big weight but he was impressive when beating Monbeg Genius at Haydock latest. He’s up 8lb but should be competitive although softer ground would be ideal for the Venetia Williams runner. Sam Thomas pair 2021 winner Iwilldoit and Jubilee Express both have place claims but would also like more rain. KEMPTON 1.20 LARCHMONT LASS found 2m4f on the sharp side when a still-decent third at Sandown last time out. She was much happier tackling a stiffer stamina test at Wetherby scoring on comeback and she looks capable of better for Nicholls and Cobden. Fortuna Ligna looks an each-way price and was far from disgraced at Ascot latest. She can make mistakes but has a decent engine. Pawpuri was understandably rusty on his her first hurdles outing for almost a year here last month. She went well for a long way and just got tired in the closing stages. This longer trip should be fine and she’s a threat. West Balboa is in danger of becoming disappointing and she has more talent than she’s been showing lately. She is capable of better than we saw at Doncaster last time and her rider takes off a valuable 7lb. Della Casa Lunga was a solid second in Listed company here latest and has had a wind op since. She needs to find her very best. 1.55 This should be an absolute cracker and chase debutant SIR GINO can just get the better of Ballyburn. Nicky Henderson has been waxing lyrical about Sir Gino’s schooling at home and he showed himself in peak form when winning the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth over hurdles at Newcastle last month. His best form has all been over this distance and he’s got a course win on his CV which is a major plus. The decent ground just tips things in his favour as Ballyburn has only run with plenty of give underfoot. Willie Mullins’ hope will be a tough nut to crack though and he looked a natural when winning his chase debut at Punchestown last time by 13 lengths. He won a Grade 1 over hurdles at this trip but he shapes as though a longer distance would be perfect. If would be a surprise if Rubaud can figure on his chase debut although he was more than decent over timber too. He took Listed honours over course and distance in October but this is tougher. 2.30 BOOTHILL fell in this race 12 months ago and ran his best race since when second to Jonbon in the Shloer at Cheltenham last time. He pushed that class act to within two lengths and will appreciate these conditions. A repeat of that effort would be good enough. Martator showed no signs of ending his winning run when bolting up by 11 lengths at Ascot last month. That was his fifth success in a row for Venetia Williams and he’s right at home over this distance on decent ground. The handicapper has piled another 11lb on his back but that may not be enough to put the brakes on. Edwardstone was behind the tip in the Shloer before falling in the Tingle Creek last time. He was still going well when hitting the deck four out but may struggle to give weight away all round. Sans Bruit was no match for Martator when they met at Ascot last month and there’s no obvious reason why he’ll turn that form around. 3.08 FRERO BANBOU was impressive when winning at Newcastle last time and a 7lb rise isn’t a worry as he’s won off this mark before. We have seen all season how good jockey Charlie Deutsch is on staying chasers and he can land another nice prize for Venetia Williams. Weveallbeencaught will be much happier down at this level after being pulled up at Cheltenham last month. His last run in this grade saw him finish a close second and he looks solid each-way. Dreaming Blue makes the odd mistake but he got everything right when winning over a bit further at Ludlow last time. A 3lb rise in the weights is more than fair. Highstakesplayer was a battling winner over course and distance in April and returned with a good second at Ascot before a flatter effort at Newbury latest. He has his sights lowered here. Golden Son is another who has shown his best at this specialists’ track and will be a lot fitter after his rusty comeback at Newbury last time out. Templegate's tips WETHERBY 11.50 Let’s Go Joe Right back to his best when scoring at Doncaster last time. 12.25 Maghlaak Decent on the Flat and been knocking on the door as a hurdler. 1.00 Campaign Trail Expensive buy made a winning start at Doncaster latest. 1.35 Dare To Shout Keeps running well and went close again at Kelso last time. 2.15 Cruden Made a winning hurdling start at Cork and has moved yards since. 2.45 Pay The Piper Has run well on his past two visits to this track. 3.20 Blue Bellamy Good in points and went close at Market Rasen latest. CHEPSTOW 12.00 Julius Des Pictons Game winner last time and few miles on the clock. 12.30 King William Rufus Landed deserved win at Ascot and back under penalty. 1.05 Lowry’s Bar Good win over fences at Exeter and has more to come. 1.40 Nietzsche Has Consistent and went close in French Grade 1 last time. 2.10 Dans Le Vent Looks ready for this step back up to his best distance. 2.50 Stuzzikini (nap) Improving stayer who was in good form at Navan last time. 3.25 Dr TJ Eckleburg (treble) Won well at Haydock latest and form has been franked. KEMPTON 12.45 Nardaran Flat winner who can make winning start for Paul Nicholls. 1.20 Larchmont Lass Can strike again returned to her favoured three miles. 1.55 Sir Gino Class over hurdles and schooling reports have been good. 2.30 Boothill (nb) Has winning form here and good run behind Jonbon latest. 3.08 Frero Banbou Loved testing trip when scoring at Newcastle last time out. 3.38 Willmount Can get his career back on track for Nicky Henderson. WOLVERHAMPTON 4.00 Havana Sky Just keeps winning and this is another excellent chance. 4.30 Enacting Promise on both runs so far with more to come. 5.00 Best Rate Finished strongly into fifth at Lingfield last time out. 5.30 Merchant Improved from debut when second at Newcastle last time. 6.00 Currumbin Good start for this yard when winning at Southwell latest. 6.30 One Night Stand Has shown best form over this course and distance. 7.00 Come On John Keeps running well and another good run last time out. 7.30 Master Of Combat Can land a fifth win here from a fair handicap mark. 8.00 Forever Proud Good second over course and distance last time out. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Scottish Sun CHRISTMAS MIRACLES Christmas baby joy for Scots parents as little ones begin arriving EDGE OF THE WORLD Inside the remote Scots golf club dubbed 'the world's loneliest course' Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department's operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden's commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump's statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump's rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl's mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden's decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. _______ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.Former President Jimmy Carter dies at age 100
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