fishing knots

Buffs add record insurance coverage for star duoThe UN's marathon climate summit neared the finish line early Sunday, with nations due to approve or reject a hotly-disputed deal for wealthy historic emitters to provide at least $300 billion to poorer countries that had demanded much more. After an exhausting two weeks of negotiations in Azerbaijan's Caspian Sea capital of Baku, COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev declared open the final summit plenary after midnight, two days after the conference was officially scheduled to end. A final text was released following several sleepless nights for negotiators, with tensions boiling over as small islands states and the world's poorest countries walked out of one meeting. "This package is an affront to us. We are the countries that have the most at stake," said Tina Stege, climate envoy of the Marshall Islands, an atoll nation threatened by rising seas. Top German negotiator Jennifer Morgan told AFP that countries would be presented a "take it or leave it" deal. Before the closing session, delegates huddled in small groups on the floor of the main conference room inside Baku's sports stadium to pore over copies of the latest draft deal line by line. "I know that none of us want to leave Baku without a good outcome," Babayev said. A number of countries have accused Azerbaijan, an authoritarian oil and gas exporter, of lacking the experience and will to meet the moment, as the planet again sets temperature records and faces rising deadly disasters. Small island nations and impoverished African states on Saturday angrily stormed out of a meeting with Azerbaijan, saying their concerns had been ignored. "I think it caught a lot of people by surprise," said Brazil's climate envoy, Ana Toni. "It all happened very quickly." The walkout triggered an emergency meeting between those nations and top negotiators from the European Union, United States and Britain with the COP29 presidency in which new proposals were made. Wealthy countries and small island nations have also been concerned by efforts led by Saudi Arabia to water down calls from last year's summit to phase out fossil fuels. The final text proposes that rich nations raise to at least $300 billion a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. It is up from $100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire -- and from $250 billion proposed in a draft Friday. That offer was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, which have demanded at least $500 billion to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. Sierra Leone's climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world's poorest, called the draft "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world". Developing power Brazil pleaded for at least some progress and said it would seek to build on it when it leads COP30 next year in the Amazon gateway of Belem. "After the difficult experience that we're having here in Baku, we need to reach some outcome that is minimally acceptable in line with the emergency we're facing," Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva told delegates. - Tired and 'disheartened' - As staff at the cavernous and windowless stadium began packing up, diplomats rushed between meetings, some armed with food and water in anticipation of another late night. Panama's outspoken negotiator, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, warned not to repeat the failure of COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. "I'm sad, I'm tired, I'm disheartened, I'm hungry, I'm sleep-deprived, but there is a tiny ray of optimism within me because this cannot become a new Copenhagen," he told reporters. Climate activists shouted "shame" as US climate envoy John Podesta walked the halls. "Hopefully this is the storm before the calm," he said. Wealthy nations say it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, returns to the White House in January and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. South African Environment Minister Dion George, however, said: "I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful." The United States and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. The final draft encouraged developing countries to make contributions on a voluntary basis, reflecting no change for China which already pays climate finance on its own terms. The EU and other countries have also tussled with Saudi Arabia over including strong language on moving away from fossil fuels, which negotiators say the oil-producing country has resisted. "We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. bur-np-sct-lth/jm

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voiced opposition on Sunday to the idea of using the military to carry out mass deportations of people living in the country illegally after President-elect Donald Trump signaled last week that he plans to do so . "You don't do it with the Army because it's illegal," Paul said on CBS's "Face the Nation" program. "If they send the Army into New York and you have 10,000 troops marching carrying semi-automatic weapons, I think it's a terrible image, and I will oppose that." A 19th century U.S. law prohibits federal troops from being used in domestic law enforcement except when authorized by Congress. Paul, at times a maverick within his party, noted that he supports the idea of deporting people living in the United States illegally who have criminal records, but said that law enforcement authorities are better equipped than the military to carry out that role and to heed the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. There is a "distrust of putting the Army into our streets" among Americans, Paul said. Asked if this is a red line for him and whether it would impact his Senate vote to confirm Trump's pick of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run the Department of Homeland Security, Paul said, "I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities." Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team. Trump, who built his political profile on opposition to illegal immigration, has vowed to launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history as soon as he is sworn in on Jan. 20. He appeared to confirm in a social media post on Nov. 18 that he would declare a national emergency and use military assets for his plan to deport a record number of immigrants in the United States illegally. Paul said agents from the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency could carry out these deportations. The senator also questioned the use of the National Guard for deportations, saying it is "less clear" whether it would be legal or illegal to use these forces. The National Guard is a part of the U.S. military that answers to both the president and to state governors. "President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families," Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition, said in a statement on Sunday. U.S. voters, Leavitt added, gave Trump "a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals and restoring our economic greatness." Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, on Sunday described the potential use of the military in deportation campaigns as "hyperbole." In an appearance on the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures," Donalds suggested that the threat alone of using the military in such a role could have a deterrent effect. "I think you're going to see a lot of self-deportation once this process begins," Donalds said. Other Republicans defended the idea of involving the military in the deportation effort. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who will be the Senate's No. 2 Republican when his party takes control of the chamber in January, told "Fox News Sunday" that if Trump declares a national emergency "he can appropriately use the military." (Reporting by Bo Erickson and David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham)‘Political hushpuppi, hustler’ – Wike blasts ex-CUPP spokesman, Ugochinyere over comment on PDP crisis

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B/R Experts Week 13 NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand?Shares of Eastman Kodak Co. ($KODK), a former giant in the photography industry, jumped by more than 22% to over two-year highs in Monday morning trading after the company announced a major asset sale to the Mastercard Foundation, the charitable arm of Mastercard Inc. ($MA). Kodak is selling illiquid assets from its Kodak Retirement Income Plan (KRIP) for $550.6 million in cash. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. In addition to the Mastercard Foundation agreement, Kodak plans to sell an additional $87.3 million worth of assets to four other investors for $61.7 million, with some of the proceeds expected in 2025. Following the development, Kodak's shares jumped to highs last seen in August 2022. Kodak’s board of directors is also considering fully terminating KRIP, a pension plan established for its employees. If this happens, Kodak estimates there could be between $885 million and $975 million left over in surplus assets after paying off all liabilities. “At this time, the Board has not yet made a formal determination to terminate KRIP,” the company said in its SEC filing. KRIP also holds hedge fund assets worth $917.2 million as of Sept. 30. Most of these are already being redeemed, and the proceeds will go toward paying off the plan’s liabilities. If the board ultimately moves forward with terminating KRIP, the company will sell off its remaining hedge fund and illiquid assets to fully meet any outstanding obligations. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits has ballooned to ‘extremely bullish’ (92/100) from ‘bearish’ a day ago as chatter also surged to ‘extremely high’. Users on the platform are anticipating that Kodak could replicate the gains it achieved during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term as he prepares to return to the White House. Kodak shares experienced a staggering rally in 2020 after the company received a $765 million government loan to manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients as part of a pandemic-driven push to bolster domestic medical supply production. Following the announcement, Kodak's stock soared 1,200%, climbing from around $2.62 to over $33 within two days. So far in 2024, the company’s stock has gained 73% as it continues its pivot from being a photography pioneer to a pharmaceutical producer. For updates and corrections email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.< Read also: Robinhood Stock Gains After Morgan Stanley Doubles Price Target Citing ‘Animal Spirits’ Post Election: Retail Roars

F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, the Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, called on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Imran Khan, to publicly declare that he does not recognize Israel. Speaking at the Solidarity with Palestine Million March on Sunday at Jinnah Avenue, New Blue Area, Hafiz Naeem criticised the prevailing political system, stating that whenever a government is ousted or takes power, they seek support from the United States (U.S). He also pointed out that this trend extends to those who are imprisoned or those seeking release, highlighting the tendency to seek approval from the U.S. for such matters. He specifically urged Imran Khan to show solidarity with Hamas and publicly denounce the state of Israel. The JI supremo further stated that while the U.S. possesses thousands of missiles, it continues to impose sanctions on Pakistan’s missile technology. He emphasised that the nation had sacrificed to develop nuclear weapons, which are vital for the protection of both Pakistan and the Muslim Ummah. He criticised political parties that seek approval from the U.S. to imprison and release individuals, highlighting the need to ensure democratic freedoms for the people. Hafiz Naeem also condemned the U.S. as a “terrorist nation” and argued that Pakistan could never achieve prosperity while under America’s influence. He pointed out that the U.S. labels those who resist its imperialism as terrorists and imposes its own version of democracy. He further stated that Israel could not fight groups like Hamas, as it targets innocent children, and that Israel’s expansionist goals now reach beyond Palestine, with plans involving Syria, Lebanon, and even Medina. The Jamaat-e-Islami leader referenced Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had described Israel as an illegitimate child of the West.” He also expressed his support for the oppressed Palestinian people, noting that Gaza faces harsher cold conditions than Islamabad, with two million people living in camps. He condemned Israel’s actions as genocide, having killed 46,000 people, and criticised the U.S. for supporting this “open terrorism.” Hafiz Naeem pointed out that the indifference of most Muslim countries, except a few, towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict further strengthens Israel’s position. He concluded by reaffirming that Israel cannot stand against the resistance of Muslim fighters, adding that Israel’s aggression would eventually be defeated.