Jimmy Carter’s long public goodbye begins/node/2585246/world
Jimmy Carter’s long public goodbye begins
People watch as the hearse containing the casket of former President Jimmy Carter passes through Byron, Ga., Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, en route to Atlanta. Carter died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. (AP)
PLAINS, Georgia: Jimmy Carter’s long public goodbye began on Saturday in Georgia, with the 39th US president’s flag-draped casket rolling through his tiny hometown and past his boyhood farmhouse on its way to Atlanta, where he climbed the political ladder and based his decades of humanitarian work after leaving the White House.
The former president’s six-day state funeral started in Americus at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, where current and former Secret Service agents who protected the late president loaded his remains into a black hearse and walked alongside as it rolled off the campus toward Plains.
With Carter’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren accompanying their patriarch, a mournful train whistle filled the clear air as the pallbearers faced the hearse, hands on their hearts, for a final goodbye.
In Plains, where Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924, and lived most of his life, mourners lined the main street, some holding bouquets of flowers and wearing pins bearing images of the former president. He died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100.
“We want to pay our respects,” said 12-year-old Will Porter Shelbrock, who was born more than three decades after Carter left the White House in 1981. “He was ahead of his time on what he tried to do and tried to accomplish.”
It was Porter Shelbrock’s idea to make the trip to Plains from Gainesville, Florida, with his grandmother, Susan Cone, 66. He admires Carter for his humanitarian work building houses and waging peace, and talking about a warming planet before the climate crisis was part of routine political discourse.
Willie Browner, 75, described Carter as hailing from a bygone era of American politics. “This man, he thought of more than just himself,” said Browner, who grew up in the town of Parrott, about 15 miles from Plains, before moving to Miami. Browner said it meant “a great deal” to have a president come from a small southern town like his — something he worries isn’t likely to happen again.
How the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia’s PIF transformed the club’s fortunes
NUFC was purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021, marking the start of a major turnaround for the club
Under team captain Eddie Howe, the English football side have avoided relegation and quickly become top Premier League contenders
Updated 2 min 22 sec ago
Ali Khaled
DUBAI: For the majority of football fans, Jan. 22, 2021, is unlikely to be a date that sticks in their long-term memory. But for supporters of one club in particular, it is one that is laden with significance.
With just 15 minutes left of Newcastle United’s match against Leeds United at Elland Road, the score was 0-0. A miserable Premier League season looked set to continue for Eddie Howe’s team.
Newcastle's head coach Eddie Howe lifts the trophy after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London on March 16, 2025. (AP)
Then up stepped Jonjo Shelvey to give Newcastle a priceless 1-0 victory. It is no exaggeration to say that the win instantly changed the complexion of the team’s season and with it the club’s trajectory.
Going into their 21st match of the league season, Newcastle United had found themselves with just one previous win, leaving them stuck in the relegation zone.
After the win at Leeds, however, Newcastle would embark on a run that would see them win five of their next six matches, and nine of the next 13. The team cruised to safety and ended the season in a comfortable 11th place.
Howe had conjured a miracle that barely seemed feasible just a few months earlier when he was tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes following their sale by long-time owner Mike Ashley.
On Sunday, as Howe, his team, and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan celebrated with delirious fans at Wembley after Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final, those memories from just three years earlier must have seemed like a distant bad dream.
PIF Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan celebrates at Wembley after Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final. (AFP)
Newcastle had won their first major trophy in 55 years, justifying the faith that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) had shown in the club and the city when it finally completed a takeover on Oct. 7, 2021.
PIF, alongside Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers, had been pursuing the club for more than a year. Once the deal with Ashley had been completed, they set about reawakening a sleeping giant — one of England’s and Europe’s biggest clubs.
Newcastle United supporters had had few reasons to celebrate since the mid-1990s when manager Kevin Keegan’s “Entertainers” team had come close to winning the Premier League, only to lose out to Alex Ferguson’s unstoppable Manchester United.
Now, backed by PIF and its chairman Al-Rumayyan in the boardroom, and with Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi initially their public face, this was a club reborn.
The mission was to not only build a successful football team, but to also rejuvenate the local area surrounding St James’ Park in this one-club city.
First up was to hire Howe, a promising young English coach who had performed footballing miracles with Bournemouth FC by taking them from League One to the Premier League.
FASTFACTS
• Newcastle is a one-club city.
• Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup win was their first trophy in 55 years.
• Newcastle have won Four League titles and six FA Cups.
While at the time some supporters had expected a more established European coach, PIF’s decision to give Howe the reins on Nov. 8, 2021, has proved to be inspired.
Next was to assemble and oversee a squad capable of Premier League survival. If and when that was achieved, they would need to go on to challenge the country’s elite clubs at the other end of the table.
Without splurging on superstar names, Howe’s signings were astute. January of 2022 saw the arrival of Kieran Trippier for Atletico Madrid, Chris Wood from Burnley, Matt Targett from Aston Villa, and former Newcastle youth player Dan Burn from Brighton.
But, without a doubt, the jewel in the crown was Bruno Guimaraes from Olympique Lyon. Fans instantly fell in love with their gifted Brazilian midfielder.
Another masterful trick managed by Howe was to rejuvenate players like Joelinton Cassio Apolinario de Lira, Sean Longstaff, and Miguel Almiron, who had stagnated under the reign of previous coach Steve Bruce and owner Ashley.
After relegation was easily avoided with a stunning second half to the 2021-22 Premier League season, the squad was strengthened in the summer transfer window with the signings of goalkeeper Nick Pope from Burney, highly rated Dutch defender Sven Botman from Lille, and the superlative Swedish international Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad.
Newcastle now had a formidable squad that was ready to challenge for trophies and European places. And that is exactly what they did in the 2022-23 season.
At the start of 2023, Howe led the club to its first major cup final since 1998. But, on Feb. 28, the still-developing team found the task of defeating Manchester United a step too far, losing 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.
Despite the cup final defeat, Howe’s first full season as manager ended on a major high as the club finished in fourth place in the Premier League to secure a spot in the following season’s UEFA Champions League.
The following season would prove to be one of consolidation. Despite the signings of Anthony Gordon from Everton, Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, and Harvey Barnes from Leicester City, the team found it hard to balance the challenges of the Premier League and European competition.
A stunning 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at St James’ Park in October, could not stop Newcastle from exiting the Champions League in the group stages. Their final position of seventh in the Premier League would have disappointed fans hoping for another invite to Europe’s top table.
But that was only a prelude to what will now go down as one of the greatest seasons in Newcastle’s history. There were moments of uncertainty for fans as the team’s Premier League form fluctuated throughout the current campaign. But glory was just around the corner.
A superb two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final win, which saw a 2-0 victory at the Emirates followed by another at St James Park, gave Newcastle another chance to claim its first trophy in generations. This time it would be against Premier League leaders and England’s most successful club, Liverpool.
Big Dan Burn
Our first goal at Wembley for 25 years couldn’t have been scored by anyone more fitting pic.twitter.com/s4PKoYFl92
Sunday, March 16 would prove a golden day for Newcastle. Their fans, who had taken over central London in the two days leading up to the final, were as remarkable in the stands as their heroes were on the pitch.
Goals by the local hero Burn and talisman Guimaraes either side of half time left supporters in dreamland. Despite a late Liverpool goal, Newcastle were not denied a well deserved 2-1 win.
Cue Bruno’s tears, Al-Rumayyan’s joyous celebrations and pure delirium on the Wembley terraces.
It was a victory 55 years in the making, but one achieved almost in a blink of an eye since the dark days of 2021.
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Saolah’ restaurant in Riyadh
Updated 14 min 22 sec ago
Nada Alturki
There is no doubt that dining in Riyadh has taken a turn upwards in pricing, but that does not make it impossible to indulge in fine dining flavors without your budget getting in the way. If you are looking for a new spot to check out in Riyadh without breaking the bank, Saolah could be your next destination.
Located in a buzzing plaza on Al-Urubah road, the restaurant is a lively space with a simple yet elegant ambience accented with jade tiles and greenery. The Italian-inspired menu is bursting with flavor, from colorful salads to hearty mains.
We started off with the grilled pumpkin salad; grilled pumpkins and chickpeas atop a bed of arugula, topped with a labneh dressing and parmesan cheese, which was the perfect mix of savory and sweet for a palate primer. The eggplant parmesan starter was crisp and paired with a smooth but tangy marinara sauce.
Pizza is a must — we recommend the 12-hour smoked firewood brisket or the bresaola burrata for white sauce lovers or a classic margarita for those who prefer an authentic tomato base. Saolah’s rigatoni pink pasta is also popular and not to be missed.
For mains, the striploin steak with pepper sauce is cooked to perfection to your desired doneness, paired with frites, while the grilled chicken with mushroom sauce is tender, juicy and full of flavor.
If lunch or dinner items do not appeal, they also offer breakfast meals all day. From avocado benedicts to shakshuka to various types of manakeesh and lighter sandwiches, there is bound to be something to satisfy your appetite.
We recommend that you seal the deal with one of their dessert options, such as the caramel-frosting french toast or cheesecake pancake.
Saudi olympic committee vice president attends opening of IOC’s 144th session
Princess Reema bint Bandar, member of the committee and Saudi ambassador to the US, also attended the event
Updated 19 min 14 sec ago
Arab News
Vice President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz attended the opening of the 144th session of the International Olympic Committee in Olympia, Greece.
The committee was inaugurated by Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas.
Princess Reema bint Bandar, member of the committee and Saudi ambassador to the US, attended, along with several officials and IOC members.
The session sets the stage for the official proceedings, which takes place from March 19 to March 21 in Costa Navarino.
Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs organizes iftar banquets in 61 countries, benefiting thousands
Ministry initiative serves iftar meals to 15,000 people in Sudan’s cities and regions
Program endorses values of unity and compassion among Muslim societies
Updated 32 min 2 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Daily iftar banquets organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call, and Guidance during the first half of Ramadan have benefited thousands in 61 countries, including Sudan, Tanzania, the Philippines, and Argentina.
In Sudan, the ministry’s initiative has served iftar meals to 15,000 people across Sudan’s cities and regions and will reach 30,000 people by the end of Ramadan, which concludes in late March.
These banquets are part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Iftar Program, which is being carried out in 61 countries worldwide during Ramadan.
The program endorses unity and compassion among Muslim societies, while strengthening brotherhood and solidarity during Ramadan, a month of worship when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
In Tanzania, 2,000 people have benefited from the iftar program during the first half of Ramadan, with the number expected to reach 4,500 next week, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The ministry organized iftar banquets in South America, where more than 7,500 people in mosques and centers across Argentina benefited from the program.
This week, the religious attache at the Saudi Embassy in the Philippines organized an iftar meal in Manila, which was attended by several heads of Islamic associations in the country.
Barca on track for women’s Champions League semis after thumping Wolfsburg
Janina Minge pulled one back inside the final 15 minutes for Wolfsburg, before Sydney Schertenleib added a late fourth
Winners of three of the past four Champions Leagues, Barcelona showed fluency in attack and pinned the Wolves back early
Updated 42 min 1 sec ago
AFP
WOLFSBURG, Germany: Defending champions Barcelona are on track for the final four of the women’s Champions League after a dominant 4-1 win in their quarter-final first leg at Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
Unlike the 2023 Champions League final between the same two opponents, won narrowly 3-2 by Barcelona who came from two goals down, Wednesday’s clash was an uneven affair.
A first-half own-goal by Caitlin Dijkstra, followed up by two strikes in quick succession in the second period by Irene Paredes and Salma Paralluelo put the visitors firmly in control.
Janina Minge pulled one back inside the final 15 minutes for Wolfsburg, before Sydney Schertenleib added a late fourth.
Winners of three of the past four Champions Leagues, Barcelona showed fluency in attack and pinned the Wolves back early.
Barcelona’s dominance of the ball finally showed on the scoreboard after 26 minutes when Ewa Pajor, who spent almost a decade at the German club, pressured Dijkstra into conceding an own goal from Aitana Bonmati’s cross.
The visitors were unable to make their dominance count further with just a one-goal lead heading into half-time.
But Barcelona quickly took control of the match, and the tie, with two goals in three minutes just after the interval.
Paredes tapped in from close range after Wolfsburg failed to deal with a Barcelona corner on 50 minutes.
On the 53rd-minute mark, Paralluelo scored on a Barcelona counter, her shot scuffed into her own net by Wolfsburg’s Minge.
Paralluelo looked to have scored again just five minutes later, but was half-a-meter offside when assisted by Pajor.
Minge gave Wolfsburg hope when she headed in unmarked from just near the penalty spot with 79 minutes gone, but Swiss teenager Schertenleib’s fine curling finish with two minutes remaining put Barcelona firmly in control of the tie.
The scope of the loss leaves Wolfsburg needing a mountain to climb next week in Barcelona if they are to move past the Catalans and try and add to their total of two Champions League titles.
Later, Manchester City host English champions Chelsea in Wednesday’s other quarter-final.
