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Vanuatu launches action plan to address worker shortage and social problems caused by labour mobility schemesATLANTA (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 said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. 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 president from Plains 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. And then, the world 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.” ‘An epic American life’ 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. A small-town start 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. 'Jimmy Who?' 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. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ 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. 'A wonderful life' 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.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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Daily Post Nigeria BREAKING: JFM building in Delta on fire Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News BREAKING: JFM building in Delta on fire Published on December 6, 2024 By Matthew Omonigho There is palpable tension in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, as fire is currently raging at the former JFM building. There are fears that the inferno might spread to other buildings within the area if not quickly contained. Details as to the cause of the fire are still sketchy at the time of filing this report. At about 8:43 pm, officials from the Delta State Command’s Fire Service ran short of water and could not quench the inferno ravaging the building that harbours Current FM. Policemen are on standby to forestall any breakdown of law and order or looting of the building by hoodlums. Related Topics: breaking Delta JFM Don't Miss Tinubu, Wike’s support for judiciary commendable – Awomolo You may like Court jails 12 illegal scrap metal collectors in Delta Nigerian Police file fresh cybercrime charges against Dele Farotimi Delta: Ibori-Suenu dumps PDP for APC Ibori’s daughter dumps PDP, moves to APC Four Labour Party’s federal lawmakers defect to APC Bomb explosion rocks Zamfara Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

Washington, Dec 7 (AP) President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump's administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president's extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes – and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden's team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacting “retribution”, could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for their targets even if they don't result in prosecutions. While the president's pardon power is absolute, Biden's use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity. Recipients could include infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in combating the coronavirus pandemic and who has become a pariah to conservatives angry about mask mandates and vaccines. Others include witnesses in Trump's criminal or civil trials and Biden administration officials who have drawn the ire of the incoming president and his allies. Some fearful former officials have reached out to the Biden White House preemptively seeking some sort of protection from the future Trump administration, one of the people said. It follows Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter — not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses. That could serve as a model for other pardons Biden might issue to those who could find themselves in legal jeopardy under Trump. Biden is not the first to consider such pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. But he could be the first to issue them since Trump's pardons never materialised before he left office nearly four years ago. Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States", as written in the pardon proclamation. Politico was first to report that Biden was studying the use of preemptive pardons. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. Trump has talked about “enemies from within" and circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He also zeroed in on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris and helped investigate January 6, and he promoted a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals for supposed treason. Kash Patel, whom Trump has announced as his nominee to be director of the FBI, has listed dozens of former government officials he wanted to “come after”. Richard Painter, a Trump critic who served as the top White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said he was reluctantly in support of having Biden issue sweeping pardons to people who could be targeted by Trump's administration. He said he hoped that would “clean the slate” for the incoming president and encourage him to focus on governing, not on punishing his political allies. “It's not an ideal situation at all,” Painter said. “We have a whole lot of bad options confronting us at this point.” While the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, his aides and allies enjoy no such shield. Some fear that Trump could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage his allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law. “There could be blatant illegal conduct over the next four years, and he can go out and pardon his people before he leaves office,” Painter said. "But if he's going to do that, he's going to do that anyway regardless of what Biden does." More conventional pardons from Biden, such as those for sentencing disparities for people convicted of federal crimes, are expected before the end of the year, the White House said. (AP) PY PY (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

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NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams appears open to switching parties to become a Republican, as he declined to rule out a future change in political allegiances during a pair of interviews Friday that came as he has increasing warmed to President-elect Donald Trump. The comments from Adams, the top Democrat in one of the country's most liberal cities, riled critics who have grown concerned over the mayor's increasing willingness to throw his support behind Trump and his hardline immigration policies.So far, major public infrastructure appears to have evaded extensive damage after Thursday’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck about 40 miles off Ferndale. The quake did cause damage, particularly in Southern Humboldt County. Windows broke, pipes separated and bottles fell off shelves as the quake rattled buildings. Since the quake, there’s been around two hundred aftershocks surrounding the Mendocino fault the quake originated from, according to a USGS map which captures quakes over magnitude 2.5. For aftershocks, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates there’s a 53% chance another earthquake in the magnitude 5 range will hit, and a 7% chance for the 6 range. “Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and be prepared for aftershocks,” the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in an update Thursday. HCSO reported no injuries associated with the quake Thursday and said that damage assessments are ongoing, with no major earthquake-related damages so far. Humboldt Bay Fire did not have any earthquake-related calls Thursday and did not have any significant damage reported to them, according to spokesperson Talia Flores. The quake, which struck at 10:44 a.m., triggered a tsunami warning for most of coastal California from the National Tsunami Warning Center, which was later canceled. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Thursday in Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties to support emergency response. People reported feeling the quake from Santa Cruz to up the Oregon Coast. According to a USGS map, the quake was strongest on land in Southern Humboldt County, closer to where it originated. “The power went out, so I was in completely in the dark, and when it came back on, I was just ... my office was just destroyed,” Lisa Connell, manager of the Shop Smart in Redway, said on Friday. A shelf that fell off just missed hitting her. As she walked downstairs, she found water pouring out of the ceiling after sprinkler lines broke and broken glass was all over the floor. She estimates the store saw damages around $30,000 from the quake, including $10,000 in broken liquor bottles. “I’m used to living in earthquake country. That was one of the worst,” she said. The store reopened later Thursday. Shelter Cove Resort Improvement District reported some damages to public infrastructure from the quake, including a water main break, a storage tank separation, which are repaired or in the process of being repaired. In Humboldt County, hospitals remained open. Jerold Phelps Community Hospital said in a social media post, “we sustained some broken windows and items knocked off shelves but everyone is safe and our doors remain open.” In an email Thursday, Providence St. Joseph spokesperson Christian Hill said the two Providence hospitals in the county remained fully operational and safe, with medical services running smoothly. Sequoia Park Zoo’s Redwood Sky Walk reopened Friday after closing following the quake. People were reportedly on the skywalk during the quake, though nobody was injured at the zoo and no damage was found during inspections. The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services asks residents to fill out the Emergency Damage Assessment Form at humboldtgov.org/EmergencyDamageForm . Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.

1. Attacks against seafarers and international shipping The Committee heard various statements delivered by Member States about the ongoing attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea area and the Black Sea area. The Committee expressed concern over the safety and welfare of seafarers, freedom of navigation, threats to the marine environment and stability of the global supply chain resulting from the attacks by Houthis on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Committee reiterated the call for the immediate release of the MV Galaxy Leader and its 25 seafarers which have remained captive since its hijacking in November 2023, marking a year of imprisonment of innocent seafarers. The Committee expressed gratitude to the European Union for the support provided through Operation ASPIDES, as well as all Member States providing assets to the region. The Committee commended the IMO Secretary-General’s strong commitment and efforts, including his recent visit to the countries in the region, to re-establish safety and security in the Red Sea and the immediate release of the MV Galaxy Leader. The Committee also took note of statements related to the Black Sea area. 2. Amendments to mandatory IGC and IGF Codes adopted The Committee adopted amendments to the following mandatory Codes under SOLAS: International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) The Committee adopted amendments to Chapter 16 of the IGC Code, related to the use as fuel of cargoes identified as toxic products, in the context of alternative fuels and new technologies. The amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 July 2026. The Committee approved an MSC circular on the voluntary early application of the IGC Code, associated with these amendments. International Code of Safety for Ship Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) The Committee adopted amendments to parts A and A-1 of the IGF Code relate to ship design, fire safety, ventilation and other safety issues. The amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2028. Noting that there may be capacity-building implications in relation to these amendments to the IGC and IGF Codes, the Committee agreed to advise the Technical Cooperation Committee accordingly and encourage Member States in need of capacity-building assistance to contact IMO. 3. Goal-based new ship construction standards – audit outcomes Under the International Goal-based Ship Construction Standards for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers (GBS Standards), construction rules for ships, developed by classification societies or national administrations, must be verified. This verification is carried out by international GBS Audit Teams appointed by the IMO Secretary-General, in line with the Revised GBS verification guidelines (resolution MSC.454(100)). In 2024, a combined GBS audit was carried out, with the following outcomes: Initial GBS Verification Audit of Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (BKI) Following consideration, the Committee confirmed that the information provided by BKI demonstrated conformity with the IMO’s GBS standards, provided that BKI adopt the relevant actions to rectify “non-conformities”, and submit a new request for an audit, in accordance with the Revised GBS verification guidelines. GBS Audit of IACS Recommendation 34/Rev.2 on Standard wave data Following consideration of IACS Recommendation 34/Rev.2, the Committee did not find enough evidence of compliance with relevant GBS standards. The Committee recommended a revision of IACS Rec.34/Rev.2, containing more detailed information. The information contained in IACS Recommendation 34/Rev.2 is intended to provide the basis for the development of IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR) around wave induced loads and motions. The Committee agreed that a “following audit” on the IACS Rec.34 revision be subsequently carried out, in conjunction with that of the consequential rule changes in CSR. Third GBS Workshop The Committee requested the Secretariat to plan and prepare for the third GBS Workshop, tentatively scheduled to take place in 2025, after MSC 110 (18 – 27 June, 2025). 4. Roadmap revised for the development of a Code for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) The Committee continued its work to develop a Code to regulate autonomous ships, with re-establishing the WG on MASS. The Committee noted the progress at the WG, in particular it finalized chapters 7 (Risk Assessment), 12 (Connectivity), which was relocated to new chapter 17bis, and 18 (Search and Rescue) of the draft MASS Code. Given the remaining work to be done, the Committee agreed to a revised road map for developing the MASS Code, subject to further revision when necessary: 5. Development of a safety regulatory framework to support the reduction of GHG emissions from ships using new technologies and alternative fuels The Committee received an update on the work of the Correspondence Group on Development of a Safety Regulatory Framework to Support the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships using New Technologies and Alternative Fuels (GHG safety). The Correspondence Group, established at MSC 108, has been working on capturing detailed information (technical background, hazards, and risks to ship/shoreside) for the new technologies and alternative fuels. Safety obstacles and gaps in existing regulations are also being assessed. The Committee endorsed the addition of a new category on “swappable traction lithium-ion battery containers” to the list of new technologies developed by the Correspondence Group. The Correspondence Group will continue work intersessionally and report to MSC 110. Amendments to SOLAS Chapter II-1 on the application of IGF Code approved While the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) applies to fuels that are gases or have a low-flash point, SOLAS Chapter II-1 states that the IGF Code applies to ships using low-flashpoint fuels, regardless of whether they were in liquid or gaseous form. The Committee approved draft amendments to Chapter II-1 of the SOLAS Convention to clarify that the IGF Code applies to gaseous fuels or low flash-point fuels. The approved SOLAS amendments will be submitted with a view to adoption at MSC 110 in June 2025, with expected entry into force in 2027. 6. Cyber risk management The Committee advanced its work to identify next steps to enhance maritime cybersecurity, following the approval by MSC 108 of the revised Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management (MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3/Rev.2) The Committee agreed on the need to further develop cybersecurity standards for ships and port facilities, with the possibility of establishing a working group at MSC 110, pending submissions under this agenda item. The Committee invited Member States and international organizations to submit proposals for consideration on the next steps to enhance maritime cybersecurity; and extended the target completion of the output to 2026. 7. Measures to enhance maritime security – updates The Committee noted updates on key developments in the IMO’s work to enhance maritime security. This includes information about the submission of security-related information for port facilities in GISIS, and a report on capacity-building projects and initiatives implemented by the Secretariat, including: 8. Piracy and armed robbery against ships – updates The Committee received an update on developments related to piracy and armed robbery against ships. This includes reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships for the first six months of 2024, and recent developments related to regional initiatives such as the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment and Yaoundé Code of Conduct. According to information received on IMO’s GISIS platform, 72 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to IMO as having occurred or been attempted in January to June 2024. For the same period in 2023, 90 incidents were reported. This constitutes a decrease of approximately 20% at the global level compared to the same period in 2023. The areas most affected by acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships in January to June 2024 were the Straits of Malacca and Singapore area (37), Indian Ocean (13), West Africa (10), Arabian Sea (7), followed by the South China Sea (4) and South America (Atlantic) (1). 9. Guidelines on the recovery of deceased people approved The Committee approved the MSC-FAL circular on Guidelines concerning the recovery of deceased persons and of death after recovery. This will be forwarded to the Facilitation Committee (FAL) for its concurrent approval. The guidelines address the need for awareness about the proper handling of non-survivors in migrant boats, supplementing resolution MSC.528 (106) on Recommended cooperation to ensure the safety of life at sea, the rescue of persons in distress at sea and the safe disembarkation of survivors. This includes legal and cultural considerations, as well as paying due respect to the practice of the migrants, the local public health policies in handling a deceased person among survivors rescued in a migrant boat; and considerations in handing over bodies between various organizations. 10. Revised guidelines for formal safety assessment (FSA) approved The Committee approved the Revised guidelines for Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) for use in the IMO rule-making process, for dissemination as MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.12/Rev.3, subject to concurrent approval by MEPC 83. A Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) is a structured and systematic methodology aimed at enhancing maritime safety, by using risk analysis and cost-benefit assessment. FSAs can be used as a tool to help in the evaluation of new maritime regulations. The revision of the Revised guidelines updates various sections, including among others, updating methods, list of references and the flow chart of the FSA methodology. 11. Reports of Sub-Committees The Committee considered the reports of its Sub-Committees: The Committee approved the reports in general and took the following actions: Sub-Committee on ship systems and equipment (SSE 10) Amendments to 1994 and 2000 HSC Codes Revision of SOLAS chapter III and the LSA Code Unified interpretations (UI) Amendments emanating from assumed weight in self-righting tests and retro- reflective materials Revision of MSC.1/Circ.677 Minor correction to SOLAS regulation II-2/11 Sub-Committee on navigation, communications and search and rescue (NCSR 11) Ships’ routeing measures Revision of resolution A.707(17) Amendments to the IAMSAR manual Revision of SAR.7/Circ.15 Performance standards for a digital navigational data system (NAVDAT) Revision of resolution A.1001(25) Pilot transfer arrangements Revision of resolution MSC.74(69), annex 3 Other circulars Sub-Committee on the carriage of cargoes and containers (CCC 10) Interim guidelines for the safety of ships using ammonia as fuel Updated work plan for the development of new alternative fuels Draft amendments to the IGC Code and preparation of a new consolidated version of the Code Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III 10) Interim guidelines on Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety Preventing collisions with fishing vessels Observations on quality of investigation reports Analysis of consolidated audit summary reports (CASRs) Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11) 12. Domestic ferry safety The Committee noted the recent activities and initiatives undertaken with respect to enhancing domestic ferry safety, particularly in the context of partnerships with the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), the Pacific Community (SPC), World Maritime University (WMU), INTERFERRY and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Source: IMONew York City Council approved a rezoning plan on Dec. 5, clearing the way for 82,000 new apartments and $5 billion in infrastructure and housing development over 15 years. It marks the largest zoning change since 1961. The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan passed by a 31-20 vote amid a citywide vacancy rate of 1.4%. The Regional Plan Association projects New York needs 473,000 additional housing units by 2032 to meet demand. 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Trending: CEO of Integris gathered a team of senior investment managers who have $34.22 billion in combined owned and managed assets in the West Coast — here’s how to invest in their private credit fund that targets 12% annual interest rate. The rezoning plan follows Gov. Kathy Hochul’s June housing policy, which extended the 421a tax abatement program’s deadline to 2031 and created tax exemptions (485x and 467m) for residential construction and office conversions. Market activity shows momentum, with development sales volume up 25% from last year. Office-to-residential conversions make up over one-third of transactions, pointing to increased development in 2025 as the City of Yes takes effect. The plan departs from past policies focused on landlord regulations, which removed thousands of units from the market. The new approach stresses building more housing across every neighborhood to increase supply. 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