A role reversal doomed the No. 22 Xavier Musketeers in their only loss of the season, against Michigan at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday. Normally a team that avoids committing turnovers and pressures its opponent into making them, Xavier (6-1) will try to recapture its early-season winning form when it hosts South Carolina State on Sunday in Cincinnati. Through their six wins, the Musketeers had just 58 turnovers while forcing 82 by their opponents. But against the Wolverines, they lost the turnover battle 19-10 and the game 78-53. The Musketeers committed 14 turnovers in the first half and fell behind 41-30. Xavier head coach Sean Miller credited his team for typically playing an up-tempo style while avoiding mistakes, while also acknowledging that the turnover bug really bit them against the Wolverines. "We lost to a really good team; no shame in that," Miller said. "We, on top of that, didn't play well." "And that (avoiding turnovers) is something you (usually) do well? That's going to be hard to overcome against a quality team like Michigan." Leading scorer Ryan Conwell (17.6 points per game) gave the Musketeers a boost with 19 points. Zach Freemantle, second on the team at 15.4 ppg, added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Problematically, however, they also contributed to the turnover problem with three apiece. "We didn't play well enough to win the game," Miller said. "The game got out of hand. It's not like our guys quit. Their depth just continued to wear on us." The Musketeers also get 11 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game from Dayvion McKnight. The guard had just one turnover against Michigan, but he also made just one of his eight shot attempts. Xavier may have an opportunity get right in the turnover area against the Bulldogs (4-4), who are No. 207 in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.11. South Carolina State is fresh off an 82-53 road loss to Marshall on Wednesday, in a game in which turnovers weren't a huge problem. But assists and made shots were hard to come by for the Bulldogs. Leading scorer Drayton Jones (12.0 ppg) again paced his team in points with 10 vs. Marshall, but the Bulldogs as a team managed just six assists and shot terribly at the 3-point (18.8 percent) and the free-throw (47.1 percent) lines. Jones is also the team's leading rebounder with 5.1 a game, but no Bulldogs player is averaging more than two assists. It's all part of the learning process for coach Erik Martin, whose first team went 5-26 in 2022-23. The Bulldogs improved to 14-18 last season, including 9-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. "The only way you can grow sometimes is by failure or by struggling," Martin said this offseason. "You have to fail in order to learn how to deal with failure and move on and become the person you're supposed to be." --Field Level MediaFormer New Orleans priest convicted of raping teen boy dies while serving life sentence
JACKSONVILLE STATE 86, EAST CAROLINA 78AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:33 p.m. EST
Empty feeling: Insecure load costs Ottawa-area driver $160
By Anura Gunasekera About 20 years ago, I used the same title, in a writing dealing with Mahinda Rajapaksa’s triumphant ascent to power, published in an issue of the Sunday Island. In that I expressed my deep apprehensions of a Rajapaksa dispensation. As the years unfolded, the grim realities of years of misrule, with the younger Rajapaksa outdoing the elder brother in criminality, corruption and incompetence, exceeded the worst fears of my imagination. In between, not to be forgotten, there was also the crushingly disappointing “yahapalanya” farce, perpetrated by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe collaboration. But I am an eternal optimist. At an year short of eighty, there cannot be either space or time for pessimism, despite decades of despair, disappointment and disillusionment, over the country’s political trajectory since 1956 when, as a ten year old, I was made acutely aware by adult discussions around me, and the screaming headlines of newspapers then, of the magnitude and the implications of SWRD Bandaranaike’s election victory. The 1956 election victory of the “Pancha Maha Balavegaya” , was the so-called ushering in of the “Era of the common man”, engineered by a cynical aristocrat -as uncommon as they come – who leveraged the clear gulf between the anglophilic, feudalistic UNP regime of a decade, and the aspirations and frustrations of the majority, largely rural, Sinhala-Buddhist polity. That this social and political revolution also heralded the marginalization of the minority groups within the polity, institutionalized through subsequent legislation, is now a matter of history. There is no space in this writing for a discussion of the tragic consequences. In the recent demolition of all opposing parties by the NPP-JVP, led by the charismatic Anura Kumara Dissasnayake (AKD) , I see the “Era of the common man”, ushered in by an uncommon man of genuinely common origin. Despite the repetitive use of the word “common”, the latter is a statement made with great respect, and hope, that the overpowering political and social transformation commencing on September 21 and culminating on November 14, realistically signals the “Dawn of a New Era”; that it will usher in national ethnic and religious consensus, corruption-free governance, the re-establishment of the rule of law, a more equitable re-distribution of wealth, a state education system specially geared to meet the needs of development, a state medical service in which drugs are designed not to kill but to cure, and the empowerment of the long-neglected agricultural sector. These are but a few from the long list of critical national needs, for a “richer nation and a beautiful life”, which the NPP-JVP election manifesto has promised. AKD’s victory in the presidential election and the NPP-JVP victory in the subsequent general election, have been analyzed in all possible ways. The statistics of the victory are mind-boggling but not incomprehensible. 1.1 million voters who went to the presidential election in September, boycotted the general election in November. Sajith Premadasa’s (SP) SJB lost 3.4 million votes and Ranil Wickremesinghe’s (RW) NDF lost 1.7 million votes ( 78% and 75% respectively) within the space of six weeks, whilst AKD’s 42% increased to 61 % for his party. Despite critics and defeated opponents trivializing AKD as a minority president, on that showing alone the NPP-JVP was still assured of a simple majority at the general election. However, it may not have obtained the two-thirds majority at the general election, almost unimaginable within a proportional representation system, if not for mass voter abstention. But the obsession with the statistics of that victory is to ignore the qualitative aspects, reflected by the aspirations of the people. The SJB and the NDF fielded tainted candidates with long histories of alleged corruption, most of them from the Rajapaksa dispensation. Neither Sajith nor Ranil understood that ordinary people wanted a clean political culture, accountability by the legislature, the elimination of impunity for the privileged and the ruling elite, the answerability for abuse of privileges and a host of allied issues. Sajith persisted in delivering verbose analyses of AKD’s alleged bungling of the IMF programme, and the non-delivery of the assurances given to the nation in his manifesto. RW, despite an ignominious relegation to third place in the presidential race, resorted to belittlingnAKD as a “minority president”, accompanied by sick, insensitive jokes, unacceptable even from a schoolboy. Neither had a compelling vision or programme which could attract the polity, as an alternative to a more decent, fulfilling life within a clean administration, which was the essence of AKD’s philosophy. As a direct outcome of the election loss, the door has been firmly shut in RW’s face, despite his pathetic subsequent attempts at regaining political relevance. As for the SJB, if it is to regain any kind of political traction, it would need to seriously reconsider leadership options. Waiting for the present government to falter, or fail, is not an option. Sajith, a serial loser within a short span of time, is more ineffective than his elder clone, and perhaps one-time mentor, Ranil. The latter, over a couple of decades, presided over the gradual disintegration and disappearance of the UNP, once dominant in local politics. Under Sajith the SJB is certain to suffer the same fate, but much, much, quicker. The party, if it is to survive, needs to unceremoniously jettison a man who has proved, quickly and convincingly, to be an incompetent leader. Hopefully, by the time this is published, the mechanism for his eviction would have been set in motion. The outstanding, and most refreshing feature in the NPP-JVP election result is its performance in the North. For the first time since Independence in 1948, the northern polity rejected traditional, ethnic politicians, and responded to a leader of a different ethnicity from the South. One reason for the NPP-JVP success in the North is that AKD, from the very outset, fought a campaign based on equality for all races and religions, with national needs at the forefront, but totally free from ethnically divisive sentiments, customarily the primary weapons in the campaign armory of politicians of all ethnicities. The other is that despite decades of insular political representation, minority leaders have achieved very little on behalf of the polity they represented. People in all parts of the country share the same socio-economic problems, but those in the North, the victims of a brutal war, fought across the very lands they lived on, have deeper grievances awaiting resolution. AKD had already demonstrated good faith by the people of the North, by opening the Palaly-Atchchuvely road, after 34 years. In his campaign speech in Jaffna on November 10, he gave the assurance that Tamil political prisoners held in jails in the South, would be released. This drew a quick and detailed response from former minister of justice, Wijedasa Rajapakse, who stated that the use of the term, “political prisoners”, would compromise Sri Lanka’s position in Geneva, in regard to related issues. President AKD also promised to release formerly privately owned land, now held by the military. Reportedly, around 70,000 acres have already been released, although there is no clarity on the exact extent still held by the forces. There is also the accusation that acquired land has been leveled, and pre-existing boundaries and markers, such as trees, rocks and buildings, obliterated, thus making identification and restoration to original owners, impractical. Land, especially to a citizenry, for centuries heavily reliant on cultivation as a means of sustenance, is fundamental to existence. Therefore, this is a primary concern for immediate government attention. Another need is for Tamils in the North to be given the total freedom to commemorate their dead, whether they be civilians, or LTTE activists and combatants. To the kith and kin of those who died in battle against the largely Sinhala-Buddhist forces, the dead are not terrorists who waged war against an elected government, but, simply, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and husbands and wives, still remembered with love by the living. Their right to grieve is indisputable. If the Sinhalese of the South are permitted to commemorate JVP activists, eliminated largely through extra-judicial means by state-sponsored forces, the Tamils of the North have an equal right to publicly mourn the LTTE dead. An important issue the government must be aware of, is that establishing accord between the Tamil North, and the Sinhala South, will be resisted by extremist politicians on both sides, to whom racial and religious divisions have always been the means of inciting public sentiment, and securing and maintaining political power. In recent decades, the Rajapakse clan, especially Mahinda and Gotabhaya, elevated racially divisive rhetoric to an art form, tirelessly inventing enemies, from which only the family could deliver the Sinhala-Buddhist nation. A succession of racist politicians have drummed in to the minds of the Sinhalese, that a concession to the Tamil North, is a threat to the Sinhala-Buddhist South. In fact, already, there have been thinly veiled references by known extremists, suggesting that the NPP-JVP election victory win in the North, could be the result of a secret pact with one or more of the minority parties. For politicians and parties with no vision to offer the citizen, it is inconceivable that voters would respond to decent, sincere propositions with no strings attached. The people have given the NPP-JVP an overwhelming mandate, much more than the strong government that AKD requested during his campaign. The election result does not reflect a nation-wide ideological shift on the part of the voter, although the government, by delivering on its promises, can certainly stimulate one. If a government, with its roots in left-oriented, Marxist doctrine, becomes the engine of deliverance, to a nation in deep want in every aspect of its existence, then the whole nation will automatically turn Left. The nation now waits, impatiently, for the NPP-JVP to deliver. Failure may result in an eruption and the release of darker forces, in the face of which the “Aragalaya” would pale in to insignificance.Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed for 127 yards, throwing for another 227 and for three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Zach Ertz. The Commanders staged a dramatic comeback from a 10-point deficit at half-time, sending them to the play-offs for the first time in four years. PLAYOFF BOUND!!!!!!!!!!!! — Washington Commanders (@Commanders) The win was enough to give the Los Angeles Rams the NFC West title as it ended the Seattle Seahawks hopes ahead of their meeting in the final week of the season. The Falcons need other results to go their way along with a win over the Carolina Panthers in their final game. Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old achieved the feat with a 23-yard run during the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ crushing 41-7 success at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley is 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams, ahead of next week’s regular season finale against the New York Giants. Single-season rushing record in reach. — NFL (@NFL) However, he could be rested for that game in order to protect him from injury ahead of the play-offs. The Minnesota Vikings scored their ninth consecutive win after hanging on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25. Sam Darnold threw touchdowns to Cam Akers, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailer, pushing his total for the season to 35. The victory set up a final-week showdown with the Detroit Lions for both the division title and top seed in the NFC. The Miami Dolphins kept themselves in the play-off race with a 20-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns. With Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out with a hip injury, replacement Tyler Huntly threw for 225 yards and a touchdown. he BAKED today 👨🍳 — NFL (@NFL) Miami will need to beat the New York Jets and hope the Denver Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch the final AFC wildcard berth. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept alive their dreams of reaching the play-offs by overcoming the Carolina Panthers 48-14. Veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield produced a dominant performance at Raymond James Stadium, registering five passing touchdowns to equal a Buccaneers franchise record. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC conference number two seed for the post season with a 40-14 success over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Josh Allen passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another. Buffalo finish the 2024 regular season undefeated at home, with eight wins from as many games. The Indianapolis Colts’ hopes of reaching the play-offs were ended by a 45-33 defeat to the Giants. FINAL: Drew Lock accounts for 5 TDs in the victory! — NFL (@NFL) Malik Nabers exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Ihmir Smith-Marsette broke a 100-yard kick-off return to give the Giants their highest-scoring output under head coach Brian Daboll. Quarterback Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and accounted for a fifth on the ground to seal the win. Elsewhere, Mac Jones threw two touchdowns to help the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 20-13, while the Las Vegas Raiders beat the New Orleans Saints 25-10.Niagara earns 88-69 win against Le Moyne
Why everyone fears India like the plagueThe Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has commended the federal government’s 2025 budget plan for paying attention to key priority areas to drive macroeconomic stability and inclusive growth. In a communique made available to BusinessDay, Chinyere Almona, director general of the LCCI, commended the swift presentation of the 2025 national budget, themed, ‘Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity’. She applauded the attention paid to key priorities, including security, infrastructure, education, health, and agriculture, which focused on achieving macroeconomic stability and inclusive growth. However, Almona expressed concern about Nigeria’s tax-GDP ratio, which is one of the lowest globally. “To meet the ambitious N34.82 trillion revenue projection, the LCCI underscores the urgency of improving Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio, one of the lowest globally,” she stated. “Accelerating tax reforms, simplifying processes, and incorporating the informal sector are essential. Leveraging technology to expand the tax net, minimise leakages, and foster transparency will be critical,” Almona added. She also called for the scrutinisation of the 2024 budget that was extended to June 2025 as announced Tuesday by Godswill Akpabio, president of the Senate of Nigeria. “Beyond the figures and assumptions, budget implementation is the key performance driver. The 2024 budget implementation cycle extension to June 2025 should be closely watched to avoid such in the future as it can signal weak budget execution,” she said. “While we call on the National Assembly to expedite action on the appropriation debates, we are concerned that much-needed scrutiny and consultations on the budget may not be possible if the January-December budget cycle is to be maintained,” she added. She maintained that avoidable delays in budget preparation and approvals may stress the 2025 budget implementation expected to start in January. According to Almona, leveraging technology to expand the tax net, minimise leakages, and foster transparency will be critical. Also, fiscal discipline must complement these efforts to effectively manage the N15.81 trillion debt servicing allocation. She noted that prioritising high-impact, self-sustaining projects and exploring alternative funding mechanisms, such as public-private partnerships, are crucial to keeping debts within sustainable limits. Almona pointed out that addressing food and energy supply chain bottlenecks, fast-tracking local petroleum production projects, and fostering alignment between monetary and fiscal policies will restore confidence in the naira and ease inflationary pressures. “The allocation of N4.91 trillion for defence is commendable compared to previous allocations in recent years,” she remarked. She however urged that funding must be complemented with enhanced intelligence, surveillance technology, and simultaneous investment in poverty reduction and youth empowerment, both of which are drivers of insecurity and criminality in the country.
All About Sprinkler Systems With Hydro Tech IrrigationMen lose 17 minutes of life with every cigarette they smoke while a woman’s life is cut short by 22 minutes with each cigarette, experts have estimated. This is more than previous estimates, which suggest that each cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by 11 minutes. The new estimates, which suggest that each cigarette leads to 20 minutes loss of live on average across both genders, are based on more up-to-date figures from long-term studies tracking the health of the population. Researchers from University College London said that the harm caused by smoking is “cumulative” and the sooner a person stops smoking, and the more cigarettes they avoid smoking, the longer they live. The new analysis, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, suggests that if a 10-cigarettes-a-day smoker quits on January 1, then by January 8 they could “prevent loss of a full day of life”. By February 20, their lives could be extended by a whole week. And if their quitting is successful until August 5, they will likely live for a whole month longer than if they had continued to smoke. The authors added: “Studies suggest that smokers typically lose about the same number of healthy years as they do total years of life. Make 2025 the year you quit smoking for good. There’s lots of free support available to help you. Find out more 🔽 https://t.co/J0ehnoRM1D pic.twitter.com/LQpUp6HJBm — WHH 🏥 (@WHHNHS) December 27, 2024 “Thus smoking primarily eats into the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the period at the end of life, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability. “So a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.” The analysis, to be published in the Journal of Addiction, concludes: “We estimate that on average, smokers in Britain who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for each cigarette they smoke. “This is time that would likely be spent in relatively good health. “Stopping smoking at every age is beneficial but the sooner smokers get off this escalator of death the longer and healthier they can expect their lives to be.” Dr Sarah Jackson, principal research fellow from the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said: “It is vital that people understand just how harmful smoking is and how much quitting can improve their health and life expectancy. “The evidence suggests people lose, on average, around 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke. “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. “Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately. “It’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.” There are so many reasons to quit smoking this New Year – for your health, for more money, and for your family. Make a fresh quit for 2025 – find tips and support at https://t.co/GyLk65o8kS or https://t.co/iW6WLxTL00 pic.twitter.com/KxPZ5N378y — North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (@NTeesHpoolNHSFT) December 27, 2024 Health officials have said that smokers can find advice, support and resources with the NHS Quit Smoking app, as well as the online Personal Quit Plan. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is an expensive and deadly habit and these findings reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit. “The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.” Commenting on the paper, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our healthcare system and economy. “This research is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to address cigarette smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the UK.”
NoneWEST PALM BEACH, Florida, EE.UU. (AP) — El presidente electo, Donald Trump, amenazó el sábado con imponer aranceles de 100% a un bloque de nueve naciones si actúan para sustituir al dólar estadounidense. Trump dirigió su amenaza a los países de la llamada alianza BRIC, compuesta por Brasil, Rusia, India, China, Sudáfrica, Egipto, Etiopía, Irán y Emiratos Árabes Unidos. Turquía, Azerbaiyán y Malasia han solicitado convertirse en miembros, y varios otros países han expresado su interés en unirse. Aunque el dólar estadounidense es, con mucho, la moneda más utilizada en los negocios globales y ha sobrevivido a desafíos anteriores, los miembros de la alianza y otras naciones en desarrollo dicen estar hartos de la dominancia de Estados Unidos en el sistema financiero global. En una publicación en Truth Social, Trump dijo: “Exigimos un compromiso de estos Países de que no crearán una nueva Moneda BRICS, ni respaldarán ninguna otra Moneda para reemplazar al poderoso Dólar estadounidense, o enfrentarán aranceles de 100%, y deberían olvidarse de vender en la maravillosa Economía de Estados Unidos”. En una cumbre de naciones del BRIC en octubre, el presidente ruso, Vladímir Putin, acusó a Estados Unidos de “convertir en arma” al dólar y describió el hecho como un “gran error”. “No somos nosotros quienes nos negamos a usar el dólar”, dijo Putin en ese momento. “Pero si no nos dejan trabajar, ¿qué podemos hacer? Nos vemos obligados a buscar alternativas”. Rusia ha impulsado específicamente la creación de un nuevo sistema de pago que ofrecería una alternativa a la red global de mensajería bancaria SWIFT y permitiría que Moscú esquive las sanciones occidentales y comercie con sus socios. Trump dijo que no hay “ninguna posibilidad” de que el bloque BRIC reemplace al dólar estadounidense en el comercio global, y que cualquier país que intente hacerlo “debería despedirse de Estados Unidos”. Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
It's a difficult subject for Spurs fans, but it's time to talk about Son's formWith an amusing lack of self-awareness, Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister of Scotland , has warned that the UK Government’s recent decision to increase employers national insurance risks harming economic growth and lacks “basic competence”. The worrying thing about this is that Kate Forbes along with Fergus Ewing are normally the SNP MSPs most in touch with economic reality. Forbes is correct when she says the rise in employers national insurance will harm economic growth. The extra tax will reduce private sector employment, curtail the ability of companies to invest, raise inflation and keep interest rates higher for longer. As is its usual habit, the Scottish Government rages that the UK Government has not provided enough extra funding through the Barnet formula to meet the full cost to public bodies in Scotland of the increased national insurance. This is like arguing, if petrol were rationed, that you deserve more than others because you have a bigger car. The answer of course is to get a smaller car. The reason the Barnet formula, usually very generous to Scotland, is unhelpful in this case is that we have a higher proportion of public sector employees than the UK as a whole and they are paid more. Instead of seeking to increase efficiency in the public sector, we ignore the need for reform and just hold out the begging bowl. This is not sustainable, not properly thought through and, frankly, embarrassing. When ministers in the Scottish Government claim the UK Government has done something incompetent or not thought something through properly, they really should be laughed at and supplied with a mirror. The Sturgeon and Yousaf-led governments were grossly incompetent and not thinking things through properly was their standard operating procedure. Poor old John Swinney is trying not to make things worse but it is already too late, the damage is done. When increasing income taxes on middle and higher earners in Scotland compared to those in England, did the SNP government think through properly what that would do? For too long we have seen our best and brightest young people head to London and elsewhere outside Scotland. We need to get some of them back and stop others from leaving if we are to build a stronger tax base which can pay for the public services we want. Higher income taxes act directly against this objective. The smart thing for the Scottish Government to have done if they wanted to raise more tax revenue would have been to reduce the higher rates of tax but no, petty minded thinking rules that out. When the Scottish Government reduced fares on Scotland’s ferries but instead of making up the lost revenue chose to stop building ferries was it beyond them to grasp the obvious outcome would be an ageing and less reliable fleet? Unfortunately, it was. When they finally realised that Scotland’s ferry service was literally falling apart, what idiots decided two gigantic dual-fuelled ferries which could cross the Atlantic were needed for the route to Arran? And that the contract to build them should be awarded before it was properly finalised to a yard which had not built that sort of vessel before? Of course the consequences of this should have been thought through but they were not. Read more Scottish Parliament has failed to deliver. Here are three ways to reform it The dishonesty at the heart of Labour’s Budget is a danger to UK's future When in 2011 the Scottish Government promised to dual the A9 all the way to Inverness by 2025 but year after year did not provide the required funding, did they not realise that the target could not be met? Maybe they did, but they hid it. When formulating and sticking to its policy of not charging fees to students - a policy I happen to agree with - but then not provide sufficient funding to universities to pay for Scottish students to be educated, did they not think through what the results would be? Despite valiant efforts, our universities are falling behind in their ability to attract the best teaching talent and they have had to turn to foreign students to balance the books which means places for Scottish students are, in effect, rationed. Has the penny not dropped for the Scottish Government that its interference in the housing rental market has not been properly thought through and is causing the opposite of what is desirable? What is needed is an increased supply of homes for rent at a reasonable price. Imposing rent controls and other regulations reduces new supply and gives existing landlords no incentive to maintain and improve their properties. (Image: Glen Sannox) For a short while those who already rent a home win through lower rent rises, but in the long run they suffer as the housing stock deteriorates and those who would like to rent a home but don’t have one lose out from day one because there are fewer homes for rent. Not thought through. Incompetent. Again. The Scottish budget is next week. This is quite a test. What we are likely to get is a regretful wringing of hands that the UK Government has been mean and if only we had full control of all the economic levers all would be fine but sadly your council tax is going to have to rocket and the roads will have more potholes. The reality is, were Scotland on its own and had full control of all the economic levers, we would have an economic disaster on our hands. But they haven’t thought that one through properly either. A little less lecturing of others and a lot more sound government would be welcome.