Army-Navy game has added buzzABC has made the holiday season a little brighter thanks to The Great Christmas Light Fight . Season 12 is currently underway with more elaborate and unique displays. Even though Carter Oosterhouse has been judging for more than a decade, the longtime judge continues to be impressed. The construction expert and interior designer Taniya Nayak has the difficult task of deciding who out of the four families they visit in each episode takes home $50,000 and the coveted trophy. Here Oosterhouse talks about the show’s longevity and what his residence looks like during the holidays with his wife, actress Amy Smart . It’s amazing how this show has become such an annual holiday tradition for families to watch together. Carter Oosterhouse: The Great Christmas Light Fight is the gift that keeps on giving. The more we are on, the more people come up to me at the airport and reflect on how it’s a tradition for them. They tell me, “We know it’s Christmas time when we see this show come on air.” The family programming this embodies is so sweet and perfect for the holiday season. You have the holiday movies on, which are nostalgic and fun. This is a little bit different, yet gives the same moment for families to gather and have a nice little night at home. Disney/Jim Gensheimer How would you say your judging eye has evolved? That’s a good question. I think sometimes as a judge you don’t even realize how these displays continue to get better. And it’s not just bigger. It’s more than more lights. I always say I can pick the winner right when the lights go on, but that’s not always true because now what I’ve seen is the creativity level has skyrocketed. People are more and more creative than ever before. It’s not just about putting lights on a tree or making sure the balance is correct or the color profile is engaging and interesting. It’s really about creativity. What that means is people are starting to tell stories with their lights. That’s fascinating. In scripted or nonscripted TV, it’s all about telling a story. When you watch something, that is why you keep going back to it. Now these families with these light displays are telling stories. As the viewer, it’s so much more dynamic and interesting to the point you have to scratch your head and say, “I’m blown away. I’m shocked. Just when you think you’ve seen them all, you haven’t.” Technology has also advanced within these displays through computer programming and drones. The technology is there and every year it gets better. Sometimes we do have people who are extremely good with computers and putting light and synchronized lights together, but that’s not always the winner. I don’t want to say it’s usually not the winner, but it seems to me what I have learned is over time I go back to the creative ones. Those are going to be the winners. If they can throw tech in there, even better because it makes it faster, more efficient maybe, and more interesting to some degree. As far as technology goes, every year we’re seeing something different. The light fighters who have been doing it for decades and are at the forefront of this technology, really geek out over that. I do too. I love learning more about it. Then some people who are doing it for the first time knock your socks off because they have no frame of reference. They just want to do something they want to do and in their mind is really cool. I’m always amazed at the dedication of these participants. The light fighters work extremely hard. They are very diligent with what they are doing. The families are in the grind. When September comes around, they are starting to put their lights up and it’s all hands on deck. It’s a lot of work. As a judge too, I want to make sure I applaud them and give them the credit they deserve. It is impressive to see the lengths they go. These guys are beyond the next level. They know the drill. They take the kids to school, go to work, and then come home to start working on their display at all hours of the night. Then they get up the next day and do the same thing. The cool thing is I’d say 99 percent of the people are happy to do this for their community. That’s the best part. On your travels, have there been places you never thought about going but are glad you went? For Trading Spaces , we traveled all over the United States. I think that was the indoctrination of a really crazy travel schedule. I’d say the good thing is I can go back to some of these areas. To your point, I do get to see areas that have lit up these lights or sometimes they are theme parks because we do heavyweights as well. We get into bigger areas that have the capability of dressing it up. Those are eye-opening. I’m in this last round of shooting right now where there are plenty of places I’ve said, “I want to bring my daughter back here.” That’s a sign they’ve done a really good job. You and Taniya are solo judging in these episodes, but do you talk much? We touch base a couple of times during the season and before. It’s funny because it is all very similar for us. There is a progression of what these light fighters are doing. I always feel like I can figure it out if they are going to be a top tier when the lights go on. Lately, I feel as you’ve gotten into it, this is not what I expected at all and even better. That’s fun. Taniya and I have been on the same page with all that. Carter Oosterhouse and Amy Smart at “Common Ground” Screening. (Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty Images) Does this being known for this show put pressure on you at home to deliver a good display? Does Amy get you to work? Good question. It used to be my wife saying, “So what are we doing? Why aren’t we having any lights?” I say, “I am the judge of The Great Christmas Light Fight . I feel like I would not do a service and carry out the oath of being a judge and fail miserably putting lights up.” Usually, when I get home it’s a lot closer to Christmas. So, we do the inside. I’ve been trying to bring back things people make as a builder and duplicate them. There are a lot of makers out there. You see this guy who has been working in his workshop, who has this crazy Santa Claus walking up a ladder built on a timing system. I think that’s really cool that I want to go home and do that. So I have dabbled in those. You mentioned you’re filming right now for next year. Do you go back and watch the episodes airing as a family at home? We try to, absolutely, when I’m not shooting for next year. We critique. If my daughter is into it, I feel like I’m doing my job. There are tons of shows she can watch, especially during the holidays. I feel if she is into it, I’m doing alright. What’s your go-to Christmas movies to watch? Do you watch Amy’s movie Just Friends ? I feel sometimes people forget that is a Christmas movie. Just Friends , we do watch that. That is definitely a Christmas movie. We go back to all the nostalgic movies. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation , we run back through all that. Now there are all these shows, too. Like these Christmas baking shows. I feel like those are of interest to us too. I guess we’re finding shows I never thought I would watch and falling into. Also, being on a show this long, we’re so thankful it has been on the air this long and having such a successful run. You go through a rollercoaster of emotions. Right now, we’re doing great. It’s fun. It’s a new interest not just on the show but on Christmas too. It’s all about being loved ones. This experience has really helped me dive deeper into the whole Christmas world and look at it from other angles compared to when I first started on the show. Anything you can tease about the episodes to come? There is one episode that is coming up, and what was really of interest was the coordination. Not just of the lights but things that these blow molds were doing within the light display. We see a lot of coordination from the tech world, but when you can take traditional elements and mix those into a newer feel, that was really impressive. There was this choir of blow molds in the show, and that was so dynamic because you think, “Wait? Are those blow molds singing to me now?” There was a ton of them. Not only was it visually interesting but to hear it was amazing. What do you want to see from the show moving forward? I do like the heavyweights. Those are really fun to shoot because they are on such a different level. It’s also the community is helping out as well. You just have more people involved. I’d like to see more of those to tell you the truth because there seems to be a lot more people, which creates a bigger energy. That’s not to say the homes don’t do that. We only do one of these types of episodes a year, but I’d love to see more of them. The Great Christmas Light Fight , Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC More Headlines:
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A shaky second half to Moody's second season with San Francisco has put that into question headed to the offseason. Moody missed his sixth field goal in the past seven games last week, leading to questions about whether the 49ers will need to replace him or at least bring in competition for next season. Coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Moody on Thursday, attributing some of the struggles to a high ankle sprain he suffered in his kicking leg earlier in the season. “I still feel the same about him, that I believe he is going to be our guy," Shanahan said. “Everyone has got to perform and do things like that and I think he has had a tough year. ... I thought he was doing really well and then had a high ankle sprain to his kicking foot. Since he’s come back, he hasn’t been as consistent, obviously. But I think a lot of that probably has to do with that, just common-sense wise.” Moody got off to a strong start this season, making all six field goals he attempted in the season opener and going 13 for 14 before injuring his ankle while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff return in Week 5. He missed three games and has struggled since he returned. He missed three field goals in first first game back at Tampa Bay, two more in the snow at Buffalo in Week 13 and then a 41-yarder last week against the Dolphins. “That’s the great thing about kicking is, you can be as talented as whoever and you can struggle,” Moody said. “I feel like this year, I’ve struggled. It doesn’t really waver my confidence or anything. I feel like, throughout my entire life, I’ve gone through struggles, I’ve gone through high points. The biggest thing is to just stay consistent, not change anything.” Moody had an up-and-down rookie season, making 21 of 25 field goals in the regular season and missing only one extra point. But he missed a potential game-winning kick in a loss at Cleveland and missed field goals in playoff wins against Green Bay and Detroit. Moody then made three field goals in the Super Bowl with two coming from more than 50 yards, including a go-ahead 53-yard kick late in the fourth quarter against Kansas City. But Moody also had an extra point blocked in that game. “I believe we’ve got the right guy and I think that eventually, I think he has shown that at times,” Shanahan said. "I thought he showed that at times his rookie year. I thought he showed that big time being 12 out of 13 to start this year. And I think he’ll show us all that in the future.” NOTES: The Niners placed LT Trent Williams on IR after his ankle injury hasn't healed as quickly as hoped. Shanahan didn't think there were any long-term issues. ... LB Dre Greenlaw (calf) will be shut down for the rest of the season after playing parts of two games in his return from a torn left Achilles tendon. ... OL Spencer Burford (calf) didn't practice but might be able to play this week. ... San Francisco has signed two OL this week, adding Matt Hennessy and Charlie Heck. ... RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring, foot) was limited but appears on track to play this week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLNetflix executive says company learned a lot about live streaming after ‘big swing’ with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson
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The slump in the number of people heading to the shops during Boxing Day sales signals a return to declining pre-pandemic levels, an analyst has said. Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.CANTON, Ohio — Coldwater’s 31-7 win Saturday in the OHSAA Division VI football state championship even took its coach by surprise. “Obviously a surprise,” coach Chip Otten said, “surprise way we won. We were really concerned about their physical stoutness, but we played Clinton-Massie, a very similar style.” The Cavaliers (15-1) won their eighth state championship in program history and first since 2020 by taking control in the second and third quarters vs. Kirtland (15-1), the defending Division VI state champions. They build on a 7-0 lead after a roughing the punter penalty kept a second-quarter drive alive, leading to a defensive pass interference that further advanced the football and allowed Coldwater to score again. Another touchdown pass between quarterback Baylen Blockberger and Mason Welsch followed before halftime, pushing Coldwater’s lead to 21-0. It grew to 31-0 at the end of the third quarter, putting the Hornets on the wrong end of a running clock for the first time since their 2017 state-title loss to Maria Stein Marion Local. Recommended high school sports stories Coldwater denies Kirtland, 31-7, in OHSAA Division VI football state championship Dec. 7, 2024, 1:19p.m. Kirtland vs. Coldwater Rewind: Relive OHSAA Division VI football state final as it happened Dec. 7, 2024, 9:30a.m. Walsh Jesuit Ironman 2024: How Northeast Ohio wrestlers fared on Day 1 Dec. 6, 2024, 10:38p.m. They cut the deficit back under 30 in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Jake LaVerde, who rushed for a team-high 80 yards. Miles Pottkotter paced Coldwater with 127 yards and the Cavaliers’ first score on 23 carries. Blockberger added 133 yards and two TD tosses to Welsch on 8 of 12 attempts. See how the game unfolded in the video above and hear from Otten, Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde and Blockberger. Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on X ( @mgoul ), Threads ( @mgoul ) or email ( mgoul@cleveland.com ).
I consider President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s (PAKD’s) post-appointment address to the Cabinet, as an address to the nation, local political parties, the diaspora, media, and political powerpacks abroad – near and far. It is because he has conveyed the conceptual crux of his approach to nation-building and Sri Lanka’s potential revival, countering the economic, political, and social challenges. His wish for “collective responsibility to achieve the goals that will uplift our nation,” is an invitation to all stakeholders. Last Thursday’s Policy Statement is an endorsement of the address to the Cabinet of Ministers. The first statement resembled the political path, expectations, and advanced advice to use power with restraint to execute the Policy Statement. The latter dealt in detail with the approaches with specific references to actions. It fitted well to achieve the humongous task of proving that the victories echo the “decisive turning point in Sri Lankan politics.” The conversion of a poll of 42% at the Presidential election to two-thirds plus Parliamentary power narrates such echoing. What he did not specifically say is the change of the north and east minority electoral mindset, between the two elections. A friend who visited Jaffna before the Parliamentary election predicted that NPP would poll between 50,000 to 100,000 in Jaffna in the Parliamentary poll, as against 27,086 at the Presidential election. He expected its repetition in the hill country due to civilians’ frustration with politicians. Both happened as predicted. Regarding north, east, and the estate sector, I guess there was another hidden strategic reason. It is the electors’ silent adherence to Indian National Security Advisor Ajith Doval’s pre-presidential advice given to Tamil politicians to negotiate with a winnable candidate and secure Tamil aspirations through negotiations. PAKD’s victory paved the path for these voters to the winner, not only a winnable candidate. Doval is a respected strategist! The communities across the divide would have thought similarly to shed the excessive baggage carried on their shoulders. It is these responses that opened space for PAKD to say that the whole country, irrespective of traditional differentiations, has been united to adhere to the change he wished. It was not an easy shift. In an interview, PAKD has said: “I thought I would die as a man who struggled to achieve this end, and not a man who accomplished it. We did not think that during our lifetime we would get power and the opportunity to change. Then, on my sick bed, I was thinking – struggling, struggling, struggling – how to achieve this change. But now that we have the opportunity to change, I like to die as a man who finished that task.” It is not a rhetoric five-year term job. It is vast as seen in the NPP manifesto. The relevant issue is how PAKD’s cadres, Cabinet, bureaucracy, military, trade unions, civil society, media, political parties of all hues, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foreign countries, etc. accept the change of mindset of the electorate and cooperatively contribute to the achievement of this arduous task. Many in these stakeholder groups would have been onlookers or crossed PAKD’s efforts in the past. Hence, there is a need for massive psychological and attitudinal change in them too. Further, elsewhere when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) salvaged bankrupt economies, the recommended reforms were not heart-warming, pleasing, or palatable. Since the IMF program is continuing, PAKD and these stakeholders must be prepared for unpopular decisions. PAKD should possess bundles of guts and patience, to live with them. The Policy Statement dealt with the details of PAKD’s action plans. Expansion of producing goods and services was highlighted, resulting in trickling economic gains to the producers. It fitted into his explanation to the IMF team concerning the importance of building public confidence in his Government. He emphasised the IMF team regarding the people’s urgent needs, i.e., especially social security measures assisting vulnerable groups that match the Policy Statement. Prioritising essential welfare initiatives (e.g., Aswesuma), eradicating child poverty, and malnutrition, and supporting individuals with disabilities also were in policy initiatives. PAKD’s officials successfully reaching the Staff Level Agreement last Friday differed from the pre-election rebellious anti-IMF NPP rhetoric slogans. The Policy Statement detailed how the State would play a role in controlling a segment of the market through regulatory actions, insinuating hidden space for ventures in energy management, financial markets, mineral value addition, etc. Similarly, export agriculture and new technological strategies are to serve the farmers. He expected four million tourists in a year, earning eight billion dollars, and dollar five billion revenue from Information Technology by engaging 200,000 persons. These must be private-sector ventures. Revenue generation must increase to finance other promised salary increases, taxation adjustments, and more. Hence, compensatory alternatives must follow. It is there this “struggle” is not personal to PAKD but to everyone mentioned. The IMF, bilateral, and multilateral agencies, and individual investors, financiers, lenders, et al will keep eyes open on the government’s behaviour. Positive responses have already reached us from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank and the Staff Level Agreement reached will bring more. Perhaps, as a starting point of bilateral assistance to the NPP Government, one may expect Prime Minister Modi to be generous to PAKD on his first visit to Delhi, as he did to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Heads of State from Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, etc. in their past first official visits. Many policy initiatives require the engagement of the public service in large numbers, which includes poverty alleviation, social service administration, malnutrition reduction, small and medium businesses, etc. Obtaining motivated State employees’ cooperation is essential as PAKD stated in the Policy Statement and addressing Finance Ministry officials. Concurrently, the policies are combined with other operational reforms in the energy sector, restructuring State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), efficient tax administration and duty policies, pruning the state sector, etc. Operationalisation of these reforms will require courage because reforms in the energy sector or SOEs or state sector employment are politically very sensitive, and on another hand, the NPP stood against these proposed reforms before elections. It is best if the NPP, as advocated by PAKD, develops the guts to move away from political rhetoric slogans and prioritise effective governance. These reforms are essential to sustain multilateral involvement in restructuring the economy. Additionally, some reforms may require broad systemic changes and approaches that have been delayed for decades, e.g., Free Trade Agreements, trading, and economic rephrasing (e.g., ‘restructuring’ vs. ‘privatisation’). The JVP/NPP and several others had opposed some of these and to support now may be embarrassing. Fortunately, protestors are less now. Nevertheless, there is no shame in course correction. Governance and corruption issues were key components of the IMF dialogue for which the IMF even conducted a special study on governance for the first time in Southeast Asia, a stinking record for a country. Anti-corruption was a grand attraction during election campaigns. Therefore, the NPP’s commitment to combating corruption and enhancing good governance must be firmed up. Its success could compensate for criticisms emanating from other failures, if any. In this regard, the electorate was given voluminous hope that the corrupt would be taken to task and any “illegally repatriated dollars” would be brought back soon, and this charge against former government functionaries swelled the NPP vote bank. However, the process of pursuing corruption issues is overly complex. Even the UN and World Bank’s Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative (StAR) interventions may succeed slowly, and the repatriated full amounts may not be recovered. Hence, the Government must prove its credible commitment publicly by immediate transparent actions. The electorate is impatient. Best wishes PAKD! PAKD has explained to the IMF the steps taken to enforce strict rules and regulations, strengthen legislative and institutional frameworks, and ensure transparency and accountability in these efforts. This is not the first time we hear of such positive promises. I am reminded of the Urdu saying “The elephant has two sets of teeth, one for chewing and the other for the show” and PAKD, unlike others must chew, and show too! Society is impatient. The current economic, social, and political problems in the north and east are a continuation of the past military, political, and resultant economic baggage. There were three opportunities the country had to solve this issue, one in 2002 with the Ceasefire Agreement, 2009 after the conflict was over, and one in 2015 with the Yahapalana Government, but all were wasted due to splits, biases, and obstinacy of some. Now, we have an unexpected, exceptional fourth opportunity with a total national mandate, for the rights of everyone to be honoured equally. If we fail to overcome the challenges, the result will be our becoming a failed state, chaos-filled, maybe even with bloodshed. Let us keep this in mind and not consider NPP’s success a victory only for PAKD or NPP, but a guideline for the Nation, saving the degeneration of a generation. Let us reflect on the possible reasoning behind the reflexes of northern, eastern, and hill county elector mindsets. It has issues like poverty, the collapse of essential services delivery (health, energy facilitation), failed elitist politics, dissatisfied youth, unending corruption, Human Rights violations, leaders ignoring peoples’ aspirations, etc. This is cumulative of decades of deterioration of political standards and was common to other areas too. In both statements, PAKD diagnosed the historical Sri Lankan political landscape, fuelled by mistrust and division, and highlighted those affected groups on language, religion, culture, etc., and the isolation of such groups, whose equal rights, and identities were pruned in these processes. Now the regional electorate has placed confidence in PAKD and NPP, it is natural for the President to directly speak to the affected promising democratic governance and actions to massage their wounded hearts. His reference to the investigation of leading emblematic criminal cases will satisfy the affected by offering long-awaited justice and punishments to the perpetrators. PAKD has beaten all Heads of State in the past by loudly promising formulation and implementation of laws, investigation, respect for the Rule of Law, most shied accountability, acting against racial discrimination, and criminalisation, and not keeping anyone above the law. This will be a massive reward to people searching for justice on behalf of the disappeared, tortured, murdered, etc., and a happy message to the humanitarian rights law troubleshooters. He exemplifies the highest moral courage by doing so. This bold response when executed must satisfy the internationals who demand a “comprehensive accountability process for all violations and abuses of human rights committed in Sri Lanka by all parties....) (UNHRC Resolution 51/1). Concurrently, the President’s statement upholds a basic democratic right of Sri Lankans under Articles 11, 12, and 13 of the Constitution, and not on UNHRC or Core Group cajoling. PKAD may review the draft Bill prepared by the former President on the Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation Commission to reinforce his actions on justice to the affected, which include the thousands who lost their lives in JVP uprisings. Most importantly, when the perpetrators are punished it will register as a satisfactory domestic accountability tool, instead of an international accountability mechanism. If the prosecution fails due to whatever reasons (e.g., non-availability of evidence) it will prove the difficulties of punishing perpetrators by court action, whether domestic or international. Then the NPP government could suggest other compensatory actions, through the Reparation Office or otherwise. Rather than raking negative issues, convincing the affected of the ground realities must be undertaken by political, civil society, international, and Diaspora interlocutors. Two other questionable issues are the devolution of land and police powers. For decades, these issues were negated without any governmental positive commitment. The JVP and NPP did not, and I think do not show interest in the 13th Amendment (13A). Despite this, the North and East have ignored such and voted NPP to power. To many citizens there, 13A is another sobered demand now, unknown to Letchchamies and Nadarasas, overtaken by economics, humanitarian rights, return to homes, and gaining access to lost assets like land. Hence, the past of JVP and the present of NPP’s attitudes do not seem to matter. For want of space let me focus on devolution of land powers only. Irrespective of the past of JVP/NPP, let us review whether we could explore, taking the island as one unit benefitting from the devolution of land powers. By such expansion, operational biases are reduced because the common application of systems is negotiable. The usual criticism had been that land power devolution can affect military installations, High-Security Zones, possession of acquired lands, and southern high population cannot be alienated land in the north and east, etc. Northerners and Easterners complain of land use by the military affecting their livelihoods, and the effect on ethnic demographic proportions. Nevertheless, PAKD in the campaign trail assured the possible release of lands held by the military, and to avoid haphazardness, formulating a policy for such is important. Releasing land is now a compulsory presidential obligation and a constitutional power he possesses. This could be managed by the provisions in Appendix II of the 13A. To wit, PAKD can appoint the National Land Commission (NLC) to formulate a National Land Policy in consultation with Provincial Councils (Supreme Court determinations apply.) All related concerns will be discussed at the NLC, and the best national policy finalised, sans political and communal biases, again as expected by law. This will ensure what PAKD stated as the “responsibility to consistently protect and elevate the rights of citizens within the democratic framework.” He considers these election results as symbolising an invitation to freedom for the oppressed, who longed for such freedom to escape the oppression. It must drive him and his teams to think anew. Of course, this will require course correction among members who had been negative on these issues, if he wishes to “create a more liberated environment for the people of this country.” His request to move away from political principles and slogans after the elections and to measure the success of the quality of governance must also be compulsorily applied to attitudinal change in some on top of his administration, worshipping election slogans. Concisely, the two statements reflected PAKD’s governance approach. The Policy Statement orchestrated PAKD’s philosophy and approach on racist politics, democratic governance, building national unity, maintaining the dignity of the Parliament, efficient State service and an overarching diplomatic service, supremacy of the Rule of Law, stabilising the economy, and continuing with the IMF program, key economic strategies to promote qualitative, economic activities, Clean Sri Lanka Program, etc., ending with a plea for cooperation from everyone to successfully perform for nation building. What more can be expected from a Policy Statement? However, we find different evaluations in the West; and domestically, as usual. Peaceful elections, the IMF Staff Level Agreement last week show that suspicions on the PAKD Government are currently ill-founded. Concerning developing nations, the West always has measures of political philosophies, human rights, and humanitarian approaches and how such nations stand with them to achieve their ends. I think PAKD has adequately addressed those. Probably with prophesied suspicion of PAKD’s political origins – i.e., Marxist, the Western media had been lukewarm, unlike the Indians in Karan Thapar in The Wire or Meera Srinivasan in The Hindu. It cannot be that the West is unconcerned with the surprising change taking place in Lankan politics. It does not match the way the Western media behaved during the Aragalaya in 2022, where we saw teams of journalists mingling with the youth participating in the Aragalaya at Galle Face Green, and when Arugam Bay “happened” recently. I hope the West will shed the baggage from last week, as PAKD sheds Lankan traditional politics, and support him as an accomplisher of much-needed change. He needs the overall acceptance and good wishes of his Sri Lankan counterparts and stakeholders to shoulder his responsibilities in the name of the nation and its future generations. Give him a chance to accomplish his mandate. If he fails the country will end up in misery. Sri Lanka may not have a fifth chance! Lest I am misunderstood, one short quip: Though I know PAKD, I am not a JVP or NPP Comrade, am only a concerned senior citizen.
Manmohan Singh Passes Away: RBI Governor, Union Finance Minister, and two time Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday, 26 December. Dr Manmohan Singh, who served as India's Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 and as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, is widely regarded as the architect of India's economic liberalisation. Manmohan Singh's policies transformed the Indian economy, steering it towards a market-driven model and integrating it into the global economy. Here are five major reforms that defined his tenure and legacy. 1. Abolition of the Licence Raj One of Manmohan Singh 's most significant reforms was the dismantling of the Licence Raj, a complex system of permits and regulations that stifled private enterprise and economic growth. This reform was crucial during the economic crisis of 1991 when India faced severe balance of payments issues. Manmohan Singh's decision to abolish these restrictions allowed for greater freedom in business operations, encouraging entrepreneurship and attracting foreign investment. As he noted, “We were importing significantly more than we were exporting, and our foreign exchange reserves were critically low.” 2. Trade Liberalisation and Import Tariff Reduction Manmohan Singh' s policies included substantial reductions in import tariffs, which facilitated trade and made foreign goods more accessible to Indian consumers. By slashing tariffs from over 300% to around 50%, De. Manmohan Singh opened up the Indian market to global competition. This move not only benefited consumers through lower prices but also stimulated domestic industries to innovate and improve their products. The introduction of these measures marked a significant shift towards a more open economy. 3. Encouragement of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Under Manmohan Singh ’s leadership, India saw a remarkable increase in foreign direct investment. His government implemented policies that eased restrictions on FDI across various sectors, including telecommunications, insurance, and retail. This influx of foreign capital not only bolstered economic growth but also created jobs and improved infrastructure. Manmohan Singh’s approach to FDI was instrumental in positioning India as an attractive destination for international investors. 4. Tax Reforms Dr Manmohan Singh introduced comprehensive tax reforms aimed at broadening the tax base and simplifying the tax structure. He raised the income tax exemption limit while reducing the number of tax slabs from four to three, which made compliance easier for taxpayers. Additionally, Manmohan Singh lowered the maximum marginal rate of personal income tax from 56% to 40%. These reforms improved revenue generation for the government while fostering a more conducive environment for economic activity. 5. National Food Security Act During his tenure as Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh championed social welfare initiatives, including the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in 2013. This landmark legislation aimed to provide subsidised food grains to nearly two-thirds of India's population, ensuring that food security became a fundamental right for citizens. The NFSA represented a significant step towards addressing hunger and malnutrition in India, highlighting Singh's commitment to social equity alongside economic growth.Kyiv: Russia fired a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro on Thursday in response to the US and UK allowing Kyiv to strike Russian territory with advanced Western weapons , in a further escalation of the 33-month-old war. The weapon contained multiple independent warheads, a key design feature of many nuclear weapons. In this screen grab from a video provided by the Come Back Alive Foundation, lights are seen in the sky during a Russian attack on Dnipro, Ukraine. Credit: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address, said Moscow struck a Ukrainian military facility with a new ballistic missile known as Oreshnik (“the hazel”) and warned that more could follow. “A regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character,” Putin said in an address to the nation carried by state television after 8pm Moscow time (0400 Friday AEDT). A US official said Washington was pre-notified by Russia shortly before its strike, while another said they had briefed Kyiv and other close allies in recent days to prepare for the possible use of such a weapon. Earlier on Thursday, Kyiv said that Russia had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM ), a weapon designed for long-distance nuclear strikes and never before used in war, though US officials said it was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that has a smaller range. Putin addresses the nation from the Kremlin in Moscow. Credit: AP Regardless of its classification, the latest strike highlighted rapidly rising tensions in the past several days. Ukraine fired US and British missiles at targets inside Russia this week despite warnings by Moscow that it would see such action as a major escalation. “Today, there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics – speed, altitude – are (of an) intercontinental ballistic (missile). An expert investigation is currently under way,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video statement. Rescue workers put out a fire of a burning house damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. Credit: AP Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry urged the international community to react swiftly to the use of what it said was “the use by Russia of a new type of weaponry”. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia likely possesses a handful of the “experimental” IRBMs used in Thursday’s strike. Ukraine’s air force said the missile targeted Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine and was fired from the Russian region of Astrakhan, more than 700 kilometres away. It did not specify what kind of warhead the missile was carrying, and there was no suggestion it was nuclear-armed. Intermediate-range ballistic missiles have a range of 3000 – 5500 kilometres. “Whether it was an ICBM or an IRBM, the range isn’t the important factor,” said Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at Oslo University specialising in missile technology and nuclear strategy. “The fact that it carried a MIRV-ed (Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle) payload is much more significant for signalling purposes and is the reason Russia opted for it. This payload is exclusively associated with nuclear-capable missiles.” Russia also fired a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles at Dnipro, targeting enterprises and critical infrastructure, six of which were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Dnipro was a missile-making centre in the Soviet era. Ukraine has expanded its military industry during the war but has kept its whereabouts secret. The air force did not say what the missile targeted or whether it had caused any damage, but regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said the attack damaged an industrial enterprise and set off fires the city. Two people were hurt. Ukrainska Pravda , a Kyiv-based media outlet, had cited anonymous sources saying the missile was an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fuelled ICBM with a range of 5,800 kilometres, according to the Arms Control Association. A group of glowing projectiles could be seen plummeting to the ground from the night sky in a video published by Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian military charity. It said the video was of Dnipro overnight. The NATO military alliance did not respond to a request for comment. The US European Command said it had nothing on the reported use of an ICBM and referred questions to the US Department of Defence. Act of deterrence Some military experts said the missile launch if confirmed, could be seen as an act of deterrence by Moscow following Kyiv’s strikes into Russia with Western weapons this week. Russian war correspondents on Telegram and an official speaking on condition of anonymity said Kyiv fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia’s Kursk region bordering Ukraine on Wednesday. Russia’s Defence Ministry, in its daily report of events over the previous 24 hours on Thursday, said air defences had shot down two British Storm Shadow cruise missiles but did not say where. Britain had previously let Ukraine use Storm Shadows only within Ukrainian territory. Ukraine also fired American ATACMS missiles into Russia on Tuesday after US President Joe Biden gave the all-clear to use such missiles in this way, two months before he leaves office and Donald Trump returns to the White House. Putin on Tuesday lowered Russia’s threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks. Trump has said he will end the war, without saying how, and has criticised billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine under Biden. The warring sides believe Trump is likely to push for peace talks – not known to have been held since the war’s earliest months – and are trying to attain strong positions before negotiations. Moscow has said the use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory far from the border would be a major escalation. Kyiv says it needs the capability to defend itself by hitting Russian bases used to support its forces in Ukraine. Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here .
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WASHINGTON — Yu Miao smiles as he stands among the 10,000 books crowded on rows of bamboo shelves in his newly reopened bookstore. It’s in Washington’s vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood, far from its last location in Shanghai, where the Chinese government forced him out of business six years ago. “There is no pressure from the authorities here,” said Yu, the owner of JF Books, Washington’s only Chinese bookseller. “I want to live without fear.” Independent bookstores have become a new battleground in China, swept up in the ruling Communist Party’s crackdown on dissent and free expression. The Associated Press found that at least a dozen bookstores in the world’s second-largest economy have been shuttered or targeted for closure in the last few months alone, squeezing the already tight space for press freedom. One bookstore owner was arrested over four months ago. The crackdown has had a chilling effect on China’s publishing industry. Bookstores are common in China, but many are state-owned. Independent bookstores are governed by an intricate set of rules with strict controls now being more aggressively policed, according to bookstore owners. Printing shops and street vendors are also facing more rigorous government inspections by the National Office Against Pornography and Illegal Publication. The office did not respond to interview requests from The Associated Press. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement to AP, said it was not aware of a crackdown on bookstores. Yu isn’t alone in taking his business out of the country. Chinese bookstores have popped up in Japan, France, Netherlands and elsewhere in the U.S. in recent years, as a result of both stricter controls in China and growing Chinese communities abroad. It’s not just the books’ contents that are making Chinese authorities wary. In many communities, bookstores are cultural centers where critical thinking is encouraged, and conversations can veer into politics and other topics not welcomed by the authorities. The bookstore owner who was arrested was Yuan Di, also called Yanyou, the founder of Jiazazhi, an artistic bookstore in Shanghai and Ningbo on China’s eastern coast. He was taken away by police in June, according to Zhou Youlieguo, who closed his own bookstore in Shanghai in September. Yuan’s arrest was also confirmed by two other people who declined to be named for fear of retribution. The charge against Yuan is unclear. An official in Ningbo’s Bureau of Culture, Radio Television and Tourism, which oversees bookstores, declined comment, noting the case is under investigation. The Ningbo police didn’t respond to an interview request. Michael Berry, director of UCLA’s Center for Chinese Studies, said a sluggish Chinese economy may be driving the government to exert greater control. “The government might be feeling that this is a time to be more cautious and control this kind of discourse in terms of what people are consuming and reading to try to put a damper on any potential unrest and kind of nip it in the bud,” Berry said. These bookstore owners face dual pressures, Berry added. One is the political clampdown; the other is the global movement, especially among young people, toward digital media and away from print publications. Wang Yingxing sold secondhand books in Ningbo for almost two decades before being ordered to close in August. Local officials informed Wang he lacked a publication business license even though he wasn’t eligible to obtain one as a second-hand seller. Faded outlines marked the spot where a sign for Fatty Wang’s Bookstore once hung. Spray-painted black letters on the bookstore’s window read: “Temporarily closed”. “We’re promoting culture, I’m not doing anything wrong, right? I’m just selling some books and promoting culture,” Wang said, tying a bundle of books together with brown wrapper and white nylon string. “Then why won’t you leave me alone?” Wang added. Half a dozen other people heaved boxes of books into the back of a van. The books, Wang said, were being sold to cafe and bar owners who wanted to burnish little libraries for their patrons. Some would be sent to a warehouse in Anhui. The rest, he said, were to be sent to a recycling station to be pulped and destroyed. Bookstores are not the only target. Central authorities have also cracked down on other places such as printing shops, internet bars, gaming rooms and street vendors. Strict inspections have taken place all over the country, according to Chinese authorities. Authorities in Shanghai inspected printing places and bookstores, looking for “printing, copying or selling illegal publications,” according to a government document. This shows the authorities are not just barring the sale of some publications, but tracing them back to the printing process. They found some printing stores did not “register the copy content as required” and demanded they fix the problem quickly. In Shaoyang, a city in China’s south, authorities said they will be “cracking down on harmful publications in accordance with the law.” The Communist Party has various powers to control which books are available. Any publication without a China Standard Book Number is considered illegal, including self-published books and those imported without special licenses. Books can be banned even after they are published if restrictions are later tightened — often for unclear reasons — or if the writers say something upsetting to the Chinese authorities. Yet despite these restrictions and the crackdown on existing booksellers, more bookstores are opening. Recent figures are unavailable, but a survey by Bookdao, a media company that focuses on the book industry, shows more than twice as many bookstores opened than closed in China in 2020. Liu Suli, who has been running All Sages Books in Beijing for over three decades, said there are many idealists in the industry. “Everyone who reads has a dream of having a bookstore,” Liu said, despite the challenges. In many cases, those dreams are being fulfilled outside China. Yu and other Chinese booksellers around the world stock their shelves with books from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China, as well as books published locally. Zhang Jieping, founder of Nowhere, a bookstore in Taiwan and Thailand, said there’s a growing demand for books from migrants who left China after the COVID-19 pandemic. “They don’t just want to speak fluent English or Japanese to fit in, they want cultural autonomy,” Zhang said. “They want more community spaces. Not necessarily a bookstore, but in any format — a gallery, or a restaurant.” Li Yijia is a 22-year-old student who arrived in Washington from Beijing in August. One Sunday morning, she wandered through JF Books where she found titles in Chinese and English. She said a Chinese bookstore feels like “another world in a bubble” which helps her critical thinking by allowing her to read books in both languages. “It also relieves homesickness, like a Chinese restaurant,” Li added. The closure of the bookstores leads the owners to different paths. Some ended up in jail, some went looking for jobs to feed their families. Some started a journey to leave censorship behind. Since he closed his Shanghai bookstore, Zhou, 39, has moved to Los Angeles, but hasn’t decided what his next step will be. He said his fully licensed independent bookstore, which sold art books and self-published works by artists and translators, was fined thousands of dollars and he was interrogated over a dozen times during the past four years. He’s seen colleagues jailed for selling “illegal publications.” All the self-published book artists and editors he worked with asked him to take down their work after warnings by local authorities. Zhou said he could not handle further harassment. He said it was as if he were “smuggling drugs instead of selling books.” The existence of his bookstore, Zhou said, was “a rebellion and a resistance,” which is not there anymore.