Sudan’s Tagadum coalition refers key issues to political mechanismPercentages: FG .333, FT .706. 3-Point Goals: 7-26, .269 (Carpenter 2-6, McCubbin 2-6, Burries 1-2, Lax 1-2, Hammer 1-4, Gaines 0-1, Brookshire 0-2, Thomas 0-3). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 1 (Lax). Turnovers: 10 (Brookshire 3, Thomas 2, Carpenter, Gaines, Lax, Loos, McCubbin). Steals: 5 (Lax 2, McCubbin 2, Thomas). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .476, FT .647. 3-Point Goals: 8-21, .381 (Buggs 3-5, Sisk 2-3, Johnson 2-4, Boyd 1-3, Jones 0-1, Seymour 0-2, Peterson 0-3). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Boyd, Seymour, Wheeler). Turnovers: 9 (Boyd 3, Buggs, Fasehun, Hughes, Peterson, Seymour, Sisk). Steals: 5 (Strothers 2, Seymour, Sisk, Wheeler). Technical Fouls: None. A_3,467 (6,149).
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Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
We hear the word talamak increasingly being used to describe corruption in our midst. Its dictionary translations into “chronic,” “acute,” or “rampant” don’t quite capture the intensity and brazenness the word is intended to convey in this context. Ask anyone around, and they’re likely to agree that corruption is now more widespread, glaring, and large-scale that people seem to have become almost desensitized to it. We shake our heads and curse ourselves in disgust over the daily news on the theatrics of political protagonists that most believe to be equally corrupt anyway—but don’t get indignant enough to take any action that might help curb it. We get a sinking feeling that things have gotten out of hand, and nothing any of us can do can stop it. And yet we all know that systemic corruption has long held back our economic progress and kept us from achieving sustained economic development as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand did. It dampens job-creating domestic and foreign investments, and has kept many Filipinos trapped in poverty. It has diverted public funds from essential infrastructure for corrupt officials’ private gain. Infrastructure projects are overpriced, delayed, or exist only on paper, awarded to spurious contractors often owned by the very politicians who allocate the funds for them. In the Napoles-style schemes of the past, spurious nongovernment organizations were the tools employed to siphon off tens to hundreds of millions of pesos of pork barrel funds into politicians’ pockets. That is now small change compared to billions awarded to politicians’ own contractor firms from hundreds of billions in flood control and other infrastructure budgets. While our neighbors put in place modern infrastructure facilities that attracted foreign investors and enhanced trade, we’re still cursing unbearable traffic congestion, lack of public transport, persistent damaging floods, and poor connectivity. Corruption drives up our costs of doing business, as companies must pay substantial unofficial fees and navigate a complex web of bureaucratic hurdles, making them less competitive in regional and global markets. It leads to policy decisions that prioritize officials’ short-term gains over long-term national interests and the greater good. Inconsistent policies and lack of continuity in government programs further hinder economic progress. Meanwhile, neighbors like Vietnam pursued deliberate reforms to curb corruption and create business-friendly environments, which led them to rapid economic growth. Stable and transparent policies in our neighbors have been able to attract sustained investments and implement long-term development strategies. Corruption undermines the effectiveness of government institutions, resulting in poor service delivery and weak enforcement of laws. Our courts are often perceived as susceptible to political influence and bribery, leading to delayed or biased rulings that have eroded public trust and businesses’ faith in the legal system to resolve disputes. In contrast, strong institutions in our Asean peers ensure accountability, transparency, and efficient governance, which have fostered faster economic development. Corruption worsens poverty by depriving millions of Filipinos of access to education, health care, and social welfare. This creates a vicious cycle where poverty fuels corruption, with desperate individuals only too willing to sell their votes and elect openly corrupt officials. And corruption perpetuates inequality by allowing wealth and power to be concentrated among a few elites. The disparity between the wealthy who enjoy lavish lifestyles and the poor struggling to make ends meet is particularly stark in the Philippines. Neighboring countries with lower levels of corruption, such as Vietnam and Thailand, have managed to reduce inequality and create more inclusive societies. So what could we do, other than shrugging our shoulders and giving up? Vietnam strengthened laws on asset declarations, transparency, and enforcement mechanisms, and expanded the definition of conflicts of interest. Their “Blazing Furnace” anti-corruption campaign has ousted two presidents and several deputy ministers, and disciplined thousands of officials, including senior leaders, military generals, and party members. They have harnessed digital tools to enhance transparency and reduce corruption opportunities in public administration and procurement processes. They also promoted public participation in anti-corruption initiatives, especially youth and civil society organizations. But all these won’t happen without the top leadership enabling them, like the Communist Party in Vietnam does. Can we elect a president who will again proclaim “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap,” and really take the mission to heart? ————— [email protected] Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .Sinclair Broadcast stock hits 52-week high at $18.21
Trump threatens BRICS countries of 100 tariff if they drop dollar as currency
Bills' push for AFC top seed continues with visit to Rams, who need to keep pace in NFC WestBank of America Raises Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) Price Target to $250 on Strong Q4 Results and AI DemandDETROIT — In the end, the amount and way the Red Wings were losing lately was simply too much to ignore. And with that, the Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him with Todd McLellan on Thursday. In a release just after noon, the Wings announced that Steve Yzerman, the Wings' executive vice-president and general manager, named McLellan the team's 29th head coach in franchise history and signed McLellan to a multi-year contract. The Wings also hired Trent Yawney as an assistant coach, replacing Bob Boughner, who oversaw the defense and penalty-kill. McLellan will be behind the bench Friday, as the Wings return from the three-day NHL holiday break to host Toronto (7 p.m., FSN/97.1). Yzerman and McLellan will address the media on Friday. The Wings have struggled to a 13-17-4 record, good for 30 points, just two points above Buffalo for last place in the Eastern Conference. They trail Ottawa by eight points (38-30) for the final of two Eastern Conference wild-card positions. After just missing the playoffs last spring on the final night of the season on a tiebreaker, the Wings struggled from the start this season. They lost three of their first four games and have struggled mightily to get to, or above, the .500 mark ever since. The Wings have lost their last three games, and the way they did likely pushed Yzerman to replace Lalonde. The Wings let a third-period lead slip away at Little Caesars on Dec. 20 to Montreal and lost, 4-3, then lost the next night in Montreal, 5-1, watching the Canadiens score the last five goals consecutively with not a ton of pushback. Monday, the Wings were shut, 4-0, at LCA, looking listless, at times. The Wings were serenaded with a loud chorus of boos after each period, culminating with a lot of pent-up frustration at the end of the game. Lalonde, 52, ended his Wings career with an 89-86-23 record. This was his first NHL head-coaching job, and he was in his third season guiding the Wings. After last season's exciting finish and near-playoff miss, there was plenty of optimism heading into this Wings season. The team's overall defense needed to improve, and scoring was expected to be an issue because of the personnel losses the Wings had, but the roster appeared to be competitive. But Lalonde wasn't able to appreciably fix any of the problem areas. The Wings rank 25th in goals-against (3.26), only slightly better than last season's final average (3.35). Scoring goals has been a larger-than-expected issue. With the departures of Jake Walman, Shayne Gostisbehere, David Perron, Robby Fabbri and Daniel Sprong, the Wings were hoping for internal improvement, but it hasn't happened. They currently rank 29th, at 2.56 goals scored per game (the Wings were 13th last season, scoring 3.12 goals per game). Add to that, a dismal penalty kill that ranks 31st (68.8%), and it's made for a frustrating season. In steps McLellan, 57, who was an assistant coach under Mike Babcock from 2005-08. Yzerman, incidentally, was the captain in his final playing season and first season for McLellan in Detroit under Babcock. McLellan has 16 seasons of NHL head-coaching experience, posting a 598-412-134 regular-season record and a 42-46 postseason mark with the Los Angeles Kings (2019-24), Edmonton Oilers (2015-19) and San Jose Sharks (2008-15). His 598 regular-season wins are ranked 24th in NHL history and sixth-most among active coaches behind Paul Maurice (891), Lindy Ruff (876), Peter Laviolette (823), John Tortorella (757) and Peter DeBoer (632). Teams coached by McLellan have reached the 50-win mark three times and the 100-point plateau six times. McLellan’s teams have also advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs nine times, including six consecutive postseason appearances with the Sharks. Known as an upbeat coach with strong communication skills, McLellan is regarded as an effective coach of young players dating back to a successful junior hockey coaching career. McLellan, along with Yzerman, will be under increasing pressure to end a Wings' streak of not making the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons. Only Buffalo, at 13 seasons, has a longer current streak. ©2024 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.No. 9 K-State women drop first game to No. 13 Duke 73-62
“The Crucial Communism Teaching Act is important because our youth must remember the crimes of the communists, including those inflicted upon my constituents and their families in Florida’s 27th district.” She first introduced the bill in September 2021, but it was not brought up for a vote at that time. Specifically, the bill seeks to educate American students that “communism has led to the 16 deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide,” and that “1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism.” Ahead of the vote, Rep. Danny Burgess (R-Fla.) warned that many youth have been taught to see communism as something desirable, noting that a recent report indicated “half of GenZ students were unaware that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is responsible for more deaths than Nazi Germany.” He also said that more than a quarter of Generation Z students view communism favorably and that 20 percent think that it is a better system than capitalism. The curriculum will be developed by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, an entity created by a unanimous vote of Congress in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. “American students deserve to know the truth: communism is not a promise for a more equitable future—it is a brutal ideology that runs counter to democracy and the very principles our nation was founded upon,” said Ken Pope, CEO of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The legislation mandates that the new educational program will discuss “certain political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding of the United States.” It also makes space for an oral historical series called “Portraits in Patriotism,” which will feature stories from survivors of communist regimes. The bill’s authors said they wanted the survivors to describe the contrast between life under those political systems and life in the United States. Scott also said the bill “skirts around key historical lessons,” because it did not mention fascism directly, or teach about the House Un-American Activities Committee. That initiative, led by former Sen. Joseph McCarthy, sought to stamp out communism in the United States in the mid-20th century but has come to be viewed by many as too heavy-handed in its approach.
Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
Hallmark to air 41 new Christmas movies this yearDuring the Singapore FinTech Festival, I had a chance to visit the National Library of Singapore and explore the Generative AI-powered ChatBook featuring one of the founders of modern Singapore S. Rajaratnam. The showcase was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong while launching the second volume of the biography of S. Rajaratnam, “The Lion’s Roar”, authored by Irene Ng. Singapore’s Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who graced the showcase, noted: “Raja belonged to the core group of Founding Fathers who shared fierce conviction of what Singapore should be, and defied the odds to build a united, successful, and confident nation. It is befitting that NLB has made this ChatBook prototype publicly available with Raja’s materials.” Rajaratnam was born on 25 February 1915 in Jaffna, Ceylon, and at the age of six months, his mother brought him to join his father in Malaya. His mother had taken the precaution of giving birth to him in her hometown Jaffna because of her traumatic experience at a hospital in Malaya a few years earlier. Rajaratnam spent his childhood in Malaya and later went to London to study at King’s College but had to return to Malaya before completing his studies due to World War II. Eventually, he settled in Singapore, where he became a prominent journalist, political leader, and one of the Founding Fathers of independent Singapore. Rajaratnam was close to Lee Kuan Yew, and they shared a strong working relationship as part of Singapore’s founding leadership. Both were core members of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and worked together to guide Singapore through its early years of independence. Rajaratnam served as Singapore’s first Foreign Minister, while Lee was the first Prime Minister, and their shared vision for the country’s future helped them build a solid and effective partnership. As the Foreign Minister, Rajaratnam was skilled in diplomacy and worked to establish Singapore’s presence on the global stage, especially during a time when Singapore was a small, newly independent country. He advocated for principles of non-alignment, peaceful coexistence, and cooperation, which allowed Singapore to build strong relationships with both Eastern and Western nations. His influence also extended domestically. He played a key role in promoting multiculturalism and social cohesion, particularly through the drafting of the Singapore National Pledge, which emphasised unity across racial and religious lines. His ideals of harmony, meritocracy, and national unity continue to shape Singapore’s identity today. Rajaratnam’s contributions to the nation’s broader development had a significant impact on Singapore’s emergence as a global financial hub. As Foreign Minister, he played a key role in shaping Singapore’s international image and establishing diplomatic ties with countries and organisations that would later facilitate global trade and investment. His efforts in building strong foreign relations and advocating for Singapore’s strategic location as a neutral and stable nation created an environment conducive to economic growth, including in the financial sector. Additionally, Rajaratnam’s emphasis on national stability, meritocracy, and social cohesion helped to create the social and political foundation that made the country an attractive destination for global businesses and investors. Singapore’s reputation as a stable, efficient, and transparent country, with policies that encouraged foreign investment, was crucial to its success as a powerful financial hub in the world today. (The writer is the Founding President of Fintech Association of Sri Lanka and a relative of Late S. Rajaratnam)Utah Hockey Club walks to arena after bus gets stuck in Toronto traffic
NoneODU_Henicle 92 run (Sanchez kick), 11:37. ODU_Young 1 run (Sanchez kick), 5:43. ARST_Rucker 36 pass from Raynor (Van Andel kick), :58. ODU_Young 24 run (Sanchez kick), 5:58. ARST_M.Stevenson 15 pass from Raynor (Van Andel kick), 1:54. ODU_Conroy 8 pass from Henicle (kick failed), 11:40. ARST_C.Jackson 35 pass from Raynor (Van Andel kick), 8:58. ODU_Conroy 75 pass from Henicle (kick failed), 8:46. ODU_Henicle 1 run (Sanchez kick), 4:48. ARST_Z.Wallace 10 run (Rucker pass from Raynor), :23. ARST_FG Van Andel 26, 6:03. RUSHING_Old Dominion, Henicle 19-206, Young 23-119, Roche 7-85, T.Sims 1-1, (Team) 2-(minus 5). Arkansas St., Z.Wallace 15-89, Cross 9-52, Raynor 15-8. PASSING_Old Dominion, Henicle 9-12-0-143. Arkansas St., Raynor 22-36-1-261. RECEIVING_Old Dominion, Conroy 4-90, Young 2-39, Paige 1-12, Alston 1-5, Roche 1-(minus 3). Arkansas St., Rucker 8-115, Stevenson 4-49, A.Jones 4-40, C.Jackson 2-35, Cross 2-8, McCrumby 1-9, Ealy 1-5. MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.
Old Dominion 40, Arkansas St. 32Belgium: Arokodare salvages draw for Genk against Westerlo