Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's public address today, outlining her government's achievements over the past three months, appears to be a move to shore up a faltering communication strategy after a series of recent missteps. The question is whether such a one-way presentation will achieve its purpose. The national briefing, entitled "2025 Empowering Thais: A Real Possibility", is promoted as a major event, to be attended by around 500 high-level officials including cabinet ministers, heads of government agencies and armed forces leaders. It will also be broadcast live on the state-run NBT2HD TV and its social media channels. If this all sounds familiar, it probably is. In September, during her policy address to parliament, Ms Paetongtarn laid out a 10-point plan to "empower" Thais. The plan focuses on creating economic opportunities and tackling challenges, including soaring household debt, the narcotics crisis, technological disruption, and an ageing population. The proposed initiatives include comprehensive debt restructuring and measures to reduce energy prices and utility fees. The PM also pledged to promote precision agriculture and food technology to increase farmers' incomes, supporting the government's "Thai Kitchen to the World" vision. Additionally, she vowed to eradicate drugs and combat online crime, especially the growing menace of call-centre scams. Ms Paetongtarn can keep reciting these plans and showcasing what she believes to be her government's achievements, but such self-promotion is unlikely to increase public confidence in her administration. A more detailed and multi-pronged communication strategy is needed to keep the public informed and engaged about what the government is doing and the obstacles it faces. The current reactive approach -- where the PM and ministers merely respond to questions of the day -- has failed to provide a comprehensive picture of the government's performance. Worse still, it has yet to engage the public meaningfully beyond fuelling political debates and deepening divisions. Recent communication controversies -- such as the PM's remark about her husband being a Southerner when questioned about the Southern floods or the perceived policy inconsistency regarding a VAT hike -- are glaring examples of the government's incoherent communication strategy. A more professional communication team would have prepared how to handle such a crucial and sensitive issue as the VAT hike before announcing it to the public -- if the issue is indeed under consideration. The spectacle of the finance minister floating the VAT hike idea only to have the PM dismiss it shortly afterwards is embarrassing and raises doubts about the administration's competence and coordination. The same is true of the PM's reply about her personal life when asked about the flooding disaster in the South. If her communication team were doing its job correctly, the press should have received regular, timely, and relevant updates about the flooding and other important issues, thus eliminating the need for ambush questions. Ultimately, Ms Paetongtarn's resorting to the TV address for policy updates underscores how her team is out of step with the demands of modern government communication. The PM needs to overhaul her communication team to stay relevant and effective in fostering public understanding of the government's work.China’s outbound mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity could jump, as US president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats accelerate the globalisation of mainland enterprises, according to industry experts. Bracing for the possibility of 60 to 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, firms in the world’s second-largest economy are exploring ways to reduce reliance on the US, albeit in a frail global M&A environment beset by high interest rates and ongoing geopolitical tensions. “More tariffs may mean that the globalisation of Chinese companies is going to get faster,” said Stanley Lah, Asia-Pacific and China M&A services leader at Deloitte. “Chinese companies will consider moving faster to look for alternatives in shipping or selling to the US. That is quite loud and clear.” M&A activity should emerge as a speedier solution to satisfy Chinese companies’ objective of being more effective in global markets, compared with greenfield investments such as setting up sales offices or manufacturing facilities, he added. Chinese outbound M&A deals fell 16.5 per cent to US$17 billion so far this year, compared with the same period last year, according to London Stock Exchange Group data. Last year, the tally rose 59 per cent year on year to US$27 billion – still far below the 2016 peak of US$202 billion. Dealmakers have seen some rebound in China’s outbound M&A, especially in the sectors with Beijing’s “blessings”, according to Federico Bazzoni, CEO of investment banking at Vantage Capital Markets. “I see some activities coming back in specific sectors,” he said, mentioning manufacturing, technology, new energy such as solar power and batteries, and “a little bit” on consumer products. “Valuations are coming down.”
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Furthermore, Arsenal may need to recruit a quality left-footed player in the upcoming transfer windows to provide greater balance and versatility to their attacking options. A player who can offer a different dimension to the team's left-sided play, whether it's through incisive passing, dribbling ability, or goal-scoring threat, could significantly enhance Arsenal's attacking potency and relieve some of the burden on Saka.As the year comes to a close, the tech industry remains a hub of innovation and disruption, with new products, regulations, and market developments dictating the pace of change. Keeping abreast of these trends and developments is paramount for businesses, policymakers, and consumers alike, as they navigate the intricate web of technology, commerce, and governance. The stories of yesterday inform the choices of today and shape the possibilities of tomorrow, in a world where technology continues to redefine the boundaries of what is possible.
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Aidan Bouman threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Javion Phelps with 12 seconds left and South Dakota defeated FCS top-ranked North Dakota State 29-28 on Saturday to claim a share of its first Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. The Coyotes (9-2, 7-1) trailed 28-17 when Bouman threw deep to Jack Martens for a 40-yard touchdown with 3:22 remaining. They got the ball back with 1:16 left and six plays later Bouman was sacked. The Coyotes quickly lined up and Bouman found Phelps alone 2 yards shy of the end zone along the left sideline and he easily scored. South Dakota won its first game against the Bison in Vermillion since a four-overtime thriller in 2002. The Bison had won the last five meetings in the DakotaDome. The Coyotes took a 14-0 lead on two Travis Theis rushing touchdowns but the Bison (10-2, 7-1) tied the game with two scores in the final 2:26 of the first half, a 23-yard pass from Cam Miller to Braylon Henderson and a 3-yard TD run by Miller. Miller scored from 2 yards out late in the third quarter and CharMar Brown completed a 20-play, 99-yard drive that took nearly 11 minutes with a 1-yard score for a 28-17 Bison lead with just over four minutes to go. Bouman was 18-of-30 for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Miller was 9-of-21 passing with one touchdown and he rushed for 82 yards and another score. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25