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Labor strategist Steve Rosenthal says Kamala Harris fared better with union voters than headlines suggest — and outlines the labor movement’s path forward. By Kalena Thomhave , for Capital & Main Before the election, several headlines suggested that union voters had abandoned the Democratic Party for Donald Trump. And though Trump did indeed win the presidential election on Nov. 5 with many rank-and-file union members’ support, he didn’t win union voters overall. What’s more, Steve Rosenthal, who has worked as an electoral strategist in the labor movement for more than 40 years, thinks the political coin could flip again as soon as 2026. A former political director of the AFL-CIO, where he helped revitalize labor’s political influence, Rosenthal focuses on engaging union members and working-class voters. He is currently president of the Organizing Group, a political consulting firm that works with labor unions to help them get out the vote and win campaigns. The firm runs In Union , a voter mobilization program that reached 1.5 million mostly white working-class voters this year in the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as Ohio. After Kamala Harris’ loss, Rosenthal believes the labor movement needs to start preparing now for the anti-worker changes that may come from a second Trump administration — and also for the next election. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Capital & Main: I might as well ask the question that everyone is asking about the election: What happened? Steve Rosenthal: For me, the most telling numbers came out of the AP VoteCast poll. Voters who rated the economy excellent or good — 36% of the electorate — voted for Harris 82 to 17. Those who said the economy was not so good or poor — 63% of the electorate — voted for Trump 69 to 29. If you go back to 2020, [the poll results were] almost the exact opposite of that — 43% said the economy was excellent or good, [and they] voted for Trump 81 to 18. The 57% of the electorate who said the economy was not so good or poor voted for Biden 77 to 21. As a lot of people have pointed out, the economy was the No. 1 issue by far for voters. If they thought that things were going OK, they voted for the incumbent [party in] Kamala Harris, and if they thought that things were not going well with the economy, they voted for the change candidate, which was Trump. For a lot of voters, economic issues — forgive the expression — trump fascism, democracy and choice — the cornerstone of the Harris campaign. I think to some voters, [arguments on] those issues were less credible because they lived through four years of Trump. To me, that is the top line summary. I don’t believe there was any huge realignment [or evidence of] a long-term conservative shift. When I was the political director at the AFL-CIO from 1996 to 2002, part of my rap was that the only white working-class voters who were voting for Democrats were in unions. It was true then, and it’s largely true today. And the union vote has actually gotten a little worse. There has not been enough attention over the years to the decline in the number of union members and, therefore, union voters, and what that has meant for Democrats. I’m happy to see people talking about the Democrats needing to become the party of working people again. On the union vote, there was a lot of media discussion about how union members are migrating to Trump despite the Biden administration doing so much for unions. First off, union members voted for Harris in pretty strong numbers. Across the three blue wall states, [there was a] significant performance by union members. In Pennsylvania, union members made up 18% of the electorate. So, almost one out of five votes cast came from union households, and they voted 52 to 47 for Harris, which is better than the Biden vote was in 2020, [when] Biden lost union households to Trump 49 to 50 in Pennsylvania. So, she actually did better. In Wisconsin, Kamala Harris won union voters 53 to 46 — better than Clinton did in 2016 and not quite as good as Biden did in 2020, but still a nine-point margin among union voters in the state. In Michigan, Harris won [union voters] 55 to 44 — not quite as good as Biden did in 2020, but much better than Clinton in 2016. Trump has eroded the union vote a little bit, but not in substantial numbers. The media rush to judgment before the election based on some polls suggesting that union members had abandoned the Democrats, it’s just wrong. What are your thoughts on unions like the Teamsters not endorsing Harris? The Teamsters, as was well reported, stayed neutral. So did the firefighters. But there were 50 unions that supported Kamala Harris. The Teamsters released a poll that said that [nearly] 60% of their members were supporting Trump, and [indicated] that’s why they decided to stay neutral. I’ve seen a lot of union member polls over the more than 40 years I’ve been doing this work. Unions might start off with their members behind 10, 15, or 20 points. But then you put your program into gear and communicate with your members — in this case, for example, point out that Trump supports right-to-work and that Trump ran one of the most vehemently anti-union administrations in the history of the country. And then contrast that with Harris’ record and the fact that Harris cast the deciding vote on the legislation that saved the pensions for hundreds of thousands of union members, including Teamsters. It was inexcusable that the union didn’t take the opportunity to communicate to their members and explain to them what was at stake in this election. Because if they had done that, they would have moved those numbers. No union leader could look at these two candidates and with any degree of honesty suggest that one of them wouldn’t be better for working people. Do you have thoughts on how to reconcile how the economy is doing versus how people feel the economy is doing? It seems that people’s personal experiences don’t necessarily match up with what the headlines say about the economy. I think that’s part of why the Harris campaign tread lightly on promoting some of the data on how inflation was down, because people were not feeling that. There’s an element there about the message and the messenger. It’s not that the party doesn’t stand for workers anymore; it’s that the party leadership is not getting in the trenches with workers anymore. Their accomplishments are partially paid short shrift because there’s a huge degree of cynicism overall about both parties and politics in general. Running a billion dollars in TV ads aimed at working people to try to say to them “We’re with you” — on the heels of 30 years of NAFTA and other trade deals and standing [with] corporations, and not getting in the trenches with workers? There’s a distinction between what the party is doing and fighting for and what people feel and see and understand. Biden was, by all accounts, the most pro-union president in our lifetimes. It must be incredibly insulting to President Biden, Vice President Harris [and others in the administration], who have done so much over the last few years for unions and workers, to be hearing that the party has abandoned them. You said that Democrats need to be doing the work in the trenches with workers. What does that look like? I think it is walking picket lines. I think it’s showing up at union halls. I think it’s gathering groups of working people together and sitting with them and listening to them — doing town hall meetings around your district or state and hearing what people have to say. It means standing united with working people and letting them see who’s really on their side. Over the next couple of years, it’s going to be standing strong against what’s going to be a vicious assault on a range of worker’s rights. There are going to be attacks on [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration], overtime pay, the National Labor Relations Board, funding the Fair Labor Standards Act, and federal workers’ unions. What has been your approach to mobilizing union and working-class voters? With our voter engagement program, In Union, we provide voters with a year of information — we don’t just start talking to them around the election. We give them tips on their families saving money, we provide them with information about unions on the front lines, we give them ways to hold politicians accountable and to fight back. And then we gradually get into communicating about the election itself. We never make endorsements, but we provide people with good, sound information and well-documented citations. How do you see that work evolving over the next few years? As crazy as it sounds, it’s not too soon to start [work for] 2026 in the Blue Wall states, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In two of the states there will be open governors’ races, and [Gov. Josh] Shapiro will be up for reelection in Pennsylvania. And then — it sounds silly for me to talk about 2028, but every four years the labor movement has the potential to play an outsized role in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. So what we need to do is not wait until October 2026 or September 2028 and start communicating with union members [about] protecting workers’ rights. People want to be engaged. Union members will willingly make phone calls. They’ll talk to their elected officials. They will go to town hall meetings. They are more small-d democratic than most voters because they experience [democracy] in their unions [when] they elect local union officers and vote on contracts. We need to start now. There’s too much at stake for working people with this incoming administration to not start engaging people in January. Copyright Capital & Main

At least eight U.S. telecom firms have been compromised by a Chinese hacking campaign, a White House official said on Wednesday. The hack , which also affected dozens of other countries, is part of the ongoing and sprawling “Salt Typhoon” campaign – a cyber campaign that the U.S. believes is aimed at gaining access to prominent political figures and government officials’ communications. “The Chinese compromised private companies exploiting vulnerabilities in their systems as part of a global Chinese campaign that’s affected dozens of countries around the world,” Anne Neuberger, deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technoloy, said. Neuberger added that officials do not believe any classified communications have been compromised thus far. The hacking campaign is one of the largest intelligence compromises in recent U.S. history. Cyberdefense and intelligence officials have already issued guidance recommending companies increase their security measures. So far, officials have not been able to remove the Chinese government hackers from telecommunications companies. China has denied the allegations, according to CNN. U.S. officials have not publicly named companies impacted by the hack campaign but one official told NBC News that AT&T, Verizon and Lumen Technologies have been hacked. One official said the hackers stole metadata information from people’s cellphones. That information can show when, where and with who a person communicates. It is unclear how many people’s phones have had their metadata stolen but officials indicated it was a large group of people – though not every cellphone in the U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Thursday that the hacking campaign had reached the deepest parts of the U.S. telecommunications system which could allow hackers to listen to telephone conversation or read text messages. “This is a deeply concerning development for our national security,” Warner wrote on X. FBI officials have recommended people looking to protect their phone communications should use end-to-end encrypted systems like WhatsApp or Signal to text or call. They also recommended implementing multi-factor authentication for social media, email and more.Dogecoin Price Prediction: Bitcoin Analyst Who Called 10,000% Surge in 2021 Hints at DOGE Rise to $20, WallitIQ (WLTQ) Rise to $50

Married At First Sight star Cathy Evans engaged to partner Richard after five years together as she shows off massive diamond ringIT’S not just the big name retailers and department stores that get in on the Black Friday action. Most supermarkets now offer staggering savings on festive essentials – but you’ll have work the aisles in a different way to your usual weekly shop. 7 Read our tips to make the most of the Black Friday sales Credit: Getty 7 Keep an eye on the Sun this week too as we’ll bring you all the best offers Credit: Getty Here are the tips and tricks to get started. Start Shopping Now: Black Friday might be a week away but many supermarkets being running promotions the week before. Lidl’s weekly offers are live now with Black Friday deals expected to drop on Monday 25 November. Aldi has offers on a limited number of products including a £12 dash cam and £200 50-inch TV, while Tesco is offering the Joie Roomie Glide Co-Sleeping Crib for £50, down from £160. Go Big: Is your local supermarket on the small side? Then consider travelling to the nearest retail park or supersized store. READ MORE IN MONEY WINTER WARMER I tried Oodie dupes to keep warm as freezing temperatures & snow hit SNOW WAY 10 ways to get free cash in the cold weather to help with energy bills The bigger the store, the higher the stock levels so the more likely you’ll be to bag the very best bargains. Be an Early Bird: Check the store opening hours as they may differ to normal. Some stores will open extra early while others even offer 24-hour trading. There will be limited stock on the items with the deepest discounts, so get there as early as you can to increase your chances. Before You Begin: Buy one small item like a pint of milk or a bottle of water and scan your loyalty card or app when you pay. Most read in Money SHOP TO IT Major fashion brand to open second Scots store in Glasgow city centre CASH IN Full list of banks paying up to £200 into your bank account before Christmas HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland BANK BOOST Scots can check for unclaimed benefits through new bank app service This will tell the supermarket’s data system than you’re in the store and may trigger it to offer extra discount coupons or offers, which you can then use on your main shop. Spend Points: Saved up points on your supermarket loyalty card? Check your balance and see if you can use it to buy what you need. Amazon Black Friday orders 'could be delayed until Christmas' as workers strike up and down the UK- Or Save Them Up: Alternatively, clock up extra points on your Black Friday shopping which you can then use in December for your festive fresh food shop. Most stores won’t offer extra points over the Black Friday weekend so you can keep them for double-up days in December. Target your big buys: Black Friday sees supermarkets sell scores of big-ticket items they wouldn’t normally offer, such as super-sized TVs, air fryers, branded toys, washing machines or vacuum cleaners. Follow your favourite supermarkets on social media and keep an eye on the Sun this week too as we’ll bring you all the best offers. Once you’ve spotted what you want, get to the store and head straight to the relevant aisle. Buy this item before anything else so you’ve got it secured at the right price. Buy the Xmas Basics: The mega-deals may grab the headlines but Black Friday is brilliant for securing all your everyday festive basics too. Snap up 3-for-2 discounts on Christmas cards, wrapping paper, sticky tape and Xmas decorations. Other offers include up to 60 per cent off artificial Christmas trees and festive lights. Freeze Your Spending: This week, have an ‘eat-up week’ to clear out space in your freezer. You’ll save money and you can use the cash to buy festive food bargains. Items which are usually reduced over the Black Friday weekend include premium ice cream, frozen turkeys and frozen party food. Boozy Bargains: Get into the festive spirit with some serious savings on Christmas drinks. Over the Black Friday weekend, supermarkets typically offer up to a third off selected premium champagne and spirits, plus bumper deals on slabs of beer. Don’t drink? Don’t worry, there will be offers on low-alcohol drinks and fizzy pop too. Iceland is already offering five x 24-crates of 330ml fizzy drinks for just £40. That’s just 33p per can. Festive Food: Nothing gets us in the mood for Xmas like a display of mouth-watering festive food. From mince pies to nuts to crisps to Christmas puddings, the Black Friday weekend is a chance to get your festive store cupboard sorted, all at knockdown prices. But before you by, check the use-by date so you know it will keep long enough. Cut out and keep your coupons: Most supermarkets offer a printed magazine, either at the checkout on in display baskets at the store entrance. This week, grab a copy and clip out the coupons to use on your Black Friday shop. Deliver Yourself a Delivery Deal: Love online supermarket shopping? Black Friday is the best time to bag a bargain on stores’ delivery passes. These handy deals can cut hundreds of pounds off the cost of online shopping delivery throughout the year. Ocado has a raft of offers including free Christmas Delivery if you sign up for a Smart Pass by 30 November, while Morrisons is giving away a £25 voucher when you buy an Anytime Annual Delivery Pass worth £70. FIVE BUYS TO SAVE CASH ALL YEAR LONG Coffee maker 7 Save £41 on the Nespresso by Magimix Vertuo Pop Pod coffee machine at Argos Credit: supplied ON average, we spend £530 a year on takeaway coffees, typically drinking three per week. INSTANT SAVE: £41 Nespresso by Magimix Vertuo Pop Pod coffee machine is just £59 at Argos , down from a recommended retail price of £100. ANNUAL SAVE: £393 Taking away the £59 cost of the coffee machine and £78 on coffee pods, you’ll still see a big saving. Heated blanket 7 Save £20 on the Silvercrest Personal Care Cosy electric blanket is £32.99 at Lidl Credit: Supplied HEAT yourself, not the whole room. A cosy electric blanket looks stylish and means you can keep central heating costs down. INSTANT SAVE: £20 Silvercrest Personal Care Cosy electric blanket is £32.99 at Lidl . That’s £20 less than similar items elsewhere. ANNUAL SAVE: Up to £300 on heating bills , depending on how often you use it. Soup maker 7 Save £13 on the Daewoo 1.6L 1,000W soup maker at freemans.com Credit: Supplied FOOD price inflation means shop-bought fresh soups have hit £3 in the past year. Whip up your own using leftovers to reduce food waste, too. INSTANT SAVE: £13 Daewoo 1.6L 1,000W soup maker, was £49.99 now £36.99 at freemans.com. ANNUAL SAVE: £275 before ingredients if you make just two soups a week in the first year. If you’re feeding a family, it may be much more. Bread maker 7 Save £25 on the Lakeland White Compact 1lb Daily Loaf Bread Maker Credit: supplied WITH the average 800g loaf now costing £1.37, a breadmaker can cut costs quickly. INSTANT SAVE: £25 Lakeland White Compact 1lb Daily Loaf Bread Maker, was £79.99 now £54.99 ANNUAL SAVE: £38 for a family of four We each eat 60 loaves a year, costing £82.20. But a homemade loaf is 98p in ingredients and energy , or £58.80 per person per year. Air fryer 7 Save £15 on the Black air fryer GAF201RG-21, 3.2 litre at Asda Credit: supplied USING an oven to cook your grub averages £300 a year, while an air fryer costs just £50 to run during the same period. INSTANT SAVE: £15 Black air fryer GAF201RG-21, 3.2 litre, was £35 now £20, Asda. Read more on the Scottish Sun DISHING IT OUT I reviewed Scotland's 'most expensive restaurant' - it's a 9 out of 10 SHOCK THEFT Scot Prem top scorer's car FOUND after being stolen from drive ANNUAL SAVE: £215 Even after paying for the air fryer, you will still be much better off over the year due to the lower running cost.

Washington, DC, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Arabella Advisors announced the acquisition of the assets of Ribbon, a fiscal sponsorship technology solution. This acquisition includes Ribbon’s client contracts, a perpetual license to its software and domain, and team members to support the technology. The investment marks a significant step forward in Arabella’s commitment to expanding its suite of services and advancing its technology strategy to better serve changemakers across the philanthropic sector. “Arabella Advisors is committed to providing innovative solutions that enhance the capacity of organizations to drive meaningful change,” said Arabella Advisors’ CEO Himesh Bhise. “The acquisition of Ribbon’s assets, along with our ongoing technology investment, strengthens our ability to serve the philanthropic sector in new and effective ways and help a greater number of social impact organizations succeed.” Ribbon’s technology complements Arabella’s existing suite of services, creating a new tier of software-supported fiscal sponsorship options. This new tier will allow Arabella to meet the needs of a wider array of initiatives and projects, particularly those requiring affordable and efficient support. “The Ribbon software streamlines workflows, making fiscal sponsorship more accessible and affordable,” said Braden Fineberg, CEO of Ribbon. “We’re excited that Arabella Advisors, a leader in back-office solutions for nonprofits, will continue to deliver our technology and support our clients’ missions.” Organizations utilizing the Ribbon technology have praised the software for its speed, flexibility and affordability. “Ribbon enables our clients to easily and flexibly put their philanthropic dollars to work,” said Leah Barr, Social Impact Director at Foundation X. The acquisition of Ribbon’s assets reinforces Arabella’s reputation as an industry-leader in providing an expanded platform for capacity and solutions to nonprofits and philanthropic initiatives. “We welcome Ribbon’s clients and look forward to serving them in the long run with unmatched speed, flexibility and affordability,” said Bhise. “We are excited to utilize Ribbon’s technology and to leverage this investment to help changemakers maximize their impact.” ### About Arabella Advisors: Arabella Advisors is a business dedicated to making philanthropic work more efficient, effective, and equitable. Along with our clients, we are working to build a better future—one with healthy air, water, and food for all, with strong democracies and engaged citizens, with flourishing communities, expanded opportunity and enhanced equity. We help our clients by sharing our expertise and experience, which includes providing outsourced operational support to nonprofit organizations. Proudly a certified B Corporation, Arabella Advisors has been recognized as a Great Place to Work and is a two-time recipient of Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Best Entrepreneurial Companies” award.Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro. PAY ATTENTION: Follow our WhatsApp channel to never miss out on the news that matters to you! Awka, Anambra state - Mixed reactions have trailed Reuben Abati's furious reaction to his colleague on air. Recall backlash had trailed Abati’s commentary on land purchase in 'Igboland'. On Thursday, November 21, the broadcaster inferred that Igbos in Nigeria’s south-east region do not sell land to “outsiders". On Friday, November 22, Abati's junior colleague, Ojy Okpe, revisited the former presidential aide's comment and appeared to object to it. She said she was only fulfilling her journalistic obligation of presenting diverse viewpoints. Abati was having none of it, however. PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! He said: “I was specific about what I said, I provided context. Nobody should tell me any nonsense." Reacting to the seeming argument, several X users shared their thoughts. Check out some reactions below: Osasu Obayiuwana wrote : "The way @abati1990 spoke to co-presenter @OjyOkpe on @ARISEtv, concerning his previous comments on non-Igbos buying land in Igboland, was horrible. Bullying her is not on. He should apologise to her. And the station’s management should have very strong words with him." Read also Shehu Sani reacts as reps reject bill proposing 6-year single tenure for president: “Chop and go” @BuugieDo said : "I love how Dr Abati put Ojy in her place. You can't try to gaslight the man when he provided context to the story." @LawrenceOkoroPG commented : "Ojy and Abati should have been sent out of the studio for bringing tribal war on live Television. "She was wrong to have brought back her senior colleague’s previous comment on air for argumentative sake. "Reuben Abati with his wealth of experience could have handled it better. "Both acted with emotions and neither of them should be allowed to escape sanction. "That being said, Reuben Abati was wrong to have generalized a whole region from one man’s experience." Atiku opposes anti-Igbo campaign Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar , the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, condemned a social media campaign for forced relocation of Igbo people from Lagos and other states in the south-west region of Nigeria. Read also Daniel Regha reviews Wizkid's new album, shares observations: "Morayo is quantity over quality" In cautioning against such ethnicity profiling, Atiku referenced the Rwandan genocide as a fallout of unchecked ethnic hatred. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The French government collapsed on Wednesday after losing a no-confidence vote, thrusting the euro zone's second-largest economy further into political crisis, and threatening its capacity to legislate and repair its precarious finances. This is the first French government to be forced out by a no-confidence vote since 1962. The euro showed little immediate reaction, trading around $1.0517 against the dollar, but dipping against other European currencies, such as the Swiss franc and the pound . French stock and bond futures nudged up modestly. The country's bonds and stocks have come under selling pressure from the escalating crisis in recent days, with the closely-watched gap, or spread, between 10-year French and German bond yields rising to as much as 90 basis points, its widest since the height of the euro zone debt crisis in 2012. COMMENTS: JAMES ATHEY, FIXED INCOME MANAGER, MARLBOROUGH, LONDON: “This was not an unexpected event.” “But it is going to nag at investors until we have clarity and we can’t have clarity until July.” “Austerity is better from a pure OAT investor perspective but it is likely to reduce support for the centre (parties) and that reduces the chances of a market-friendly outcome in an election next summer.” “There’s nothing likely to make the outlook materially worse in the short term and (French bond risk premia) is likely to chop around in the range it has been.” “When we get into the new year and people take a fresh look it could drift wider.” MATHIEU SAVARY, CHIEF INVESTMENT STRATEGIST, BCA RESEARCH, MONTREAL: "Paralysis will remain the dominant feature of French politics for the next two years, which means that the debt is unlikely to be fundamentally addressed. So we will remain in an environment of volatility around French bonds. That to me means there is still not enough protection embedded in the current level of spreads. So that's why I don't recommend my clients buy French bonds. I think Spanish bonds are more attractive. If we move to 100 bps in terms of spreads here, based on my conversations with investors, it's likely that we'll see a bit of a rally in French bonds at this level, but very short-lived, it's not the end of the travail. We'll remain in that 'elevated spread and high volatility' no matter what. So that's why I'm not keen on French bonds at all." "The potential threat rather to the credit rating of France is something that will keep investors at bay and prevent a significant narrowing (in the risk premium). Because here, the odds that France is being downgraded are rising since the political paralysis means that anything meaningful, any meaningful moves to decrease the deficit, will be challenged." NICK REES, SENIOR FX MARKET ANALYST, MONEX EUROPE, LONDON: “I’m amazed the euro hasn’t moved much. The French government has collapsed. It should be lower.” “There are two major powers in Europe, France and Germany, both of which right now are emasculated.” “I don’t see that as a good position to be in when (U.S. President-elect Donald) Trump is coming into office and probably going to hit Europe with tariffs. I don’t like that risk environment and the euro shouldn’t like that risk environment. It should be trading a lot lower.” “Some of this was expected but markets haven’t got around to the realisation that is really bad.” “This is a big blow to sentiment in France and that will be negative for growth.” Sign up here. Reporting by Naomi Rovnick and Amanda Cooper; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabBest HEPA vacuums for allergies 2024 – tested by our home tech pros for tight filtration that really combat allergens at home

Palantir down4% as Anduril-OpenAI deal sparks competition concernsLAUGFS Lubricants, Sri Lanka’s first and only home-grown lubricant manufacturer, proudly serves as the Official Lubricant Partner of the Colombo Motor Show 2024. The event, a highlight in Sri Lanka’s automotive calendar, will take place from December 6th to 8th at the BMICH. This partnership reaffirms LAUGFS Lubricants’ commitment to innovation, performance, and supporting the growth of the automotive industry. The Colombo Motor Show 2024 includes an exciting lineup of activities, including motorcar exhibitions, a 4×4 off-road showcase, vintage car displays, car audio-video demonstrations, car care product stalls, and thrilling bike stunts. As the Official Lubricant Partner, LAUGFS Lubricants is set to host an engaging and interactive stall at the Colombo Motor Show 2024. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore exclusive offers on premium lubricants, connect with industry experts for insights into cutting-edge lubrication technologies, and take part in exciting activities. “At LAUGFS Lubricants, we take great pride in crafting world-class engine oils that are specifically tailored to suit Sri Lanka’s unique climatic and road conditions,” said Kumar Rodrigo, CEO of LAUGFS Lubricants. “Our lubricant brand embodies the essence of reliability, innovation, and performance, offering products that deliver superior engine protection and enhanced vehicle efficiency. With a steadfast commitment to excellence, LAUGFS Lubricants continues to raise the bar in providing solutions that cater to the evolving needs of motorists across the nation.” Ashan Ranasinghe, Brand Manager at LAUGFS Lubricants, added, “We warmly invite everyone to visit the LAUGFS Lubricants stall, where you can experience cutting-edge lubrication technology and explore products designed to optimise vehicle performance suited to our local environment. Being the Official Lubricant Partner for the Colombo Motor Show 2024 is a testament to the trust placed in our lubricant brand, which continues to set new standards in performance and reliability.” LAUGFS Lubricants Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of LAUGFS Holdings, has been offering lubricant solutions to every class of motor vehicle since 2008. Optimised for Sri Lanka’s tropical climate, dust, and road conditions, its products provide extended mileage and superior performance. Manufactured at the state-of-the-art Tribology Park in the Malwatta BOI Zone, LAUGFS Lubricants meets and exceeds international performance standards, including API, JASO, NLGI, and NMMA, embodying its promise as “The Trust that Powers the Nation”.Concerns about the unprofessional conduct of police officers over the years have led to worrisome levels of distrust between the people and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). Established in 1943, the NPF has the constitutional and statutory mandate of maintaining and securing public safety, law, and order in Nigeria. However, corruption, poor funding, and inadequate training impede the NPF’s capacity to discharge these roles efficiently and professionally. Over the years, declining investigative capacity and efficiency, and an uptick in policing abuses have eroded public trust in the police. Professionalism is the cornerstone for effective policing, and it serves as the foundation for winning public trust, ensuring efficiency in law enforcement, and complementing the protection of human rights. Public frustration over police abuses boiled over in October 2020 when Nigerian youths, under the #EndSARS movement, demanded the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a special unit of the Police that had become notorious for unlawful arrests and detention, torture, and extralegal killings. They also demanded wholesale reform of the Nigerian Police Force. The #EndSARS protest could be summed up in one brief statement: professionalize the police force. SARS was dissolved. In its place, the Anti-Violence Unit was created. But more importantly, a collaboration between the NPF and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme emerged. This collaboration focuses on instating policy and practice changes, such as the Standards of Practice (SOPs) that lay down human rights-compliant policing procedures, as well as on training police officers to uphold human rights. In addition to this, the NPF tried to strengthen their internal disciplinary processes by ensuring that citizens’ complaints received via the Police Complaints Response Unit were more interactive and receptive, and by conducting proper investigations of all complaints, which has led to the dismissal and demotion of several erring officers. A typical instance of instilling discipline in the force is the dismissal of three policemen from Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 1, Kano, over the misuse of firearms in 2023. To further deepen these reforms and help improve the performance of the NPF, the Nigeria Police Act of 2020 was enacted. The Act, which was passed and signed into law on 16th September 2020, seeks to provide and promote effectiveness, competence, transparency, and accountability in the police force. The Act adequately provides for the structure of the force, appointments, promotions, and discipline, all of which are pivotal to fostering a professional and accountable police service. While the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is working to rebuild trust through transparency, accountability, and community engagement, the general public, civil societies, and the media must actively play their watchdog roles for the NPF. They need to ensure objectivity in reporting police activities accurately and fairly, highlighting both successes and failures. The role of investigative journalism in exposing police misconduct cannot be overstated, as it often catalyzes reforms. The private sector and donor agencies should strengthen their collaboration with the NPF. It is also pertinent that the Federal Government takes a second look at the remuneration of officers and men of the Nigeria Police. A pay rise with fringe benefits, as well as prioritizing funding to the force, should be considered and given swift attention. Also, depoliticizing the police by enforcing political neutrality and conducting regular and sustainable training will equip officers with modern policing skills while underscoring the protection of human rights and ethical conduct, and strengthening accountability mechanisms. Professionalism in policing is not just an ideal but a necessity for ensuring the safety, security, and human rights of every Nigerian. It is important to sustain these reforms. They are necessary to create the professional police force that Nigerians desire. The private sector and donor agencies should strengthen their support and partnership with the NPF. It is also pertinent that the Federal Government takes a second look at the remuneration of officers and personnel of the Nigeria Police. A pay rise, improved fringe benefits, and adequate funding to the police should be prioritized and given swift attention. Urgent, sustained efforts to implement this reform will be key to transforming the Nigerian Police Force into a competent, trusted, and effective institution. Akpan is the Communication Assistant, International IDEA Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers, or its Council of Member States.

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Alarm grew in France on Friday over the fate of a prominent French-Algerian novelist detained in the country of his birth, with his publisher urging his immediate release and President Emmanuel Macron closely following the case. Boualem Sansal, a major figure in francophone modern literature, is known for his strong stances against both authoritarianism and Islamism as well as being a forthright campaigner on freedom of expression issues. His detention by Algeria comes against a background of tensions between France and its former colony which have also appear to have spread to the literary world. The 75-year-old writer, granted French nationality this year, was on Saturday arrested at Algiers airport after returning from France, according to several media reports including the Marianne weekly. The Gallimard publishing house, which has published his work for a quarter of a century, in a statement expressed "its very deep concern following the arrest of the writer by the Algerian security services", calling for his "immediate release". There has been no confirmation from the Algerian authorities of his arrest and no other details about his situation. Macron is "very concerned by the disappearance" of Sansal, said a French presidential official, asking not to be named. "State services are mobilised to clarify his situation," the official said, adding that "the president expresses his unwavering attachment to the freedom of a great writer and intellectual." A relative latecomer to writing, Sansal turned to novels in 1999 and has tackled subjects including the horrific 1990s civil war between authorities and Islamists. His books are not banned in Algeria but he is a controversial figure, particularly since making a visit to Israel in 2014. Sansal's hatred of Islamism has not been confined to Algeria and he has also warned of a creeping Islamisation in France, a stance that has made him a favoured author of prominent figures on the right and far-right. Prominent politicians from this side of the political spectrum rushed to echo Macron's expression of concern for the writer. Centre-right former premier and candidate in 2027 presidential elections Edouard Philippe wrote on X that Sansal "embodies everything we cherish: the call for reason, freedom and humanism against censorship, corruption and Islamism." Far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen, another possible 2027 contender, said: "This freedom fighter and courageous opponent of Islamism has reportedly been arrested by the Algerian regime. This is an unacceptable situation." In 2015, Sansal won the Grand Prix du Roman of the French Academy, the guardians of the French language, for his book "2084: The End of the World", a dystopian novel inspired by George Orwell's "Nineteen-Eighty Four" and set in an Islamist totalitarian world in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. His publisher said that Sansal's novels and essays "exposed the obscurantisms of all kinds which are tragically affecting the way of the world." The concerns about his reported arrest come as another prominent French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud is under attack over his novel "Houris", which won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt. A woman has claimed the book was based on her story of surviving 1990s Islamist massacres and used without her consent. She alleged on Algerian television that Daoud used the story she confidentially recounted to a therapist -- who is now his wife -- during treatment. His publisher has denied the claims. The controversies are taking place in a tense diplomatic context between France and Algeria, after Macron renewed French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara during a landmark visit to the kingdom last month. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is de facto controlled for the most part by Morocco. But it is claimed by the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, who are demanding a self-determination referendum and are supported by Algiers. Daoud meanwhile has called for Sansal's release, writing in the right-wing Le Figaro: "I sincerely hope that my friend Boualem will return to us very soon", while expressing his bafflement in the face of the "imprudence" that Sansal allegedly showed in going to Algeria. dax-vl-sjw/givMeet the finalists for Oregonian/OregonLive boys soccer player of the yearDec 13 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from bowling in all competitions organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for exceeding the maximum permitted elbow extension of 15 degrees. The 37-year-old's action was scrutinized by on-field umpires in his one-off appearance for Surrey in September - his first appearance in the County Championship since the 2010-11 season. Following umpires' suspicions, he was asked to do a test. "Shakib completed an independent assessment at Loughborough University earlier this month, which found that the elbow extension in his bowling action exceeded the 15-degree threshold as defined in the Regulations," the ECB said in a statement. "This suspension takes effect from the receipt of the independent assessment on Dec. 10, and follows the process set out in the ECB's Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with a Suspected Illegal Bowling Action." Shakib, who is considered the greatest cricketer Bangladesh has produced, could not be immediately reached for comment. To overturn the ban, the left arm spinner will need to undergo a reassessment demonstrating a narrower elbow extension. Shakib, who has been surrounded by controversy of late due to political unrest in Bangladesh, retired from Twenty20 internationals in September and decided to not return home for a farewell test against South Africa in Mirpur in October. But the former captain will likely feature in next year's Champions Trophy. Shakib was a member of parliament for the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule as prime minister ended in August with her fleeing to India following deadly protests. In 2019, he received a two-year ban from playing after the International Cricket Council (ICC) found he had breached its anti-corruption code. Sign up here. Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab