Mature political parties should encourage the new political parties formed by the youths, said M Sakhawat Hussain, the labour and employment adviser. "I personally think that the young people have the right to participate in elections and to form a political party -- none should discourage them," he said yesterday at a session of the two-day-long national dialogue organised by Forum for Bangladesh Studies. Mature political parties should encourage them. "They are not your rivals. If you do not nurture them, we will see the same things. We need young blood flowing in politics," he said at the event held at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh. The Students Against Discrimination movement, which initiated the mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government, and their sister platform Jatiya Nagorik Committee are planning to form a new political party within a month or two, their leaders said. The interim government will not be in power for a long period, Sakhawat said. If reforms do not take place now, then it will be difficult to have them in future, he said, while likening the current ails in the system to a cobra's venom. "You cannot keep a cobra outside and work inside the house. Until you get rid of the venom of cobra you are not safe." But the reforms will take time, he said. "You cannot change anything overnight. We need to change the political system of the country. Changes only in the electoral law are not enough. Political culture must be changed." He, however, acknowledged that Bangladesh needs stability at the moment. "We are going through a big challenge. People who will take power after the interim government will also face a very big challenge. And the challenge is not only internal but also the biggest challenge is coming from external sources." Referring to the activities of the Arakan Army in Rakhine of Myanmar, Sakhawat said he had repeatedly said that a new system is coming up in the East, so preparations must be taken. "Now it is happening. You have a new neighbour and they are a different kind of neighbour. If we cannot establish the fastest communication with them, there might be trouble from them also." Sakhawat proposed bicameral legislation, a partial proportional representation system, increasing women's seats in the parliament to 100, election through PR for the women's seats and enactment of political parties' act to oversee the activities of parties. The upper house should oversee the national polls so that a caretaker government system will not be needed to oversee the parliamentary polls, Sakhawat said. Earlier, Gonoforum leader Subrata Chowdhury said the unity that was seen immediately after the July uprising has weakened a lot now. "Forming a political party under government blessing is never a blessing for countrymen," he added. The words "Jano Ganotantrik Bangladesh" should be included in place of "Gano Prajantantry Bangladesh", said New Age Editor Nurul Kabir. Although both the terms translate as the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the word "Praja" has a different meaning in Bangla; it means subjects in a feudal system. There should not be any national religion and the five basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, health, and education should be included in the fundamental rights part of the constitution. "Democratisation of education is a must need... If we have three different streams of education which creates three separate groups and cultures, we will move to civil war." He proposed for a uniform education system and the medium of instruction should be Bengali. A framework of constitutional reform can be prepared, said Hasnat Quaiyum, chief coordinator Rastro Songskar Andolon. A constituent assembly can be formed through the next general polls, said Sarwar Tusher, joint convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee. After completion of the framing of the new constitution, that constituent assembly can turn into a regular legislature. "It is not fair to put reform and election face to face. Some people are talking about de-politicisation, that is just rhetoric. We need to have unity on Bangladesh and not just on election," he added. Ganosamhati Andolon's Executive Coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel supported Sarwar's proposal for a constituent assembly. New political settlement following a mass upsurge makes reforms inevitable, he added. "This government is for the people, of the people, but not by the people," said Habibur Rahman, Chhatra Dol research cell member. The government should focus on limited reforms rather than highly ambitious ones, he said, adding that constitution-making is a majoritarian exercise. The interim government should take exemplary steps in the economic sector, said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, a professor of economics at the University of Dhaka. Equality, human dignity and social justice inscribed in the proclamation of independence should be premises of the constitution, said Lyricist Shahidullah Faraizee. Islami Andolan Bangladesh Joint-Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said they favour the freedom of religion of all and they are free to exercise their religion. He proposed having a proportionate representation system. Mature political parties should encourage the new political parties formed by the youths, said M Sakhawat Hussain, the labour and employment adviser. "I personally think that the young people have the right to participate in elections and to form a political party -- none should discourage them," he said yesterday at a session of the two-day-long national dialogue organised by Forum for Bangladesh Studies. Mature political parties should encourage them. "They are not your rivals. If you do not nurture them, we will see the same things. We need young blood flowing in politics," he said at the event held at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh. The Students Against Discrimination movement, which initiated the mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government, and their sister platform Jatiya Nagorik Committee are planning to form a new political party within a month or two, their leaders said. The interim government will not be in power for a long period, Sakhawat said. If reforms do not take place now, then it will be difficult to have them in future, he said, while likening the current ails in the system to a cobra's venom. "You cannot keep a cobra outside and work inside the house. Until you get rid of the venom of cobra you are not safe." But the reforms will take time, he said. "You cannot change anything overnight. We need to change the political system of the country. Changes only in the electoral law are not enough. Political culture must be changed." He, however, acknowledged that Bangladesh needs stability at the moment. "We are going through a big challenge. People who will take power after the interim government will also face a very big challenge. And the challenge is not only internal but also the biggest challenge is coming from external sources." Referring to the activities of the Arakan Army in Rakhine of Myanmar, Sakhawat said he had repeatedly said that a new system is coming up in the East, so preparations must be taken. "Now it is happening. You have a new neighbour and they are a different kind of neighbour. If we cannot establish the fastest communication with them, there might be trouble from them also." Sakhawat proposed bicameral legislation, a partial proportional representation system, increasing women's seats in the parliament to 100, election through PR for the women's seats and enactment of political parties' act to oversee the activities of parties. The upper house should oversee the national polls so that a caretaker government system will not be needed to oversee the parliamentary polls, Sakhawat said. Earlier, Gonoforum leader Subrata Chowdhury said the unity that was seen immediately after the July uprising has weakened a lot now. "Forming a political party under government blessing is never a blessing for countrymen," he added. The words "Jano Ganotantrik Bangladesh" should be included in place of "Gano Prajantantry Bangladesh", said New Age Editor Nurul Kabir. Although both the terms translate as the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the word "Praja" has a different meaning in Bangla; it means subjects in a feudal system. There should not be any national religion and the five basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, health, and education should be included in the fundamental rights part of the constitution. "Democratisation of education is a must need... If we have three different streams of education which creates three separate groups and cultures, we will move to civil war." He proposed for a uniform education system and the medium of instruction should be Bengali. A framework of constitutional reform can be prepared, said Hasnat Quaiyum, chief coordinator Rastro Songskar Andolon. A constituent assembly can be formed through the next general polls, said Sarwar Tusher, joint convenor of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee. After completion of the framing of the new constitution, that constituent assembly can turn into a regular legislature. "It is not fair to put reform and election face to face. Some people are talking about de-politicisation, that is just rhetoric. We need to have unity on Bangladesh and not just on election," he added. Ganosamhati Andolon's Executive Coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel supported Sarwar's proposal for a constituent assembly. New political settlement following a mass upsurge makes reforms inevitable, he added. "This government is for the people, of the people, but not by the people," said Habibur Rahman, Chhatra Dol research cell member. The government should focus on limited reforms rather than highly ambitious ones, he said, adding that constitution-making is a majoritarian exercise. The interim government should take exemplary steps in the economic sector, said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, a professor of economics at the University of Dhaka. Equality, human dignity and social justice inscribed in the proclamation of independence should be premises of the constitution, said Lyricist Shahidullah Faraizee. Islami Andolan Bangladesh Joint-Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said they favour the freedom of religion of all and they are free to exercise their religion. He proposed having a proportionate representation system.Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Inter Milan beat Como 2-0 to cement third place in Serie A and close the gap on top two Atalanta and Napoli on Monday. Carlos Augusto got the opener when he headed home a corner kick in the 48th minute. Marcus Thuram scored the second in stoppage time with a potent strike into the roof of the net. It was the first time these teams have played each other in the top division since 2003 and although Inter had lost only one league game all season it struggled to impose itself on 15th-placed Como. However, it won without exerting itself and the three points were enough to take Simone Inzaghi’s men within three points of leader Atalanta and within one of Napoli. Inter has a game in hand over both clubs. Fiorentina missed a chance to go fourth when it lost at home to Udinese 2-1. The Florence club won a record eight consecutive Serie A games before losing to Bologna 1-0 on Dec. 15, and it looked to be back on track when Moises Kean converted a penalty after eight minutes to become the first Fiorentina player to reach double figures in the league since Federico Chiesa in the 2019-20 season. However, Udinese was a different prospect after the break. Lorenzo Lucca equalized with the aid of sloppy defending four minutes into the second half and then Florian Thauvin found space on the edge of the box to curl in the second eight minutes later. The result left Udinese in ninth place and Fiorentina in fifth. The match was a special one for Edoardo Bove, the Fiorentina player whose collapse with a heart issue led to the suspension of its game with Inter Milan on Dec. 1. Bove was fitted with a defibrillator implant soon after and sat on the Fiorentina bench for the first time since his collapse. He is not allowed to play but his position on the sideline alongside coach Raffaele Palladino was seen as a step towards normality for the 22-year-old midfielder. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerHundreds of people have been arrested in a crackdown on illegal working in London including at car washes, nail bars, supermarkets and building sites. Immigration enforcement teams from the Home Office have carried out nearly 1,000 visits to target illegal working in the capital in recent months. At one hotel in Kensington, six agency staff were arrested, with five on suspicion of illegal working and one identified as having overstayed their visa. Ministers claimed that the London clampdown was an 11 per cent rise in enforcement activity since the July election. Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle MP said: “We know that people who come to the UK and end up working illegally in poor conditions are often sold a false narrative about their ability to live and work here. “This creates a draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel in a small boat – we must put a stop to it. “That’s exactly why we’re ramping up our enforcement work to clamp down on illegal working and stop the abuse of both the immigration system and our economy.” The Home Office said that 996 enforcement visits between July and November led to 770 arrests and 462 premises receiving civil penalty notice referrals. The referrals mean the employers could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found guilty. Ministers stressed that the London crackdown had particularly focused on targeting car washes, nail bars, supermarkets and construction sites suspected of hiring illegal workers. Often these individuals are forced to work, and sometimes live, in squalid conditions and may be paid below the minimum wage, it added. Eddy Montgomery, director of enforcement, compliance and crime at the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement Unit, said: “Our increased activity shows we are absolutely focused on preventing illegal working in the UK and safeguarding those who are made to work in squalid conditions. “We will continue to work around the clock to stop exploitation by criminal gangs and bring those involved to justice.” More than 35,000 people have risked their lives trying to cross the Channel in “small boats” to reach Britain this year , more than last year, but below a peak in 2022. Around two thirds of these arrivals are granted asylum in the UK, according to immigration experts. More than 70 people have drowned in the Channel this year, as they seek to reach the UK, as people smugglers pack more and more people into unseaworthy inflatable boats, with women and children often at greatest risk. Britain, like many countries, has limited routes for people fleeing persecution to claim asylum outside the country. The new Labour government ditched the Tories deeply controversial Rwanda deportation scheme and has instead focused on trying to break up the gangs behind the human trafficking trade across the Channel But it is not yet clear if the new strategy is proving successful.
29,370 Shares in AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) Acquired by Algert Global LLCKirk Herbstreit Reacts to ESPN's Decision Amid 'Big Noon Kickoff' ControversyWith the Los Angeles Chargers now playoff bound following a win over the New England Patriots on Saturday afternoon, few have it better than head coach Jim Harbaugh . And his pocketbook is doing well, too. By clinching one of the AFC’s wildcard slots — Kansas City has won the AFC West already — Harbaugh has the Chargers in the tournament and triggered a big bonus, as he’s set to earn $1 million for making it to the postseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That’s on top of his already hefty reported base salary of $16 million annually. So it’s a safe bet the cross-country flight from New England back to the West Coast will be a contented one for Harbaugh and Co. And his team on the field has given him plenty of reason to be content, too. Los Angeles is 10-6 with one game remaining, and has been a team reborn largely due to a rapid defensive turnaround, led by coordinator Jesse Minter , who came with Harbaugh from Michigan. That unit entered the day ranked No. 2 in the NFL in points per game and No. 17 in yards allowed. A 40-7 win on Saturday will do little to harm those figures. And while the offense hasn’t been gangbusters, quarterback Justin Herbert appears to have a newfound confidence and conviction to his play and the run game has begun to evolve and progress. It’s been a stark departure from the 5-12 mark that Los Angeles posted in 2023. And it’s hardly the first time Harbaugh has headed up one of these turnarounds. With the Chargers clinching the playoffs on Saturday, Harbaugh becomes the first head coach in the Super Bowl era to take two teams with losing records the prior year to the playoffs in his first year as head coach, according to the AP’s Josh Dubow. He took the San Francisco 49ers to the playoffs in 2011, his first year as head coach there. The Chargers finish the 2024 regular season at the Las Vegas Raiders. A win would push Los Angeles to 11-6, the best win-loss mark for the franchise since the team went 12-4 in 2018. The Chargers are also seeking a playoff win for the first time since that season. This will also be Los Angeles’ first playoff appearance since 2022. This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield scored in the second period, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Saturday. David Rittich made 19 saves for the Kings, who improved to 6-2-1 at home. Kempe and Byfield scored 1:44 apart in the second period. Byfield buried a sharp-angle slap shot on a power play while dropping to a knee. It was his 98th career point in 200 games. Brandon Montour got the Kraken on the board with 1:26 left in the game. He converted a long shot with Joey Daccord off for another skater, but Los Angeles held on. Daccord finished with 19 stops for Seattle. Kraken: Jordan Eberle will miss at least three months after undergoing surgery on his pelvis. He had six goals and five assists in 17 games before he got hurt against Chicago on Nov. 14. Kings: The power play had been in a 1-for-16 rut (6.25%) over the previous six games before Byfield found the net. It was the Kings' lone opportunity with the man-advantage. After following its 1-0 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday with a fourth straight period of extreme low-event hockey, Los Angeles created a lot more activity and offense to start the second and generate its two goals. The Kings know how to close out games, improving to 9-0-1 when leading after two periods. The Kraken visit Anaheim on Monday, and the Kings play at San Jose on Monday. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlVice President Dhankhar slams use of deception, disturbance as weapon and tactic to avoid debate
None
Travis Lazarczyk: UMaine football improved, but job not done
MEXICO CITY — It would take years, if ever, for Mexico to accomplish what incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding to avoid tariffs: stemming the flow of migrants and drugs over the border. That’s why Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s efforts to avoid a full-blown trade war might be more about doing enough for both sides to claim success. Even a quick phone call — two days after Trump threatened 25% tariffs against his southern neighbor — seemed to change the tone: Trump said on social media that the Mexican president agreed to “stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately.” Sheinbaum, meanwhile, assured her constituents that she touted to Trump Mexico’s existing approach to migration, which she stressed respects human rights, and that a new deal to collaborate would avoid new tariffs, without providing specifics. The whole exchange was reminiscent of Trump’s first term, when he threatened to send troops to shut down the border and then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded by sending the national guard to help apprehend migrants. The move had a limited immediate effect, but sent a strong image that proved enough to at least avert tariffs of up to 25% on all imports from Mexico. Trump’s threats have a “dual objective,” said Palmira Tapia, a political scientist currently working for the government of the State of Mexico. The U.S. president-elect, she said, is simultaneously seeking to appeal to his constituents and strengthen his hand in talks on migration, drugs and trade. Sheinbaum also faces two challenges: She now must find a way to appease Trump to avoid tariffs that could hit 11% of Mexico’s gross domestic product, while also avoiding the perception — at home, and in the White House — that she will easily bend to demands from up north. “She’s talking to Trump, but she’s also talking to the Mexican public. It has to do with giving a dignified response before her voters, but at the same time trying to stop Trump,” said Catalina Perez Correa, a researcher at the Supreme Court’s Center for Constitutional Studies. “She’s saying, ‘I’m not going to let myself be stepped on by Trump.’ She’s saving face in front of the Mexican public.” Migration reality Mexico has long been a stomping ground for the U.S. when it comes to migration policy. It’s been tasked under successive U.S. presidents with beefing up its border security, increasing highway checkpoints and removing migrants from freight trains they often board. Even though migration rose far beyond the 2019 levels in the years after Lopez Obrador’s show of militarizing the border, Mexico has remained an at-times willing partner, accepting most of the millions of migrants who were quickly turned away from the U.S. border during the pandemic. But it hasn’t always been eager to help: The Biden administration often viewed AMLO, as the former president was known, as needing frequent reminders of its expectations for him on enforcement. In 2023, Biden Cabinet officials even visited AMLO in Mexico City just days after Christmas to urge him to do more as a record number of migrants reached the border. Under pressure from the White House during the U.S. election, Mexico helped it decrease border crossings by 65% over an 11-month period starting in December 2023. To do so, Mexican authorities have been detaining migrants in the north of the country and busing them south. There, they are forced to wait until they get an official appointment to apply for asylum in the U.S. — which can take months, if it ever happens at all. It’s all resulted in more than double the number of apprehensions of undocumented migrants between January and August compared with a year earlier, although Mexico has deported few. Experts have said that’s creating a humanitarian crisis in some of the southern cities where migrants are shipped off to. It’s also ratcheting up tensions with some locals, who argue that there aren’t enough jobs or resources to accommodate the newcomers. “What they’re doing now in Mexico is militarization of the border,” said Perez Correa. To further reduce border crossings into the U.S., Mexico could either carry out mass deportations or offer more opportunities to migrants in its territory. Both scenarios seem unrealistic. Simply increasing deportations would go against Lopez Obrador’s policy — which Sheinbaum inherited — of trying to address the problems in their origin countries that pushed them to leave, and it would be an expense for Mexico. After Sheinbaum’s call with Trump, she reiterated her government offers migrants options for international protection in its territory or “voluntary or assisted return” to their countries. The second option doesn’t seem feasible either: Most people want to go to the U.S., where they expect to have higher-paying jobs, more family or community support, and greater safety than in Mexico. Chemical diversions Deaths related to fentanyl — the cheap, synthetic opioid — have reached epidemic levels in the U.S. That’s why reining in the flow of the drug was on Trump’s list of demands. Should recent history be any indication, intervention is never simple. The U.S. arrest of a Mexican alleged drug leader has led to prolonged shootouts in recent months. And in any case, some academics argue simply confiscating more drugs means traffickers learn to produce more, to meet U.S. demand. So far, Mexico has worked to improve its technical capabilities to detect illicit substances at its ports, especially precursor chemicals and fentanyl. “The Navy has provided material and personnel to all ports for the fulfillment of these tasks, the personnel have the necessary training to be able to detect these substances,” said Captain Jose Barradas in an interview at the Manzanillo port, in the state of Colima. “All merchandise that arrives is prone to review under strict security protocols.” Sheinbaum also picked former Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch to lead a new national security strategy, a move that was read inside Mexico as a signal of her willingness to increase enforcement in areas where the previous administration had been more hands-off. There’s more that could be done — but it would be hard. Trying to seize these substances at ports is insufficient because synthetic drugs tend to be very small, making them more difficult to detect than traditional drugs, said Victoria Dittmar, researcher at Insight Crime. Those who produce them often innovate with their recipes and use new chemicals that are not illegal. “Mexico can open collaboration paths with the private sector, with the chemical industry, because they know perfectly well its supply chains and the vulnerable areas where there could be diversions,” she said. “This collaboration is essential.” Mexico can also work to identify intermediaries that connect fentanyl producers with chemical suppliers abroad and in the country, people who work in certain companies and are authorized to divert these substances, according to Dittmar. Still, “the main weakness is not putting demand reduction as a priority, to prevent overdose deaths,” Dittmar said. “It’s a shared responsibility. It’s not just the fault of Mexico, the U.S. or Canada, but it’s an issue that affects the entire North American region.” A senior Mexican official said that the country’s actions to address drug trafficking have moved the nation in the direction of the fentanyl crackdown that Trump is demanding. The official cited a new law that will allow for coordinated intelligence efforts that is due to be implemented next year. History repeats It’s plausible that in the medium-term Trump will lower the intensity of his threats because a trade war would be the worst case scenario for both countries, said Tapia, the political scientist. But until then, she said, “Sheinbaum is on trial as to how well she will do” relative to her predecessor, who had a respectful relationship with Trump and often praised him. One strategy that Sheinbaum could pursue: Finding ways to give Trump the appearance of political victory. That was part of the rationale behind AMLO’s deployment of the National Guard — a move Trump still talks about now. “We got thousands of Mexicans patrolling our border free of charge,” he boasted at a recent event about his relationship with AMLO. “He’s a socialist,” Trump said. “But these are minor details.” ——— (With assistance from Eric Martin, Carolina Millan and Ramsey Al-Rikabi.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Byfield scores in 200th career game as Kings hold off Kraken for 2-1 win
As General Mills’ market lead narrows, CEO says company must ‘behave like the leader’Mumbai : The much-awaited teaser of Sikandar, starring Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna, has finally been released, igniting excitement among fans. The 80-second teaser showcases Salman in a power-packed avatar, delivering high-octane action sequences that promise to set the screens ablaze. Opening with Salman Khan’s intense silhouette, the teaser introduces his character, Sikandar, as a force to be reckoned with. Packed with jaw-dropping stunts, the clip features Salman taking on armored, masked enemies with unmatched fury. A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) It also features Bhaijaan’s thunderous dialogue, “Suna hai ki bohot saare log mere peeche pade hai. Bas mere mudne ki der hai,” leaving fans buzzing with anticipation. Sikandar marks the much-anticipated reunion of Salman with producer Sajid Nadiadwala after their 2014 blockbuster Kick. Directed by the acclaimed AR Murugadoss, Sikandar promises to be a high-energy action thriller. Alongside Salman and Rashmika, the film boasts an ensemble cast, including Sathyaraj, Prateik Babbar, Kajal Aggarwal, and Sharman Joshi. Scheduled for release on Eid 2025, Sikandar is already being hailed as a potential box office hit. With its gripping teaser and powerhouse cast, the film is poised to dominate the festive season and deliver a thrilling cinematic experience.The reigning World Series champions announced the deal with the two-time Cy Young Award winner on Saturday. Snell, who turns 32 on Wednesday, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts for San Francisco this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. The left-hander struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings. He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin. Snell gets a $52 million signing bonus , payable on Jan. 20, and annual salaries of $26 million, of which $13 million each year will be deferred. Because Snell is a Washington state resident, the signing bonus will not be subject to California income tax. Snell joins Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles’ rotation. Ohtani didn’t pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but the two-way star is expected back on the mound in 2025. Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants. Because he turned down a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, the Giants were not eligible to give Snell another one and won’t receive draft-pick compensation. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Analysis-7-Eleven battle shows resilience of Japan Inc's family ties