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L et us go straight to the point. The Tax Reform Bills sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu is not exactly a policy document. There is more to it than meets the eyes. The truth and facts about the bills will hardly be known until they reach implementation stage. What we are seeing now are mere preambles. As a matter of fact, the bills represent the next stage of the Tinubu surprise packages. Like other unexpected agenda that the President had earlier rolled out, the tax bills have come with their own controversy. The North was quick to smell a rat. It said the bills will not serve the best interest of the region. The originators of the bills, led by Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, have tried to allay the region’s fears. But that is not working. What appears to be uppermost in the minds of many is Tinubu’s penchant for sectionalism. He is running the most nepotistic regime in the history of Nigeria. Many interpreters of the bills see the document as intended to advance the economic fortunes of the President and his cronies. They believe that many of those supporting the bills are doing so blindly. They hardly know, let alone understand, what the President and his inner cabinet are scheming to achieve with the bills, if they become law. Akpabio As we earlier noted, the tax bills, if they become law, will be the next phase of the disruption that the Tinubu administration has come to be. Before it, we had the unspeakable disruption that was the removal of subsidy on petroleum products. The country is still squirming from that poorly-digested, ill-thought-out policy that saw the country’s economy tailspin into chaos. Hardship has taken over the landscape so much so that Nigerians are still wondering how they got to this messy curve. Now the tax reform agenda is on. The Tinubu administration is pushing the bills with frenzy. The discerning among the people are not taken in by the promise of reforms. What manner of reforms? Whose interest will be served by them? These are some of the issues in contention. The difference between the current brouhaha and others before it is that while the President’s haphazard economic policies are stifling Nigerians of all shades and strata, the tax bills are being suspected by the North of having sectional undertones. Northern leaders and stakeholders are suspicious of its intent and content. This suspicion is already breeding bad blood and distrust among the top players in the Tinubu administration. The Vice President, Kassim Shettima, was the first to tear presidential cohesion apart in this matter. Following the unease that pervades the North over the proposed tax reforms, Shettima got the National Econimic Council (NEC), which he chairs, to resolve that the President should withdraw the bills from the National Assembly for wider consultations. But the President has since shunned the resolution of NEC and asked the National Assembly, instead, to ensure that the bills pass through the required legislative processes. But the road has been bumpy for the bills. Its ride to the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly has been tumultuous. It is causing cracks in the system. The harmony that used to exist in the leadership of the Senate suffered a setback last week following the conflicting decisions that were taken at the plenaries. A plenary presided over by Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, had resolved that further legislative action should be suspended on the tax bills until the contentious issues around them are resolved. Strangely, however, Barau was overruled the next day by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who maintained that the Senate neither suspended nor withdrew the bills. Legislative actions on the bills are, therefore, to go on. From the foregoing, it can be deduced that all is not well with the Tinubu administration. There are divisions and dissents within. But Tinubu will not lose sleep over the internal wrangling because he was forward-looking in putting together his administration. Shettima, as Vice President, will not be a threat to Tinubu. He is easily dispensable. Tinubu and the hawks around him have, even before now, clipped the wings of the Vice President. Perhaps Tinubu would have had something to worry about if he were working with an independent-minded leader of the National Assembly. Akpabio, Tinubu’s hand-picked Senate president, is a factotum. He will do whatever the President says. That is what qualified him for the job. He was programmed by Tinubu to become the President of the Senate, if Tinubu won the presidency. The understanding was reached even before the primary elections that produced Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress. All the role that Akpabio played on the day of the primary was based on that. So far, Akpabio is keeping his own side of the bargain. The Senate under his leadership must do the President’s bidding. That is why the 10th Senate has remained no more than a rubber stamp. But beyond the politics that surrounds the tax bills, the practical impact of what is already being done around taxes and taxation in Nigeria is adding to the woes of the ordinary Nigerian. The Federal Inland Revenue Service, which one of the tax reform bills seeks to replace with Nigeria Revenue Service, is already taking it out on Nigerians. It has instructed all banks to charge stamp duty of N50 on inflows of N10,000 and above and remit same to it. This tax regime has since begun. The revenue service has not explained to Nigerians why they should bear this extra burden in a depressed economy. The people should know who benefits from this tax. How will the proceeds be deployed? So far, transparency is lacking in all this. This partly explains the suspicion surrounding the Tax Reform Bills. Even though the North has pointed to specific areas of concern around the bills such as the derivative clause and Value Added Tax sharing formula, there is still more to the bills than the ordinary eyes can see. The bad situation is not helped by the fact that partisan and regional considerations have been introduced into the matter. While northern leaders and groups are expressing fears and suspicions over the tax bills, Akpabio, a South-southerner, has galvanized senators from his zone to express support for the bills and solidarity with the President for introducing them. The regional and partisan slant that has been injected into the matter may ultimately become its Achilles heel. A well-reasoned, properly articulated tax policy that is well explained and understood by the taxpayer is what will serve everyone’s purpose. Sectionalism can only drive a further wedge into an already burdensome tax regime.Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be attorney generalpoker game online with friends 。

A secondary school in Nottingham has been lauded as "warm and welcoming" in its latest Ofsted inspection. Windmill Academy, on Sneinton Boulevard, was inspected on November 5 and 6 this year, having previously been graded in 2019. The report says: "This is a warm and welcoming school. In the morning, pupils walk through the gates with smiles on their faces. They are greeted by caring staff who know them well. Pupils trust staff to keep them safe. The school sets high expectations for learning and behaviour. Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes. They work hard and achieve well." The school, run by the L.E.A.D Academy Trust, was praised for how well its pupils get along and learn from each other and their individual cultures. The report also remarked on the wide variety of what pupils are taught, from how to keep fit and cook healthy meals to modern technology and how to take care of the planet. Teachers have strong knowledge, the report said. The curriculum is ambitious, and reading is a priority in the school, which was identified as a positive. Attendance was good by "most pupils", while pupils behaved "very well" and staff were proud to work at the school. The small number of improvement included activities for early-years pupils, which weren't well thought through and thus not engaged with enough, and in a few subjects, routines for checking what pupils have learnt and remember were not well-established. The school was previously adjudged to be "good". Ofsted stopped using its "single word judgment" rating system in September 2024. School head Ruth Pickering said: “We are beyond pleased with the range of highlights outlined by Ofsted in our latest report. I am particularly proud to see Ofsted recognise that Windmill is a place where pupils enjoy learning and achieving together. “It is a testament to the hard work, commitment and caring nature of our staff and the support of our parents, and wider community. We will continue to strive to ensure every pupil receives an excellent education that is both well-rounded and ambitious while also supporting their individual development." Executive Headteacher, Ross Middleton at L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, said: “A huge congratulations to Ruth and the team at Windmill L.E.A.D. Academy for their excellent Ofsted report, which is hugely deserved. “Leaders and staff continue to showcase the importance of being a school that is a real pillar of its community and being truly committed to making a difference for their pupils.”Nobel recipient Geoffrey Hinton wishes he thoughts of AI safety sooner

Swiss National Bank Has $13.29 Million Stock Holdings in The AZEK Company Inc. (NYSE:AZEK)

Kobe Sanders scores 27 points, Nevada never trails in 90-78 win over Oklahoma State

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Zahir Abdus-Salaam ran for a touchdown and caught another as Western Michigan defeated Eastern Michigan 26-18 on Saturday to become bowl eligible, snapping a three-game losing streak. Abdus-Salaam scored on a 22-yard run for a 23-8 lead in the third quarter and he bordering the end zone. The Broncos (6-6, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) blocked a punt for safety that started a run of 16 points in under four minutes. Abdus-Salaam scored on a 31-yard screen pass then Joey Pope recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up Jalen Buckley’s 15-yard TD run with 19 seconds before the half ended. Eastern Michigan’s Delmert Mimms II scored two third-quarter touchdowns. The teams exchanged field goals for the only fourth-quarter scoring. The Eagles got the ball back with 2:18 remaining but on their first play Bilhal Kone intercepted a tipped pass. Eastern Michigan (5-7, 2-6) lost its last five games. Abdus-Salaam rushed for 135 yards and Buckley 103 on 19 carries apiece. Hayden Wolff threw for 126 yards and a score. Abdus-Salaam had 40 yards receiving. Mimms rushed for 127 yards on 18 carries. Cole Snyder was only 7 of 22 for 91 yards passing. ___ AP college football: and . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter:

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WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Pat Verhaeghe didn’t think highly of Donald Trump as a leader. Then Verhaeghe began seeing more of Trump’s campaign speeches online and his appearances at sporting events. There was even the former president’s pairing with Bryson DeChambeau as part of the pro golfer’s YouTube channel series to shoot an under-50 round of golf while engaging in chitchat with his partner. “I regret saying this, but a while ago I thought he was an idiot and that he wouldn’t be a good president,” said the 18-year-old first-time voter. “I think he’s a great guy now.” Verhaeghe isn't alone among his friends in suburban Detroit or young men across America. Although much of the electorate shifted right to varying degrees in 2024, young men were one of the groups that swung sharply toward Trump. More than half of men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a similar share of this group four years earlier. White men under 30 were solidly in Trump’s camp this year — about 6 in 10 voted for Trump — while young Latino men were split between the two candidates. Most Black men under 30 supported Democrat Kamala Harris, but about one-third were behind Trump. Young Latino men’s views of the Democratic Party were much more negative than in 2020, while young Black men’s views of the party didn’t really move. About 6 in 10 Latino men under 30 had a somewhat or very favorable view of the Democrats in 2020, which fell to about 4 in 10 this year. On the other hand, about two-thirds of young Black men had a favorable view of the Democrats this year, which was almost identical to how they saw the party four years ago. “Young Hispanic men, and really young men in general, they want to feel valued," said Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that focused on reaching young Hispanic voters for Republicans this year. “They're looking for someone who fights for them, who sees their potential and not just their struggles.” Struve cited the attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as one of the catalyzing moments for Trump’s image among many young men. Trump, Struve said, was also able to reach young men more effectively by focusing on nontraditional platforms like podcasts and digital media outlets. “Getting to hear from Trump directly, I think, really made all the difference," Struve said of the former president's appearances on digital media platforms and media catering to Latino communities, like town halls and business roundtables Trump attended in Las Vegas and Miami. Not only did Trump spend three hours on Joe Rogan's chart-topping podcast, but he took up DeChambeau's “Break 50” challenge for the golfer's more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Trump already had an edge among young white men four years ago, although he widened the gap this year. About half of white men under 30 supported Trump in 2020, and slightly less than half supported Biden. Trump's gains among young Latino and Black men were bigger. His support among both groups increased by about 20 percentage points, according to AP VoteCast — and their feelings toward Trump got warmer, too. It wasn’t just Trump. The share of young men who identified as Republicans in 2024 rose as well, mostly aligning with support for Trump across all three groups. “What is most alarming to me is that the election is clear that America has shifted right by a lot,” said William He, founder of Dream For America, a liberal group that works to turn out young voters and supported Harris’ presidential bid. With his bombastic demeanor and a policy agenda centered on a more macho understanding of culture , Trump framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. Young women also slightly swung toward the former president, though not to the degree of their male counterparts. It's unclear how many men simply did not vote this year. But there's no doubt the last four years brought changes in youth culture and how political campaigns set out to reach younger voters. Democrat Kamala Harris' campaign rolled out policy agendas tailored to Black and Latino men, and the campaign enlisted a range of leaders in Black and Hispanic communities to make the case for the vice president. Her campaign began with a flurry of enthusiasm from many young voters, epitomized in memes and the campaign's embrace of pop culture trends like the pop star Charli XCX's “brat” aesthetic . Democrats hoped to channel that energy into their youth voter mobilization efforts. “I think most young voters just didn’t hear the message,” said Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, a liberal group that engages younger voters. Mayer said the Harris campaign’s pitch to the country was “largely convoluted” and centered on economic messaging that he said wasn’t easily conveyed to younger voters who were not already coming to political media. “And I think that the policies themselves were also very narrow and targeted when what we really needed was a simple, bold economic vision,” said Mayer. Trump also embraced pop culture by appearing at UFC fights, football games and appearing alongside comedians, music stars and social media influencers. His strategists believed that the former president’s ability to grab attention and make his remarks go viral did more for the campaign than paid advertisements or traditional media appearances. Trump's campaign also heavily cultivated networks of online conservative platforms and personalities supportive of him while also engaging a broader universe of podcasts, streaming sites, digital media channels and meme pages open to hearing him. “The right has been wildly successful in infiltrating youth political culture online and on campus in the last couple of years, thus radicalizing young people towards extremism,” said He, who cited conservative activist groups like Turning Point USA as having an outsize impact in online discourse. “And Democrats have been running campaigns in a very old fashioned way. The battleground these days is cultural and increasingly on the internet.” Republicans may lose their broad support if they don't deliver on improving Americans' lives, Struve cautioned. Young men, especially, may drift from the party in a post-Trump era if the party loses the president-elect's authenticity and bravado. Bienvenido, for one group, will double down in the coming years to solidify and accelerate the voting pattern shifts seen this year, Struve said. “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing,” he said. Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and AP polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report.

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The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Kobe Sanders scored 27 points, including five of six from the free throw line in the closing minutes, and Nevada pulled away late to beat Oklahoma State 90-78 for a fifth-place finish at the Charleston Classic on Sunday. Nevada’s lone loss in its first six games came in the tournament’s opening round when the Wolf Pack fell to Vanderbilt 73-71. The Cowboys never led in the contest and Nevada grabbed the lead for good on Justin McBride’s tip-in with under 13 minutes left to take a 14-12 lead. Tre Coleman hit two free throws and Chuck Bailey II hit a late jumper to put Nevada up 40-33 at intermission. Abou Ousmane’s tip-in at the 5:21 mark got the Cowboys within five, 75-70 but Brandon Love answered with a three-point play seconds later and the Wolf Pack pulled away. Tyler Rolison’s 3 with 1:38 left pushed the lead to 84-73. Sanders hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from distance, and was 10 of 13 from the line with three assists and a steal to lead Nevada. Nick Davidson had 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting and Love was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and contributed 11 points. The Wolf Pack shot 33 of 56 from the field (58.9%), including 7 of 18 from beyond the arc. RELATED COVERAGE Tonje scores 33, No. 19 Wisconsin beats Pittsburgh 81-75 for Greenbrier Tip-Off title Kennesaw State beats No. 24 Rutgers 79-77 in program’s 1st home game against ranked team Mitchell leads No. 18 Cincinnati in rout of Georgia Tech 81-58 Marchelus Avery and Arturo Dean both came off the Oklahoma State bench to score 15 and 13 points, respectively. Robert Jennings II and Ousmane each scored 11 points. Both teams completed the November portion of their schedule. Nevada plays host to Washington State on Dec. 2. Oklahoma State plays at Tulsa on Dec. 4. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballKALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Zahir Abdus-Salaam ran for a touchdown and caught another as Western Michigan defeated Eastern Michigan 26-18 on Saturday to become bowl eligible, snapping a three-game losing streak. Abdus-Salaam scored on a 22-yard run for a 23-8 lead in the third quarter and he celebrated by jumping into a snowbank bordering the end zone. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

Article content PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s health minister has been removed from his post, government officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, following a deadly gang attack on the largest public hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The two government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said Health Minister Duckenson Lorthe will be replaced by Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier until a new health minister is found. Two journalists and a police officer were killed Tuesday as gang members burst into the General Hospital and fired indiscriminately at reporters who were there to cover the facility’s reopening. It was one of the worst attacks on Haitian media in recent memory. Seven other journalists were injured. Jean Frans Regala, a photographer who survived, said journalists had been invited to the hospital by the health ministry but there was little security at the site. “The fact that the minister of health invited us, you feel that preparations have been made already,” Regala told the AP. “When we made contact with a police unit, the police told us they were not aware of the event.” The health minister did not show up at the event, for reasons that have not been explained. RECOMMENDED VIDEO On Tuesday, Johnson “Izo” Andre, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and part of the Viv Ansanm group of gangs that has taken control of much of Port-au-Prince, posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack. The video said the gang coalition had not authorized the hospital’s reopening. Gang violence has worsened in Haiti since the nation’s president was killed in a 2021 coup attempt. Gangs are believed to control 85% of the capital and earlier this year staged attacks on the main airport and the country’s two largest prisons. The Caribbean country has struggled to organize an election that will restore democratic rule, and is currently governed by a transitional council made up of representatives of political parties, business groups and civil society organizations.These Black Friday TV deals are still going strongInterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC) Shares Sold by Algert Global LLC

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa fired football coach Kevin Wilson on Sunday and will elevate wide receivers coach Ryan Switzer on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. The Golden Hurricane lost to South Florida 63-30 on Saturday, dropping their record to 3-8. The school's decision concludes Wilson's two-year tenure with a 7-16 record, including 3-12 in American Athletic Conference play. “With the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, we know the importance of positioning our football program and athletic department to thrive and excel in the upcoming years,” athletic director Justin Moore said in a statement. “Our standard will be to play in bowl games every season, compete for conference titles, and build a program that everyone connected to the Golden Hurricane will be proud of." Wilson spent six years as Indiana’s head coach, going 26-47 from 2011 to 2016. He then joined Urban Meyer’s staff at Ohio State and stayed on under Meyer’s successor, Ryan Day, before taking over at Tulsa. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Two prototypes for China's future stealth strike fighter took the skies in broad daylight. Both appear to be advanced flying wing designs useful for attack missions. China watchers buzzed about the possible roles of a fighter that could rival US aircraft. Two prototypes for China's future stealth strike fighter took the skies in broad daylight in recent days, showcasing China's growing aerospace might as it tries to match the US. Advertisement The designs appeared intended to make a splash. One showed a triangular aircraft similar to America's retired F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter , with some notable differences. The prototype by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation lacked a tail and fin-like vertical stabilizers and was powered by three engines; a new video shows it in a low-altitude turn accompanied by a J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter. Photos and videos also recently captured a stealth prototype, attributed to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, fueling speculation the aircraft may be rivals. Advertisement pic.twitter.com/IZ9BlwjoOc — Justin Bronk (@Justin_Br0nk) December 26, 2024 The sightings immediately prompted questions among aviation watchers about whether these designs were stealthy strike aircraft (designed to ground-attack areas guarded by air defenses ) or contenders for a leap-ahead sixth-generation air superiority fighter , of the sort the US is struggling to define. Related stories "Fascinating that the [People's Liberation Army Air Force/Chinese Communist Party] have chosen to fly this prototype in daylight now," Justin Bronk, an airpower expert at the UK's RUSI think tank, said on X. "I suspect more likely to be the 5th Gen regional bomber/strike fighter project sometimes called J/H-XX." A Defense Department report released in mid-December said that China "is developing new medium- and long-range stealth bombers to strike regional and global targets." Advertisement Some more better-resolution images of CAC‘s 6th generation fighter prototype/demonstrator pic.twitter.com/FzQFyCg7AA — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 26, 2024 Both prototype aircraft appear to be flying wing designs, which more efficiently distribute an aircraft's load and reduce drag. These aircraft are more inherently unstable and require automated fly-by-wire systems that constantly change the aircraft's flight controls. The US Air Force has leaned into this design with its Northrop B-2 Spirit and Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider bombers. By eliminating a tail and vertical stabilizers, the flying wing reduces the number of angled surfaces that can produce radar returns. These types of aircraft may be able to strike defended areas before being detected on radar.