New Delhi: The passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has caused an eternal void for the nation. A calm and composed leader, the vision of the Congress leader helped the nation navigate through phases of financial crisis and propelling India to economic achievements. Manmohan Singh rose to prominence as the Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996. He is a highly respected statesman, led India through transformative years from 2004 to 2014. Dr. Singh's unwavering integrity, and exceptional intellectual prowess earned him widespread admiration across party lines. His leadership played a pivotal role in shaping modern India's economic trajectory, with his economic reforms as Finance Minister in the 1990s laying the groundwork for the country's rapid growth. He is widely recognized for implementing policies and also for his leadership in guiding the country through the 2008 global recession. Dr. Manmohan Singh is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters. The nation mourns the loss of this visionary leader, and details of his funeral arrangements are awaited. As India bids farewell to this remarkable statesman, his legacy will continue to inspire future generations. After his term in office ended, he continued as a member of the Rajya Sabha until his term concluded in April 2024, following which he retired. Even as his health deteriorated, Manmohan Singh was seen at Rajya Sabha on a wheel chair, which shows his commitment to his role and the nation. Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, West Punjab, now part of Pakistan. His academic excellence led him to pursue higher education at esteemed institutions, including Panjab University, the University of Cambridge, and Nuffield College, Oxford. Singh's early career was marked by his roles as a teacher at Punjab University, the Delhi School of Economics, and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). His foray into politics began in 1971 as an Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce. He rapidly rose through the ranks, holding pivotal positions such as Chief Economic Advisor and Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. In 2004, the Indian National Congress secured a parliamentary majority, and Sonia Gandhi appointed Singh as Prime Minister. His tenure was marked by notable achievements, including the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal and unprecedented economic growth, which catapulted India onto the global stage. Other notable successes include: - Inclusive Growth and Poverty Reduction: Singh's administration implemented policies that promoted economic growth and reduced poverty. - Economic Boom: India experienced an average annual growth rate of 7.7% during Singh's five-year term. - Key Reforms: Singh's government introduced significant reforms, including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act. Singh was re-elected in 2009, but his administration faced challenges, including inflation and corruption scandals. Despite these setbacks, Singh's legacy as a visionary economist and politician remains unparalleled.

NoneOklahoma sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold will enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. A five-star recruit in 2023 out of Denton, Texas, Arnold began this season as the starter, lost his spot and later regained it as the Sooners went 6-6. Monday is the first day that underclassmen can transfer during the winter portal window. Arnold completed 154 of 246 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games. He also ran the ball 150 times for 444 yards and three TDs, including 25 attempts for 131 yards in the Sooners' 24-3 win over Alabama on Nov. 23. As a freshman last season playing behind Dillon Gabriel, Arnold appeared in seven games and was 44 of 69 (63.8 percent) for 563 yards, four TDs and three picks. A former Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, Arnold started for Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl last December, when the Sooners lost 38-24 to Arizona. He was QB1 for the 2024 campaign, but three early turnovers caused him to be pulled in a 25-15 defeat to Tennessee on Sept. 21 and replaced by true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Arnold came off the bench to replace Hawkins in a 35-9 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 19, and head coach Brent Venables afterward fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley became the interim play-caller. Venables filled the position permanently on Monday by hiring Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle, who could bring Cougars QB John Mateer with him to Norman, Okla. --Field Level Media

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. ____ Associated Press Writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report. Aijaz Hussain And Ashok Sharma, The Associated Press

Westmoreland County’s elected officials will again receive raises in 2025. Commissioners and row officers are slated to see their paychecks jump next year by nearly 3.4%, nearly mirroring the hikes received in 2024 and once again prompting one official to call for a cap on future raises. “This is in line with the hefty raises officials have received for years and it’s further proof we should, in the best interest of taxpayers, put an end to end-of-year raises,” said Commissioner Ted Kopas. Kopas has called for a 2.5% cap on raises doled out annually to elected officials, a proposal that has drawn little support from his colleagues. The raises are mandated by an ordinance approved in 1996 that tied future pay hikes for the county commissioners and row officers to the Consumer Price Index for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. That formula is calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor and takes into account average consumer spending differences over the previous 12 months for food, shelter, energy and other cost-of-living expenses. Raises for Westmoreland’s elected officials since 2022 now total more than 20%. Those pay hikes reflected raises of 5.6% in 2022; 7.8% in 2023, 3.5% this year and the nearly 3.4% for 2025. For commissioners, the new raises amount to an additional $3,200 or more in their paychecks next year. Kertes, as board chairman, is slated to earn $102,283 in 2025. Kopas and Commissioner Doug Chew will be paid $98,640. Kopas said the county’s payroll has jumped by nearly 28% — from $47 million to $60 million — since 2019. “This has to stop. Taxpayers cannot afford these increases in personnel costs. The big raises to elected officials directly correlates to our bargaining units and nonunion staff,” Kopas said. Nearly 500 members of the county’s largest bargaining unit — the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and Healthcare Pa. — agreed to a new three-year labor deal this year that included raises of more than 17% over the deal. Members received 12% raises this year and are due average pay hikes of 2.8% in 2025 and 2.5% in the final year of the contract. Any revision of the method by which raises are awarded to the county’s elected officials requires official action by commissioners during a public meeting that is conducted in the evening. Kopas said that by law the commissioners have until the end of this month to make any changes for 2026. Both Chew and Kertes have rejected Kopas’ calls to cap the raises. Chew has criticized the proposal as a political stunt. Kertes, following a public meeting in August, pledged to consider the cap should future pay hikes become excessive. “The national average is about 3% so this is not egregious,” Kertes said on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, inflation is still high and it’s not where we need it. At this point I am going to continue moving forward (with these raises) because of inflation.”Catherine Tyldesley has been praised by her fans for posting a 'beautiful' message about Christmas with her family in which she admitted having felt 'gutted' on the big day. Opening up to her followers on social media, the actress, known for having played Eva Price on ITV's Coronation Street , said she had initially been disappointed after realising she had barely taken any photos with her family. The TV star posted a photo of her and her two children Alfie, nine, and Iris, two, posing next to the Christmas tree. Sharing some of the details of her family Christmas with her 628,000 followers, Catherine said it was the only photo she managed to get before the children "ran off to play with more toys". Catherine admitted she was sad at first not to have captured more of the day, but said she later realised why there were not more pictures. She explained: "In the precious time we had together this Christmas we barely took any photographs. We are normally camera snappy all day! Initially I proclaimed to Tom 'there’s hardly any photos! I’m gutted'. But then I realised it’s because we were ‘in’ EVERY single moment - present." In a heartfelt admission, the actress added: "Whilst photos are indeed precious, presence... that is worth more than a million photos. Capturing images with my heart." Catherine also posted a video clip of her husband Tom Pitfield holding her daughter as the family waited for Catherine to arrive home on Christmas Eve. Alfie could be heard shouting "I can hear her, mummy's home!" as they all waited by the door. A final image of Catherine holding back tears as she opened a special gift completed the series. She explained that the moving image was taken by her husband in the lead up to Christmas. Catherine said she had been given the present by her mum and it was "the most precious gift". She explained: "Knowing how much I’ve missed my family this year, she wrote me a letter and sent a small gift box. Inside the box is a Christmas decoration my grandfather had as a child, a small white bell with a candle on top." Catherine's mum sent her a letter alongside a 'precious' family heirloom (Image: Instagram/auntiekath17) Catherine said her grandfather had kept the decoration for many years before eventually passing it on to her mum before he died. "My beautiful mother - knowing that I pray to my Grandfather most days, especially in times of self doubt or struggle - sent this precious family heirloom," Catherine shared with her fans. "Letting me know she shared my belief that my grandad IS with me every day and would be incredibly proud of me. It’s the most precious Christmas gift I’ve ever received." Catherine said she had been "asking my Grandad for strength and healing" on the day it was given to her and said she saw the gift as "his sign" to her. The actress rounded off her Christmas post with a touching message. She wrote: "It really is the smallest things. I couldn’t give a flying fudge about an insanely expensive handbag or new pair of shoes. The most precious gifts are the most humble, love-filled offerings. A cuddle, a hug, a pre-loved item from someone you cherish/cherished dearly. That is the greatest of wealths. "I hope you all had a special Christmas filled with mindfulness, love and laughter. Tell people you love them every single chance you have." Fans rushed to the comment section to praise the star for her 'beautiful' message. One commented: "Beautiful and heartfelt," while another said: "Love this Cath, how beautiful and so true." A third fan said: "Beautiful, had goosebumps reading it," while a fourth wrote: "The last paragraph is the most beautiful thing i’ve ever read. What a precious gift." A fifth commented: "Such beautiful words Catherine! Sending you so much love."Cornerback Sauce Gardner (hamstring), right tackle Morgan Moses (knee) and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) also were sidelined for the Jets' first full practice of the week. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who acknowledged Tuesday he's dealing with “a little MCL” issue in a knee but said “there's no way I'm not playing,” practiced fully. Adams was apparently injured in New York's 19-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, when he had seven catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Adams, acquired from Las Vegas in October, has 56 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns on 94 targets in nine games for the Jets. He's 72 yards away from his fifth straight 1,000-yard season and sixth of his career. Adams and Rodgers are also tied with Miami's Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third-most TD connections (82), including playoffs, by a quarterback-wide receiver duo. Gardner sat out the second half of the loss to the Rams with the hamstring injury and could miss the game against the Bills. He sat out one game after injuring a hamstring against Seattle in Week 14. It's unclear if the injuries are related. Moses and Vera-Tucker have been playing through their ailments the past several weeks. Defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, who missed the game last Sunday with a hamstring injury, was limited Thursday at practice, as were left guard John Simpson (calf), defensive end Haason Reddick (neck), safety Tony Adams (ankle), conerback Michael Carter II (back) and rookie defensive lineman Braiden McGregor (ankle). AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL