Mr. Tang's arrest has highlighted the importance of accountability and transparency in government administration, especially in critical sectors such as agriculture. The public outcry over his actions has sparked a renewed call for greater oversight and regulation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday night canvased for a systemic solution that would address the socio economic elements causing corruption in the country, emphasising the need to First tackle the underlying causes of the menace. Speaking his maiden media chat on national television, President Tinubu emphasised the significance of enhancing living circumstances, guaranteeing access to basic utilities, and paying fair wages in order to reduce corruption in all of its manifestations. “Corruption in all ramifications is bad, but first of all, pay enough attention to the causes,” he said. The President noted that two major elements that encourage people to engage in dishonest activities are a lack of social amenities and insufficient money for education. In his fight to tame the menace of corruption, Tinubu emphasised the significance of guaranteeing workers living wage. “Pay them good and living wages. I increased the minimum wage, and to me, that is fighting corruption,” he explained. The President further stressed that creating an environment where citizens have access to basic necessities and opportunities will significantly reduce the temptation to engage in corrupt activities. He also reiterated his confidence in the power of free market forces to address economic challenges, emphasizing that price control is not the solution. He highlighted his administration’s approach to managing market dynamics, boosting agricultural productivity, and tackling corruption at its roots. “I don’t believe in price control. It’s a question of supply and demand,” Tinubu responded to a question of he believed in Prince control. He explained that increasing supply is key to stabilizing prices, citing the fuel market as an example. “We just continue to supply the market. It will come to a stage where you cannot hoard no more. The economic variables will work against you,” he said. Tinubu advised Nigerians to concentrate on improving their resource management skills while also adjusting to the prevailing shifting economic realities. The President also highlighted the significance of mechanised farming while announcing intentions to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural industry. “We will give more incentives to the farmer. Mechanized farming is better for us in Nigeria,” he said. He revealed that over 2,000 tractors are set to arrive in the country as part of efforts to modernize farming and increase productivity. This, according to President Tinubu, will help torr ensure food security as well as reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
THE Thai government’s campaign to pressure the Bank of Thailand to cut interest rates suffered a significant setback, with the Office of the Council of State effectively ruling that the official nominee to be chairman, former finance minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, is not suitable. Without directly naming Kittiratt, Secretary-General Pakorn Nilprapunt said in a statement that “Mr. K’s” role as an adviser to the prime minister means he is a “person holding a political position” who was appointed for political reasons and is therefore not qualified. While the chair of the Bank of Thailand is not involved in monetary policy meetings, they can evaluate the governor’s performance and also have a say in which outside experts join the seven-member rate panel. The council’s legal opinion means that if the government tries to push ahead with Kittiratt’s appointment, it could face political risks and challenges. It’s also possible the selection process must start over. Kittiratt earlier this week posted on Facebook that he will “respect the decision” as to whether he becomes the central bank’s chairman. Pakorn’s statement didn’t mention the central bank’s own nominees, Kulit Sombatsiri, who has previously worked at the energy and finance ministries, and academic Surapon Nitikraipot. The government hasn’t immediately commented on Friday’s announcement, which comes just three days after the Thai Post, citing the finance permanent secretary, reported that the council had decided Kittiratt was unqualified. Within hours of that report, the Office of the Council of State’s Pakorn declared it had not yet concluded its legal opinion. That underscored the sensitivity of the issue, with Thailand already having delayed naming a new chairman as opposition mounted against Kittiratt, a former member of the ruling Pheu Thai party. The Economists for Society group, which includes former multiple former central bank governors, in November warned a chairman with strong political links would raise questions about the independence of the Bank of Thailand. The Thai government has been looking for ways to increase its influence over the central bank, and Bloomberg News reported in June that it was considering using the chairman’s role as a means of gaining leverage. The Bank of Thailand has cut its benchmark rate by a quarter point this year, to 2.25 percent, but at its most recent meeting held borrowing costs unchanged. The government wants lower borrowing costs to reduce the burden of household debt, but BOT policymakers say rates are appropriate and other measures are needed to boost growth. Bloomberg News
said it authorized management and advisers to explore a potential sale of the eye health company after shares dropped over reports of faltering deal talks with a group of private equity firms. The company said a sale was “one of several options being explored to complete a full separation from ,” in a statement on Thursday. “That process is ongoing, and there can be no assurance that it will result in a transaction.” The company said it typically didn’t comment on deal negotiations but wanted to issue a response to a request for information from the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). “CIRO requested confirmation of a potential sale process given stock volatility often associated with market rumours. Bausch + Lomb does not intend to provide additional detail until further disclosure is appropriate or necessary,” the company said. The company is traded on both the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange. The shares have gained 6.5 per cent this year through Wednesday’s close in New York. The company’s stock tumbled yesterday after the that Blackstone could pull out of a joint takeover bid for the eye care company, citing unidentified people familiar with matter. If Bausch Health sells the eye care company it majority owns, it would end a years-long battle over the separation of the eye-care business. The split has been in the works since as early as 2020, but it ran aground due to disagreements between shareholders and lenders, as well as questions about Bausch Health’s financial health. Bausch Health has about US$21 billion in debt, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Questions about whether the company could remain solvent without Bausch + Lomb have complicated the separation. Bausch + Lomb sells contact lenses, eye drops and other products that generate a steady revenue stream. Bausch Health’s main drug, the gut antibiotic Xifaxan, will likely face generic competition in the coming years as patent protection wanes. Bausch Health was formerly known as . It rebranded in 2018 after the company came under government scrutiny for raising drug prices and a former executive was convicted of accepting a bribe.Nebraska builds big lead, holds off Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl
Surrey was an entertaining place to live and work in 2024, judging by stories worth revisiting for Year in Review packaging: After a one-year break in 2023, 48,000 dance music fans filled Holland Park for July's sold-out , which featured Swedish House Mafia, Kx5 (the collaboration of Canadian DJ Deadmau5 and American producer Kaskade), Diplo and dozens of other hip-hop and electronic artists. Starting in 2015, tens of thousands of ticket-holders have flocked to FVDED, and the 2024 festival represented a triumphant return to Holland Park for Blueprint Events and partner Live Nation Entertainment. Looking ahead, the dates of July 4-5 have been booked for . Much bigger and boasting more things to do, the expanded was revealed in September. First launched in 2020 by the Whalley-raised Vilio brothers, the Bridgeview-area indoor amusement park is now around 100,000 square feet, three times larger than the original facility and now among Canada's largest such parks. New features include carnival-themed mini golf, a new carousel, full-sized "Roller Disco" rink, more than 100 new arcade games, 16-person laser tag arena, larger bowling alley, two karaoke party booths, a 200-capacity banquet room and more, with an indoor go-kart track to come. "We may have both indoor and outdoor go-karts here one day, but we'll see how the indoor ones do first, starting in early 2025," Steve Vilio reported. Sept. 30 was a special night at Bell Performing Arts Centre, where Canadian entertainer sang and made people laugh as headliner of a gala concert for Surrey-based . The "Building Hope" gala event raised funds and awareness for the construction of affordable housing in the city. Indigenous folk duo Twin Flames and Surrey's Ranj Singh & The Discriminators also performed at the event, tickets for which sold for $200 and up. A live auction included two first-class tickets to any Air Canada destination, generating $14,000 for the charity. In a raffle for Taylor Swift concert tickets, the initial winners weren't in their seats to claim the prize, so other names were drawn. Whisky curator Stacy Kyle spent a good portion of her summer sorting, cleaning, cataloguing and showcasing bottles at , a Surrey bar that boasts Canada’s largest whisky collection with close to 1,300 different kinds, or “expressions,” as Kyle calls them, with most of the focus on Scotch and American varieties. “The total number of bottles is closer to 2,000. I haven’t counted them but I’ve touched them all now,” Kyle added with a laugh. The collection was bought from the owners of Fets Whisky Kitchen, a landmark restaurant/bar that closed in 2022 after 36 years of business on Commercial Drive, Vancouver. "This tour has been an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m truly blessed," Surrey-raised rapper said of spring concerts opening for hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg across Canada, including a homecoming show at Rogers Arena on June 25. Signed to Death Row Records, now owned by Snoop, . Years ago, Merkules was better known as Cole Stevenson while growing up in a rancher on 90A Avenue, in the Green Timbers area of Surrey. The house, since demolished, is where Merkules honed his rap skills (starting out as Merk Mikz), during a period of isolation there following a brutal attack he suffered at age 16, while walking home from a New Year’s Eve party. More than 90,000 people soaked up the sun and festivities during Surrey's Canada Day festival in Cloverdale on July 1, breaking a record for the largest crowd in the event's 20-year history at Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre. Saskatchewan's The Sheepdogs certainly didn't disappoint with a headlining set of old-school rock 'n' roll as the sun set, followed by fireworks. The event's large summer attendance is "a testament to the incredible spirit and community pride that makes Surrey such a special place to live," Mayor Brenda Locke said later. It's fun for Surrey residents to watch and spot local landmarks in , the second season of which airs starting Jan. 15. Both set and filmed in Surrey, the police drama debuted in February and became CBC's most-watched new series of the 2023-24 season. Last February, during an invite-only launch party for the night before its TV and streaming debut. The series, which stars Supinder Wraich and Enrico Colantoni, is a CBC original series from Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios. It was quite a story how Surrey-based actors Chelsea Rose and Jonathan Winsby met on set, began dating, got engaged and then co-starred in a big, fun, Broadway musical on an iconic Vancouver stage (Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage) where their romance first blossomed. In May they played Bible-thumping Sarah Brown and high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s . Rare is a chance for real-life lovers to play characters who kiss and, in this story set in 1950s New York City, fall for each other in a song-filled adventure of attracted opposites. Winsby has performed in several shows at the Stanley over the years, including a 2021 production of , which also starred Rose. That’s when they first met. Talk about a memorable late-October trip to Kansas City for Surrey-based , which competed at the and placed sixth on the international stage. "We improved 67 points over 2022 (after improving 104 points between 2018 and 2022!), and I could not be more proud about what we put on the stage this year," raved director Anne Downton. An a cappella chorus with more than 60 members of varying ages, Westcoast rehearses Wednesdays at Parkland Community Church at 96 Avenue and 160 Street, where singers learn "new, challenging repertoire, from traditional barbershop to contemporary pop and rock arrangements." More details on . Thirty years ago last August, a landmark concert was held in Surrey when close to 28,000 people paid $35 each to see and hear some popular alt-rock bands of the day (Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Green Day and others) perform at the Fraser Downs horse racetrack of Cloverdale Fairgrounds. The touring festival still represents one of the largest single-day ticketed concerts in Surrey history. I was there, and so was Jill, my partner. We didn't know each other then, but that day I took a single photo of the stage and crowd, and we're almost certain that the 14-year-old Jill is in that rare photo, with her back turned to the camera. Quite a coincidence!
Scholastic Corporation Announces Third Quarter Dividend
Javier Olivan Sells 413 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) StockNigerians have expressed dissatisfaction with the video and sound quality of the first Presidential Media Chat featuring President Bola Tinubu, aired on Monday by the Nigerian Television Authority. Ahead of the broadcast, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had announced in a statement that “all television and radio stations are requested to hook up to the broadcast.” However, viewers noted that the broadcast on NTA suffered from grainy visuals and muffled audio, with some channels linked to the station also reflecting these issues. Taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, they voiced their concerns. David Offor, tweeting as @DavidsOffor, wrote, “In 2025, NTA needs to improve in sound and visual qualities!! This is the national TV of the largest black nation in the world o 😉” #AsiwajuOladimeji, using the username @AsiwajuOladimej, said: “Privatize NTA. Enough is Enough!” Tosin.X, tweeting as @Dontee_, commented: “TVC obviously recorded the interview with their own camera. This is better than the nonsense NTA is showing. Please switch your TV or YouTube to TVC guys” Ridwan Oke, using the handle @Ridwanullahii, added: “Only TVC has a good recording of the Presidential Media Chat. We thought NTA was back. Mtcheew” Related News Switch off your light, let’s learn to manage, Tinubu tells Nigerians I’m not prepared to downsize my cabinet — Tinubu Organisers responsible for multiple fatal stampedes, says Tinubu Man of Letters, tweeting as @Letter_to_Jack, declared: “NTA is a disgrace to this country. They should be scrapped” DANIEL, using the username @DanielWhalee, wrote: “What did NTA digitise abeg? With this poster coloured pictures and transistor radio sound.” Ọlá, tweeting as @mrolaoluwa, noted: “NTA isn’t even broadcasting in 1080p.” “It’s better on TVC. Everybody at NTA should be fired!” Abdulbasit Ayomikun Afolabi, using the handle @Baasit_Afolabi, stated. During the live broadcast, President Tinubu defended his decision to remove the fuel subsidy, saying it was necessary to safeguard the country’s finances and future investments. “I don’t have any regret in removing the fuel subsidy. We cannot spend our generation investment. ”We have no choice. Otherwise, we are headed for the slippery slope... financial disaster, not just for us but our children,” the President said.
However, the vehicle owner refused to cooperate and move his vehicle, claiming that he had the right to park there and that he would not be bullied into moving it. The tense standoff escalated as tempers flared, with both sides refusing to back down. The police were forced to intervene and mediate the dispute, but the situation remained deadlocked as neither party was willing to compromise.With a career spanning over a decade, Liu Shishi has captivated audiences with her exceptional talent and striking beauty, earning her a loyal fan base both in China and around the world. Known for her graceful demeanor and impeccable sense of style, Liu Shishi embodies the essence of the Celine brand, which values a balance of classic heritage and contemporary innovation.
In conclusion, the PS5's 2025 game lineup teaser offered a tantalizing glimpse into the future of PlayStation gaming, with "Death Stranding 2" and "Elden Ring" standing out as shining beacons of innovation and creativity. As fans eagerly await the release of these and other upcoming titles, one thing is certain – the world of gaming is poised for an exciting and unforgettable journey that will captivate players for years to come.GERMAN President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament and set the country’s snap election for February 23, formally endorsing a timetable proposed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz after he pulled the plug on his ruling coalition last month. Social Democrat Scholz ended his three-party alliance with the Greens and Free Democrats when he sacked FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner in a dispute over government borrowing. The surprise move deprived Scholz of a majority in the lower house, or Bundestag, and paved the way for a national ballot seven months before the scheduled end of his four-year term. With just under two months until the vote, the main opposition conservatives under Friedrich Merz are strides ahead in the polls. Scholz’s SPD is languishing in third place behind the far-right Alternative for Germany party, with the Greens in fourth. Merz’s center-right CDU/CSU bloc has about 31 percent support, according to the latest Bloomberg polling average, with the AfD at around 19 percent and the center-left SPD 16 percent. The Greens have about 13 percent, while Lindner’s FDP is in danger of missing the 5 percent threshold for getting into parliament with 4 percent. Lars Klingbeil, an SPD co-leader, said he expects the party to begin narrowing the gap to the conservatives in January and still believes it can emerge as the strongest party again. At the last election in 2021, the SPD came from behind in the final weeks of campaigning to secure almost 26 percent in first place, beating the CDU/CSU, which got 24 percent. “More and more citizens will ask themselves: Do we want Olaf Scholz as chancellor or Friedrich Merz?” Klingbeil was quoted as saying in an interview with Tagesspiegel newspaper published Thursday. “We have the better candidate, the better team, the better program.” Although Steinmeier has formally dissolved the Bundestag, its term will only end with the constitution of the next parliament. Lawmakers will continue to meet and conduct parliamentary business, with two sessions planned before the election. Scholz’s move to force an early election is unusual in German politics since World War II. The national ballot was brought forward only twice in West Germany and only once since reunification in 1990. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, also a Social Democrat, triggered an early vote in 2005 before losing to Angela Merkel, who went on to run the country until Scholz took over in late 2021.It is also worth considering the regulatory and geopolitical factors that may influence the decision of automotive companies to partner with Momenta over Huawei. Huawei has faced scrutiny and restrictions in various markets due to concerns over cybersecurity and national security. This could create uncertainties and regulatory challenges for automotive companies seeking to collaborate with Huawei on autonomous driving projects. In contrast, Momenta, as a homegrown Chinese startup, may offer a more stable and predictable partnership environment for automotive companies looking to navigate the complex regulatory landscape in the autonomous driving industry.
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The University of North Carolina has agreed to pay $10 million a year, according to a term sheet the university released Thursday afternoon. While the agreement is for five years, only the first three years’ pay is guaranteed in case Belichick is fired without cause. The annual pay figure is double what North Carolina had been paying recently fired coach Mack Brown. It would make Belichick the sixth-highest paid college football coach at a public school for the 2025 football season, and contracts obtained through open-records requests. Among coaches at public schools, Belichick will trail Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Florida State's Mike Norvell and Alabama's Kalen DeBoer. Southern California’s Lincoln Riley was paid $10,043,418 during the 2022 calendar year, according to the university’s most recently available tax records – the only documents available because USC is a private school. Belichick’s deal also provides him with a $100,000 expense annual expense account and the possibility of getting $3.5 million a year in bonuses. Among the bonuses, a total of $250,000 looks to be routinely attainable: $150,000 for the team playing in a non-CFP bowl game, which generally requires a record of at least 6-6 (UNC's record this season), and $100,000 for the team having a single-year NCAA Academic Progress Rate figure of 950 to 969 (the team has exceeded 950 in each of the past three years). In addition, the term sheet says North Carolina will provide: --$10 million as an "assistant coach salary pool." (This season, UNC is paying nearly according to information obtained from the school by USA TODAY Sports. The NCAA Division I Council this past summer eliminated its 10-person limit on the number on-field assistant coaches at schools other than service academies.) --$1 million for strength and conditioning staff. --$5.3 million for support staff, including funding for a new general manager position with pay "not to exceed $1.5 million." During a news conference Thursday, Belichick said that role will be taken by Mike Lombardi, a former NFL executive. is due to make $825,000 next season. --$13 million as what the term sheet called "revenue sharing.” This is presumably a figure that represents the total amount of money the university plans to pay to football players as consideration for the use of their name, image and likeness if a federal judge grants final approval in April to the proposed settlement of antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences. So far, North Carolina is the first school to publicly disclose as part of a coach's employment terms the amount it intends to provide football players for their NIL rights. Under the settement's terms, schools are expected to be allowed to pay their athletes, across all sports, $20 million to $23 million for their NIL rights.
