Check out the report card from Nebraska's 44-25 win against Wisconsin on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Who can name Nebraska's last 100-yard rusher in a game, before Emmett Johnson achieved the feat Saturday? Johnson ran like he had something to prove, repeatedly shedding the first Badger to get to him. His best run of the day may have been a 19-yard burst in the third quarter when he patiently followed pulling linemen Ben Scott and Henry Lutovsky. Dante Dowdell has a knack for the end zone, scoring three times. (Trivia answer: Chubba Purdy ... against Wisconsin last year). Dylan Raiola has his rhythm back. He spent most of the game hovering around a 70 percent completion rate, which is reminiscent of his first four or five games. The ball is getting out of his hands quicker, and those pitch-and-catches are finally going for big gains. One of his best throws of the day was originally ruled a touchdown on a fade ball to Isaiah Neyor, but replay confirmed he didn't get a foot down. Jahmal Banks had a great TD snag in which he leaped, snared the ball and got his toes down. John Bullock's second tackle for loss of the game stopped Wisconsin's Tawee Walker on fourth-and-1 midway through the third quarter, and it felt like an early dagger for the home team. Bullock was a standout on senior day. The Huskers had some open-field tackling issues but held their own on third- and fourth-down situations. Darrion Dupree was a nice change-of-pace option for the Badgers, averaging 7.5 yards on his seven attempts. Wisconsin found success early on slant passes, including one that went to Vinny Anthony for 42 yards after Isaac Gifford whiffed on a tackle. After that, Braedyn Locke was able to open it for deep balls, including touchdown tosses of 24 and 58 yards. Wisconsin's Vinny Anthony had a big day, racking up six catches for 128 yards and Locke threw for more yards than he has in his past five games. A cool moment for DeShon Singleton, who came down with an interception in his final game at Memorial Stadium. Brian Buschini is having a great season, and Saturday was another notch on his belt. First, he ripped a 52-yard punt that flipped field possession, and he followed that up with a 49-yard boot that went out of bounds at the Wisconsin 3-yard line. Equally as impressive was kicker John "ol' reliable" Hohl, who made all three of his field goals and stayed clean on extra points. Oh, and how about Jacory Barney's 55-yard kick return to open the game? NU's third phase is trending up after a turbulent stretch. A question we might not ever get an answer to: Why was Matt Rhule forced to use a challenge to review Wisconsin's first-quarter touchdown? Don't all scoring plays get reviewed automatically? In a similar situation later in the game, Wisconsin was spared from using a challenge for officials to take another look at a Nebraska touchdown, which was reversed. Also, the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Micah Mazzccua for spiking the ball on a touchdown felt unnecessary. Nebraska scored a touchdown on its first possession of a game for the first time since the Northern Iowa game. A true tone-setter. There's plenty to unpack from Holgorsen's play sheet — it's no coincidence it only took him two games to pop a 100-yard rusher. And, 44 points for a team that has scored 20 (twice), 17, 7 and 14 in its past five games. That'll do. For the first time in 49 days, Nebraska won a football game. That was a long 49 for everyone involved. This one is a little more cathartic than usual, too, as the Huskers finally wrapped their arms around a bowl berth. It also takes a big bite out of the pressure NU faces on Black Friday vs. Iowa, which is no longer a "must-win." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Man charged to court after suspected drugs find in BelfastIn celebration of World Children’s Day, the Orphans Care Centre (Dreama), in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), has launched a campaign titled 'The First Call' at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The campaign aimed to promote global solidarity, raise awareness of children’s rights, and improve their well-being worldwide. It carried a profound message: 'The First Call' marks the beginning of a new journey to support children and uphold their rights—not the last call. The campaign adopted the slogan: “The journey marks the beginning, and children around the world need every opportunity,” emphasizing the importance of providing opportunities for every child to achieve a brighter future. It focused on fostering social inclusion for all children, with a special emphasis on orphaned children, to enhance their sense of belonging and empower them to integrate into society. As part of the campaign, a creative artwork titled 'Al-Bokhnaq' by Qatari artist Fatima al-Shibani was unveiled. The artwork reflects Qatari cultural values and symbolizes solidarity with children worldwide. It features a sculpture of a mother wearing the traditional bokhnaq, carrying a suitcase, followed by her children, each carrying suitcases as well. The artwork highlights the importance of children feeling safe and cared for, with the mother representing community members supporting children, and the interactive suitcases conveying positive messages from the public. In a gesture of appreciation, the 'Al-Bokhnaq' artwork was displayed at HIA, serving as a testament to promote human values and highlight the importance of supporting children’s rights. The event was attended by Abdulaziz al-Mass, Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communication at HIA, who delivered a thank-you speech expressing his appreciation for this ground-breaking initiative that highlights children’s rights. Hamad Ali al-Khater, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said: "We are honoured to collaborate with the Ministry of Social Development and Family and Dreama Center in celebration of World Children’s Day. As the gateway to the State of Qatar, Hamad International Airport plays an integral role in creating awareness on the importance of children’s rights to its millions of passengers. We look forward to fostering and sustaining humanitarian partnerships that will continue to add value to the communities we serve.” Travelling children and transit passengers were invited to write special messages for World Children’s Day and attach them to the suitcases featured in the artwork. These messages created a global call for community cooperation in supporting children and advocating for their rights. The campaign also included an informational booth in the departure area of the airport, which ran for 48 hours. It featured an interactive children’s corner with activities such as a tic-tac-toe game and building blocks for writing motivational phrases. Visitors to the booth received activity booklets and water bottles, with an opportunity to write solidarity messages directed to children worldwide. Sheikhah Najla bint Ahmed al-Thani, Executive Director of Dreama, highlighted the significance of the campaign, stressing that 'The ‘First Call’ campaign reflects our commitment to supporting children and promoting their rights, not only in Qatar but across the globe. Through these activities, we aim to send a message of hope that every child has the right to safety, care, and a bright future.”Mystery drone spotted over British aircraft carrier
Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicleLabour Minister and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma Top ministers yesterday outlined the Government’s progress in economic stability and debt restructuring plans and its proposed relief measures for the public. Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma at a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), explained on efforts taken to stabilise the economy and initiatives way forward. In terms of economic stabilisation, Prof. Fernando stressed it is key to take the country out of the abyss created by past regimes. “At the time the Government assumed office those who are responsible for the crisis had unilaterally suspended external debt servicing in April 2022, entered into IMF program for Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of approximately $ 3 billion over a period of four years to be received in eight instalments, and paddled through the IMF program and debt restructuring process connected to in in line with debt sustainability analysis connected to it. The delayed and complex nature of the debt restructuring process incurred additional costs to the country and created additional burdens on the people. However after, considering both pros and cons of the context prevailed at that time in terms of social, political and economic perspective, the Government proceeded with the options in the best interest of the people of the country,” he said. He noted it was possible to reach the staff-level agreement of the third review on 26 November 2024, in line with the program parameters, and Government revenue measures with appropriate engagement, and timely facilitation. In the lead-up to the board approval from the IMF, the Government is engaging with necessary stakeholders to obtain the next tranche of the EFF. Regarding debt restructuring Prof. Fernando stated that it consists of both domestic and external restructuring. Domestic debt restructuring was completed in July 2023. External restructuring excludes multilateral creditors on various grounds and arguments. The rest consists of official bilateral debt and private ISB holders. He said the bilateral debt is dealt with the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) co-chaired by France, India and Japan representing 17 countries, China Exim Bank, China Development bank, other official creditors (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan) and other commercial creditors. “OCC had agreed to the terms and conditions in June 2024 and the loans with China Exim Bank had already been restructured in October 2023 within the agreed framework, ensuring comparability of treatment (CoT). Except the other official creditors (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan) accounting roughly $ 300 million representing about 1% total external debt subject restructuring , all other bilateral creditors have already agreed for restructuring within the agreed framework,” he explained. The Minister also noted that much delayed ISB restructuring had passed several stages of negotiations with agreements, disagreements, changes to proposals, adjustments in line with DSA and IMF consents, and had finally agreed in principle (AIP) on 19 September 2024 just two days prior to the presidential election. Ad Hoc Group (AHG) and Local Banking Consortium represent ISBs which account for $ 14.2 billion including a past due interest of $ 1.7 billion. “By prioritising and facilitating actions in a timely manner, the new Government has demonstrated a strong political commitment to steering the country toward economic stability. These efforts toward financial stability have been independently acknowledged by third parties, including rating agencies which have upgraded the ratings by several notches, which was only possible due to the correct prioritisation and implementation of economic stabilisation measures. Hence, the Government continued with the restructuring process and facilitated it to ensure the successful completion of the issuance of new bonds for the exchange of existing ones on 20 December 2024 in order to achieve the critical objective of stabilising the economy in pursue of navigating the country with the growth and development trajectory towards a thriving nation and beautiful life,” Prof. Fernando explained. In terms of the SME sector facilitation, Dr. Suriyapperuma elaborated on extending Parate law suspension. He said instead of merely postponing the Parate execution date, the Government engaged with stakeholder groups to ensure acceptable solutions were found for this long-standing issue. As a result, the Parate execution has now been extended until 31 March 2025. “The relief for businesses is not only in the form of an extension of time. Based on data provided by the Central Bank, 99% of borrowers with outstanding capital of less than Rs. 25 million in restructured loans have been granted a 12-month extension to renegotiate with banks and agree on a settlement path. Borrowers with debts between Rs. 25 and 50 million have been granted a nine-month extension, while all other borrowers are entitled to a six-month extension. This relief package, proposed by the Government and to be implemented through the Central Bank, also includes several other important measures, such as easing the credit rating status, extending the repayment period, offering low interest rates for restructured debt, and providing a transparent mechanism to resolve valuation disputes,” he explained. Dr. Suriyapperuma said the package aims to ensure that the SME sector can actively contribute to the economy. In terms of school stationary assistance for children particularly for Aswesuma recipient families, he said Rs. 6,000 per child has been allocated to purchase essential school books and stationery for the upcoming school term to ease the burden on parents from vulnerable groups in society. He also said children from families who are not currently receiving Aswesuma, but are facing economic hardship will also be provided with this benefit, based on recommendations from the Ministry of Education. “It is expected that the process will be finalised soon, and the disbursement scheme will start within a few days, ensuring that all deserving children facing economic hardship receive assistance,” Dr. Suriyapperuma assured.
