Illinois lined up for a 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to play in Piscataway, a last-gasp attempt to steal a victory. Rutgers had just retaken the lead with a minute to play, and now the hosts were one play away from ending the Illini’s own attempt at a game-winning drive. The ball was snapped and kicker David Olano’s attempt fell well short, barely reaching the red paint of the end zone. But the Illini were saved by Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano, who took a timeout to ice the kicker. When Illinois took the field again, it trotted out its offense. Facing a fourth-and-13, quarterback Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant in the middle of a zone, and the star receiver did the rest, beating multiple Rutgers defenders to score a 40-yard touchdown that sealed a stunning 38-31 victory for the No. 24 Illini. As the stands emptied, the irate fans who stayed were left scratching their head and asking the same question: Why did Schiano call that timeout? “Retrospectively, I wish I hadn’t,” Schiano said after the game. “But I’ve been doing this a lot of years. Sometimes I do (ice the kicker), sometimes I don’t. We were going to call timeout anyway. Maybe I should have done it before he kicked the ball, so it wouldn’t have told them, ‘oh, geez, that wind is strong, we can’t make that kick.’” Illinois was counting on him making that decision. Head coach Bret Bielema knew Schiano had multiple timeouts to burn, and after watching him across the field as the Illini set up for the attempt, he knew the Rutgers coach would use them to try and ice the kicker. Bielema said he coaches his field goal operation to attempt the kick in those situations, and when he saw how badly he missed, he knew it was going to be a stretch. “That’s when we went with the play,” Bielema said. “That was a deep dig and they got out-leveraged. A really good play.” Despite the result, Schiano said he is “not going to sit here and say I wish I hadn’t (called the timeout) because it didn’t work out.” “You do it and win the game, it’s the right call,” Schiano said. “That’s what makes sports great. People love to talk about and debate, and certainly, it’s worthy of that because it had a part (in the final result). But there was so many things in that game. That game had more twists and turns ... If it worked out, I would sit here and say, ‘yeah, I’m glad I did.’ I’ve said before, it was a good call because it worked. I’ve stood up here and said it’s a bad call because it didn’t work. That’s the way it goes. You have about 12 seconds to make decisions, and you make them.” Schiano said he called the timeout in part to “make sure we went over what we were doing.” Coming out of it, the Scarlet Knights still had a chance to seal the win, with the Illini facing a fourth-and-13 with 14 seconds to play. They sent a blitz toward Altmyer, who found an open receiver in the Rutgers zone and took it to the end zone. “We came after them and they got the ball off and then a really good player ran through our guys,” Schiano said. “Could we have had more guys? Yeah. That’s another debate you could have. When it works — and it has before — you’re great. If you lay back, what are you doing? The No. 1 thing fans like to talk about is the prevent defense right. Again, it’s right when it works and it isn’t when it doesn’t. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I wish we could do it again because it didn’t work today. But again, you make the decisions with the information at the time. Didn’t work out. “I don’t defend, nor do I pat myself on the back when they are good decisions. That’s your job is to make the decisions. You’re a decision-maker.” The stunning loss marked a bitter final home game for the Scarlet Knights’ senior class and left Rutgers short of achieving multiple marks. Rutgers has now lost 41 consecutive games against ranked opponents dating back to 2009; have yet to win four Big Ten games in one season; have yet to win three consecutive league games since joining the league; and have guaranteed they will not have their first winning season in the conference. “The biggest thing I feel pain for is those (senior) guys,” Schiano said. “It was their last game in that stadium, and they couldn’t leave with a (win). They accomplished a lot, but I really wanted that for them. But we don’t always get what we want in life.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com .Fernley warehouse dedicates space for business development effortFollowing a recent expansion of Tap to Pay on iPhone to more countries in Europe , Apple this week announced that it is bringing the feature to yet another country this year. As of today, users in New Zealand can count on the feature that turns the iPhone into a payment terminal. Tap to Pay on iPhone now available in New Zealand The news was confirmed by Apple on its website (via MacRumors ). In New Zealand, Adyen, ANZ Bank, Stripe, Windcave and Worldline are the first platforms to support Tap to Pay on iPhone. For those unfamiliar, Tap to Pay enables merchants to accept contactless payment via a compatible iOS app running on an iPhone Xs or newer, equipped with the latest iOS version. During the checkout process, the merchant will only need to instruct the customer to hold their iPhone, Apple Watch, or compatible NFC card near the merchant’s iPhone to make a payment. Just like any Apple Pay transaction, Tap to Pay is securely processed using NFC technology, and there’s no requirement for extra hardware to facilitate contactless payments. In countries where the feature is available, developers can use an API available in iOS 15.4 and later to implement Tap to Pay support. Tap to Pay on iPhone supports contactless credit and debit cards from leading payment networks, including American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa. Tap to Pay on iPhone first debuted in the US in 2022, and expanded internationally to the UK, France , Taiwan , Australia , the Netherlands , Brazil , Ukraine , Japan, Canada , Italy and more. Read also PayPal now offers Tap to Pay on iPhone for Venmo and Zettle customers in the US Apple Pay officially launches in Paraguay ere’s what developers can do with the new NFC API for iPhone in iOS 18.1 Apple Pay ‘Plates’ ad shows how easy it is to spend money on the internet More Apple Pay installment options, and PayPal balance will be visible in Apple Wallet Home Depot quietly begins rolling out Apple Pay support Apple will now be treated like a bank, says US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Valley school districts are taking innovative steps to teach beyond the “Three Rs” — reading, writing, and arithmetic. High school students in the region are learning about everything from life skills to agriculture to digital communication, power and electronics and forestry, giving them a head start on post-secondary aspirations. Innovative curricula, said Andrew Rantz, Milton Area School District director of secondary education, is a recognition that not all paths lead to a four-year, post-secondary institution. “Innovative programs are geared toward a multitude of post-secondary options,” Rantz said. “We don’t look at it as ‘this student is college bound’ or ‘this student is not meant for college.’ We want to know what a student’s career interests are, what pathway can provide them with meaningful, wage-earning employment, and how we help them get on that pathway and become successful.” If the answer leads to 12 years of college to be a surgeon, great, Rantz said. “If it leads to a job with a construction company during their senior year, and they become employed right out of high school, great,” he said. “We just want students to leave Milton with the tools necessary to be a contributing member of our communities.” Shikellamy School District Superintendent Jason Bendle said it is his belief that the three Rs are the minimum that should be provided to students. “As a district, we strive to provide more,” he said. “We are working toward a model where we have offerings and opportunities that interest every student. The three Rs can be taught through any program or pathway. We want to find what interests students and provide them with opportunities that will impact them well beyond the years spent here at Shikellamy.” Danville Area High School Principal Lee Gump said the Three Rs give students a strong foundation. “I continually have discussions with teachers about how they can adapt and change their current course offerings to meet the needs of their students while preparing students for what lies ahead,” he said. Danville’s social studies department recently created new course offerings including criminal justice and international relations. Its agricultural sciences department offers a construction hand & power tools class along with a forestry and natural resource management course. Other examples of these non-traditional courses include adulting 101. “I am excited to work with teachers over the next three months as we develop new courses and new opportunities for DHS students that go well beyond the three R’s,” Gump said. A study released in 2022 and looking at the effects of life skills lessons amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, found “life skills and personal growth in education are crucial skills and students’ core competencies to learn in this modern world,” according to a summary from the Education Resources Information Center which is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences within the U.S. Department of Education. Life skills are among the many innovative curricula being taught in Valley districts. Lewisburg High School Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Claire Gault leads a course intended to prepare students for post-graduation life with a focus on financial management, independent living, and personal improvement. The “big” ideas covered in class include healthy and cost-effective food choice and preparation; management of income and expenses; and well-informed purchasing. Life skills and understanding disabilities at Midd-West High School is a class taught by Trisha Bailey and Maddie Gaugher. The course was created for students to not only understand various disabilities but also to promote inclusion within the school. Students learn basic American Sign Language, experience navigating the school blindfolded, use Braille, as well as other projects that allow them to research different disabilities. Students who take this class also work with their peers in the Life Skills Classroom. “Students in our Life Skills Classroom enjoy having their peers to learn and socialize with in their classroom,” Bailey said. “This is usually the favorite aspect of this class for many of the students taking Understanding Disabilities. In the past, students cooked together, played games, exercised, read together, crafts, among many other activities. Gretchen Walter and two other teachers at Shikellamy High provide instruction in a class called rehabilitation aide pathways. Some of the subjects offered by the course are sports medicine, advanced strength and conditioning, kinesiology, and medical terminology. These courses, and several others, expose students to various careers, topics and hands-on skills in the health field. In sports medicine, students learn about sports injuries, taping techniques and rehabilitation programs. In advanced strength and conditioning, they develop training programs for various sports. Hands-on activities, “can be taping a body part, compression wrapping, learning to take vitals, etc.,” Walter said. “The students actually learn how to do these and then perform the activity on each other. Most of the students in this class want to do something in health care. “Career interests vary from nursing, ultrasound tech and radiology tech to physician assistant and pharmacy.” Electronic principles and applications at Mifflinburg High School starts with the assumption that each student has had no previous experience with electricity or electronics. As such, it is an introduction to understanding that power source, delivering an understanding of electrical terms, electrical applications and electricity production. “My class is an opportunity for the application of knowledge,” instructor Emil Stenger said. “So, it’s not what you know but what you can apply. The doing part. I believe a lot of students, like myself, learn that way the best. Failure is included but it is also a lesson learned and try again. “Recently in electronics class, my students designed windmill propeller systems that generate the most power. Two students’ first trial was no movement ... nothing ... failed attempt. They were reloaded and redesigned. Thirty minutes later they are the leading two in power generated.” In Stenger’s engineering design course, students are required to design six 3-D prints. One student made a replica of her father’s 18-wheel truck. “The details were beyond what I ever expected from any assignment,” Stenger said. At Shikellamy High School, power technology is an elective half-year course open to all ninth through 12th grade students, teacher Andrew Meyer said. In the course, students learn the parts of an internal combustion engine, as well as how they work. “Students primarily work on four-stroke engines, however, we do cover two-stroke engines and the differences between them,” Meyer said. Meyer’s students are required to rebuild the engine and it must run at the end. “Students love tearing into the motors and actually learning how they work,” he said. “Once students have rebuilt their engines, the class is opened up to outside work. District employees and community members are asked to bring in mowers, weed whackers and other powered equipment for the students to repair/tune-up. Students complete all activities as if they were in a small engine repair shop.” Rock n’ roll high school, modern band at Midd-West High School is not your typical marching band program. The course “emphasizes musical styles of the last 50 years (rock, pop, country, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, etc.),” teacher Devin Flynt said. “In modern band 1, students are introduced to all the basic concepts for performing electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric bass, keyboards, drums and vocals. Once they gain proficiency they may join modern band 2, which is a more peer-to-peer ‘rock band’ type of ensemble where they learn how to perform cohesively as a single unit.” This is the second year that Midd-West’s modern band courses have been offered. “It has truly been remarkable witnessing the growth and development of confidence in these young musicians,” Flynt said. Lewisburg High offer a class on video communication and production, taught by Blake Dutweiler. “High school students are introduced to the dynamic world of professional filmmaking and multimedia creation,” Dutweiler said. “With a focus on industry-leading technology, the course provides students with hands-on experience in every stage of production — pre-production, production and post-production — allowing them to develop a well-rounded understanding of visual storytelling.” As the course progresses, students lear about shots and angles. “They also will complete short films ranging from 30 seconds to five minutes,” Dutweiler said. “This course not only teaches technical skills but also fosters creativity, teamwork and problem-solving, making it an excellent choice for students interested in pursuing careers or hobbies in filmmaking, broadcasting or visual media.” David Sunderland at Mifflinburg High School teaches digital communication in several ways. “I have digital media, sports media and morning video production classes, along with yearbook, digital imaging, graphic communications, non metallic materials, manufacturing enterprise and architectural CAD,” he said. As part of Sports Media, “students take photos of our sports athletes on media day and create the graphics that are posted on Mifflinburg Athletics’ Facebook page. It features an athlete or several and the sports information for that day,” Sunderland said. The goal of Lewisburg High’s farm-to-table course is to provide students with a holistic understanding of how their food impacts the natural world, teacher Alex Oliver said. “Students learn about the entirety of their local food system, starting with soil health and organic gardening practices and ending with food preparation and consumption,” Oliver said. “Upon completion of this course, students will have a robust knowledge of soil and landscape ecology and develop a confidence in implementing these practices in their own backyard.” The bulk of each class day is spent in the greenhouse, completing whatever tasks arise that day: harvesting, planting, transplanting, and watering. “We do try to come inside and process what we’ve done, plan for the future, and learn about how our food and farming decisions impact the Earth,” Oliver said. Midd-West has its own school farm as part of its agricultural education and FFA program, teacher Kassidie Gunell said. “We’re very lucky to have access to it since its not something all schools have,” Gunnell said. “The school farm really allows us to teach concepts in class, then actually let the kids put them into practice. “We’ve spent time in our crop and soil science classes in the fields surveying weeds and taking soil samples. The barn and livestock animals allow us to teach students about safe animal handling, animal nutrition, animal reproduction and breeding, as well as many livestock management practices.” FFA students spend time at the farm maintaining the barn, animals, and grounds. They also help put up hay each summer which has been used to feed our animals, as well as income for our FFA chapter. Gunnell said students also take a special interest in including students from Middleburg Middle School and Middleburg Elementary. The Forestry course at Danville High is very hands-on, teacher Van Wagner said. “Students learn how to measure trees, safely operate chainsaws for timber harvest, and create wood products in our workshop,” he said. “I try to keep a pulse on where the jobs are and provide my students with real-world skills that can launch them toward a career in the forestry field.” Right now there are many job openings in the field of forestry, wood products, and arboriculture, Wagner said. “Students who leave our program are heading into the world with fantastic experiences that will serve them well in the future,” he said. Something that is unique at Danville is a partnership with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resrouces. “Our students are trained by forest firefighters at school,” Wagner said. “Upon completion students receive two separate wildland firefighting certificates making it possible for them to pursue jobs in forest fire fighting once they turn 18 years of age. To the best of my knowledge we are one of the only schools in the state offering these certifications in-house.”Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth continue meetings with lawmakers ahead of confirmation hearingsIllinois lined up for a 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to play in Piscataway, a last-gasp attempt to steal a victory. Rutgers had just retaken the lead with a minute to play, and now the hosts were one play away from ending the Illini’s own attempt at a game-winning drive. The ball was snapped and kicker David Olano’s attempt fell well short, barely reaching the red paint of the end zone. But the Illini were saved by Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano, who took a timeout to ice the kicker. When Illinois took the field again, it trotted out its offense. Facing a fourth-and-13, quarterback Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant in the middle of a zone, and the star receiver did the rest, beating multiple Rutgers defenders to score a 40-yard touchdown that sealed a stunning 38-31 victory for the No. 24 Illini. As the stands emptied, the irate fans who stayed were left scratching their head and asking the same question: Why did Schiano call that timeout? “Retrospectively, I wish I hadn’t,” Schiano said after the game. “But I’ve been doing this a lot of years. Sometimes I do (ice the kicker), sometimes I don’t. We were going to call timeout anyway. Maybe I should have done it before he kicked the ball, so it wouldn’t have told them, ‘oh, geez, that wind is strong, we can’t make that kick.’” Illinois was counting on him making that decision. Head coach Bret Bielema knew Schiano had multiple timeouts to burn, and after watching him across the field as the Illini set up for the attempt, he knew the Rutgers coach would use them to try and ice the kicker. Bielema said he coaches his field goal operation to attempt the kick in those situations, and when he saw how badly he missed, he knew it was going to be a stretch. “That’s when we went with the play,” Bielema said. “That was a deep dig and they got out-leveraged. A really good play.” Despite the result, Schiano said he is “not going to sit here and say I wish I hadn’t (called the timeout) because it didn’t work out.” “You do it and win the game, it’s the right call,” Schiano said. “That’s what makes sports great. People love to talk about and debate, and certainly, it’s worthy of that because it had a part (in the final result). But there was so many things in that game. That game had more twists and turns ... If it worked out, I would sit here and say, ‘yeah, I’m glad I did.’ I’ve said before, it was a good call because it worked. I’ve stood up here and said it’s a bad call because it didn’t work. That’s the way it goes. You have about 12 seconds to make decisions, and you make them.” Schiano said he called the timeout in part to “make sure we went over what we were doing.” Coming out of it, the Scarlet Knights still had a chance to seal the win, with the Illini facing a fourth-and-13 with 14 seconds to play. They sent a blitz toward Altmyer, who found an open receiver in the Rutgers zone and took it to the end zone. “We came after them and they got the ball off and then a really good player ran through our guys,” Schiano said. “Could we have had more guys? Yeah. That’s another debate you could have. When it works — and it has before — you’re great. If you lay back, what are you doing? The No. 1 thing fans like to talk about is the prevent defense right. Again, it’s right when it works and it isn’t when it doesn’t. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I wish we could do it again because it didn’t work today. But again, you make the decisions with the information at the time. Didn’t work out. “I don’t defend, nor do I pat myself on the back when they are good decisions. That’s your job is to make the decisions. You’re a decision-maker.” The stunning loss marked a bitter final home game for the Scarlet Knights’ senior class and left Rutgers short of achieving multiple marks. Rutgers has now lost 41 consecutive games against ranked opponents dating back to 2009; have yet to win four Big Ten games in one season; have yet to win three consecutive league games since joining the league; and have guaranteed they will not have their first winning season in the conference. “The biggest thing I feel pain for is those (senior) guys,” Schiano said. “It was their last game in that stadium, and they couldn’t leave with a (win). They accomplished a lot, but I really wanted that for them. But we don’t always get what we want in life.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com .Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year. A bill to protect digital reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps is a Democratic priority as lawmakers meet this month. Democratic women and supporters of the legislation say they are acting with new urgency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office because they don't believe his campaign promise to leave abortion to the states. The rush is also a reaction to Republicans taking control of the state House in January. Democrats kept control of the state Senate in the November election. Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire US Steel KASHIMA, Japan (AP) — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. Japan's domestic market isn't growing, so Nippon Steel has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the United States, where populations are still growing. Nippon Steel gave reporters a tour of one of its plants in Japan on Friday. The bid for U.S. Steet is opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. If the deal goes through, U.S. Steel will keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but become subsidiary of Nippon Steel.
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Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua On Tuesday, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son in Beijing. Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Han said the two sides should follow the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, maintain strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, consolidate the foundation of public opinion, strengthen multilateral coordination and promote the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, bringing more benefits to the two peoples. Bui Thanh Son said that developing long-term friendly relations with China is the consistent proposition, objective requirement, strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's diplomacy. Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation with China, and jointly promote the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future with strategic significance, he added. Also on Tuesday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Bui Thanh Son co-chaired the 16th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation in Beijing. Wang said that in December last year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, made a historic visit to Vietnam, and in August this year, To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, successfully visited China, as the top leaders of the two parties and countries reached an important consensus on advancing the construction of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. Over the past year, various departments and localities of both countries have actively implemented this consensus, promoting fruitful results in China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation. This not only benefits the two parties, the two countries, and their peoples, but also adds stability and certainty to a world filled with turmoil and uncertainty, Wang said. Wang and Bui Thanh Son also attended the commemorating event for the 25th anniversary of the demarcation of the land boundary between China and Vietnam and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents. Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute at Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times that meetings between senior officials from China and Vietnam are constructive to accelerate the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance political mutual trust and improve the quality of cooperation in fields like infrastructure, trade and investment. Given the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, Gu noted that the stable China-Vietnam relationship is of great significance to regional peace and eliminating external interference. Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that interaction between the two countries will serve as a link between the past and the future, laying the groundwork for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Vietnam diplomatic ties in 2025. The experience of China and Vietnam in settling their land border issue through peaceful negotiations has proved that the two countries have the wisdom and ability to manage their differences, which adds confidence that maritime differences can be resolved, especially as Malaysia, chair of ASEAN in 2025, has expressed hope that the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) can be finalized, Xu said. Although China and Vietnam are facing an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, the pragmatic cooperation between two sides is unlikely to be affected despite differences, Xu said. China and Vietnam have had frequent and positive interactions in various fields recently. On December 4, two fleets from the Chinese and Vietnamese navies concluded a two-day joint patrol in the Beibu Gulf, which was of great significance to deepening the mutual trust and cooperation between the two militaries, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Bui Thanh Son on Monday visited Zhongguancun, which is known as China's "Silcom Valley" in northwestern Beijing as a hub for fostering cutting-edge and high-tech enterprises, according to Vietnam Government News. China-Vietnam relations are sustainable and continuous, and the latest interactions between senior official from both sides will lay a more solid foundation for the continuous development of bilateral relations in the future, Xu said.
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Sustainability is a popular buzzword, but what does it really mean? The UN Brundtland Commission defines sustainability as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." To delve deeper into sustainability, the Philippine National Bank (PNB) held its full-day Sustainability Thought Leadership Workshop with the theme "SUMMIT FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH – ENABLING PATHWAYS, BREAKING BARRIERS" last November at Century Park. Organized by SVP Jean Marie Baruelo, PNB’s Corporate Sustainability Head, this event marked a crucial step forward as the Board of Directors and Senior Management convened to strengthen PNB’s commitment to sustainability. Partnering with the International Finance Corporation, S&P Global, the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and the World Wildlife Fund, PNB aims to build long-term sustainable growth that benefits everyone—stakeholders, the bank, communities served, and future generations. The event was spearheaded by PNB President Florido "Doy" Casuela and SVP Baruelo. "Sustainability is no longer at the margins of business; it is a mainstream strategy to build resilience and future-proof our organization," stated PNB Chairman Edgar Cua. "While regulatory requirements have spurred the acceleration of sustainability integration into businesses, successful implementation and achievement of sustainability goals, particularly for banks, can only be gained by viewing sustainability as a natural part of risks and opportunities. Businesses will either adapt and gain access to the opportunities or neglect the risks and bear the effects of climate risks and fragmented or misaligned strategies." He also noted key areas for sustainability integration highlighted by asset managers globally. With the vision to achieve the triple bottom line – People, Planet, Prosperity – the workshop provided valuable insights, helping stakeholders understand how to align with the latest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) trends and make impactful changes to achieve greater resilience and future-proof the bank. WWF Philippines Chief of Party Edgardo Tongson discussed Nature and Biodiversity Loss and the Sustainable Banking Assessment of top Philippine banks based on public disclosures on ESG metrics and indicators pertaining to Purpose, Policies, People, Products, and Portfolio. International Finance Corporation (IFC) Senior Climate Finance Specialist Quyen Thuc Nguyen, who flew in from Washington, DC, tackled global trends in sustainability strategies and how to integrate them into business activities for responsible banking and operations. IFC Climate Risk Lead for East Asia Pacific Paul Xavier Espinosa discussed Climate Risk Management trends, tools, and methodologies to measure, assess, and integrate Physical, Transition, and Climate Risks into the bank’s risk models for safe, sound, and sustainable banking. IFC Senior Operations Officer for the Asia and Pacific Region, Oluwatoyin Alake, shared how leading financial institutions can fulfill the critical role of channeling financing flows to sustainable green and social projects and leverage thematic capital markets for funding mobilization. A panel fireside chat, composed of PNB Board Chairman Cua, Director Enrico Alfiler, IFC speakers Ms. Nguyen, Mr. Espinosa, and Ms. Alake, and joined by S&P Global Regional Team Lead for Sustainability Analytics Services Terrence Teoh, was moderated by PNB EVP Francis Albalate. The discussion centered on how bank leadership can drive sustainable practices and ESG strategy. Mr. Teoh provided valuable insights on decarbonization pathways and reporting expectations, and tackled use cases of successful ESG transformation, emphasizing the criticality of top-down, bottom-up, inside-out, and outside-in sustainability alignment, integration, and cohesion. Bernadette Tongko-Magadia, UPLB Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, refreshed PNB on the Environmental and Social Risk Management System (ESRMS), highlighting critical areas and recommendations for decarbonization. Breakout sessions with small groups of board and senior management tackled case studies to produce key strategies and initiatives to embed sustainability in all facets of business and operations. Among the topics were: A fun activity involved participants engaging in gardening. Name tags were embedded with actual seeds, and participants "planted" their pencils in pots to support environmental objectives and symbolically pledge to nurture the seeds planted. May the seeds not just grow, but thrive towards meaningful ESG transformation! **** Ms. Tarriela is a former PNB Chairman and now serves as Board Advisor. She was Citibank’s first Filipina Vice President and a former Undersecretary of Finance. She is a director of Nickel Asia Corp., LTG Inc., and FINEX. An environmentalist, she founded Flor’s Garden in Antipolo.Elon Musk calls Trudeau 'insufferable' after remark on Kamala Harris defeat - Canada News - Castanet.net
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