Parallel signals of democracy and dictatorshipWe hear the word talamak increasingly being used to describe corruption in our midst. Its dictionary translations into “chronic,” “acute,” or “rampant” don’t quite capture the intensity and brazenness the word is intended to convey in this context. Ask anyone around, and they’re likely to agree that corruption is now more widespread, glaring, and large-scale that people seem to have become almost desensitized to it. We shake our heads and curse ourselves in disgust over the daily news on the theatrics of political protagonists that most believe to be equally corrupt anyway—but don’t get indignant enough to take any action that might help curb it. We get a sinking feeling that things have gotten out of hand, and nothing any of us can do can stop it. And yet we all know that systemic corruption has long held back our economic progress and kept us from achieving sustained economic development as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand did. It dampens job-creating domestic and foreign investments, and has kept many Filipinos trapped in poverty. It has diverted public funds from essential infrastructure for corrupt officials’ private gain. Infrastructure projects are overpriced, delayed, or exist only on paper, awarded to spurious contractors often owned by the very politicians who allocate the funds for them. In the Napoles-style schemes of the past, spurious nongovernment organizations were the tools employed to siphon off tens to hundreds of millions of pesos of pork barrel funds into politicians’ pockets. That is now small change compared to billions awarded to politicians’ own contractor firms from hundreds of billions in flood control and other infrastructure budgets. While our neighbors put in place modern infrastructure facilities that attracted foreign investors and enhanced trade, we’re still cursing unbearable traffic congestion, lack of public transport, persistent damaging floods, and poor connectivity. Corruption drives up our costs of doing business, as companies must pay substantial unofficial fees and navigate a complex web of bureaucratic hurdles, making them less competitive in regional and global markets. It leads to policy decisions that prioritize officials’ short-term gains over long-term national interests and the greater good. Inconsistent policies and lack of continuity in government programs further hinder economic progress. Meanwhile, neighbors like Vietnam pursued deliberate reforms to curb corruption and create business-friendly environments, which led them to rapid economic growth. Stable and transparent policies in our neighbors have been able to attract sustained investments and implement long-term development strategies. Corruption undermines the effectiveness of government institutions, resulting in poor service delivery and weak enforcement of laws. Our courts are often perceived as susceptible to political influence and bribery, leading to delayed or biased rulings that have eroded public trust and businesses’ faith in the legal system to resolve disputes. In contrast, strong institutions in our Asean peers ensure accountability, transparency, and efficient governance, which have fostered faster economic development. Corruption worsens poverty by depriving millions of Filipinos of access to education, health care, and social welfare. This creates a vicious cycle where poverty fuels corruption, with desperate individuals only too willing to sell their votes and elect openly corrupt officials. And corruption perpetuates inequality by allowing wealth and power to be concentrated among a few elites. The disparity between the wealthy who enjoy lavish lifestyles and the poor struggling to make ends meet is particularly stark in the Philippines. Neighboring countries with lower levels of corruption, such as Vietnam and Thailand, have managed to reduce inequality and create more inclusive societies. So what could we do, other than shrugging our shoulders and giving up? Vietnam strengthened laws on asset declarations, transparency, and enforcement mechanisms, and expanded the definition of conflicts of interest. Their “Blazing Furnace” anti-corruption campaign has ousted two presidents and several deputy ministers, and disciplined thousands of officials, including senior leaders, military generals, and party members. They have harnessed digital tools to enhance transparency and reduce corruption opportunities in public administration and procurement processes. They also promoted public participation in anti-corruption initiatives, especially youth and civil society organizations. But all these won’t happen without the top leadership enabling them, like the Communist Party in Vietnam does. Can we elect a president who will again proclaim “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap,” and really take the mission to heart? ————— [email protected] Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .Indiana tries to snap 3-game losing skid to Nebraska

CBC is restoring its live New Year’s Eve celebration. A year after the national broadcaster cancelled the 2024 countdown due to “financial pressures,” it says the special event is back on the TV schedule to mark the dawn of 2025. Festivities begin Dec. 31 with the one-hour “22 Minutes New Year’s Eve Pregame Special,” a satirical reflection on the events of 2024 with the cast of the political comedy series “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” It will be followed by “Canada Live! Countdown 2025,” a special hosted by news anchor Adrienne Arsenault and singer Jann Arden broadcasting live from Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, and anchor Ian Hanomansing and comedian Ali Hassan at Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden. A representative for the CBC says the coast-to-coast show will feature reporters at more than a dozen community events across the country while a countdown to the new year will take place in each of the six time zones. Throughout the seven-and-a-half-hour program, “many Canadian celebrity guests” will appear in live and pre-taped messages. “Canada Live! Countdown 2025” begins at 8 p.m. ET on CBC News Network and CBC Gem with CBC-TV and CBC Radio picking up the feed at 9 p.m. in local markets. Last year, the CBC replaced its live New Year’s Eve programming with a taped Just For Laughs special hosted by comedian Mae Martin. That left Canadians without a homegrown countdown on any of the major networks, which sparked blowback on social media from some viewers. The CBC began its annual specials in 2017 to mark Canada’s sesquicentennial year. Some of the more recent broadcasts were hosted by comedian Rick Mercer and featured fireworks and musical performances in key cities. But when CBC paused those plans last year, it said the show had become “increasingly expensive to produce.” The decision to sideline the program was made shortly after members of Parliament summoned outgoing CBC president Catherine Tait to testify about job cuts and her refusal to rule out bonuses for CBC executives.Variety’s Faith & Media Impact Report Presented by the Coalition for Faith and Media

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Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian OpenBelieve it or not, Cowboys might have hope yet after chaotic win at WashingtonThe Dolphins entered Sunday’s action still alive in the AFC wild-card race, but a steep path to a playoff spot still remains. If Miami falls short of the postseason, the team’s play on offense (particularly in the games without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup) will be responsible to a significant extent. Under head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have generally enjoyed success on offense when Tagovailoa is healthy (with exceptions against some of the league’s top defenses, to be fair) but their play on that side of the ball has notably regressed with other quarterbacks in place. That trend has largely continued in 2024, a year in which midseason signing Tyler Huntley has seen notable playing time. The Dania Beach native recently revealed he is on the Dolphins’ radar with respect to a contract for 2025. “ I got a good feeling I’m going to be home for a little bit,” Huntley said ( via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald ). “ I’m going to be down here in Miami in a little bit. It’s all God’s plans, but I’ve got a good feeling I’ll be home for a little bit.” Huntley added his agent has been informed of the Dolphins’ desire to work out a deal keeping him in place beyond the rest of the campaign. The former UDFA spent considerable time with the Ravens as their backup, although he also made a total of 10 regular and postseason starts during that time. Baltimore elected to keep Josh Johnson in place for the QB2 role this offseason, leaving Huntley to sign with the Browns. He wound up being cut, however, and shortly before the start of the season he returned to the Ravens via a practice squad deal. Not long after Tagovailoa suffered his most recent concussion, Huntley was added to Miami’s active roster and he made three starts before going down with a shoulder injury of his own. Now back in the fold and in the starting lineup for today’s must-win game as Tagovailoa deals with a hip injury, the 26-year-old is in position to help his free agent stock down the stretch with a rebound from his initial time atop the Dolphins’ depth chart (during which he posted a touchdown-to-interception ratio of only 1:1 and a passer rating of just 73.9). As Jackson adds, Miami is expected to bring in other options for the backup gig this offseason. Tagovailoa inked a massive extension this past summer, but his history of concussions makes quality insurance at the QB2 spot something of particular importance for the Dolphins. Former seventh-rounder Skylar Thompson joins Huntley as a pending free agent, and the possibility remains both could be playing elsewhere in 2025. For the latter, though, it would not come as a surprise if he were to receive an extended opportunity to earn the backup role. This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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European Hydrogen Week 2024 concludes Hydrogen Europe offers its recognition and gratitude to all exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, supporters, and visitors who have made the 2024 European Hydrogen Week one to remember. Stakeholders from up and down the hydrogen value chain came together for four days of exhibitions, lively panel debates, and excellent networking opportunities. More than 220 exhibitors, including representatives from our international partner India, demonstrated their groundbreaking technology, national and regional ambitions, and market-ready products to the more than 9,000 attendees. More than 200 speakers discussed, debated, and devised solutions to the sector’s greatest challenges across 25 panel sessions at the High-Level Policy Conference, the B2B Forum and the Innovation Forum over the four days. The key takeaways from this year’s B2B sessions were about the need to develop underground hydrogen storage, ensure a better link between hydrogen and the power sector, interconnect stakeholders across value chains, support FIDs to build the infrastructure we need, and provide adequate financial support to assets such as electrolysers that can provide flexibility to the grid. In the high-level policy conference, the important message concerned the matter of global trade and the fact that external partners feel that the rules to compete and come into Europe are too complicated, setting the bar too high and undermining the take-off of the sector. The importance of certification and standardisation of hydrogen products is essential to the creation of an international commodity market. The digital product passport is a simplified data container for transparency and trust for international hydrogen trade. In Europe, we see that large projects are reaching final investment decision (FID), even if the rate of FIDs is lower than the sector hoped for. Simply because we are not reaching the ambitious and aspirational REPowerEU targets does not mean that the market is not progressing. , : “ For their valuable participation, we would also like to thank representatives of the Indian government Abhay Bakre, P.K Singh, and Prasad Chaphekar, Algeria’s Mohamed Arkab, Chilean delegates Marcos Kulka and Gloria Navarrete, and representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Public Affairs and Climate Carla Robledo and Rodrigo Pinto Scholtbach. Please save the date for the next European Hydrogen Week, which will take place from 29 September to 3 October in 2025 in Brussels. the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at European Hydrogen Week 2024 concludes, SINTEF at Hydrogen Week 2024: From research to market deployment Hydrogen has the potential to contribute to significant reductions in greenhouse gases from a variety of industries and processes, such as ammonia and... The ACO and MissionH24 at the European Hydrogen Week In Brussels, at the exhibition center, from November 18 to 22, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and MissionH24, a program in collaboration with H24Project, are... Hydrogen Council – Industry Leaders Call for Decisive Action on Clean Hydrogen at COP29 Industrial leaders from across the globe call for collective commitment to scale demand for clean hydrogen and its...

PETER WRIGHT rolled back the years to end Luke Humphries reign as World Champion. The Livingston-born ace delivered a powerhouse performance to KO ‘Cool Hand’ 4-1 at the Ally Pally last night . 2 Peter Wright reacts after winning his fourth round match against Luke Humphries Credit: PA 2 It was an emotional night for the Scots darts ace Credit: PA Snakebite was back to his sensational best with outstanding finishing to stun the defending champ and end his eight-match winning run on the biggest stage. He said: “Luke gave me a load of chances there. He didn’t play like he can. I’ve never had support like this in my life. It’s amazing. “I’ve been struggling for form all year. It’s so annoying. I know I can still play darts . I switched to another set to try and find something. “I’ve never experienced anything like it with this crowd. read more sport stories WORLD DARTS CHAMPS Latest as champion Luke Humphries CRASHES OUT to Peter Wright FIRM OFFER Football free bets for Rangers and Celtic games PLUS bonuses and sign-up offers “Lucky I wasn’t playing Luke Humphries last year, he was awesome. How? Because I’m a double world champion. I want a third. I’m not too old. “You’ve only got to play for two or three weeks a year. That’s all that matters. I’m in the quarter-finals. “I thought I played rubbish tonight to be honest. I’ve got a great chance.” Wright made a very strong start, taking the opening set with solid scoring and finishing, wrapping it up with double eight. Most read in Darts WORLD DARTS CHAMPS Latest from evening session as Humphries and Wright headline Day 12 WHO ARE YA I'm a World Darts Championship star who makes £100,000 a year without practising LITTLE DEVIL 'I am not a nice person at times' - Luke Littler, 17, shows 'ruthless' side TEAR WE GO Moment Luke Littler, 17, pretends to cry in front of family after Ian White win Humphries immediately hit back but only just. He took out double eight with his final dart to level up the match at 1-1 in sets. It was really tense stuff and Snakebite, like in the previous match with Jermaine Wattimena, was playing his best stuff of the year. Peter Wright struggles to speak in live TV interview on Sky Sports as he battles illness Neither player was delivering another spectacular but Wright’s methodical and clinical style was effective. Typical of the Scot he also changed darts twice. Then came the first huge moment in the deciding leg of the third set and Wight took it out with sheer class with 96 in two darts to led 2-1 in sets again. It got even better for Wright as he showed nerves of steel to take out 60 on Humphries’ throw to go further ahead 3-1. It was the first break of throw in the match in the 18th leg. Then came another stunner with a bull finish to lead in the fifth set. Humphries even fist-pumped his rival in respect. Wright then hit tops to go one away from the biggest win on the stage since he won the title in 2022. Then came double eight to pull off the biggest shock of the tournament. Keep up to date with ALL t h e latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

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