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Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson dared former Pacers guard Lance Stephenson to pull out his iconic move on the Pacers' sidelines.
There’s a thin line between patience and panic in college football. And Texas fans just pole-vaulted over it. On October 25, Nash shared a highlight of Texas’ failed conversion. On 3rd and 2, deep in their own territory, Texas froze. That failed conversion was the spark that lit the internet on fire. Texas fails to […]The post Texas Nation Begs Steve Sarkisian to Bench Arch Manning After Blunder appeared first on EssentiallySports.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Mark Gronowski ran for a touchdown and threw for another as Iowa defeated Minnesota 41-3 on Saturday. It was the third consecutive win for the Hawkeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten), who became bowl eligible. Iowa had rushing, passing, defensive and special teams touchdowns in the first half, building a 31-0...
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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Rollingnews.ie done and dusted Inside the campaign: 'I got 2,000 likes on a post about Catherine. That's when I knew it was big' “The more hysterical Fine Gael got, the more presidential Catherine looked,” one TD told us. 12.06am, 26 Oct 2025 Share options A WEEK BEFORE voters went to the polls, a group of disabled people and carers gathered in Dublin City University to hear from Catherine Connolly. Journalist and disability activist Emma Ward spoke of her experience living with scoliosis. She spoke of how she believes disabled people in Ireland have been forgotten, but how Catherine Connolly has given her hope. She said she hoped and prayed the “fierce woman from Galway” would be elected president. The same sentiment, that Connolly was a figure who represented hope, was echoed again and again as different carers and people living with disabilities took to the floor to share their experiences. “And hope is really important,” an older gentleman in the audience said. Later that day, as she canvassed in Finglas and Ballymun, children gave Connolly flowers, requested photographs and thrust school books at her to autograph. Connolly in BallymunThe Journal The Journal “You’ll do 100 keepie uppies for me now,” Connolly joked with one teenage girl as she handed her back the autographed book. A group of teenage boys stood somewhat shyly to the side of the large group that had gathered around Connolly outside the Supervalu in Finglas. One of them answered a phone call: “I’ll ring you back, I’m just in the middle of something… meeting the President.” It was the day after the Irish Times/Ipsos poll put her far ahead of Heather Humphreys at 38% to 20% and not only was there a palpable sense of optimism among her supporters and the people she met, but a feeling that she had already won. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore knew there was something unusual about Catherine Connolly’s campaign from the moment she first publicly declared her support for her. “I posted on Facebook, which is usually dead, and I got like 2,000 likes on it. When I saw that I said, okay this is big,” Whitmore told The Journal. “My 90-year-old mother was backing her, my 18-year-old son, lots of different people in my life, and they were all backing her for different reasons.” Supporters of Connolly have pointed to a variety of things when asked what they believe led to her overwhelming success in this election. Some of the standout features of Connolly’s campaign have been a strong and capable core team around an authentic candidate, the slick and original branding, an impactful social media presence with organic viral moments and an army of volunteers. Connolly taking part in a Chair Yoga session in Naas while on the campaign trail.Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie One of the most notable things about Connolly as a candidate was that even if people did not agree with her stances on issues, there was little doubt that she was being true to what she believed. And to voters, this mattered. Connolly consistently said during the campaign that she was merely the symbol of a wider movement. At her campaign launch in Dublin on September 23, she spoke of wanting to empower people, wanting to encourage people to realise the power that they have and encouraging them to use their voice and demand answers. The Journal / YouTube What did the campaign look like behind the scenes? Connolly may have only formally launched her campaign at the end of September, but she secured the required 20 nominations from Oireachtas members in mid-July, making her the second candidate to enter the race after Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness the day before. The initial team around her was small. Her Oireachtas parliamentary assistant, Béibhinn O’Connor, acted as campaign manager for Connolly for the course of the election (not TD Paul Murphy, as was claimed by Heather Humphreys) and was assisted by a small group of paid staff and a large group of volunteers. From the outset, Connolly had a clear vision of the campaign she wanted to run. When the Labour Party suggested that she undertake some media training, it was a firm no from the candidate. She was hands-on without micromanaging, according to those who worked with her. “No significant leaflet went out without her sign-off,” one person involved in the campaign said. Some staffers from the Social Democrats and People Before Profit were seconded over to Team Connolly to assist, while Claire McGowran, who works on campaigns and communications at The Wheel, was the driving force behind the social media campaign. Journalist Aoife Moore was brought in as a press and media consultant (Moore is credited by some for the campaign’s clever use of podcasts). The first few weeks were all about building up structures and templates – choosing the branding, setting out a social media style and putting the organisation in place to sustain the campaign. “At the beginning, you wondered how quickly and fast it would grow – nobody could have predicted the way the campaign went,” one person involved told The Journal. The campaign relied heavily on the skills and enthusiasm of volunteers. For example, the campaign’s distinctive Celtic-themed branding, which was inspired by the traditional hand-painted signs of the 18th to the 20th century, was designed by cultural producer and designer Anna Cassidy, who volunteered her services to the campaign. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns wearing Connolly merch.Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie Merch that was designed by Cassidy and made available to purchase via the siopa tab on the Connolly for President website became a huge success for the campaign and had to be restocked a number of times. From laptop and car stickers to tote bags, t-shirts and sweatshirts, voters could show their support with a purchase and help the campaign two-fold via a monetary contribution and by virtue of becoming a walking advertisement for the campaign. Scarves were also designed by Kildare-based artist Aoife Cawley and sold via the campaign website. With the slogan ‘Guth Na nDaoine’ embroidered on one side, they were another nod to Connolly’s advocacy for the Irish language. There was also the boots on the ground: the people who went out leafleting, knocking on doors, and getting out the vote in the weeks leading up to the campaign. On count day, Paul Murphy claimed that “over 15,000 people volunteered to join the campaign”. “The majority of those, the big majority, were not members of any political party.” Uniting the Left Alongside the work of volunteers, Connolly’s team also tapped into the resources of the political parties that backed her. People Before Profit and the Social Democrats were on board from day one, while the Labour Party joined later in August. For weeks, a question mark hung over the intentions of Sinn Féin, with party leader Mary Lou McDonald promising a “gamechanger” to the election once the party announced its decision. Advertisement On September 19, the Green Party declared its backing of Connolly, and a day later, so did Sinn Féin. This was a turning point for the campaign, with the largest party in Opposition able to provide a large volume of people and resources. Standards in Public Office (Sipo) rules limited the financial backing each party could offer the Connolly campaign, but the parties found ways around this. Some encouraged their elected representatives to donate individually, while across the board, party members donated their time and used their existing structures to get feet on the ground across the country. They also donated campaign materials: the Labour Party provided cardboard for election posters. Each week, the liaisons from each of the parties would meet with Team Connolly to strategise, and this ramped up to twice a week as the polling date drew closer. After some teething issues at the start, things settled, and by all accounts, the parties – including 100% Redress TD Charles Ward and PBP-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger - worked well together. “I don’t want to make it sound like the Waltons, but I really don’t have any drama to report,” one TD told The Journal. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who was the liaison for his party, said: “There were sections of the media who were waiting to write the story of left-implode from the beginning, and that didn’t happen. “The truth is, we did work very well together.” Likewise, Labour’s liaison, TD Ciarán Ahern, said “people left their politics at the door”. Indeed, he even got some heat from his own party after he defended TD Paul Murphy. Sinn Féin’s point person for the campaign, TD Matt Carthy, went one further and said it was one of the most enjoyable campaigns he has been involved in. Carthy said the structures that were put in place worked well, and he praised the team Connolly had put in place before Sinn Féin got involved. He believes there was a recognition of what each political party brought to the campaign. “We were allowed to play to those strengths. I would argue Sinn Féin made a big impact in terms of overall structure and the political direction. We were able to play that role without taking the core campaign Catherine put in place off its tracks. Carthy said there was also a recognition of the different audiences or sections of the electorate each political party spoke to. “For example, there would have been a recognition that Sinn Féin speaks to working-class and rural constituencies more so than other parties. Then coming together it meant you had a very broad base of support.” On what’s next for the collaboration on the left, Carthy said: “What we’ve shown now is opposition parties can work together, we can work well together, and I think that’s important to voters, and I think that will continue. “We will be seizing opportunities to work with all other opposition parties from here on out.” Likewise, the Social Democrats’ point person, TD Jennifer Whitmore, said the whole campaign was a positive experience and reinforced the idea that the parties on the Left can work together. “I think a lot of people are getting a lot of hope from it”, the Wicklow TD said. Smear the bejaysus One of the standout moments in the campaign came when former Fine Gael minister turned broadcaster, Ivan Yates, said that if he was still involved in Fine Gael, he would advise them to “smear the bejaysus” out of Connolly. The party would never admit it, but Fine Gael did certainly lean more on negative campaigning than Connolly’s team did (although Humphreys was quick to distance herself from Yates, saying she “doesn’t even listen to his show”). In Whitmore’s view, Fine Gael’s combative approach and attack video helped boost Connolly in the polls. “Irish people don’t like negative campaigning. It’s not who we are. “Catherine kept calm and didn’t involve herself in it, and I think that really helped.” There were a number of issues that Connolly was repeatedly questioned on: her trip to Syria in 2018; somewhat clunky comments about Hamas and separately about Germany; her work as a barrister representing banks in home repossession cases, and her decision to hire a woman with a gun conviction from the Special Criminal Court. There were even a few days when there was war among politicians over whether she would hypothetically employ a rapist (she wouldn’t). Ultimately, though, these issues didn’t halt Connolly’s success. “Catherine herself had a very strong view of the type of campaign she wanted to run and everyone signed up to it,” Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy told The Journal. “There was a plan in place from the start, a strategy, and when you compare it to Fine Gael, theirs didn’t play to the strengths of their candidate,” he argued. “The more hysterical Fine Gael got, the more presidential Catherine looked.” On what happens now with the energy and goodwill that was poured into Connolly’s campaign, Carthy and the other liaisons from the parties were optimistic. However, don’t hold your breath if you think they will keep this collaboration up through to the next election. Asked if this presidential campaign has been a sort of ‘training ground’ for the next general election, Carthy said: “I wouldn’t overstate it, every campaign is unique in its own right.” There is, however, the sense that Catherine has ‘tapped into’ a new kind of campaign. Throughout her campaign, she drew on the themes of femininity and the strength of the Irish language and how the power of both has historically been feared. Intangible as some of that might be, the idea that Connolly has rallied a movement is certainly something her backers believed. As Whitmore put it: “I think there is a cultural revolution happening, or the seeds of it, in the country. “You go onto Facebook or TikTok, and kids are learning Irish, talking Irish. There’s this real connection with our culture that’s coming from young people. “Maybe revolution is too strong a word, but there is this real cultural awakening happening and Catherine has tapped into that.” Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. 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Na Fianna crowned Dublin hurling champions again after snatching fairytale from Lucan Thanks but no thanks Why did so many people spoil their votes? We asked people and politicians in Jobstown It's that time of year again - the clocks are going back tonight! Catherine Connolly will be the 10th President of Ireland INVALID VOTES Here’s how many people in your constituency spoiled their vote Catherine Connolly will be the 10th President of Ireland The Morning Lead Ireland's next president: The votes have been cast, but when will we know the offical result? How did your constituency vote? Here are the full results of the presidential election Marek Puska Investigation launched as brother of Jozef Puska attacked in Mountjoy Prison overnight more from us Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The Journal supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. 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CINCINNATI — It’s been a typical week for the Jets, which is to say it’s been stressful and chaotic, and less about what’s actually in front of them — Sunday’s game at Cincinnati — and too much about peripheral nonsense. The week began with team owner Woody Johnson publicly throwing starting quarterback Justin Fields under the bus and leaving him as roadkill, blaming his struggles for the team’s 0-7 record. It continued with head coach Aaron Glenn deciding he was going to keep which quarterback will start — Fields or backup Tyrod Taylor — a secret most of the week, before it slipped that Fields would return under center with Taylor with a knee issue. Glenn played it this way to create a “competitive advantage” — though it’s highly unlikely Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden lost a millisecond of REM sleep over the big reveal. Then there’s the prospect of facing Joe Flacco, the Bengals’ ageless wonder at quarterback who spent 2020-22 with the Jets with Johnson all but shoving him out the door as old, over the hill and finished.
As we slowly inch closer to winter, it is hard not to start thinking about Christmas . The festive season has many highlights, but few are as magical as Scotland's Christmas markets. The most well-known and popular Christmas markets in Scotland are found in Edinburgh and Glasgow. However, there are countless other festive fairs taking place across the country that are just as worth your time. One Christmas event will be held at Drumlanrig Castle on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway , around an hour out of Glasgow by car. All throughout December, the grand estate will be transformed into a winter wonderland—with a host of festive events and activities for all ages. One of the highlights of Drumlanrig Castle's festive programme is without a doubt its Christmas Market. Taking place on December 6 and 7, the market will be set against the picturesque backdrop of the castle . Visitors will be able to enjoy a dedicated Christmas shopping experience that brings together a wide variety of stalls and businesses. Located in a heated marquee, the event will feature artisan stalls, local crafts, and bespoke gifts. Also available at the Drumlanrig Castle Christmas Market will be a selection of warming seasonal treats. On-site catering vans will be selling festive food and mulled wine, while there will also be a marshmallow toasting station. The gardens and grounds on the estate will be open on both days of the market, providing the opportunity to explore the scenic winter landscape. There will also be guided tours of the castle itself on both December 6 and 7, where you can learn all about the history of Drumlanrig. Additionally, the Drumlanrig Castle garden team will be offering Christmas wreaths for visitors to take home with them. There will even be the opportunity to make your own wreath on November 29. The wreath-making workshop will be headed by Drumlanrig's Head Gardener Robbie Black. Participants will gather natural materials from the estate's gardens, before crafting their own festive door decoration and enjoying a hearty soup and roll lunch afterward. Meanwhile, for younger visitors, Drumlanrig Castle will be hosting a Santa's Grotto between December 5 and 21. Little ones can step into a world of Christmas magic and meet Saint Nick himself, as well as share their wish list, get a festive photo, and receive a gift to take home. Another highlight for children will be the Breakfast with Santa experiences between December 5 and 21. As they tuck into pancakes at the Drumlanrig Castle Tearoom, Santa Claus will stop by tables to say hello and offer photo opportunities. Drumlanrig Castle will also be hosting Festive Craft Workshops on December 2, 9, and 16. Held in the estate's Stableyard, little ones will be able to craft festive decorations and keepsakes to take home. Meanwhile, children can enjoy face-painting and horse-drawn carriage rides with the Blackstone Clydesdales. Additionally, a charity tombola run by Cash for Kids will add a community spirit to the celebrations. Drumlanrig Castle is also home to a number of holiday cottages and self-catering apartments. Visitors can rent these out for a "festive overnight stay" over the winter season. More information can be found on the Drumlanrig Castle website .
Bosses of the UK’s biggest supermarkets are urging the Chancellor to exempt shops from a new business rates surtax, warning that shoppers will bear the brunt of higher costs. A letter, organised by industry group the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and addressed to Rachel Reeves, argues that limiting the tax burden on grocers would help tackle food inflation. It has been signed by UK executives and directors at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Asda, Iceland, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Waitrose. The BRC said it is concerned that large shops could see their business rates rise if they are included in the Government’s new surtax for properties with a rateable value over £500,000. This is expected to cover discounts for smaller high-street firms, which will be subject to reduced business rates under the Government’s plans. The plans are set to be confirmed in next month’s autumn Budget statement and would come into effect from next April. In the letter, the supermarket bosses say that their “ability to absorb additional costs is diminishing”. It reads: “If the industry faces higher taxes in the coming Budget – such as being included in the new surtax on business rates – our ability to deliver value for our customers will become even more challenging and it will be households who inevitably feel the impact. “Given the costs currently falling on the industry, including from the last budget, high food inflation is likely to persist into 2026. “This is not something that we would want to see prolonged by any measure in the Budget. “Large retail premises are a tiny proportion of all stores, yet account for a third of retail’s total business rates bill meaning another significant rise could push food inflation even higher.” The letter concludes by asking Ms Reeves to “address retail’s disproportionate tax burden” which it said would “send a strong signal of support for the industry and of the Government’s commitment to tackling food inflation”. Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s chief executive, said: “Supermarkets are doing everything possible to keep food prices affordable, but it’s an uphill battle, with over £7 billion in additional costs in 2025 alone. “From higher national insurance contributions to new packaging taxes, the financial strain on the industry is immense.” The Treasury has been contacted for comment.
An urgent search effort is set to take place in November to find missing Canadian siblings, Jack and Lilly Sullivan, before winter sets in, as speculation about their unexplained disappearance continues to grow. The intense search for Jack, age four, and Lilly, age six, was initiated when their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, reported their disappearance from their home in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, on May 2. She believes they wandered away from the house. Now, nearly six months later, the children remain missing, and as the cold weather approaches, the hope for their safe return is fading. Brooks-Murray expressed her deep sorrow and longing on Facebook on October 13, writing, “As a mother, I love my children more than life itself and feel so heartbroken not being able to hold my two children, Lilly and Jack.” She continued, “The longing I have for them to come back to me is a feeling greater than I ever imagined… Not a single day, minute, or second passes without thoughts of my children.” The Canadian organization, Please Bring Me Home, is calling for volunteers to join the search efforts scheduled for November 15. Nick Oldrieve, executive director of Please Bring Me Home, told the Daily Mail that they typically don’t get involved in such early stages of missing persons cases. ‘But we feel like there is something we can do to assist because, and it’s likely the last ditch effort for these kids before snowfall hits,’ Oldrieve said. ‘As fellow Canadians and as a group who run searches for missing people, we offer our group to come and assist. We’ve been on searches before and had successes.’ Oldrieve said the organization was contacted by the children’s paternal grandmother, Belynda Gray, as well as ‘associates’ of their mother, Brooks-Murray. He noted that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is set to continue searching in ‘full force’ come spring as the season is ‘bar none’ the ‘best time to search for anybody.’ Theories on the children’s disappearance have swirled online, with their grandmother even believing that her ‘heart tells me these babies are gone.’ However, Oldrieve said his team are focusing on the ‘misadventure’ theory that the kids wandered off from the home they shared with their mom, stepfather Daniel Martell, and little sister Meadow but noted that ‘we’re not too sure exactly what happened here.’ ‘At this time we’re only involved from a wandering slash misadventure search effort. And that involves waterways,’ he said. ‘So ponds, lakes, standing water, and creeks, have to be revisited,’ he added. He said that the low water levels will help reveal more to the search teams as they are expected to be scouring around a little more than three miles. ‘We like to sit around five kilometers because it ensures that you’re not rushing it, and you’re not going to miss anything,’ he said. Oldrieve said, along with his team, they have invited volunteers and members of the public to scour land near the children’s home. ‘I think that the public is just itching to get involved, and it’s going to give an opportunity for community members to come together, assist in the effort in an organized fashion,’ he continued. Search groups are expected to consist of around ten people, led by a person with experience in emergency response or similar search efforts. Oldrieve said their main goals during the search will be ‘scanning the ground for any clothing items or anything that could be Jack and Lilly Sullivan.’ He added: ‘I just caution people to, if they’re going to be coming to the search, it is not to try and get information out of anybody about possible foul play stuff. We’re looking for misadventure and wandering. That’s the theory we’re focused on that day.’ Oldrieve’s caution during the search efforts comes after different theories have spiraled online over the children’s disappearance. This has deepened after this week it emerged that on the night of the children’s disappearance, two neighbors reported hearing a vehicle coming and going in the middle of the night. While RCMP confirmed to CBC that after ‘thorough review of surveillance footage’ they found ‘no evidence of any vehicle activity at this time.’ ‘No driver has been identified, and the presence of a vehicle has not been substantiated as a key element in the investigation,’ RCMP communications adviser Allison Gerrard told the outlet. Gerrard said witnesses reported hearing a vehicle, but weren’t able to confirm ever seeing one on the night in question. According to court documents obtained by CBC, two constables conversed with nearby neighbor Brad Wong on May 9. Wong said he had heard a ‘loud vehicle’ coming and going around the area in the early hours of the morning on May 2, the day the children were reported missing. RCMP Corporal Charlene Curl wrote that Wong ‘said his residence is elevated from Daniel’s [Martell] residence and he could see vehicle lights over the treetops.’ ‘He said the vehicle left three or four times after midnight and into the early hours of the morning. He said the vehicle would drive off in the distance and he could hear it stop and then return. He said it remained in earshot the entire time,’ court documents stated, CBC reported. Another nearby resident, Justin Smith, told investigators on May 17 that he heard a vehicle on Highway 289 turn around by railroad tracks near an intersection close to the children’s home around 1.30am. The constable who took Smith’s statement wrote that the vehicle ‘made noise then went quiet’ for around two minutes then drove on, CBC reported. ‘[Smith] later spoke with Brad Wong who informed him Daniel’s vehicle came and went five or six times that night. Wong said the car Smith heard was Daniel,’ the constable added. Martell told police that he had gone to bed ‘fairly early’ and didn’t wake up until the next morning. Brooks-Murray said that Martell had stayed up to clean the home, but it wasn’t clean when she got up so she ‘doesn’t know what he did,’ CBC reported. ‘Malehya said she was not woken up throughout the night, and does not know when Martell came to bed,’ the filing said., according to the outlet. Martell told police no one left their home that night and they had no visitors. RCMP said cadaver dogs were used to search the area, but they did not find anything. Staff Sargent Rob McCamon told the outlet that it is still being treated as a missing persons’ case, and no criminal activity has been found at this time. Brooks-Murray wrote on Facebook: ‘I will never stop searching for my children until they are found and brought home safe and sound. Someone, somewhere, knows something so please bring my babies home. ‘To the incredible volunteers, searchers, investigators and compassionate strangers who have stood beside us – Thank you.’ Daily Mail has reached out to RCMP, Brooks-Murray and Martell for further comment.
Raising the age limit for youths to gain access to smartphones and the internet could help them shape their own expectations and responsible usage patterns. (Envato Elements pic) This is part two of an article on the risks and impact of unsupervised digital-device use by young people, written by Chua Sook Ning and Tricia Yeoh. Read part one here. PETALING JAYA: The recent stabbing case at a local secondary school has brought the issue of young people's online activities, mental health and overall well-being into the spotlight. It is time for Malaysian parents, as well as the whole of society, to approach the internet - and access to it through smartphones - with great wisdom and care. One concrete step could be for society to agree on raising the age of “internet adulthood” to 16. This is less of an argument for the effectiveness of a social media ban, but the acknowledgement that contextual factors can hinder or help the effectiveness of parental mediation - which often feels daunting, confusing, and impossible to implement. Common barriers to parental mediation of digital media use include adolescents’ expectations, rules set by other parents, and social norms. But if the entire village of parents collectively agrees not to provide smartphones and social media access for children under 16, this could help shape teens' own expectations, and reduce peer pressure on both parents and children. In the United Kingdom, a parent pact to withhold smartphones from children under 14 has been signed by signatories representing about 35,000 children. Parents are also creating "landline pods”, where children can call each other on landline phones to help them communicate and listen better. When children eventually receive personal devices, these should be used in communal, family spaces - not in the private space of a bedroom. Adopting healthier digital media habits does not mean abolishing them completely; family movie nights, for example, allow for active interaction among family members. For parents of children who are already accessing digital media, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 5Cs of Media Use might be useful. It encourages parents to: think about the unique risks and benefits of digital media for their child; know what digital activities they are engaged in and actively discuss aspects of the content with their child (such as unrealistic beauty standards or use of violence); learn how to manage strong emotions and challenges rather than relying on avoidance or escapism; increase real-life engagement - reducing screen time frees up time and energy to do other things; communicate about media early and often to build digital literacy, and to help identify when their child is struggling. In addition, digital parenting training programmes can be developed to equip mums and dads with the necessary strategies related to device use, both offline and online, to protect children's safety. This could include the use of parental controls and content filters on all devices at home. A feasible next step for Malaysia is to follow Australia’s eSafety Commission in offering free webinars on topics such as understanding AI companions, using parental controls, and recognising online coercive control. These webinars are essential for parents and carers to give them the knowledge, skills, and tools to provide safe digital spaces for their children. Adopting healthier digital habits at home does not mean abolishing them altogether - children can still use their devices in communal, family spaces. (Envato Elements pic) While parents play a central role, they cannot and should not be expected to carry this responsibility alone. Many work long hours, lack digital literacy, or feel outpaced by constantly evolving technology. They need clear guidance, accessible tools, and a supportive community to help them set boundaries, supervise use, and rebuild connection at home. When families are backed by schools, communities, platforms and policy, they are far more able to create homes with meaningful conversations, screen-free time, outdoor and free play, and opportunities for children to lead in real life rather than escape into virtual worlds. Hence, this is not just a parenting issue - it is a societal responsibility. If we act together, we can protect childhood, strengthen families, and prevent the mental health crisis from deepening. Our children should not have to pay the price for our collective inaction. And now is the time for us to act. The research is clear, the risks are visible, and we can no longer claim ignorance or inevitability. What we now need is alignment. If parents, educators, policymakers and technology companies each take responsibility for their part, we can create healthier social and digital norms, and overall safer environments for our young people. This article was written by Chua Sook Ning, clinical psychologist and public health practitioner, lecturer and founder of Relate Malaysia, and Tricia Yeoh, public policy analyst, social science lecturer and advisor for Relate Malaysia. This article was originally published on makchic.com, a Malaysian-based online parenting site. Since 2013, makchic has been providing trustworthy and authentic family-related content. For diverse stories of parenthood that inform, support and uplift all families, visit makchic.com and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
To get its foothold into the corridors of power in 2018, the then opposition opportunistically promised the reversal of the unpopular goods and services tax (GST) and the abolition or reduction of tolls, amongst others, to swing public opinion in its favour. Suffice to say it was self-serving and served its purpose. GST was rolled back and replaced with a less efficient sales and service tax. It not only brought in lower taxation revenue but more importantly, allowed for “leakages” along the supply chain. This is attributable due to a fundamental flaw in its design given that products are not taxed at each stage of the value added process. It allows for legitimate tax avoidance. The argument that it is regressive and affects the poor disproportionately, led to the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BRIM) payments to specific target groups to offset the effects of higher prices. It must also be borne in mind that a plethora of goods widely consumed by the lower earning group fell into the zero-rated GST bucket. This addresses the high road moral standpoint of whether it is “fair to tax those in abject poverty”. One must remember that many strides have been made over the years to eradicate poverty. The "hard core poor" are now at a relatively low percentage. We must remember that our conventional tax source from corporations on their profits and salary deductions is still at a relatively low penetration percentage. Of concern is that many persons who should rightly be paying tax are "off the radar". GST addresses this blind spot holistically and covers this segment. The aversion and abhorrence to GST, unfortunately, was fuelled by its inept implementation on rollout, namely on delays in refunds. It has done irreparable damage to GST as an efficient tool for taxation to fortify the financial robustness of the nation. Just a comparison with other markets, first at Asean level, at Asian level and then globally will show the proliferation of the use of GST, warts and all, to strengthen tax revenues. Surely, Malaysia who, firstly, is not the lowest income level nation in the region, can’t be smarter than the rest of the world or have an economy that is so intrinsically unique that it defies GST logic. Surprisingly it is acknowledged publicly by those who are able to chart the course of the nation that GST is a transparent and efficient system. Petty politics, however, has shrouded the issue in a cloak of haziness, disinformation and ambiguity driven by the need for longevity in power. Citing "low levels" of income and waiting for it to rise to certain levels before reintroducing GST is akin to chasing a moving target. Debate will continue on what should be the "correct" level. More dangerously, it is also subject to moving the goalposts for political survival. Plugging leakages, which by itself, is a phenomenal task given the lack of accountability, integrity and trust at various levels in the supply chain, is also a moving target. What level of inevitable leakage is tolerable is the agonising yet unanswerable question; hence the time continuum is compromised! While there is verbal calisthenics on GST, the cost of servicing national debt has continued to rise as reflected in the budget apportionments to meet interest payments. It is noted that debt was inherited. It was channelled to expenditure, embedded corruption notwithstanding, to improve the lot of the populace. If GST was not rescinded, the math will show how much of the debt could have been retired earlier from the extra tax revenue collected. While posturing on good governance, limiting it to initiatives to combat corruption through addressing leaks in delivery, albeit commendable, should not in itself, be the primary focus or end goal. What is good for the nation in the long run is to ensure that tax revenue is optimised to fund the nation’s budget. Catering to populist policies to remain in power is self-serving. It is a sad reflection of abuse of power for personal or party gains and robs the nation and future generations. The nation cannot afford to compromise its revenue streams through outdated or less than optimal modes of tax collection. It only serves to stifle and asphyxiate our growth trajectory. Good governance is all about transparency, accountability, efficiency, integrity and trust. GST is right up the alley on this continuum. If it is business as usual without a rethink, then, as a nation, we have lost the plot. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Michael Keaton's casting as Batman was heavily scrutinized. Heck, it was arguably the original controversial superhero film casting, with angry fans endlessly complaining to the point that director Tim Burton had to fight for Keaton. The actor's image as a comedian simply stood in the way of the public seeing him as a worthy Caped Crusader, let alone a Dark Knight worthy of the darker tone fans expected in the post-Frank Miller era of Batman stories. Of course, Keaton proved everyone wrong and helped usher a new era for DC's iconic superhero, one that we still haven't entirely moved past. In fact, the actor was so successful at leaving his stamp on the role that many folks still regard him as the best live-action Batman ever Hence, the idea of Keaton returning to the superhero genre to play a different comic book character was almost unthinkable, not least of all a villain created by a rival comic book publisher. So, when Keaton joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Adrian Toomes/Vulture in 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming," it felt like a real occasion. After all, this was the man who'd helped pave the way for the superhero movie renaissance of the early 21st century. Sure enough, getting to watch Tom Holland's Peter Parker square off against Keaton's Vulture proved to be a major highlight of "Homecoming." At the same time, Keaton never missed the chance to remind Holland of his Dark Knight days. "He's a badass," Holland told Short List Magazine in 2017 (via Comic Book Movie). "We have a fight in the movie, and I punch him. He turns around and says [in a deep voice], 'I'm Batman.' He kept doing Batman quotes on set."
President Donald Trump has announced a 10 percent tariff increase on Canadian imports following the broadcast of an Ontario television ad that showcased a 1987 speech by Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. On Thursday, Trump halted all trade discussions with Canada in response to the ad, which reached millions of viewers through networks such as Fox News, Fox Sports, NBC, CBS, CNBC, ESPN, ABC, and their local affiliates. In a post on Truth Social on Saturday afternoon, Trump stated, “Canada was caught, red-handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs.” He continued, “Due to their serious misrepresentation of the facts and this hostile act, I am increasing the tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are currently paying.” At present, Canadian goods imported into the United States are subject to a 35 percent tariff unless exempt under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, while steel and aluminum face a 50 percent tariff. Trump further accused the Ontario government, under Premier Doug Ford, of airing the ad to illegitimately influence the Supreme Court. The court is set to decide next month whether the Trump administration can enforce extensive global tariffs without Congressional approval. The 60-second ad pulled from a radio address made by Reagan as he explained why he was placing tariffs on Japanese electronics. The substance of his remarks appear to be unaltered. ‘Let’s take Ronald Reagan’s words and let’s blast it to the American people,’ Ford said upon launching the campaign. ‘We’re going to repeat that message to every Republican district there is right across the entire country.’ In the ad, Reagan explains how tariffs can appear to beneficial to Americans at first, but argued the short term gains do not last. ‘When someone says, “Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,” it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs,’ Reagan said. ‘And sometimes for a short while it works, but only for a short time. But over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American, worker and consumer.’ Reagan then claimed: ‘High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. Then the worst happens. Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down and millions of people lose their jobs.’ On Thursday, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said the 40th president was taken out of context but offered no further explanation. ‘The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks,’ the institute wrote on X. The institute added that it was ‘reviewing its legal options in this matter’ before linking people to Reagan’s full address. After conservative outrage spread online, Ontario, Canada’s largest province, said it would pull the ad starting Monday. That means it will still air Saturday night during Game 2 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. ‘They could have pulled it tonight,’ Trump told reporters at the White House as prepared to leave for his trip to Asia. ‘Well, that’s dirty play,’ he added. ‘But I can play dirtier than they can, you know.’ Ford said on social media that he pulled the ad after speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has been trying to negotiate with Trump on trade for months. The two men are members of opposing parties. ‘Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,’ Ford said. ‘We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.’ For now, the vast majority of trade between the US and Canada remains protected by the USMCA. But the agreement has to be renegotiated in July 2026, and Trump has already called for a revision that would favor US industries.
Derek McInnes is confident that his Hearts team is primed to challenge Celtic’s dominance in today’s highly anticipated match at Tynecastle, as they face off against the current champions. The Edinburgh squad stands a chance to extend their lead to eight points at the top of the Premiership standings by defeating Brendan Rodgers’ injury-plagued team in this noon-time fixture in Gorgie. With McInnes at the helm, the addition of investor Tony Bloom, and strategic summer acquisitions like Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis, Hearts supporters are optimistic about significantly improving from last season’s seventh-place finish. McInnes, while cautious not to overstate expectations, acknowledges that his team has been preparing well for the challenge posed by Celtic’s visit. “I believe we’re ready, and I think our fans feel prepared as well. Tynecastle will be geared up for this,” remarked McInnes, who has previously managed St Johnstone, Bristol City, Aberdeen, and Kilmarnock. “Our past performances, some of which have been impressive, don’t assure us of anything.” “Facing Celtic requires us to be at our best. We must perform exceptionally to secure a result, but we’re eager for the opportunity. We’re confident that we have it in us to deliver a winning performance,” he added. ‘We’ve got to try and maintain good levels, keep trying to improve and see where it takes us. But I do think a good gauge of that will come against Celtic.’ McInnes is paying little attention to suggestions that Rodgers’ side are a fading force this season. Celtic have failed to score in six of their matches — a higher tally than the whole of last season — and will be without the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers, Daizen Maeda, Alistair Johnston and Kelechi Iheanacho as well as long-term absentee Jota at Tynecastle. ‘Whoever we play, I don’t care whether they’re in good form or poor form,’ added McInnes. ‘We recognise that Celtic are a tough game for us. It always is. I’ve played against Brendan’s teams often enough and he’s such a top manager, top operator, and Celtic are littered with top players, so we’ve got our work cut out to get a result. ‘All I’m focusing on is us trying to be the toughest opponent for them and make sure our performance gives us a chance. I can’t be dependent on any opponent, whether they’re poor or whether they’re strong. ‘Sometimes, like every other team, they might not be on point, but for us, it’s up to us to be fully concentrated in the game and try to impose ourselves on the game.’ Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti is taking the challenge of Hearts very seriously. ‘They have shown that they are a really good team,’ said the Tunisian. ‘For us, every game is really serious, so we have to take everyone serious. If it’s Hearts or Rangers or Dundee, we have to take everyone serious. ‘It’s going to be a massive game at a difficult place, but we’re going to go there to get a result. ‘Every game when you play for Celtic is really important. When you play for Celtic, it’s a massive club, you have to win every game, you have to play well every game, so every game is really important. ‘But of course, it’s maybe something different because they are doing well and they are in first place at the moment, so it’s going to be a good game.’
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US President Donald Trump said he had terminated all trade talks with Canada over what he called the 'fake' ad campaign. (AP pic) ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he was hiking tariffs on Canadian goods by an additional 10%, as fallout continued over a Canadian anti-tariff ad that featured late US leader Ronald Reagan. The announcement came two days after Trump said he had terminated all trade talks with Canada over what he called the "fake" ad campaign. "Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, posting the message as he flew to Asia for meetings with key regional leaders. "Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now," he said. The ad from the Canadian province of Ontario used quotes from a radio address on trade that Reagan delivered in 1987, in which he warned against ramifications that he said high tariffs on foreign imports could have on the US economy. It cited the Republican icon as saying that "high tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars," a quote that matches a transcript of his speech on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's website. The Ronald Reagan foundation wrote on X on Thursday that the Ontario government had used "selective audio and video" and that it was reviewing its legal options. Ontario said it would pull the offending anti-tariff ad on Monday so that negotiations could restart. Trump's global sectoral tariffs - particularly on steel, aluminum, and autos - have hit Canada hard, forcing job losses and squeezing businesses. For now, the US and Canada adhere to an existing North American trade deal called the USMCA, which ensures that roughly 85% of cross-border trade in both directions remains tariff-free. However, in a speech on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the US has raised "its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression". "Our economic strategy needs to change dramatically," Carney added, saying the process "will take some sacrifices and some time," he added. Trump and Carney are both set to be at a dinner on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) in South Korea on Wednesday. But Trump has said he had no plans to meet Carney. Adding extra spice to the cross-border row, baseball's World Series features a Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, facing a US team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays thrashed the Dodgers 11-4 in the first game on Friday.
The Dodgers are in the World Series again, looking to win their second straight championship and third in the past six years. So much for Brian Cashman’s theory that the playoffs are a “crapshoot.” There’s only one problem: Cashman has never said they were. The line often attributed to the Yankees general manager — both in the media and on talk radio — comes from, among others, his friend Billy Beane, who was the GM of the then-2003 Oakland A’s in 2003 and said, “Our postseason tournament is just that — a tournament. We play for the right to get into that tournament. Then it can be a crapshoot. The beauty of baseball is that the best teams get to the postseason over 162 games. The contradiction is that the best team doesn’t always win in the playoffs.”
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The Western Colorado Mountaineers took another step in their quest to reach the RMAC football mountaintop. Senior quarterback Drew Nash punished the Colorado School of Mines defense with both his arm and legs, and fifth-ranked Western Colorado closed out the game with 27 unanswered points to beat the Orediggers, 40-17, at Mountaineer Bowl in Gunnison on Saturday. The win moved Western Colorado to 8-0 and 6-0 in RMAC play with ninth-ranked CSU-Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC) set to visit the Western Slope next Saturday. Nash totaled 354 yards of offense, including 234 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-32 passing and 120 yards and one score on 13 carries. Freshman tailback Quinn Bailey scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), as the Mountaineers totaled 442 yards of offense in their second straight win over Mines. Mines (5-3, 3-3) took a 10-0 lead on Max Barnes’ 44-yard touchdown run and a Preston Kyle 35-yard field goal with 1:01 left in the first quarter. But the Orediggers only scored once more the rest of the way — an 8-yard Joseph Capra-to-Josh Best TD pass that gave Mines a 17-13 halftime lead. It was all Mountaineers in the second half. Bailey’s 4-yard scoring run gave Western a 20-17 lead with 11:41 left in the third quarter, Nash busted loose for a 63-yard scoring run at the 1:17 mark, and the Mountaineers tacked on two more TDs in the fourth quarter to blow the game open. The Mountaineers are one of three unbeaten teams in RMAC play, with Western joined at the top of the standings by CSU Pueblo and Chadron State (6-2, 6-0). Western plays those two teams back-to-back over the next two weeks, with next week’s showdown against CSU Pueblo followed by a trip to Chadron State on Nov. 8. RMAC football Saturday’s scores Colorado Mesa 24, Fort Lewis 14 New Mexico Highlands at Adams State, 6 p.m. Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
TORONTO – Blue Jays manager John Schneider made several moves to his starting lineup for Saturday’s Game 2 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Infielder Bo Bichette, who made his first game appearance in seven weeks in Toronto’s 11-4 Game 1 win, was available off the bench. Isiah Kiner-Falefa got the start at second base with outfielders Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger drawing in for Davis Schneider and Myles Straw. Normally a shortstop, Bichette made his first big-league start at second base after being named to the 26-man roster before Game 1. He had missed time with a left knee sprain. “After the layoff, I didn’t want to like kill him, you know,” Schneider said in a pre-game media availability from his office. “So this is stuff we talked about even leading up to the decision to put him on the roster. “I thought he was good yesterday and just want to watch him physically. But he’ll be ready to hit and play whenever.” Right-handers Kevin Gausman of Toronto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of Los Angeles were set to start in Game 2. Schneider also confirmed that Max Scherzer would start Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on Monday. Shane Bieber was tabbed for Game 4 on Tuesday. If necessary, the Dodgers would host Game 5 on Wednesday. If Game 6 and Game 7 are needed, they would be played in Toronto. Bichette had a single in the first inning of Game 1 and grounded into a double play in the third. He opened the Blue Jays’ decisive nine-run sixth inning with a walk before being replaced by Kiner-Falefa. Bichette had a .311 batting average this past season and led Toronto with 181 hits. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2025.
Wan Saiful Wan Jan, recently expelled from Bersatu, said members should "take back the party" from those "not democratically elected". PETALING JAYA: Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who was recently sacked by Bersatu, has accused several senior figures close to party president Muhyiddin Yassin of creating rifts among party leaders. Speaking at a gathering with grassroots members, the former Bersatu Supreme Council member singled out secretary-general Azmin Ali and information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz. “Don’t let our friends be bullied by the likes of Azmin, and Tun Faisal,” he said. Wan Saiful said Bersatu needed to “take back the party” from those who were "not democratically elected", warning that the growing influence of certain people could alienate other key leaders. “They have no mandate from us. They were appointed to their position. We must take this party back from them.” Wan Saiful’s remarks come hours after Bersatu banned members from meeting, interacting and attending events by those under disciplinary action by the party. A circular by Azmin Ali said it was an offence for any member to work together with those outside the party, including members who had been disciplined, to smear the party’s image. This is not the first time Wan Saiful has attacked the duo. Prior to his sacking, the Tasek Gelugor MP referred Azmin and Tun Faisal to the party’s disciplinary board over alleged threats made against division leaders linked to a supposed plot to oust Muhyiddin Yassin as president. He had also launched a scathing attack on Azmin claiming that the former Selangor menteri besar was unfit to lead the party.