Del Monte keen on shoring up profitabilityThe Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) has identified about 150 opaque legislations inhibiting and weakening Nigeria’s economic growth. The Group said its dedicated center, Earnest Shonekan Centre, was currently working on these opaque legislations with a view to coming up with corrective versions. NESG Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, disclosed this over the weekend at a quarterly engagement with the media. Reviewing economic performance in 2024, NESG suggested that the debt procured should be tied to projects abd not consumption. While he noted inflation was decelerating, he said the pace of declaration wasn’t one to be excited about. “This is because of the structural defects driving inflation – fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange are still high,” he said. He said for economic growth to be achieved, growth would have to be redirected. “And there are a couple of other ones that need to be accelerated for us to drive growth. So I think there’s a lot on that. “Ultimately, we must redirect economic policy for growth. The balance sheet must reflect that growth. The investment priorities, the debt must reflect that growth. “Spending plans must reflect that we are prioritised for growth. But we cannot pursue growth without carrying our people along. Social investments must increase. “But without transmission efficiency and transparency, Nigerians will not accept that we are doing social investments. Like I said when I began, the social investments have struggled to gain citizen trust. Because a lot of them, the citizens, can’t see broad accountabilities for them. “On the look out, if you look at what’s happening in the inflation in terms of the momentum, the momentum has started slowing down”, he said. Speaking on the country’s debt profile, he said attention shouldn’t be on the debt profile but rather, the purposes the debts are put on to. “What do you do about the debt profile? The philosophy of sovereign debt has to do more with your strategy for growth. And I think the frustration should not be about the debt profile. The frustration is debt for what. “If all your debt is consumption debt, it’s not driving the factors of production, which triggers higher levels of productivity, which allows you to grow and, of course, allows you to pay for the debt when there’s a problem. “So I think our conversations should shift beyond debt to GDP, debt to revenue servicing. Before, debt to revenue servicing was a big problem.”
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11. SMU Mustangs 11-2 (8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season) What's next: at No. 6 Penn State, State College, Pa., Dec. 21, Noon ET Head coach: Rhett Lashlee (three seasons, 29-11 overall) About Lashlee: The 41-year-old is enjoying success in his first college head coaching gig and has guided the Mustangs to back-to-back 11-win seasons. He was offensive coordinator at SMU from 2018-19 before heading to Miami for two years and returning to take the head job. He was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year this season. Resume SMU notched ranked wins over then-No. 22 Louisville and then-No. 18 Pitt but really served notice while racking up 66 points in a win over TCU. The Mustangs lost two games by a total of six points: 34-31 to Clemson in the ACC title game and 18-15 to BYU. Postseason history This is SMU's first trip to the playoffs during the CFP era. The Mustangs have lost their past four bowl games, including two under Lashlee. The program had a memorable run in the early 1980s behind stars like Eric Dickerson and Craig James but numerous NCAA violations sank the Mustangs and they eventually served a two-year death penalty. The road to Atlanta SMU hits the road for the first-round matchup at No. 6 Penn State. The winner advances to play No. 3 Boise State (12-1) in the quarterfinals in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. Names to Know QB Kevin Jennings He threw for 304 yards and three TDs in the ACC title game, his fourth game over 300 yards passing this season. Jennings had a strong regular season with 2,746 yards and 19 TDs in the air and four scores on the ground. He can hurt teams with his feet, proven by a 113-yard outing against Louisville. "What is new now is the amount of criticism I receive from everyone. I get a lot of comments and messages from people on social media always criticizing everything after each game," Jennings said. RB Brashard Smith Stellar runner averaging 5.9 yards per carry to go with 1,270 yards and 14 TDs on the ground. LB Kobe Wilson Stands out against both the run and the pass, leading the team in tackles (110) and adding three sacks and two interceptions. S Isaiah Nwokobia He has enjoyed an outstanding season with 91 regular-season tackles and three interceptions while patrolling the back end. He has nine career interceptions. DT Jared Harrison-Hunte A force with 6.0 sacks, one interception and 38 tackles. He's in his first season with SMU after four at Miami. He has 15 career sacks. --Field Level MediaSouth Korea martial law fallout deepens as prosecutors close in on presidentブラインドスポット検出 (BSD) システム市場の規模、傾向、展望、成長需要、洞察、概要 2024-2032
Today’s news headlines and Thought for the Day for school assembly: 6 December 2024Bears tight end Cole Kmet is a Matt Eberflus guy. While teammates have not been shy about challenging Eberflus in the locker room after frustrating losses, questioning Eberflus’ in-game decisions or bemoaning the lack of accountability by him and his coaching staff, Kmet has been the most loyal soldier. “I’m still going to go about my process throughout the week and do what I do, but it’s hard when you take in the human side of it — the emotions to it. It’s a lot to deal with,” Kmet said Thursday. “Coach is a guy I’ve developed a really good relationship with over the past three years. It’s definitely hard to say goodbye to people when things like this happen. But it’s also part of the business.” But even Kmet acknowledges the reality that in tough times, change is good. After the frustration of too many prominent players reached a breaking point following the loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field, the firing of Eberflus has given the Bears a chance to exhale. Nobody knows where it will lead, but the breath of fresh air is a good start. “Yeah, I will say that — I think there is a little bit of an exhale to it,” Kmet said. “I think the exhale for me happened [Wednesday], just finally moving on from it when you get on the grass and practice. For me, it always signifies moving on to the next week.” If there was division in the Bears locker room as the losses mounted, it was mostly a matter of degree. Some players were vehement about Eberflus’ culpability, some were annoyed by it but weren’t going to make waves. And others were too focused on doing their own job and just hoped it would get better. But nobody has emerged who thinks firing Eberflus was the wrong move. There was too much at stake. “There’s obviously been a lot of frustration,” Kmet said. “I think frustration happens just because of what we see in the locker room and who we have. We feel like we should be better at this point. “Look at the three division games we’ve played [a 20-19 loss to the Packers, a 30-27 overtime loss to the Vikings, a 23-20 loss to the Lions]. You tally up the [point differential], it comes to seven points. You’re not far off, but the record is where it’s at right now. You’re a handful of plays from competing for a playoff spot — that’s how close it is. But close isn’t good enough, and we have to find a way to get these results.” For Kmet, that’s progress. When Matt Nagy was fired after the 2021 season, Justin Fields was 2-8 as a rookie starter with a 73.2 passer rating and the Bears needed a roster overhaul. “Yeah, I was in that situation when the previous staff was let go,” Kmet said. “You knew the next year wasn’t going to look so pretty and it obviously didn’t. I think we’ve got a lot of talent in the room. Caleb being a rookie quarterback on the ascension and looking really good — there’s a lot of promise going forward for sure.” Kmet is in his fifth NFL season, but wide receiver Keenan Allen is in his 12th. You can tell he’s been around. “Changes happen, but change isn’t always good,” Allen said. “So we’ll see.” Allen, like many of his teammates is impressed with interim head coach Thomas Brown — who was promoted to offensive coordinator three weeks ago when Shane Waldron was fired. “His energy, his confidence and probably just knowing the game,” Allen said when asked what about Brown has impressed him the most. Can he turn this thing around? “We’ve got to wait and see,” Allen said. “But yeah, I do.”
Climate finance's 'new era' shows new political realitiesTwo places separate Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership table heading into gameweek 19's Boxing Day derby at Tynecastle Park. HMFC returned to winning ways before Christmas and aim for consecutive Premiership wins for the first time this season against an opponent chasing three league victories on the trot. © Imago Hearts have had an inconsistent league campaign as the midway point approaches, with Neil Critchley 's men failing to win consecutive matches. While Critchley inherited the Jam Tarts' erratic performances and results after taking charge in October, following Liam Fox 's interim spell, the Englishman has yet to find the modus operandi to secure wins consistently to rise in the standings. Hearts' latest victory, a 2-1 triumph over St Johnstone, was the club's second in three, with success before Christmas either side of a 1-0 loss at Kilmarnock. The Gorgie Boys have another chance to record back-to-back victories on Boxing Day; playing at home, where they have secured six points from the last two against Dundee FC and St Johnstone, bodes well for their prospects. Victory over their capital rivals Hibs would take them above their visitors in the standings, a result that would end the visiting club's two-match winning run. © Imago David Gray 's men have scored or conceded three goals or more in their last six Premiership matches, although the Hibees have only been on the wrong end three times: the 4-1 loss to Dundee, the 3-3 draw with Aberdeen and the 3-0 loss at Celtic. That reverse at the home of the defending champions is mollified when the results preceding it (a 3-0 win at Motherwell) and 3-1 victories over Ross County and Aberdeen are considered. Nevertheless, getting the better of their fellow Edinburgh outfit will please supporters, who aim to celebrate three Premiership victories on the trot for the first time since December 2023, when Hibs defeated Kilmarnock (1-0), Dundee (2-1) and Aberdeen (2-0). The ongoing run is the away side's longest winning streak in 12 months, highlighting the broader inconsistency in performances and results over an extended period. It remains to be seen if that changes on Boxing Day, with four of the previous five match-ups between the clubs ending in score draws and Hearts winning the other at the end of 2023. © Imago Although Frankie Kent and Calem Nieuwenhof are doubtful for Hearts, the pair of Gerald Taylor and Stephen Kingsley are not expected to play any part in the Edinburgh derby . Blair Spittal and Lawrence Shankland have each netted three goals, accounting for six of the Gorgie Boys' 20 goals, and the attackers aim to add to their tally. The pair also lead for big chances created, six for Shankland and five for Spittal, highlighting their importance to the home side's attacking game plan. Hibs will check if the trio of Marvin Ekpiteta , Rudi Molotnikov and Mykola Kuharevich are available to play on December 26; Kieron Bowie is ruled out for the visitors. Nicky Cadden has been involved in four goals and an assist this term, one shy of the team's top-ranked Martin Boyle , who has six goal involvements. With Josef Bursik now playing backup to Jordan Smith between the sticks, the Englishman could be overtaken by Hearts' Craig Gordon for clean sheets (both goalkeepers have two shutouts before round 19). Hearts possible starting lineup: Gordon; Forrester, Oyegoke, Rowles, Penrice; Boateng, Devlin; Drammeh, Shankland, Spittal; Wilson Hibernian possible starting lineup: Smith; O'Hora, Bushiri, Iredale; C. Cadden, Triantis, Newell, N. Cadden; Campbell; Youan, Boyle Although Hearts have claimed four wins in the previous 10 derbies, only one of those victories has come in the previous 12 months. Another Edinburgh derby stalemate is anticipated on Thursday, with both sides finding the back of the net at Tynecastle Park. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .
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