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Dr. Manmohan Singh (File photo) NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister and Congress stalwart Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. Singh breathed his last at AIIMS Delhi, where he was admitted on Thursday evening. Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 22 after the 2004 general elections and took the oath of office for a second term on May 22, 2009. He was born on September 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India. He completed his matriculation examinations from the Punjab University in 1948. Political career In his long political career, Singh was a member of the Rajya Sabha since 1991, where he was Leader of the Opposition between 1998 and 2004. He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April 2024. Singh represented India at many international conferences and in several international organizations. He led Indian Delegations to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Cyprus (1993) and to the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993. One of the key decisions Manmohan Singh took as PM included the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) (2005), a flagship program that guaranteed 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households. His government also launched the Right to Information Act in 2005 to strengthen transparency and accountability in governance by granting citizens the right to access information held by public authorities. In 2013, his government launched the National Food Security Act to ensure subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s population. The academic years Singh's academic career took him from Punjab to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957. Later, he followed this with a D. Phil in Economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. His book, "India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth" [Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1964] was an early critique of India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Dr. Singh’s academic credentials were burnished by his years on the faculty of Punjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics. Role as administrator In 1971, Singh joined the government of India as an economic advisor in the commerce ministry. This was soon followed by his appointment as Chief Economic Advisor in the ministry of finance in 1972. Among the many governmental positions that Dr. Singh occupied were secretary in the ministry of finance, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), advisor of the Prime Minister; and chairman of the University Grants Commission. He had a brief stint at the UNCTAD Secretariat as well, during these years. This presaged a subsequent appointment as Secretary General of the South Commission in Geneva between 1987 and 1990. A stint as finance minister In what became the turning point in the economic history of independent India, Singh spent five years between 1991 and 1996 as India's finance minister under the Narasimha Rao government. His role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is now recognised worldwide. In the popular view of those years in India, that period is inextricably associated with the persona of Singh. 2nd highest civilian honour Among the many awards and honours conferred upon Singh in his public career, the most prominent are India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in 1987. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the detention of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, ahead of his arraignment over allegations of diverting N110 billion from the state treasury during his eight-year tenure. Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, disclosed on Tuesday evening that the former governor is currently being interrogated by investigators. According to him, Yahaya Bello will be detained and arraigned in court as soon as possible. The arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, November 27, at the FCT High Court in Abuja. Justice Maryanne Anenih fixed the date on November 14 after Bello repeatedly ignored previous summons. The former governor has been entangled in multiple corruption cases, including money laundering charges involving N80 billion currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Despite a raft of court summons since April, Bello failed to appear, prompting the EFCC to file fresh charges at the FCT High Court in September. This is not the first time Bello’s dealings with the EFCC have drawn public attention. In September, he made a dramatic attempt to surrender himself at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, accompanied by his successor, Governor Usman Ododo. However, tensions escalated later that day when EFCC operatives attempted to apprehend the former governor at the Kogi State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja. The encounter reportedly turned chaotic, leading to a shootout between EFCC agents and Governor Ododo’s security personnel. Amid the commotion, he (Bello) managed to escape in the governor’s convoy. The EFCC alleges that the former governor dishonestly diverted over N110 billion in public funds while serving as governor. The charges are part of an ongoing probe into what the anti-graft agency describes as large-scale financial mismanagement in Kogi State under Bello’s administration. Bello’s Tuesday surrender at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, without Governor Ododo’s accompaniment this time, marks a significant turning point in the long-standing corruption investigation. Security experts have described the development as a critical step in ensuring that politically exposed persons face justice without interference or undue protection. They noted that the absence of Governor Ododo, who had previously shielded Yahaya Bello from arrest, signals a shift in the dynamics of political immunity and law enforcement accountability. As Nigerians await his arraignment, the case has drawn heightened public scrutiny, with many questioning the safeguards against corruption among public officials. Experts argue that this case could serve as a litmus test for the effectiveness of the EFCC in pursuing high-profile cases, especially at a time when calls for transparency and accountability are intensifying.

On the heels of a resounding election victory one month ago, Nova Scotia’s premier is adopting a more measured tone when it comes to assessing his province’s relationship with the federal government. Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives were returned to power Nov. 26, capturing 43 of the legislature’s 55 seats after a campaign during which he attacked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government on a number of fronts. In fact, he justified his decision to call a snap election and ignore the province’s fixed-date election law — which had set the vote for July 2025 — by claiming he needed a strong mandate to stand up to Ottawa. But in a recent end-of-year interview with The Canadian Press, Houston was more conciliatory, saying a Dec. 9 meeting at his Halifax office with Trudeau was conducted with “a spirit of collaboration.” “We started to see right away that the tone was different,” he said, adding that whatever comes of Trudeau’s leadership of the Liberal party, Nova Scotia will retain its important relationship with the federal government. Trudeau, meanwhile, has been facing increasing pressure from inside his caucus to step down. High on Houston’s list of grievances has been Ottawa’s imposition of carbon pricing in the province and its refusal to pay the entire bill for the costly work needed to protect the Chignecto Isthmus, the low-lying land link between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that is increasingly prone to severe flooding. During the provincial election campaign, the premier accused the federal government of shirking its responsibility for the isthmus, on occasion accusing Ottawa of “trying to rip us off.” However, his language has become noticeably less strident since the election win. “I would say they were more open-minded to looking at different ways we could finance it (the isthmus project), so I will let that unfold,” said Houston. “It’s not resolved yet, I don’t want to give that impression, but certainly we are trying to work towards a resolution that both parties can live with.” The federal government has said it is willing to pay 50 per cent of the estimated $650-million project to strengthen the dike system and rail line along the vital land corridor against rising sea levels. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are to split the other half of the cost, and the provinces have subsequently asked the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal to rule on whether the responsibility for the work belongs entirely to the federal government. Houston said the legal challenge — Ottawa should file its response in January — is going ahead, with hearings scheduled to begin in March. “They haven’t filed yet and we haven’t withdrawn,” he said. “That stuff is still on the docket and I’ll keep that on the docket until there is a resolution.” Nova Scotia can’t afford to be distracted by squabbles with Ottawa as the province tries to fend off threats from the president-elect of the United States, who says he will impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods when he gets into office in January unless border security is improved. Houston said he is on board with Trudeau’s Team Canada approach to Donald Trump because of the vital trade relationship Nova Scotia has with its southern neighbour. According to Nova Scotia government statistics, nearly 70 per cent of the province’s exports between January and September 2024 were to the U.S. Exports were up 6.6 per cent over the same period in 2023, rising to $3.5 billion, the bulk of which range from seafood and agricultural products to lumber and tires. “We want to be part of a positive resolution ... The premiers are united on this, it’s their Number 1 priority,” said Houston, who added that meetings would probably be set up with governors from key trading partner states in the new year. As for dealing with Trump, Houston said it’s best to take him at his word regardless of whether he gets his point across on social media or through traditional channels. “He’s the president-elect of the United States so he has to be taken seriously, no matter which form he presents his ideas and thoughts,” Houston said.Manmohan Singh a great listener spoke only substance Former RBI guv SubbaraoThe branded hotels sector will end fiscal 2025 with a double-digit revenue growth of 13–14%, according to a Crisil Ratings report. And, in the next financial year, the sector will witness 11–12% growth, it added. The study also stated that in the previous fiscal, the segment had registered 17% growth. The ratings agency pointed to domestic leisure and business travel as the primary drivers. According to the report, increased activity in the MICE—meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions—segment, coupled with a pickup in foreign tourist arrivals, will add some boost. “The domestic leisure segment will continue to drive growth on the back of rising travel aspirations and better regional connectivity. Further, a positive economic outlook and the government's ‘Meet in India’ initiative to promote corporate events will support the business and MICE segments. Foreign tourist arrivals are also expected to surpass the pre-pandemic levels this fiscal,” Crisil Ratings’ Senior Director Mohit Makhija said. These factors, he said, will drive up the average room rates of branded hotels by 6-7% this fiscal. However Makhija added, that “growth in ARRs is expected to moderate to 3–4% next fiscal as significant room capacities come up. These factors will boost the revenue growth by 13–14% this fiscal and 11–12% in the next”. According to the report, the adoption of asset-light management contract route will help pick up the pace of room additions further from last fiscal. As a result, supply will increase by 20% over this fiscal and the next. "As 60-65% of room additions, over this fiscal and the next, are being done through an asset light route, it eliminates the need for large upfront investment and helps navigate business cyclicality better," the ratings agency’s Associate Director Pallavi Singh said. While Crisil expects the hotel industry’s operating margin to improve by 100–150 basis points this fiscal, it added that they should sustain at similar levels in the next year too. Crisil further said strong cash flows, asset-light expansion and sizeable equity raising will keep debt levels under check, hence, strengthening credit profiles. The report expects the number of branded hotel rooms to rise 8–9% this fiscal and 11–12% in the next. And, leisure and non-metro destinations will account for 65% additions. Of these additions, 25% will be in the top seven metros that offer scope for leisure and business activities. The upcoming spiritual tourism destinations will contribute towards the balance. “The hotel industry is expanding more into non-metros and emerging leisure destinations as travellers seek more choices, and infrastructure in these regions improve,” Singh added. Despite these significant room additions, occupancy levels are expected to remain strong at 74–75% next fiscal, declining by a modest 50 basis points after increasing 100–150 bps this fiscal. The report noted that hotels will benefit from operating leverage, which in addition to effective cost management, could result in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation margin expansiong of 100–150 bps to 33–34% this fiscal and the next. Cost management initiatives could include higher adoption of technology and manpower rationalisation to move to a leaner fixed cost structure. However, it warned that a surge in airfares could affect leisure travel, while an economic downturn could result in a decline in business travel. With PTI inputs

Advisors Asset Management Inc. Sells 16,060 Shares of Steelcase Inc. (NYSE:SCS)By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

By JESSICA DAMIANO Some homeowners gaze out their windows and see lush and beautiful gardens . Others would like to see lush and beautiful gardens but instead are greeted by overgrown, dead or otherwise messy landscapes. Related Articles Things To Do | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone Things To Do | Free Daily Horoscope for December 26 Things To Do | A preview of some stunning hotels and resorts opening in 2025 Things To Do | 12 sexy Christmas movies to stream this ho-ho-holiday season Things To Do | This condiment is the only sauce you’ll need to hack the holidays Whether you’ve inherited a neglected garden from a previous homeowner or have been too busy to keep on top of maintenance, don’t despair: Devising a game plan now can set you up for a much better view by next winter. As with most seemingly hopeless tasks, breaking the process down into small steps performed over time will help make the project manageable. Decide what to clear away First, grab a notepad and take a walk around the garden. Assess each section, determining which plants can be saved, which need to go and which require attention. Make a list now. Dead and invasive plants , as well as weeds , should be first on the chopping block. If the weather allows, dig them out, removing as much of their root systems as possible. Otherwise, tackle this first in spring. Next, remove and give away otherwise-healthy plants that you don’t want. Online buy-nothing groups and neighborhood pages are great places to find takers . Many will even be willing to do the digging if it means getting a free plant. If the property has been overrun with a thicket of plants, shrubs, trees and vines that have grown wild, a chainsaw, brush mower or brush grubber may be in order. Define any new beds If you’re dealing with a lot of weeds or want to create new garden beds in a lawn, you can smother the existing vegetation rather than dig it up. Determine the shape and size of the bed or border, and cover that area with cardboard or thick layers of newspaper. This can be done now, topped with 3 inches of compost and 2 inches of mulch, and left to sit over winter. It can also wait until planting time. When you’re ready to plant, you’ll be cutting root-size holes in the cardboard for your plants. Most weeds will be suppressed, but some may sneak through and require pulling or more cardboard. How and when to prune Healthy but overgrown or unproductive deciduous shrubs (the types that lose their leaves) can be rejuvenated by pruning . Do this when branches are bare in late winter. Choosing a method will require weighing aesthetics against rebound time and deciding which is right for you. The fastest (but most severe) method would be to cut the whole plant down just above ground level. It’s scary, but most shrubs can handle this and will bounce back stronger. If retaining height in the garden is important, you can opt to prune each branch or stem individually at uneven heights. Or cut back one-third of the plant’s branches each year for three years. The latter would have the least drastic effect but require the most patience. Evergreen trees and shrubs should only undergo selective pruning (the shortening of individual branches). Take care to avoid over-shearing or creating holes in needled evergreen plants and trees; with the exception of yews, they won’t fill back in . Looking to the dirt Now that you have a clean canvas, turn your attention to the soil. Test the soil’s pH to ensure it’s within range for the plants you plan to add. Test kits are available at local and online garden retailers. Your local cooperative extension service may provide testing and soil-amendment advice for a nominal fee. If indicated, incorporate lime or elemental sulfur into the soil to raise or lower its pH, following package instructions. If the soil is hard and compacted, use a core aerator or long-handled garden fork to create 2-3-inch holes through which air and water can enter. Finally, spread a 2-to-3-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure over the area. As it decomposes, nutrients will work their way into the soil. Planting considerations After completing the above steps, it will be time to plant your new garden. If by summer you’re not yet ready to plant, apply mulch or use annuals to protect the bare soil. When you’re ready to plant new trees , shrubs and/or perennials, carefully select varieties that will not run rampant. Dig holes just as deep as their roots but twice as wide and space them appropriately to allow for their mature sizes. For the lowest maintenance going forward, consider hardy, pollinator-friendly , drought-tolerant native plants. Incorporate non-invasive groundcovers into beds to serve as a natural mulch and discourage weeds – remember, if you don’t plant something in bare spots, God will. While you wait for groundcovers to fill in, apply 2-to-3 inches of mulch between and around plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, keep soil temperatures even and protect tender roots. It might take a year or two — or longer, depending on your schedule and ability, but a step-by-step approach will avoid overwhelm and provide a steady stream of small wins as you approach your goal. Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. For her favorite tools and gear of the past year, see her 2024 gardening gift guide. For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening .