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LONDON (AP) — Edinburgh Airport was shut down by an unspecified information technology issue Sunday afternoon, causing headaches for passengers at the start of the busy holiday travel season. All flights into and out of Scotland’s busiest airport were grounded at 4:15 p.m. local time, with some incoming flights diverted to Glasgow Airport about 50 miles away. Edinburgh airport said engineers were working to resolve the issue. “Passengers are asked to check the status of their flight with the airline they are flying with before traveling to the airport,’’ the airport said in a statement.NoneIndiana coach Mike Woodson is happy that his team has won three straight games but concerned that it's committing too many turnovers. Limiting miscues is at the top of his wish list for Monday night's Big Ten Conference opener against visiting Minnesota in Bloomington, Ind. While the Hoosiers (7-2) shot 53.8 percent and dominated Miami (Ohio) 46-29 on the glass during a 76-57 win at home Friday night, they also had more turnovers (16) than assists (15). Having played for Bob Knight at Indiana, Woodson is fanatical about his team executing its offense without making mistakes. "We were taking chances on passes that weren't there," Woodson said. "We have to fix it. If we start Big Ten play like that, it puts you in a hole." In between careless mistakes, the Hoosiers got a huge game out of Oumar Ballo, the Arizona transfer who had 14 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. It was his 35th career double-double but his first at Indiana. Ballo (12.7 points per game, 9.3 rebounds) is one of four players averaging double figures for the Hoosiers. They're led by Malik Reneau, who's hitting for 15.4 ppg on 58.9 percent shooting. While Indiana tries to fine-tune its game, the Golden Gophers (6-4, 0-1 Big Ten) aim to get to the .500 mark in conference play after absorbing a 90-72 beating Wednesday night against visiting Michigan State. There was good news for Minnesota in that game. Mike Mitchell Jr. returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a high ankle sprain and drilled 5 of 9 3-pointers in a 17-point performance. Mitchell's shooting should aid an attack that ranks 311th in Division I in 3-point percentage at 29.7 percent as of Sunday. "He's a difference-maker in terms of being able to space the floor," Gophers coach Ben Johnson said of Mitchell. "He provides offensive firepower and a guy who can make shots and take pressure off our offense." Dawson Garcia leads the team at 19 ppg, while Lu'Cye Patterson and Mitchell are scoring 10 ppg. The Hoosiers own a 109-69 lead in the all-time series. --Field Level Media

How do you solve a problem like eighth grade algebra ? Not the actual problems covered by the syllabus — the graphing of compound inequalities, say, or the untangling of scatter plots — but the question that’s at the heart of a fraught national debate: Who should get to take a high school level math class in their final year of middle school ? Portland Public Schools is the latest urban school district to take a swing at answering that question, after previous high-profile attempts in New York City and San Francisco yielded no measurable improvement in two different but equally important objectives: Diversifying middle school algebra classes and making sure that advanced math students leave eighth grade with a solid grasp on foundational algebraic concepts. The district’s experiment unfolds daily in Ernest Yago’s cheerfully cluttered math classroom at Faubion PK-8 School in Northeast Portland. Yago, a veteran math teacher, is piloting a new math and science-focused, hands-on elective that some seventh graders at his school take alongside their regular math class. So far, Portland’s new approach has narrowed the pool of students allowed to start high school math in eighth grade, though it is only in its first few months. And it is not yet clear whether the district has managed to boost the racial and ethnic diversity of those taking part. The hope is that the course Yago is debuting will broaden the spectrum of scholars in eighth grade algebra. By double-dosing students with math concepts in seventh grade — couched in an approach that stresses projects with real-world applications over worksheets — the thinking is they will be better prepared for the rigors of eighth grade algebra. In addition to Faubion, three K-8 schools on the city’s east side — Bridger-Creative Science, Astor and Cesar Chavez — plus Robert Gray Middle School on the west side are offering the elective. “I think that for some kids, algebra in eighth is pushing too fast, but there are a select few kids that are motivated and ready to do a high school class in eighth grade,” Yago said. “I want to honor that and make sure we offer it.” Kids who aren’t instinctively gifted mathematicians need to have the right background before jumping into algebra in eighth grade, Yago said. And he knows firsthand that that hasn’t always been the case, particularly in the post-pandemic years, when students returned to school still glued to their screens. Some kids come into eighth grade algebra in “la-la land,” with big holes in the background they need to succeed in the class, Yago said. That means taking time out of a packed curriculum to revisit the content they’ve missed, he added, like how to make a box plot and calculate a five number summary . “I try my best to cover what they need [in eighth grade algebra],’ but sometimes you have to fill in holes to make that progress, and then you are behind in curricular content,” he said. He’s got some hope “a good chunk” of the seventh graders in his math-and-science elective will be better prepared to tackle algebra next year, after getting more exposure to the material. After their current unit on graphing wraps up, he said, they’ll move on to a geometry unit, using proportional reasoning, expressions and equations to create blueprints for a scale model of a home they’ll design and build. Yago and his fellow teachers at the pilot schools are developing the curriculum for the course over the course of the school year, with help from two high school math teachers with experience teaching hands-on math. Yago’s students said they had varying reasons for taking his math elective. Some said they’d been put there or recommended for entry by teachers. Others said they want careers in the sciences. Aspiring engineers, doctors and computer programmers said they know taking algebra in eighth grade would help launch them on that path. “I want to be a pilot, and you need math for that,” said Liam Kaczenski, 12. He said he is determined to earn good enough grades in Yago’s class to qualify for algebra next year. For his graphing project, he charted how many siblings each of his classmates had and compared that against their stress level, hypothesizing that the more brothers and sisters, the higher the angst would be. It was true for him, he said, pointing at his twin sister Ana, who is also in Yago’s class. “I struggle with math sometimes,” Ana said. “But I want to be ahead in high school. This class helps me understand more topics.” Taking algebra in eighth grade sets students like the Kaczenski twins up for geometry in ninth grade, advanced algebra by 10th grade, pre-calculus in 11th grade and calculus by their senior year. Calculus is viewed both as a calling card for elite colleges and a prerequisite for eventual employment in the lucrative and growing engineering and technology industries. Waiting until ninth grade to start algebra means that, to get to calculus by senior year, students either have to double up on math or seek summer credits. Nationally and in Portland, white and Asian students have historically been overrepresented in advanced math classes and have outperformed their Black, Latino and Indigenous peers. In a bid to change that dynamic, San Francisco tried banning eighth grade algebra completely, a path Portland seriously considered emulating, to the chagrin of some parents . They argued that without an in-school option available, well-off families would hire private tutors for their children, exacerbating inequity instead of alleviating it. Then San Francisco Unified School District officials reversed course, after a decade’s worth of no algebra in middle school led to little improvement in equity, and Portland, too, pivoted. New York City, meanwhile, took the opposite tack, making algebra available to all eighth graders. But there too, Black and Latino students still scored way below their white and Asian counterparts. The district, the nation’s largest, has now shifted its focus to improving ninth grade algebra instruction. Portland is seeking to thread the needle, said Joanna Tobin, the district’s senior director for middle grade core academics. “We were just really frustrated with the research and the nationwide dilemma,” Tobin said. “We want to hold onto an advanced pathway and support our students getting there, if that’s their desire, and we also really do value grade level work.” In addition to piloting the seventh grade math and science elective, Portland raised the bar for which seventh graders get to take “compacted math,” a fast-track class that is the historical precursor to eighth grade algebra. It compresses the seventh and eighth grade math curriculums mostly into a single year. With the bar set higher this year, only about one-third of the district’s 2,870 seventh graders performed well enough on standardized tests to gain automatic entry into compacted math, compared to about half of last year’s seventh grade class, Tobin said. Under the district’s new system, entry doesn’t hinge solely on a high-stakes test, which sets Portland apart from the bulk of middle schools in the United States that offer algebra in eighth grade. A second pathway into compacted math — a teacher recommendation or parent request that a student be allowed to demonstrate that they are ready for the material even though their test scores are below the cutoff — appears to be far more lightly used thus far. Some parents have complained that the district was slow to get the word out about that option. Just 140 students completed a “performance task” to try to place into compacted math after missing the quiz and test cutoffs. Only 20 of that group ultimately joined the advanced class. (A sample question from the performance task: Imagine that your family ate one third of a pan of brownies and that you then gave six friends equal portions of the leftovers. How much of the total pan did each friend get. Please show your work!). “When you put up these roadblocks to getting into more advanced classes, you know who will make it in,” said David Stein, whose sixth grade daughter was able to test into seventh grade compacted math after a last minute scramble. “It will be the parents who get the emails, are able to process them and go through the effort to make sure their kid is eligible and enrolled in the program.” Portland doesn’t yet have good data on the demographics of who made it into compacted math this year, as compared with years past because of technical glitches, Tobin said. But she acknowledged that for now, “when it comes to the demographics, [compacted math] is not yet reflective of the diversity of our communities. Some of this will be a journey, and we’ll be seeing the growth at high school.” Every Portland middle school is offering at least one way into eighth grade algebra — either the seventh grade compacted math class or the career-related math elective — but it’s not clear yet that budgets or student interest will support every school eventually being able to offer both options, Tobin said. Yago, for his part, said he’d like to see the math and science elective expanded to eighth graders not taking algebra, on the theory that it will make them better prepared for ninth grade. “It’s made me rethink how to go about teaching math, with more inquiry and projects,” said Yago, who began teaching in Portland as a substitute nearly 30 years ago. “But it all does depend on the kids you have and the experience they have coming to you.” — Julia Silverman covers K-12 education for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach her via email at jsilverman@oregonian.com . Follow her on x.com at @jrlsilverman.

With the rise of the internet and smartphones, various dangers have emerged alongside the conveniences these technologies offer. While smartphones have simplified many tasks, they've also provided scammers and cyber criminals with new avenues to deceive people. In light of this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has implemented several measures recently to safeguard individuals against scams and online fraud. One significant step TRAI has taken is to instruct telecom companies to enforce message traceability. This major decision was first announced in August, focusing on commercial messages and OTPs (One-Time Passwords). Initially, telecom companies were given a deadline of October 31 to enact these traceability measures, but this deadline was extended to November 31 following requests from major players like Jio, Airtel, VI, and BSNL. As the new deadline approaches, these companies must comply with TRAI's rules on tracking commercial and OTP messages. It's important to note that if Jio, Airtel, VI, and BSNL start implementing these traceability measures on December 1, OTP messages may experience delays. Consequently, if you are engaged in activities like banking or booking reservations, you could find yourself waiting longer for your OTP. TRAI's initiative stems from the realisation that scammers often exploit fake OTP messages to gain access to individuals' devices, resulting in significant financial losses. By enforcing this rule across all telecom companies, TRAI aims to protect consumers more effectively. In other news, Beginning January 1, 2025, a that will affect customers of Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL. These regulations are aimed at accelerating the development of 5G infrastructure across the country. The government has recently introduced additional regulations under the Telecom Act, requiring all states to comply with these changes. This new guideline, referred to as the Right of Way (RoW), establishes standardised costs for telecom companies when deploying infrastructure nationwide. Currently, RoW rules differ from state to state, leading to varied charges for permissions and the establishment of infrastructure across the country.Archana Puran Singh 's foray into the world of YouTube was met with immediate success. The actress, who has appeared in over 100 Bollywood films and is a regular fixture on The Kapil Sharma Show , launched her YouTube channel with the goal of sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of her life and providing personal updates. Within hours of the launch, her channel went viral, gaining thousands of views as fans rushed to engage with her content. Singh, known for her candid and humorous personality, was eager to interact with her audience through vlogs, which included appearances by her family and friends. Her channel’s success was short-lived, however, as it was hacked in the early hours of December 14, disrupting her plans for future content. The hacking incident has not only affected her ability to engage with fans but has also drawn attention to the vulnerabilities that creators face in the digital age. Archana Puran Singh's YouTube channel hacked Reports indicate that the attack on Archana Puran Singh's YouTube channel occurred at around 2 AM on December 14, shortly after the channel had gained significant traction. The hackers deleted all of the channel's content, wiping out the videos that had quickly garnered thousands of views. This breach marks a troubling development in the ongoing issue of cybersecurity, particularly for celebrities and public figures who often have large, vulnerable online followings. Upon discovering the hack, Singh shared a message with her followers on Instagram. In the video, she expressed both her disappointment and gratitude, thanking fans for their overwhelming support. "My YouTube channel went viral in just a few hours. Thank you for ALL the love you have shown me and my fam. I love you all!" Singh said. She reassured her fans, stating that the channel should be restored "in a day or two," and promised to keep them updated on the progress. Efforts to restore the Archana’s channel Singh's team is currently working in collaboration with YouTube’s support team and cybersecurity experts to restore the channel and recover the deleted content. In addition to restoring the videos, there is a concerted effort to secure the account and prevent future hacking incidents. Cybersecurity experts are likely advising Singh’s team on improving security protocols, which may include strengthening password protection, enabling two-factor authentication, and monitoring the account for suspicious activity. This breach also highlights the broader issue of online security for content creators, especially those with large followings. Celebrities, influencers, and public figures are increasingly targeted by hackers who seek to exploit their online presence for malicious purposes. Singh’s experience serves as a reminder of the need for heightened vigilance in managing digital platforms, particularly as social media and video-sharing platforms continue to grow in popularity. Archana Puran Singh's positive outlook and commitment to fans Despite the challenges posed by the hacking incident, Singh remains optimistic about her YouTube plans. She assured her followers that her efforts to reconnect with them will not be deterred by this setback. In her Instagram video, she expressed confidence that the channel would be up and running again soon, stating, “Fingers crossed. Will keep you all updated. See you SOON on YOUTUBE.” Singh's family, including her husband Parmeet Sethi and son Ayushmaan Sethi, have also been involved in the content creation for the channel, sharing their personal lives with fans. Their participation has contributed to the channel's early success, as viewers were eager to see a more intimate side of the actress’s life. Also read | Airtel recharge plans | Jio recharge plans | BSNL recharge plansA lack of rules to help keep aging drivers — and you — safer on the streets causes serious, even fatal, consequences, Scripps News Cleveland found in a recent investigative report. So-called "mature drivers" (55+) were the most common variable in Ohio motor vehicle crashes over the last six years. State records show mature drivers were involved in 525,290 crashes between Jan. 1, 2019, and Nov. 12, 2024. The number of crashes involving mature drivers was higher than youth-related crashes and speed-related crashes. Despite those numbers, Ohio and other states have no special provisions to ensure older drivers are safe behind the wheel. Ignoring the risk "We really, as a society, mostly ignore it," said Sharona Hoffman , Case Western Reserve University, School of Law, and author of "Aging with a Plan: How a Little Thought Today Can Vastly Improve Your Tomorrow," which provides resources to help middle-aged and older adults deal with all aspects of aging, including driving. "There is not a good legal framework that tries to identify unsafe driving and address it," she said. Ohio is one of 13 states that does not have any regulations aimed at aging drivers on the roadways, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Other states have only enacted minor provisions, including more frequent license renewals and vision tests and requiring drivers to renew their licenses in person instead of by mail. Nevada and Washington D.C. require a doctor's note for drivers over 70. Only Illinois requires drivers to take another road test after they turn 75. Hoffman said driving decisions are mostly left to families. "Doctors often don’t get involved in that and so it’s up to families, and that can be extremely difficult," she said. Hoffman said older drivers often "don't want to hear they are a hazard," and families are often reluctant to engage in difficult conversations with loved ones about driving. At the same time, more older Americans are driving. The most recent Federal Highway Administration estimate is that there are over 34 million licensed drivers who are 70 or older in the U.S. 'If I wasn't there...' Even serious incidents can have little or no impact on an aging driver's license. Over the summer, Newburgh Heights Patrol Officer Russ Veverka was working his regular overnight shift on Interstate 77 when one car caught his attention. The driver was headed northbound in the southbound lane. At the same time, several vehicles were approaching from the opposite direction. "The one thing I’m not going to have is another vehicle hit head-on with another vehicle in front of me," he said. "I don’t think I could handle that at all." So from a grassy knoll near the Harvard Avenue bridge, Officer Veverka activated his overhead lights and drove onto the highway, blocking a lane. The driver saw him and stopped. The driver turned out to be a 65-year-old man who had been reported as a missing endangered adult earlier that day. A 4-year-old relative was standing in the backseat with no restraints. "Seeing that, my heart wanted to drop," Veverka said. The driver appeared confused and kept saying he was on Interstate 480. He had been driving around with the little boy for hours. After stopping the wrong-way driver, Veverka submitted form 2308 to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to request the driver take a road test. "That's the best we can do right now," Veverka said. But when Scripps News Cleveland reached out to the driver's wife, she told us nothing had changed. She said her husband is still driving, including picking up the 4-year-old boy from daycare. Jackson Township tragedy "We all have family members that we think, 'Eh, maybe they shouldn't be driving," said Jackson Township Fire Chief Tim Berczik. His department recently started outreach efforts to older drivers after reviewing the city's crashes over the last year. He found mature drivers were involved in eight fatalities in the city of approximately 44,000 residents, including a crash that killed a 69-year-old grandfather in October. Berczik said an 81-year-old woman crashed into Angello's 2 Go pizza shop when she accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal in her car. His staff is now showing older drivers how to stay safer in their vehicles, including proper seat and mirror placement. They also encourage anyone with concerns to be retested. "We're not talking in any way about, 'We need to take car keys away from senior folks,'" he said. "Make it a group decision that maybe we don't drive as much." He said mature drivers can limit the distances they drive, stop driving at night, or stick to familiar areas to keep themselves and others safer on the roads. 'Life is for the young..." Handing over your keys carries its own consequences. "We live in a society where our autonomy often depends on driving," Hoffman said. "They won’t be able to go to doctor’s appointments as easily, and they can become socially isolated, which is catastrophic for anyone, but especially older people." "If you are lonely, if you are not engaging with other people, that is a sure recipe for cognitive decline and other physical and mental health problems," she said. In a recent law review article, "Patient Autonomy, Public Safety, and Drivers with Cognitive Decline ," Hoffman and her co-author recommended doctors be required to send patients diagnosed with cognitive decline and other conditions for road tests. Right now, medical professionals are only encouraged to notify the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles about their concerns about a patient's driving. However, Scripps News Cleveland found only 18% of those drivers lost their licenses. Hoffman also said law enforcement officers should be trained to identify cognitive decline and report problem drivers. "I've had relatives who've driven into mailboxes, lamp posts, and parked cars and each time they have just gotten a warning or a ticket," she said. 76-year-old Brook Park resident Rose Ramsey said she isn't as confident in her driving skills as she used to be. "Once in a blue moon, I kind of forget the route that I was going," she said. "I'm planning on going a certain place and then I just kind of have to let the car lead the way." When she is worried about taking the wheel, she relies on her husband of 56 years, Kenneth. "I have my own chauffeur," she said. She supports requiring drivers to be retested as they get older. "John Q. Public and myself needs to be safe," she said. Ramsey said she knows that means she and her husband will eventually have to give up their own car keys. She admits it will not be easy. "I know it would be very difficult for us and yet I do understand that time is coming," she said. "Life is for the young, isn't it?" What should you do? If you're concerned about a loved one's driving abilities, Hoffman and Berczik both recommend the following: Be compassionate during your conversation Be a passenger so you can observe their driving skills Be proactive by involving their doctor, encouraging your loved one to get retested and/or set limits on when and how they drive This story was originally published by Sarah Buduson at Scripps News Cleveland .

Man City goalkeeper Ederson causes CHAOS after charging out of his box and leaving an open goal for Feyenoord's equaliser in 3-3 drawAfter weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey , U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special technology that identifies and tracks drones back to their landing spots, according to briefings from his office. Recommended Videos Schumer’s calls come amid growing public concern that the federal government hasn’t offered clear explanations as to who is operating the drones, and has not stopped them. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference. “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “The answer ‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer.” President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media last week: “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so. Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.” Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said, without saying exactly how. The drones don’t appear to be linked to foreign governments, Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter,” Mayorkas said. Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their identities. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is operating the drones swarming locations in New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer is calling for recently declassified radar technology to be used to help determine whether an object is a drone or a bird, identify its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.Region must not be left behind in use of AI – Bartlett

Noida: A gang that allegedly duped people on the pretext of increasing their credit card limit was busted on Saturday and its six members were arrested from Sector 37, Noida police said on Sunday, adding that the suspects used to call people as customer care executives of banks. Police identified the suspects as Nagendra Sharma, 24, Amit Kumar, 27, Ravi Kant, 29, and Vikas Jha, 24, all residents of Noida’s Sector 45, Tez Singh, 27, a resident of Sector 49, and Nawab Khan, a resident of Sector 144, said Manish Kumar Mishra, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), Noida. Nagendra, who holds a Master of Computer Application (MCA) degree, helped the gang technically. Another man called “Mota bhai”, also suspected to be a developer of a fake mobile application, was the mastermind of the gang and he is absconding, the officer added. Mishra said all the suspects hold either B. Com or MCA degrees. “During investigation they revealed that they used to call their target posing as customer care executives of banks after buying data of credit card holders from online websites.” Explaining the gang’s modus operandi, the ADCP said that they used to give their offer to raise the credit limit without any charges. Later, to seek one’s authentication, a fake bank weblink used to be sent to the target. When the targeted person opened the weblink, appearing like a bank website link, a consent was sought to access further messages, officers said. “They ask the victim to download an application (App) using their weblink and fill in the details, including bank details,” said ADCP Mishra, adding that after accessing the message and all credit card details, the suspects used to purchase mobile phones and gold and silver coins with that private information. An officer, part of the investigation, said the suspects were running the gang since 2021, and the arrest came after an informer alerted them about their activity. Police recovered 28 high-end mobile phones, 12 silver and four gold coins, a Maruti Suzuki i10, and a scooter from the suspects’ possession. The suspects used to operate from this car by travelling to different locations. Further investigation is underway, said officers. A case under sections 318(4) (cheating), 336(3) (forgery), 340(2) (forged electronic documents), 339 (knowingly possessing a forged document or electronic record with the intent to use it as genuine) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act was registered against them at Sector 39 police station.

Ravens’ running game was crucial in a big win over the Chargers, especially on 4th downFort Worth sought to attract investment in new health care startups. Here are the resultsSchieffelin has 18 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists as Clemson hands Penn State first loss 75-67

NYT Connections: Game #554 Hints And Answers For December 16, 2024AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1

QLD News Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News. O n an especially muggy early morning this month, my seven-year-old daughter and I were walking the big hills near our Logan home in Queensland. She was puffing and chatting away, and in her characteristically inquisitive way she asked me what my favourite year was. I said I couldn’t decide; we spoke about some of the good ones. I asked her what her favourite year was and without hesitation she said “next year”. I’ve been thinking a lot about that optimism. I thought about it again watching Sam Konstas bat in the first session on Boxing Day, with the freedom and fearlessness of a teenager. Bringing joy to Australians at the end of what was an especially tough year in 2024. Inflation has come down a lot but people are still struggling with cost-of-living pressures. Higher interest rates have hit household budgets hard. There’s been a lot of uncertainty and conflict in the world that’s weighed on our economy here. Aussie cricketer Sam Konstas has helped bring joy to Australians over the festive period. Picture: Michael Klein As a government, our focus has been fighting inflation and rolling out cost-of-living help. After a difficult couple of years we shouldn’t forget the progress we’ve made together as Australians. Our economy has continued to grow while other countries like the UK and New Zealand went into recession. Inflation has more than halved since we came to office, it’s now at its lowest in almost four years and within the Reserve Bank’s target band. The RBA’s latest minutes describe their increasing confidence that inflation is sustainably headed where we want it. Real wages are growing and more than a million jobs have now been created on our watch, a record for any government in a single term. The combination of tax relief, falling inflation, and wages and jobs growth means real disposable household incomes are also growing again in the latest numbers. They were going backwards when we came to office. Our policies have helped ease some of the pressure on people. We delivered a tax cut for every taxpayer and took a slice off electricity bills, with energy bill relief for every household. We made childcare and medicines cheaper; strengthened Medicare; delivered more rent assistance; provided student debt relief; cracked down on the supermarkets to get a fairer go for farmers and families. And we’ve done all this in a responsible way, while getting the Budget into surplus twice, shrinking the deficit this year, and pushing debt down by $177bn. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer Even as we’ve made progress together in the aggregate numbers, we know it doesn’t always translate to how people are feeling and faring. We see that in consumer surveys where confidence is still below where it’s been historically. But since mid-year, those consumer confidence numbers have come up, with our income tax cuts playing a part. We spent last summer working on these tax cuts, to ensure they delivered benefits to every taxpayer – not just some. It was one of the most important decisions we made as a government, the one I’m proudest of, but it didn’t come without political risk. Peter Dutton even called for an election over the tax cuts. So Australians would be worse off if Mr Dutton had his way on tax. It’s another important reminder that the biggest risk to household budgets in 2025 would be a Coalition government that would come after Medicare again, push electricity prices up and wages down. We can’t jeopardise the progress we’ve made together as Australians, in our economy. There will still be challenges to meet in 2025, still people under pressure who need help. The outlook for China remains uncertain, and conflict and trade tensions are likely to weigh on the global economy next year. Inflation has bounced up and down in the US, Euro area and the UK. Despite all this, when we look at the direction of our economy now, we can be more optimistic about the year ahead. The worst of the inflation challenge is behind us, better days are ahead of us. 2024 was difficult but 2025 will be better. We’ve been planning and preparing for a soft landing in our economy, and that’s what economists are now expecting. They expect inflationary pressures to ease further, growth to improve and unemployment to remain at or near historically low levels. There are lots of reasons to be cautious and not complacent, but also lots of reasons to be confident and optimistic about the coming year. Jim Chalmers is Federal Treasurer Originally published as Jim Chalmers: Why Australians should be optimistic about 2025 Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Gold Coast Watch preview: Documentary on Alexa Leary’s brave comeback New documentary Alexa’s Story with Alexa Leary and her parents charts her defiance of medical prediction to come back from a horror cycling crash. Watch the preview before it is out January 1 Read more QLD News ‘Frightened’: Claudine’s heartbreak over loss of sister, mother A Queenslander who lost her entire family in one of the state’s worst-ever car crashes has a message for drivers during the festive season. See the video. Warning: Distressing Read moreSHREVEPORT, La. - We officially have an announcement on what teams will be coming to Shreveport for the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. This year's matchup features teams from the Sun Belt and American Conference. It's Marshall vs. Army West Point. Both teams won their conference championship this year. This will be the first year since the inaugural year of the Independence Bowl, which was in 1976, that two teams who won their conference will face off against each other. "It's extremely important. It calls attention to our bowl. It gives our bowl the status of having a conference champion. That's very significant, and to be able to put two of them together is very exciting," said Independence Bowl Chair Claire Rebouche. The Marshall Thundering Herd vs. the Army Black Knights will kick off at 8:15 on December 28.Pharming announces public cash offer to the shareholders of Abliva AB

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Edinburgh Airport shut down by IT issue just as holiday travel season gets under way