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Donald Trump Can’t Stop Giving Everyone Around Him the Same “Gifts.” I Got Some Myself—and Quickly Saw What’s Going On Here.
I understand the president better now. I hate it.
"BETTER" · 총 499건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 82,305건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.3(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,245건(5.2%)·중립 75,968건(92.3%)·부정 2,092건(2.5%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.7(중도 균형)입니다.
I understand the president better now. I hate it.
France's government was on Friday assessing possible judicial failings, after allegations that investigators could have prevented a 11-year-old girl's disappearance by better dealing with previous sexual abuse complaints.
Come January, pregnancy care physician billing codes will change from a bundled system to an à la carte one. Many obstetricians say this approach will better reflect the amount and type of care they provide. But it could incentivize providers to pile on visits and services.
In today's digital world, finding a suitable life partner online has become more convenient. However, convenience alone is not enough. Users also need features that understand their preferences while ensuring privacy, security, and a better overall experience. Keeping these needs in...
China's top economic regulator — the National Development and Reform Commission — held a symposium with State-owned enterprises on Tuesday to deepen corporate reform, advance the construction of a unified national market, and bolster green development and energy security, to better align with the country's broader strategic national goals.
Stephon Castle took a page out of James Harden’s playbook Thursday.
(Matador) Better known as a formidable free jazz saxophonist, these thrashing songs about the artist’s Tennessee childhood home share a similar genre-pushing intensity On opening track OCD, Zoh Amba stops a twinkling, rootsy guitar melody and starts over, searching for the right way to tell the story of a boy diagnosed with “dreamin’ all the time”. Amba lands on a queasy combination of empathy and conspiracy (“said that mind needs fixin’ / gunna end up like everybody”), churned up by thrashing, violent strumming – the kind that causes blisters and wrecked strings. These cryptic postcards from Amba’s home town of Kingsport, Tennessee describe childhood memories with fresh eyes: they left at 17 and returned only recently, now in their mid-20s. Blending gruff reality with poetic licence, Eyes Full is a rugged, experimental country rock record that feels deeply lived in, despite representing an abrupt change in sound: Amba is best known as a prodigious free jazz saxophonist. Continue reading...
The government is planning to introduce a reservation system for the Po Pin Chau section of the High Island Reservoir East Dam in Sai Kung to better manage visitor flows and protect hiking trails from excessive wear and tear, according to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council. This came as the number of visitors at the Po Pin Chau section reached capacity during previous Golden Week holidays. Authorities said the proposal would also help improve visitor experience by spreading arrivals across different time slots. "Given that hiking trails in other country parks currently do not require reservation, the government will consider piloting the system at the Po Pin Chau section, collecting data for evaluating the effectiveness," it stated. On marine conservation, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has proposed designating the coral areas on both the eastern and western sides of Sharp Island, including the tombolo, as a marine park covering an area of approximately 63 hectares. The department has already launched a public consultation and aims to complete the statutory designation process by mid-2027. The paper also outlined the government's broader eco-tourism push, including the "Four Peaks" tourism project featuring The Peak, Lantau Peak, Tai Mo Shan and Sai Kung Hoi. It said the department would launch a thematic website, promotional videos and other publicity materials in the second half of 2026. "While promoting the 'Four Peaks' tourism, the AFCD will continue to enhance promotion of hiking safety and outdoor etiquette and codes, reminding visitors to protect the natural environment," it stated. Edited by Tony Sabine
OFWs, mostly high school graduates working as domestic helpers, are now upgrading their skills for better employment
Commenting on the domestic economy, the RBI Governor said India is better placed to deal with the current phase of global uncertainty.
Newly appointed Competition Commission chairman Jat Sew-tong on Friday said the body hopes to come up with proposed amendments to the Competition Ordinance regarding bid-rigging within this legislative year. This comes after bid-rigging over a building maintenance project was suspected to have taken place at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po where a massive blaze last year claimed 168 lives. Jat, who took office in May, said the commission is considering different ways to improve the law, such as through introducing criminal liability or increasing civil penalties. “We are looking at all possibilities to see how we could make the ordinance effective and have a sufficient deterrent effect to this kind of behaviour and we hope we could achieve a situation where this kind of behaviour would no longer continue,” he said. The barrister noted that the government has already included a "non-collusion" clause in large-scale renovation project tenders as a way to prevent bid-rigging. “I understand that the government may consider making a requirement that in tenders of that kind, the non-collusion clause will be in the form of a statutory declaration,” he said. “Whoever puts in the tender will have to make a statutory declaration that they are doing it independently, without collusion with any other party. Therefore, making that statutory declaration would by itself attract criminal liability if it is a false declaration.” Jat also said that from July, members of the public will be allowed to attend part of the commission's meetings, as a way to enhance transparency. He said the body is open to suggestions as to how it can carry out its work better. Edited by Thomas McAlinden
PAKISTAN has one of the highest diabetes prevalence rates in the world. About one in three adults is living with diabetes here — some 33-34 million people. Shouldn’t there be public information campaigns to raise awareness about preventing/ living with diabetes? Where are these programmes in Pakistan? Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in Pakistan; it is responsible for an estimated 30-40 per cent of deaths. Pakistan’s cardiovascular disease rate is 648.6 persons per 100,000; the ischemic heart disease rate is 188 per 100,000 persons. Both are the highest in the region. Some of the leading risk factors for heart disease are diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, tobacco usage and air pollution. Around 20pc of our adult population consumes tobacco (there is a 32pc prevalence rate among men and 6-7pc among women). Other than printed warnings on tobacco products and a ban on tobacco advertisements, one does not see a significant campaign to prohibit or even discourage tobacco consumption. Around 18-26pc of our adult population is believed to be hypertensive, with some 70pc undiagnosed. Neither do we have a public awareness programme for prevention of hypertension. We don’t even have sufficient diagnostic facilities. Most people discover they are hypertensive when health complications, like heart disease, arise. Why does our healthcare system lack diabetes prevention and management programmes? Breastfeeding initiation rates are low in Pakistan as is the exclusive six-month breastfeeding rate. Pakistan still has one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates and some 40pc of its children are malnourished. Contaminated water in the feed of infants is a major contributory factor. Sadly, despite the fact that breastfeeding initiation or knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding for six months and programmes for ensuring better support for mothers are not that costly — and far cheaper than addressing child malnourishment and high infant mortality rates — we are still without a major programme to support pregnant and lactating mothers. Why are systems and markets so incomplete in these areas? If a third of our adult population has diabetes, why does our healthcare system lack diabetes prevention and management programmes? It is true that we spend very little — as a percentage of GDP — on healthcare. But awareness, prevention and management programmes are much cheaper to run than curative programmes. Why is prioritisation in public health expenditure so warped? The neglect of large preventive or management programmes in the public sector in almost all the areas mentioned here is criminal to say the least. The private sector provides much of the healthcare in the country. It makes sense for the largely profit-driven private sector to focus on curative rather than preventive programmes. Doctors, hospitals and pharmaceuticals earn a lot more if a person develops diabetes and lives with the condition for 20 to 30 years, rather than making lifestyle changes before full-blown diabetes sets in. On the other hand, much of our private health sector is not-for-profit. Yet even they lack large awareness or prevention programmes. Some of the world’s leading cardiologists are working in the country. Many are working in Pakistan as well as in the US/UK. Given the widespread prevalence of heart disease, there’s a strong demand for cardiologists here. However, no hospital, insurance company or doctor has a good prevention programme in place. I have heard a number of doctors say that if you are a South Asian man in your mid to late 50s, it is likely you already carry some of the markers of heart disease. But if this is true, should the same doctors and hospitals not invest in programmes that raise awareness for South Asian men before they reach their mid-50s? One could argue that there is no incentive for profit-focused doctors and hospitals to invest in prevention programmes. But, what is more surprising is that there are significant gaps in the provision of services even in curative care. So, you survive a heart attack. In most countries, hospitals and doctors offer programmes for rehabilitation that get you on the road to recovery by offering support for dietary and lifestyle changes, exercise, psychological and psychiatric support if needed, and of course, support for managing heart disease. But few, if any, hospitals or doctors offer such comprehensive support in Pakistan. Instead, you get a lot of hand-waving and general advice on lifestyle and dietary changes and instructions to get in touch with each specialist separately. Even where profits could be made, the services are missing. This is quite interesting. Has the market still not developed enough? The same issues exist in other areas as well. If around a third of Pakistani adults are diabetic and large numbers are genetically predisposed to obesity, hypertension and heart disease, why are food manufacturers and restaurants in Pakistan not offering better options? Just displaying ‘no added sugar’ on a food label is not enough. Just saying the burger has ‘xx calories’ is definitely not enough. Manufacturers and restaurants should be developing tasty but healthy options for people living with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, etc. But we do not see such developments even in the for-profit sector. It is not clear why this is so. It might be that the market has not caught on yet (try finding non-dairy milk options in mainstream shops) as such options do exist in other countries. Or is the market not thought to be discerning or large enough? Given the millions of people we are dealing with, I think that things are likely to change in the near future. But the near future might not be near enough for many. Much of Pakistan’s disease burden is preventable and manageable — right from the time a child is born (breastfeeding awareness and support) all the way to adulthood (heart disease, diabetes, etc). The for-profit healthcare sector and food industry are benefiting monetarily from curative services — although there are many services that are not being provided — and have no incentive to invest in awareness and preventive programmes. But the responsibility of large awareness and prevention programmes lies with the state. Sadly, the state is more focused on the curative rather than the preventive aspect of healthcare services. The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives and an associate professor of economics at Lums. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026
EVERY June, Pakistan’s budget season follows a familiar pattern: business groups repeat their proposals for relief, the government defends its targets, and taxpayers prepare for additional burdens. Yet a more fundamental question is rarely asked — what is the budget ultimately meant to achieve, and does it reflect a clear long-term national purpose? In principle, the budget is the state’s main instrument for promoting growth, improving public services, reducing poverty and raising living standards. In Pakistan, however, it has increasingly come to resemble an accounting exercise: mobilise sufficient revenue to finance a growing state and meet fiscal benchmarks agreed with the IMF. The result is a lopsided process that remains focused on extracting more from those already within the tax net, while paying insufficient attention to the quality of public spending, the need to broaden the base, or the incentives required for investment, employment and productivity. The Tax Policy Office was expected to introduce a longer-term perspective to this debate, but that wider vision is still not evident. The burden continues to fall, predictably, on the formal economy. Corporations, salaried employees, entrepreneurs, exporters, documented businesses and investors remain the most visible and therefore the most easily taxed. What receives much less scrutiny is whether public spending is yielding meaningful improvements in citizens’ lives, particularly in a country where a large share of the population remains below the poverty line. Pakistan has absorbed much of the fiscal cost of devolution without fully realising its potential efficiency gains. This distortion has become more pronounced since the 18th Constitutional Amendment altered Pakistan’s fiscal structure. Health, education, labour welfare and other social services were devolved to the provinces, which now receive a substantial share of national revenues through the National Finance Commission Award. The logic was straightforward: provinces, being closer to citizens, would deliver services more effectively, while the federal government would gradually withdraw from devolved functions and reduce its own size and cost. That second part of the arrangement, however, remains largely unfulfilled. More than a decade later, successive governments have shown limited willingness to undertake the constitutional, administrative and institutional reforms required to right-size the federation. Pakistan has, therefore, absorbed much of the fiscal cost of devolution without fully realising its potential efficiency gains. The results are plain: weak learning, poor healthcare access, child malnutrition, low productivity, millions of children out of school, under-equipped hospitals, inadequate skills training and persistently low female labour-force participation. Yet, even against this backdrop, the provinces are expected to post a combined budget surplus of roughly Rs1.6 trillion. This surplus forms part of the consolidated fiscal framework that enables Pakistan to meet primary surplus targets under the IMF programme. Fiscal discipline is necessary; Pakistan’s record on deficits and debt leaves little room for complacency. But every rupee retained as surplus is also a rupee not directed towards schools, hospitals, technical training and local services. The balance appears to have shifted too far towards meeting accounting targets and too little towards building human capital. The irony is that while existing taxpayers are repeatedly told there is little room for relief, substantial untapped capacity exists elsewhere. Agriculture contributes nearly a quarter of GDP but remains lightly taxed, while property taxation is among the weakest in the region. Large agricultural and urban wealth holdings generate limited recurring revenue because assessment remains weak, enforcement uneven and valuations often disconnected from market reality. Since provinces have constitutional authority over agricultural income and property taxes, meaningful reform in these areas could broaden the base, improve fairness and reduce the state’s dependence on taxing the same formal businesses and individuals year after year. It would also help strengthen the sense that the fiscal burden is being shared more equitably. The next budget should therefore reset fiscal priorities. Rather than treating compliant taxpayers as an inexhaustible source of revenue, policymakers should present a credible path towards relief for documented economic activity: lower excessive tax rates on salaried employees, entrepreneurs and businesses, phase out the Super Tax, remove distortionary levies, reduce cascading taxation and bring greater predictability to policy. Better incentives would support investment, exports, formalisation and job creation — the key objectives of fiscal policy. But relief must be matched by credible efforts to broaden the tax base, improve spending efficiency and mobilise provincial revenues from agriculture and property. Fiscal sustainability cannot rest indefinitely on squeezing a shrinking pool of compliant taxpayers. Provinces, meanwhile, should be judged less by the size of their surpluses than by measurable gains in education, healthcare, skills, productivity and poverty reduction. Pakistan’s fiscal debate remains confined to the narrow question of how to raise more revenue. The more important issue is how public finances can create opportunity, improve living standards and support durable growth. A budget should be more than a balancing exercise between revenue and expenditure; it should also reflect a willingness to reform the structure of the state itself. Unless Pakistan completes the unfinished agenda of devolution, broadens the tax base and channels provincial resources towards human development, it may strive to meet fiscal targets without delivering the broader prosperity its citizens are entitled to expect. The writer is a former CEO of Unilever Pakistan and of the Pakistan Business Council Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026
Putin has repeatedly said he would meet Zelenskyy, but only at the final stage of peace negotiations to sign an agreement rather than to conduct substantive talks
Lululemon is expecting its situation to get a lot worse before it gets better, as it issued weak guidance for the full year.
Tyler Cowen: I supported legalization, and I didn't expect such widespread addiction. Yet it's still better than asking the state to thwart popular demand.
Tyler Cowen: I supported legalization, and I didn't expect such widespread addiction. Yet it's still better than asking the state to thwart popular demand.
Zulkernain Ahmed was in pursuit of a group on bikes when he hit Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, who was walking on pavement Two brothers have been jailed for killing a 16-year-old boy who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” when he was hit while walking by a car being deliberately driven at a group on bikes. Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, who had come to the UK “in search of safety and a better life”, was hit by the vehicle, driven by 21-year-old Zulkernain Ahmed in Sheffield in June 2025. Continue reading...
Dorit Kemsley shared a positive update on her friendship with Erika Jayne on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio. Kemsley — who stopped by during press for her new memoir, “Unburdened” — told hosts Danny Murphy and Evan Real that things are currently much better between the two. Their friendship turned a new corner after their infamous blowout fight in Italy....