Appalachian St. 34, James Madison 20The decision of the present administration to reduce the army of security personnel allotted to former presidents at enormous taxpayer expense came into effect last week. This will, no doubt, be widely welcomed countrywide. There are five living former presidents and the widow of one (Mrs. Hema Premadasa), enjoying the considerable benefits of the Presidential Entitlements Act which became effective from February 1986. This law was enacted by the government of the country’s first executive president, J.R. Jayewardene, who was the creator of this office and its first incumbent. Though privately wealthy, JRJ obviously looked to the future and the well being of his successors in that powerful office, some of of whom solemnly pledged to abolish it. It was one of many promises that remain undelivered to this day. The present rulers, by reducing the state-provided security of former presidents and the widow of one has not thrown them to the wolves and the mercy of potential assassins. They will continue to enjoy substantial security cover, now restricted to the police alone rather than a combination of the police and military. As far as we are aware, a protest has been lodged only on behalf of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP), the political party he leads. While Rajapaksa himself has not been heard protesting, a couple of SLPP officials including a Member of Parliament has publicly criticized the measure. They seem to regard the war winning president as still at risk from the rump of the LTTE he destroyed in 2009. The Tigers, no doubt, assassinated President Ranasinghe Premadasa and attempted in December 1999 to assassinate President Chandrika Kumaratunga campaigning on the eve of an election seeking a second term. She lost an eye in that terrorist attack where 34 others were killed and over 105 injured. Apart from these, the LTTE successfully assassinated several political heavyweights in Sri Lanka as well as former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in India. At least some in the SLPP seem to think that what remains of the LTTE, whether at home or abroad, makes Rajapaksa still vulnerable. Last week there was some talk of MR being at risk from a drone attack. This has been discounted as far-fetched by and incumbent deputy minister. In any event there will be continued threat assessments every six months and past presidents (and Mrs. Premadasa) provided security in accordance with these. The fact is that political leaders once upon a time risked their lives and limbs not only at the hands of the LTTE but also at the hands of the JVP, particularly during its second second adventure when it was responsible for many political killings. But all that is water under the bridges and what is relevant at present is whether the leaders of today are currently under risk and require protection at public cost. During the worst of times, readers will remember, there were road closures for long periods of time when VIPs were whizzing past in motorcades with sirens screaming and massive security backup. But at that time the risk was very real. Then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa narrowly escaped death in 2006 and UNP strongman Ranjan Wijeratne was blown-up by a terrorist bomb in 1991. That is now old hat. The vast majority in the country regard the security accorded to former presidents costing billions totally disproportionate to today’s reality. Hence the decision to limit the task to the police and withdraw the military from the security contingents provided to former leaders. The public have already been treated to photographs of former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sirisena posing for group photographs with their departing guards. Much of the manpower in the police force is assigned to the so-called presidential and ministerial security divisions at the cost of regular policing for the benefit of all the people of the country rather than a few individuals. One advocate of the retention of MR’s security argued that nothing would be saved by the withdrawal of the military as the personnel involved would report back to their detachments and continue as paid soldiers. This contention is not entirely lacking in merit. But its proponent did not take into account that there are factors other than emoluments coming into play. But these would not certainly run into the billions as the total tab does. Quite apart from the security cost, the other entitlements former presidents draw including pensions, suitable housing, vehicles, office entitlements etc. cost the taxpayer a pretty penny. CBK recently went on record saying she receives a monthly pension of Rs. 94,000 which was not paid for nine years by the MR regime until it was restored by yahapalana. With or without arrears, she did not say. She claims she spends heavily on repairs and maintenance of her official mansion on Independence Avenue, funded by selling her land. She had returned seven assigned vehicles in 2020 in view of the country situation. Currently she has four, two for herself and two for security and she doesn’t mind if those are recalled as she’ll travel by bus. Maithripala Sirisena, who once solicited public contributions to settle a Rs. 100 million penalty imposed on him by court over the Easter bombs, says he finds security he does not need a hindrance and he doesn’t mind withdrawal. Apart from security, where else the fat will be trimmed is not yet public as the KT Chitrasiri report on these as well as MPs perks and privileges are yet under study. But there is not an iota of doubt that public opinion strongly favours doing away with these and other perks, particularly MPs’ life pensions after just five years of parliamentary service.

Kam Jones scored 20 points and dished with 10 assists to lead the No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles to a 94-62 victory over the visiting Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee. Jones added six rebounds for Marquette (8-0), which is off to its best start since winning 10 straight to begin the 2011-12 campaign that ended with a Sweet 16 appearance. Ben Gold added 12 points, while Stevie Mitchell scored 10 and had three steals. David Joplin, Caedin Hamilton and Royce Parham each netted nine points for the Golden Eagles. The Catamounts (2-4) were led by Bernard Pelote's 13 points and eight boards. Jamar Livingston chipped in 10 points and CJ Hyland bundled five points with five rebounds and six assists. Marquette controlled most of the game, thanks largely to 51.4 percent shooting and 21 takeaways. The Golden Eagles built a 16-point lead in the first half before Western Carolina clawed within 37-28 with 3:55 left. Marquette responded with a 12-2 run to take a 49-30 advantage into the break, its largest lead of the game to that point. The game quickly got out of hand from there, with the Golden Eagles eventually scoring 11 straight points to push its lead to 81-45 with 7:15 remaining. Marquette finished with 26 points off of Catamount turnovers and hit 14 of 40 shots (35.0 percent) from 3-point range. The win wasn't all smooth sailing for the Golden Eagles, who lost backup guard Zaide Lowery to an apparent left knee injury. Lowery was helped off the court and into the locker room by his teammates with 1:36 left in the game. Saturday's game was a final tune-up for Marquette, which has three challenging games coming up against No. 5 Iowa State, No. 15 Wisconsin and Dayton before Big East conference play begins Dec. 18. --Field Level Media

The PGA Tour is making the most sweeping changes to its eligibility in more than 40 years by eliminating 25 tour cards, along with shrinking the size of its fields. The all-exempt tour had been in place since 1983, meaning the top 125 players from the official money list — now the FedEx Cup standings — kept a full PGA Tour card the following season. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekTributes were paid to the former Scottish first minister, who died suddenly in North Macedonia in October at the age of 69. A private family funeral has already taken place, with Saturday’s memorial service in Edinburgh held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence. But while some 500 people, including family, friends and politicians from across the spectrum attended the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, his successor Nicola Sturgeon was not present. A rift between her and Mr Salmond – who she had previously described as her mentor – developed during her term as SNP leader. Ms Sturgeon attended the funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning. Her successor, Mr Swinney, was met with boos as he arrived at the service – held on St Andrew’s Day – with at least one person in the crowd outside on the Royal Mile shouting “traitor”. Mr Salmond stood down as SNP leader and first minister after the 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to stay part of the UK. He helped found and went on to lead another pro-independence party, Alba, with Kenny MacAskill, a long-time friend who served as justice secretary in Holyrood under Mr Salmond. Mr MacAskill, now the acting Alba leader, told the congregation – which included Mr Salmond’s widow Moira as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay – that Mr Salmond had been a “giant of man”. Mr MacAskill, who quit the SNP to join Alba, hailed Mr Salmond as “an inspiration, a political genius” and being “most of all a man who had the cause of independence burned into his heart and seared in his soul”. The cause of independence was Mr Salmond’s “guiding light, his north star”, the former justice secretary said, adding that “he came so close to achieving it”. He added: “Those of us who share his dream must conclude that journey on his behalf. That’s the legacy he’d expect and the duty we owe him.” Recalling Mr Salmond’s words from when he stood down as first minister that “the dream shall never die”, Mr MacAskill concluded his address with the words: “Your dream shall be delivered.” Former Conservative Brexit minister and long-time friend of Mr Salmond, David Davis, gave a reading as did former Scottish government minister SNP MSP Fergus Ewing. Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean performed his famous song Caledonia, while singer Sheena Wellington led mourners in a rendition of Robert Burns’ classic A Man’s A Man For A’ That. Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers were applauded for their performance of Cap in Hand – a pro-independence song which features the line “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand”. Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid said: “We’re going to do this for Alex, with love and respect and eternal gratitude for everything you did for our country.” Christina Hendry described her Uncle Alex as a “political giant, a strong leader, a fearless campaigner” but also remembered his as a “dearly loved husband, brother and uncle”. While she said he had been “the top man in Scotland”, he had “always made time for his family”, recalling how he phoned her brother on his birthday – the day after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 – to apologise for not posting a card “as he’d been busy”, before telling them he would “resigning in 10 minutes”. She told the congregation: “As his family, we always felt loved no matter how far away he was or the time that passed before we saw him next. “We always knew he was standing up for our country, and for that we were grateful.” Ms Hendry continued: “The world will be a much quieter place without Uncle Alex, for Moira, for the wider family and for Scotland. “Uncle Alex passing means a great loss for many. A loss of Scotland’s voice on the international stage. A loss of integrity in Scottish politics. And a great loss to Scotland’s independence movement. “As a family it is likely a loss we will never get over.” Duncan Hamilton KC, who was an SNP MSP after the first Scottish Parliament elections, but also served as a political adviser and legal counsel to Mr Salmond, said the former first minister had “rightly been hailed as one of the greatest Scottish politicians of this, or any, generation”. He told how Mr Salmond took the SNP from being “a fringe act trying to get onto the main stage” to a party of government. “In Scottish politics, his success was both spectacular and unrivalled,” Mr Hamilton said. “Alex Salmond will forever be a pivotal figure in Scotland’s story. He changed a nation. He inspired a country. “History will certainly remember him as a man of talent, charisma and substance. But also as a political leader of courage, vision and intelligence. “He dared to dream. And so should we.” As the service finished the crowd gathered outside applauded and chanted “Alex, Alex” before singing Flower Of Scotland.

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) Trading Down 1.1% – What’s Next?Liverpool news as Pep Guardiola survives nightmare Manchester City scenario but still remains on the brink of a ban Pep Guardiola will, barring any personal surprises or changes, be on the touchline at Anfield next weekend for Liverpool's blockbuster clash with Manchester City. This in itself is nothing out of the ordinary but it wasn't always certain. Like Arne Slot, who enters Sunday's away Premier League match at Southampton with two yellow cards to his name, Guardiola went into the eventual 4-0 loss to Tottenham on the brink of a ban. Given how firey matches between Spurs and City have been in recent times, it was not a given that Guardiola would be able to simply avoid being booked. He is often extremely animated during City matches no matter the state of play. When his side conspired to draw 3-3 with Tottenham last season he and Erling Haaland were left aghast and furious late on. Similarly, when it comes to facing Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp , Guardiola has been at his most energetic and expressive. It does not and has not always transpired to being a positive thing either. The now memed 'twice' image of Guardiola losing it on Merseyside was in a defeat for his side, for example. City having Guardiola there to look over closely is surely an advantage, though, especially at a time whereby the team's confidence is so brittle. On Saturday night they fell to a fifth defeat in a row, the first time that has happened at the club since 2006. It left them five points behind Liverpool already with the chance of that rising to eight. When the two meet next weekend that gap could be extended to up to 11 points . Guardiola and City know they cannot afford it to get that far. For him to have been within a simple miss step of being in the stands for the game is genuinely massive and an undercurrent to the game which has gone without much attention. Managers and bookings do not go together as commonly as players, hence why the bar for a ban is three rather than five. The impact is still significant, especially with Guardiola knowing in the back of his mind (or perhaps quite near the front of it), that it is Liverpool next. It may or may not have been in his thoughts directly as Ange Postecoglou lead Tottenham to a famous win at the Etihad Stadium. Spurs crushed their opponents on the break and slided through a non-existent midfield time and time again. Instead of being a ball of fury in the technical area, Guardiola was mystified and downbeat. He wasn't shown a third yellow card of the season and therefore avoids a scenario in which he would have been banned for the Liverpool game. To that extent it is job done but that is a minor victory on a day of questions for the Spaniard. Just over 12 months ago he wasn't as careful. Ultimately it didn't make a massive difference but this was something else. Premier League managers are being punished more and more by referees and fourth officials. Already this season there have been four (Andoni Iraola, Steve Cooper, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Russell Martin) to serve a suspension. Slot would become the fifth when City visit should he be picked up for anything on Sunday at St Mary's. He is currently level with Fabian Hurzeler, Enzo Maresca, Marco Silva, Julen Lopetegui, and Gary O'Neil, plus Guardiola, of course, on two. That means over half the league's head coaches have at least two yellow cards across the opening 12 matchdays. This is the tightrope Guardiola walked on Saturday and will continue to balance on in the Liverpool match. Just getting to that game will be a boost for City when they need it most.

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Victor Osimhen leads Galatasaray to historic Süper Lig milestone with win vs BodrumsporBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the heigh of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.