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The Company's Board and Management, Under Chairman and CEO Seifi Ghasemi's Leadership, Have Delivered Over $44 Billion in Shareholder Value Creation 1 Continues to Successfully Execute Two-Pillar Growth Strategy to Grow Core Industrial Gas Business While Capitalizing on First-Mover Advantage in Clean Hydrogen Market Air Products' Board is Refreshed, Independent and Fit-For-Purpose – Mantle Ridge's Proposed Nominees Would Remove Significant and Relevant Experience and Expertise Mantle Ridge's Proposed Executive Chairman Candidate Appears Alarmingly Unfit to Lead Air Products or any Public Company; Preferred CEO Candidate is Insufficiently Qualified Board Mails Letter Urging Shareholders to Vote "FOR" ONLY Air Products' Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. , Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD ) Board of Directors today announced that it has posted an investor presentation and mailed a letter to shareholders in connection with its upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting"), which will be held at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on January 23, 2025 . All Air Products shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 27, 2024 will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. The presentation and letter are both available at voteairproducts.com . The full text of the letter summarizing the presentation follows: Dear Fellow Shareholder, The Air Products Annual Meeting is fast approaching, and you have an important opportunity to protect the value of your investment and the meaningful results the Company has delivered and anticipates continuing to deliver – as we have for the past 10 years. Under the supervision of our Board, management is executing a long-term strategy to grow our core industrial gas business, while leveraging decades of relevant expertise to capitalize on our important first-mover position in the clean hydrogen market to deliver maximized value for our shareholders. We ask that you please visit our Annual Meeting website at voteairproducts.com or the Company Investor Relations page to find a new investor presentation that we filed today, entitled "Creating Superior Shareholder Value Through Disciplined Investment in Clean Hydrogen," where we go through, in greater detail, why our long-term growth strategy is the right one, why Air Products' Nominees are the necessary leaders to move Air Products forward, and why shareholders should not support Mantle Ridge's nominees. We recommend you vote your shares " FOR " ONLY Air Products' Nominees – Tonit M. Calaway, Charles Cogut , Lisa A. Davis , Seifollah Ghasemi , Jessica Trocchi Graziano , Edward L. Monser , Bhavesh V. ("Bob") Patel, Wayne T. Smith and Alfred Stern – on the Company's WHITE proxy card. OVER THE PAST DECADE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SEIFI GHASEMI , AIR PRODUCTS HAS CREATED OVER $44 BILLION IN SHAREHOLDER VALUE 2 Since Mr. Ghasemi became CEO in 2014, he has spearheaded the transformation of Air Products into the most profitable industrial gas business in the world based on adjusted EBITDA margin, growing the business at GDP-plus rates. This strong cash generation has allowed Air Products to invest in our core industrial gas business, while expanding into clean hydrogen – a tremendous growth opportunity now and well into the future. Our strong performance has directly benefitted shareholders through $11.5 billion in cash returned since 2014. In addition, our dividend per share has increased for 42 consecutive years and grown at a ~9% CAGR for the past 10 years, demonstrating our commitment to sharing with our investors the value we create. Including dividends, Air Products has delivered over $44 billion in total shareholder value 3 over the last decade under Mr. Ghasemi's leadership. During Mr. Ghasemi's tenure, the Company has delivered the following key financial outcomes: Expanded adjusted EBITDA margin 4 by +1,400 bps Achieved ~11% adjusted EPS CAGR 5 Significant pricing and volume gains Sales have grown at a ~4% CAGR – higher than each public peer 6 Under Mr. Ghasemi's direction, the Company has continuously pushed for profitability improvements and has been increasing its price-cost spread. This has been accomplished through favorable contract modifications over time, resulting in an increased contribution of stable on-site revenues. Further improvement and growth of the core industrial gas business are ongoing, and the Board and management team remain focused on maximizing value over the long-term. AIR PRODUCTS IS SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTING A TWO-PILLAR GROWTH STRATEGY TO CONTINUE DRIVING VALUE CREATION INTO THE FUTURE We remain focused on investing in, and growing, our core industrial gas business, which delivers industry-leading profitability based on adjusted EBITDA margin, 7 while advancing our first-mover advantage in the clean hydrogen market. We have allocated more than 50% of our total capital expenditures for FY 2023-2025 to our core business, underscoring our commitment to its continued growth. We have already launched multiple projects in recent years aimed at improving capacity, increasing efficiencies and reaching new industrial gas markets. In tandem with these investments, Air Products is positioning the core business to capture opportunities for growth in expanding market segments. For instance, we have accumulated a critical mass of infrastructure strategically placed next to global electronics providers' fabrication facilities, orienting our core industrial gas business to benefit from data center, AI and CHIPS Act tailwinds. As a result of this approach, we have achieved significant tangible benefits to the business. Our on-site core capabilities model is driving resilience through a balanced mix of on-site and merchant sales. We are more heavily weighted toward the stable, infrastructure-like on-site business model than our peers, strengthening the durability of our business. At the same time, we are expanding into clean hydrogen, a market with immense long-term potential: Today, 80% of the global energy market is fossil fuel-based, 8 with clean hydrogen poised to play a major role in diversifying the mix of energy sources. Clean hydrogen can be a source of energy like oil or gas but releases no climate-warming carbon dioxide, making it an ideal fuel for the future amid a global push to decarbonize emissions. To grow long-term volumes, satisfy global decarbonization regulation, effectively serve evolving customer needs, and remain competitive, the industrial gases sector must invest in clean hydrogen capabilities. According to independent experts, the clean hydrogen market is expected to be worth more than $600 billion by 2030 and exceed $1 trillion by 2050. 9 Clean hydrogen may contribute up to 20% of total global abatement needed by 2050. 10 Clean hydrogen is anticipated to have applications across a diverse array of end markets including road transport, shipping, iron, aluminum and steel, chemicals and petrochemicals, and power generation. No company is better positioned than Air Products – with more than 65 years of hydrogen experience – to meet the growing demand in this space, by serving global customers across industries working to improve efficiency and reliability while reducing emissions. Initially capturing even a small portion of the clean hydrogen market would provide incredible value for shareholders. FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO SUCCESS IN THE CLEAN HYDROGEN MARKET – AND WE ARE SEEING EARLY RESULTS There are four key elements that make being the first mover in clean hydrogen incredibly crucial, and where Air Products has an edge: Land scarcity : Access to ample resources such as sun and wind are critical to produce green hydrogen; and the right geology, large land plots, low-cost natural gas for carbon sequestration, and skilled labor are essential for blue hydrogen production. Limited supply chain partners : Supply chain logistics are complex, and the necessary intellectual property and partners are limited. Securing best-in-class customer agreements : We have the best seat at the table to negotiate offtake agreements with customers. Obtaining highest-quality financing partners : Meaningful capital investment is needed to secure the backing of financing partners with the proper scale and industry expertise. Underpinning our advantage in these four important areas are the critical developments of proprietary knowledge and intellectual property, which enable a first-mover advantage to transition into a world-leading position. Capturing a small portion of market share now will compound as the market continues to expand. Because of our foresight and strategic investment, Air Products has achieved several early successes in clean hydrogen to date: We announced a pioneering supply agreement in June 2024 , a 15-year take-or-pay agreement to supply 70,000 tons of green hydrogen annually to decarbonize TotalEnergies' Northern European refineries starting in 2030. We are also in discussions for green hydrogen supply to its other EU refineries. 60% of capacity for our Canada Net-Zero Hydrogen Energy Project is already committed , and negotiations for the remainder of the capacity are underway. We are the primary EPC contractor and system integrator of the NEOM Green Hydrogen Complex , the largest green-hydrogen-based ammonia production facility that will serve as a key solution for transportation and industrial sectors globally. Air Products is the exclusive off-taker of the green hydrogen produced in the form of green ammonia at the facility. We support Daimler's European Hydrogen Refueling Network project to develop permanent and commercial scale hydrogen refueling stations and have announced networks are being built in California in addition to Canada and Europe . These important achievements are underpinned by the Board's relentless focus on disciplined capital allocation and risk management controls. We remain focused on delivering on the onstream dates we have outlined and are securing more contracted offtake. The Company expects to generate positive net cash starting in FY2027. AIR PRODUCTS' BOARD IS REFRESHED, INDEPENDENT AND FIT-FOR-PURPOSE – MANTLE RIDGE'S PROPOSED NOMINEES WOULD REMOVE SIGNIFICANT AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE FROM THE BOARD Our Board is committed to strong governance practices, including regular Board refreshment. This is demonstrated through our diverse and continuously enhanced Board composition. With Air Products shareholders supporting our nominations of Mr. Patel and Mr. Stern at the 2025 Annual Meeting, six out of nine Directors will have been first elected in the last five years. Our Board is world-class with expertise across a full range of disciplines, from operations and supply chain optimization to corporate governance and regulations. It consists of individuals with high-caliber executive and leadership experience in chemicals, industrial manufacturing and renewables as well as public company board experience. Mantle Ridge is seeking to replace four directors who are integral to our Board: Seifollah (Seifi) Ghasemi , Edward L. Monser , Charles Cogut and Lisa A. Davis . If successful, Mantle Ridge's nominees would eliminate significant and relevant expertise brought by these current directors and disrupt the significant progress the Company has made. MANTLE RIDGE'S PROPOSED EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN CANDIDATE APPEARS ALARMINGLY UNFIT TO LEAD AIR PRODUCTS OR ANY PUBLIC COMPANY The core pillar of Mantle Ridge's efforts is the replacement of the Board's lead independent director, Ed Monser , as well as our Chairman and CEO, Seifi Ghasemi , with its hand-picked successors, Dennis Reilley and Eduardo Menezes . As you consider changes which would upend the leadership at Air Products and derail our momentum, we believe it is important that you are aware of the following facts relating to Mr. Reilley that the Board became aware of during its thorough evaluation of Mantle Ridge's nominees: In February 2019 , a purported friend of Mr. Reilley, John Davidson , signed a plea agreement with the United States , admitting to making a false statement to the FBI that he had never received from "D.R." any non-public information, which "D.R." had acquired as a result of his position on the boards of Marathon Oil, DowDuPont, or Covidien. 15 The plea agreement used the initials "D.R." only when referring to the director in question. We note that Mr. Reilley was not named directly in the complaint by the United States . Shortly thereafter, the media reported on the charges brought against Mr. Davidson, and noted clearly that the charges stemmed from the FBI's investigation into Dennis Reilley and whether insider information was provided about the impending merger of Covidien PLC, with its rival, Medtronic Inc. The media noted that Mr. Reilley was a director at Covidien. 16 In December 2019 , an associate of Mr. Davidson, John Special, was found liable and ordered to pay nearly $3 million in an SEC enforcement action, 17 for allegedly trading on the basis of the information leaked by Mr. Davidson, who had received material, non-public information from a "Director" who served on the boards of Covidien, Marathon Oil and DowDuPont, including, in the case of Covidien, about a proposed transaction between Covidien and Medtronic. We note that Mr. Reilley was not named directly in the SEC's complaint. Notably, before news of the plea agreement and SEC enforcement action became publicly known, in December 2018 and January 2019 , Mr. Reilley resigned as director of CSX (to which he had been appointed by Mantle Ridge) and DowDupont (both in December 2018 ), and as director and chairman of Marathon Oil (in February 2019 ), respectively. Mr. Reilley has not served on a public company board since these resignations. A portion of the transcript from the hearing in which Mr. Davidson pled guilty to lying to the FBI regarding who he received information in connection with the Covidien/Medtronic's merger is pasted below. If true, the statements are deeply concerning, as they show the director in question leaked board confidences regularly with his friend: MS. ANDERSON [Assistant U.S. Attorney]: And he D.R. provided you with nonpublic information he had received from all three of those boards, correct? THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am. MS. ANDERSON: And he D.R. forwarded emails he received as a board member? THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am . [...] MS. ANDERSON: You had, in fact, received nonpublic information from D.R. that he had acquired from his board work at Covidien, Marathon and Dow, correct? THE DEFENDANT: Yes , ma'am. MS. ANDERSON: And sometime between March 2014 and May 15th, 2014 , you specifically learned from D.R. about developing negotiations about Covidien's merger with or acquisition by Medtronic, correct? THE DEFENDANT: That is correct. MS. ANDERSON: And you understood that information to be nonpublic, correct? THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am. In a statement Mantle Ridge issued on December 13 in response to another media report on the matter, it stated, "To be clear, Mr. Reilley in no way acted inappropriately, and has never been accused of or charged with any impropriety or wrongdoing in connection with the matter." Mantle Ridge also claimed in its response that Mr. Davidson's testimony was "false". While Mr. Reilley was never formally charged by the FBI or the SEC for any wrongdoing, the information revealed in Mr. Davidson's plea agreement and the SEC's complaint against Mr. Special, if true, raises grave concerns about Mr. Reilley's trustworthiness and ability to comply with his basic duty of confidentiality as a director. Mantle Ridge has offered no reasonable explanation to shareholders regarding this matter, other than to claim the testimony obtained under oath is false. These circumstances not only call into question Mantle Ridge's judgment in putting Mr. Reilley forward, but also the credibility of the entire Mantle Ridge slate and campaign. In the Board's view, this matter should disqualify Mr. Reilley from ever again serving on a public company board. MANTLE RIDGE'S PREFERRED CEO CANDIDATE IS INSUFFICIENTLY QUALIFIED In addition, Mantle Ridge's proposed CEO candidate, Eduardo Menezes , lacks public company CEO or board experience – two key criteria for Air Products' next CEO that the Board established months ago. By proposing a CEO candidate like Mr. Menezes who would require substantial on-the-job training and chaperoning at a pivotal moment for the Company, Mantle Ridge has clearly demonstrated that it is not interested in a thoughtful succession process that would benefit all shareholders and is instead only concerned about its own interests. Mr. Menezes is insufficiently experienced and lacks the basic qualifications our Board is looking for in CEO candidates . In contrast to Mantle Ridge's inadequate CEO candidate who fails to meet the Board's previously communicated search criteria, Air Products is advancing with a CEO succession process to find an excellent candidate suited to lead the Company in this next stage of growth . This process was announced in August 2024 , prior to D.E. Shaw's, or Mantle Ridge's involvement. The Board has committed to providing an announcement of a new President and related timeline for CEO succession no later than March 31, 2025 . Mr. Hilal and Mantle Ridge have run the same failed playbook in each of its three activist campaigns since its founding. Each case forced major changes, including replacing the CEOs, and have failed to create long-term value for shareholders relative to the S&P 500. Since its founding, Mantle Ridge has never run an activist campaign or made a CEO change that has driven outperformance. Mantle Ridge's stale, recycled playbook has failed before, and, if implemented at Air Products, would fail again. Mantle Ridge's substandard Chairman and CEO candidates and lack of any credible plan leave us highly concerned that, if successful with its campaign, its actions would derail our clean hydrogen strategy and destroy shareholder value. SAFEGUARD THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN AIR PRODUCTS BY VOTING "FOR" THE ELECTION OF ALL OF AIR PRODUCTS' NINE NOMINEES ON THE WHITE PROXY CARD The Board understands its responsibility to deliver value to ALL shareholders. The Board also, with the support of its leadership advisory firm, considered Mantle Ridge's revised slate and unanimously determined these nominees still do not offer qualifications superior to Air Products' well-balanced slate of nominees with the proper skills and experience to lead the Company through its next phase of growth. Tonit M. Calaway, Independent – Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of BorgWarner Inc. Charles "Casey" Cogut, Independent – Retired Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Lisa A. Davis , Independent – Former Member of the Managing Board and CEO of Gas and Power for Siemens AG Seifollah "Seifi" Ghasemi, Chairman, President, and CEO Jessica Trocchi Graziano , Independent – S enior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United States Steel Corporation Edward L. Monser , Independent, Lead Director – Retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Emerson Electric Co. Bhavesh V. ("Bob") Patel, Independent, New Nominee – Former President of Standard Industries Wayne T. Smith , Independent – Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BASF Corporation Alfred Stern , Independent, New Nominee – Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV Aktiengesellschaft We strongly urge that you vote your shares "FOR" ONLY Air Products' Nominees. Please discard any blue proxy card you may receive from Mantle Ridge. Thank you for your ongoing support. Sincerely, The Air Products Board of Directors For more information regarding our Board nominees and strategy, please visit: www.voteairproducts.com . YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Whether or not you plan to virtually attend the 2025 Annual Meeting, please take a few minutes now to vote by Internet or by telephone by following the instructions on the WHITE proxy card, or to sign, date and return the enclosed WHITE proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope provided. Regardless of the number of Company shares you own, your presence by proxy is helpful to establish a quorum and your vote is important. About Air Products Air Products (NYSE: APD ) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 80 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets and generating a cleaner future. The Company supplies essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, medical and food. As the leading global supplier of hydrogen, Air Products also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest clean hydrogen projects, supporting the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the industrial and heavy-duty transportation sectors. Through its sale of equipment businesses, the Company also provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally. Air Products had fiscal 2024 sales of $12.1 billion from operations in approximately 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of over $65 billion . Approximately 23,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and reimagine what's possible to address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn , X , Facebook or Instagram . Non-GAAP Financial Measures This communication contains certain financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), including adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin. On our website, at investors.airproducts.com , we have included definitions and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors, potential investors, securities analysts, and others with useful information to evaluate our business because such measures, when viewed together with our GAAP disclosures, provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business. The non-GAAP financial measures supplement our GAAP disclosures and are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. These measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this communication and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based. Investor Inquiries : Eric Guter , tel: (610) 481-1872; email: [email protected] Mun Shieh, tel: (610) 481-2951; [email protected] 1 Based on $25.2B market capitalization on June 30, 2014 (one day prior to first day as CEO) and December 13, 2024 2 Based on $25.2B market capitalization on June 30, 2014 (one day prior to Seifi Ghasemi's first day as CEO) and December 13 , 2024­ 3 Based on $25.2B market capitalization on June 30, 2014 (one day prior to Seifi Ghasemi's first day as CEO) and December 13, 2024 4 Non-GAAP financial measure. Visit investors.airproducts.com for reconciliation. 5 Non-GAAP financial measure. Visit investors.airproducts.com for reconciliation. 6 Peers include Air Liquide, Linde and Nippon Sanso. Air Products based on GAAP sales CAGR from 9/30/14 to 9/30/24 as reclassified to give effect to divestitures of the PMD and EMD businesses. Air Liquide based on CAGR from 12/31/14 to 12/31/24 (E) and is adjusted for its acquisition of Airgas. Linde based on CAGR from 12/31/16 to 12/31/24 (E) and is adjusted for its combination with Praxair. Nippon Sanso based on CAGR from 3/31/18 to 3/31/25 (E) and is adjusted for its acquisition of Praxair European Assets. Starting revenue data-point is converted to USD at historical FX rate 7 Non-GAAP financial measure. Visit investors.airproducts.com for reconciliation. 8 Source: International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2022 9 Source: Deloitte 2023 Global Green Hydrogen Outlook 10 Science Direct – Direct 2021; Emerging carbon abatement technologies to mitigate energy-carbon footprint- a review 11 Ownership value based on APD share price as of 12/13/2024 12 Based on $25.2B market capitalization on June 30, 2014 (one day prior to first day as CEO) and December 13, 2024 13 Permission to use quote neither sought nor obtained 14 TSR Reflects dividend-adjusted total return percentage over tenure or as of 12/13/2024 for current positions 15 United States of America v. John Kenneth Davidson , Case No. 19-cr-56, filed on February 25, 2019 . Transcript Dated March 5, 2019 . 16 Nolan Clay , The Oklahoman, February 27, 2019 , "FBI insider trading probe results in criminal charge in Oklahoma City federal court" 17 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Special et al, Case No. 19-cv-1152, filed on December 12, 2019 . SOURCE Air ProductsCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Bryce Thompson scored 17 points, Marchelus Avery had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Oklahoma State beat Miami 80-74 on Friday in the consolation bracket of the Charleston Classic. Oklahoma State (4-1) will play in the fifth-place game on Sunday, while Miami (3-2) will try to avoid going winless in the tournament. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Manchester City transfer latest: Real Madrid star rejected summer move to Pep Guardiola, Premier LeagueBy AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that a number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. The U.S. believes that the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden has been briefed on the findings and that the White House “has made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” The Chinese embassy in Washington on Tuesday rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages on Wednesday. Associated Press writer David Klepper contributed reporting.

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Daily Post Nigeria I’m not running FCT based on religion – Wike fires back at MURIC Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News I’m not running FCT based on religion – Wike fires back at MURIC Published on December 24, 2024 By Seun Opejobi The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has denied running the FCT Authority based on religion. Wike made the denial while charging the Director of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Prof Ishaq Akintola, to limit himself to issues of the propagation of Islam and desist from promoting religious discord among Nigerians. He was reacting to a remark by Prof Akintola, on the suspension of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Shehu Ahmad Hadi. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike said: “The suspended FCTA Executive Secretary was not appointed as a Muslim and anyone trying to cover his suspension with the garment of religion will be doing a disservice to religious harmony in the country.” In a statement, Olayinka pointed out that “just as it is not obligatory for he who appoints to give reasons for appointing, it will also not be obligatory for he who suspends to tell the public reasons for suspending as long as the person suspended knows why he was suspended. “Most importantly, the position of the FCDA Executive Secretary is not a family chieftaincy title and the business of the office once occupied by Shehu Ahmad Hadi is running perfectly.” While calling the attention of Prof Akintola to Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) position on obedience to authorities, Olayinka said; “I doubt if Prof Akintola is aware that on the authority of Abu Huraira, it was narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said; ‘It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.’ “If Prof Akintola is aware of this and has imbibed it, he will simply counsel the suspended FCTA Executive Secretary to accept his fate as a Muslim, rather than this seeming sponsorship of media attacks against the Minister and fanning the embers of religious discord.” Related Topics: FCT MURIC Wike Don't Miss Police enhance security measures for festive season in Taraba You may like FCT: Four dead, 105 rescued from building collapse in 2024 FCTA reveals how payment for C of O would be used FCT EXCO approves contract renewal to secure Abuja rail Report reveals security operatives killed 32,000 civilians, extorted N3trn in S’East Insecurity: FCT Police deploy 3,180 ahead of Christmas celebration ‘Meet our demands in 14 days or face deadliest hospital shutdown’ — FCT doctors tell Wike Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

QIIB and GORD sign MoU to boost sustainability initiativesThe arrival of the early signing period Wednesday offered a stark reminder for college football fans. If recruiting rankings offer any accurate gauge in the era of the transfer portal, those teams competing for College Football Playoff berths now should keep contending for years to come. Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State are all on track to earn playoff invitations, and those five schools also are atop the team recruiting standings. It represents one more example of how the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten have separated themselves from all the other leagues. Steve Wiltfong, vice president of recruiting and the transfer portal for On3, said it’s apparent why those programs continue recruiting so well. “First and foremost, those are the programs with the most resources,” Wiltfong said. “They’re the programs that are having the most success on the field and in the NFL draft.” The order of those top classes remains in flux. The identity of the No. 1 class according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports may not be determined until Friday because of the uncertainty surrounding a couple of top-10 prospects. Manchester (Georgia) defensive tackle Justus Terry, the nation’s No. 10 overall recruit according to the 247Sports Composite, isn't expected to announce his college choice until Friday. Terry is considering Georgia, Texas and Auburn. David Sanders of Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 5 overall recruit in his class. Sanders is committed to Tennessee, but he wasn't expected to sign on Wednesday as Ohio State continues to pursue him. Terry was the rare prospect delaying his decision. Most top recruits already committed to a school well before the signing period, continuing a trend that took effect from the time a December signing date was added in 2017 to the traditional February signing period. This year, that early signing period was moved up a few weeks so that it would take place before the transfer window opens Monday. This signing period also comes in the era of collectives and name, image and likeness opportunities allowing prospects to profit off their brand. LSU coach Brian Kelly called it “unlike any recruiting period that I've ever been involved in” and opened his news conference Wednesday by saying it “feels more like Tax Day than it does signing day.” “It's not just about finding the right fit academically,” said Kelly, whose class ranked ninth as of Wednesday afternoon. “It's not just about finding the right fit where you can develop holistically and graduate and play for a championship. It's about what's the most money I can get. That's unfortunate, but it's the world we live in. You have to be able to adapt, and you have to be able to realign and be prepared.” While most prospects committed to schools months ago, some of them changed their minds down the stretch. Oregon arguably had the best day of anyone in flipping prospects. The Ducks landed the 247Sports Composite’s No. 11 overall prospect when cornerback Na’eem Offord made a switch from Ohio State. Oregon also added one of the nation's top 10 quarterback recruits in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who initially committed to California. Oregon's class now includes three of the nation's top six cornerback prospects in Offord, Brandon Finney and Dorian Brew. Perhaps the most notable development in the weeks leading up to the signing period was quarterback Bryce Underwood’s decision last month to stay in his home state and play for Michigan after initially planning to play at LSU. “It’s huge,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “He’s an excellent player, obviously.” Underwood’s switch brought late momentum for the defending national champions . Michigan will end up with a top-10 class this year after finishing outside the top 15 each of the last two recruiting cycles. Michigan’s recruiting emergence wasn’t the only surprise. Auburn was sixth in the 247Sports Composite team rankings as of Wednesday afternoon after posting a fourth consecutive losing season. “I’ve been very clear since my arrival that I thought it would take three top-10 classes to overhaul our roster, to get it to where it’s apples to apples with the elite in the country,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “And man, today’s one of those days where the first emotion you probably feel is relief and excitement is the next one.” Florida was the fastest-rising team in the recruiting rankings after coach Billy Napier earned a vote of confidence and freshman quarterback DJ Lagway helped the Gators win three straight games to close the regular season. “I’m calling it the DJ Lagway effect,” said Andrew Ivins, director of scouting for 247Sports. “They went from outside the top 50 to knocking on the door for a top-10 recruiting class. We haven’t really seen that type of push ever.” While Georgia awaits Terry’s decision, the Bulldogs signed two other home-state prospects who were rated among the nation’s top nine recruits in the 247Sports Composite. Defensive lineman Elijah Griffin of Savannah Christian Prep is ranked third overall. Edge rusher Isaiah Gibson of Warner Robins is ninth. Alabama's class is headlined by quarterback Keelon Russell, the nation's No. 2 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite. Ohio State has two top-10 overall recruits in cornerback Devin Sanchez (6th) and quarterback Tavien St. Clair (7th). “There’s a swagger about him, there’s a confidence about him,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “He’s been a major part of bringing and keeping this class together, which is what you want out of any leader, but especially out of your quarterback.” Texas added three top-25 prospects by getting safety Jonah Williams (8th), wide receiver Kaliq Lockett (22nd) and defensive lineman Lance Jackson (25th) to stay in their home state. AP Sports Writers John Zenor and Larry Lage contributed to this report. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Princelings refer to the second generation of the founders of communist China. In a Dec. 14 interview with Chinese-language program “Pinnacle View” on NTD, a sister media outlet of The Epoch Times, Yuan Hongbing, a former Peking University law professor, talked about the letter. He said that Liu Yuan—a retired general and the son of a prominent first-generation CCP leader, Liu Shaoqi—allegedly authored the letter, warning that the CCP would face its demise if it continued on its current path under Party leader Xi Jinping. As the CCP’s first-ranking vice chairman, Liu’s father was once considered the successor of Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong before being purged during the Cultural Revolution. Yuan was Xi’s drinking buddy in the 1980s before Xi rose to power and has also maintained connections with some senior officials. Before Xi came to power in 2012, China followed the path set by Deng Xiaoping’s economic reform policies, which relaxed some state control in the technology and real estate sectors and opened part of the Chinese market to foreign investments. The princelings, of which Xi is a prominent member, became increasingly worried that if China continued on Deng’s path, the Party wouldn’t be able to continue ruling the country with the communist ideology and capitalist market under one roof. They feared this would ultimately lead people to abandon communism, causing China to break away from the CCP’s control. Consequently, Xi made a left turn in his economic policies. The letter warns that it would be a grave mistake for the CCP to expect the Chinese people to support the Party in any circumstance as they did during the late 1950s, when tens of millions died in the Great Famine, as the public’s mindset has drastically shifted. If such a crisis were to occur again, the author wrote, the CCP would face an inevitable overthrow. The author called the CCP’s efforts to unify Taiwan a failure and warned that a potential war with Taiwan would likely devastate much of China’s coastal provinces—its most developed regions—further destabilizing the CCP. The letter offers recommendations, including transforming the CCP into a social democratic party. However, Yuan expressed doubt. “The reality is that the CCP’s oppressive rule has caused immense suffering to the Chinese people—a grave injustice that will not be forgiven,” he said. “The princelings deeply fear that the CCP will collapse amid the widespread contempt of the people. They hope to avoid such a humiliating end for the Party.” Further, Yuan said the international community is “slowly moving away from its policy of appeasement toward the CCP’s regime.” “The era of hoping that the CCP will adhere to international norms or expecting any meaningful cooperation from the CCP must end,” he said. “Coexistence with the CCP is simply impossible—either communist rule will dominate the world or humanity will eventually eradicate the remnants of communism. There is no middle ground.”

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Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, speaks before the Senate at the state capitol on Friday, November 22, 2024. Javier Gallegos State Sen. Mike Reese, R-Leesville, and Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, speak at the podium before the Senate at the state capitol on Friday, November 22, 2024. Javier Gallegos State Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Many, tells a joke on the Senate floor at the state capitol on Friday, November 22, 2024. Javier Gallegos Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Income taxes will drop, sales taxes will rise and a much-maligned tax on corporate assets will disappear under legislation approved by the state Legislature Friday that ends two weeks of debate on how best to refashion Louisiana’s tax system. Final passage of the package during the special legislative session represents a major political victory for Gov. Jeff Landry, although lawmakers bowed to the pressure of special interests and scrapped major portions of his package that sought to eliminate tax breaks to simplify the complicated tax code. “It’s an exciting day for Louisiana,” said Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, who sponsored major pieces of the legislation and helped shepherd the package through the House. Landry can point to the fact that a majority of Democrats joined Republicans in approving each bill in the package except one. Landry achieved his prize goal of getting legislators to scuttle the graduated individual income tax system — which has a current top rate of 4.25% — for a single 3% rate as of Jan. 1. In conjunction, Louisiana will nearly triple the standard deduction for individual filers to $12,500 at the beginning of 2026. To pay for the tax cuts, legislators had to swallow increasing the state sales tax to 5%, or 1% higher than if they had allowed a temporary sales tax to expire next year. The higher sales tax will last for five years and then drop to 4.75%. Landry had sought to renew the expiring sales tax at just under a half-cent. Louisiana already had the country’s highest sales tax rate, and now a tax that hits the poor hardest will be even higher. Besides Landry, other political winners are Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, who led the way for the Senate to salvage the tax package after the House balked at approving a bill to extend the sales tax to 41 additional services. This week, Henry shuttled from meetings with Landry, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice. Another winner is Richard Nelson, the revenue secretary, the architect of Landry’s plan. Nelson, a former state representative from Mandeville, ran for governor last year but dropped out and supported Landry. Corporate franchise tax repeal Besides the income tax and sales tax changes, legislators also agreed to Landry’s proposal to abolish the .275% corporate franchise tax, a longtime goal of the business community. The 84-16 vote in the House for House Bill 3 marked the only time Friday that a majority of Democrats did not support one of the tax bills. The Senate approved the bill unanimously. The governor’s plan overall will reduce state tax collections and give the biggest dollar savings to the wealthy and large corporations, with Landry saying it will spark an investment boom that will raise family income and reverse the population loss that occurred while John Bel Edwards was governor. Whether families that earn less than $40,000 per year will receive a net tax reduction was not clear Friday, given the sales tax increase. The House and the Senate breezed through the long list of tax bills Friday, with Democrats showing no fight – none went to the microphone to voice their concerns. The centerpiece of Landry’s package – House Bill 10 , which combined the income tax cuts with the sales tax increase – passed the Senate 38-1, with only Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, voting no. HB10 passed the House, 80-19, with 18 Democrats and Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Gray, voting no. She had said she had made a commitment to not raise the sales tax. It would cut individual income taxes by $1.3 billion and raise $845 million in higher sales taxes. Legislators made up the difference by raiding an infrastructure fund and drastically reducing tax credits that companies can take on their inventory tax payments to parishes. Landry sought to replace the three-tier corporate income tax system with a single 3.5% rate, but legislators established a single 5.5% rate. That will reduce taxes for companies paying at the 7.5% rate, while those at the current lower two rates will receive a higher standard deduction to allow them to avoid having to pay more money, said Sen. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, who took a lead role in shepherding the package through the Senate. Reducing the top corporate income tax rate – House Bill 2 – won passage in the Senate, 38-1, with Duplessis voting no, and in the House, 90-9. Democrats cast all the no votes. Film tax credit saved Landry wanted to eliminate several tax incentive programs that independent studies show produce a low return on investment for taxpayers. But, after heavy lobbying, lawmakers kept the tax credits for film and TV productions and for renovations of historic property, although at a lower cost to the public. Also, Louisiana joined 44 other states in imposing taxes on digital goods such as streaming and games. Beyond all of those changes, Landry and legislators want to undertake a major rewrite of the state tax code. That will now be up to voters on March 29. Voters will be asked to approve a complicated change to the state constitution that would give a permanent pay raise next year of $2,000 to teachers and $1,000 to support staff – by paying off $2 billion of teacher pension debt. The proposed constitutional amendment would also give parishes the option of repealing the property tax on business inventory, and would double the standard deduction for seniors, take most property tax exemptions out of the constitution and put their fate in the hands of legislators, impose a cap on annual spending and make it harder to create more tax breaks in the future. The amendment also would merge two state savings accounts and, if passed, allow the governor to use some of that money to pay parishes to drop the inventory tax program. Remaining untouched are two popular tax items in the state constitution: the $75,000 homestead exemption and the sales tax exemption for the purchase of groceries, residential utilities and prescription drugs. Landry's goals In an interview Thursday morning, Landry said he had four goals when the special session began the day after this year’s presidential and congressional elections. He wanted to raise teacher pay next year and ensure that Louisiana didn’t have a budget shortfall next year that would lead to cuts in vital government programs. Landry wanted to lift Louisiana’s standing in the State Business Tax Climate Index of The Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit favored by conservatives. Louisiana is currently 40th and would jump to eighth under the original version of his plan. Because of the changes by legislators, Louisiana would now land among the top 25, Foil said. Landry also wanted to reduce the overall tax bite. In general terms, lawmakers are offsetting the reduction in income taxes with the increase in the state sales tax and other measures. The reduction comes from the repeal of the corporate franchise tax, which will save companies $530 million in the 2026/27 fiscal year. The Landry administration says that won’t cause a budget shortfall and reduce services because revenue from the corporate franchise tax in recent years has flowed into one of the state savings accounts. But Jan Moller, director of Invest in Louisiana, a Baton Rouge nonprofit that favors a progressive income tax system, has said in recent days that eliminating that tax will reduce the money available for government programs because corporate tax revenue has been inflated in recent years. In the immediate aftermath of the special session, local governments emerged as clear winners. They fended off Landry’s attempt to end their ability to impose sales taxes on the sale of machinery and equipment and on prescription drugs. The state does not tax those purchases. Landry was trying to follow the advice of The Tax Foundation, which has given poor marks to Louisiana’s sales tax system in part because of the complication of local governments imposing sales taxes on some purchases that the state does not tax. Needing more money to pay for the income tax cuts, lawmakers voted to not direct $280 million in vehicle sales taxes for two years to three major infrastructure projects: to extend Interstate 49 in Lafayette Parish, to complete the four miles of unbuilt highway on Interstate 49 just south of downtown Shreveport and to build a new bridge over the Mississippi River in metro Baton Rouge. Spending to replace the Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River will continue. Along with jettisoning Landry’s proposal to extend the sales tax to services, legislators also backed down from trying to revamp tax rates f or oil and gas production . Along a similar vein, state Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, withdrew his bill to triple the tax on sports betting. A group associated with Davante Lewis, a Democratic member of the Public Service Commission, has sent text messages and posted Facebook ads criticizing those who voted for the sales tax increase. In the final minutes of the special session, Rep. Steven Jackson, D-Shreveport, criticized the tactic, saying Democrats shouldn’t face criticism if they support good ideas from a Republican governor.Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON and President PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Engineer Amir Muqam, has strongly criticized leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for fleeing the scene of violent protest while leaving their supporters behind ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Nov, 2024) Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON and President Engineer , has strongly criticized leaders of Tehreek-e-Insaf ( ) for fleeing the scene of violent while leaving their supporters behind. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Muqam stated that ‘We've said it before this "final call" will prove to be a missed call’. He said there is a clear divide between the and its leaders who wanted to create anarchy in the country. He condemned the actions of leadership, accusing them of inciting chaos under the guise of political protests. Muqam said that the agenda of these people was to shed which was not fulfilled. "This is not a party but a group working on an agenda to destabilize the country." He said that such actions are part of a broader plan to spread chaos and anarchy in the country. Muqam said ’s so-called political protests often end in chaos, with leaders abandoning their supporters once violence erupts. He pointed out how leaders like “Bushra Bibi” and Ali Amin Gandapur, ran away the workers in the darkness of the night and held a press conference again. Once again, workers were used for personal gains and the so-called leaders ran away. "These leaders used workers for their personal gains, then left them behind," Muqam said. He said, “A new chapter of courage was written last night, as they ran away second time and insulted the Pashtuns.” The minister said that leaders, including and Ali Amin Gandapur, would be held accountable for the violence, loss of lives, and destruction of public property that occurred during the . "We will hold them accountable for the of innocent people and the damage to public property," Muqam stated. The indiscriminate use of the resources of the provincial for the political activities is highly deplorable for the people of the province. They attacked the federal capital instead of using these resources for the welfare of the people, he added. "Their actions against the state are unforgivable, and we will ensure that they are brought to justice," Muqam added. Muqam said that it was planned to sabotage the peace of the country. Repeated attacks on the federal are highly condemnable, he added.