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DETROIT — Josh Allen ran for two scores in the first quarter and threw two touchdown passes in the second half, leading the Buffalo Bills to a 48-42 victory Sunday that snapped the Detroit Lions ‘ franchise-record 11-game winning streak.
The AFC East-champion Bills (11-3) have won eight of nine, taking advantage of Allen’s ability to make plays with his right arm and legs.
Allen was 23 of 34 for a season-high 362 yards with touchdown passes to Khalil Shakir and Ray Davis. The dual-threat quarterback ran 11 times for 68 yards and two scores a week after being the first NFL player to throw and run for three touchdowns in a regular-season game.
He extended a league record by throwing for multiple touchdowns and rushing for more than one score in six straight games.
Jared Goff matched a career high by throwing five touchdown passes for the NFC North-leading Lions (12-2), whose loss gives Minnesota a chance to pull into a tie for the division lead with a win against Chicago on Monday night at home.
Read more.
EAGLES 27, STEELERS 13
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts threw touchdown passes to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to mute scrutiny of the Eagles’ offence, and Philadelphia won its franchise-record 10th straight game, 27-13 over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkey’s chase of the NFL season rushing record was slowed when he ran for just 65 yards on 19 carries. Barkley, who still leads the NFL with 1,688 yards, took a low hit from Pittsburgh’s Minkah Fitzpatrick and missed most of the second quarter.
Hurts also had a rushing touchdown on a tush push for the Eagles (12-2), who were denied a shot a clinching the NFC East when Washington beat New Orleans earlier in the day. AFC North-leading Pittsburgh (10-4) lost for the second time in nine games but clinched a playoff spot thanks to losses by Miami and Indianapolis.
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CHIEFS 21, BROWNS 7
CLEVELAND — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes before leaving in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, Xavier Worthy ran for a score and the Kansas City Chiefs finally didn’t have to sweat out the final minutes with a 21-7 victory over the mistake-prone Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Mahomes connected for TDs in the first half with Juju Smith-Schuster and Noah Gray as the Chiefs (13-1) built a 21-0 lead and then slogged their way through an ugly second half.
The defending Super Bowl champions have 10 wins by seven points or less, with six coming on the game’s final play.
Mahomes didn’t finish the game, leaving in the fourth quarter when he hurt his left ankle while being tackled. Carson Wentz replaced him for the final 5:23. Mahomes finished 19 of 38 for 159 yards.
The Browns (3-11) tried to put up a fight, but had six turnovers. Other than a 62-yard TD run from Jerome Ford, Cleveland had few offensive highlights and too many self-inflicted miscues.
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RAVENS 35, GIANTS 14
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Lamar Jackson tied his career high by throwing five touchdown passes in a near-perfect performance that led the Baltimore Ravens to a 35-14 victory over New York on Sunday, sending the Giants and embattled co-owner John Mara to a franchise-record-tying ninth straight loss.
Jackson hit Rashod Bateman on scoring passes of 49 and 20 yards after finding tight Mark Andrews on a 13-yarder for the opening score. He also connected with Devontez Walker for a 21-yard TD and running back Justice Hill on a 27-yard catch-and-run that capped a 97-yard drive.
Coming off a bye week, the Ravens (9-5) moved closer to a playoff berth. The Giants (2-12) are winless in eight games at MetLife Stadium, putting more pressure on head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.
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PACKERS 30, SEAHAWKS 13
SEATTLE — Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes to Romeo Doubs and the Green Bay Packers ended Seattle’s four-game winning streak with a 30-13 victory Sunday night over the Seahawks, who lost quarterback Geno Smith to a knee injury.
Josh Jacobs ran for 94 yards and a touchdown for the Packers (10-4), who have won eight of 10. Jacobs finished with 136 yards from scrimmage and Brandon McManus kicked three field goals.
After Doubs made an impressive grab in the back of the end zone late in the fourth quarter for his second TD, Packers fans at Lumen Field chanted, “Go Pack Go!”
Smith was hit low by Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper in the third quarter and threw his helmet to the ground after he limped off the field. He was replaced by Sam Howell, who had just one previous snap for the Seahawks (8-6).
Smith completed 15 of 19 passes for 149 yards, and Howell went 5 of 14 for 24 yards and a pick.
The Packers’ two losses over their last 10 have come to NFC North-leading Detroit, including a 34-31 defeat on Dec. 5, meaning the division title is likely out of reach. Green Bay has yet to clinch a playoff spot.
BUCCANEERS 40, CHARGERS 17
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Baker Mayfield threw for 288 yards and four touchdown passes, Mike Evans had a season-high 159 receiving yards and two scores and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the second half en route to a 40-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
The NFC South-leading Buccaneers (8-6) trailed 17-10 late in the second quarter before scoring on five straight drives.
Evans had a 57-yard TD catch with 10:23 remaining in the third quarter to give Tampa Bay a 20-17 lead. The veteran wide receiver — who had nine receptions — then hauled in a 35-yard pass late in the quarter to extend the lead to 30-17.
Mayfield completed 22 of 27 passes and has a career-high 32 touchdowns on the season. It is the first time in his seven-year career he has eclipsed 30.
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BRONCOS 31, COLTS 13
DENVER — Linebacker Nik Bonitto foiled a trick play by stepping in front of quarterback Anthony Richardson and hijacking Adonai Mitchell’s lateral pass, then racing 50 yards for a touchdown Sunday that sealed the Denver Broncos’ 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
With five takeaways, the Broncos (9-5) strengthened their grip on an AFC wild-card berth that would end a playoff drought dating to 2016. They began defense of their Super Bowl 50 title that season with a 4-0 start, which was the last time they sat four games above .500.
The Colts (6-8) blew both an early 10-0 lead and a big opportunity to tighten the AFC wild-card race.
A big reason was the tide-turning blunder by running back Jonathan Taylor, who dropped the ball milliseconds before crossing the goal line on what would have been a 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Instead of lining up for the extra point to give the Colts a 20-7 lead, the touchback left the reeling Colts clinging to a six-point edge they would soon relinquish — and in such a big way.
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TEXANS 20, DOLPHINS 12
HOUSTON — Nico Collins had two touchdown receptions and Houston’s defence forced four turnovers, highlighted by two fourth-quarter interceptions by Derek Stingley, to help the Texans to a 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
It’s the second straight victory for the Texans (9-5), who can clinch the AFC South title for a second straight season with a loss by the Colts later Sunday.
Collins had a 6-yard TD reception in the second quarter and his second 6-yard scoring grab made it 20-6 in the third. That score was set up by a 35-yard run by Dare Ogunbowale on a fake punt.
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BENGALS 37, TITANS 27
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Joe Burrow threw for 271 yards with three touchdowns for the franchise record with 36 this season and the Cincinnati Bengals improved their faint playoff hopes by thumping the Tennessee Titans 37-27 in a sloppy game Sunday.
The Bengals (6-8) notched the 400th regular-season win in franchise history. They still need to win out to extend their streak of winning seasons to four straight no matter where they wind up in the AFC playoff chase.
They came in without starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and lost end Sam Hubbard to an injured knee after he caught a 2-yard TD pass.
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JETS 32, JAGUARS 25
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Davante Adams caught nine passes from Aaron Rodgers for 198 yards and two touchdowns — all in the second half — and the New York Jets rallied to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 32-25 to end a four-game skid Sunday.
Adams hauled in a 71-yard TD pass with 3:24 remaining and a 41-yarder that set up Breece Hall’s one-yard plunge with 1:05 to play. In between, he made a circus catch along the sideline for a first down.
It was vintage Adams, who became the 12th player in NFL history with 100 receiving touchdowns. And vintage Rodgers, who threw for 289 yards and three scores as the Jets (4-10) topped 30 points for the first time this season. The 41-year-old quarterback also led New York with 45 yards rushing.
Adams’ 100th TD grab came on a one-yard fade route in the third quarter. No. 101 was even more impressive. He streaked down the middle of the field, running past linebacker Devin Lloyd and seeing no safety help from Darnell Savage until it was too late.
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COWBOYS 30, PANTHERS 14
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cooper Rush threw for 214 yards and a career-high three touchdown passes, Dallas forced four Bryce Young turnovers and sacked the second-year quarterback six times as the Cowboys defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-14 on Sunday for their third win in the past four games.
CeeDee Lamb had nine catches for 116 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown reception and Rico Dowdle ran for a career high 149 yards on 25 carries to become the first undrafted running back to surpass 100 yards rushing in three straight games since Houston’s Arian Foster.
Young, who had shown improvement in recent weeks, finished 19 of 28 for 219 yards with a career-long 83-yard touchdown toss to rookie Jalen Coker and also ran for a score. But the second-year quarterback fumbled twice and threw two interceptions to fall to 4-21 as an NFL starter.
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COMMANDERS 20, SAINTS 19
NEW ORLEANS — Jayden Daniels threw two first-half touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin, and the Washington Commanders narrowly held off a rally by Spencer Rattler and the Saints, winning 20-19 on Sunday when New Orleans failed on a 2-point conversion with no time left.
Daniels, returning to play in Louisiana a year after winning the Heisman Trophy with LSU, completed 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards. He also ran for 66 yards, highlighted by a first-down scramble on third-and-14 to set up a third-quarter field goal by the recently signed Greg Joseph that put the Commanders (9-5) ahead 17-0.
But Rattler relieved starting quarterback Jake Haener and nearly carried the Saints (5-9) to victory. After Joseph missed a 54-yard field goal with 1:55 to go, Rattler led a 56-yard drive and threw a 1-yard TD pass to Foster Moreau as time expired.
Interim coach Darren Rizzi went for the win, but Rattler could not complete his pass to tightly covered tight end Juwan Johnson — and the Saints fell to 0-4 without quarterback Derek Carr, who was concussed and injured his left, non-throwing hand a week earlier.
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CARDINALS 30, PATRIOTS 17
GLENDALE, Ariz. — James Conner ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, offensive lineman Jonah Williams recovered a fumble for the first score of his NFL career and the Arizona Cardinals used a stellar defensive performance to beat the New England Patriots 30-17 on Sunday.
The win kept the Cardinals (7-7) on the fringe of the playoff hunt and snapped a three-game losing streak.
New England (3-11) has lost four straight.
The 312-pound Williams scored when he fell on a ball that was fumbled into the end zone, giving the Cardinals a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The right tackle was added to the injury report early Sunday because of an illness, but played anyway.
Chad Ryland added field goals from 49, 35 and 40 yards. Kyler Murray completed 23 of 30 passes for 224 yards, while Trey McBride caught nine passes for 87 yards.
Read more.
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Macro guru Luke Gromen believes the US has minimal choice but to seriously consider elevating Bitcoin (BTC) as a neutral reserve asset.
In a new interview with Bitcoin firebrand Robert Breedlove, Gromen says the country is facing a national security crisis after Russia crushed US and NATO forces in Ukraine.
Gromen believes that the defeat has changed the rules of the game, forcing the Department of Defense and the national security apparatus to abandon the fiat currency system. According to the macro guru, the US dollar system drove the country to shutter its factories, crippling America’s ability to manufacture armaments for national defense.
But Gromen says the national defense and intelligence establishment now sees an opportunity to revitalize its industries by debasing the dollar and using Bitcoin to back the Treasury market.
“The game theory has changed around this: for national political stability, for bringing back the middle and working class for defense base re-establishment. All of these things are pointing to a neutral reserve asset…
Bitcoin has gone from an eye-roll laugh in this sentence a year ago… but I don’t think there should be.
Treasury [Department] is talking about how to use stablecoins to create a balance sheet basically for T-bills to finance deficits. Paul Ryan, former speaker of the House [and] VP candidate, [wrote an] op-ed about how stablecoins could be used to create demand for T-bills. Trump saying Bitcoin is the new oil, reportedly, [and] the strategic [Bitcoin] reserve.” 
Gromen says the statements of politicians and the Treasury Department tell him that the US is gearing up to massively boost the market cap of Bitcoin, similar to what happened to oil in 1973 when it surged 400%.
“What that oil price did by moving up that way was it effectively made oil big enough to back the dollar, to back the US deficits.”
According to Gromen, elevating Bitcoin as a neutral reserve asset will allow the US to finance the re-establishment of its industries for national defense without making Americans poor.
“The Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee report has a chart: here’s the market cap of crypto, here’s the market cap of stablecoins, here’s how many T-bills stablecoins have bought, and it’s linear. That’s how they’re looking at it…
When you think about it that way in the context of political stability issues that you need to address, the national defense issues you need to address, the game theory is turned on its head…
Bitcoin isn’t a threat that is rising. It needs to go up faster so that we have more balance sheet capacity and so that our people, as we reinflate to re-shore all of this stuff because it is going to be inflationary, that’s not a bad thing to compensate your people to keep them whole on a real basis while that happens.”
At time of writing, Bitcoin is trading for $105,063.
 
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France and Qatar both announced steps toward diplomatic rapprochement with Syria on Sunday, representing an opening of dialogue with the new rebel-backed interim government responsible for ousting former President Bashar al-Assad.  
France will dispatch a team of diplomats to war-torn Syria on Tuesday to meet with unspecified contacts and report back on the current political and security situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that the visit was intended to “demonstrate a “willingness to support the Syrian people.”  

As Brussels is still assessing how to approach Syria’s new leadership, given the leading role of the EU-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Paris will lead off the bloc’s first official efforts with the new government. Given its hardline stance against Assad and cultural ties to Syria from the former French Mandate, many have cited France as a strong point of first contact. 
France, which did not back HTS but instead secular and Kurdish groups, has also emphasized the importance of an inclusive political transition under the established United Nations framework.  
Meanwhile, Geir Pedersen, the UN’s envoy to Syria, told reporters in Damascus on Sunday that Western nations could support institution-building efforts by lifting sanctions. 
Qatar announced it will reopen its embassy in Damascus on Tuesday, more than 13 years after withdrawing its ambassador in response to Assad’s violent crackdowns on protesters in 2011. Similar to Paris, Doha considered mending ties with Assad and instead resisted regional attempts to restore relations with his regime. 

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By Sang-Hoon Sung 13 MINUTES AGO

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NewsJeff Brumley  |  December 16, 2024
Race, religion and Christian nationalism were among the top influencers of presidential voting in the 2024 election, according to new polling by Public Religion Research Institute.
Half of all U.S. voters chose Republican Donald Trump on Election Day compared to 48% who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris.
But white voters cast votes for Trump 55% to 43% over Harris, compared to Black voters who voted for Harris 81% to 17% over Trump. Hispanics were somewhat more evenly divided, with 53% voting for Harris and 45% for Trump, PRRI said in the post-election survey released Dec. 13.
Efron Perez
“It’s very clear from the survey that whereas we once expected maybe one out of three Latinos to vote Republican regardless of the candidate, we are basically seeing half,” said Efren Perez, professor of political science at UCLA, during PRRI’s webinar release of the survey.
But it’s much too early to draw definitive conclusions about the trend, Perez added. “Donald Trump is sort of a quantity and a product all on his own, and so it’s really hard to tell how much of this support among Latinos has to do with that unique brand of his rather than a very durable, sincere attachment to the Republican Party.”
The study also reported “stark” voter divides along religious lines, with 85% of white evangelicals, 64% of Hispanic Protestants, 59% of white Catholics and 57% of white Mainline Protestants casting ballots for Trump. Majorities of Black Protestants (83%), unaffiliated voters (72%), non-Christian people of faith (67%), Jewish voters (62%) and 55% of Hispanic Catholics voted for Harris.
Robert P. Jones
Overwhelming support for Trump among white evangelicals came as no surprise given that more than 80% of them backed him in the previous two general elections, said PRRI President Robert P. Jones.
Just as significant is the continuing chasm between white evangelical and Black Protestant voting preferences, Jones added. “I want to pause and say how remarkable that is. African American Protestants and white evangelical Protestants share a lot of theology, share a lot of geography, yet their voting patterns are mirror images, particularly in the Trump era and really since the Civil Rights era.”
Education also was a contributing factor on Election Day, with 66% of white non-college graduates voting for Trump compared to 44% of those who graduated from college. Among Hispanics, 48% of non-college graduates picked Trump versus 40% of college graduates. Black non-college graduates (78%) and college graduates (86%) chose Harris.
The PRRI survey also found a correlation between frequency of church attendance and white voter support for Trump, especially with white evangelicals. In that group, 88% who attend church weekly or more voted for Trump, as did 81% of those who attend monthly or a few times a year and 77% who seldomly or never attend church.
Among white Catholics, 64% who attend at least weekly backed Trump in the 2024 election, along with 58% who attend monthly and 56% who seldomly or never attend.
Attendance was less of a determining factor in Trump’s support among white non-evangelical Protestants, with 52% of weekly attenders, 56% of monthly attenders and 59% of those who seldomly or never attend casting ballots for him.

Levels of support for Christian nationalism, authoritarianism and QAnon conspiracies also sharply divided Americans in their presidential voting, PRRI reported: “A strong majority of Americans who qualify as Christian nationalism adherents and sympathizers report voting for Trump (83%), while almost two-thirds of Christian nationalism rejecters and skeptics (64%) report voting for Harris.”
Respondents also were asked if they believe Trump’s election was a sign of “divine endorsement,” with 60% of white evangelicals, 59% of Christian nationalism supporters and 45% of Hispanic Protestants affirming that view. Only 17% of Black Protestants agreed.
A large majority (82%) of Americans who expressed “high” or “very high” levels of support for authoritarian leaders and government voted for Trump, while most (79%) of those with “low” or “very low” opinions voted for Harris, PRRI found. “QAnon believers are far more likely to report voting for Trump (81%) while QAnon rejecters report voting for Harris (73%) at much higher numbers.”

The survey also gauged voter confidence in U.S. democracy and elections. More than half (55%) said they are “very confident” the 2024 election was conducted fairly, while 31% of all Americans and 63% of Republicans maintained the 2020 presidential contest was stolen from Trump. Confidence in the accuracy and fairness of the 2024 election was much higher among Republican voters (66%) compared with Democratic voters (44%), according to the survey.
The study also reported a spike in partisan polarization since 2016.
“Republican voters are more likely to see the Democratic Party as a serious threat to the country today than they did when Trump first ran for office (60% in 2016 vs. 69% in 2024); however, the perception among Democrats that the Republican Party poses a serious threat has increased at a much higher rate in that same time (50% in 2016 vs. 81% in 2024).”

Suspicion of the Democratic Party among independent voters dipped from 35% in 2016 to 32% this year, while the number concerned about Republicans shot up from 26% to 42% in the same span, the report says.
Meanwhile, 70% of all U.S. voters agreed the biggest dangers facing the nation emanate not from external sources but from “those living among us,” PRRI found. “Strong majorities of Republican voters (73%), Democratic voters (69%), and independent voters (65%) share this sentiment.”
Voters were heavily divided over the likely strength of American democracy during the next four years. While about four in 10 voters said they are “very confident” democracy will remain strong during Trump’s upcoming term, 79% of Republicans expressed that view compared to 35% of independents and only 5% of Democrats.

“Partisanship, race and Christian nationalist views strongly shape Americans’ confidence that Donald Trump will peacefully leave office at the end of his term,” PRRI reported.
Overall, 42% of voters expressed confidence Trump will leave office peacefully at the end of his term, an opinion shared by only 5% of Democrats and 37% of independents. Those who believe he will leave office peacefully included 79% of Republicans and 69% of Christian nationalism supporters.
The divide was similar when respondents were asked if free political expression would continue during the next presidential term, including speech critical of the Trump administration. Four in 10 of all voters said they are confident freedom of speech would continue, compared to 72% of Republicans, 38% of independents and only 10% of Democrats. White voters (45%) and Black voters (20%) were sharply divided on the question.

“Christian nationalism adherent and sympathizer voters (61%) are about twice as likely as Christian nationalism rejecter and skeptic voters (32%) to express confidence in their ability to freely express their political opinions,” PRRI reported.
Republicans (63%) and Christian nationalists (55%) said they were “not at all confident” Trump will use government power for retribution against his enemies. Only 6% of Democrats and 34% of independents shared that confidence.
Republican voters (46%) and those with strong authoritarian beliefs (48%) were most likely to say the U.S. military should be used to place unauthorized immigrants in internment camps until their deportation. But only 12% of all voters, 19% of independents and 8% of Democrats agreed.

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5 Red-Hot Crypto Picks: Best Meme Coins to Join Now That Could Set You Free Financially in 2025!  Punch Newspapers
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I’m consumed by guilt and anxiety whenever I’m not shadowing my parents’ every move. Recently, I let my guard down—and nearly watched my mum fall prey to smooth-talking con artists and their elaborate scam.
My parents devoted their lives to raising me, building a foundation of care and protection I strive to repay. But no matter how much I try, the tables can turn in an instant.
Like so many other Asians who struggle to put love into words, I channel my affection through food. Lavish meals have become my language of gratitude, a way of saying everything I can’t articulate out loud. 
So, in November 2023, I decided to treat my parents to a popular hotel buffet along Orchard Road for my dad’s 74th birthday. The idea of all-you-can-eat seemed foolproof, and the restaurant buzzed with an energy that made me feel I’d chosen right.
For 35 years, my parents and I lived under the same roof, sharing everything. Even after I moved into my own place, we maintained a close bond, our regular communal meals serving as cherished check-ins, a chance to update each other on the little and big things in life.
The mood of this jovial dinner took an unexpected turn when my mum, 72, who had always taught me to be unyielding with myself, laid down a revelation that made my heart skip a beat. In a voice trembling with anger and regret, she revealed that she’d nearly lost her life savings to some mysterious strangers.
My mum’s gaze was fixed on the floor like an embarrassed child as she recounted the gaslighting she had endured, her voice trembling with anger and regret.
My fists and teeth clenched as she disclosed that she had been fooled by swindlers.
At 9 AM one morning in October 2023, my mum picked up a call from a voice that somehow knew her name.
“There has been a transaction of over S$900 on your OCBC credit card,” the caller announced, triggering a ripple of confusion within her. She owned an OCBC account, yes, but no credit card.
The supposed “bank teller” calmly asked if she wanted to cancel the transaction and file a police report. When she agreed, he “transferred” her to a police station. Thus, with the press of a button, my mother crossed a threshold, lured by skilled emotional manipulators who saw through her defences to the vulnerable heart beneath.
In reality, bank tellers will never transfer calls to the police.
“It was all so realistic,” she recalls. Her voice tightened, shame hardening into anger. She had answered his questions, divulging her bank details in full trust.
“Are you in a room alone?” the stranger on the phone asked.
“This statement must be kept secret. Not even your husband can know.” She complied, entranced by his authority.
At this point of telling her story, my mother was so angry—at the voice actors and even more so at herself—that she was swearing to herself in Teochew. She was spewing expletives from the old country that even I hadn’t heard before.
“In hindsight, all these questions were meant to gather information from me. At that time, I had to leave for work, so the fake policeman told me to call him back later.”
By the following day, the game had darkened.
“The officer was oddly… polite,” she recounted, eyebrows knitting with a mix of dread and disbelief. He asked about her day, about her meals, lulling her, it seemed, into a false sense of security.
The following day, he transferred her to his senior officer—an Inspector Yong, who surprisingly knew her personal details, including her bank account number. And with each personal detail, he baited her deeper.
Inspector Yong claimed to have uncovered her involvement in two other money laundering cases—he even described an arrest warrant in her name.
“Is there somewhere quiet where we can talk?” he gently asked.
Inspector Yong suggested they continue their confidential conversation somewhere secluded, like a nearby void deck. Again, my mum complied.
However, according to Inspector Yong, my mother could avoid arrest if she followed his instructions and logged into her online banking account.
Fortunately enough, my mum is terrible with all things involving computers, mobile apps and anything that didn’t exist in 1990.
Inspector Yong became exasperated from trying to help this senior log in. After multiple attempts, they gave up trying to access her online banking account. He said that they could try again the next day, and she went home.
Shaken but suspicious, my mother confided in my father. He quickly reached out to a friend in the force.
As soon as he mentioned the name “Inspector Yong,” the response was immediate: “You’ve been scammed.”
My mother’s cheeks flushed with shame as she realised how close she had come to losing everything. But for all her regrets, she knew she was lucky. She would have been another silent statistic if not for her blessed computer illiteracy, a shield that saved her in her moment of greatest vulnerability.
“If we had logged into my banking account and had I given him details like my OTP, he could have wiped out my life savings.”
It took a lot for my mum to recall and verbalise this brief lapse of judgment, so after she had gotten it off her chest, I changed the topic to something lighthearted. I wanted the convivial mood of the birthday dinner to continue, so I joked that her not losing her life savings made this a double celebration. My dad chimed in with amusing banter too, which earned a smile and laugh from her.
As her son, it stung. My mum has toiled for years to provide for her family and doesn’t have any indulgences because she believes that it’s more important to save for a rainy day. She was lucky that the only harm this scam caused was to her pride—she still curses ‘Inspector Yong’ and his accomplices under her breath. However, many others were not as fortunate.
We escaped financial ruin by sheer luck. When I was a child, my mother did her utmost to protect me. As an adult caring for my elderly parents, it’s frustrating that there’s little I can do to protect her besides calling her often and talking to her about new types of scams.
However, it’s heartening that she’s been reading up on scam tactics. 
In the first half of 2024, over 26,000 victims lost S$385.6 million to scams, and it’s not just the elderly—last year, 73 percent of victims were below 50 years of age.
These days, she hopes other seniors too will take steps to protect themselves and their life savings, like downloading the ScamShield app, setting daily limits for bank transactions and activating the Money Lock feature. It’s great that ScamShield also has a 24/7 helpline (1799) that anyone can call during moments of uncertainty.
Last month, my mum received another call. This time, the caller claimed that an even larger amount had been transacted through her bank account. This time, she smirked and hung up.
“We need to inform the public what types of scams are out there and how to avoid falling for them,” she opines.
She’s wisened up to the modus operandi of scammers. Showing her how to differentiate the authentic from the suspicious hasn’t been easy, but this close call has made me more patient with teaching her.
On the unfortunate flip side, however, this attempted banking scam has made my mother even more averse to electronic services. She’ll continue to update her passbook at the bank for as long as she can walk there.
One electronic service she’s become familiar with, though, is how to lodge an online police report.
“We also need to tell Singaporeans what banking and police services can be done online and what requires our physical presence.”
In our journey towards greater personal safety, she and I have also learned that the police will never ask for information related to banking, SingPass or CPF over the phone or via text. Nor will they ever ask us to transfer money, click on links that lead to bank websites, or download apps outside of official app stores.
If required to provide any information or statements, an individual may insist on meeting ‘police officers’ like Inspector Yong at a police station in person.
“For those who aren’t aware, other people cannot apply for a credit card under your name, so if a caller makes such a claim, know that it might be a scam.”
Losing a fortune to scammers has been mentally debilitating for some victims, but for my mum, her harrowing encounter has sparked a personal mission to spread awareness to others.
She still sounds embarrassed when she shares her close shave with friends and family, but does so anyway, in the spirit of safeguarding them from scammers.
All our essential services have adopted online processes, which are hurriedly onboarding one and all, regardless of how much one knows about online security.
This urban rush, coupled with blind trust in reputable corporations and statutory boards, has led to thousands of Singaporeans being swindled every year, and these include not just the elderly but young digital natives too.
So let’s be patient with scam victims, who could do without our judgment piled atop their self-blame. While many fear reproach, reaching out quickly to avenues of support is vital to mitigating the damage.
In a high-tech world that has cut out the human touch, perhaps the best bulwark against this theatre of malicious actors can be built from human connections.
The key strategy of my mum’s scammers was to isolate her. This reaffirms the importance of checking on our loved ones frequently so none of them will ever go through such an ordeal alone.

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Sublime Security, a Washington, D.C.-based startup developing email security software, has raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by IVP, with participation from other West Coast firms — Index Ventures, Decibel Partners, and Slow Ventures.
The firm had closed its Series A led by Index Ventures earlier this year. Series A investors include Crowdstrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch, who also joined the Sublime board.
Tapping Microsoft, Google Customers
Founded by Josh Kamdjou, who managed cybersecurity for the U.S. Department of Defense for a decade, and IanThiel, a former Optimizely executive, Sublime helps users of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace secure their email. Its customers include Spotify, Reddit and Elastic.
“Today, I’m more convinced than ever that the path we chose, despite resetting our clock back a couple years, is right. Not only for tackling email security, but the architecture of the future in a new world of AI-assisted threats,” said Kamdjou, Sublime’s CEO.
In a blog post on the funding, Kamdjou said “a lot of people thought we were crazy” when Sublime set out in 2021 to build email security using a detection engine backed by a programmable domain-specific language, or DSL. Sublime also built its business differently — without “a single cold sales email or phone call,” or a “paid ad.”
Focus on AI-Assisted Attacks
Sublime’s core platform, built with AI, helps customers to self-host the software and manage threats. It also features an Attack Score to prioritize email threats. Attack Score can also be combined with other threat detection methods to develop unified threat protection.
Having established its ability to provide more security than Microsoft and Google do to their users, Sublime is eyeing opportunities emerging from growing numbers of AI-assisted cyberattacks.
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“The real-time detection engines of tomorrow must rapidly adapt to changes in the threat landscape, while working at massive scale and across tremendous environmental diversity,” Kamdjou said. “Detection efficacy gets stale otherwise. Not to mention the lack of transparency, visibility, and control that most practitioners at large enterprises need to do their jobs effectively.”
Alongside the funding announcement, Sublime Security said it has hired former Wiz executive Colin Jones as president to run go-to-market. Jones was chief revenue officer at Wiz, which earlier this year rejected a $23 billion acquisition offer from Google’s parent Alphabet. At Wiz, Jones is credited with taking the company’s revenue from $0 to $100 million in a record 18 months.

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In liaison with Education International (EI) “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign, the Japan Teachers’ Union (JTU) unveiled a new survey which shows the country’s educators are grappling with long working hours, additional extracurricular activities, and no significant improvement in working conditions.
JTU Deputy General Secretary Shunichi Yamazaki warns: “If this continues, there is a real and terrible risk that public schools across the country could all go bankrupt at once.”
The 2024 JTU survey, part of the union’s “School in Crisis” conducted online from mid-July to mid-September 2024, was filled out by members of the union. Despite the survey being released annually since 2014, there has been no significant improvement in the working and living conditions of teachers. Although relevant laws have been amended, the Ministry of Education has yet to implement effective measures.
The survey sheds light on several factors contributing to the long working hours endured by educators. These include a severe teacher shortage and the demands of after-school club activities, which are widespread in Japan.
Both lower and higher secondary schools offer these activities, requiring teachers to participate and enforce rules as managers or coaches. More than 40% of the surveyed teachers expressed a desire to avoid involvement in these extracurricular duties.
JTU reported that, in the ongoing discussions about the national budget for 2025, Japan’s Minister of Education has proposed an increase in the adjustment allowance for public school teachers, raising it from 4% to 13% of their monthly salary, but only for the 2025 budget. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has put forward a more gradual plan, suggesting an increase from 4% to 10% over five years.
For JTU, both proposals unacceptable. The union reiterated the urgent need for more teachers, reduced workloads and substantial amendments or the abolishment of the relevant laws.
It also noted that these proposals are insufficient and calls for immediate and effective measures to ensure the well-being of educators and the quality of education.
For JTU the survey is a call to education authorities in Japan, to fully fund public education, invest in the teaching profession, and engage teachers and education personnel at all levels of decision making.
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From replacing joints to heart valves — Indians are increasingly going for medical interventions even at advanced ages to improve their quality of life. With people living longer, physicians and healthcare systems are looking at healthy ageing by managing chronic conditions, preventing complications, and intervening to ensure that people remain physically and mentally active.
Be it the government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme being expanded to cover the elderly or the country’s insurance regulator doing away with the 65-year restriction for purchasing a policy — health of the elderly was brought to the fore in 2024.
Loss of muscles, balance and conditions like Parkinson’s means falls and fractures is a big concern for the elderly. Add to that age-related osteoporosis — a condition that causes bones to become brittle and weak — and the risk of bone breaks shoots up. “Around 15 per cent of people over the age of 60 fall every year — one per cent of these falls can lead to hospitalisation. Falls can be really life-threatening. However, when a person falls from a standing height and breaks their bone, it’s a sign that they have osteoporosis. It can get so bad that some may break their bones while turning in their bed,” says Dr Rajesh Malhotra, orthopaedician at Delhi’s Indraprastha Apollo hospital and former head of AIIMS trauma centre.
Osteoporosis can be age-related but it can also be linked to the use of certain medicines such as anti-epilepsy drugs, diuretics, cancer medicines and chemotherapy, even smoking. Kidney or liver disease is known to cause osteoporosis. “It’s a silent disease — people lose more of their bone without a single symptom. The first fracture is the first symptom of the disease,” explains Dr Malhotra.
While osteoporosis may be the underlying condition, hip fractures are a big cause of concern in the elderly. “Hip fracture is a sign of not just failing bones but of a failing body. Even in the US, 25 per cent of those who suffer a hip fracture die within a year. When it comes to India, 40 per cent die. Also, Indians fracture their hips a decade earlier than Western counterparts,” he says, adding that the aim is to operate on it as quickly as possible.
The wear and tear of joints can also lead to hip fractures. “A large majority of patients with hip fractures also have a bad knee — and the hip break tends to be on the same side as the bad knee. I tell my patients, even if they do not want to undergo a joint replacement surgery, they should use a stick or walker, otherwise they would fall and break their hips. While people are living longer, the last decade of life can be bad, with many ignoring their health. It is heartening to see more and more people getting the joint replacement surgeries that they need. Even if one is 100 years old, if they are otherwise fit and can afford it, they should get their replacement surgeries. It immensely improves their quality of life and keeps them mobile, helping keep their bones healthy. A majority of those who get operated on regret that they wasted so much time,” says Dr Malhotra, who now operates on three persons over the age of 80 years every week.
How to prevent falls? First, take all prescribed medicines to keep chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension in check. Second, ensure adequate nutrition because people tend to eat less as they age and get malnourished. The thinner you are, the likelier you are to get a fracture. Third, improve Vitamin D levels. “We have an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency, which increases the risk of fractures. Even in a sunny country like ours there is Vitamin D deficiency because we don’t step out in the sun between 10 am and 3 pm when it’s made. We keep our neck and upper trunk that absorb the maximum Vitamin D covered, we are dark-skinned. When it comes to the elderly the lack of fat under the skin also has an impact — the sun actually converts the cholesterol to Vitamin D,” says Dr Malhotra.
Correcting eye sight and hearing aids and wearing proper footwear can prevent falls significantly. Someone who takes more than four medicines or someone who has to stop walking in order to speak is at a higher risk of falls. Someone who takes more than 12 seconds to get up from their chair, walk 6 metres, turn around, come back and sit, is also more likely to fall.
If you have had a fall from standing height that resulted in a fracture, get diagnosed for the condition. Post-menopausal women and men above the age of 50 years at a higher risk of osteoporosis may get Dexa scan to check bone density once in two years — once a year if they are undergoing osteoporosis treatment or have other conditions that lead to bone loss.
Coronary artery disease is the biggest challenge when it comes to heart health of people over the age of 60 years. “Most elderly people ignore their health but that can lead to more problems. It is essential that they keep all their chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension in check, take their medicines, remain active and more importantly sleep properly,” saysDr Rakesh Yadav, professor of cardiology at All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.
He says regular tests to check blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, haemoglobin levels can help but there is no need for any other test. “If there is no chest pain or shortness of breath, there is no need for any specialised tests. If people have the symptoms, they should consult their doctors,” he advises.
Dr VK Bahl, principal director of cardiac sciences at Max Hospitals and former head of cardio-thoracic centre at AIIMS, says that with people living longer, the absolute number of people with coronary heart disease and heart failure is on the rise. Minimally invasive procedures have encouraged the elderly to opt for them. “With percutaneous valve replacement — a minimally invasive procedure to replace damaged valves — people are going for surgeries even at older ages because their chest doesn’t have to be opened up. They are also undergoing procedures such as ablation (minimally invasive procedure to destroy abnormal tissue) for irregular heart rhythm,” he says.
When it comes to the brain, vascular conditions such as strokes and neurodegenerative conditions like dementia are a cause for concern. “While most risk factors for stroke have remained the same, over the years, air pollution has emerged as the fifth most common risk factor in south Asian countries. After Covid-19, there has also been an increase in neuro-cognitive disorders such as dementia. Whether there is a definite co-relation is yet to be seen, research is still under way,” said Dr MV Padma Shrivastava, chairperson of neurology at Paras Health-Gurugram and former HOD of neurology at AIIMS.
“We are also seeing a peculiar constellation of autoimmune disorders in the last few years that may be linked to Covid-19 as well. These respond to immune modulators. People may think an autoimmune condition is primarily psychiatric but it may lead to changes in memory and higher mental functions. It can lead to changes in food behaviours, preferences, sleep pattern, problem solving among others.”
It is essential to diagnose and treat conditions such as dementia early on. Dr Padma says that people with dementia forget that they have forgotten things. “It is something that they will not be able to notice but family members will. Someone who is good with words will start groping around for them. Serial steps that a person could do without thinking at all will take longer to do. There are changes in the personality — say, someone starts craving sweets when they have hated it all their life or someone who always reads newspapers stops reading it. These are red flags and the person should be taken to a doctor immediately,” she says.
The increasing elderly population may present challenges but an awareness of healthy ageing and right practices can turn them into opportunities for ensuring longevity that can be productive as well.
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Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. … Read More
Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with a cup of tea he drank in Gurugram on X. Mr Wong posted two images of the cafe’s interior and a kulhad (earthen cup), expressing his disappointment at having to pay Rs 169 (tax included) for what he called “tasteless” chai.

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