fishing toy

fishing toy

Montebello just broke ground on its doggie happy place: the city’s first-ever dog park. The site sits at Acuna Park at 1700 W. Victoria Ave., where dogs and their owners gathered on Wednesday, Dec. 4, to breaking ground. City officials said the project will provide a safe, welcoming space for dogs and their owners. The park spans about 20,000 square feet, but the new dog park will include 14,000 square feet of dedicated off-leash space where dogs can roam, play, and and get to know each other. The park will feature separate areas for small and large dogs to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the big doggies and the little ones. The park will also include amenities such as: Related Articles News | Girl, 5, killed by family’s dogs in backyard attack near Covina News | Zoya, one of world’s oldest Amur leopards, dies at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens News | How Los Angeles saved crucial wildlife habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains News | Wild parrots are being shot at increasing rates in the San Gabriel Valley, wildlife groups say News | Mountain lion rescued from tree after fleeing beagle in OC Mayor Scarlet Peralta said the “creation of Montebello’s first dog park is a testament to our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all our residents. We are proud to deliver a space that reflects the input of our community and provides a safe and enjoyable environment for our pets and their owners. This project is another step forward in building a stronger, more inclusive Montebello.” City Manager Raul Alvarez said “this dog park represents our city’s dedication to fostering community connection and creating spaces where everyone, including our four-legged family members, can thrive.” The park will be open during standard park hours. For updates on the park’s progress and opening details, visit MontebelloCA.gov or follow on social media @CityofMontebello.4. Stock Up on Cold Weather Essentials:Jaland Lowe flirted with a triple-double as Pitt improved to 6-0 with a 74-63 win over LSU on Friday afternoon at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Lowe finished with a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists for the Panthers, who have won their first six games of a season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. It would have been the second straight triple-double for Lowe, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against VMI Monday. Ishmael Leggett chipped in 21 points and Cameron Corhen supplied 14, helping Pitt outshoot the Tigers (4-1) 44.4 percent to 37.3 percent overall. Vyctorius Miller and Jalen Reed recorded 14 points apiece for LSU, with Reed also snatching seven boards. Cam Carter contributed 11 points. Pitt took control in the first four-plus minutes of the second half, opening the period on a 13-0 run to build a 40-28 lead. The Tigers were held scoreless following the break until Carter converted a layup with 13:13 to go. It was still a 12-point game after Zack Austin hit a pair of free throws with 12:50 remaining, but LSU then rallied. Corey Chest, Reed and Jordan Sears each had a bucket down low for the Tigers during an 8-1 spurt that made it 43-38. However, Lowe stemmed the tide, answering with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Panthers up 49-38 with 9:31 left. Miller did everything he could to keep LSU in contention, scoring eight points in a span of 1 minute, 23 seconds, with his four-point play getting the Tigers within 56-52 with 6:03 to play. But Pitt never let LSU get the upper hand, and it led by at least six for the final 5:05 of the contest. The Tigers had a 28-27 edge at intermission after ending the first half on an 8-2 run. LSU overcame a quick start by the Panthers, who raced out to a 12-6 advantage and led by as many as eight in the first 20 minutes of action. --Field Level Media

3. **Assad Regime:** Despite facing years of civil war and international condemnation, the Assad regime has emerged victorious in retaining control over the majority of Syrian territory. With the backing of allies like Russia and Iran, President Bashar al-Assad has managed to cling to power, albeit at the cost of widespread destruction and humanitarian crises.Instagram unveils Trial Reels to share content with non-followersTencent Video recently announced a significant update to its VIP service, with a new policy that limits the number of devices to be used for playback by all subscribers to one device at a time. This change affects both new and existing members, but the rights and benefits promised to existing members will remain unchanged. This decision has stirred up discussions among subscribers and industry experts, with many questioning the potential impact on user experience and the reasoning behind this adjustment.

A state's biggest environmental commitment faces a potential funding shortfall as analysis shows protecting key koala populations could cost more than $1.3 billion. or signup to continue reading The estimates, based on advice from the under-siege forestry industry, comes as the sector proposes two smaller alternatives for the planned Great Koala National Park in NSW. The park aims to link dozens of high-value koala habitat hubs near Coffs Harbour, protecting up to one in nine koalas living in NSW, Queensland and the ACT as well as 100 other native species. A report to be considered by state cabinet in the next fortnight lays out the cost of the baseline proposal to unite a string of national parks and state forests into a sprawling 176,000-hectare estate. Under conservationists' goal for a park twice the size of Canberra, establishment costs would reach an estimated $1.36 billion within five years. That includes $450 million in support to 2200 forestry workers, based on Victoria's cost of ending native timber harvesting. Ending wood supply contracts and establishing new plantations would add another $709 million, according to the analysis commissioned by the forestry industry. Only $80 million in state funds have been set aside for the park's establishment. The industry says a park one-fifth of the size could focus on areas with the highest populations of koalas and greater gliders while taking less than 10 per cent of the northeast wood supply. "The cost of the current assessment area comes with a jaw-dropping price tag for taxpayers," Australian Forest Products Association NSW chief executive James Jooste told AAP. "This is an enormous cost on taxpayers, and it puts the hardwood timber industry on the chopping block." The industry's preferred option comes with a 37,000-hectare footprint at an estimated establishment cost of $273 million and 440 jobs. An "acceptable" 58,000ha option would cost about $410 million and 660 jobs. Each proposal substantially reduces the amount of coastal forest under protection, with areas around Woolgoolga and Nambucca Heads left out. Environmentalists have attacked the analysis as disingenuous and grossly inflated. A Blueprint Institute assessment recently estimated the whole northeast NSW logging industry, including outside the national park footprint, would cost $215 million. "There is no science and there is certainly no credible economics in the logging industry pitch," Greens MP Sue Higginson said. "The real costs of the national park must be laid out including the actual losses the industry makes and the costs of the environmental harm of logging, including the carbon emissions." Logging has continued in state forests inside the proposed park area, although not since September 2023 in 106 koala hubs that mark out areas of high-value habitat. It comes as the state government faces mounting pressure over the impact of its logging business on nature. At least 5000 koalas were killed in the 2020 Black Summer bushfires and a subsequent parliamentary inquiry found they would be extinct by 2050 without urgent government intervention to stop habitat loss. An estimated 12,111 koalas live in the land earmarked for the national park. Official estimates have the combined koala population in NSW, Queensland and the ACT at somewhere between 95,000 and 238,000. The NSW government said the proposal from the industry advisory panel and two other panels would be considered before a final decision on the park's footprint. "We have always been clear that we need a comprehensive assessment process which takes into account environmental, economic, social, ecological and cultural issues," Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said. "The Great Koala National Park is the government's biggest environmental commitment, it will be delivered." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementBy ALEXANDRA OLSON and CATHY BUSSEWITZ NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches — the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President — are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI,” Glasgow said. “The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America’s top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart’s announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart’s need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer’s ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart.” Walmart’s announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.

In addition to the favorable economic conditions, there are also some specific factors contributing to today's market rally. Several large-cap stocks have announced better-than-expected earnings, leading to a surge in investor confidence. Furthermore, the recent government announcement of new infrastructure projects has bolstered expectations for increased spending and economic stimulus, further fueling the market's upward trajectory.

After the demonstration, Sun Yingsha invited the students to join her on the court for a friendly game of table tennis. Excited and eager to participate, the children lined up to take turns playing against the table tennis champion. Sun Yingsha encouraged and guided the students, offering tips and advice to help improve their game and foster their love for the sport."National Beauty" ("国色芳华") is a historical romance drama that revolves around the life of the legendary beauty, Yang Yuhuan, who was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Portrayed by the talented actress Yang Zi, the series has garnered a considerable amount of attention due to the compelling storyline and the star power of its leading lady. Yang Zi's portrayal of the iconic Yang Yuhuan has been highly anticipated by fans, as she is known for her versatile acting skills and ability to bring complex characters to life on screen.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, was planning a business trip and decided to book his flight through a popular third-party platform. Despite his diligence in comparing prices and reading reviews, he was deceived by a seemingly legitimate offer that promised convenience and competitive pricing.Walmart’s DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump’s election victory

One of Sun Yingsha's most impressive feats is her commanding lead in women's singles points, which sets her apart from her competitors by a significant margin. Her consistent performances and ability to deliver under pressure have consistently propelled her to victory and cemented her status as the undisputed queen of table tennis.Northwestern Mutual Appoints Dave Gordon to Chief Digital and Information OfficerDespite the absence of these star players, the FIFPro Best Team for this year did not disappoint. Real Madrid, which had a stellar season, dominating both domestically and in Europe, was well-represented in the lineup. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, defenders Dani Carvajal and David Alaba, midfielders Casemiro and Luka Modric, and forward Kylian Mbappé were all included in the prestigious list. This recognition is a testament to the exceptional performances of these players throughout the year.

In a heartwarming yet unexpected turn of events, the 39 search and rescue dogs in Yunnan, China, who did not pass their required examination, are now seeking loving adoptive homes. Despite their dedicated training and hard work, these furry heroes were unable to meet the strict standards set for their role as search and rescue animals. However, their unwavering loyalty, intelligence, and strong work ethic have not gone unnoticed, as nearly 700 compassionate individuals have stepped forward to offer these dogs a second chance at a happy and fulfilling life.

While the holiday season is, yes, traditionally the time to shop until you drop, it also presents an excellent opportunity to make a bigger impact, and fight back against the ongoing disenfranchisement of marginalized communities in the United States. This winter, as the Biden administration cedes ground to another Trump one, why not consider donating to charities and nonprofits that are working to safeguard LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, climate justice, protections for immigrants and incarcerated people, and a host of other vital issues? Of course, there are plenty of ways to take a stand in your community if you don’t have the money to spare. But if you’re looking to purchase gifts this season that are sure to go a long way, look no further: Below, find a roundup five organizations whose tireless work ensures that some of America’s most disenfranchised groups—from people in need of reproductive care in states with abortion bans to the communities of color who are hardest-hit by climate change —have access to sorely needed social safety nets as we lead into 2025. This network of almost 100 independent abortion funds works to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access—an issue that’s become increasingly urgent since the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade . NNAF supports member abortion funds by providing grants, leadership development, infrastructure support, and technical assistance. This trans-led organization connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive, cultivating trans community at a time of unprecedented transphobic legislation and rhetoric . This Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers, and activists is building a community-based movement with the goal of abolishing pretrial detention systems and dismantling the prison industrial complex. This nonprofit dedicated to ensuring human rights protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers provides direct legal services to and advocates for those populations through policy reform, impact litigation, and public education. This organization works across the United States to advance equitable climate resilience and sustainability outcomes and the natural systems on which they depend.WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.

By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CATHY BUSSEWITZ NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches — the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President — are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI,” Glasgow said. “The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America’s top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart’s announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart’s need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer’s ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart.” Related Articles National News | Ex-FBI informant accused of lying about the Bidens is indicted on federal tax charges National News | Bird flu virus was found in raw milk. What to know about the risks National News | Ransomware attack on software supplier disrupts operations for Starbucks and other retailers National News | Man found guilty of holding down teen while he was raped at a youth center in 1998 National News | What Black Friday’s history tells us about holiday shopping in 2024 Walmart’s announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.

On October 22, a longstanding tradition at Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense took on new significance as President Prabowo Subianto handed the role of defense minister over to Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, a seasoned military leader and former colleague. The event was further elevated by the attendance of many prominent retired senior military officers, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and optimism. The gathering of these senior officers symbolized collective support for the direction in which Sjafrie is likely to take Indonesia’s defense policy – a direction aligned with Prabowo’s vision of modernizing the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) in response to both domestic and regional security demands. Sjafrie’s experience in defense policymaking extends beyond his military career, also including his tenure as secretary-general of the Ministry of Defense (2004-2009) and later as deputy minister under Purnomo Yusgiantoro (2010-2014). This period marked Indonesia’s efforts to rebuild its defense posture through the “Minimum Essential Forces” initiative – a long-term plan to strengthen defense capabilities and the domestic defense industry. It also marked a strategic shift in the country’s defense policy, from its previous focus on the domestic political realm to greater attention on regional and geopolitical dynamics, recognizing the military’s key role in global interactions. During this period, Sjafrie played a key role in refining defense procurement procedures that involved adjusting the balance of decision-making power between the ministry and the military branches. Additionally, his legacy includes the establishment of the Defense Industry Policy Committee, which aims to harmonize military procurement with the development of Indonesia’s defense industry, including policies on offsets and technology transfers. This background is crucial as Sjafrie steps into his new role, inheriting a legacy of strategic policy development. His appointment also coincides with a renewed focus on enhancing Indonesia’s defense capabilities, particularly in response to regional pressures like South China Sea tensions and the AUKUS pact, which heighten the need for a stable power balance between the U.S. and China. Beyond Procurement Indonesia’s greater role in geopolitical stage requires a strong defense posture, and Sjafrie will play a key role in advancing Prabowo’s vision. Therefore, it is essential that increased defense budgets translate not only into upgraded capabilities but also address internal challenges. Conversations with military officials and defense policy experts underscore several pressing challenges that need attention. Furthermore, force sustainment often lacks sufficient funding especially for maintenance, leading to decreased operational readiness for some critical systems. Currently, defense procurement heavily favors foreign manufacturers, relegating the domestic defense industry, including state-owned enterprises under the Defend ID holding company, to a supporting role for offset and technology transfer requirements. While modernization often necessitates foreign procurement, Sjafrie must ensure that these acquisitions bring meaningful benefits to the local industry through comprehensive offset agreements and technology transfers, fostering a self-sufficient and resilient defense industry. Sjafrie’s familiarity with these companies’ structural issues will be essential as he will need to lay out a sustainable defense procurement plan that will not only help state-owned defense companies such as PTDI, PAL, Pindad, LEN, and Dahana survive but also thrive. This will likely require balancing the expected quick outcomes in terms of defense capabilities with the more longer-term impact on the domestic defense industry. Structural reform Structural reform within the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is another critical challenge – one that is often overlooked. With his strong political backing, Sjafrie is in a position to chart the future structure and size of the TNI, a proposal that past administrations have been reluctant to address due to its political sensitivity. The TNI, currently comprising 404,500 personnel, faces structural inefficiencies that Sjafrie will need to address. Over the years, the TNI has seen a growing number of high-ranking officers – often assigned to civilian roles – that has expanded its size without necessarily adding to its operational capacity. Defense analysts suggest that a leaner force could allow TNI to concentrate resources on training, equipment, and strategic readiness, creating a more agile and capable defense force. A former TNI Chief once suggested that 150,000 would be the ideal size for the Indonesian Army, which currently employs twice that number. Although opinions may vary on the exact figure, there is broad consensus on the need for a well-equipped, well-trained, and adequately compensated force – a goal that remains prohibitively expensive at its current size. Budget constraints, however, are an ever-present reality. While Prabowo is committed to defense, his strong emphasis on large-scale social programs means that defense budgets will remain tight, especially considering Indonesia’s economic realities in the uncertain global climate. In this context, Sjafrie is expected to craft strategic policies that focus on building Indonesia’s deterrence capabilities in critical areas and address the most pressing problems in order to maximize the impact of available resources. Another significant challenge for Sjafrie is gaining acceptance among civil society organizations, given his extensive military background, which includes deployments in conflict zones like the former East Timor and Aceh, as well as his involvement in Jakarta during the bloody unrest of 1998 as Indonesia transitioned to democracy. While history cannot be undone, Sjafrie would do well to follow in the footsteps of his former mentor, Juwono Sudarsono, who earned respect as a defense minister open to human rights issues and committed to reforming the security sector. In summary, as Sjafrie assumes his new role, he has the expertise and backing to make transformative changes. However, he faces considerable challenges in navigating budget constraints, a complex procurement process, and the balancing act between modernizing the military and supporting Indonesia’s defense industry. His job will not be easy, but if he chooses to embrace reforms that take Indonesia beyond the status quo, I am willing to give Sjafrie the benefit of the doubt.Man City Blow Three-goal Lead In Champions League, Bayern Beat PSG