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MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A suspected drunken driver was arrested in a New Year’s Day highway crash that killed another motorist in West Virginia, police said. The accident occurred early Wednesday along southbound Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, The Journal reported. Cody Wade Braithwaite, 32, of Winchester, Virginia, was charged with DUI with death, fleeing DUI, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and a fugitive from justice, Berkeley County Sheriff Curtis Keller said. Keller said a deputy investigating calls about a reckless driver attempted to make a traffic stop, but the suspect’s vehicle sped up and hit a car, which then struck a guardrail. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver’s name was not immediately released. The suspect’s vehicle also hit a deputy’s cruiser before being stopped, Keller said. Braithwaite was being held without bond in the Eastern Regional Jail. It wasn’t immediately known whether Braithwaite has an attorney. ___ Information from: The Journal, http://journal-news.net/ Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil. Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment. “We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.” Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined. The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured. Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Share This On: Pin 11 Shares (NEWS ROOM GUYANA) — Three persons are currently hospitalized in a serious condition following an accident on the Crabwood Creek Public Road on New Year’s morning. According to information received, motorcar PNN 7976 driven by 22-year-old Seeram Ramdat was speeding when it collided with a utility pole, injuring the driver and two passengers. The News Room understands that while driving over the Blackwater Creek Bridge, Ramdat lost control of the vehicle which turned turtle and careened about 200 feet away before crashing into the utility pole and coming to a halt on a resident’s bridge. The two occupants, 32-year-old Keron Phillips and 45-year-old Ramnand Kishwar were removed from the wreck in semi-conscious states and rushed to the Skeldon hospital. The driver fled the scene and was subsequently apprehended at his Lot 80 Grant 1718 Crabwood Creek home in a traumatic state. He was also taken to the Skeldon Hospital where he is admitted in a stable condition. The News Room understands that the vehicle is owned by an elderly woman, and Ramdatt took it without her knowledge. Police Commissioner Leslie James on Wednesday disclosed that there has been an 8% increase in road fatalities in 2018. ( 0 ) ( 0 )

BERLIN - A fire at a zoo in western Germany in the first minutes of 2020 killed more than 30 animals, including apes, monkeys, bats and birds, authorities said. Police said the fire may have been caused by sky lanterns launched to celebrate the new year. Several witnesses reported that they had seen the cylindrical paper lanterns with little fires inside flying in the night sky shortly after midnight Wednesday near the Krefeld zoo, Gerd Hoppmann, the city’s head of criminal police told reporters. “People reported seeing those sky lanterns flying at low altitude near the zoo and then it started burning,” Hoppmann said. Police and firefighters received the first emergency calls at 12:38 a.m. The zoo near the Dutch border said that the entire ape house burned down and more than 30 animals, including five orangutans, two gorillas, a chimpanzee and several monkeys, as well as fruit bats and birds, were killed. Only two chimpanzees could be rescued from the flames by firefighters. They suffered burns but are in stable condition, zoo director Wolfgang Dressen said. “It’s close to a miracle that Bally, a 40-year-old female chimpanzee, and Limbo, a younger male, survived this inferno,” Dressen said, adding that many animal handlers were in shock at the devastation. “We have to seriously work through the mourning process,” Dressen said. “This is an unfathomable tragedy.” YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... The zoo director also said than many of the dead animals were close to extinction in the wild. The zoo said that in addition to the two rescued chimpanzees, the Gorilla Garden near to the Ape House didn’t go up in flames and that gorilla Kidogo and six other members of his family group are alive. Criminal police officer Hoppmann said that the use of sky lanterns is illegal in Krefeld and most other parts of Germany and asked that the people who launched them or people who witnessed anything should come forward to police. Germans usually welcome in the new year with fireworks at midnight and private persons are allowed to buy and launch fireworks. Sky lanterns, however, are both illegal and uncommon in Germany. Sky lanterns, which are sometimes also called Chinese lanterns, are a sort of hot-air balloon made of paper. They have been used in Asia for celebratory events for centuries. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... Hoppmann said investigators found some used lanterns on the ground that hadn’t burned entirely. They were 34 centimetres (13.4 inches) long, made out of white paper with an opening at the bottom where a small fire would have been suspended. The fire heats the air inside, making them fly and shine at night. Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star. Sign up for our newsletters to get today's top stories, your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now Hoppmann said some of the lanterns had handwritten notes on them. The Krefeld zoo was opened in 1975 and attracts some 400,000 visitors each year. It will remain closed on Wednesday.

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(Breitbart) – President Donald Trump welcomed guests to Mar-a-Lago for a New Year’s Eve party on Tuesday evening, predicting great things for 2020. “We’re going to have a great year, I predict,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be a fantastic year.” The president noted the record year for the American economy, predicting even better economic news. “I think we’re really set for additional growth and jobs and everything else,” he said. “It’ll be great.” The president answered questions about the ongoing conflict in Iraq after the American embassy in Baghdad was beset by protesters and American Marines responded. “They were there instantaneously, as soon as we heard,” he said. “I used the word ‘immediately’; they came immediately. And it’s in great shape, as you know.” He compared the recent attacks to the devastating attacks in Benghazi in 2012, noting that he would never stand for similar results. “This will not be a Benghazi. Benghazi should never have happened,” he said. “This will never, ever be a Benghazi.” The president warned Iran from continuing to back militia attacks in Iraq but dismissed the idea that the United States was going to war with Iran. “I want to have peace. I like peace,” he said. “And Iran should want peace more than anybody. So I don’t see that happening.” The president also spoke about the impeachment effort led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “I think the impeachment thing — I call it impeachment light,” he said. “It’s a disgrace. And Nancy Pelosi should be ashamed of herself. She’s a highly overrated person. I know her well; she’s highly overrated.” Trump said he looked forward to an impeachment trial in the Senate. “As far as I’m concerned, I’d be very happy with the trial because we did nothing wrong,” he said. The president even wished the press a Happy New Year. “I want you to have a great year. Look, you’re honorable people. You have to stay honorable,” he said. “If you’re honorable, I’m going to win the election by a lot. If you’re not honorable, I’m just going to win the election by a little. So I’d rather have you be honorable, okay?” When First Lady Melania Trump was asked about her hopes for the New Year, she replied, “Peace on the world.” President Trump agreed but said he would not reveal his New Year’s resolution. “I’m not sure you’re supposed to say resolutions out loud, okay?” he said. “So we don’t want to. I don’t want to say what my resolution is because I think we jinx it, all right?” Video: “THIS WILL NOT BE A BENGHAZI” President Trump says ahead of entering Mar-A-Lago NYE party breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/31/trump-brings-2020-mar-a-lago-were-going-have-great-year/

PALM BEACH, United States — US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he does not foresee war with Tehran, after pro-Iranian demonstrators stormed the US embassy in Iraq. “I don’t see that happening,” Trump said at his holiday retreat in Florida when a reporter asked about the possibility of war with the Islamic republic. “I like peace,” the president said before heading in to New Year’s celebrations. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up The president spoke after Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that around 750 troops from a rapid response unit of the 82nd Airborne Division are prepared to deploy over the next several days to the Middle East. The US had already flown a rapid response team of Marines into Baghdad to reinforce its embassy after the attack Tuesday, which left smoke and flames rising from the compound’s entrance and further heightened tension between Tehran and Washington. US officials said there were no plans to evacuate the mission, and no US personnel were reported injured. The US reinforcements “got in there very quickly,” Trump said. “I think it’s been handled very well.” He added that “this will not be a Benghazi,” a reference to an attack in 2012 by radical Islamists on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were killed inside the smoke-clogged building including the ambassador, Chris Stevens.

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Uber has sold its online food-ordering business in India to local rival Zomato in exchange for a 9.99 percent stake in the startup backed by China's Ant Financial, limiting its exposure to a crowded market where it has struggled to grow. The all-stock deal is likely to push Zomato to the top position in India's food delivery market, ahead of Swiggy, which counts China's Tencent Holdings as an investor. Zomato - valued at around $3 billion (roughly Rs. 21,300 crores) after raising money from Alibaba affiliate Ant this month - said Uber Eats in India will discontinue operations, and direct restaurants, delivery partners and users to the Zomato platform from Tuesday. "India remains an exceptionally important market to Uber and we will continue to invest in growing our local Rides business," said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's chief executive officer. We entered food delivery in India in 2017 and today is when our journey takes a different route. Zomato has acquired Uber Eats in India and we'll no longer be available here with immediate effect. We wish all our users more good times with great food on the road ahead pic.twitter.com/WEbJNaJY8M — Uber Eats India (@UberEats_IND) January 21, 2020 Uber Eats in India accounted for 3 percent of the business' gross bookings globally, but more than a quarter of its adjusted EBITDA loss in the first three quarters of 2019, the U.S. ride-hailing firm said. Uber Eats India is now Zomato. Here's to better food for more people, and new beginnings. For more details: https://t.co/cq8Wp9ikOk pic.twitter.com/nK4ICY2ikW — Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) January 21, 2020 Uber Eats, which also pulled out of South Korea earlier this year, said it will continue to operate in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. While this is the first large acquisition in the Indian online food delivery market, deal activity has been heating up globally. Earlier this month Dutch firm Takeaway.com pipped investment company Prosus to buy Britain's Just Eat for 6.2 billion pounds ($8.1 billion). In December, Germany's Delivery Hero agreed to buy South Korea's top food delivery app owner Woowa Brothers for $4 billion. © Thomson Reuters 2020

Rapid digitisation and growth in both online buyer base and spending will help India's online food industry to become an $8 billion (roughly Rs. 56,000) market by 2022 -- growing at a CAGR of 25-30 percent, a new report said on Tuesday. The report by Google and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that variety in cuisines (35 percent) was one of the top reasons for recurrent use of online food ordering apps, followed by good discounts and convenience. "Food tech has now made its presence in greater than 500 cities in India and with consumer confidence growing, there are new opportunities for the players to 'win with the consumer' in an evolving market,'" said Roma Datta Chobey, Director-Travel, BFSI, Classifieds, Gaming, Telco & Payments, Google. Peer or network advocacy (52 percent) played a critical role in drawing people to try online food ordering for the first time. This was followed by advertisements (19 percent) that emerged to be a strong driver in metros and among the higher income groups across the country. "Overall online spending in India is rising rapidly and expected to grow at 25 percent over the next five years to reach over $130 billion," said Rachit Mathur, Managing Director and Partner, India Lead of BCG's Consumer & Retail Practice. "Riding on the wave of rapid digitisation and steadily growing consumption, the reach of Food Tech companies has grown six times over the last couple of years and will continue to increase further," Mathur added. Zomato and Swiggy currently dominate the online food delivery market in India. Zomato last week announced it has acquired rival Uber Eats food delivery business in India in an all-stock deal of nearly $350 million and Uber will have 9.99 percent stake in the Deepinder Goyal-led food delivery platform. The Google-BCG report also suggested that consumers have common impediments that hinder adoption. A fifth of the respondents stated a lack of trust in the app as the main barrier to usage. Delivery charges (18 percent), food quality concerns (13 percent) and lack of customisation (10 percent) are other reasons why customers have, so far, not experimented with online food ordering. "Interestingly, these observations vary based on the maturity of the market. While delivery charges is the top reason for not ordering food online in metro cities; in Tier I cities, lack of trust in apps (29 percent) is the primary roadblock," the findings showed. "Food tech startups have revolutionised the way Indians eat. Ordering food online is now a habit. There is large headroom to increase reach, engagement and usage frequency for food tech apps," said Abheek Singhi, Senior Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group. Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the market would reach $8 billion by 2020. The error is regretted.

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BENGALURU (Reuters) - India has approved its third lunar mission months after its last one failed to successfully land on the moon, its space agency said on Wednesday, the latest effort in its ambitions to become a low-cost space power. The Chandrayaan-3 mission will have a lander and a rover, but not an orbiter, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan told reporters at its headquarters in Bengaluru, according to an official telecast. The Chandrayaan-2 mission in September successfully deployed a lunar orbiter that relays scientific data back to earth, but was unable to place a rover on the lunar surface after a "hard" landing. That mission had aimed to land on the south pole of the moon, where no other lunar mission had gone before. The region is believed to contain water as craters in the region are largely unaffected by the high temperatures of the sun. ISRO had hoped to confirm the presence of water in the form of ice, first detected on its mission in 2008. Chandrayaan-3 will have a "similar configuration" as the previous mission, Sivan said. Only the United States, Russia and China have landed on the moon. Beijing's Chang'e-4 probe touched down on the far side of the moon last year, while Israel made an unsuccessful attempt to land its Beresheet spacecraft on the moon in April 2019. India's third lunar mission will likely launch in 2020 and will cost less than its previous mission, the PTI news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Jitendra Singh, junior minister for the department of space. Sivan also said ISRO was making "good progress" for its human space-flight mission slated for late 2021, adding that four astronauts had been picked for training, which will be planned later this month. The project, called Gaganyaan, would cost less than 100 billion rupees ($1.4 billion), the government said in 2018. India has developed a reputation for pioneering affordable satellite launches and space missions. Its unmanned Mars mission in 2014 cost just $74 million, less than the budget of the Hollywood space blockbuster "Gravity". Sivan also announced that ISRO had begun the land acquisition process for a second spaceport in the southern port city of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu state. (Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Kim Coghill)

BANGALORE: India plans to make a fresh attempt to land an unmanned mission on the moon in 2020 after a failed bid last year, the head of the country's space programme said on Wednesday (Jan 1). Work is going "smoothly" on the Chandrayaan-3 mission to put a rover probe on the moon's surface, Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K. Sivan told a press conference. Advertisement Advertisement "We are targeting the launch for this year but it may spillover to next year," Sivan said. Indian sources said authorities had set November as a provisional target for launch. India seeking to become only the fourth nation after Russia, the United States and China to put a mission on the moon's surface and boost its credentials as a low-cost space power. The country's Chandrayaan-2 module crash-landed on the moon's surface in September. Sivan said the new propulsion module, lander and surface rover would cost about US$35 million, with a significantly higher outlay for the launch itself. Advertisement Advertisement He added that India had chosen four candidate astronauts to take part in the country's first manned mission into orbit, pledged to take place by mid-2022. The four are to start training in Russia later this month. Up to three astronauts are to take part in the mission, which will be one of the landmark projects scheduled for the 75th anniversary of India's independence from British rule.

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center called on the White House to direct the FBI to form a task force to focus exclusively on anti-Semitism following the stabbings in Monsey, N.Y. Wiesenthal Center founder and Dean Rabbi Marvin Hier and Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda said in a Dec. 28 statement, “Enough is enough! Jews should not have to fear for their lives in America to go to their houses of worship. The FBI must step up and take the lead in all recent violent hate crimes targeting religious Jews.” Hier told the Journal in a phone interview that the Dec. 28 Monsey stabbings that resulted in five injured reminded him of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. “Jews were beaten up on the corner. Windows were broken … that’s how it started,” Hier said. “And the population centers tolerated it. Nobody spoke out against it; we didn’t have a plan against it.” He argued that the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States has become such an epidemic that more action is needed beyond statements and pledges from state and local politicians and police officers. “They’re all good people, but they’re not 24/7 on this job,” Hier said. “They have other jobs. Even police, they have traffic issues. … There are so many issues besides the issue of anti-Semitism [that they have to deal with].” Hier added that it’s important to ensure that politics doesn’t interfere with addressing anti-Semitism. “When you have a Democratic mayor and a Republican governor or vice versa, it’s a different attitude,” Hier said. “It’s just not the right way to handle an epidemic.” “We need the FBI to create a special unit focusing 24/7, 365 days a year on one subject: anti-Semitism.” — Marvin Hier He also argued that people shouldn’t expect anti-Semitism to dissipate with the election of a new president or a new Congress. “When the whole world is affected by the epidemic called anti-Semitism — and this has happened in Europe for the last 15 years — you cannot legitimately argue that the cause of it in the United States is due to one man,” Hier said without naming President Donald Trump. An FBI task force that is exclusively focused on handling anti-Semitism is therefore necessary to address the rising anti-Semitism throughout the country, he argued. “We need the FBI to create a special unit focusing 24/7, 365 days a year on one subject: anti-Semitism,” Hier said. “That’s the only way that the anti-Semites will wake up because basically they’re going to be targeted, they’re going to be analyzed.” Hier gave a hypothetical of how the task force would handle an anti-Semitic incident. “Let’s say there’s an attack here in Los Angeles,” he said. “First thing that happens is that everything about the attack is sent immediately to the FBI task force on anti-Semitism. And they become the lead agency. They take over immediately.” Hier said that the Wiesenthal Center has been in contact with the White House about its proposal for a task force. “President Trump is aware of it,” Hier said. “He’s been informed of it. … We’ll see what happens. We are pushing very hard. We need bipartisan support.” Hier urged for a societal unification against anti-Semitism, as he argued that anti-Semitism is emboldened when societies ignore it. “Society didn’t do the right thing,” he said. “We didn’t recognize that these bigots can return early, and as society, we have to have a program against it, and the program has to unify Democrats and Republicans [and] whatever their political persuasion in Europe. We have to come together to fight this.”

Jewish groups have expressed shock and horror over the stabbings that occurred at a rabbi’s house in the New York City suburb of Monsey, N.Y., on the evening of Dec. 28. The attack occurred at Chabad of Suffern Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg’s home as he was lighting the candles on a menorah to celebrate the seventh night of Hanukkah. The attacker stabbed five people, including Rottenberg’s son. As of Dec. 30, two of the victims were listed in critical condition and the other three had been released from the hospital. Grafton Thomas, 37, was arrested on Dec. 29 in connection with the attack. He faces five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. Anti-Defamation League New York and New Jersey Regional Director Evan Bernstein told the Journal he was amazed that Rottenberg and the congregants were still praying and singing following the stabbings. “They were not going to let this horrific incident impact their ability to celebrate that holiday, and I think it shows the resilience of the Jewish community in these moments that are so difficult,” Bernstein said. American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris condemned the stabbings in a Dec. 29 statement. “We are witnessing a full-fledged epidemic of anti-Semitic attacks in the New York region. In the last week alone, there has been at least one each day,” Harris said. “What we need is a sustained, get-tough, zero-tolerance policy by local and state officials. And that policy must take equally seriously each incident, whatever its source might be. Anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism.” He also said, “The promising light of this holiday season must defeat the utter darkness of those who commit such violence in the name of hatred.” Simon Wiesenthal Center Founder and Dean Rabbi Marvin Hier and Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda Rabbi Abraham Cooper called on President Donald Trump to direct the FBI to create a national task force to protect Jews from anti-Semitic attacks. “Enough is enough. Jews should not have to fear for their lives in America to go to their houses of worship,” Hier and Cooper said. “The FBI must step up and take the lead in all recent violent hate crimes targeting religious Jews.” StandWithUs issued a statement, saying the attack “is yet another urgent reminder of the need to confront anti-Semitism at all levels and in all corners of society. Unfortunately, this rise in anti-Semitism also makes clear that Jews in the U.S. and beyond must invest in serious security, learn self-defense, and work with local allies and law enforcement to ensure their safety.” Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin called for anti-Semitic acts to be treated as domestic terrorism and praised New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for proposing a law to classify anti-Semitic acts as domestic terrorism. “This was the ninth anti-Semitic attack in the New York City area in the past week,” Fagin said. “It is the fundamental responsibility of government to protect the safety of all of its citizens. This responsibility must be effectuated with all resources necessary to accomplish this purpose.” Other anti-Semitic incidents that occurred in New York during Hanukkah included a man punching and kicking a Jewish man while shouting, “F— you, Jew” on Dec. 23, a woman hitting a Jewish woman with a bag on Dec. 26 and a man on Dec. 27 threatening to shoot people at Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn. Bernstein told the Journal he has never seen so many anti-Semitic incidents occur in such a short period during his six-year tenure as regional director of ADL New York and New Jersey. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted, “After the hateful assaults we saw this past week in Brooklyn and Manhattan, it is heart-wrenching to see the holiday of Hanukkah violated yet again. We are outraged because the answer is clear: the Jewish community NEEDS greater protection.”

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Asserting that India too should protect the interest of farmers like Malaysia and Indonesia, the SEA said Indonesia from January 1 has imposed export duty of USD 50 on CPO and USD 30 on refined palmolien. The government on Wednesday slashed import duty on refined palmolein from 50 per cent to 45 per cent, while that on crude palm oil (CPO) from 40 per cent to 37.5 per cent with immediate effect, a move that the industry opposed saying it will hurt domestic refiners. A notification in this regard has been issued by the finance ministry. The duty cut has been made under the ASEAN agreement and the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (IMCECA), the notification added. Opposing the move, the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) said that after the reduction in import duty, the tax difference between CPO and refined palmolein has reduced from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent. “This will have serious impact on domestic palm oil refining industry and oilseeds farmers. We fear import of refined palmolien would increase and capacity utilisation of our industry would be affected leading to potential loss of employment,” SEA Executive Director B V Mehta said in a statement. After a long time, the domestic oilseeds had started selling their produce above the minimum support price (MSP). “Lower import duty would make it difficult to defend MSP and the new found enthusiasm of the oilseed farmers would be dampened,” he said. The country’s edible oil imports are now touching 70 per cent of the consumption. The duty cut would be counterproductive and contrary to the government’s stated objective of increasing domestic oilseed production, he added. Asserting that India too should protect the interest of farmers like Malaysia and Indonesia, the SEA said Indonesia from January 1 has imposed export duty of USD 50 on CPO and USD 30 on refined palmolien. Similarly, Malaysia has imposed export duty of USD 31 on CPO and zero duty on refined palmolein which work out to be nearly 5 per cent on CPO value, thus effective duty difference is hardly 2.5 per cent only. “We strongly appeal to the government to increase the duty differential between CPO and refined palm oil to 15 per cent, by taking appropriate measures,” the industry body added.

The air quality recorded at 9.38 am was 433 in the “severe” category. Delhiites continued to remain in grip of cold conditions on Wednesday as the minimum temperature settled at 2.4 degrees Celsius, five notches below the normal, officials said. Twenty-nine trains were delayed for over two-nine hours due to weather conditions, they said. “The minimum temperature was recorded at 2.4 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal,” a MeT official said, adding, the humidity was 97 per cent. The air quality recorded at 9.38 am was 433 in the “severe” category. According to the Meteorological department, it would be partly cloudly sky with moderate fog in the morning. The maximum temperature in the national capital would hover around 16 degrees Celsius.

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From The Guardian From Boeing to Whole Foods, companies are touting social responsibility as profits soar. Don't believe a word of it Corporate social responsibility is the second-biggest con of 2019 (Donald Trump remains in first place). Consider Boeing, whose board just fired its CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, in order "to restore confidence in the company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders." Restore confidence? Muilenburg's successor will be David Calhoun, who, as a longstanding member of Boeing's board of directors, allowed Muilenburg to remain CEO for more than a year after the first 737 Max crash and after internal studies found that the jetliner posed an unacceptable risk of accident. It caused the deaths of 346 people. Muilenburg raked in $30m in 2018. He could walk away from Boeing with another $60m. Boeing isn't the only large corporation with a confidence problem. Until his ouster, Muilenburg was a director of the Business Roundtable, an association of 192 CEOs of America's largest corporations. With great fanfare last August, it announced a "fundamental commitment to all of our stakeholders" (emphasis in the original) and not just their shareholders. The Roundtable's commitment came in response to growing public distrust of big corporations, and proposals from several Democratic candidates to rein them in. Another Business Roundtable director is Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors. Just weeks after making the commitment, and despite GM's hefty profits and large tax breaks, Barra rejected workers' demands that GM raise their wages and stop outsourcing their jobs. Earlier in the year GM shut its giant assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. About 50,000 GM workers then staged the longest auto strike in 50 years. They won a few wage gains but didn't save any jobs. Meanwhile, GM's stock has performed so well that Barra earned $22m last year. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is another member of the Business Roundtable. Just weeks after he made the commitment to all his stakeholders, Whole Foods, an Amazon subsidiary, announced it would be cutting medical benefits for its entire part-time workforce. Jeff Bezos (Image by YouTube, Channel: DW360) Details DMCA The annual saving to Amazon from this cost-cutting move is roughly what Bezos -- whose net worth is $110bn -- makes in two hours. (Bezos's nearly completed DC mansion will have two elevators, 25 bathrooms, 11 bedrooms, and a movie theater.) GE's CEO Larry Culp is also a member of the Business Roundtable. Two months after he made the commitment to all his stakeholders, General Electric froze the pensions of 20,000 workers in order to cut costs. Culp raked in $15m last year.

Police have arrested a 38-year-old black man from Orange Country, NY, for stabbing five Jews in the home of a Hasidic rabbi in Monsey on the seventh night of Hanukkah. If you’re a New Yorker or a Jew or both, you’re asking why. Why has yet another African-American attacked Jews? Why has black-on-Jewish assault become a continuous feature of life in and around New York? Why now? The answer: Because the country is seized by the politics of victimhood, and there’s nothing that self-pitying “victims” find easier than blaming Jews for their misery. The names given to the bogeymen of today’s populism are all historical code words for Jews. On the populist right, this means the elite, the globalists and the media. On the populist left, it’s Wall Street, the wealthy and the 1 percent. If that isn’t enough, the left has also decided that Jews — a minority who make up 2.2 percent of the American population — are “hyper-white” and, in Marxist terms, actually part of the power structure that keeps minorities down. It’s no secret that right-wing populism has facilitated a violent, sometimes deadly, rise in Jew-hatred, but it’s forbidden to draw similar conclusions about the populist left. At least in public. There are two reasons for this: First, pointing out the problem on the right is a means of attacking President Trump. Second, addressing the problem on the left would mean facing the outsize role that black Americans have played in recent attacks against Jews. On the first point, it is not only wrong to blame Trump for right-wing anti-Semitism, it’s perverse. How anyone gets away with claiming that the president doesn’t condemn Jew-hatred is beyond me. He condemns it at every turn. He devoted an unprecedentedly large chunk of his last State of the Union address to denouncing anti-Semitism and vowing to fight it wherever it may arise. Trump recently moved to crack down against anti-Semitism on college campuses (and was denounced for it as a racist by the left). For his commitment to fighting Jew-hatred and his unfaltering support of Israel, he has earned the enmity of far-right anti-Semites. On the second point, the facts speak for themselves. Throughout 2019, African-Americans attacked Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn on a more-or-less weekly basis, and it barely ever made the mainstream news. It wasn’t until two members of the Black Hebrew Israelites shot up a kosher market in Jersey City in early December that the media was forced into acknowledging reality. The left’s leading populists have fetishized the victim status of certain minorities, including African Americans. They have made slavery and its legacy the focal points of American life. They have determined, without evidence, that police are on a campaign to kill unarmed blacks. And they speak generally as if we have suddenly been transported to a pre-civil-rights-movement America. What’s more, unlike Trump, some of the left’s leading populists have gone out of their way to steer their followers toward blaming the Jews. The stand-out figures here are Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Their public record of blaming Jewish money for corrupting American politics is so well-known that it needs no rehearsing here. And it has either been ignored or defended by the larger left. If you called either of them out on their anti-Semitism, you were charged with racism and misogyny. Omar so petrified Democratic leaders that they couldn’t even pass a House resolution condemning her blatant anti-Semitic remarks. But the problem on the left goes beyond Omar and Tlaib. And it goes beyond the rest of the Squad, who engage in constant anti-Israel theatrics. It stretches to the identitarian populism of most of the 2020 Democratic candidates for president, to the liberal garment-rending over the defeat of the anti-Semitic Jeremy Corbyn, to the intersectional gobbledygook that divides college campuses by ethnicity, to the Women’s March activists who embrace Louis Farrakhan and down to the community level, where, for example, the NAACP’s Passaic branch posts Facebook rants blaming tainted water supplies on the Jews. Historically, indulged victims have needed no encouragement in pointing their finger at Jews. Telling them that others are responsible for their woes has usually been enough to get them headed in that direction. But some on today’s left have given Jew-hatred an extra nudge. Their winks, dog-whistles and outright calumnies have served as a noxious propaganda campaign and led to a surge of minority anti-Semitism. With the attempted murders in Monsey, this can no longer be kept a secret, and maybe those who have facilitated it will begin to know a little shame. Abe Greenwald is senior editor of Commentary, from which this column was adapted.

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Review CrimeReads best nonfiction crime book of October 2019 "A fine and timely new book.... In The Compatriots , authors Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan show that what has become the institutional practice of Moscow's security organs was honed in the early decades of Soviet government, when it perfected its methods against members of the Russian diaspora." -- New York Review of Books "The authors' emphasis on the sinister continuity of the methods used by the Russian secret police may seem a bit overdone, but the poisoning (less than a year after the book's publication) of the Kremlin's most vocal and fearless critic, Alexei Navalny, provides strong backing for their argument." -- Foreign Affairs "[An] engaging history.... The Compatriots offers a Russian perspective on fears, usually heard in the west, about the 'active measures' of propaganda and disinformation, as well as the arts of infiltration and assassination." -- Financial Times " [A] timely book... its reporting is accurate and message important. " -- The Times Literary Supplement "Borogan and Soldatov have uncovered a series of thrilling narratives about the strange, desperate, and passionate world of Russians abroad. Each one is worth a film in itself but when combined with the insights into the intelligence operative who monitored, wooed, duped, bribed, or killed them, the authors have come up with a novel, refreshing, and illuminating look into the enigma of the Russian soul." --Misha Glenny, author of McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld "Talk about courageous journalism! Here's an inside expose of Russian poisonings, assassinations, and political meddling written by two Russian investigative journalists, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan. They narrate a century of the Kremlin's dirty tricks through manipulation of Russians living abroad-making them serve the dark purposes of the state. Reading this book, you understand that there are still many brave, patriotic Russians who want what's best for their country, not just Vladimir Putin. If you liked watching The Americans on TV, then The Compatriots is a must-read. This isn't spy fiction, but spy fact."― David Ignatius, columnist for the Washington Post and author of The Quantum Spy "Through a series of endlessly compelling stories, Soldatov and Borogan make the case that Putin is carefully grooming and manipulating the vast Russian émigré community to serve the interests of their mother country. You can't follow Russian politics without Soldatov and Borogan's reporting. In The Compatriots, they once again deliver the fascinating inside story that's absent from the American press."― Joseph Weisberg, creator and executive producer of The Americans "An absorbing account....Colorful characters and piquant details make this a lively story. Readers curious about Russian political affairs and espionage will eat it up."― Publishers Weekly "The Compatriots helps us understand and put into perspective the history of the Kremlin's efforts to cope with, and control its perceived enemies.....an important contribution to the historical record of the Soviet Union and Russia." ― Cipher Brief "In this highly engaging journey through the Cold War, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan take us into the complex and frequently antagonistic relationship between Russia and her exiles... In The Compatriots, you can learn all about the daring escapades of these expats and exiles." ― CrimeReads "Soldatov and Borogan are two of the most revered experts on the subject of Russian secret services.... [The Compatriots] reads like a bunch of Hollywood plots bundled together into one mind-bending narrative.... a great read that now forms a perfect trilogy with two previous books--The New Nobility, which describes how secret services captured the Russian state under Putin, and The Red Web, which looks into the Kremlin's attempts to control the Internet." ― NPR "A fine and timely... book explores the origins of Moscow's Murder, Inc." ― NYR Daily "This highly compelling and deeply disturbing book is a must-read." ― Moscow Times "These brave and intrepid journalists have produced a convincing argument... An excellent introduction to the evolution of the Soviet and Russian foreign intelligence services, their relationship with the Russian diaspora, and their recent successes in binding the diaspora, especially the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, to the state interests of the Russian Federation." ― The Russian Review "A fascinating account of Russia's relations with its diaspora since 1917, weaving together stories of émigrés and spies, from Trotsky and his assassins to anti-Putin activists and billionaire oligarchs today." -- Los Angeles Review of Books "Demystifying Russia has been a geopolitical parlor game for more than a century. Veteran Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan have tried to make sense of one strand in their country's complex history, the role of Russians who were either sensible or cunning enough to leave at crucial moments, mainly for a West from which Russian mentalities have often been estranged." -- Washington Times [A] "Wonderful and illuminating new book on Russian émigrés." Luke Harding, New Eastern Europe About the Author

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Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said he had submitted a note on the Mahadayi river issue to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting in December last year, and after that "whatever had to happen has happened". The governor said he had already done whatever he was supposed to do on the controversial issue. "Now, it is up to the government (state government) to do the needful," Malik told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography near here. Referring to his meeting with the prime minister in mid December, 2019, the governor said, "I had given the PM a note on Mahadayi (and) after that whatever had to happen has happened, that's all. I don't want to say anything more on it". When asked whether the BJP-led state government has spoken to him on the issue, Malik replied in the negative. Goa and Karnataka are locked in a bitter dispute over sharing the water of the Mahadayi river. A letter written by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to the Karnataka government in October, 2019, in which he reportedly exempted the neighbouring state from taking the Environment Clearance (EC) for a project on the river, had sparked a row. In another letter on December 18, Javadekar kept his earlier communication in abeyance. However, on December 24, he again informed the Karnataka government that the EC was not required for the project on the river. "On the issue of Mahadayi, whatever I had to do, I have done. If the government asks for my help, I would offer it...I don't want to talk about it," the governor said, adding that Mahadayi has become a controversial issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of fare hike announcement by Indian Railways, stating that 'the increase in train fares was a new year gift from the Central government'. "Increase in Train fares is a New Year gift by @narendramodi government to common people," he tweeted. He further said in his tweet that the move will dent the developmental prospects of the country as Railways form a backbone of transportation. "Instead, the govt should have gifted us the values of our Constitution by upholding it," said Siddaramiah in his tweet. Earlier, the Ministry of Railways has revised the basic passenger fare which will be effective from January 1.The ministry said that the increased fare will help in the modernisation of the Indian Railways. The railways said that no excess fare will be charged from passengers who have booked tickets before January 1.

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A 0 A +2 A +4 A +6 The subject who is truly loyal to the Chief Magistrate will neither advise nor submit to arbitrary measures.

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An exhibition outlining the role of Spike Island as a prison during the War of Independence has helped visitor numbers to the island attraction in Cork Harbour treble in the last three years. According to Cork County Council, which runs the tourist attraction, there were 81,000 visitors to Spike in 2019, marking a 15 per cent increase on the previous year’s figures and ahead of projected growth. The increase in visitor numbers has prompted Cork County Council to increase access to the island with opening being extended to seven days a week from April to October and weekends in February, March and November. Spike Island manager John Crotty said that the 15 per cent growth in visitor numbers in 2019 was particularly welcome, especially given some tourist attractions in Ireland saw little growth this year. “The growth in visitors is above the target set for the island and also saw the site outperform the general tourism market – we welcomed 81,000 visitors in 2019 in what has been a year of conflicting fortunes for Irish visitor attractions. “While Tourism Ireland say overall visitor numbers to the country were up slightly, a slowing market has seen some sites post flat or negative numbers in 2019, with concern for the UK and European markets in the coming years. “Brexit, changes in European habits and ‘flight shame’ over concerns of the impact the aviation industry is having on the environment were all said to be contributing to the uncertainty. Mr Crotty revealed that Spike Island overseas visitors accounted for a greater proportion of the total, rising from 17.5 per cent in 2018 to 21 per cent last year. This was welcome as international visitors are known to spend more than domestic visitors. He pointed out that the growth in visitor numbers in 2019 followed some important additions including adding a second ferry, procured from the south of France, and a new walk-on pontoon which replaced previous steps in Cobh. He said the new “Independence” exhibition, telling the story of the 1,400 prisoners held on the island in 1921 during the War of Independence, also opened on the island and proved highly successful. “In 2020, there are plans to add a covered ticket office at Kennedy Pier in Cobh, a calendar of concerts and events along with a new exhibition telling the story of the Famine-era convicts who did not survive the island prison experience.” Upward trend Mr Crotty said that with these new exhibitions and events and an extension of the opening season to seven days a week from April to October, they hope to see the upward trend in visitor numbers continue into 2020. He pointed out that the former island prison and fortress had only reopened in June 2016, following €6.5 million of investment by Cork County Council and Failte Ireland. That investment saw the reopening of the Famine-era prison, the 9.7-hectare (24 acre) island fortress, the modern prison, which only closed in 2004, and scenic walking trails around the outer island, as well as a cafe and gift shop on site. “We currently have a funding application with Fáilte Ireland, with plans to add a social village recreation of island life, a ‘dungeon’-style experience in the fort tunnels and an international welcome hub at the island pier.” In October 2017, Spike Island was named as Europe’s leading tourist attraction at the prestigious World Travel Awards. Last November, Spike Island scooped another prestigious award, being named Best Attraction at the International Travel and Tourism Awards 2019 held in London.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made a first general election campaign pitch by promising to help deliver 50,000 new jobs and provide 25,000 new homes in the State this year. In a New Year video, Mr Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney list Fine Gael priorities for the coming year. Mr Varadkar says he will steer Ireland through the next phase of Brexit by helping to secure a trade deal between the European Union and the UK; he also vows to give Irish businesses and farmers access to the British market; and promises to “achieve a new record high when it comes to employment”. “We know that well-paid secure jobs are the best ways to improve living standards, create opportunity, and reduce poverty,” he says. Happy New Year! Want to know what my priorities are for the year ahead? pic.twitter.com/JcR6VM8Lge — Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 1, 2020 The Taoiseach also claims the Government will add 11,000 units to the social housing stock. “That’s more new social houses than any other year this century under any other party,” he says. The Taoiseach’s messages also alludes to climate change, with promises to reduce greenhouse emissions by creating warmer homes, improving air quality and investing in public transport. The video is the second such broadcast made by the Taoiseach in recent days. On St Stephen’s Day, he described his achievements since assuming office 2½ years ago. It is one of a number of social media broadcasts and publications recently issued by Fine Gael, suggesting the party is upping the ante ahead of a general election, which is widely expected to take place in the spring. Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton has also announced a raft of initiatives on waste, packaging and climate change in recent days. Climate change and the “green agenda” are expected to be major themes of the election campaign. Fine Gael, in particular, may be vulnerable to rising support for the Green Party in affluent urban areas, after that party’s strong performance in the local and European elections and November’s byelections.

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news, story, article Accra, Jan. 1, GNA - Venadash Institute of Decorative Arts, a private vocational training institution in the Ho Municipality, has graduated 22 women who have completed courses in event decoration, beadwork, cake baking and decoration, and catering. At its seventh graduation ceremony held at the Global Evangelical Church at Ho Fiave, Mrs Venunye Afi Adugu, Director of the Institute, said the institute, established in 2011, has so far trained 24 batches of students, most of whom had excelled in the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) proficiency examinations. The theme: for the graduation was “Job Creation for the Youth through Skills Acquisition.” Mrs Adugu said the achievements were because of the efficient and practical teaching by the tutors adding that the graduates were already executing excellent works for their clients. The Director said the institute had plans to add hat making and fashion design to its line of programmes, beginning next academic year. Mrs Adugu asked students to take the courses seriously and provide the needed tools and materials for competency-based training. She said Venadash was on a mission of entrepreneurship development to help address youth unemployment, and advised against truancy, asking parents and guardians not to consider vocational skills training as reserved for school dropouts. “Vocational and technical skills acquisition requires high intelligent quotient and critical analytical minds to be able to innovate and create. We, therefore, appeal to parents and guardians to desist from discouraging their wards who want to venture into these fields of study. You will never know what the future holds,” she said. Mr Kenneth Kponor, the Volta Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), asked the graduates to make the most of the training and strive to become entrepreneurs and open up employment avenues for others. He also urged them to encourage their peers to consider vocational skills as a lifeline they could easily access. The institute was established as the Venadash Training Center, providing skills training in bead making and event decoration. It was in 2012, transformed into an institute, and adopted the syllabus of the University of Florida, USA, and won accreditation from the National Vocational Training Board in 2015. It operates faculties of Applied Arts, and Culinary Arts, and runs two programme sessions each academic year. GNA

What were our readers fascinated with in the past decade? Readers clicked most on controversial and confusing topics like sex and sexuality—transgenderism and female masturbation—and politics—Donald Trump’s theology and whether Christians should make voting decisions based on a “lesser of two evils” philosophy. They also found pieces on theological controversies and stories of how people found Jesus compelling. Here are the 30 most-read pieces on CT’s website from the 2010s, ending with the most popular piece. Embedded Article:125334 Embedded Article:133568 Embedded Article:121313 Embedded Article:118054 Embedded Article:117572 Embedded Article:133919 Embedded Article:112414 Embedded Article:133949 Embedded Article:117349 Embedded Article:139880 Embedded Article:117920 Embedded Article:129676 Embedded Article:95903 Embedded Article:138803 Embedded Article:132626 Embedded Article:124909 Embedded Article:132713 Embedded Article:100365 Embedded Article:139882 Embedded Article:134213 Embedded Article:163746 Embedded Article:130032 Embedded Article:133753 Embedded Article:117785 Embedded Article:117509 Embedded Article:136354 Embedded Article:99619 Embedded Article:133697 Embedded Article:163724 Note: All of our top-read stories spanned from 2014-2019. Readers wanting to know our top stories from before that time can see our lists from 2013 and 2012. We also ranked our top news stories from 2011 and 2010.

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Paid leave for new pets offered to Brisbane brewery staff Posted Government benefits ensure new parents are offered paid maternity and paternity leave, and a UK company is now offering its Australian employees a similar scheme when they bring home a new pet. Key points: A Brisbane brewery is offering "pawternity leave" for staff who are new pet owners The week-long paid pet leave is meant to be an incentive for employees to stay longer RSCPA Queensland says getting a pet is like bringing a new baby home and it is important to have time to bond The "pawternity leave" scheme is available to staff at BrewDog's Brisbane brewery, which opened late November, company spokesman Calvin McDonald said. "Pawternity leave is a great benefit that BrewDog can offer its employees worldwide," he said. "Basically it's an extra paid week of leave that you're able to take when you adopt a puppy or get a new puppy in the house." Mr McDonald said the perk had been crucial to retaining staff in an industry like hospitality — notorious for its high turnover. "It means that they don't really want to leave and go anywhere else," Mr McDonald said. While it is an unusual incentive, paid new-pet leave is not completely unheard of in the Australian or international employment market. The concept has been praised by the RSPCA Queensland, which recommended monitoring pets brought home from their facilities very closely. RSPCA spokeswoman Nanda Ten Grotenhuis said the first few days could be crucial. "It's a bit like bringing a new baby home so, you know, you need a little bit of special time for you to bond with that animal to make them feel comfortable," Ms Ten Grotenhuis said. Staff at RSPCA Queensland are not offered "pawternity leave", but staff can take sick or carer's leave when their own pet is unwell. Brisbane mum Kasey Rowland took two weeks annual leave this time last year, when she introduced her new Cavoodle, Raphael, to her young family. The part-time worker was not entitled to paid pet leave but said she was honest with her employer, who allowed her to take the break and ensure her pet assimilated safely. "I think it's part of being a responsible dog owner, that you make sure that they're safe and happy and stimulated," Ms Rowland said. "I was a bit worried because for a small dog it's a huge place and he could get into things and get his head stuck in the fence." BrewDog has offered the incentive for several years now to its staff internationally. Sydney-based Pet Circle is another company ensuring its staff are compensated when looking after a new pet. Lisa Bradley, from the Queensland University of Technology's business school, said it was increasingly common for employers to negotiate flexible working conditions to attract hard-working staff. "Different types of leave provisions are the most common and being able to work from different locations and at different times," she said. Ms Bradley said it was hard to weigh up the cost benefits for employers who were ultimately pursuing "increased organisational commitment". "That means the person is going to want to continue to work for the organisation and put in their best for the organisation, so sometimes you can't measure the benefits of that directly," Ms Bradley said. Topics: animals, human-interest, work, community-and-society, people, brisbane-4000, qld, australia

Former world number three Grigor Dimitrov saw his ranking slump last year as he struggled with a shoulder injury, but the Bulgarian Thursday said he won't push himself too hard, too fast to return to the top of tennis. The 28-year-old was laid low early in the season and was far from his best after he returned to action, although he did reach the US Open and Paris Masters semi-finals. Dimitrov said 2019, where he failed to win a title, had been "quite a journey". "It's going to be a year that I remember for the rest of my life," he said in Sydney ahead of the inaugural ATP Cup team event, his warm-up for the Australian Open Grand Slam. "Yeah, the body checks out pretty good right now. I'm still monitoring a lot of my work, a lot that I'm going through. "I kind of pace myself in the right way. I'm not in a rush, which is also a good thing." The shoulder problem was Dimitrov's first major injury and he said he plans to limit the number of tournaments he plays, particularly early in the season. "I'm not going to force myself to play too many tournaments early on and really look after the body. That's the number one thing," said Dimitrov, now ranked 20. "Clearly I haven't competed for almost the past four months of the year, and so that itself brought a lot of doubts, and dropping a lot in the ranking and so on. "But at the same time, I was able to kind of recover as quick as possible, and hopefully now I'm at a place that can only get better. I'm really going to focus on that." He is not only playing for Bulgaria at the ATP Cup, but captaining the team, a new experience that he is relishing. "It's challenging, no doubt about it," he said. "It's always been a dream of mine to always be kind of on the other end, and I think to be a coach is never easy. "I don't know if I'm going to be a good coach. I can only share my experience, my thoughts with the guys." The ATP Cup, which starts Friday, features 24 nations split into six groups across Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with eight of them emerging from the round-robin to compete in the knockout phase. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Kahata on target as Simba SC open a 10-point gap with win against Ndanda Wekundu wa Msimbazi extend their stay at the top of the top-tier table after a convincing home win Simba SC opened a 10-point gap on top of the Mainland Table after defeating Ndanda FC 2-0. The defending champions came into the match as clear favourites having won 10 out of 11 games against their opponents in previous meetings. Being the final game of 2019, Wekundu wa Msimbazi were keen on avoiding surprises and bag maximum points. Former winger Francis Kahata took only 13 minutes to open the scoring for the 20-time league champions. The hosts won a free-kick about 20-yards from the Ndanda goal; then the Kenyan international curled the ball past the wall and into the back of the net to score his second goal in as many games for his club. Neither of the two teams could get another goal in the first half despite the numerous chances created especially by the league leaders. Ibrahim Ajib and the returning John Bocco were responsible for missing glorious opportunities for their teams. Article continues below Substitute Deo Kanda, who had come on for Francis Kahata, handed the hosts the final blow in the 86th minute when he deflected in a Gadiel Michael shot past goalkeeper Ally Mustapha. The result took Simba's points tally to 34, 10 more than second-placed Yanga SC. The two teams will play each other on Saturday in the Kariakoo Derby. Elsewhere, Mwadui FC settled to a 1-1 draw against KMC at Mwadui Complex; the visitors opened the scoring in the 15th minute courtesy of Abdul Hilal before Enock Mkanga equalized in the 70th minute.

Big game right off the bat as we resume league play in 2020. 12-0 Hope at 8-3 Trine on Saturday at 3pm. Hope currently stands as the #1 team in the nation according to Massey and Trine comes in as #23. Hope had a real test against Albion, other than that they have run roughshod thru the 2019 portion of their schedule. Trine with losses to Ohio Wesleyan, #12 Baldwin Wallace and #23 Chicago. They have 2 recent wins over good Ohio Northern and Denison squads and are starting to figure things out with new lineups and substitute patterns. Both Hope and Trine play a deep bench as both only have 1 double digit scorer. Hope with an outstanding and deep Junior class, whereas Trine has 3 Soph's leading in scoring. The big question at the beginning of the year was how far would Trine regress this year after an outstanding Senior class graduated that led Trine to 3 consecutive NCAA tournaments. This team does not have a "go to" player like Dawson who could single handily take over games if needed over her career. We have one Senior, two Juniors, and the rest Soph's and Freshman in the top 11 rotation. You know Hope is going to pressure the ball and get scores off their defense. You don't see many D3 teams with their length inside either. Our bigs Taylor and Herbert will need to play well and stay out of foul trouble. If were shooting the 3ball decently we'll have a shot to be there at the end, but I am going with Hope by 10+ in this one as they have more experience and playmakers than Trine.

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Hyderabad: Telangana Information Technology (IT) minister KT Rama Rao on Wednesday declared 2020 as the year of artificial intelligence (AI) in the state, expressing contentment over several agreements signed with noted companies and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur for development in Telangana. He also unveiled a poster and a logo to mark the year of AI at a programme in Hyderabad while IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan inaugurated a website for the same. The state government signed a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with companies like Intel, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Nvidia and Hexagon among others to boost IT and AI sectors. The minister lauded the tie-up with IIT Kharagpur for setting up a centre for excellence in artificial intelligence in the state capital. IIT Hyderabad will also act as a strategic partner and provide infrastructure and basic facilities. The minister said that the new businesses will be given all required permissions through the Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TS-iPASS). The system was put in place by an act in 2014 for speedy processing of applications for various clearances required for setting up of industries in the state. KT Rama Rao also launched pilot projects of registration and police departments on the occasion. He hailed chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for his keenness to push AI to the next level for rapid growth and development in the state. Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, on Wednesday, tweeted a video clip of a differently-abled boy playing cricket with children his age, making his fans praising the youngster's passion for the sport. Tendulkar tweeted the clip and wrote on @sachin_rt: "Start your 2020 with the inspirational video of this kid Madda Ram playing cricket with his friends. It warmed my heart and I am sure it will warm yours too." The clip got over 400K views at the last count. Start your 2020 with the inspirational video of this kid Madda Ram playing cricket 🏏 with his friends.It warmed my heart and I am sure it will warm yours too. pic.twitter.com/Wgwh1kLegS — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 1, 2020 Tendulkar's post warmed the hearts on Twitter and garnered positive responses far and wide. Ace photographer Atul Kasbekar tweeted: "Let's go meet with him master, I'll take the picture." Let’s go meet with him masterI’ll take the picture — atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) January 1, 2020 Gift the kids a cricket set for the new year. — Mohan Sinha🇮🇳 (@Mohansinha) January 1, 2020 #HappyNewYear my fav cricketer @sachin_rtYes its really a inspirational tweetReally overwhelmed 😊😊 — ̷ͲȺའȺ. 🌟⭐🌠 (@methaara) January 1, 2020 I am overwhelmed by the spirit of the boy and his teammates I wish people in position like you the Hero could help him get a wheelchair. Happy new year to all. — Atanazio Bwongyererwa (@AtanazioBwongy1) January 1, 2020 I seen him as a soldier, how loves and passionate on this game..Also should appreciate other kids, they accept him as ordinary player..Spirit of game called cricket.. — J G Pandian (@JGP_OSSI) January 1, 2020 Truly inspiration 🙏🙏 We must learn a lot things from this kid hats off 🙏🙏 — CrickeTendulkar 🇮🇳 FC (@CrickeTendulkar) January 1, 2020 (With IANS inputs) Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil. Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment. “We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.” Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined. The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured. Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Banerjee had last week instructed party workers to conduct various programmes to observe the TMC’s foundation day. The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday observed its 22nd Foundation Day as ‘Citizens’ Day’ as a mark of protest against the amended Citizenship Act and pledged not to stop until the “draconian law” is withdrawn. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, congratulated party workers on the occasion and said TMC is observing the day as ‘Nagorik Dibas’ (Citizens’ Day) at the booth-level. “We are observing the foundation day of @AITCofficial as ‘Nagorik Dibas’ (Citizens’ Day) in every booth of #Bangla. We all are citizens and Trinamool will continue to fight for the rights of the people. Jai Hind. Jai Bangla. “#Trinamool22 Today @AITCofficial turns 22. The journey which began on January 1, 1998 has been full of struggles, but we have been steadfast in our resolve to fight for the people. We thank Maa-Mati-Manush for their constant support. Our workers are our biggest assets,” she tweeted. TMC general secretary Subrata Bakshi said laws are passed to help the people and not to divide the country. “The amended Citizenship Act is anti-people. It wants to divide the country on religious lines. So, if the people don’t accept it, this law has to be withdrawn,” he said. Claiming that the people of West Bengal have started rejecting the BJP, Bakshi hinted that the party would use the CAA and the proposed country-wide NRC as its main issues in the upcoming municipal elections in the state. Elections to around 107 municipalities of the state including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation are due in April-May this year. The civic polls, in which about 60 per cent voters of the state would be eligible to take part, are being tipped as the ‘mini assembly election’ ahead of the crucial 2021 state polls. Parties believe that the results of the civic polls will indicate the possible outcome of the assembly elections. Banerjee had last week instructed party workers to conduct various programmes to observe the TMC’s foundation day. The district TMC leaders have organised flag-hoisting programmes and street corner meetings to discuss and highlight the achievements of the state government and speak against the amended Citizenship Act, party sources said. Banerjee, who has been at the forefront in opposing the CAA and nation-wide NRC, has been crisscrossing the state, holding protest marches and rallies against the new citizenship law. On the party’s foundation day, TMC activists also organised blood donation camps in several parts of the state. The TMC was founded by Mamata Banerjee on January 1, 1998 with an aim to oust the then Left Front regime from power. The party achieved its goal in May 2011 after forging an alliance with the Congress.

Terming the CAA a “targeted” law, she said it is an attack on the Constitution of India. She was present outside the university to participate in a public meeting on the new legislation. Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker on Wednesday lauded the students of Jamia Millia Islamia for waking up the entire country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which she claimed is a “targeted” law. “We have woken up late but now we have woken up. You have woken up the entire country. We are here to thank you,” she said. The actress said hatred is being legitimised through terms like ‘tukde tukde’ gang and legislation like CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Terming the CAA a “targeted” law, she said it is an attack on the Constitution of India. She was present outside the university to participate in a public meeting on the new legislation.

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The case against a Cornwall man who removed a provincially mandated sticker decrying the federal carbon tax from a gas pump has been dropped. Jesse Seguin, 36, was charged with criminal mischief in October after police alleged he removed an Ontario government-mandated sticker from a gas pump at a Cornwall gas station. The “federal carbon tax transparency sticker”, which must be displayed on an easily visible place on every gas pump in Ontario outside of a First Nation, was mandated by the Progressive Conservative government last August as a way to convince more Ontarians to oppose the federal carbon tax. The federal tax was imposed on the province after the Ford government cancelled Ontario’s cap-and-trade program and refused to create a carbon tax of its own. Seguin was arrested and released from custody with a court date in late November, but the charge was withdrawn by the Crown.

Maharashtra Congress legislator Sangram Thopat on Wednesday condemned the alleged vandalism of Congress office by his supporters after he was not accorded the ministerial berth. This office was destroyed days after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his ministry by inducting 36 ministers. "What has happened is wrong and condemnable. Whatever decision leadership arrived on I agreed to that and I will agree with it in future too," Thopat said. The purported incident took place on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp A baby boy was delivered at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) early Wednesday morning, making him possibly the first baby born in Quebec in 2020. Little Lucas was born precisely 11 minutes and 49 seconds after midnight. His mother, Marilou Edger, and his father, Jonathan Beelen, are from Montreal. The newborn and his mother are doing well, according to hospital authorities. READ MORE: Here’s what’s going to cost more in 2020 A few moments later, the CHU Sainte-Justine reported the birth of a baby girl at 12:26 a.m. By mid-morning, no other Quebec hospital had reported a birth since the start of the new year. In 2019, the first baby in Quebec was born at the MUHC, a girl who was born just two minutes after midnight. Story continues below advertisement 4:57 New Year’s 2020: Ball drops in New York City to mark beginning of new decade New Year’s 2020: Ball drops in New York City to mark beginning of new decade

Just 32 seconds after midnight Wednesday, Henri Baillargeon was born by caesarean section at the Cité de la Santé Hospital in Laval. Weighing in at 4.367 kg, Henri was born to parents Amélie Bouchard and Marc-André Baillargeon. The couple had a feeling their son would be the first born in 2020, ever since the hospital's medical team told them their cesarean section would be scheduled for 11:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve. "I kept looking at the clocks in the hospital," Marc-André Baillargeon said in a phone interview. Henri was initially due on Dec. 20, but Bouchard's pregnancy "dragged on" for 12 days, her husband said. Bouchard said the hat Henri has been wearing is inscribed with the year "2020" and was actually made by hospital volunteers as a gift for the first baby of the year. Birth at the MUHC Eleven minutes after Henri's birth, Lucas Beelen was born at the McGill University Health Center (MUHC), weighing in at 3.80 kg. The baby's mother, Marilou Edger and father Jonathan Beelen are both from Montreal. In a Facebook post Wednesday, the MUHC said Lucas and his mother are both doing well. In 2019, Quebec's first baby was also delivered at the MUHC, a baby girl named Mariella.

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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Matthew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders takes part in the 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills Night at the SAP Center on January 25, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Mathew Barzal is the only representative for the New York Islanders at this year's NHL All-Star Game. If anyone else could join him who would you send? Like most years, the New York Islanders will have a single representative going to the NHL All-Star game. This year, Mathew Barzal is the Islanders lone ambassador. I know, what a surprise! (Note the heavy sarcasm.) Of course, Barzal going to be the Islanders representative at the NHL All-Star Game. He leads the team in goals, assists, and points. He's the star of the team and the face of the franchise. He's also dynamic at the 3on3 format of the All-Star game. Last year, in his first trip to the All-Star festivities, Barzal was the talk of the town. Lining up with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, Barzal put up five points in the championship game alone. After winning last year's 3on3 tournament, Crosby raved about the Islanders youngster and his skill at 3on3 (and 5on5): "The way he holds onto the puck, the way he skates, 3-on-3, I mean, I don't know if there is anyone better when it comes to holding onto it," Crosby said. "The way he can just beat you 1-on-1, beat you with his speed, hold onto it, you know, watching him out there against the best, and I don't see anyone that really beats him in that category. Again, it makes sense that Barzal is going. He deserves to go. But what about other players on the roster? Who else might have deserved to go to the All-Star Game? I'm stopping short of calling this a snub list because I understand why some of the names I've come up with didn't end up on the final roster. But when I look at the goalies who were selected to the Metro's All-Star team, and that neither one of them are from the New York Islanders, it's clear there's at least one snub.

2019 was a big year for prefab due to increased deregulation of ADUs and growing interest in offsite and modular construction. Cities such as San Jose, California, are using prefab ADUs as possible solutions to their housing shortages. These five prefab houses are top-tier, providing innovative alternatives to more expensive housing. But they’re not just space-saving, practical, and easy to build—they’re stylish as all get-out, from clean, Scandinavian designs to aerospace-inspired prefab cabins. Whether it’s Kanye’s dome prototypes or Ikea’s plan to design residences for people with dementia, prefab housing of all stripes continued to make headlines in 2019. For our year-end roundup of the best prefabs, however, we’re highlighting the most impressive designs that are available to order. You’ll notice that a few of these picks are intended as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which have had quite a year, especially in California, where new laws are making it easier for single-family homes to add a backyard unit. As prefab construction is particularly well-suited for the job, we’ll surely be looking out for more sophisticated, ADU-friendly prefabs heading into 2020 and beyond. A city-approved modern ADU In an effort to incentivize more housing stock, the city of San Jose, California, recently pre-approved a backyard dwelling from Bay Area housing startup Abodu so that residents can buy and install one in as little as two weeks. The 500-square-foot house, designed by U.K. studio Koto, costs $199,000 and offers Scandinavian modern style with stark white walls, pale wood floors, and the option to add a curated furniture package. Read More

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Fort Lewis College is updating about a dozen panels at the Clock Tower in the center of campus to better recognize the past, "in a way that's fully inclusive of our Native American community on campus and the families directly affected by Indian boarding schools."

Please enable Javascript to watch this video DENVER -- On a cold Colorado day, Miguel Rivera and Martin Garcia roll up their sleeves and get to work. The two teens were inspired by others on YouTube, and decided to make their own channel dedicated to cleaning up the Earth called 7s Environment. “It makes me feel kind of good that I’m cleaning,” Garcia said. What they found was frustrating, and bizarre at times. Shattered glass bottles, rusted out scooters thrown in a lake, a tire covered in algae, and plenty of cans around Rotella Park for one of their first videos. Rivera says one of the more annoying finds was broken glass bottles on a soccer field in north Denver. “There was a kid who was kind of sitting in the car, and he was telling us, like thank you for doing this,” Rivera said. The pair hopes if they continue to make these videos, they’ll inspire other people to clean up, or at least change their bad habits.

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A blood-drinking white nationalist who ran for US Senate in Florida in 2016 was arrested Monday for kidnapping, domestic violence, and possession of a firearm used during a crime. Augustus Sol Invictus, 36, was busted in Florida on a warrant from South Carolina, authorities said. The circumstances of the crime were not immediately released. He was being held without bail Wednesday. Invictus, an Orlando-based lawyer, garnered national media attention during his unsuccessful bid to challenge Marco Rubio as a Libertarian candidate in 2016. During the failed campaign, he claimed he slaughtered a goat and drank its blood as part of a pagan ritual. He’s also credited by white nationalist Richard Spencer with laying the foundation for the deadly racist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Invictus has denied affiliation with Spencer and the racists at the rally, but Spencer credited him with drafting the “tenets” behind the rally. With Post Wires

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Pope Francis has used his New Year's message to denounce violence against women, hours after slapping a woman's hand to free himself from her grip. " Women are sources of life . Yet they are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb," the Pontiff told worshipers gathered at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Wednesday. "Every form of violence inflicted upon a woman is a blasphemy against God, who was born of a woman." Shortly before beginning his traditional New Year's Day address , the Pope said he was sorry for smacking a woman's hand the previous day, to free himself from her grip. "I apologize for the poor example yesterday," he said, going off-script before the sermon on violence. Pope Francis had been making his way to the Nativity scene in Vatican City on Tuesday, New Year's Eve. When he began to walk away from the crowd that had gathered to greet him, video shows a woman grabbing his hand and yanking him toward her. He became visibly upset, slapping the woman's hand in an attempt to extricate himself. Footage of the altercation also appears to show him shouting at the woman. Prior to the incident, the woman had made the sign of the cross. She addressed the 83-year-old Pope as she took his hand but it is unclear what she was trying to tell him. During his New Year address on Wednesday, the Pontiff also spoke about gender equality, telling the congregation that women "should be fully included in decision-making processes." "Every step forward for women, is a step forward for humanity as a whole."

Pope Francis apologised for "losing patience" with a woman who grabbed him on New Year's Eve and later denounced "all violence against women" (AFP Photo/Andreas SOLARO) Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis apologised Wednesday for his widely-viewed slap of a woman who had grabbed his hand as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year's Eve. The image of Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of the admirer was an instant hit on social media. A personal apology followed. "We lose patience many times," Francis confessed. "It happens to me too. I apologise for the bad example given yesterday," the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican. Twitter enthusiasts commented with abandon on the pontiff's prompt riposte to the woman. Francis had greeted children before the Nativity scene on Saint Peter's square and was turning away when the woman who had crossed herself then cried out something, pulled on his hand and almost caused him to fall. The 83-year-old pope grimaced before managing to break free by slapping her hand twice. He continued his tour, walking with some difficulty while maintaining a slightly greater distance from visitors, and gradually relaxed again as he came into contact with other children. Twitter comments were mostly supportive of the pontiff's instinctive reaction. "HE IS HUMAN.. Been (sic) a Pope doesn't make you immune to Pain or avoid Reaction to pain," one typical comment read. In his first Mass of the New Year, the pontiff later denounced "all violence against women" as "a profanation of God, born of a woman." Francis also said women were "the source of life" but deplored that they were constantly "offended, beaten, abused and forced into prostitution" and forced to "supress the life they carry within" them. He emphasised that the "rebirth of humanity began with a woman," and bemoaned that women's bodies were "sacrificed on the profane altars of advertising, profit, pornography."

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I know, I know: "All things in moderation." I grew up with that little piece of wisdom, too. Having said that, I also have to point to the confusion I felt when I read Jesus' response to it: "If you be neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelations 3:16). The translation of that, for those who can possibly wonder, is "Stand up." Stand for something. Stand up and take a position. Loudly, if necessary. Don't just wait to see how things come out. Add to the conversation. Add to the wisdom. Add to the questions that surround it. Add the ideas you've learned somewhere else so that others can mull them over, too. And whatever you do, don't, as the Irish say, "Fall between two stools." Get the best of NCR delivered to your inbox! Sign up here The trouble is that we have whole audiences caught between stools right now. They're confused about which side to sit on. They're uncertain about what position to take, so they step back and let someone else do their thinking for them. Members of Congress who swallow their consciences to please the system rather than the Gospel are not going to stand for anything. Surely the wealthy who vote for their stock returns and their tax reductions rather than for the upbuilding of the needs of the entire nation are not going to worry about little things ― like somebody else's poverty. And without doubt, average persons who can't tell the political lies from the truth anymore may know what's right in their hearts but have no idea what happened to the congressional process that once decided those things together. So inured are we to alternative facts, competing values, unclear constitutional interpretations, and the difference between national laws and, well, the rise of an imperial presidency, it's impossible to know who knows what. When a "royal presidency" ― an oxymoron in itself, like bittersweet or open secrets or living deaths ― suddenly outranks any other law-making force in the country, the people who've been lied to quit believing in facts all together. Now "facts" are just one more movable feast. "They all lie," people say of politicians and national agencies and the media and even of the scientists they've been taught to doubt so that corporations don't have to make any ecological changes to their products or processes. Indeed, the people have been taught to doubt, so now government and science are begging us to save ourselves because it is already too late to debate climate change. But how can we save anything while we keep rolling back ecological regulations for the sake of short-term corporate profiteering? How is a nation supposed to trust anyone or any laws at all when the president himself, having declared himself above it, simply deals with the law by refusing to keep it, to honor it, to submit to its review and validation? In the face of that kind of reasoning, tell your teenager that we're a country of laws and hear the laughter in the background. Only this time, it's at you. Advertisement Advertisement In a world such as that, maybe it's just better to keep your head down, many think, and follow the herd rather than risk attention, or worse, risk public disapproval. Do little and say nothing at all has become the new definition of peace and security in a land of political turmoil and working families living in tent cities due to the lack of a decent minimum wage and to the disappearance of low-cost housing. This, while at the same time, they tell us the economy is soaring for some while we're spending money building walls instead of raising the minimum wage to a living wage. I give up: Where's the moderation? In fact, is moderation moral when topics such as those aren't even being discussed and debated in the highest level in government? So much for democracy. We've seen democracies destroyed. But it is just as possible to simply let ours die on the vine from the plague of federal indifference. In a between-the-stools population and political system, being neither hot nor cold has become a fine art. It has its own set of norms, of course: As in, "Say nothing about what you don't like. Be silent and hope this awful nightmare finally ends. Move over and make room for the white nationalists, the racists, the automatic rifles, the new elected monarchy." After all, "there were very fine people on both sides," right? The problem? The whole scene has the tone of "The Handmaid's Tale." Everybody's lined up, smiling a pasted-down smile, sure that the world can be saved despite the fact that few are saying anything to save it. Like demand gun laws. Like rejoin the Paris climate agreement. Like stop the tariff war. Like impose ecological regulations immediately before the next city is underwater and the poor have no water at all. No, moderation won't do it. What we need now is Christian extremism, the idea that there are some things that cannot be tolerated in life, that there is something we can do to resolve these logjams if we really want to do it. These are the people who are "either hot or cold." And Jesus loves them. Christian extremism is extremely concerned about what this era of insult and mockery has sown. We need people who don't change TV news channels because the news "depresses" them. Instead they listen carefully to understand what needs to be done and they join mixed groups to start doing it. Locally as well as globally. Christian extremists are extremely open to new ideas. They read good articles carefully. They call for the creation of mixed groups to consider what can be done about issues on a local level. They find out from local officials what can be done to control guns, for instance, and provide medical care, and start subsidized housing, and invest in ecological preservation. They take part in democracy, in other words, as any citizen who wants to keep it must do.

Nowadays, registered investments advisors (RIAs), financial planners, financial advisors, wealth managers, even money doctors are pretty much tossed around and used interchangeably. But while each could claim of giving you sound financial advice, each would be using an entirely different model for doing so. And, what may work for your co-worker may not necessarily work for you. If you are looking to focus on your money life in 2020 and wondering of all the options out there, read on. Sebi-RIAs: When it comes to money management, there are basically two models used by those providing ...

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Police found the body of Neeraj Agarwal (37) on the driver’s seat while all other three members of the family ... Read More AGRA: A 37-year-old bullion trader allegedly killed himself after shooting his wife and two minor children inside his SUV, parked near Vrindavan exit point on Yamuna Expressway early Wednesday morning. While Neeraj Agarwal, his wife Neha (35) and his daughter Dhanya (6), were found dead, his son Shaurya,10, is battling for life at a Delhi hospital.As per documents accessed by TOI, Agarwal was facing multiple inquiries from Income Tax department, commercial tax department and Economic Offences Wing for Rs 123-crore transactions after demonetisation in November 2016. Police say that the Enforcement Directorate was also on his trail and he was under heavy debt. “These could be likely reasons which pushed him to the brink,” they say.His family, however, claimed that Agarwal was killed at the behest of his business rivals. “Some people had shot at Neeraj two years ago in Govardhan area and a police complaint was filed in this regard. Fortunately, he survived as the bullet nicked just his car,” said his father Dinesh Chandra Agarwal. The family is based in Govindnagar area of Mathura but Neeraj, along with his family, was living in Delhi for the past one year.“Neeraj used to come to Mathura frequently. His wife also hailed from Mathura’s Jaganathpuri area,” his father added. He admitted that some inquiries were going on against him. “But Neeraj had filed an appeal in the cases and this this could not be the reason for his death,” he said.Police said that the incident took place early Wednesday morning. While Neeraj’s body was found on the driver’s seat of Tuscon, all other three members of his family were on the back seat and had gunshot injuries on their head. The car was locked from inside. According to SP (city) AK Meena, Neeraj’s son was found breathing when the police broke the glass of the car and he was immediately rushed to Nayati hospital from where he was shifted to Apollo hospital, Delhi, as his condition was critical.Meena told TOI that a small note was also found inside the car and the it had been sent to forensic wing for checking its authenticity. Though the note was not clear, it had a mention of some issues related to custom and penalties. He said, police found a pistol in Neeraj’s right hand and he had apparently shot himself on his right temple.Neeraj’s brother-in-law, Amit, told TOI that his sister, Neha and her family had dinner with them and they all appeared happy. “They had left late on Tuesday night for Delhi as their daughter’s program was scheduled early Wednesday morning,” he told TOI. Amit has filed a complaint in this matter and an FIR is being lodged at police station.In July 2018, the investigation wing of I-T department had conducted a raid at RS Bullion and Jewellers in Mathura, owned by Neeraj Agarwal and Neha Agarwal, and found large-scale anomalies during the period after demonetisation. According to reports, RS Bullion had alone deposited Rs 123 crore cash in bank accounts during demonetisation.After the raid, the I-T officials had told media persons that Neeraj claimed to have sold gold worth Rs 37 crore in a single day, however, records suggested that his firm converted black money of people into white by taking commission. In return, the trader had provided them receipt of gold purchase. Also, the trader, had claimed that he had taken gold stock from a firm in Mumbai — Vanity Jeweller — but it was closed down in 2012, much before demonetisation announced.

Neeraj, his wife Neha with their children. Neeraj, his wife Neha with their children. A businessman, his wife and daughter were found dead in an SUV early Wednesday morning in Mathura. According to police, Neeraj Agarwal (40) allegedly shot his wife Neha Agarwal (36) and two children, a girl aged six and a boy aged 10, before shooting himself. No suicide note has been recovered, said police. While the couple and their daughter were declared dead on arrival at the hospital, their son has been referred to Delhi’s Apollo Hospital for further treatment and is under observation. Their families, however, have alleged foul play and filed an FIR under IPC Section 302 (murder) at the Jamna Paar police station in Mathura. Ashok Kumar Meena, SP City Mathura, said: “We received information from a patrol vehicle about four bodies being found in a white SUV, close to the Vrindavan turning near the Yamuna Expressway. They broke open a window and found that the boy was still alive. The others in the car, including a minor, had died due to bullet wounds. Prima facie it appeared that Neeraj shot his family members before killing himself. But we have received an FIR for possible murder, which will be investigated.” Neeraj hailed from Jagannath Puri in Mathura and ran a bullion trading company in the city. According to his family, Neeraj, along with his wife and children, had been living in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar for the last six months. Police said Neeraj shifted to capital because of work pressure, and was looking after his business from here. The SUV inside which the couple and their daughter were found dead. The SUV inside which the couple and their daughter were found dead. He and his family visited his in-laws in Mathura on Tuesday evening. Around 10 pm, Neeraj said they had to leave for Delhi as there was a function at his daughter’s school. They stopped for dinner at a restaurant close to Expressway, said a family member. Six hours later, their bodies were found in the car which was parked in a service lane close to Expressway. Initially, police could not spot the bodies as the windows were fogged. When a policeman peered through a crack, he found three people covered in blood while the boy was still breathing. Police suspect the bullet went through him. “There is something odd about the whole scenario; the way they have been shot looks professional. It merits an investigation. Everything was normal when Neeraj left. Even if it is a suicide, we need to find out the truth,” said Tarun Agarwal, Neeraj’s relative. According to police sources, Neeraj’s company was under the scanner for alleged fraudulent transactions following demonetisation. But family members claimed that a professional rival had planted fake complaints to harass Neeraj. Several notices were issued and the matter is pending in court, he said. Neeraj would even keep a licensed gun with two loaded magazines with him for protection, said the family member. For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App

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CNG stations to get intermittent gas supply in Jan, uninterrupted in Feb: minister ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan says domestic demand for gas has gone up by almost 20 per cent. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, he said apart from CNG stations, all consumers are being supplied gas. “CNG stations will be provided gas intermittently during January and fully in February,” the minister said, adding record-breaking and extended cold spell has resulted in low pressure across the system, which is expected to improve in a week. “Country wide we were providing more than 12% extra gas compared to last year December,” he said. “In SNGPL system, supply to domestic sector was avrage 831mmcfd in December2018. In first 15 days of this month we supplied 30% more. Now we are supplying 47% more to domestic sector,” he added. 3. Other than CNG, all consumers are being provided gas. CNG will be provided intermittently during january & fully in february. 4. Record breaking and extended cold spell has resulted in pressure drops across the system. Expected to improve in a week. — Omar Ayub Khan (@OmarAyubKhan) January 1, 2020 “In SSGC system, domestic demand has gone up almost 20 percent. But LNG cannot be supplied based on position of sindh,” Omar Ayub said, adding supplies are being increased further within a week through new sources and additional LNG. Comments comments

Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from devonlive - Daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email According to the Fitness Industry Association, 12 per cent of gym memberships are taken out in January - and most people will have already stopped going withing six months. And it is easy to see why: gyms can be daunting places for the initiated, full of monstrously heavy weights, bizarre looking machines and muscle-bound athletes pumping iron. There is also a tempting array of ways to injure/embarrass yourself, all of which often leads to us either not going anymore, or simply cancelling our membership. Devon Live caught up with former Exeter Chiefs player Sam Blythe, founder of Fitness Matters on Marsh Barton in Exeter, to offer some tips about how to avoid easy mistakes and make sure the gym is for life, not just for Christmas. 1) Too much too soon "People are often so super keen when they join a gym in January that they are possibly just doing too much too soon. They need to take small steps. "Some people are coming to the gym after a little while out, but others – with the best will in the world – are not so clued up and maybe take on too much too soon. "It's much better to start slowly and take your time." 2)It's good to talk "It is worth having a chat with a few people, taking your time and getting some advice along the way. That will give you real structure and a plan. Then you are way more likely to keep it going. "If you are somebody who has spent a lot of time in the gym but just lost a bit of momentum along the way then you probably won’t need any advice, but if you are new then speak to someone. "Any environment you don’t know is daunting so sitting own and having a chat with someone who works there or a PT for a bit of confidence or guidance to get a nudge in the right direction is no bad thing." 3) Plan your routine "I would suggest those people who are new to a gym just give a little bit of thought to what you might do. A lot of people get on the gym floor, don’t know what they’re doing and end up just doing the same few exercises day after day. It pays to sit down the night before and have a think about it so you have a way forward. "You want to be healthy for ever, not just January." 4) Warm up... "A warm-up is always going to help you. "Make your warm-up specific to what you are going to do. There is no point in warming up a part of your body you are not then going to use. "It needs to be specific to what you are going to do. If you want to improve your running, you are not going to just jump on a treadmill and start sprinting right away. It just needs a little bit of common sense. 5) ...and cool down "Cooling down and stretching is often very overlooked. People often don’t do it because it is harder to see the benefits when you are doing it looking in the mirror. "People often just want to lose weight and look better, but often stretching and cooling down will help you avoid injury and recover more quickly, which means you can spend more time exercising and, in the long run, will look better anyway." 6) Be patient "From a technical point of view, it is important not to rush into things without knowing what you are doing first. You could end up injuring yourself or not getting the results you hoped for. "Mentally, it is just like going on a diet. When you try and change something overnight often it will only last for a week or two and then you get resentful and fall off the wagon and you are back to square one. You want to keep it sustainable, which begins with a steady start to get the snowball rolling." 7) Find your lifestyle balance "You have to find a lifestyle that is sustainable to yourself. That is different for everybody – what is a sacrifice to one person isn’t necessarily to another. It is about finding what works for you and sticking to that." 8) Gym goals "Different people have different ways of doing it. Some people are very goals-driven, and soon fall off the wagon if they don’t have something to aim for. Other people like just ticking over and staying fit. "Overall, I think staying healthy is important, but if you can find a challenge to give you that little spike from time to time then that is great." 9) An all-round approach to exercising "In my opinion, it is about having the best all-round approach. "It depends how structured you want to be when you start going to the gym and what your goals are, but the all-round package in terms of exercising and living is very important. "You don’t have to be the master of everything. If you do 80 per cent of things right, the other 20 per cent will take care of itself."

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The Justice Ministry’s Police Internal Investigations Department filed an indictment Wednesday against a police officer who is accused of assaulting an ultra-Orthodox man by yanking on his sidelocks in an unprovoked attack as he was arresting him. The alleged assault on Mordechai Kreuzer in July was caught on camera and published by Hebrew media, leading to a backlash of accusations of police brutality. PIID filed the indictment at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court against Yaakov Sheetrit, who is accused of assault as well as obstruction of justice in the course of the subsequent probe. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Another officer who was also involved in the incident will have his case dealt with by a disciplinary tribunal, Haaretz reported. The incident happened during a demonstration against the demolition of illegal buildings in the central city of Beit Shemesh, which has a large ultra-Orthodox community. תיעוד מחריד: בלש המשטרה כמעט תולש את פאות העצור >>>הוא לא מתנגד למעצר, וכלל לא השתתף בהפגנה – מה שכמובן לא מנע מהשוטר למשוך לו באכזריות בפאות #משטרת_ישראל_2019 • שתפו – ונשים סוף לאלימות המשטרתית! פורסם על ידי ‏חדשות כיכר השבת‏ ב- יום שני, 8 ביולי 2019 Sheetrit and other officers told a crowd of protesters to disperse from a parking lot and then allegedly began pushing and shoving them. At one point their attention became focused on Kreuzer, and Sheetrit allegedly hit him in the face, then dragged him away to a patrol car, pulling him by his sidelock. During the clash Kreuzer suffered injuries to his face, back, elbow, forearm, shoulder and pelvis. Sheetrit was also injured, apparently falling over and requiring a cast for his leg. He later claimed that Kreuzer attacked him with punches and kicks and that he was also assaulted by other demonstrators, a claim not borne out by the video evidence. Kreuzer was initially arrested and charged with assaulting an officer but released after the video came to light. He said that in the hours after his arrest, which happened on a Friday, he was further mistreated by police at the jail and forced to ride in a car on Shabbat. Sheetrit was suspended from duties after the investigation opened. At the time, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who had come under fire over accusation of police brutality against Ethiopian-Israelis, called the incident appalling and said he approved of the officer’s suspension. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, head of the Haredi political party Shas, said at the time the incident “bordered on anti-Semitism.”

Indore: Struggling with the scarcity of doctors, the health department is preparing a demand letter to fill posts of doctors and staff in the hospitals and health centres in the district. The demand letter will be handed over to the health minister Tulsi Silawat on January 3 who will put it before the cabinet, which will meet on January 4. Indore district has about 150 hospitals and health centres and they all have inadequate number of doctors and staff. The most ambitious scheme of state government, Sanjeevani Clinic, too has been adversely affected due to paucity of staff. According to chief medical and health officer Dr Pravin Jadia, a meeting of all incharge of health centres and hospitals was held on Wednesday to assess the availability of staff. Sources said doctors are shifted from one place to another for special duties, which affects the routine work in hospitals. As a result, target of various health schemes is not achieved. The chief secretary had asked for availability of doctors in the state in 2019 but no recruitments took place. Hospitals, health centres in Indore district: 1 - District Hospital 3 - Civil Hospitals 5 - Community Health Centres 25 - Primary Health Centres 111 - Sub Health Centres

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Nine people have died after Indonesia's capital was hit by its deadliest flooding in years as torrential rains on New Year's Eve left vast swathes of the city submerged. Thousands were evacuated to temporary shelters as electricity was switched off in scores of waterlogged neighbourhoods across greater Jakarta, home to about 30 million people, with some train lines and one of the city's airports also shut. Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency called on residents to leave flood-hit areas. 'The first priority is saving lives,' said agency head Doni Monardo. Indonesian police pull a rubber dinghy as they evacuate residents in Jakarta, Indonesia, after rains which killed nine in the capital Residents push a submerged car on a flooded street in Jakarta, Indonesia A truck drives through a flooded road at Jatibening on the outskirts of Jakarta A 16-year-old was electrocuted by a power line, while three more people died of hypothermia, according to the disaster agency. 'My son's body was covered with newspaper when my two other children passed by,' said Fadrid, who identified himself as the dead teen's father. 'People asked them whether they knew the victim. If they hadn't been passing by, we wouldn't have known my son had been killed,' he told AFP. Among the victims was an elderly couple trapped inside their home in a district where floodwaters reached as high as four metres (13 feet) after a river burst its banks. Another victim drowned while four people were killed after the Tuesday evening downpour triggered landslides in the city's outskirts. An Indonesian soldier holds a cat through floodwaters at Jatibening on the outskirts of Jakarta Residents push a motorcycle among submerged taxis on a flooded street in Jakarta 'We have shut down power (in many areas) to avoid more electrical shocks,' Ikhsan Asaad, an official at state firm PLN, told AFP. Asaad said he could not estimate how many residents had been affected by the power shutdown. 'We're currently focusing on taking measures to ensure people's safety,' he added. Angelina Widiyanti was among scores of residents whose houses were flooded with their possessions ruined by the disaster. 'We've had flooding several times before but it was never this high,' she said from her home, where the power had been cut. 'We weren't prepared for this.' Residents sit outside a store on a flooded street in Jakarta Residents push a motorcycle on a flooded street in Jakarta Indonesian men navigate a flooded street with their motorbikes in Depok, Indonesia Authorities said about 19,000 people were evacuated, but that figure did not include residents in Jakarta's satellite cities. 'We're evacuating people right now,' Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan told reporters. 'Everyone living near rivers should anticipate (more) flooding,' he added. Images from across the region showed waterlogged homes and cars submerged in muddy floodwaters, while some people took to paddling in small rubber lifeboats or tyre inner-tubes to get around. The disaster marked Jakarta's worst flooding since 2013 when several dozen people were killed when the city was inundated by monsoon rains. Jakarta is regularly hit by floods during Indonesia's rainy season, which started in late November. On Wednesday, service at Halim Perdanakusuma airport, which handles commercial and military planes, was temporarily shut due to severe flooding on its runways, according to the transport ministry. Many flights were transferred to Jakarta's main Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

At least nine people died as Jakarta was hit with severe flooding over the New Year. Torrential rain soaked tens of thousands of revelers as they waited for New Year's Eve fireworks in Indonesia's capital.The rains led to flooding across the city. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said the monsoon rains and rising rivers had submerged at least 90 neighborhoods. Thousands of people were displaced by flooding and a domestic airport was closed after water levels reached up to 3 meters (10 feet) in several places. Watch video 01:58 Share Indonesia: Where climate change is real Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3U46s Indonesia: Where climate change is real Wibobo said some of the deaths were due to hypothermia, but also included a 16-year-old high school student who was electrocuted by a power line. Indonesia's state electricity utility said it had switched off power to hundreds of districts to prevent further electrocutions. Authorities have deployed about 120,000 rescuers to help evacuate those affected and install mobile water pumps. Further flooding is expected with downpours forecast for the coming day. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan told reporters his administration would push ahead with infrastructure projects on two major rivers, including a dam and a sluice, to prevent flooding in the city of 30 million people. This was the worst flooding since 2013 when dozens of people were killed in monsoon rains. aw/mm (AP, AFP, Reuters) Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here.

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A New Year is upon us and let’s hope it’s without drama. A New Year is upon us and let’s hope it’s without drama. THE morning after the night before can be a revelation. For the first time in decades, I woke up yesterday fairly well-rested and without a hangover. Part of the reason was that, as a member of the dedicated Daily newsroom team, I had a 7am start. So apart from a restaurant dinner and re-run of the movie Jersey Boys, my New Year’s Eve was uneventful. But I soon realised there was much more to my unusual disinterest in the celebrations. The past few months, the pages of the Daily and our online space have seen so much tragedy in our neighbourhoods, natural disasters and heartache, I think I am in the throes of emotional fatigue. I have so much empathy for the strangers who have lost loved ones, seen irreplaceable keepsakes burn in the rubble of their fire-torn homes, and who are valiantly fighting disease or are down on their luck. I cry for the parents, children and mates who lose loved ones on the roads or to violence in their own homes. I see vision of the walls of flames firefighters throughout the country are being faced with and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I see salt-of-the-earth people raising funds for charity, who later find themselves grappling with life-threatening disease. And there’s nothing I can do. Celebrating life and a new year somehow felt a little off this time. I’m a glass half-full person and personally had a great 2019. But my wish for 2020 is for a boring year — one with fewer dramas for Coast residents, a major cut in the national road toll, no drought or flooding rains. And I’ll raise my early morning coffee cup instead to everyone’s good health and happiness.

Revelers packed the Las Vegas Strip to usher out 2019 and ring in 2020 on New Year’s Eve. New Year's Fireworks on the Las Vegas Strip - VIDEO (James Schaeffer/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Fireworks for New Year's Eve erupt over the Strip as viewed from the VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub & Lounge at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images Moses Carpio, of Las Vegas, kisses his girlfriend Teresa Enriquez, of Juarez, on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae Fireworks for New Year's Eve erupt over the Strip as viewed from the VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub & Lounge at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images Fireworks light up the sky above The Venetian on the Strip on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto Trip, left, and Jess Barrios walk the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto The Strip is packed with New Year's Eve goers on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto People watch the Bellagio fountain show on the Strip on New Year's Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Jennifer Gonzalez of New York, from left, Laticia Clinton of Las Vegas and Danielle Porter of San Diego practice their midnight countdown at 9:49 p.m. on New Year's Eve on the Strip at Park Avenue in Las Vegas Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto Show girls, right, share a moment with street performers dressed in Kiss attire on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto The Strip is packed with New Year's Eve goers on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto Michelle Southerland, left, of Houston, Texas, and her friend Megan Simpson, of Las Vegas, pose for a photo outside T-Mobile Arena on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_ Jennifer Simpson, left, of Las Vegas, and her sister-in-law Megan Simpson, right, of Illinois, play Jenga at Beerhaus on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_ Fatima Peña, from Napa, Calif., enjoys the fountains outside Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto Military forces provide extra security on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto Performers entertain the crowd on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto Performers entertain the crowd on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto German Moreno of California lays on the pavement after failing at the worm in the center of a dance circle outside Beerhaus on New Year's Eve on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_ Metropolitan police patrol Las Vegas Boulevard for New Year's Eve on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_ Metro provides security on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto The Strip is packed with New Year's Eve goers on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto A girl blows a New Year's Eve kazoo on the Strip on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_ Sage Lewis, 3, from Las Vegas, watches performers on the Strip on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto The Strip is packed with New Year's Eve goers on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto Revelers packed the Las Vegas Strip to usher out 2019 and ring in 2020 on New Year’s Eve. https://res.cloudinary.com/review-journal/image/upload/v1577873313/webNYE_FIREWORKS-JAN01-20-003.jpg An eight-minute fireworks show ended the evening’s festivities on the Strip. Check out the photos above.

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This story is from January 2, 2020 Sikh devotees at a procession on the occasion of Prakashotsava in Patna on Wednesday. PATNA: Thousands of Sikh devotees on Wednesday participated in the ‘akhand path’ and ‘Nagar Kirtan’ at Gai Ghat gurdwara, which was followed by a ‘Shobha Yatra’ on the second day of three-day 353rd Prakashotsava celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. The ‘Shobha Yatra’ which started from the Gai Ghat gurdwara at 2.30pm converged at Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib in Patna City late evening. During the yatra, devotees recited ‘Gurbaani’ from the Guru Granth Sahib on the beats of drums. The band members of several schools including Guru Gobind Girl’s Middle and High School, Guru Gobind Boy’s Middle and High School, Guru Tegh Bahadur Academy and Guru Nanak School as well as orchestra members from Punjab enthralled the audience with their scintillating performances. Gatka (martial arts of Sikh) was also performed by the youths during the yatra. Members of the gurdwara committee and locals put up stalls of refreshment between Gai Ghat gurdwara and Takhat Sri Harmandir Patna Sahib gurdwara to provide snacks, juice and water to the devotees. Horses, camels and elephants were also included in the procession. On the occasion of Prakashotsava, all the gurdwaras in the city, including the Takhat Sri Harmandir Patna Sahib gurdwara, Gurdwara Sri Gai-ghat Sahib, Guru Ka Bagh gurdwara and Bal Leela gurdwara have been decked up with flowers and illuminated with lights. A rush of devotees from India, Canada and Australia was witnessed at various locations in Patna City, including the Kangan Ghat and other gurdwaras. Many devotees also showed active participation in serving ‘langar’ to the people. Manpreet Singh from Punjab said he along with his family will contribute their best during the three-day Prakashotsava. Another devotee Mahinder Singh, who, after celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in Rajgir, arrived in the city to attend Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary said, “Since I am a retired man, my wife and I have decided to participate in all such events.” Daljeet Singh, superintendent of Takhat Sri Harmandir Ji Prabandhak Committee said, “Langar was also arranged at Gai Ghat gurdwara for devotees. People of all religious groups have come out on streets to mark the Prakashotsava celebrations. The celebrations will continue till midnight of January 2,” he said.

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore in a message on Wednesday called upon the people to rededicate themselves to the ideals and goals set out by Guru Gobind Singh. "Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore in a message on the Gurpurb of Guru Gobind Singh called upon the people to rededicate themselves to the ideals and goals set out by the great Guru and work for creating a harmonious society, based on values of humanism and secularism," said an official statement. According to the statement, the Governor said that Guru Gobind Singh, a saint-soldier, symbolised the virtues of truth, righteousness and universal brotherhood. "He was a great warrior and launched a crusade against social injustice and tyranny of the rulers of those times. Guru Gobind Singh ji sacrificed his four sons, father and mother for preserving human and secular value are rare in the annals of mankind. Their heroic struggle and sacrifice against the Mughals will always be remembered till eternity," the statement quoted the Governor as saying. The Governor said that 'Guru Gobind Singh Ji's teachings and philosophy is particularly relevant in the present-day complexed and materialistic world.' He appealed to the people to celebrate Parkash Utsav in a spirit of social harmony, equality and well being of the people, which the great Guru preached and practiced throughout his life. (ANI)

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The owner of P.E.I.'s Island Potato Soap Company has come up with a new soap he hopes will appeal to some customers south of the border. Pieter Ijsselstein has produced 600 bars of a peach-scented impeachment soap to inject some humour into the political news coming out of Washington. The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump Dec. 18 for abuse of power and obstruction. Ijsselstein said he went online to find out if anyone was making an impeachment soap, and when he found people comparing the impeachment proceeding to a soap opera, he figured he was on to something. "There is lots of references to soap so I thought it would be a neat idea to use that word soap and turn it into an impeachment soap," he said. Pieter Ijsselstein has produced 600 bars of impeachment soap. (CBC) Ijsselstein said the response to the new soap has been good, especially with people looking to buy gifts for relatives who are big Trump supporters. "My son-in-law actually put a sample of it online and immediately got a sale," he said. Ijsselstein said he isn't political and created the soap as a humorous word play. Democratic soap? He's now thinking about whether to create some sort of soap with Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, on the wrapper. "I'll just see how the impeachment soap goes first," he said. Ijsselstein said he has a feeling news about the soap could travel fast through social media, and he will be swamped with orders. "It's amazing how many U.S. customers we have," he said. "We get orders on a daily basis now. I think we get a fairly large number of tourists from the U.S. and I am pretty sure they are going to snap up this soap very quickly." More P.E.I. news

| By There are different processes one must undergo for immigration, that some people get confused with all the to-dos in the checklist and ends up getting stressed about the littlest things. In planning for immigration, there are certain things that you should take note of. The Immigration Process Immigration to another country requires a due process that needs to be fulfilled. For countries like the U.S., their immigration process is lengthy and costly. The usual procedure for the immigration process is first, the acquiring of the immigrant visa to be eligible for legal permanent residency. An immigrant visa can be acquired in four ways (on U.S. standards and legal procedures). These are family-based, employment-based, asylum and refugee status or diversity lottery. Aside from the immigrant visa, it should be verified that the immigrant has no criminal records to be issued a legal permanent residency. The processes for immigration can be too complex. Hiring an immigration attorney would not only lessen the burden on you, you can also be assured that the legal processes are duly followed. As mentioned, the whole immigration process can be a bit complicated. To avoid unnecessary troubles along the way, here are some tips when planning for immigration to another place. Tips in Planning for Immigration All requested forms and information should be submitted in advance. Be certain that everything indicated are true and correct. Be ready for any delays. Submitting the forms in an earlier date will buy you more time for preparation. You should also have a copy of all the documents you have passed to the authorities. Be respectful to immigration authorities and be on time if there are scheduled appointments or interviews. Better to follow all the steps legally. Avoid any shortcut methods to prevent any trouble. Hire an efficient and competent immigration lawyer. If your situation is complicated or you find the whole process overwhelming, then legal assistance would be needed. Your lawyer must be an expert in immigration cases. Though the whole immigration process might be tiring and would require much effort, time and money, following these tips might alleviate some of the burden on you. Although the legal processes are important, better be prepared of other things you might encounter a problem with in the future. Other Things to Consider in Planning for Immigration You should have at least a brief background or knowledge about the country you are going to. If the country or place you are planning to move on to speak a different language, better start learning the basics that would be enough for you to survive daily conversations. Even if the whole process can be tedious, the primary advice for a successful immigration is persistence.

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If in the throes of this bull market’s earliest stages of recovery someone told you to forgo stocks, forget commodities, renounce fixed-income assets and buy an unknown digital token, the first of its kind, and watch it grow beyond your wildest dreams, you’d call them crazy, right? Emerging out of the ashes of the financial crisis, Bitcoin was created as a bypass to the banks and government agencies mired in Wall Street’s greatest calamity in decades. At first, it was slow to break through, muddied by a slew of scandals: fraud, thefts and scams that turned away many and brought closer regulatory scrutiny. But once it burst into the mainstream, it proved to be the decade’s best-performing asset. The largest digital token, trading around $7,200, has posted gains of more than 9,000,000% since July 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Bitcoin really captured that wild technology enthusiasm that ‘this time is different,’” said Peter Atwater, the president of Financial Insyghts and an adjunct professor at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Advertisement The performance over the past 10 years, even with its huge run-up and subsequent mega-crash, leaves all others in the dust. It’s a massive windfall for those who — to use the lingo of the crypto crowd — HODL’ed through its ups and downs, even as it continues to provide fodder for get-rich-quick schemes. For some, the never-ending fantasy of continually hitting that payoff still helps to keep Bitcoin’s momentum going. Nothing else comes even close to beating it. The S&P 500 merely tripled in that period. An index that tracks world markets has more than doubled. Gold is up 25%. Some of the best-performing stocks in the Russell 3000 — including Exact Sciences Corp. and Intelligent Systems Corp. — are each up about 3,000%. Those gains pale in comparison to the finance world’s latest — and one of its most controversial -- marvels. Partly, the monster return is a reflection of the calculus behind Bitcoin’s jumping-off point: the token wasn’t worth anything when someone named Satoshi Nakamoto launched it on Halloween 2008. Designed as a method of exchange that can be sent electronically between users around the world, it did not have a centralized control network. Bitcoin, instead, is run by a network of computers that keep track of all transactions on the blockchain ledger. For many, that technology was reason enough to buy into the idea. On the other side of the equation are Bitcoin’s devoted enthusiasts who saw in its technology a promising way to change the global financial system. Advertisement “This is the first time that there’s a real separation — just like church and state — you have a separation of money and state,” said Alex Mashinsky, founder of Celsius Network, a crypto lending platform. “That’s the innovation, that’s the excitement.” But Bitcoin was slow to take off, notching its first transaction two years after its creation, when someone used it to buy pizza. Since then, the first-born token’s price has catapulted, doubling many times over, and hundreds of imitators have cropped up — some with more success than others. Many of those who got in early stayed faithful, watching as it made its way through a boom and bust cycle unrivaled by almost anything else over the last decade. At the beginning of 2017, Bitcoin jumped above $1,000. By mid-summer, it had more than doubled. Insanity was unleashed. By year-end, it hovered above $14,000. But as swiftly as it ran up, it fell even faster. By the end of 2018, Bitcoin barely budged above $3,000. Yet shortly after its crash, it embarked on another huge rally, this time reaching as high as $13,800 in the summer of 2019. “Certainly the numbers are what appeals to investors,” said David Tawil, president of ProChain Capital. “The next 10 years need to be a totally different stage of growth based on totally different factors than the first stage.” As much as it’s made a fortune for speculators and some thieves, Bitcoin’s survival will rest on further adoption. It’s not being used as a widespread medium of exchange. A few large retailers are accepting payment in Bitcoin but there hasn’t been the large-scale embrace so many had predicted. Scams are still running rampant. Interest is waning and consolidation among large owners is at a higher level than it was during the height of the 2017 bubble, which means that their influence over prices could be increasing. Projections for the next decade abound. In the 2020s, mass adoption is surely to take off, they say. Blockchain technology will revolutionize and solve every problem in the world. On the other hand, regulatory scrutiny is likely to intensify, with central bankers paying closer attention than ever before. In the more immediate term, some speculators forecast 2020 might be less fraught with volatility given its upcoming halving, whereby the number of coins awarded to so-called miners who process transactions is cut by 50%. That’s set to happen in May 2020 (the internet is replete with countdown clocks). The coin’s previous cut, about four years ago, coincided with a run-up in its price, pushing many crypto evangelist to believe in a repeat. Advertisement To CoinList’s Andy Bromberg, the halving is already priced in. “Maybe it’s been overpriced in and everyone’s bought into this thesis and we see a dip post-halving,” said the firm’s co-founder and president in an interview. “That would not shock me.” But beyond next year, “Bitcoin is finding its own narrative as digital gold,” he said. “It feels like that narrative is picking up steam and it’s breaking away on its own. I would define success for most crypto assets as doing exactly that.”

(Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on what's moving Asia’s markets in your inbox every morning? Sign up here. Thousands of tourists have been told to flee as Australia’s wildfires look set to worsen, Kim Jong Un has once again lived up to his unpredictable reputation, and investors are marveling over Bitcoin’s bull run last decade. Here are some of the things people in the markets are talking about today. Get Out Thousands of tourists holidaying on the south coast of Australia’s New South Wales state have been told to evacuate before the weekend when extreme weather is set to intensify deadly wildfires sweeping through the region. In an unprecedented appeal, the Rural Fire Service said anyone in the southeastern tip of the state should get out in the next two days. The 230-kilometer (143-mile) stretch from Batemans Bay down to the Victoria state border has been ravaged by fires this week, producing apocalyptic scenes as infernos turned the sky blood red and rained down embers and ash on communities. At least seven people have been killed on the south coast of New South Wales just this week and hundreds of properties destroyed. Right now, isolated communities in Victoria remain cut off by road, including the township of Mallacoota, where some 4,000 people were forced to shelter on the beach or escape by boat as wildfires swept through. Military helicopters and ships have been scrambled to bring in supplies and for potential evacuations if roads can’t be re-opened. “Pay for the Pains” Kim Jong Un declared he was no longer bound by his pledge to halt major missile tests and would soon debut a “new strategic weapon,” adding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy concerns in a politically charged election year. The North Korean leader told a gathering of party officials in Pyongyang that U.S. actions left him no choice but to reconsider commitments that underpinned three unprecedented meetings with Trump over the past 18 months, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday. Kim called for “shocking actual action” to make the U.S. “pay for the pains” suffered by North Korea under the Washington-led sanctions regime, KCNA said. The speech came during an unusual four-day party meeting and appeared to replace the televised address Kim has delivered every New Year’s Day since 2013. Kim is seeking sanctions relief and security guarantees that the Trump administration has so far refused to provide without a disarmament commitment from Pyongyang. Markets Wait Traders eyed a cautious start on Thursday in Asia as they assessed the latest policy move by China’s central bank and awaited data on the country’s manufacturing sector. Australia’s dollar and the yen edged lower. Activity is set to pick up as most global markets reopen from holiday closures on Jan. 1, though Japanese equities remain shut for the remainder of this week. The People’s Bank of China on Wednesday said it will increase the supply of cheap funding to banks, a move of policy support in line with market expectations. Markets start this year on the back of a strong performance for global stocks and sovereign bonds in 2019. Thursday gives investors the latest read on Chinese manufacturing with the Caixin manufacturing PMI expected to hover around its November level — remaining well in the expansionary zone. Elsewhere, crude fell 1% to $61.06 a barrel on Dec. 31, and gold was at $1,517.29 an ounce. Unbeatable Bitcoin If in the throes of this bull market’s earliest stages of recovery someone told you to forgo stocks, forget commodities, renounce fixed-income assets and buy an unknown digital token, the first of its kind, and watch it grow beyond your wildest dreams, you’d call them crazy, right? Emerging out of the ashes of the financial crisis, Bitcoin was created as a bypass to the banks and government agencies mired in Wall Street’s greatest calamity in decades. At first, it was slow to break through, but once it burst into the mainstream, it proved to be the decade’s best-performing asset. The largest digital token, trading around $7,200, has posted gains of more than 9,000,000% since July 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The S&P 500 merely tripled in that period. An index that tracks world markets has more than doubled and gold is up 25%.

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A Longford man charged with assaulting another man inside Longford Shopping Centre last year has been sent forward for trial. Denis Hannafin (39), Curry House, Athlone Road, Longford was served with the book of evidence before last Tuesday’s sitting of Longford District Court. State solicitor Mark Connellan said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had given consent for Mr Hannafin to be sent forward for trial on indictment in respect of the said incident. They allege that on December 7 2018 at Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Longford Shopping Centre, Longford, Mr Hannafin carried out a Section 3 assault on a man causing him harm. It’s also alleged on the same date, Mr Hannafin produced a knife contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. A third charge relating to a Section 16 affray charge was also added to the indictment. Judge Seamus Hughes gave Mr Hannafin the alibi warning, telling him he must provide to the State within 14 days details of any alibi he intends to rely on in the course of his trial. Mr Hannafin was remanded on continuing bail as a result to the next sittings of Longford Circuit Criminal Court on January 14 2020.

Dear Moneyist, My mother passed away last year. I share the title of my mother’s home with my stepfather, but he wants to get married again and wants his new wife to move into the house. What happens when he dies? Does she have any right to the house or can I kick her out immediately after he dies? Vanessa Dear Vanessa, Given that he’s about to have another chance at love and in the holiday spirit and interest of decorum, let’s start by wishing them the best in their new lives together and hope they both live long and happy lives. It’s nice that he doesn’t have to be alone anymore and is able to share the remainder of his life with a woman he loves. Also see:As a baby boomer, I didn’t grow up with this culture of entitlement — do I have to leave my estate to my children or spouse? If you and your stepfather’s names are listed on the title deeds of your mother’s former home, he owns 50%. His new wife would be his legal heir and, for better or for worse, you would end up owning the house with this woman. If he is a tenant for life, then the 50% of your mother’s former home would pass to you when he dies, assuming you are an only child. Recommended: ‘What did he do with all the money?’ My dying husband cashed his $700K life insurance and emptied his bank accounts In the meantime, I would like to gently suggest welcoming your stepfather’s new wife into your lives as a member of your extended family. Try, if you can, to put this territorial approach to one side for now. You don’t know this woman. What if she is warm and caring and wants for nothing except the love and support of her husband and his family? Don’t miss: I discovered through Ancestry.com that my biological father is someone else — can I claim an inheritance as his heir? At the very least, it will help the years pass without rancor and bitterness. If he invites you to the wedding, raise a glass to their health and happiness. Who knows, they may enrich your life in ways you could not have imagined and that go beyond the half share of your mother’s property. You may even find yourself wishing that they both stick around for a very long time. Read also: ‘My husband’s kids hate me and refused to come to our wedding, yet he is leaving them all his property.’ How can I negotiate to secure my future? Do you have questions about inheritance, tipping, weddings, family feuds, friends or any tricky issues relating to manners and money? Send them to MarketWatch’s Moneyist and please include the state where you live (no full names will be used). By submitting your story to Dow Jones & Company, the publisher of MarketWatch, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties. Would you like to sign up to an email alert when a new Moneyist column has been published? If so, click on this link.

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Some initiatives will be introduced within the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) throughout 2020 as authorities make moves to keep crime under control, speed up some processes and spread thin resources. This assurance has come from Attorney General Dale Marshall, who promised to “redouble” his efforts to tackle the crime situation and achieve greater efficiency within the crime fighting agency. “The Royal Barbados Police Force will also be redoubling its efforts,” Marshall told Barbados TODAY, adding that for him, 2020 will be about “action and achieving results” The length of time it takes to get a police certificate of character has been a major concern. Marshall said he would be meeting with Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith on Tuesday to thrash out those and other issues affecting the RBPF. Pointing out that there has been a deficit in the Force for over two decades, Marshall said they would also be finding ways to make the profession more attractive and to better mobilize resources to bring about solutions. “But until that happens, and we can recruit the additional numbers that we need, we have to do things differently,” he said. “So, for example, the police certificate of character takes up to six police officers. We are completely automating that. Over the next five to six weeks you will see a whole new computer-driven mechanism for getting police certificates of character, which will see them coming out in a matter of days and actually being emailed back to you. We have developed an application so you can actually make the application on your mobile phone,” he explained. The Attorney General also said that come next year, police officers would also stop responding to minor accidents. “Those matters are really matters best left to insurance companies because at the end of the day it is really about who is going to pay. Those are not the kinds of things people get charge for,” he said. “So police will continue to go to fatal accidents and serious accidents, but the run of the mill accidents – somebody bounced your car in a carpark and you are not moving until the police comes – that takes up valuable policing time,” said Marshall. This, he suggested, would allow officers to tackle more serious issues. “So, when it comes to us being able to strategically and holistically reduce all levels of crime and, especially in relation to murders, how we deploy our manpower is going to be key and we are going to be rolling out a whole set of initiatives to take care of that,” he said. With mere hours to go before 2019 comes to a close, there have been a record 49 murders in Barbados. Despite the “unprecedented” number of killings, most of which were executed through gunplay, Marshall told Barbados TODAY he was satisfied enough was being done to bring the situation under control. “Of course there has been enough action this year. The members of the police force have worked more than assiduously in terms of investigations,” he said. The trained attorney explained that “a lot of things that don’t make the Press” were happening, including several successful intelligence-driven operations leading to the seizure of illegal weapons and the stemming of firearm importation. “We know, though, that there has been an accumulation of firearms on our streets over the last decade. Our mission is to ferret those out and to ferret out those individuals who have been using them. So there are things that have been going on that have been achieving results for us,” insisted Marshall. “I know as the year ends everyone is concerned about the high level of murder rates. Forty-nine murders in any year is unprecedented for Barbados, but I want Barbadians to stay the course. “We have put, in difficult financial times, extraordinary financial resources for the police. We are gradually changing how the police do things so as to free up manpower to deal with the more serious things,” assured Marshall. [email protected]

NEW YORK – PFL president Ray Sefo is looking to build on his roster. The 2019 PFL Championship took place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, marking one of the biggest shows in the promotion’s short history. Once again, six fighters walked away with world titles and $1 million. And having recently signed former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald, Sefo said the goal is to continue to sign some marquee names in the sport. “(I want to) sign more big name fighters (and) continue to grow,” Sefo said at the post-fight news conference. “But my phone was going off like crazy throughout the show because everybody got to see the PFL show tonight and got to see all the champions get crowned. “It just goes to show that we’re continuing to grow. And then adding someone like Rory to the mix, the sky’s the limit for PFL – and there’s a lot of discussions with other people that are interested and want to come over.” Also on the agenda moving forward is the possibility of superfights. Featherweight champ Lance Palmer and lightweight champ Natan Schulte were two names that were brought up as suggestions for a potential superfight, and while only Palmer seemed quite keen, Sefo likes the idea in general. “There’s a lot in the works for PFL, and those were part of discussions along the way,” Sefo said. “Not necessarily Natan and Lance, but we talked about doing some superfights and whatnot. But that’s part of the plan. Whether it happens next year or the year after that, I’m not sure exactly. But there are discussions in terms of putting on some superfights.” The ESPN deal was arguably the biggest development for the promotion this year, giving the fighters the largest platform possible, to showcase their skills. “ESPN has been great,” Sefo said. “I mean, they’ve been a great partner and the fact we’re on ESPN speaks volumes. It just goes to show that – and it sends a message out there – that PFL is here and that we’re alive and well and we’re going to continue to sign some big names and continue to grow.”

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What is a food desert? Imagine having to get all of your groceries from a gas station or local corner store bodega where you're forced to select bags of chips and frozen pizza as sustenance. This is the reality for the millions of citizens who live in food deserts in the United States. The United States lacks equal access to food across communities and food availability is scarce in portions of the country known as food deserts. In 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture performed a food access study and defined a US food desert as an area where 33 percent of a city’s residents live more than one mile from a supermarket and 20 percent earn below the poverty line. Many residents of food desert locations do not have cars and lack access to public transportation, making them essentially unable to get to a grocery store. Food desert causes are mostly related to economics. Big chain supermarkets have a hard time turning a profit in impoverished areas, which results in places without food cropping up across the country. The effects are devastating. The obesity rates in these areas are generally higher, meaning life-threatening illnesses like diabetes and heart disease are on the rise. Luckily, new laws and various grassroots organizations are currently working to make healthy, affordable food available nationwide. On a local level, many cities have not just opened up food co-ops and food markets in impoverished areas. Local corner stores are also expanding their inventory. Instead of using all of their shelf space for junk food, they are providing more healthy fresh food options. To learn more about the issue and what's being done, scan this list of the top food deserts in the United States.

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Two of K-Pop's biggest stars, Momo from JYP girlgroup Twice, and Kim Heechul from SM's Superjunior, have been confirmed dating. According to Korean Entertainment News platform Soompi, the report was confirmed by the news outlet, Market News which published a report at midnight KST on January 2 stating that according to their investigation, they were exclusively reporting that Momo and Heechul are dating. Market News is the outlet that reported in August that Momo and Heechul were in a relationship, and in the January 2 report they mentioned that Super Junior's Label and JYP Entertainment had denied that they are dating at the time. Kim Heechul and Momo have been seen together on several shows, like Weekly Idol which featured Heechul as a temporary host and Momo as part of her girlgroup, Twice several times. Momo has also been on Knowing Bros, with him. Most of the times on these shows, Heechul has been really impressed by Momo, who hails from Japan and is a dancer. One of the video clips which went viral at the time of an episode of Weekly Idol airing was a clip where Momo re-enacts a Japanese character saying 'Nicco nicco ni,' to do aego, a cute display of affection often expressed including but not limited to through a cute/baby voice, facial expressions, and gestures. As news of them confirmed to be dating broke, fans couldn't be happier, being super supportive despite of some pointing out that Kim Heechul and Momo have an age difference of 13 years. 'Momo' became a Twitter trend worldwide as fans woke up to the news. CONGRATS TO THIS COUPLE pic.twitter.com/YuUSMjd9mi — Kim yohan ㅇㅇ (@centerbunny) January 1, 2020 Support them or pic.twitter.com/1c8atwjf3i — NCT & ATEEZ Enthusiast (@atinycupofnct) January 1, 2020 Heechul has been a big fan of Momo since forever :")I'm happy their relationship developed once they got closer, please everyone support them and respect them, they're both grown up peoples with their own will not your dolls ❤pic.twitter.com/mHSABczz7a — ❤ D&Ŕ (@Kkeke_99) January 1, 2020 FINALLY! Finaaaallyyyy!This is the first time Heechul revealed a relationship to public and AAAAAAAAAAAAA I bet he’s a sweet boyfriend uwu ✊ Heechul and Momo? -> Power couple aaaa nico nico ni!!!! pic.twitter.com/BiV0eWI5yw — nico nico niiiii (@lorjenxgodwin) January 2, 2020 a reminder to everyone hating on momo and heechul dating: pic.twitter.com/osYTraDw19 — (@sakookies) January 2, 2020 Momo found her other weird and funny half pic.twitter.com/yn8cTU4ZEs — tiff (@dramasjihyo) January 2, 2020 pls i hope momo fans who’s again this relationship, you need to know momo is so lucky got heechul as bf. she’s always know as women protector & he’s gonna be cute/manly bf bcs he love to do sudden couple things like kiss momo during red traffic light pic.twitter.com/zCWk66EwNe — ᴍɪɴ ♡ ʰᵉᵉⁿᶦᵐ (@sunflow3rmin_) January 2, 2020 get a man who’d be this whip for you ! #Momo #Heechul pic.twitter.com/Ck7mbLloP6 — m a r i s (@eggnoodlect) January 2, 2020 GOOD MORNING TO ALL WHO SUPPORTS MOMO AND HEECHUL, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T pic.twitter.com/jlYpsit2tx — #ForJisoowithLove {GOTPINK AU'S} (@Peachyyywrites) January 2, 2020 It’s just 2 out of 366 days of 2020 and we already have Heechul and Momo confirmed to be dating. Imagine the rest of 2020? pic.twitter.com/LhymlkZVEV — Saranghaeyo Oppa (@SaranghaeyOppaa) January 2, 2020 GOOD MORNING TO ALL WHO SUPPORTS MOMO AND HEECHUL, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T pic.twitter.com/jlYpsit2tx — #ForJisoowithLove {GOTPINK AU'S} (@Peachyyywrites) January 2, 2020 JYP Entertainment, the label to which Twice belongs, earlier had a dating ban, which was lifted last year, with the news that the group leader of Twice, Jihyo was dating K-pop idol Kang Daniel. last year, we got kang daniel and jihyo's dating news. now, we have another power couple, momo and heechul!!!! pic.twitter.com/hhADXE2vVc — ia; univ life. (@softstanbebe) January 2, 2020 Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.

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Pope Francis has apologised after slapping a woman’s hand as he greeted pilgrims at the Vatican on New Year’s Eve. ‌Francis lost his cool when the woman abruptly grabbed his hand and yanked him towards her just after he reached out to greet a child during a visit to the Vatican’s nativity scene on Tuesday night. The woman would not let go of him and in a gesture that appeared to cause him pain, he slapped at her hand before pulling his hand free. During his Angelus address to a packed St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Day, the pontiff referred to his actions. “I apologise for the bad example yesterday … sometimes even I lose patience”, he said. The identity of the woman is unknown, but a video of the incident went viral, sparking indignation on social media. One Twitter user wrote: “What the pope did demonstrates one thing – he’s a man.” In his address on Wednesday morning, the pope also condemned violence against women. He said: “By how we treat a woman’s body, we can understand our level of humanity.” In another clip that went viral earlier this year, Pope Francis repeatedly yanked his hand away from being kissed by a long queue of people. The waiting pilgrims had been attempting to kiss his papal ring as part of a tradition, practised by more conservative Catholics, to show respect to the pontiff. A few days after the incident, the Vatican said Francis had been worried about spreading germs. However, experts said at the time that his reluctance to have his papal ring kissed reflected an uneasiness with an element of traditional protocol that had lost its original meaning.

Pope Francis found himself at the center of controversy on New Years Eve after he slapped a woman’s hand for grabbing him and not letting go. As the Pope greeted pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on Tuesday, the unidentified woman grabbed onto his hand and pulled him violently towards her. Pope Francis slaps pilgrim’s hand after she yanks his arm in St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Evehttps://t.co/raVkhKxNNS pic.twitter.com/pVAEygovA5 — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 1, 2020 After telling her to let go, Pope Francis slapped her hand twice as a guard then held the woman back. The incident split online Catholics and other social media users, who debated whether the Pope responded in an appropriate manner. This evening after visiting the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis loses his cool after being grabbed by a pilgrim who wouldn’t let go of his hand. The Pope repeated slapped her hand and told her to let go of him. pic.twitter.com/6Qrgh8aZKz — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) December 31, 2019 What a nasty guy. This Pope is not a good man. https://t.co/TFeSjY2u0F — John Cardillo (@johncardillo) January 1, 2020 The @Pontifex is a horrible man, and by his fruits we know him. https://t.co/Ptgv3kGrlz — Nick Searcy, INTERNATIONAL FILM & TELEVISION STAR (@yesnicksearcy) December 31, 2019 Many defended the Pope’s actions. I rarely say this but: Team Pope. Don’t grab people or violate their physical boundaries just because they’re public figures. https://t.co/Da33zmcRaI — Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) January 1, 2020 I think your description is odd and inflammatory. She pulled him hard and refused to let go. He is an 83 year old man with bad sciatica. Being jerked around like that may have been quite painful. — Adrian Vermeule (@Vermeullarmine) December 31, 2019 Pope Francis apologized for the incident on Wednesday, declaring, “I apologize for the poor example yesterday.” Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Doha Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) conducted a 5-day Certification Course on 'Blockchain Technology for Professional Accountants at Doha Bank Auditorium in collaboration with Digital Accounting and Assurance Board of ICAI New Delhi. Rukkaiya Pachisa, Chapter Chairperson welcomed the participants and outlined the importance for finance professionals to be tech-savvy and stay updated in line with the technological evolutions and digital transformation that are affecting the jobs and functions of finance professionals in a significant manner. Dr. R. Seetharaman, Group CEO Doha Bank, graced the occasion with his presence and explained to the participants the impact of Industry 4.0 and provided insight into new concepts like data analytics, cloud computing, Internet of things and blockchain. The course was conducted by two expert faculties — Hemant Singh and Narasimhan Elangovan. Hemant touched upon technical side of the blockchain by explaining essential elements and characteristics of the blockchain: cryptography, peer to peer network, distributed ledger technology, and hash and smart contracts. He also explained use cases of the blockchain in various finance functions like trade finance, KYC and identity management and reporting to identify its suitability for the organisation. He also demonstrated practical use and functions of the blockchain by explaining the Ethereum and building blocks. Hemant also illustrated the smart contract and explained how it differs from the traditional contracts. Narasimhan Elangovan, touched upon functional aspects of blockchain and comprehended the areas where the usage of blockchain can result in a substantial cost and time advantage. He analysed sectoral impact of blockchain on various business segments and assessed blockchain from regulatory, governance, risk, and control aspects. He also discussed global business scenario and some of the analytical tools of blockchain in an interesting manner. He predicted that while there will be a paradigm shift in the jobs and functions of the accounting field, the emergence of the new technology will also pave way for many opportunities. The Vote of Thanks was offered by Nirlep Bhatt, Chapter Secretary, who thanked the members for positive response and enthusiastic participation. He also offered gratitude to ICAI, faculties and Doha Bank for their generous and invaluable support. The participants, representing diverse spectrum of industries, appreciated rich contents of the course, resourceful faculties, interactive learning methodology and an effective brainstorming on various cases. They rated it as a high-quality course with wonderful learning opportunity provided by the chapter. The Doha Chapter of ICAI is the oldest among the 33 overseas chapters of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The Chapter is actively involved in enhancing and updating the professional knowledge of its members, local professionals and non-members. Doha Chapter of ICAI is the first professional membership body to be registered with Qatar Financial Centre. MENAFN0101202000630000ID1099494576

New Delhi: Continuing a 29-year unbroken practice, India and Pakistan Wednesday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral arrangement that prohibits them from attacking each other’s atomic facilities. The two countries exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations between India and Pakistan, the External Affairs Ministry said. This was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad. The exchange of the list came amid tense diplomatic ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue. The agreement was signed December 31, 1988 and came into force January 27, 1991. The pact mandates the two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. This is the 29th consecutive exchange of the list with the first one taking place January 1, 1992. PTI

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0 SHARES Share Tweet Quebec lottery fans have celebrated quite the cash windfalls over the past twelve months, with bigger and better lotto jackpots making their way to their pockets. Lotto 6/49 was once again among the preferred tickets purchased by many Canadians, but it seemed like many of the cash prizes were eventually drawn to the eastern regions of the country. Today we are going to review some of the heftiest Lotto 6/49 jackpots bagged by Quebec players this year. Purchasing tickets as a group has made the entire gaming experience more special for Canadians, as it makes them feel part of a community that could soon become much richer. This is also true for tickets purchased by couples that have agreed to split the jackpot and invest it in something both individuals would find enjoyable. Lotto 6/49 Proves Generosity Such was the case with a couple hailing from Gatineau that became eligible for a cash windfall of CA$7 million mid-July. Just like many winners before them, the two Lotto 6/49 enthusiasts were in a state of disbelief upon realizing their lives would never be the same again. Colette Laberge and Mario Lafrenière collected their jackpot and took a photo with the hefty cheque at Casino du Lac-Leamy. The winging draw for the two of them took place on July 10, highlighting the numbers 07, 15, 22, 28, 43, 49, plus the bonus one 45. Matching the six main numbers sufficed, making their ticket a lucky one indeed. Winners revealed that they had purchased the winning ticket at Uniprix Danyel Dessureault, Place de la Cité-des-Jeunes. According to Loto-Quebec’s regulation, every retail point associated with a winning purchase is eligible for a 1-percent slice of the jackpot. This granted the location some CA$70,000, a motivation for many retailers to include lottery offerings in their array of offerings. One of the regular questions, when winners collect their prize, is related to their plans. The Gatineau couple had already come up with a plan that included treating their extended family as well. Larger Prizes Claimed Another permanent resident of Quebec would forever remember this year as a special one thanks to his lucky Lotto 6/49 ticket purchase. The first days of August were special for Daniel Lavoie of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean who was the proud winner of CA$3.5 million jackpot. This was half of the August 7 Lotto 6/49 Main prize, but still a generous cash pile for the Canadian. August 7 brought a Lotto 6/49 draw coming with a CA$7-million prize that was eventually split between the two tickets eligible for it. The numbers drawn at that draw were 05, 08, 09, 19, 28, 31, plus the bonus one 18. Mr. Lavoie purchased his ticket at the Couche-Tard convenience store in Chambord ahead of the lucky draw. Just like every other retail location selling winging tickets, the convenience store received one percent of the payout. In this case this amounted to CA$35,000 piece of the Main prize. The lotto millionaire was certain that he would continue working at least for the time being, despite the windfall. He also began looking for the perfect new home for his family.

Here are the winning Lotto and Lotto Plus numbers from the Wednesday, January 1 draw: Lotto: 04, 05, 24, 40, 42, 47 Bonus: 17 Lotto Plus 1: 04, 11, 13, 27, 30, 34 Bonus: 08 Lotto Plus 2: 12, 23, 24, 28, 43, 49 Bonus: 14 Are you feeling lucky? See the payouts for the Lotto here, click here for Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, click here. The next Lotto and Lotto Plus draws are on Wednesday. Download the News24 app via the Play or iTunes App stores and get a free alert moments after each Lotto draw with the winning numbers. Tap here to download the News24 Android App or here to download the News24 Apple App. In case you missed it, here are the winning Powerball and Powerball Plus numbers from the Tuesday, December 31 draw: PowerBall: 22, 31, 44, 49, 50 PowerBall: 08 PowerBall Plus:01, 09, 17, 26, 35 PowerBall: 03 Get the full list of past Lotto and PowerBall draws here.

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In the most anticipated speech of his career today, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un told hundreds of cadre from the Workers’ Party of Korea to prepare for a long-term standoff with the United States over its drive to “seek its own political and diplomatic interests” in Korea while “wasting time away under the signboard of dialogue and negotiations.” But to the obvious surprise of many U.S. experts, Kim hedged on making any move that would cross a red line for the Trump administration or the Pentagon. Instead, he left the door open for further negotiations over peace and denuclearization – but only if the United States “rolls back its hostile policy towards the DPRK” and helps build “a lasting and durable peace-keeping mechanism” on the peninsula. In some ways, Kim’s remarks restated the regime’s long-standing policy on talking to Washington, with an extra dose of determination to withstand the withering U.S. and UN sanctions that have crippled Kim’s attempts to remake North Korea’s economy and stifled any moves towards inter-Korean reconciliation over the last two years. “The DPRK-U.S. stand-off which has lasted century after century has now been compressed to clear stand-off between self-reliance and sanctions,” he said. If that situation continues, Kim declared, the “long confrontation” with the U.S. might include the introduction “in the near future” of a “new strategic weapon” that he declined to describe (apart from being capable of “shocking actual action.”) Moreover, he would show his new hand by ending the halt he declared in 2018 to further development of nuclear weapons and the “test-fire” of long-range ICBMs capable of hitting the United States. “There is no ground for us to get unilaterally bound to that commitment any longer,” he said. To make the case for ending the moratorium, Kim pointed to the “big and small” military drills carried out by the U.S. military in and around Korea since the talks began in 2018, and its introduction of “ultra-modern warfare equipment” from the United States into South Korea. As he spoke, a fleet of U.S. spy planes, based primarily in nearby Okinawa and carrying the most sophisticated surveillance equipment in the world, combed Korean skies looking for any signs of new tests that would violate the moratorium. Read the original article.

We didn’t wind up getting that Christmas present from Kim Jong-un that he promised. (Not even the vase that President Trump suggested.) While most of us were expecting either a weapon’s test or a missile launch, all remained quiet in the hermit nation for the remainder of the year. But this morning the dictator released a statement through his country’s state-run media outlets that appears to explain what the real “present” was going to be. As of today, North Korea is no longer considering itself bound to the weapons testing moratorium agreed to between Kim and Trump. (NY Times) North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, ​said his country no longer felt bound by its self-imposed moratorium on testing nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, its official media reported on Wednesday, the strongest indication yet that the country could soon resume such tests… North Korea has not conducted a long-range missile test or a nuclear test in more than two years. Mr. Kim had announced his moratorium at a time when he hoped negotiations with the United States — and his budding personal relationship with President Trump — would prompt the United States to begin lifting crippling sanctions. Kim was still being rather vague about what he plans to do, but he promised that the world would soon see a “new strategic weapon” being deployed from the Korean Peninsula. (The Hill) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned the world will witness “a new strategic weapon” from the isolated nation in the “near future” as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang are stuck in a stalemate. According to reports of his remarks from North Korean state media, Kim blasted the U.S. for its “hostile policy” toward North Korea and said he had no expectation Washington would lift sanctions on his country soon. Reached for comment at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump appeared to discount the threat, saying that he still believes Kim Jong-un is “a man of his word” and will find a way to close the deal. Of course, that’s pretty much been Trump’s modus operandi throughout this entire process. Keep flattering Kim while refusing to give in to his demands. And Trump will no doubt continue to play nice until it’s time get tough. As long as North Korea is only talking about violating the agreement and not actually doing it, there’s still time to cut a deal. It’s even conceivable that Trump could put some small concession on the table along the lines of a partial withdrawal of one or two minor sanctions. That would at least give Kim something to take home and claim a victory if he’s willing to at least continue the moratorium, if not actually start dismantling his nukes. But in reality, those nukes are the only thing keeping Kim in power, at least in his view. It’s almost impossible to conceive of him really carrying through on a comprehensive denuclearization program. So if he doesn’t, what might the “new strategic weapon” be? Intelligence analysts seem to think it will be one of two things. Either he’ll light off a fully functional hydrogen bomb or he’ll test an ICBM with solid fuel propellant that can definitely make it all the way across the Pacific to the west coast of the United States. Either one would be provocative in the extreme and send us right back to where we were stuck before Trump reached out to him. 2020 may be starting off on an upward path domestically but in terms of our negotiations with North Korea, we’re already hitting a sour note. And with Russia and China courting Kim’s favor these days, I’m not particularly hopeful of the situation improving any time soon.

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This coming March, it will have been 10 years since Ryan Westmoreland experienced the scariest day of his life. He was on an operating table at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix as Dr. Robert Spetzler prepped for a five-hour procedure to remove a cavernous malformation on his brain stem. At the time, Westmoreland was the No. 1 prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization and the 21st-ranked minor league player in all of baseball. But as doctors started to put the former Portsmouth High School star under anesthesia, his thoughts didn’t drift toward a future career in the bigs and he wasn’t dwelling on when he’d get back on the field. He was praying he’d make it through alive. Nearly a decade has passed since March 16, 2010 — the date of that surgery, which is emblazoned on his arm with a tattoo — and on the anniversary, Westmoreland will be back on the field as an assistant coach on Bob Prince’s staff at UMass Dartmouth. “It was perfect. I had lost two of my assistant coaches to head coaching jobs, and I had been passively looking [to replace them],” Prince said. “The timing couldn’t have been any better. I reached out to Ryan and it went from there. We had a nice conversation in regards to the program and his role, his expectations.” Westmoreland is currently working with teenage players with the Ocean State Makos, an AAU team. And, in a way, that’s how he ended up with the Corsairs. He was touting some of his players to Rian McCarthy, an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with UMass Dartmouth. McCarthy, who had previously coached the Post 18 American Legion team in Newport, asked Westmoreland if he had considered coaching at the next level. “I said absolutely,” Westmoreland said. “I wasn’t reaching out for jobs, but he asked me if I’d be interested, I talked with Coach Prince and it snowballed from there. I’m excited.” When Westmoreland’s professional baseball career ended in 2013, he never envisioned himself as a coach. But after starting with the Portsmouth High School freshman team in 2015, then working with the Makos, he realized he could impart his vast knowledge of the game on the next generation of future stars. And he found it quite enjoyable. “When I retired, I wasn’t dead set on being a coach,” Westmoreland said. “The first year I coached, I said to myself, ‘I have a lot of knowledge and things I can teach.’ Not only the physical, but also the mental part of the game. I can teach what I’ve learned and then watch them to grow up and be successful.” Westmoreland was a star at Portsmouth High School, twice named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, before graduating in 2008. That year, he was chosen by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the MLB First-Year Player draft. A five-tool player with tremendous potential, Westmoreland by the end of his second professional season was named the club’s top prospect. But early in 2010, he felt tingling in his fingers and realized something wasn’t right. Westmoreland had a cavernous malformation on his brain stem that required a dangerous surgical procedure. He attempted a comeback and was invited to Red Sox spring training in 2011, but a second surgery forced him to give up the game he loves so much at just 22 years old. There were some dark times, but Westmoreland found solace in coaching. Now he’ll take the next step in what he hopes is a lifelong endeavor. With UMass Dartmouth, Westmoreland said he won’t have a defined role, but is willing to do what is asked of him. ″[Coach Prince] just said, ‘We want you to be part of our program,’ And that was huge for me, because I’ve never coached in college,” Westmoreland said. “It looks like whatever I can do to help the team, and whatever Coach Prince wants me to do, I’m happy to do it.” Prince knows what he’s getting in Westmoreland. “He brings a lot,” Prince said. “Just the experience in terms of playing and the process and the grind that these kids go through. And he’s been working with kids who are at a high level. He’s been successful at developing players, and that’s what we’re about — developing players and people.” Prince said Westmoreland isn’t hesitant to talk about what happened 10 years ago, and that most of the players already know his story. Infielder JR DiSarcina is the son of Gary DiSarcina, who was the manager of the Lowell Spinners when Westmoreland was with the club in 2009. “When [the players] caught wind of what was going on, we were all on a group text, and one of the players said, ‘Oh my God, I have his rookie card and he autographed it for me.’ The kids know who he is,” Prince said. For Westmoreland, this coaching position could be a stepping stone. “I really hope it opens that door,” Westmoreland said. “Ever since I started coaching, I knew I wanted a future in this. I was looking to get into the college baseball world, and we’ll see where it goes from there. But this is a great opportunity.” And he has a backer in Prince. “He wants to be involved in baseball at a high level, whether it’s coaching in college, professionally or scouting,” Prince said. “My job, as it is with my players, is to help him get him to where he wants to go.”

Former World No. 2 Vera Zvonareva will miss the Australian Open - the first Grand Slam of the 2020 season - due to problems with her left wrist. The 35 year old Russian has been a semi-finalist at the Australian Open on two occasions in her career - in 2009 and 2011. She has also reached the finals in a Grand Slam on two occasions - at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010. Zvonareva last played in the main draw of the Australian Open in 2015, when she reached the second round and had lost in the first round of qualifying in Melbourne in 2018 and 2019. She is a former doubles champion at this tournament - having won the 2012 doubles title with fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. Zvonareva joins former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka on the sidelines of the tournament on the women's side - the Belarusian has missed the tournament due to personal reasons. The 35-year-old Russian is ranked No. 159 in the world currently but had entered the event by using her protected ranking. On the men's side, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, Japan's Kei Nishikori and Frenchman Lucas Pouille have also withdrawn due to injuries. The first Grand Slam tournament of the season begins in Melbourne on January 20th.

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Bushfires in East Gippsland leave 28 missing as towns evacuate ahead of high-risk weekend Updated Victorian authorities are ramping up efforts to reach and evacuate cut-off communities in East Gippsland, where 28 people remain missing after destructive bushfires tore through the region. Key points: Remote communities across the region are either evacuating in convoys or preparing to stay and defend In one isolated town, several residents are relying on a single shared radio at the general store For the latest information, visit the Vic Emergency website Premier Daniel Andrews said 24 Victorian communities were still isolated by bushfires on Thursday afternoon. Rescue crews were battling to clear roads to reach them so they could evacuate before the risk increased this weekend, he said. Nine satellite phones had also been dropped into other isolated communities. This morning, Mr Andrews said the number of people missing in bushfire-affected areas in Victoria had risen from 17 to 28. "I can confirm today that as at 9:30am, there are 28 people that we cannot locate, and we are very concerned about their wellbeing," Mr Andrews told a press conference in Melbourne. Earlier, a body found in a home at Buchan was identified as 67-year-old Mick Roberts. Thirty-nine firefighters from North America landed in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon to join the battle to control the East Gippsland blazes. The charity group Need for Feed has also organised fodder to be dropped across East Gippsland to help isolated farmers trying to stop their livestock from starving. On Friday morning some of the 4,000 people trapped in the coastal town of Mallacoota were transported to a Navy ship that arrived in the area the previous day. They will be evacuated from Mallacoota to Western Port, at Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula, a journey that is expected to take 17 hours. Dirt-road convoy gets out of Cann River A convoy of 46 cars and a bus left Cann River on Thursday afternoon after residents were told trying to leave on Saturday would be extremely dangerous. The convoy, which included emergency vehicles, was able to leave after crews cleared an old dirt track out of town. Alison Rainey, who owns a local cafe, said they were all headed to the town of Orbost. She said some residents who were undecided about leaving had opted to join the convoy after they were told at a briefing that Saturday would be an extremely dangerous day for the town. Ms Rainey — who has decided to stay in Cann River — said her 10-year-old son was with his father in Bonnie Doon. "Now that the town population has plummeted there's plenty [of food] to go around," she told ABC Statewide Drive. She said she planned to take shelter in the school if things worsened. "I feel confident that the school will be fine, that we will be protected here, I have no doubt about that." Nowa Nowa residents share single radio Further west, several residents in Nowa Nowa have been relying on a single shared radio at a general store to monitor bushfire warnings. Nowa Nowa General Store owner Sandra Huggins said the town was confronted by a "massive wall of fire" on Tuesday. She is now concerned about what will happen this weekend. "Our community hasn't had power since Monday evening," she said. "Because we have no power or phones or internet we're not getting any of the emergency warnings. "If we got out of town a few Ks, we all of sudden get 'ping, ping, pings' and all these messages. "It's a bit disconcerting to learn you're on Watch and Act, which you didn't even know." A passing tradie left them with a decent radio, which is now located in the only part of town with reception — in the car park outside the store. "We don't get radio reception in our store or in our house," Ms Huggins said. "That's our only contact with what's happening, we have no idea otherwise. "It's very scary, especially with what happened on Monday night and what may happen." In the meantime, the community is cooking up the food from their defrosting freezers at a barbecue outside the shop. "We're happy to feed anyone who wants to come and eat it," Ms Huggins said. Those left in Genoa will face the fires alone Just north-west of Mallacoota, the small community of Genoa has found itself completely cut off from Victorian authorities as a result of the fires. CFA chief officer Steve Warrington said Victorian firefighters had asked their NSW counterparts to help, but even they could not reach the town. He said a police officer had driven from Eden through the fire to get into Genoa and help the community as it was hit by the same blaze that devastated Mallacoota. On Wednesday, authorities said about 100 people were trapped in Genoa. David Sykes, who runs the nearby Wallagaraugh River Retreat, said he told his 56 guests to leave the holiday park on Sunday. He said properties in the area had been destroyed, but most residents had already fled over the border to Eden. "That is very, very sad, because as much as the fire out in the open has died down and is under control and in private land, you know, now the sad stories are starting to come out," he said. Orbost serving as a point of refuge The town of Orbost, which sits between Bairnsdale and Mallacoota, is serving as the main point of refuge for people leaving some of East Gippsland's more remote communities. But some people remain trapped in remote communities to the north, such as Goongerah and Bonang. Further west, a major relief centre at the Bairnsdale saleyards has been filling up with bushfire evacuees and about 250 horses. East Gippsland Mayor John White said a backup centre may be needed at the local racecourse. Metung told 'we need to evacuate' Victorian authorities have told communities to the south and south-east of the Bairnsdale complex of fires that they are under threat and should leave as soon as possible before this weekend's weather hits. That message was hardened by Metung CFA Captain Trevor Blundell on Thursday, who told a local meeting that the town needed to be evacuated. "We are not safe in Metung. We are not safe in Metung. We need to evacuate this town," he told a crowd through a speaker on one of the brigade's trucks. "Holidaymakers, residents, all these people in front of me looking at me, we need to leave Metung." Topics: bushfire, fires, disasters-and-accidents, emergency-incidents, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, sale-3850, cann-river-3890, nowa-nowa-3887, genoa-3891, mallacoota-3892, orbost-3888, bemm-river-3889, metung-3904 First posted

There are grave fears for 17 people missing in Victoria's massive, deadly East Gippsland bushfires. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Thursday none of the 17 people missing in the region are emergency services personnel. The increased number comes after family members confirmed Buchan man Mick Roberts had died at his home. "There are at least 17 people that at this stage we cannot account for. Their whereabouts are unknown to us, plus there is one person confirmed as deceased," Andrews told reporters at Bairnsdale. "Whilst Victoria Police have not been through the official identification processes, it is clear that the Roberts family have identified Mr Roberts and we send our condolences to their family and the Buchan community to whom he was so well-known and very highly regarded." READ MORE: * Naval ship arrives at Mallacoota to evacuate people as bushfires cut off town * Lives lost, homes destroyed as deadly bushfires rage in Australia * Naval ships, aircraft ready for Australia bushfire rescues as thousands jump in water to flee flames * 'Out of control': Volunteer firefighters in Australia demand income support, equipment Andrews did not narrow down what communities of East Gippsland the missing people are from. "It may be some of those people are safe but we hold very significant fears for the welfare of anybody who is missing at this time," he said. AP In this image made from video, an aerial scene shows fires burning and smoke rising close to properties in Bundoora, Victoria, on Monday. The fires are expected to last for weeks. The military has arrived to get fire victims across the region relief and resources, and also off the beach at Mallacoota. About 24 communities are isolated and reaching them to deliver supplies have been difficult. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal government was offering any assistance requested. "Our task has been to fully support and provide whatever assistance is necessary through all the various agencies of the Commonwealth," he told reporters in Sydney. AP Bushfires are raging across Australia, with at least 16 people killed across the country since they began. "The provision of disaster payments that have now exceeded some more than A$21 million in New South Wales alone and we expect more of that to continue in Victoria as the full devastation of the fires there becomes more evident." All fires in Victoria are currently sitting no higher than a watch and act alert, but smoky conditions have meant flights to rescue people, deliver supplies and swap out firefighters have at times been stopped. Firefighters are being helped on Thursday by moderate conditions, with temperatures in East Gippsland in the low to mid 20s expected to be paired with fairly light winds of up to 20 kmh. AP An aerial scene shows destroyed properties after a wildfire in East Grippsland, Victoria, on Wednesday. Australia deployed military ships and aircraft to help communities ravaged by the fires. But the mercury is forecast to creep up in the region on Friday, before reaching the 40s on Saturday, when the heat, hot winds and possible thunderstorms will increase the risk of new fires. People near the Corryong fire in Victoria's northeast near the NSW border are being doorknocked and told to get out of the region before the weekend.

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Good morning and welcome to our bushfire blog today. Let's start with a round-up of what's happening in NSW — where a 'humanitarian crisis' is developing because there's no fuel, no food and no power. Today, a fleet of ships and helicopters is making its way to coastal regions to supply and rescue residents trapped by fires in an Australian Defence Force deployment to bring food, water and medical help to towns in danger. At 5.30am there are 110 fires burning across NSW with over 50 yet to be contained. Firefighters will make the most of more favourable conditions today to protect properties before deteriorating conditions again this Saturday.#NSWRFS #NSWFires pic.twitter.com/vb3o55n8XU — NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 1, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js About 50,000 homes are without power, phone networks are down, major supermarkets are closed and there are reports of people are queuing up to three hours to get food. Fuel is also running low. Two tankers came in late yesterday and there's a ration to allow motorists enough to fuel up and get out. This comes as the Rural Fire Service has issued a map of highlighting an area 250km long from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border, where tourists were being asked to leave. Tourist Leave Zone – South Coast Bush Fires Dangerous conditions for holiday makers on the South Coast of NSW this weekend With the widespread power and communications outages across the South Coast please share this information to as many affected people as possible. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/JvbwrpC1fe — NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 1, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js There's a 24-hour window today to evacuate the region before extreme fire conditions return on Saturday. Motorists are now able to travel north on the Princes Highway from Batemans Bay. A reduced speed limit of 60km/h is in place. Fireys say there's 'no hope' of containing blazes before Saturday. Three watch and acts on South Coast. 110 fires burning across NSW, half of them uncontained. Seven people have died so far in these fires since Monday and 176 homes have been lost. A 72-year-old man remains unaccounted for at Belowra, about 50km north west of Cobargo. Picture, Alex Coppel

Advertisement Residents in Australian towns ravaged by the bushfires have gone into 'panic stations' following 'apocalyptic' blazes that left 50,000 families without power and entire towns with a contaminated water supply. Desperate locals and tourists were clearing shelves in supermarkets and filling up their fuel on Wednesday. Weather conditions are expected to worsen by Saturday and there are currently road closures impacting traffic in and out of fire-affected communities across the New South Wales south coast and parts of Victoria. Water supplies in both states have been contaminated in some areas, while it is simply running out all together in others. One woman who was in the town of Tura Beach phoned the ABC and described the situation as 'panic stations'. 'A car queue of 50 waiting to get petrol and people in Woolworths clearing the shelves… apocalyptic,' she said. Steve McKenzie, managing director of East Gippsland Water, said a 'boil water notice' had been issued in multiple towns. He said the water could remain contaminated until late tomorrow - when it could finally be tested - and also urged residents in fire-ravished towns to use as little water as possible to reserve what they could for battling blazes. Supermarkets are giving out bottled water for free and more supplies are en route. Bega Valley Shire Council announced a boil water notice for Quaama, Cobargo, Bermagui, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Wallaga Lake Koori Village and Akolele on Wednesday. 'All water for drinking, food preparation, the cleaning of teeth and ice-making needs to be boiled before use,' a statement read. Ulladulla Woolworths opened its doors on Wednesday to give locals unable to leave the chance to stock up on supplies About 300 people turned out and lined up for at least two hours to get in the stores and make their purchases More than 110 fires are still burning across NSW on New Years Day after conditions worsened last week. Infernos are also still ravaging Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. At least seven people on the NSW south coast and another in Victoria died on Tuesday and Wednesday, as destructive infernos razed entire communities to the ground. On the south coast alone, at least 176 homes were destroyed and another 50,000 left without power. The townspeople have been told it is too late to leave - and in some cases it is even too dangerous for fire crews to enter. As a result, residents in Ulladulla in the Shoalhaven area and nearby Narooma took the opportunity on Wednesday to stock up on essentials at the local Woolworths. This picture taken on December 31, 2019 shows a firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses in Nowra on Tuesday AUSTRALIA'S BUSHFIRE CRISIS AT A GLANCE NEW SOUTH WALES: - 15 lives lost, four in the past 48 hours - One person remains missing - More than 110 bushfires burning - 3.6 million hectares burned, greater than the size of Belgium - 1,298 homes confirmed destroyed VICTORIA: - Two people dead, 17 more missing - About 50 bushfires burning - More than 766,000 hectares burned - 68 structures confirmed destroyed but this number is expected to rise significantly TASMANIA: - More than 30 bushfires burning, seven of significance - 8000 hectares burned - One home confirmed destroyed SOUTH AUSTRALIA: - One person dead - About 20 bushfires burning, three of significance - More than 60,000 hectares burned - 88 homes confirmed destroyed QUEENSLAND: - About 30 bushfires burning - 250,000 hectares burned - 45 homes confirmed destroyed WESTERN AUSTRALIA: - More than 30 bushfires burning, two of significance - 1.2 million hectares burned - One home confirmed destroyed Advertisement But they have been urged not to over-buy out of panic. Amanda Findley, the Mayor of Shoalhaven City Council, reminded her townspeople the power is not predicted to be restored any time soon - meaning most homes have no access to refrigeration therefore shouldn't be looking to unnecessarily stock up on food. She went on to say there would not be a shortage of food and asked people to buy only what they need. Craig Scott, the store manager at the Ulladulla Woolworths, said the store was running on a recently purchased generator - but it was close to running out of fuel. He was hoping local boat owners would share their diesel to ensure essential food and milk wouldn't spoil. 'The power's out in town, but we decided to open the store just for necessities, so people can get nappies, baby food, all that sort of stuff,' he said. He noted about 300 people were lining up on Wednesday morning, and that most people waited about two hours to be served. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons are in Batemans Bay (pictured) experiencing the devastation firsthand The town of Cobargo, where Mr Salway and his son died on Monday bravely battling to defend their homes, has been levelled Local petrol stations have been forced to post signs letting residents know they've been run completely dry of petrol - while others simply don't have any power to operate. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday evening said power was slowly starting to be restored in towns, and thanked those who had been affected for their patience. NSW Police confirmed a total of seven people have been killed and two are unaccounted for in the South Coast bushfires since Monday. The deaths include dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, who died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega. Young father and volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, 28, was also among those confirmed dead after he was killed by a fire tornado. Another satellite image shows the devastation of the fires devastating the coastal town of Batemans Bay early Wednesday morning as the blaze continues to spread A kangaroo can be seen moving away from nearby bushfires at a residential property near Nowra on the NSW South Coast A 70-year-old man was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola, on Tuesday night, while another man's body was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah Wednesday morning. The body of a man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am Wednesday but is yet to be formally identified, while a seventh body was found outside a home Coolagolite, about 10km east of Cobargo, on Wednesday. Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on Wednesday morning. 'Today we have the three deaths. The police have confirmed at Yatte Yattah, a body found in a vehicle there, which is near Lake Conjola,' NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told media on Wednesday afternoon. 'One at Sussex Inlet, a body in a vehicle. And ambulance officers have told us about a body that they have located as well deceased.' 'In terms of the situation down on the South Coast, we have three emergency operation centres operating locally up and down the coast that are dealing with any amount of local issues and doing their best to solve those problems for people down there. A home lost to a bushfire on Hassall Road in Buxton as the Green Wattle Creek Fire on December 19 Smoke and flames are seen rising from burning trees as bushfires hit the bushland surrounding the small town of Nowra Commissioner Fitzsimmons said the death toll is expected to climb as the RFS analyse the extent of the damage on the South Coast 'There is no magic wand to wave across this and fix it in a short amount of time.' Meanwhile, a 72-year-old man is unaccounted for at Belowra, 50km north-west of Cobargo. Commissioner Fitzsimmons said the death toll is expected to climb as well, as the RFS analyse the extent of the damage on the South Coast. 'So we know that the damage that's been occasioned right throughout the south-east corner of New South Wales is a heavy toll. And more importantly we're seeing unfortunately the tragedy of lives lost as well,' he said on Wednesday afternoon. 'As the Premier quite rightly indicated, we need to prepare ourselves for that number to climb with information coming out this afternoon.' Residents of Cobargo, NSW, inspect the damage the fire left after it ripped through the town on Tuesday A horse escaped from the nearby bushfires at a residential property near Nowra as bushfires ravage the area on Tuesday Three people are confirmed dead and there are concerns for five people who are missing after fires left scenes like the one in Cobargo across the state Three thousand firefighters were deployed to help battle the blazes and protect homes, businesses and vehicles Cobargo has been destroyed by fires on Tuesday after blazes ripped through the town and burned several buildings Fires have been burning in Australia - such as this one near Tahmoor known as the Green Wattle Creek Fire on December 19 - since September

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It’s a restaurant model you don’t see every day. And during the season of giving, we turn our attention toward a unique restaurant with a philosophy just as rare that has landed in the Twin Cities. A group of industry folks have joined forces to roll out Provision community cafe in south Minneapolis, a nonprofit with a pay-what-you-can model. For executive director and founder Anna Wienke, along with David Smith, chefs Kenny Beck, Manny Winston and Heather Mady, it’s a way to gather local resources, reduce food waste and overcome food insecurity by offering nutritious meals that are free and/or affordable. “We’re a space dedicated to overcoming food insecurity, isolation and hardship in our community by serving family-style meals to patrons of all social, racial and economic classes — breaking down all barriers and creating an environment where everyone is welcome and engaged,” Wienke said. “Provision is a true neighborhood restaurant, with a space by local restaurant design giant Shea Design, where menus change by the day and seating and service is family-style.” listen live watch live It takes a small army to run the operation at 2940 Harriet Ave. S. In addition to monetary donations, food contributions from local businesses also helps to cover or keep costs down. Volunteers are a big part of the front-of-the-house operation. An advisory board, from business and financial services to restaurant and food vendors, provide several areas of expertise. How it works: The cafe is on a first-come, first-served basis. Dinners are offered with seatings at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Brunch is available on Saturdays, with seatings at 10 a.m. and noon. Upon arrival, grab a seat at one of the community tables in the dining room and a family-style meal will be served. The menu changes daily and updates are posted on the Provisions Facebook page. A recent dinner spread was made up of a salad, dirty rice, potato wedges, artisan breads and dessert. While on another night, a salad, penne with red sauce, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, garlic bread and dessert was on the roster. At the end of the meal, a give-what-you-can model means you donate whatever amount you would like to or can, with the money going toward helping keep the nonprofit operation — a food-service model based on the One World Everybody Eats (“OWEE”) community café model used by several nonprofit organizations across the country — afloat.

Q: I’m a woman, age 36, who married a man from another country five years ago. I moved there and we bought a house together. But we both found that we just weren’t compatible. He’s very laid-back; I’m hyperactive by comparison. Since we had no children, we agreed to part in an amicable divorce. I decided to go home for a visit, and scout the chances for work. By luck, I was offered a terrific job and decided to stay. But I’d only brought one small suitcase along for the trip. When I informed my ex that I’d like him to ship the rest of my things, and finalize splitting the proceeds from our house sale, his normally easygoing manner changed completely. He became angry, said I’d have to do my own packing and shipping which had nothing to do with him. He added that the money wasn’t easily available. I’m shocked at his meanness. Now I have to wait for my new job to allow early “vacation time” for me to travel overseas, retrieve my own things, and deal with this now-difficult ex about money that’s rightfully mine. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... How can I manage everything in two weeks of so-called “vacation” time? Difficult Ex A: Start preparations now. Reach out to your contacts where you lived for five years, and ask them to refer you to a reliable shipping company. Get informed from that company as to what proof of ownership or other papers may be required. But before addressing the money issue with your ex, try a non-combative phone conversation with him asking if there’s anything you need to know about the house proceeds. Then, communicate with the lawyer involved in the sale, and have him/her or another lawyer inform your ex that you require your share to re-settle back home. Have as many conversations as possible to prepare yourself to be ready to proceed when you travel to complete the move. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... Invite a local friend there to help you with the packing, especially if it’s in the presence of your ex-husband. Q: I work in an open-concept office where my co-workers and I are respectful of each other’s sound space. Most conversations on the phone or in person are kept to reasonable decibels. Unfortunately, we received a newcomer to our space who laughs like a hyena. I’m not exaggerating. She’ll say a name aloud, then laugh in hysterical bursts. Get some good advice in your inbox Get expert advice on life and relationships with the Star's Advice email newsletter. Sign Up Now It’s very annoying and interferes with my concentration. What do I do/say that won’t be turned back on me as workplace harassment? Earplugs Not Enough A: Start with a plan of accommodation, rather than annoyance. She has an ingrained habit, you have a concentration problem. Hers may be a nervous habit which gets exaggerated in new situation. Yours is a reaction. Neither of you are affecting or interfering with the other, on purpose. You do have to be careful in a workplace atmosphere about how you proceed. Talk first to your supervisor who’ll likely ask a human resources representative as to the best plan (if there is an HR department). But if left on your own, speak to this co-worker aside from others, and gently tell her that her exuberant laugh is too loud for an open-concept workplace. Ask her to please try to tone it down. To show that you’re demonstrating goodwill, you could say that you’re willing to use earplugs when you need to concentrate more. If she reacts badly, write a note detailing who said what, and then take it higher up. Ellie’s tip of the day An “amicable” divorce still requires being legally informed and aware of any financial complications. EXPERT ADVICE. IN YOUR INBOX: Sign up for the Star’s advice newsletter, get the latest on relationships, etiquette and more.

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Share Tweet Email Copy Link Copied To celebrate New Year's Day, Disney+ released a promo highlighting the new content coming to the streaming service in 2020. Surprisingly, that list includes Marvel Studios' WandaVision, which was originally slated for a spring 2021 debut. While no specific date was listed in the promo, concept art and the title card for WandaVision appear just after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premieres in the fall. RELATED: WandaVision Photos Appear to Confirm Debut of a Major Marvel Character WandaVision was officially announced in July 2019 during Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, with star Elizabeth Olsen promising "We'll finally understand Wanda Maximoff as Scarlet Witch." In addition to bringing back Paul Bettany's Vision, who died at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, the series will tie directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will also feature Wanda in some capacity. advertising WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn. The limited series will premiere on Disney+ at some point in 2020. KEEP READING: WandaVision Reveals First Look at Adult Monica Rambeau in New Set Photos Share Tweet Email Copy Link Copied The Mandalorian: Funko Unveils Next Wave of Pop! Vinyl Figures

To kick off 2020, Disney has given a preview of what to expect from its Disney+ streaming service this year. Most notably, a newly released teaser revealed that Marvel's WandaVision series has been pushed forward from 2021 to 2020. While no exact release date has been given, Disney previously indicated the show would premiere spring 2021. WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, who both reprise their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles as Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) and Vision respectively. Teyonah Parris, Kat Dennings, Randall Park, and Kathryn Hahn round out the supporting cast. The limited series will run for six hour-long episodes and will take place after Avengers: Endgame, which saw Scarlet Witch brought back from Thanos' snap in Infinity War. The teaser additionally shows 1950s-inspired key art of Vision and Wanda together. Is this not what 2020 vision means? From #ToyStory 4 and Aladdin to #LizzieMcGuire and WandaVision, here’s a look into our future at the blockbusters and Originals coming to #DisneyPlus this year. pic.twitter.com/QHGMHat89n — Disney+ (@disneyplus) January 1, 2020 The Disney+ Twitter account made sure to reiterate the news. Among the other upcoming titles expected to hit Disney's streaming service in 2020 are The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Aladdin, and Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series. 2021, meanwhile, will bring Loki, Hawkeye, and What If...?.

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With a threat to test a “new strategic weapon” in “the near future” North Korea has, in effect, put an ICBM to President Donald Trump’s head in order to gain the two concessions it wants most: sanctions relief and some sort of security guarantee. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is now playing a dangerous game of geopolitical chicken, telegraphing to the world that he most likely will test a new long-range missile that could kill millions of Americans if it landed in a heavily populated area – but would be guaranteed to provoke a devastating U.S retaliatory attack on the North. Trump needs to play his cards right now and base his strategy on an understanding of why North Korea continues to build and test missiles and why it refuses to abandon its nuclear weapons. KIM JONG UN SAYS NORTH KOREA NEEDS TO TAKE 'OFFENSIVE MEASURES' TO PROTECT COUNTRY'S SECURITY If he succeeds, the president can minimize any potential nuclear challenge coming for the communist regime and even bring Kim back to the negotiating table. Of course, any good strategy to take on the North Korean threat must be based on facts on the ground and must be rooted in historical perspective and an understanding of what the hermit kingdom is trying to achieve and what motivates Kim’s actions. Let’s get one thing straight. Kim is not crazy nor is he suicidal. His goal is not to start a nuclear war that will spark a massive U.S. retaliation that would destroy his country and could result in his own death. His goal is to get relief from U.S. and international economic sanctions without giving up his nukes. All it would take is the nuclear weapons aboard just one U.S. Navy ballistic submarine – carrying an astounding 192 nuclear warheads – to wipe out North Korea in roughly 20 minutes. Its population of 25 million people would be killed – all from just one submarine lurking below the surface in the Pacific Ocean – and Kim knows that. That’s some real “fire and fury.” The North Korean dictator – who follows his grandfather and father in leading his nation like a communist hereditary monarch – has a clearly established goal we can all relate to: survival. Let’s get one thing straight. Kim is not crazy nor is he suicidal. His goal is not to start a nuclear war that will spark a massive U.S. retaliation that would destroy his country and could result in his own death. His goal is to get relief from U.S. and international economic sanctions without giving up his nukes. Kim believes that his nuclear weapons are the ultimate insurance policy against an attack by the U.S., South Korea or any other nation aiming to overthrow his regime. Kim knows that U.S. and United Nations forces attacked his country in the Korean War, and is well aware that American forces have waged long wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq in the years since. He doesn’t want any foreign forces seeking regime change in a second Korean War with either a conventional or a nuclear attack – and knows his nukes can act as a deterrent to prevent that. North Korea has made huge sacrifices to build up its small but very dangerous arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles. Although the nation has an economy smaller than the state of Montana and can barely feed its own people, it has beaten the odds to join the nuclear club. But because the North has spent huge sums of money and endured years of international economic sanctions to go nuclear, it’s not realistic to expect to Kim to simply hand over all his nuclear bombs and missiles to the U.S. anytime soon. Demanding such a full denuclearization in return for eventual sanctions relief – something that would take years – is not a policy at all, but a recipe for disaster, simply ensuring that Kim builds more and bigger nuclear weapons. A senior White House adviser told me that he considers North Korea “a fourth-world nation that could kill 100 million people in an hour – and that’s just with nukes, never mind all those chemical and biological weapons. North Korea is a Pandora’s box that – if you open it with military force – will spark at the very least a mini Armageddon.” From all of this, a very clear strategy can emerge for the Trump administration if it can take a more long-term approach. The administration needs to understand that for at least the short to medium term, North Korea will be unwilling to give up its nuclear arms – the regime said as much just weeks ago. For now, Team Trump must focus on starving the regime of any resources it can get its hands on to advance its nuclear program through the tightest sanctions possible and depriving the Kim family of any technology that could advance such a cause. And that’s just the beginning. Washington must also ensure that Pyongyang does not sell any of its nuclear or missile technology. There is clear evidence that North Korea and Iran have traded such knowledge over the years. America must do all it can to ensure that such transfers stop and that no other nation gains from North Korea’s nuclear advances – and prevent Pyongyang from making money off them to advance its weapons of mass destruction programs. Such a policy of what amounts to a Cold War-style containment must be matched by a willingness to continue dialogue. The history of U.S.-North Korea relations is filled with too many ups and downs – tensions and breakthroughs that are too dangerous to continue. We must be willing to try and remove the reasons that North Korea feels it needs nuclear weapons. That can only be done by building trust. As a start, a formal peace declaration ending the Korean War should be signed. In addition, liaison offices should be set up in each nation’s capital to ensure a crisis does not end up in a shooting war. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR OPINION NEWSLETTER From there, both sides should work on small steps to remove all military threats facing the other – both nuclear and conventional. In fact, we should make the nuclear disarmament of North Korea the end goal of a long-term policy shift that could take years but lead to a more stable, less up-and-down relationship. None of this will be easy. In fact, it would be much easier to do what every other U.S. administration has done on North Korea: confront the regime when it acts aggressively, punish it with sanctions and sound tough, but then move on to the next global crisis or challenge at home when missiles stop heading skyward. That would be a mistake. Eventually, President Trump or a future president may reluctantly come to the painful conclusion that getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons is as impossible as trying to get Russia, China, India, Pakistan, or another member of the nuclear club to turn back the clock and give up its nukes. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Should that day come, our fallback position should be to press for an arms control agreement to limit the North Korean nuclear force to the smallest size possible in return for normalized relations. Past U.S. leaders weren’t happy when the Soviet Union and China went nuclear – but weren’t prepared to start a nuclear war to force their denuclearization. And in all the years since, no nation has launched a nuclear attack. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY HARRY KAZIANIS

Dictator Kim Jong Un said North Korea was no longer obligated to comply with a self-imposed moratorium on testing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. In remarks Tuesday to party leaders– and shared on state media Wednesday– Kim also warned of introducing a “new strategic weapon” in the near future. Kim’s audience also heard him accuse the United States of making “gangster-like demands,” according to Reuters. At times smiling or slapping the podium, Kim charged the U.S. with maintaining a “hostile policy” that included holding continued joint military drills with South Korea, adopting cutting edge weapons and imposing sanctions, KIM JONG UN SAYS NORTH KOREA NEEDS TO TAKE ‘OFFENSIVE MEASURES’ TO PROTECT COUNTRY’S SECURITY “The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future,” Kim said, using the initials for North Korea’s official name–the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, according to Reuters. While saying he no longer felt bound to honor a moratorium, the rogue leader gave no clear indication that a resumption of such tests was impending. He also appeared to leave the door open for eventual negotiations with the U.S. Kim has used the diplomatic stalemate to expand his military capabilities by intensifying tests of shorter-range weapons. His arsenal is now estimated to include 40 to 50 nuclear bombs and various delivery systems, including solid-fuel missiles designed to beat missile-defense systems and developmental ICBMs potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Kim has also strengthened his negotiating position, moving the diplomacy closer to an arms reduction negotiation between nuclear states rather than talks that would culminate in a unilateral surrender of the weapons he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. HARRY KAZIANIS: NORTH KOREA’S KIM HAS THIS GOAL IN MIND (NO, HE’S NOT CRAZY). HERE’S HOW TRUMP SHOULD RESPOND Lee Sang-min, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said North Korea carrying out its threat to showcase a new strategic weapon would be unhelpful for diplomacy. Kim’s comments published in state media Wednesday were made at a key, four-day meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee as talks between Washington and Pyongyang have faltered over disagreements on disarmament steps and the removal of sanctions. President Donald Trump said he had a good relationship with Kim and thought the North Korean leader would keep his word, Reuters reported. “He likes me, I like him. We get along. He’s representing his country, I’m representing my country. We have to do what we have to do. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearization,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sienna Santer is a second-year Harvard student and a YouTube influencer with 302,000 subscribers. Her channel took off after she uploaded a video of herself moving into her dorm room. The video now has 4.8 million views. A year later, Santer supports herself financially with the money she earns online. She shared how she makes money as a college influencer and how much she made from YouTube ads in 2019. In 2019, she earned just over $44,000 from ads in her YouTube videos, according to a screenshot viewed by Business Insider. Sign up for Business Insider's influencer newsletter, Influencer Dashboard, to get more stories like this in your inbox. Click here for more BI Prime stories. Sienna Santer is a second-year Harvard student and a popular YouTube influencer with 302,000 subscribers. She shares videos on topics like how she got into the prestigious university and what a day in her life is like. Santer's influencer career started with friends and family members asking her how she got accepted into Harvard. After a video of her Harvard dorm-room tour got 4.8 million views, Santer treats her YouTube channel and Instagram page like a part-time job. "I had so many people asking how I got in and if I could give them advice," she told Business Insider. "Instead of writing back and forth, I decided to put everything into a video and send that to them." Now she earns money from ads in her videos placed by Google and by promoting brands like Audible and the vitamin company Care/of on her channel. In 2019, she earned just over $44,000 through Google's AdSense program, which places ads in her YouTube videos, according to a screenshot viewed by Business Insider. (She said she'd have to pay about 25% of that in taxes.) How YouTube creators like Santer earn money online Creators with 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours are eligible for YouTube's Partner Program, through which they can earn money off their channels by placing ads in videos. Santer averages about $3,000 a month from AdSense, she said. "My channel has helped me deal with things a lot earlier than some of my friends and helped me a lot with money-management skills," she said. "I have checks for AdSense coming in the mail that I have put aside for taxes, retirement, savings." How much an influencer earns from Google's AdSense program on a YouTube video depends on a number of factors, from the place in the video where viewers normally drop off to the type of advertisers the video gets. Some top creators have ad-placement strategies for earning the most money possible. Generally, how much money is earned varies based on a video's watch time, length, and viewer demographic. Some videos that contain swearing or copyrighted music can be flagged by YouTube and demonetized, earning hardly any money for the creator (or none at all). Santer previously told Business Insider that she usually adds two to three ads to a video that is over 10 minutes long and follows certain techniques to optimize her video's performance. Santer is part of a rising trend of YouTubers that are gaining audiences by sharing their college experiences — especially their move-in videos, which can rack up millions of views (and in Santer's case, thousands of dollars). Margot Lee, a Syracuse student with 425,000 YouTube subscribers, teaches an informal pop-up class on becoming a professional influencer to her classmates (and shared her slides with Business Insider). Read more on Santer's YouTube business here:

Andrei Jikh was teaching magic online but he found more lucrative work by switching to personal finance. One year later, he has 300,000 subscribers and earned six figures just from ads placed on his videos by Google. Jikh spoke to Business Insider about deciding to start a YouTube channel, how he maximizes his earnings, and how much he earned per month in 2019. Sign up for Business Insider's influencer newsletter, Influencer Dashboard, to get more stories like this in your inbox. Click here for more BI Prime stories. Personal finance YouTuber Andrei Jikh grew up in a family of circus performers from Russia, and he moved to the US at age 9 when his dad got a job with Cirque du Soleil. Jikh fell in love with magic and filming home videos. Ten years later, he was hired by a startup to teach magic online. But when his parents acquired "crazy debt," Jikh became obsessed with personal finance. "We were immigrants when we came here," he told Business Insider. "We didn't really know how to manage our money, credit cards, so my parents got into crazy debt. It had a big effect on me when I was younger. At 19, I tried to teach myself, interviewing everyone I worked with to learn what they do." In late 2018, he quit his job, and with the roughly $200,000 he had in savings, started making personal finance videos for YouTube. A year later, he has 300,000 subscribers and earned more than $100,000 in 2019 from ads that run in his videos — far more than the $60,000 he made at his peak year as an online magician. "I never wanted to be in the spotlight," he told Business Insider. "But if that's not your goal, then magic becomes extremely limited, and there's very few ways for you to earn money in that industry." This screenshot shows all the ad formats that creators can use to monetize their videos. Source: YouTuber Marina Mogilko. Marina Mogilko Jikh's monthly revenue quickly increased In just a few months, Jikh was starting to make real money. Creators with 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours are eligible to have their videos monetized with ads by joining YouTube's Partner Program. How much they earn depends on a number of factors, like a video's watch time, length, video type, and viewer demographics. Some top creators have ad-placement strategies to maximize their earnings. Here's his monthly AdSense breakdown for 2019: January: $0. Jikh said he didn't know how to create effective thumbnails and titles. $0. Jikh said he didn't know how to create effective thumbnails and titles. February: $0. By the second month, he was starting to learn how to structure his videos. $0. By the second month, he was starting to learn how to structure his videos. March: $90.48. You have to make a minimum of $100 for YouTube to get paid, so technically, he made $0 that month. $90.48. You have to make a minimum of $100 for YouTube to get paid, so technically, he made $0 that month. April: $1,511.57, from one viral video. $1,511.57, from one viral video. May: $1,923.07, another viral video called "How I made 781.47 with Robinhood Dividends," where he shows his income from dividends. "This was the turning point in realizing that some videos pay more depending on your topic," he said. "Personal finance, financial minimalism, finance, credit cards, brokerages, etc., pay a lot more money than most other topics on YouTube." $1,923.07, another viral video called "How I made 781.47 with Robinhood Dividends," where he shows his income from dividends. "This was the turning point in realizing that some videos pay more depending on your topic," he said. "Personal finance, financial minimalism, finance, credit cards, brokerages, etc., pay a lot more money than most other topics on YouTube." June: $2,558.13. He learned he could monetize his videos by placing ads in the middle of videos. $2,558.13. He learned he could monetize his videos by placing ads in the middle of videos. July: $3,895.60 $3,895.60 August : $5,808.33 : $5,808.33 September: $14,879.04, his first five-figure month. He started earning between $20 and $30 for every one thousand views (CPM). $14,879.04, his first five-figure month. He started earning between $20 and $30 for every one thousand views (CPM). October: $11,622 $11,622 November : $30,782.18 : $30,782.18 December: $41,080.62 $41,080.62 Total for 2019: $121,000 (after YouTube's cut) Jikh said he spent around $10,000 to build a studio and buy camera equipment and spends five to six hours per week doing research for his videos, three to four hours filming, and 10 to 18 hours on editing. He doesn't have a talent agent or manager, he said. Jikh said he learned to make more money by including mid-roll ads, which can run in videos lasting over 10 minutes. They can be skippable or non-skippable, and creators can place them manually or have them automatically placed by YouTube. "You can strategically place ads wherever you want," he said. "If you in the middle of talking about something important, place an ad before you say what it is. I try to place an ad every 3 to 4 minutes, just finding a natural break in the video to place it." He said he also earns money online through Patreon, Amazon links, affiliate marketing, and hopes to add sponsored content to the mix in 2020. For more on how to become a successful influencer, according to YouTube and Instagram stars, check out these Business Insider Prime posts:

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All it took for the outside world to take notice of the surge in anti-Semitic violence in the tri-state area was a man walking into a rabbi’s home with a machete. For many, the domestic terror incident that injured more than a dozen Jews in the Hasidic enclave of Monsey, New York, provided a convenient new weapon with which to strike at their political enemies. This attack was a chameleon. It managed to represent everything and anything to the eye of the beholder. The attack, perpetrated by black men, was the fault of white supremacist fans of the president. It was the fault of Jews for having the gall to live in blue states, for voting for Democrats. Very sad indeed. Maybe stop voting overwhelmingly for Democrats and you might get the leadership that will protect you. Jews vote 3-1 for Dems, I don’t get it...they don’t care about you... — Covfefe2020-text Trump to 88022 (@Covfefe2020Eas) December 30, 2019 And it was Jews' faults for daring to build homes. Goes on bla bla pic.twitter.com/6lcweVdL2R — Baruch Sandhaus (@BaruchSandhaus) December 29, 2019 The attacks happening against Jews daily (and sometimes, multiple times a day) are not a game, and yet, they are being treated as such by people more interested in scoring political points than putting an end to the violence. Those playing these political games with Jewish lives may not be storming synagogues, supermarkets, or homes with machetes or guns, but they are still a major part of the problem leading to anti-Semitic violence and incitement. Those who reflexively blame President Trump for any and all attacks, no matter how unrelated his administration, actions, or rhetoric are, have made a conscious choice: They would rather play politics than put an end to the violence. And worse, it seems they would like it to continue, in order to have more ammunition against the White House leading up to the 2020 election. Just as dangerous are those on the Right who are using the occasion to lecture Jews on how they should be voting, that they should be arming themselves and fortifying their houses of worship, and where they should be living. The problem of anti-Semitism isn’t because Jews vote one way or another. (This is a complicated issue when you break down voting histories between Orthodox and secular Jews, but that is a conversation for another time.) Solving anti-Semitism doesn’t involve making our supermarkets, schools, synagogues, and more into fortresses. That’s not how any of us want to live. Unfortunately, we’ve begun to, and yet the violence continues and is becoming more serious by the day. Most of the attacks in New York have been in the streets, and they’ve taken place against men, the elderly, and even women with their children, in broad daylight and in full view of the public. Advocating for Jews taking advantage of the protections of the Second Amendment is a moot point for many panicked Jews living in areas where obtaining a gun permit is an uphill climb and a conceal carry permit an absolute impossibility. We can recognize that Jews are safer while armed and advocate for less restrictive gun laws while still acknowledging that guns aren’t a magic bullet to solve this crisis, either. In the long term, there is a battle to be fought for expanded access to guns, but in the short term, lectures about firearms are paternalistic and can be deeply frustrating for panicked people unable to avail themselves of the option. That this is the case in New York and New Jersey isn’t the fault of the Orthodox Jews living there. Instead of being condescended to about needing to move, allies would be far more appreciated and be doing far more good, continuing to advocate for less restrictive gun laws in these jurisdictions instead of expecting a small community under siege to flee the homes of their parents and grandparents. There are societal issues that are much more complex and deeper at play — the rot is far more complicated than mere politics and Trump. As long as the violence striking the Jewish community is treated as a political cudgel, it will continue unabated. Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) is a stay-at-home and homeschooling mother of four and a freelance writer. She is an editor at Ricochet.com, a columnist at the Forward, and a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- New video has been released of another anti-Semitic attack in Brooklyn that happened on Christmas Eve.The video, released Wednesday, shows a group of men attack a 23-year-old Hasidic man as he walked in Crown Heights.One of the suspects was caught on camera throwing a chair at the victim that hit him in the head.Other suspects can then be seeing running after the man. One punched the victim in the head while another suspect threatened him with a stick.So far no arrests have been made.The rash of anti-Semitic assaults - including a stabbing attack during a Hanukkah gathering in Monsey last week - prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo to visit Brooklyn in a show of support for the Jewish community.The governor shook hands and spoke with Orthodox residents of Williamsburg.He said all of New York feels disturbed by the incidents and New Yorkers stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.----------

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Liverpool vs. Sheffield U​nited EN VIVO | La Premier League no se detiene en Año Nuevo 2020 y los Reds quieren empezar con el pie derecho EN DIRECTO desde Anfield Road, a partir de las 3:00 p.m. (hora peruana) vía ESPN y ONLINE por El Popular. Liverpool vs. Sheffield United EN VIVO disputarán uno de los primeros partidos del año. Los dirigidos por Jürgen Klopp tienen la misión de mantener el invicto en la Premier League y estrar su ventaja en la tabla de posiciones. LEE MÁS: Sadio Mané desmuestra su humildad al usar celular roto y audífonos de bajo costo [FOTO Y VIDEO] Liverpool vs. Sheffield United EN VIVO: minuto a minuto Luego de conquistar la Champions League, Liverpool ha sido una máquina porque no para de ganar todo lo que tiene en su camino. Pudo conseguir por primera vez el Mundial de Clubes y, ahora, va por el campeonato local. Sheffiel United, por su parte, irá a Anfield Road con el objetivo de arruinar el comienzo del año de los líderes de la Premier. Asimismo, necesita sumar para no complicarse con los últimos puestos de la tabla de posiciones. MIRA TAMBIÉN: Liverpool goleó de visita 4-0 a Leicester y es más líder que nunca en la Premier ¿Cuándo juega Liverpool vs. Sheffield United por la Premier League? Liverpool vs. Sheffield United se ven las caras este jueves 2 de enero, siendo, así, el primer partido de los Reds en el año 2020, donde espera coronarse en la Premier League. ¿A qué hora juega Liverpool vs Sheffield United? El horario estipulado para este partido entre Liverpool vs. Sheffield United es a las 3:00 p.m. (hora peruana). Además, el partido se podrá ver en el Perú sintonizando las señales de DirecTV | Movistar TV | y Claro TV. ¿Dónde se jugará el partido de la Liverpool vs Sheffield United por la Premier League? El escenario que albergará el gran partido entre Liverpool vs. Sheffield United será Anfield Road, estadio donde hace de local el equipo dirigido por Jürgen Klopp, que buscará una nueva victoria. ¿En qué canales se transmitirá EN VIVO el partido Liverpool vs Sheffield United? Argentina ESPN Play SurAruba RUSHAustralia Optus SportAustria Sky Go, Sky Sport 1 HDAzerbaiyán Idman TVBahamas RUSHBahréin beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2Bangladésh Star Sports Select HD1Barbados RUSHBélgica Play Sports 1, VOOsport World 1Benín SuperSport Maximo, SuperSport 3 Africa, Canal+ Sport 2 AfriqueBermudas RUSHBután Star Sports Select HD1Bolivia ESPN2 Sur, ESPN Play SurBosnia-Herzegovina SportKlub 2 SerbiaBotsuana DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, SuperSport 3 AfricaBrasil Watch ESPN Brasil, ESPN BrasilIslas Vírgenes Británicas RUSHBrunei Astro GoBulgaria Diema Sport 2, Play Diema XtraBurkina Faso DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport 3 AfricaBurundi DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport 3 AfricaCamerún DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport 3 AfricaCanadá DAZNCape Verde Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, SuperSport 3 AfricaIslas Caimán RUSHRepública Centroafricana SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 AfriqueChad beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport MaximoChile ESPN2 Sur, ESPN Play SurChina QQ Sports Live, PPTV Sport ChinaColombia ESPN2 Colombia, ESPN Play SurComoras SuperSport Maximo, SuperSport 3 AfricaCongo Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, DStv Now, SuperSport 3 AfricaRD del Congo SuperSport Maximo, DStv Now, SuperSport 3 AfricaCosta Rica Sky HDCote D'Ivoire Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoCroacia Sportklub 2 CroatiaCuracao RUSHChipre Cytavision on the Go, Cytavision Sports 1República Checa Premier Sport, DIGI GODinamarca Xee, Viaplay DenmarkYibuti DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, SuperSport 3 Africa, beIN Sports HD 2Dominica RUSHRepública Dominicana RUSH, Sky HDEcuador ESPN Play Sur, ESPN2 AndinaEgipto beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2El Salvador Sky HDGuinea Ecuatorial SuperSport 3 Africa, DStv Now, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 AfriqueEritrea SuperSport Maximo, DStv Now, SuperSport 3 AfricaEstonia TV3 Sport, TV3 Sport 3Etiopía DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoFinlandia Viaplay Finland, Viasat Sports Premium, Viasat Sport / HD, Viasat Football HDFrancia RMC Sport 1, Canal+ Sport, RMC Sport en directGuayana Francesa RUSHGabón SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, DStv NowGambia DStv Now, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoAlemania Sky Go, Sky Sport 1 HDGhana SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport 3 Africa, DStv NowGrecia Cosmote Sport 1 HDGranada RUSHGuadalupe RUSHGuatemala Sky HDGuinea SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, DStv NowGuinea-Bissau SuperSport Maximo, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, DStv Now, SuperSport 3 AfricaGuyana RUSHHaití RUSHHonduras Sky HDHong Kong 621 Now Premier League 1, 620 Now Premier League TV, Now E, Now PlayerHungría Spíler1Islandia SíminnSportIndia Star Sports Select HD1, Hotstar VIP, Star Sports Select 1Indonesia Mola TVInternacional TalkSport Radio World, LFCTV GOIrán beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2Iraq beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2Irlanda BT Sport 1, BT Sport LiveIsrael Sport 1Italia NOW TV, SKY Go Italia, Sky Sport Football, Sky Sport UnoJamaica RUSHJapón DAZNJordania beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECTKazajstán Setanta Sports KazakhstanKenia DStv Now, SuperSport 3 AfricaCorea del Sur SPOTV ONKuwait beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECTLetonia TV3 Sport 3, TV3 SportLíbano beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2Lesoto SuperSport Maximo, SuperSport 3 Africa, DStv NowLiberia SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport Maximo, DStv NowLibia beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECTLituania TV3 Sport 3, TV3 SportLuxemburgo RMC Sport 1Antigua República Yugoslava de Macedonia MaxTV Go, SportKlub 2 SerbiaMadagascar DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoMalaui DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoMalasia Astro SuperSport 3, Astro GoMaldivas Star Sports Select HD1Malí DStv Now, Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, SuperSport Maximo, SuperSport 3 AfricaMalta GO TV Anywhere, TSN2 MaltaMartinica RUSHMauritania Canal+ Sport 2 Afrique, beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv NowMauricio RMC Sport 1, SuperSport 3 Africa, DStv NowMéxico Blue To Go Video Everywhere, Sky HDMonaco RMC Sport 1Mongolia SPS HDMontenegro SportKlub 2 SerbiaMontserrat RUSHMarruecos beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2Mozambique DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoMyanmar Skynet Sports 6Namibia DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaximoNepal Star Sports Select HD1Países Bajos Ziggo Sport Select, Ziggo Sport 14Nueva Zelanda Spark SportNicaragua Sky HDNíger SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport Maximo, DStv Now, Canal+ Sport 2 AfriqueNigeria DStv Now, SuperSport 3 Africa, Canal+ Sport 2 AfriqueNoruega TV2 Sumo, TV2 Sport PremiumOmán beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports HD 2Pakistán Star Sports Select HD1Palestinian Territory beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECTPanamá Sky HDParaguay ESPN Play Sur, ESPN2 SurPerú ESPN2 Sur, ESPN Play Sur ¿Dónde puedo ver transmisión EN DIRECTO ONLINE Liverpool vs Sheffield United por la Premier League? Si quieres ver el partidazo entre Liverpool vs. Sheffield United EN VIVO, solo tienes que ingresar a la página web de El Popular (elpopular.pe) y tendrás todos los datos, goles y resumen en tiempo real. Posibles alineaciones del duelo entre Liverpool vs Sheffield United Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané y Roberto Firmino. | DT: Jürgen Klopp. Sheffield United: por confirmar Pronóstico del Liverpool vs Sheffield United por la Premier League Úlitmos cinco partidos del Liverpool: Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (5-0) Monterrey vs. Liverpool (1-2) Liverpool vs. Flamengo (1-0) Leicester City vs. Liverpool (0-4) Liverpool vs. Wolves (1-0) Últimos cinco partidos del Sheffield United: Norwich vs. Sheffield United (1-2) Sheffield United vs. Aston Villa (2-0) Brighton vs. Sheffield United (0-1) Sheffield United vs. Watford (1-1) Manchester City vs. Sheffield United (2-0)

Copyright ©2015 Perform Group. All rights reserved. Data provided by Opta Sports. Articles provided by OMNISPORT.

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It's a new year and, for Illinois, a new era of recreational marijuana. Weed dispensaries across the state opened their doors before sunrise Wednesday, welcoming long lines of customers — some who had been waiting since 4 a.m. "Cheers to lighting up the start of 2020!" one dispensary, Sunnyside, wrote on its Facebook page. Under Illinois law, anyone over 21 with a valid state ID or driver's license can purchase recreational marijuana from licensed retailers. Jackie Ryan, right, of Forest Park, Ill., becomes the first person in Illinois to purchase recreational marijuana as she purchases marijuana products from employee Brea Mooney left, at Sunnyside dispensary Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Chicago. More Residents may legally possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, five grams of concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC in products such as edibles. Non-Illinois residents in the state may possess up to only half as much as residents. The law also includes a "social equity" plan to improve diversity in the industry by giving a leg up to minority entrepreneurs disproportionately impacted by poverty and the war on drugs. The law expunges certain drug-based criminal records and establishes a fund to provide financial resources for business start-ups, among other provisions. Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker rang in 2020 by granting more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions Tuesday. "The war on cannabis has destroyed families. It has filled jails and prisons with nonviolent offenders. It has disproportionately affected black and brown communities," Pritzker said at a press conference on Chicago's South Side. "Every state that has legalized cannabis has seen high demand and long lines in its earliest weeks, and to be sure, our state will, too. But unlike other states, in Illinois, we purposely built a system where the market has room to grow, so that entrepreneurs, including especially those from the communities devastated by the war on drugs, will have real opportunities in this industry." Illinois weed sales: Some say only white men are set to profit Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx looks on as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during a press conference in Chicago after Foxx filed motions to vacate more than 1,000 low-level cannabis convictions, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. More Illinois is the 11th state in the nation to allow the sale of recreational marijuana. Thirty-three states allow the sale of marijuana for medical use, which Illinois legalized in 2013. Some restrictions still apply, however. Landowners can ban cannabis use, and employers can prohibit employees from having THC in their systems. It's illegal to drive while impaired and to possess marijuana on federal land and federally funded facilities, including some hospitals, public housing and more. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and cannot be taken across state lines – by any form of transportation. The marijuana industry in Illinois could eventually bring in $1.69 billion to $2.58 billion in annual revenue, according to a study by Colorado consulting firm Freedman and Koski. That would mean an additional $440 million to $676 million in annual tax revenue statewide, the study said. Chicago, which is facing a more than $800 million budget deficit, expects to bring in $3.5 million in revenue from marijuana taxes next year. A long line of people brave the cold as they wait to be the first in Illinois to purchase recreational marijuana at Sunnyside dispensary Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Chicago. More This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cannabis in Illinois: Legal weed sales start Jan. 1

Customer Elise Swopes (R) makes a purchase at Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary in Chicago, Illinois on January 1, 2020, the first day recreational marijuana became legal in the state Illinois started the new year on a high note Wednesday, becoming the latest US state to legalize recreational marijuana as the governor pardoned thousands for past low-level cannabis convictions. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act will allow residents 21 and older to legally purchase marijuana and will expunge thousands of individuals' criminal convictions throughout the state. "We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core," Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. On Tuesday night, Pritzker granted 11,017 pardons for people with low-level cannabis convictions, the first round of a planned total of more than 700,000. According to the statement, the new law will use 25 percent of the state's cannabis revenue to help "the communities hit hardest" by the earlier crackdown on marijuana. "Today we took another step toward justice, as we continue to address the failed war on drugs and the disproportionate impact it had on communities of color," Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx said in the statement. Illinois residents age 21 and older will now be allowed to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis, five grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC -- the main active ingredient of cannabis -- contained in a cannabis-infused product. Non-residents are allowed to carry 15 grams of cannabis under the bill, which will also create a licensed growing and dispensary system. Illinois is the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana, along with Washington, DC. Thirty-four states and the federal capital permit medical cannabis treatment. But the US Drug Enforcement Administration still considers marijuana a dangerous substance alongside LSD and heroin. A study by the federal Centers for Disease Control published in August found that states that legalize recreational marijuana see a reduction of at least 20 percent in fatalities linked to opioid overdoses. Marijuana legalization has also been shown to improve a state's economic activity, creating jobs and bringing in new tax revenue.

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by Turd Ferguson, TF Metals Report: Our old pal Jim Willie, The Golden Jackass, stops by today for his annual year-in-review and look ahead. If you can find some time over the holiday, you should be sure to have a listen. As usual, Jim is full of valuable information. Over the course of this podcast, just a few of the topics discussed are: the ongoing REPO/QE crisis central bank and media tricks and semantics Click HERE to listen the growing alliances against the US$ how gold will be central to the next monetary system the US treasury bond as the new global contagion and, as you might imagine, a whole lot more Thanks again to Jim for his time and willingness to share his insights with all of us at TFMR. It is going to be a volatile and unpredictable 2020. Listen to this podcast and begin to mentally prepare for what’s ahead. Read More @ TFMetalsReport.com

A 15-year-old intel report predicting the world of 2020 has been hailed for its accuracy, but much of the future it describes was already underway in 2004. Could today’s hyper-politicized intelligence community see even that much? Rolling out a list of “eerily prescient” predictions in order to brag about their accuracy – no flying cars here! – the National Intelligence Council (NIC) report is just what one might expect from an intel community desperate to shore up its reputation ahead of what’s sure to be a hotly contested presidential election.

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Ayodeji Ake, Sunday Ehigiator and Chiamaka Ozulumba, who sampled the opinion of some Nigerians, write that aside their personal goals, their expectations and aspirations for 2020 are for government to provide infrastructural development, basic amenities, as well as create better business environment for all to thrive in Year in, year out, the needs of Nigerians practically remain the same; provision of basic amenities by their elected officials, infrastructural development across board, favourable business environment and adequate security, amongst others. The incoming year is no different. As the curtain dropped on 2019 last Tuesday, to open up to 2020, the clamour across board is for security of people and properties, good governance, stable economy, vibrant health sector, viable education sector without incessant strike actions and basic amenities- good roads, stable power, adequate housing and potable water. THISDAY sampled the opinion of Nigerians across board and here are the excerpts: Ezegbogu Malachi, Medical Doctor My expectations for Nigeria this 2020 are for a stronger and a more united country, actualisation of the dreams of our founding fathers, strong and functional government institutions, better implementation of our annual budget and a better economy. Also, I expect a stronger respect for human rights and freedom of the press. More opportunities for our teeming youth and development of indigenous talents. Mr Osanyintola Oladayo, Oil Contractor My expectations in 2020 are really high but I want to believe it’s impossible. Firstly, I will say the government must be able to provide some basic social amenities that can help improve the livelihood of all inhabitants of this country. Secondly, they must improve on job creation in various sectors of the economy. This has a long way to go in improving the economy and this would also encourage Nigerians to study because they know there is a reward for hard work. In addition, refining our crude oil here in our country will be of a better advantage and would boost the economy better, especially when the refineries function well and are properly managed. In conclusion, my expectations for Nigeria are beyond those mentioned and I know with God and good leadership, we should get positive results in no time. Mr. Adetola Adeleke; CEO Azacom Global My expectations for the year 2020 are a remarkable improvement in infrastructure, projects across the country to enhance true dividends of democracy. This is not limited to power, agriculture, education, rural development, urban renewal, power generation and transmission, prompt payment of workers salaries and allowances etcetera. Engr. Jim Oriahi, MNSE Nigeria is a great country and my expectations for 2020 are as follows: I want a Nigeria that is more focused on human development because the higher the Human Development Index (HDI), the more prosperous the country becomes. Unlike the GDP or GNP, which give income and productivity only, HDI is a vehicle for which income is turned into development; in the education or health sectors for instance. For a country to develop, the literacy level, education, and health sectors should be a priority to the government. Government must ensure that citizens have access to good health care, child mortality/mobidity rates at birth are of concerns, with access to quality education and a platform to incorporate learned knowledge to real-life situations. I look forward to a Nigeria where Income Per Capita is put in check to ensure there is a balance in labour/payments received per annum. High per capita income signifies high economic and financial security for the Nigerian populace. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is also used to determine the per capita value. Industrialisation plays a major part in a country’s development. For a country to grow, the rate of industrialisation and employment must be high, thus creating some level of job security for her citizens is very important. I want Nigeria to be such a nation with higher export than imports leading to more profits from the international trade which will ensure that there is economic growth. A Nigeria with political stability. Having stable political environment, low or no corruption, and high level of respect to the country’s laws. Good governance ensures that the level of corruption is low, transparency in the various activities of the government, and employment is based on merit. A Nigeria with good standard of living and with respect for all classes of her citizens. A Nigeria where the government and the masses uphold her peace and unity, and a country with freedom for all. God bless Nigeria. Prince Ozioma Ohia, Real Estate Contractor According to the nobel laureate Professor Chinua Achebe, ‘Nigeria’s struggles as a nation has been of leadership problems and these are manifested in policy formulation and decision making and how these policies are implemented- most of which are not people friendly and proposed policies are anathema to the polity. Some are even enacted oblivious of the electorate and the citizens. The question remains; Cui Bono? The current administration should focus on what every Nigerian yearns for. The development of the human potential. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals of vision 2020, is centered on ‘Human Capital Development’. Great emphasis and energy should be directed towards this area. Thank God for the policy of the Central Bank towards farmers, a step in the right direction. It should not be a political goal scoring point. Professor Claudius Ake asserts that ‘Mans Basic need is Food, Clothing and Shelter’. We should see more partnership between the federal government and the higher institutes of learning especially in the agro sector. There is a positive expectation from the citizenry in the coming year concerning power. The challenges of power generation should be overcome. Vivian Oyinatumba, Student I pray 2020 graces me with better opportunities, growth and, I hope Nigeria becomes a more conducive environment. The year 2019 did not really favour me; the year was a rollercoaster of different events rocking the country. This is why I pray for a better 2020, and that the government at all levels will do more for the masses. Endurance Evulukwu; CEO Endykollections My hope and expectations for the new year is to make Endykollections a fashion household name in Nigeria, and for every Nigerian woman to be an endykollectionswoman. I want to expand my business, so as to create job opportunities for the Nigerian youth. Then I want Nigeria to get better, and for every Nigerian to be passionate about contributing to nation building. And most importantly, I want to move closer to God Timi Timz, Radio Host, PR and Comms Consultant and Entrepreneur I know 2020 is going to be an amazing year for myself and others. It will be full of success stories, love, laughter, travels, lovely experiences and beautiful memories. Life is to be lived! Kemi Ogunleye, Events Planner I pray 2020 would be an amazing year for me; I strongly believe it would be filled with success for me and my friends. I also pray for anyone confused about life and their career to receive clarity in Jesus name. Stay happy always! Henrietta Okoye; Youth Corp Member I hope and expect to have a good job come 2020, build up my own business, travel to more than 20 countries, have a family of my own, if God permits. I pray Nigeria becomes a better country devoid of the present economic issues we’re currently battling. Isi Stella Aigbomian, Midwife My expectations for 2020 as touching healthcare is basically an improvement on the resources in the health sector, referring to both maternal and human. In terms of material resources, I am optimistic that attention of the government and all other health related policy makers will come to the conclusion of equipping our health facilities ranging from primary health care to tertiary health facilities with necessary and basic equipment which assure quality assurance of care, both for diagnostic and patient treatment. In addition, policies that strengthen environmental sanitation and pollution control be put in place for the benefit of all. I also urge the government to prioritise healthcare of the citizens of Nigerians knowing that health is wealth. Rimamskep Ifusumu, Medical Doctor I expect a robust health institution with cancer centres in the six geopolitical regions fully equipped with modern Radioactive machines, and trauma centres built in three geopolitical regions, more funds for residency training to meet up the teaming or curb population of young doctors traveling abroad and meet up with the country’s population demand. I urge the government to increase budgetary allocation to achieve the above. Alabi Tolulope, Fashion Designer To the best of my knowledge, I believe the government needs our taxes to construct better roads in our country, and better roads will reduce the time we spend in traffic daily hence leading to greater and higher productivity on each day’s job/activities. The efficiency from jobs well done will improve the economic system. It will also divert our focus to accomplishing higher goals or trying out new inventions. People and companies evading taxes are doing the masses more harm than good, citizens who don’t pay their taxes have no right to complain about bad roads and other social amenities. So in year 2020 I implore people to pay their taxes promptly and correctly. One of the major problems with the governance of Nigeria is that the government is far from the masses. People are hungry, homeless, jobless and depressed, but the people in power seem not to know the extent to which some of their policies are affecting the masses. They should organise town-hall meetings to know what the masses are going through, this will bring governance closer to the smallest groups. Hon. Ishola Ibrahim, Politician Last year was really a roller coaster journey. After a general assessment of activities and event in 2019, it gives me great joy and expectations to look forward to 2020 as it will consolidate on achievements of 2019. I look forward to a 2020 of perfection. A year of joy creation and youths empowerment using available resources at our disposal. Investing in capacity building to make our youths discover their potentials, so as to become entrepreneurs, and in turn reduce unemployment and Al’s positive increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Osayuwame Ebuehi, Physiotherapist We hope that 2020 will be a good year having signed the budget early for private sector to chip in more businesses to develop the economy. And as regards the roads and electricity, with the constant and consistent payment of income tax, PAYE and VAT, and Nigerian government investing on it, Nigeria will make a better place. As regards the health, I would implore the government to provide more beds for hospitals, adequate facilities and good working Individuals. On my field, I need machines to process herbal roots and leafs to make it edible and very much reliable for consumption. Olatunji Adeleke, Professional Photographer In 2020, I expect the government to focus on building a friendly economy that attracts investors and embark on growing SME businesses as it will be a good bedrock for nation building. I also urge for the government as we approach 2020, they should stop living a lie and embark on serious and constructive poverty alleviation programmes for over 90 per cent of poverty stricken. I urge the government to be prudent in their spending, to be more calculative and wise. Adeola Alabi, Accountant I wish a good economy that will give entrepreneurs a fastanstic platform to operate, good road networks and stable electricity, as well as plan towards improving the standard of living of Nigerians by creating job opportunities for the youths. Adelaja Osisowo, Administrator, Broadcast Media Of course I expect better reform in policy making that would improve the economy in 2020. And repairs of our major roads both at the federal and state level including local levels. The government should be more proactive rather than reactive to things in 2020. Joshua Marcus Usoro, Singer and Dancer I expect a better and more stable economy and more opportunities for youths to grow and for health, I believe the Nigerian government should enforce health insurance and better equipment in hospitals for all Nigerians, it will save a lot of lives.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described 2020 as symbolic in many ways, saying it’s time to work for a better future for Nigerians. In a new year message released in Abuja on Tuesday, Atiku noted that the year heralds a brand new decade required Nigerians to stay together more than ever before. He charged the leadership and the led to take on, head front, the common enemy of insecurity that challenged the citizenry in their everyday life. The statement said, “I do not share the sentiments when some people claim that the outgone 2019 was a successful year for Nigerians. Such sentiments are reductionist and do the harm of making us have a false sense of victory. “The bitter truth is that Nigeria is still in the throes of economic instability, with more people losing jobs and the attendant outcome of more children being out of school and more families having hard time in accessing basic needs of life. “In this New Year, however, I will rather ask that Nigerians stand together with renewed vigour and determination to battle the hydra-headed demon of insecurity that has plagued us in the past decade. “We must challenge the inadequacies that made us become the global headquarters of extreme poverty; much as we must work hard and fast enough to eliminate the scourge of out-of-school children in the country. These are the challenges that this new decade has thrown at us and we cannot afford to slumber and submit to defeat”. Atiku observed that the problems of extreme poverty and scant investments in education played huge roles in fueling the problems of violent extremism that characterised the past decade. He warned that the country cannot win the fight against terrorism without reducing or eliminating poverty and illiteracy. Continuing, Atiku said, “The reality of this new decade requires of us to recalibrate our approaches and to pursue some tough choices. If failure is not an option, then we must let go of our egos and conveniences. “In this new decade, we must start to do things differently if we are honest about our desire for a better and prosperous future. There must be a deliberate effort to improve the material wellbeing of the people, by lifting millions of Nigerians out of the extreme poverty belt at a start, and to prosperity. Government must rethink many of its policies that are sinking more people into the abyss of extreme poverty. Read Also; We’ll not disappoint you in 2020, APC assures Nigerians “It is incumbent on government at all levels to pursue policies that will provide decent housing to the mass majority; put food on the table; provide healthcare and education. We cannot continue to do things the same way and expect a different outcome. It is therefore high time we caused a rejig of economic policies that will promote an expansion of the economy and create job opportunities aplenty. “At the individual level, this moment calls for more empathy and sacrifice. The New Year and a new decade come with the opportunity to make better impressions in our lives and in the lives of people around us. “I wish to restate that our collective call for rule of law and our history about the struggle for democratic rule did not envisage a situation where judicial pronouncements would be worthless than the paper upon which they are rendered. “It is a bad advertisement for the country and its democracy if declarations made by the courts are not respected without the executive arm of government agreeing to same. “Any democracy is not worth the appellation if the principle of separation of powers is not ingrained in it. In the new year, government should not pretend to be democratic, but rather act according to the fundamentals of a democracy. “Above all, I expect that in the New Year, there will be a better observance of rule of law and greater respect for citizens’ democratic rights. “While we anticipate a change of attitude across board in the new year and new decade, I wish every Nigerian a happy and prosperous 2020”.

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1 Dead, 2 Injured in Downtown Minneapolis Fight and Stabbing Jennifer Lewerenz | Dec 30, 2019 AT 11:40 am Click to Enlarge Photo: Jennifer Lewerenz KNSI News (AP) - An altercation in downtown Minneapolis has left one man dead and two other people with injuries. Police say a fight between two men resulted in one of them stabbing the other Sunday morning. The man who was stabbed got in an SUV and intentionally ran over the other man accused of inflicting his injuries, according to investigators. The two men, in their 40s, along with another person in the vehicle were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center. Authorities say the man hit by the SUV later died at the hospital. The condition of the other man improved and he was arrested on suspicion of murder. The third person injured suffered minor injuries that appeared to be crash related. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed Posted By Jennifer Lewerenz News Director Jennifer is a twin cities native, spending the entire 20 plus years of her radio career in Minnesota. She and her husband enjoy cooking, fishing, laughing, sports and traveling.

A man died after an altercation that led to a stabbing and motor vehicle crash, Minneapolis police said Sunday. The incident occurred at 11:12 a.m. in the 500 block of South Eighth Street, according to a police department release. Three people were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, two men in critical condition and one person with minor injuries. One of the men originally listed in critical condition died at the hospital. The other man who was listed in critical condition was arrested on suspicion of probable cause murder, authorities said. Investigators were still gathering details but said they are not looking for additional suspects. The deceased man’s identity, along with the nature and cause of his death, will be released by the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office. It was the 47th homicide in Minneapolis in 2019.

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Studio 54 party at Midtown's Electric FeelGood lets partygoers ring in 2020 Midtown's Electric FeelGood hosted a Studio 54 party to celebrate New Year's Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Houston. Midtown's Electric FeelGood hosted a Studio 54 party to celebrate New Year's Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Houston. Photo: Jamaal Ellis/Contributor Photo: Jamaal Ellis/Contributor Image 1 of / 67 Caption Close Studio 54 party at Midtown's Electric FeelGood lets partygoers ring in 2020 1 / 67 Back to Gallery Watching the ball drop on TV is certainly not everyone’s idea of a good time. For those who wanted to skip out on the televised tradition, Houston venues offered party options galore, including Midtown hotspot Electric FeelGood. The two-story bar, featuring an indoor slide, hosted a "Studio 54" soiree Tuesday night. Guests enjoyed spins by DJ Palmo and a champagne toast at midnight. For an inside look at all the fun, see above. Marcy de Luna is a reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. NEW YEAR'S EVE: How Houston celebrities celebrated the arrival of 2020

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A New Year's Eve shooting in a Philadelphia home that left two people dead appears to have been a murder-suicide, authorities said. The shooting happened around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday on Frontenac Street. A 36-year-old woman was found dead in the home, authorities said, while a 37-year-old man who had been shot in the head was taken to a hospital where he later died. Their names and further details about them have not been released. While the shooting remains under an investigation, authorities said it appears the man may have shot the woman and then used the gun on himself. A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

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On Tuesday — following U.S. military airstrikes in Iraq and Syria — hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah (not to be confused with the Hezbollah in Lebanon) angrily stormed the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad, setting fires and chanting, “Death to America.” The incident was an assertion of growing anti-American sentiment in Iraq, and conservative opinion writer Max Boot asserts in his Washington Post column that President Donald Trump has no real strategy for dealing with Iran. Boot, one of Trump’s most outspoken critics on the right, recalls that although he was critical of President Barack Obama’s Iran policy in 2015, it was better than Trump’s. Obama’s deal with Iran, Boot writes, “did nothing to curb Iran’s regional power play and may have even fueled it by lifting economic sanctions — which is why I and others opposed it at the time. But it did at least stop Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. President Trump blundered by exiting the nuclear deal in 2018 and imposing economic sanctions on Iran in 2019, even though it was complying with the agreement.” The airstrikes in Iran and Syria over the weekend were in response to a missile attack on a military compound near Kirkuk, Iraq on Friday that left a contractor dead. And the airstrikes, Boot notes, “killed 25 members of Kataib Hezbollah.” “The United States has only two ways out of this escalating crisis: fight or negotiate,” Boot emphasizes. “A war with Iran, as I have previously argued, could be the mother of all quagmires; it could easily spin out of control with tit-for-tat responses of the kind we have seen in recent days. Better to negotiate. That would mean trying to rebuild a tougher nuclear deal in return for the lifting of U.S. sanctions.” Boot concludes his column by lamenting that things will only get worse for the U.S. in the Middle East if Trump fails to come up with a coherent Iran policy. “Trump shows little interest in either seriously negotiating or fighting,” Boot laments. “He has waged economic warfare on Iran while doing nothing to curb its regional aggression; indeed, by withdrawing U.S. troops from part of northern Syria, he has allowed an extension of Iranian influence. So, we are left with the worst of all possible worlds: Iran is once again waging a low-intensity conflict, and America once again has no effective response.”

US troops on Wednesday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of pro-Iranian militia members who hurled rocks at the US Embassy as a tense standoff in Baghdad entered its second day. Scores of demonstrators camped outside the embassy overnight after they stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone on Tuesday, chanting “Death to America,” lighting fires at security posts, spraying graffiti on walls and trying to bust through sealed entrances. US Marines fired tear gas into the crowds that returned on Wednesday and set fire to the roof of a reception area. At one point, Iraqi soldiers and counterterrorism forces positioned themselves between the militia members and the compound. The unrest erupted after US jet fighters attacked five bases in Iraq and Syria belonging to the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah over the weekend, killing 25 fighters and wounding dozens more. The US strike was in retaliation for a rocket attack on an Iraq base by the group that killed an American contractor and wounded four US service members. President Trump was asked about the escalating situation in Iraq and whether the US was planning on going to war with Iran. “I don’t think that would be a good idea for Iran. It wouldn’t last very long. Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. And Iran should want peace more than anybody. So I don’t see that happening. No, I don’t think Iran would want that to happen. It would go very quickly,” Trump told reporters before a New Year’s Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mainly Shiite-aligned militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, called on its supporters to move away from the compound after the Iraqi government said their “message has been heard.” Mohammed Mohieh, a spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah, said the group’s members would not budge until the US ambassador is removed and US troops leave Iraq. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US would deploy about 750 troops to the Middle East in response to the storming of the embassy. “This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,” Esper said in a statement. “The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world.”

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The president spoke after Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that around 750 troops from a rapid response unit of the 82nd Airborne Division were prepared to deploy over the next several days to the Middle East. PALM BEACH - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he did not foresee war with Tehran, after pro-Iranian demonstrators stormed the US embassy in Iraq. "I don't see that happening," Trump said at his holiday retreat in Florida when a reporter asked about the possibility of war with the Islamic republic. "I like peace," the president said before heading in to New Year's celebrations. The president spoke after Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that around 750 troops from a rapid response unit of the 82nd Airborne Division were prepared to deploy over the next several days to the Middle East. The US had already flown a rapid response team of Marines into Baghdad to reinforce its embassy after the attack Tuesday, which left smoke and flames rising from the compound's entrance and further heightened tension between Tehran and Washington. US officials said there were no plans to evacuate the mission, and no US personnel were reported injured. The US reinforcements "got in there very quickly," Trump said. "I think it's been handled very well." He added that "this will not be a Benghazi," a reference to an attack in 2012 by radical Islamists on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were killed inside the smoke-clogged building including the ambassador, Chris Stevens.

Donald Trump speaks to reporters first lady Melania Trump before his New Year's Eve party: AP Donald Trump has claimed he “likes” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he hoped the North Korean leader would keep his word by upholding a denuclearisation agreement. The US president responded to the supreme leader’s latest claim Pyongyang would continue developing nuclear programmes and introduce a “new strategic weapon” – accusing the Trump administration of having “gangster-like demands”. Speaking told reporters at his new year's eve party at Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump said: “He likes me, I like him, we get along ... he’s representing his country, I’m representing my country, we have to do what we have to do. “But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearisation ... That was done in Singapore, and I think he’s a man of his word, so we’re going to find out.” Mr Trump also said he would be happy to have a trial in the US Senate following his impeachment by the Democratic-led House of Representatives. “I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter.” “As far as I’m concerned I’d be very happy with a trial because we did nothing wrong. The impeachment – I call it impeachment light,” he added, predicting any Senate trial would “go very easy”. The president suggested he would win the 2020 election comfortably if the media treated him differently. “If you’re honourable I’m going to win the election by a lot. If you’re not honourable I’m just going to win the election by a little. So I’d rather have you be honourable.” Mr Trump also addressed the attack on the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, having earlier said he held Iran responsible. “I think he’s a man of his word,” Trump says of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pic.twitter.com/bYQLXeBYPA — QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake) January 1, 2020 Washington drafted in Apache attack helicopters and scores of US Marines to reinforce the embassy compound after storming of the site by Iraqi militia members and their supporters. “We had some great warriors come in,” said Mr Trump. “This will not be a Benghazi … this will never, ever be a Benghazi,” he added, referring to the deadly attack on a US diplomatic compound in Libya in 2012. The president has deployed 750 US soldiers to the Middle East, as about 3,000 more are prepared for possible deployment in the next several days. Mr Trump also said the federal government will soon announce a new strategy to tackle underage vaping, promising. He was vague about what the plan would entail, but suggested “certain flavours” in cartridge-based e-cigarettes would be taken off the market “for a period of time”. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration would ban the sale of most flavoured e-cigarettes. Read more Trump follows Iran threat with bizarre tweet about mixed martial arts Kim Jong-un threatens ‘new strategic weapon’ and rails against the US Trump threatens Iran over embassy attack in furious tweet

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Your browser does not support the audio element. Your browser does not support the audio element. Young left-handed opener Manjot Kalra, who scored a hundred in the final of the last edition of U-19 World Cup, has been suspended by outgoing DDCA Ombudsman for one year from playing Ranji Trophy, for an alleged age-fraud during his U-16 and U-19 days. However for the same offence, Delhi senior team vice-captain Nitish Rana has been let off for the time being with more documents being sought to prove that he fudged his age at the junior level. Another U-19 star Shivam Mavi's case has been referred to the BCCI since he now represents Uttar Pradesh in senior cricket. The outgoing Ombudsman Justice (Retired) Badr Durrez Ahmed passed an order (a copy of which is with PTI) on his final day, preventing Kalra from playing age-group cricket for two years but more importantly denying him a chance to play Ranji Trophy for this season. Kalra, whose age as per BCCI records is 20 years 351 days, last week played for Delhi U-23 against Bengal and scored 80. He was in line to replace senior opener Shikhar Dhawan in the Ranji squad but as it now stands, he will not play any further. When asked a senior DDCA official, he expressed his helplessness. "I find it surprising that Manjot Kalra has been punished for the same offence that Nitish Rana is also allegedly guilty of. We couldn't pick Manjot as it was Ombudsman's order. He passed it at 11:30 pm at night, a day before he relinquished office. Now that's a bit bizarre," DDCA general secretary Vinod Tihara told PTI. In case of Rana, former Ombudsman has asked DDCA to enquire from his school DAV Centenary, Narela and seek specific birth-certificate related documents and place before next hearing. But question remains when the old Ombudsman is not there, does it mean new appointee Justice Deepak Verma will conduct fresh enquiry? What everyone is failing to understand is how Kalra can be prevented from playing senior level cricket for age-fraud? "He has been prevented from playing club matches also. Now his parents will have to appeal for a change of order in front of new Ombudsman. Till then DDCA can't pick him for Ranji Trophy. We are helpless," Tihara said. For the Punjab game in Mohali, selectors have picked right-handed middle-order batsman Vaibhav Kandpal and seam bowling all-rounder Siddhant Sharma in the squad of 15 in place of Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Your browser does not support the audio element. Your browser does not support the audio element. Actor Robert Pattinson says he is looking forward to playing Batman in Matt Reeves' directorial on the DC superhero and wants to push boundaries of the character as far as possible. "The Batman" will be fronted by Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. "In terms of the character itself, I want to push it as far as it can possibly go. And I think Matt Reeves does as well. You can do crazy stuff with that part," Pattinson told Empire magazine. The actor made a case for an R-rated version of the film, adding the rating would allow the makers to test different waters. "The only thing that's more complicated is the rating. As soon as you make something an R-rated movie, you're freed up to do so much stuff," he said. The film is being billed as a grounded take on the Dark Knight and will feature many of Batman's villains. Reeves is directing from his own script. He is also attached to produce with Dylan Clark. "The Batman" will hit the screens on June 25, 2021. Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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Dracula review – a blood-sucking delight that leaves you thirsty for more. Fun, smart, scary and with just the right whiff of ham … Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have served up a diabolic luxury Do you want to have some FUN this Christmastide? Do you like RIPPING YARNS? Do you think there’s no greater pleasure than a brilliant story brilliantly told? You do? Well, have I got good news for you. Which is: BBC One’s new series Dracula is a pure and joyous BELTER. It’s in three parts of 90 glorious minutes each, adapted by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. And it is basically Sherlock but about Dracula. And peak Sherlock at that: seeking always to entertain the audience, revitalising the story while revelling in its absurdity, clever without being clever-clever, and strewn with comic and dramatic flourishes that give you the feeling that this is not just a treat but a tribute – to the author, to the season, to you as an intelligent viewer. It’s a proper job, is what I’m saying. And that means proper scares. No spoilers, but the one in the [redacted] when the [redacted] suddenly [redacted] had me clinging to the ceiling. I advise parental supervision at all times. My dad was annoyed at having to come over, but needs must when the devil calls and starts emanating from your screen. Everything you need is here. A dark, unmappable, labyrinthine castle. Gnarled hands resting on balcony ledges, their unseen owner lurking in shadowy recesses. Terrified locals. Bats. Babies crying. Primal fears inescapably roused. The story unfolds within two timeframes, the Now and the Then. In the Now, where we begin, a strangely deformed man is being interviewed in a nunnery by Sister Agatha (Dolly Wells) who – and I’m calling it now – is quite the best nun of all time, and not just because she has no time at all for God. “Like many women my age I am trapped in a loveless marriage, maintaining appearances for the sake of a roof over my head,” she says briskly. She is investigating the man’s tale of escape from someone he calls Count Dracula. The man’s name is Jonathan Harker and he is played by John Heffernan with the same utter conviction brought to the story by the rest of the cast via a script and direction that are all refreshingly devoid of any shred of cynicism. You may point, as apparent disproof of my assertion, to Sister Agatha’s response to Harker’s failure to realise the significance of an SOS message written in English in the heart of eastern Europe: “You are an English man,” she explains. “A combination of presumptions beyond compare.” But you would be wrong. She is simply a truth-teller, unfettered by convention. This is quite different. Also, top nunning. I will brook no riposte. Harker was brought by a fisherman to the nunnery, having been found washed up on the banks of a nearby river muttering about forces of evil. He looks a half-formed thing – bald and white and smooth, a cross between Voldemort and Ryan Reynolds’ irradiated Deadpool – as well, it turns out, he might. Related: Claes Bang on playing a sexy Dracula: 'He's insatiable – and not just for blood!' Harker is a lawyer who was sent to talk a mysterious client through some legal issues at his castle. That’s the Then. The client is an unsettling, old, old man with a – Transylvanian, is it? – accent who says exactly the things you want an old, old man with a Transylvanian accent and an unmappable castle to say. Things such as “I don’t drink … wine”, and “The people around here have no flavour”. “Perhaps you mean ‘character’?” suggests Harker gently. “Perhaps,” replies the old, old man. When asked if there is anyone else living in the place, he replies “No. There’s no one … living here.” It is around this point that you find your bum wriggling its way more firmly into the sofa. The client takes a shine to him, and so Harker must stay. His health fails, he gets weaker by the day – but the years fall away from Dracula until he stands revealed as Danish actor Claes Bang, embodying exactly the wolfish charm and diabolic spirit you love to see in a prince … wait, what am I saying?! The prince of darkness. It’s a bloodstained love letter to a classic, beautifully and delicately scented with just the faintest hint of ham gothic yarns need; a homage to all the great Counts who have gone before, but still entirely its own thing. And again, like the best of Gatiss and Moffat’s Sherlocks, with the searching intelligence that promises to flesh out the foundational story. Enjoy sinking your teeth into it all.

Dracula Rating: Pictured: Claes Bang as Dracula On the first day of Veganuary, my TV gave to me, twelve nuns a-bleeding, eleven bats a-feeding, ten ghouls a-shrieking, nine corpses twitching, eight demons drooling, seven wolves a-howling, six crosses burning, five fin-ger-nails... Four goblets of blood, three dead rats, two stakes through the heart and a vampire baby in a bad mood. Good luck if you were trying to give up meat for the month. Dracula (BBC1) was dripping with more gore than a raw hamburger marinaded in pig's blood and garnished with an eyeball. And that was before the Lord of the Undead decapitated Mother Superior Joanna Scanlan, sending a fountain of vermilion like a geyser across the altar of the convent chapel. This was a Dracula to delight horror movie fans of all stripes. From the bone-chilling menace of Max Schreck in the silent classic Nosferatu almost 100 years ago, to the sheer camp silliness of Hammer horror's bosomy virgins, it paid homage to them all. Writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have done this before, reinventing a Victorian masterpiece for a 21st century television audience, with Sherlock. By taking all the elements they love most from all their favourite versions, the duo salute the past while creating an entirely original vision. Perhaps seeking to stir up publicity, Gatiss and Moffat had announced that this would be a homoerotic Dracula. It wasn't in the first episode: Exuberantly camp, certainly, but not noticeably gay. Dracula was dripping with more gore than a raw hamburger marinaded in pig's blood and garnished with an eyeball, writes Christopher Stevens (Pictured: Bang and Dolly Wells as Sister Agatha) In fact, the script was lovingly sucking up lines from all kinds of treasured movies, feeding off the classics. When naive lawyer Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan) finally realised that his host at a remote Transylvanian castle meant to murder him, he gasped: 'You're a monster!' 'And you're a lawyer,' retorted the Count (Claes Bang). 'Nobody's perfect.' Any film buff knows that gag is the punchline from Some Like It Hot, which is nobody's idea of a vampire movie. When a nun armed with a crucifix and a wooden stake tried to drive the dark lord away from the cloister gates, she reminded him he could not withstand the radiance of her Christian goodness. 'Goodness has got nothing to do with it,' smirked Dracula, quoting Mae West. Bang, one of Denmark's most outstanding actors, was relishing every mouthful of his dialogue. He began the 90-minute episode, the first of three, in wig and make-up that made him look convincingly ancient though still capable of moving like a bolt of lightning when he caught sight of a mirror in Harker's luggage. He was rejuvenated within a week, thanks to a diet of fresh claret direct from the jugular, while the lawyer slept. 'You do look rather drained,' the Count sympathised to Harker. Many of the genre's traditions were faithfully observed – the secret passage behind an ancestral portrait, the colony of screaming bats, the skeletal incubus at the bedside. Writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have done this before, reinventing a Victorian masterpiece for a 21st century television audience, with Sherlock Perhaps seeking to stir up publicity, Gatiss and Moffat had announced that this would be a homoerotic Dracula But Gatiss and Moffat gleefully turned others inside out, sometimes literally. Vampires and werewolves are usually separate species. But, as in the original novel, Dracula was able to take the guise of a wolf – and turned up on all four paws at the convent to which Harker had fled. Challenged to show himself by a bold nun, he tore his way out of the wolf's entrails, leered at the quivering sisters and lisped: 'I don't know about you, girls, but I do love a bit of fur.' That bold nun (Dolly Wells) delivered the cleverest twist. She introduced herself as Sister Agatha, and she wasn't noticeably godly – though a Bride of Christ, she described herself as 'trapped in a loveless marriage for the sake of keeping a roof over my head'. When she interviewed Harker, who was decomposing before our eyes, she brought along a novice nun as a chaperone and claimed: 'I can't be trusted around men.' We guessed long before Harker that this novitiate was really his fiancee Mina Murray (Morfydd Clark) in disguise. What I certainly didn't guess was that Sister Aggie was actually the vampire hunter Van Helsing. Wells, previously known for her improvised sitcom Doll & Em, was a match at every step for Claes Bang. This is not a production for delicate souls. There were images of true horror: The broken-jointed corpses climbing out of their packing cases, the hollow-eyed baby lurching forwards to feed on an impaled maiden, and most of all those fingernails... sliding off Harker's hands like loose orange peel. Aarrghhh! One touch was especially impressive. In the whole hour-and-a-half, we didn't hear a syllable of foul language – blasphemy, certainly, but no obscenities, no four-letter swearwords. Dracula's shocks were far more savage than that.

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This year, Coronation Street shocked fans by introducing the Baileys – its first family of colour after almost 60 years on air. How have they been received? When it was announced in April that Britain’s longest-running soap, Coronation Street, would be introducing its first black family, the response was one of shock and incredulousness. Lenny Henry simply tweeted “wow” at the news, while theatre director Matthew Xia asked: “How have the producers managed to get away with this for almost 60 years?” Though Corrie introduced its first black character – Shirley Armitage, played by Lisa Lewis – in 1983, the arrival of the Baileys was a major step forward for the 59-year-old soap, coming almost 30 years after the Taverniers arrived in EastEnders’ Albert Square in 1990. The Bailey family would include the usual mix of high drama and plausibility – patriarch Edison with his gambling addiction, eldest son and wheeler-dealer Michael, youngest son James, a gay footballer, and kindly matriarch Aggie. “Coronation Street is a national treasure,” says Trevor Michael Georges, who plays Edison, “so when they announced they were looking for their first black family, that marked a real shift in mentality.” Georges has a history in opera and theatre, so Corrie marked a major shift for him, too. “The problem is not being the first of something but paving the way for the second or third,” he says. “That way you build a legacy and when you get to the third iteration, the novelty has worn off so you’re appreciated on your own merits.” Still, with no precedent to fall back on, it has been tricky. “There is an immense pressure,” he says. “There is no one I can go to for advice. It has been nerve-racking, but we just have to set up the pathway for others to follow.” With a storyline concerning racism and homophobia in football, Nathan Graham’s character, James, feels especially current. “It’s really important to shine a light on issues happening in the world,” he says. “We need to show all facets of James’s character and not stereotype him. Representation is increasing – but we still need to stay authentic.” Corrie might be the nation’s favourite soap, but, with viewing figures dropping across the board, there’s hope this injection of diversity will prove an incentive for new viewers to tune in. “This family has been so welcomed,” says Lorna Laidlaw, who plays Aggie. So many of her friends and family have come back to Corrie because of the Baileys – and she has been contacted by younger BAME actors asking for advice on breaking into the industry. “Acting is really tough and there isn’t enough representation, so this is a role of a lifetime,” she says. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t have more open casting now. Why we can’t have a black lawyer or black businessman on TV, too?”

The shocking moment was caught on film by another traveller, who shared it with Instagram account @PassengerShaming. In the video, the man can be seen sitting in a waiting area alongside other passengers. At first, nothing seems out of the ordinary, and the man doesn’t stand out from any other person waiting for their plane to board. However, he soon turns a few heads when he apparently begins to urinate directly onto the tiled airport floor. READ MORE: FCO travel warning: Australia fires trap 4,000 people on beaches [TRAVEL WARNING]

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Business leaders in Japan on Wednesday underlined their determination to further boost digital innovation this year as part of efforts for the country to lead the global economy. In a New Year message, Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, said the country's most influential business lobby known as Keidanren hopes to further develop digital technologies to make people's lives happier and solve social problems. He said the business lobby will be committed to rule-making for digital transformation and economic structural reforms to address the graying and decreasing population in the country. Nakanishi also said Keidanren welcomes the entry into force Wednesday of a Japan-U.S. trade deal, which lowers tariffs on farm and industrial goods, agreed on by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump in September. "We will promote private-sector diplomacy to maintain and strengthen free and open international economic order in the hope of contributing to stability and growth of the global economy," Nakanishi said. Kengo Sakurada, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, called on Japan to take initiative in rule-making on use of digital data and taxation of information technology giants. "Japan needs to compile its own regulations and rules on digital data ahead of overseas countries," Sakurada said. He especially sought deregulation in the fields of online medical services and autonomous driving. Sakurada also urged Japan to express its determination to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with its cutting-edge technologies. Akio Mimura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it is urgently needed to introduce digital technologies to small and midsize firms across the country to increase their productivity. To boost the regional economy, Mimura said the chamber aims to make the most of indigenous resources and external demand including inbound travelers to promote local tourism and the tie-up among agricultural, commercial and manufacturing sectors. © KYODO

President Trump's plan to curb teen vaping exempts some flavors WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. health officials will ban most flavored e-cigarettes popular with underage teenagers. President Donald Trump says the federal government will soon announce a new strategy to tackle underage vaping, promising, “We’re going to protect our families, we’re going to protect our children, and we’re going to protect the industry." But the plan from the Trump administration includes major exceptions that benefit companies that make and sell e-cigarettes and adults who use the nicotine-emitting devices. Trump was vague about what the plan would entail but suggested “certain flavors” in cartridge-based e-cigarettes would be taken off the market “for a period of time." The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday the policy won't affect menthol or tobacco flavors. The policy also won't affect large, tank-based vaping products sold in vape shops that cater to adults. Those changes are a major step back from President Donald Trump's original plan announced in September, which would have banned nearly all flavors in all vaping products. Beginning in May, All e-cigarettes will need to undergo FDA review. Only those that can demonstrate a benefit for U.S. public health will be permitted to stay on the market.

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Whether you’re trying to laugh, dance, win fabulous booby prizes, or totally shit on this past year, there are multiple shows happening all over town to help you forget your cringy hangout with your sad aunts and weird cousins over the holidays. To help you get the most LOLs possible, we tracked down some of the most unique, interesting, snarky, and delightfully weird comedy shows happening from now through New Year’s. New Year’s with Tiffany Norton New Hope Cinema Grill Tiffany Norton, who has been the queen of New Year’s Eve in New Hope for years, will take the headliner slot for this big year-end show. Norton has been one of the most impressive comedy stories of the past decade, transforming from part-time performer to must-see headliner at night, all while waking up early as part of KS95’s morning show. This show is definitely worth the drive out to the ‘burbs. 8:30 p.m. $19. 2749 Winnetka Ave. N., New Hope; 763-417-0017. New Year’s Eve Comedy and Dance Party Dance Love Studio Why choose between comedy, dancing, and partying into the New Year? Dance Love Studio will have the best of all three on New Year’s Eve, with comedians Ali Sultan, Greg Coleman, Shawn Nasfstad, and Abenezer Merdassa providing the jokes. Sultan and Coleman are two of the most seasoned headliners in town, and both are worth the price of admission on their own. Meanwhile, Nafstad and Merdassa are two of the fastest-rising up-and-coming voices in comedy, and will likely find themselves headlining their own New Year’s Eve shows in 2020. Get there early, as the comedy will get the party started for the evening at 9 p.m. From there, you can get up and move with a mini dance lesson from Hanna Esparza, then hit the open floor starting at 10:45 p.m. with DJ Salman and DJ Luv. You’ll be able to countdown to the New Year at midnight, celebrate with a toast, sloppily hug and high-five everyone, and then keep the party going until 2 a.m. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. $20/$30 at the door. 2601 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis. East Coast-Style New Year’s Eve Sisyphus Brewing For anyone who loves to celebrate but also likes going to bed a reasonable time, Maggie Faris has your back. Faris is once again presenting her East Coast-Style New Year’s Eve event, with a stacked lineup of comedians and plenty of surprises. The best part? Each show ends with a full-blown New Year’s countdown (the late show ends at 11 p.m., or midnight on the East Coast -- get it?), with champagne and confetti and all the pomp and circumstance you could ask for $25 bucks. This year’s shows will feature Faris, alongside Amber Preston, who made her mark as an Acme regular before taking over Los Angeles the past several years, and headliner David Dyer, who is best known as part of the Bob and Tom radio show. One of the staples of Faris’ events has become her affinity for booby prizes, and this year’s East Coast blowout will be no exception. Trust us, they will be ridiculous. There are two sets, giving you plenty of time to get home and relieve the babysitter before the “real” parties start, or sneak off to another bar to watch the ball drop and countdown to midnight for real. 7 and 9 p.m. $25. 712 Ontario Ave. W., Minneapolis; 612-444-8674. Also, these comedy shows are recommended by City Pages writers: Lizz Winstead: Sharknado X The Cedar Cultural Center When recounting the entire history of civilization, the last 10 years is just a blip. But when you’re living through a decade of political malaise, cultural anxiety, economic uncertainty, and environmental deterioration, things can feel like a series of escalating catastrophes. Thankfully Lizz Winstead, the socially astute comic who co-created satirical news staple The Daily Show, has been here all the while to provide cathartic laughter at her popular New Year’s Eve retrospectives. In recapping a 365 days worth of absurdities, Winstead brings an insightful perspective, infusing the most exasperating events with much needed levity. That said, even Winstead’s formidable comic skills are certain to be tested when consolidating an entire irrational decade into one hilarious presentation. Winstead, accompanied by guitarist Sam Breckenridge, will evoke laughter from this period of prolonged tension, hopefully imbuing a bit of hope as we enter a new decade. 7:30 p.m. $50/$60; $70 VIP. 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-338-2674. --Brad Richason Sean Donnelly Rick Bronson's House of Comedy “I’m newly divorced, which is a bit of a bummer. But I’m doing good,” says comedian Sean Donnelly. “I just did a spot on Tracy Morgan’s show, The Last O.G., playing a security guard, and I’ve been doing tons of standup as usual.” Onstage, Donnelly is talking about everything from U.F.O.s to social media. “I had A.D.D. as a kid,” he says of the latter. “Social media is like my brain, but as a collective unit. After a few days, we can’t remember what we were upset about or who we were mad at.” Donnelly reckons we’re headed back to 1996 as people back away from social media. “I already see it happening. People say, ‘I check my email and maybe look up a recipe.’ Even the tech companies have caught on, offering features that let you lock yourself out of the internet for awhile.” He likens it to how bars were years ago. “They used to say in bars, ‘No politics or religion.’ I think that’s kind of good. I’m not saying we can’t talk about things, but we can still be friends and have different opinions. Family members are unfriending each other. People need to chill out. One thing doesn’t define a person.” 7 and 10 p.m. $25-$55.95. 408 E. Broadway, Mall of America, Bloomington; 952-858-8558. --P.F. Wilson Bengt Washburn Acme Comedy Co. “I’m in an airport in Costa Rica,” Bengt Washburn tells us. “I did a cruise ship gig last week and this is where I get off.” For years, working the boats, as they say, wasn’t the most desirable gig in comedy, but Washburn says times have changed. “I don’t mind it,” he says. “Older audiences now are pretty hip. When I first started, they didn’t know what standup was. Now, if you have an audience of 50 and 60 year olds, they know who Carlin is; they get it.” Washburn doesn’t work blue, but there are still things that seem otherwise innocuous that he can’t joke about on ships. “I still do clubs. That’s where I do the writing,” he says. His PG/PG-13 style earned him two specials on Dry Bar Comedy, a website and production company that favors clean standup. “My last special for them was called Not Bad,” he explains. “At Acme, I’ll be doing the ‘Sort of Bad’ show. It’s all the stuff from Not Bad, but not truncated. It goes a little further.” For example, he’ll be able to touch on some social and political topics that he couldn’t do at sea. “That would start a fight on a ship,” he adds. “But it would be pretty funny given the age group. Someone would tip over and die.” 8 and 10:30 p.m. $30; $60 with dinner. 708 N. First St., Minneapolis; 612-338-6393. --P.F. Wilson Other great shows set for New Year’s Eve: Resolution 2020: A Zero Proof New Year's Eve The Parkway Theater This all ages, sober show features music from HALEY and Lydia Liza, plus comedian Moe Yaqub. 9 p.m. $45/$55 at the door; $75 VIP. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; 612-822-8080. Bob Stromberg With a Mexican buffet and music from DJ Scott Rousseau. 8 p.m. $40-$50. Heart of the City Music Factory, 2665 Fourth Ave., Anoka; 612-990-6192.

When I was a kid, New Year’s Eve night was one of my favorites. My parents and I would gather with one or two of my uncle’s families. It was the only night of the year we could hang out until midnight. The evening was spent making confetti out of colored paper, getting our homemade noise-makers of pans and wooden ladles ready, and setting the stage so we could scream and yell the New Year into existence. The television was always on, of course, bouncing between the various New Year’s celebrations being covered on the networks. Anyone who was doing the same thing with their family this year may have been treated to Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen discussing a story about Cooper’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, wondering if she was going to be asked who had the largest “cock” in Hollywood. Of course Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are talking about "who has the biggest cock in Hollywood" live on #CNNNYE pic.twitter.com/7cwaMGBQ3W — Mark Dice (@MarkDice) January 1, 2020 No big deal, right? It’s 2020. Old sensibilities are out and penis stories are in. Sorry, but no. That’s not how this works. The constant virtue signaling by mainstream media prohibits us from dismissing when they decide inappropriate things are suddenly appropriate. As Twitter celebrity Carpe Donktum noted, the hypocrisy at CNN, Cooper’s home network, is thick. CNN: DECENCY IS UNDER ATTACK IN TRUMP'S AMERICA!! HIS VULGAR TWEETS ARE HURTING OUR CHILDREN. Also CNN: Let's swap cock stories on live television during New Years! — Carpe Donktum🔹 (@CarpeDonktum) January 1, 2020 One of the biggest threats of Cultural Marxism is taking things that are rightly considered inappropriate and normalizing them for children in modern society. Have most kids heard worse than, “He’s not going to ask me who has the biggest cock in Hollywood, is he?” Yes. Does that make it okay for Anderson Cooper to ask it live on CNN on New Year’s Eve night. No. When we accept such things without objection, we’re acknowledging that the Cultural Marxists have already won. Revelry is no excuse for retelling of adult stories on live television. Anderson Cooper stepped in it on this one, but we shouldn’t expect anything from CNN. Not an apology. Not even an acknowledgement. We need to set a better tone for 2020. We are currently forming the American Conservative Movement. If you are interested in learning more, we will be sending out information in a few weeks.

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Uchechukwu Nnaike examines the efforts made so far by Lafarge Africa to promote basic literacy in Nigeria through its annual National Literary Competition, which was launched in 2014 The alarming rate of out-of-school children in the country has continued to draw concern and intervention from all fronts, among which is the annual National Literary Competition, launched in 2014 by Lafarge Africa to create more literacy enhancement opportunities for indigent students across Nigeria. According to the company, promoting literacy and education has proven to be an effective approach to alleviating poverty and improving the well-being of a society, as well as achieving equality and fostering sustainable development. However it cited a UNESCO report, which stated that globally, approximately 758 million adults (15 per cent of global population) remain illiterate with women constituting two-third and Sub-Saharan Africa home to 26 per cent of world’s illiteracy rate. “In Nigeria, it is estimated that just a little above half of the adult population is literate (about 57 per cent), while youth literacy rate is less than 70 per cent. “Yet, rates vary hugely between states, regions and sex. An in-depth survey by the National Bureau of Statistics reveal that Imo and Lagos States record the highest number of English literate adults at 80.8 per cent and 80.5 per cent respectively, while Sokoto State has only 22.1 per cent of its adult population literate in English Language. According to the 2010 National Literacy Survey, urban literacy surpasses rural at a huge ratio of 69.4 per cent to 38.5 per cent, while 65.1 per cent of males are literate as opposed to 50.6 per cent females. “These estimates reveal that approximately 65 million Nigerians still remain illiterate, while over 10 million children are out of school (UNICEF 2014).” Thus with support of the Ovie Brume Foundation (OBF) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB), the Lafarge Africa National Literacy Competition was launched in 2014 as an annual contest conducted at the state, regional and national levels. After being coached in spelling, pronunciation, essay writing, and summary writing using specially developed study guides, select pupils compete in a state run-off, which sees two candidates (one male and one female) emerge to compete at the regional levels. The winning regions then proceed to the grand finale, where six winners emerge. The competition also aims at enabling pupils to further enhance their language and vocabulary skills with the overall goal of enhancing the participants’ literacy skills (reading, writing, pronunciation and spelling) and improving their educational opportunities. It features reading assessment test- a questionnaire of 40 objective questions in English Language; summary writing, written at respective venues; essay writing also written at respective venues; Spelling Bee – a spelling- off competition across primary schools in 374 local government areas in Nigeria. The initiative started in 2014 as ‘Reading Project’- a community integrated literacy enhancement initiative across five locations (Ewekoro, Sagamu, Onne, Ashaka and Lagos). where Lafarge Africa employees under the Lafarge friends of Communities (FOC) go into schools and read with pupils and support them on literacy; 950 story books were distributed across five locations to reach 250 beneficiaries. The initiative recorded an increase in the literacy skills of beneficiaries ranging from 9 per cent to 63 per cent. The phase II was implemented across five locations – Ewekoro, Sagamu, Onne, Ashaka and Lagos; it was implemented in five schools across the aforementioned project sites and the target was to increase by at least 25 per cent the literacy skills of 500 primary school children in communities where Lafarge Africa operates. A total of 668 pupils were exposed to literacy intervention and 234 were reached. Since the inception of the initiative, the company said there have been remarkable improvements in literacy skills among beneficiary primary school pupils across the country. By 2016, it said a total of 77,144 primary school pupils were reached in 244 local government areas, of which the 1,465 who actively participated in the competition remarkably displayed the ability to spell quickly, accurately and with comprehension, due to the contents of the initiative. The maiden edition of the competition was won by students from Akwa Ibom State, while Ondo and Bauchi States came second and third respectively. In the 2015 edition, participants from Rivers, Lagos and Kogi States came first, second and third positions respectively. For the 2016 edition, Lagos, Plateau and Enugu States produced the first, second and third place winners. In the 2017 edition of the competition, Edo State came first, while Ondo and Kano States came second and third respectively. In 2018, Lagos State emerged winner, while Ebonyi and Gombe States came second and third respectively. In the 2019 competition with the theme ‘Bridging the Literacy Gap Together’, Master David Emmanuella and Miss Barikpoa Prosper from Community Primary School, Rivers State emerged winner, while Ogun and Enugu States came second and third respectively. The winners were awarded scholarships, trophies and various gifts. The grand finale event, which attracted key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, was also an opportunity for the children to engage and interact among themselves, explore various book exhibition stands, take reading sessions and also participate in a spelling bee competition. Speaking at the event, which held in Lagos, the Chairman of Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Mobolaji Balogun said: “Literacy is crucial to the development of any society and it is described by UNESCO as a driver for sustainable development in that it enables greater participation in the labour market. It improves child and family health and nutrition, reduces poverty and expands life opportunities.” He said that as an organisation, Lafarge Africa continues to invest in educational interventions, including scholarship and bursary awards for children within its host communities, training programmes, renovation and construction of classroom blocks and other facilities within schools, computer training, skills acquisition programmes among others. “For a country like Nigeria, there is an urgent need to work towards securing a sustainable future. We believe that a sustainable future will enable growth, global peace and security and technological advancement. We need to prepare our children for a future where they will compete globally with ease. That future begins with improving the literacy levels of every child in Nigeria today,” he said. The Country Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Africa, Mr. Michel Puchercos, who commended all the students that participated at every stage of the competition, said “it is rewarding to watch these brilliant children grow and improve every year. We dream of a bright future for every Nigerian child through basic education. “Six years on, the visible outcomes we have seen encourage us to do more. We have touched the lives of more than 700,000 primary school pupils in 1,665 schools across 544 local government areas. The competition is delivered across all 109 senatorial districts in all 36 states of the federation and the FCT and is organised with the support of the SUBEBs in all the states, with our implementing partners- Ovie Brume Foundation and TEP Centre.” Puchercos added: “As a company, we are proud of this achievement and do believe that it will inspire more well-meaning Nigerians and citizens all over Africa and the world to contribute to improving the lives of the people around them in any way they can.” The special guest of honour, the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, commended the company for taking up the initiative to bridge the country’s widening literacy gap. He expressed his passion for children and women and urged more companies to join hands against illiteracy. “We spend a lot on government and infrastructure, but there isn’t enough being spent on education for children.” Emphasising reasons for the initiative by Lafarge, the Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development Director, Lafarge Africa, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem said: “We have been doing this successfully for the past six years and we are quite happy with the positive impact we have made so far. This year, we are excited to have existing and new partners on board with us, like the British Council, Sterling Bank and Oando Foundation. We look forward to what we will achieve together. We believe that as we continue on this journey, there is room for more partnerships as there is still a lot to be done. The literacy competition is part of our overall sustainable development strategy; our sustainability ambitions which have four pillars- climate and energy, circular economy, environment and community- each with specific actions and targets to ensure we achieve them.’’ she said. According to the Sustainable Development and Corporate Brand Manager, Titilope Oguntuga: “Lafarge Africa’s annual National Literacy Competition is an intervention in Nigeria’s education sector in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal four, which focuses on ensuring inclusive quality education and learning opportunities for all. It is also part of the company’s overall sustainability ambition hinged on four pillars, including climate and energy, circular economy, environment, and community. Our annual National Literacy Competition sits under the community pillar.” Oguntuga said over the past six years, the company has continued to introduce new ideas as a way of improving the competition and making it bigger. “This year, we introduced the computer based testing (CBT) for the first time as a mode of assessment. The tests include a reading assessment exam using a questionnaire of forty objective questions, summary writing, essay writing and an off competition spelling bee.” Responding, the overall winners, who also got scholarships to complete their secondary education, thanked the company and expressed delight at the opportunity to participate and the joy of emerging winners.

The business of selling consumer goods and services online is a relatively young endeavor across Africa, but ecommerce is set to boom. Over the last eight years, the sector has seen its first phase of big VC fundings, startup duels and attrition. To date, scaling e-commerce in Africa has straddled the line of challenge and opportunity, perhaps more than any other market in the world. Across major African economies, many of the requisites for online retail — internet access, digital payment adoption, and 3PL delivery options — have been severely lacking. Still, startups jumped into this market for the chance to digitize a share of Africa’s fast growing consumer spending, expected to top $2 billion by 2025. African e-commerce 2.0 will include some old and new players, play out across more countries, place more priority on internet services, and see the entry of China. But before highlighting several things to look out for in the future of digital-retail on the continent, a look back is beneficial. Jumia vs. Konga The early years for development of African online shopping largely played out in Nigeria (and to some extent South Africa). Anyone who visited Nigeria from 2012 to 2016 likely saw evidence of one of the continent’s early e-commerce showdowns. Nigeria had its own Coke vs. Pepsi-like duel — a race between ventures Konga and Jumia to out-advertise and out-discount each other in a quest to scale online shopping in Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation. Traveling in Lagos traffic, large billboards for each startup faced off across the skyline, as their delivery motorcycles buzzed between stopped cars. Covering each company early on, it appeared a battle of VC attrition. The challenge: who could continue to raise enough capital to absorb the losses of simultaneously capturing and creating an e-commerce market in notoriously difficult conditions. In addition to the aforementioned challenges, Nigeria also had (and continues to have) shoddy electricity. Both Konga — founded by Nigerian Sim Shagaya — and Jumia — originally founded by two Nigerians and two Frenchman — were forced to burn capital building fulfillment operations most e-commerce startups source to third parties. That included their own delivery and payment services (KongaPay and JumiaPay). In addition to sales of goods from mobile-phones to diapers, both startups also began experimenting with verticals for internet based services, such as food-delivery and classifieds. While Jumia and Konga were competing in Nigeria, there was another VC driven race for e-commerce playing out in South Africa — the continent’s second largest and most advanced economy. E-tailers Takealot and Kalahari had been jockeying for market share since 2011 after raising capital in the hundreds of millions of dollars from investors Naspers and U.S. fund Tiger Global Management. So how did things turn out in West and Southern Africa? In 2014, the lead investor of a flailing Kalahari — Naspers — facilitated a merger with Takealot (that was more of an acquisition). They nixed the Kalahari brand in 2016 and bought out Takelot’s largest investor, Tiger Global, in 2018. Takealot is now South Africa’s leading e-commerce site by market share, but only operates in one country. In Nigeria, by 2016 Jumia had outpaced its rival Konga in Alexa ratings (6 vs 14), while out-raising Konga (with backing of Goldman Sachs) to become Africa’s first VC backed, startup unicorn. By early 2018, Konga was purchased in a distressed acquisition and faded away as a competitor to Jumia. Jumia went on to expand online goods and services verticals into 14 Africa countries (though it recently exited a few) and in April 2019 raised over $200 million in an NYSE IPO — the first on a major exchange for a VC-backed startup operating in Africa. Jumia’s had bumpy road since going public — losing significant share-value after a short-sell attack earlier in 2019 — but the continent’s leading e-commerce company still has heap of capital and generates $100 million in revenues (even with losses).

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GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD: Long-time roadie in the Australian live entertainment business, Howard Freeman. GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD: Long-time roadie in the Australian live entertainment business, Howard Freeman. THE life of a roadie is an unusual one. But it is a life Howard Freeman wouldn't change for the world. He has set up and pulled down monumentally large stages for some of the biggest bands on the planet. And with his loyal roadie mates, he then drives interstate overnight and does it all again. Matt Collins: You are one of Australia longest serving roadies. That must be a proud badge to have? Howard Freeman: Yeah, I can remember being four or five-years-old and going into a band room. My father had a holiday resort in Melbourne and he had a big band playing. Every year he would hold ballroom dances through the summer because pubs would close at 6 o'clock. The same year I remember my father shooting a guy in the knee who was coming up the stairs to rob us. MC: All that when you were five? HF: Yeah, no wonder I wanted to leave home in a hurry. MC: How did you go in your school days? Did you enjoy school? HF: At Caulfield Grammar, where my father spent a lot of money getting me educated, I got the lowest score in maths ever recorded in the history of education. MC: Another proud moment. HF: Yeah, but that was at 15 and I worked out recently in my last AC/DC concert my budget was $6.5 million, so I faked it pretty good. MC: Let's talk about some of the huge names you have worked with. Who was the first big act? HF: The most memorable human being to me was Billy Thorpe. When he started playing rock, he did a song at my venue once called, Cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild woman. I was 18 at the time and I listened to the lyrics and went, 'yeah this for me'. MC: Your first tour manager job was for a great Aussie band, Sherbet. HF: Yeah and back then nobody knew what a touring manager did. I had a security business in Melbourne and I could count money, so I could handle myself and I was probably reasonable company then. I had hair and hips and half a brain. MC: That was all the resume you needed. HF: Absolutely. MC: Explain to me what 24 hours looks like for roadie. HF: It depends what era you are speaking. In the 80s it could be behind the wheel of a four-tonne truck driving overnight from Brisbane to Sydney after you've loaded out at 2am. You may find a hamburger on the way, you'd be drinking scotch or Bundy, you're probably smoking a joint and you could've done a line of speed. You'd arrive at approximately 1pm the next afternoon. You'd carry the gear upstairs, you'd set up and everyone would hate you because you haven't showered. And you'd probably do that again in Melbourne the night after. MC: So why do it? What's the appeal? HF: You do it for the people you love and work with, which is the band you represent. Somebody asked me, what was the greatest drug I had ever had. I said, when the house lights go down and the band starts playing music. That doesn't matter whether it's a suburban pub with 20 people, or in a stadium with 100,000 people. You've built it and they have come.

At least eight more people have been killed in catastrophic bushfires in Australia this week, bringing the death toll to 18, according to local reports. Authorities are warning conditions will only get worse, with temperatures expected to exceed 115 degrees in some part of the country this weekend. Out-of-control fires have raged for the past two months across Australia’s east coast, destroying at least 900 homes, killing half a billion animals and wiping out 30 percent of the country’s koala population, officials said. Residents on Wednesday described scenes “like Armageddon” — the massive infernos razing homes, blanketing towns in thick toxic smoke and turning skies to a menacing blood red, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Among the dead are a father and son who stayed behind to defend their property, three young firefighters killed in the line of duty and two men who were discovered in burnt-out cars. Large plumes of ash from the fire have now drifted as far as New Zealand — locals in the city of Queenstown on Tuesday sharing photos on social media of the thick orange haze and noting they could smell the smoke. Images of trapped Australians wearing face masks and sheltering on beaches on New Years’s Eve went viral around the world this week, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced a groundswell of fury over his tepid response to the disaster. With a heat wave predicted for later this week, authorities issued evacuation orders for large stretches of the New South Wales’ coast normally teeming with holidaymakers over the summer vacation period. Long queues formed outside supermarkets and gas stations on Wednesday as stranded tourists and residents attempted to stock up on supplies, the Herald reported. More than 50,000 residents on the New South Wales coast are currently without power while some towns no longer have access to clean drinking water, the report said. Firefighters have struggled to contain the massive blazes — the worst in decades — with record temperatures and a prolonged drought exacerbating the disaster.

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This is the year to start taking happiness seriously. But how – and where do you find the time? Here are the tips and advice you need for a pleasure-filled year The last time I felt joy was at an event that would be many people’s vision of hell: a drunken Taylor Swift club-night singalong in the early hours of the morning a few weekends ago. I certainly experience joy, either as peaks of euphoria or in quiet, unexpected bursts. But as I go about my everyday business – sprinting to meet deadlines, standing in front of the open fridge – I wouldn’t say it looms large. I am not alone. Many of us treat joy like the good china, only warranted on special occasions. Even if we know it is within our reach, we may not see it is within our control. But this is a mistake, according to happiness experts. Nataly Kogan, the author of Happier Now, says: “Happiness and emotional health are not extras, or bonuses, or nice-to-haves – they’re actually at the core of what helps us live well.” Seeking joy may sound frivolous, but being happy has been shown to promote habits and behaviours that are important to our health. A 2017 study of roughly 7,000 adults found that those with positive wellbeing were more likely to be physically active and to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Being happy has also been linked to better sleep, better weight management, lower stress levels, an improved immune system and even increased life expectancy. Despite the myriad benefits of joy – and the obvious incentive that it feels good – many of us don’t prioritise it. But experts point out that our resources and energy are finite; what we put off will fall by the wayside. So, as with any goal, the first step to a joyful life is to make it a priority – which may mean you need to let go of other commitments – and then do the work. In other words, we need to start taking joy seriously. As the founder and chief executive of the wellbeing business Happier, Kogan helps companies to improve their workplace culture and professionals to foster joy in their lives – lessons born out of her experience of career burnout and personal dissatisfaction in her late 30s. She likens herself at the time to a ship on the ocean – fine in favourable conditions, but at the mercy of any storm. Now 44 and based with her family in Boston, Massachusetts, Kogan says she has landed on practices and tools to harness happiness as a steady, sustainable presence in her daily life. The first of these is not to think of happiness as something to pursue at a later date, when your life is in order. “I lived with this idea of: ‘I’ll be happy when ...’ as I know so many people do,” she says. “We have to look at emotional health as a skill, not a destination. And, as with any skill, when you practise, you do better.” The gains have been established in research into baseline happiness – what in psychological literature is called our “hedonic set point”. It varies from person to person, but the key point is that our baseline is only half determined by genetics. “That means the other 50% is up to us,” says Kogan. “I think that is incredibly empowering.” So, what can we do to make 2020 a more joyful year? Identify the problem Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Draw a large circle, divide it into segments and label each to reflect a different area of life that you want to assess.’ Illustration: Adam Higton/The Guardian Start by identifying where joy is most lacking. Sarah Waite, a London-based psychologist, suggests the “wheel of life”, a personal development exercise derived from the Buddhist theory of balance. Draw a large circle, divide it into eight or 10 segments and label each to reflect a different area of life that you want to assess. There are templates online, typically along the lines of fun and recreation, physical environment, career, finances, personal growth, romance, family and friends, and health. Shade in each wedge to reflect your level of satisfaction. The finished circle should be an overview of the areas of your life that you feel you have under control, and those that may need further attention. When it comes to deciding where to allocate resources, “it’s not necessarily the one you’ve marked the lowest; it’s the one you really value the most,” says Waite. It may be that your job is not a priority for you, so it doesn’t matter if it remains only two-thirds filled. The goal is to get perspective and clarity. The brain has evolved to be much more sensitive to negatives than positives as, historically, it has been more important for us to be attuned to hazardous situations than satisfactory ones. This “negativity bias” distorts our perspective, meaning it is hard to make a good decision under stress, says Kogan. “People can focus on things that are not ‘as they should be’ … We all have our stories of why we are not happy, at work or otherwise.” But small, practical steps taken to boost joy in one part of life can improve happiness across the board as momentum builds. The big picture Kogan’s first tip is to start by writing a list of what you like about your job, no matter how small. “Be specific, think broad