Question:
After hundreds of supporters of an Iran-backed Shiite Iraqi militia stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, President Trump pointed squarely at Iran, accusing the country — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — of “orchestrating” the attack and promising that Iran “will be held fully responsible.” Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded Wednesday by taunting Trump, declaring, “You can’t do a damn thing.”

In response to recent attacks by the Iran-supported Kataeb Hezbollah militia, including an attack Friday that resulted in the death of an American contractor, the U.S. military conducted strategic airstrikes on five of the militia’s facilities in Iraq and Syria on Sunday. Kataeb Hezbollah, the U.S. Department of Defense noted in a statement on the airstrikes, has “a strong linkage” with Iran’s Quds Force, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.

In retaliation for the airstrikes, which killed some 25 of the militia’s fighters, hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed group converged on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, with dozens breaking into the compound and setting fires amid shouts of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

Trump responded by blaming Iran and vowing to take action. “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!” Trump tweeted Tuesday, adding in another post: “Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.”

On Wednesday, Khamenei made his first public remarks about the attack on the embassy by tauntingly responding to Trump’s threat.

“That guy has tweeted that we [the United States] see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad and we will respond to Iran,” Khamenei said in a televised address on state-controlled TV Wednesday, as reported by The Daily Mail.

“First of all, you can’t do a damn thing! This has nothing to do with Iran,” Khamenei continued. “Secondly, be logical…The people of this region hate America. Why don’t Americans understand this? You Americans have committed crimes in Iraq, you have committed crimes in Afghanistan. You have killed people.”

“If the Islamic Republic decides to oppose or fight against a country, it will do this explicitly,” said the leader.

Late Tuesday, the Defense Department announced that Trump has deployed 750 U.S. soldiers to the region and has ordered an additional 3,000 or so to prepare for potential deployment in the coming days.

In a press statement issued Tuesday night, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that he has ordered the immediate deployment of 750 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The full brigade, which consists of about 4,000 soldiers, is preparing for potential deployment.

“This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,” Esper said in the statement.

During an impromptu press conference Tuesday evening, Trump was asked if he could “foresee going to war with Iran.””I don’t think that would be a good idea for Iran,” he said. “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.”

Iraqi security forces have regained control of the area around the US Embassy in Baghdad after the compound was rocked by a second day of mass protests.

Earlier Wednesday security personnel fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters -- some of whom were seen trying to climb the building's walls -- eyewitnesses told CNN.

Other witnesses said the protesters were hurling rocks, and trying to set fire to walls and security booths at the embassy's main entrance.

It was the second day of mass demonstrations outside the building in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, in response to US airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia group on Sunday.

But by Wednesday evening, the protesters had cleared away from the embassy compound's entrance.

"We have issued the order for everyone to withdraw, because America should have received our message," said a spokesman for the main protest group, Kataib Hezbollah, which had been targeted by the US airstrikes.

The protests broke out after the US carried out airstrikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria, which it said were linked to the Iranian-backed group, killing dozens of people.

US officials hold Kataib Hezbollah responsible for a growing number of rocket attacks against American facilities in Iraq.

The death of a US contractor in one such attack last week was the last straw for the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump blamed Iran for both the US contractor's death and Tuesday's attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, and warned Iran's leaders they would be held responsible for any deaths or destruction at the embassy.

"Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities," Trump tweeted. "They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat."

But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by tweeting that the US "can't do anything."

"If you were logical -- which you're not -- you'd see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan... have made nations hate you," Khamenei added.

Eyewitnesses also told CNN that local law enforcement forces around the embassy had not been seen doing anything significant to stop the protestors demonstrating in front of the compound, or from throwing stones at it.

The airstrikes and ensuing protests come at a time of high tension between the US and Iran, and have stoked fears of a new proxy war in the Middle East .

US sends extra forces to protect embassy

In the wake of Tuesday's attack on the US Embassy, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US would send approximately 750 soldiers to the Middle East.

"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," he said in a statement.

"The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world," Esper added.

Trump insisted in a tweet Tuesday that the embassy was safe. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also told Fox News that there are currently no plans to evacuate the embassy or pull US troops out.

The weekend's airstrikes have strained relations between Washington and Baghdad. Iraqi officials accuse the US of attacking without sufficient evidence, of violating Iraqi sovereignty and of threatening the country's security.

The embassy posted on its website that it would remain closed until further notice. It also advised that U.S. citizens not travel to Iraq, and advised anyone in the area to stay away from the embassy.

The militia targeted by US airstrikes

The Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah is militantly anti-American. In 2017 and 2018, its fighters in Syria tried to attack the US-supported garrison at al-Tanf on the Iraqi border.

It has provided hundreds of fighters for the Assad regime in Syria -- part of a broader Iranian effort to help stamp out the insurgency there -- and is an important element in Iranian efforts to extend its influence through northern Iraq and into Syria. The US strikes, notably, were against targets along the main route between Iran and Syria.

A spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah told CNN that the embassy protests were only a "first step."

"The American administration should understand the following: the first step was to protest near the American embassy, we are waiting their reactions to determine the second step," Mohamad Mouhiye said, calling for the US to shut down the embassy and withdraw from Iraq.

"First, close the doors of the evil embassy, which we consider a spy building and an operations room to administer and sabotage Iraq's well-being," Mouhiye said. "We also call on the US to withdraw their military forces which are in Iraq illegally."

Send this page to someone via email

Shelly Ehbrecht spent the last day of 2019 reflecting on her more than four decades on the job.

“It feels surreal; it feels bittersweet. I’m going to cry,” she said as she wrapped up her last shift at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

“It’s time to go. I’ve had a great run for 44 years, great experiences.”

Ehbrecht began her career at the old Grace Hospital, now known as B.C. Women’s Hospital.

“The head nurse that I had initially was like an army head nurse,” she said.

“It was important to bounce dimes on the beds and the bed-making was really an important part of my job.”

Her expertise in bed-making is rivalled only by the depth of her knowledge of the maternity unit, having cared for thousands of families over the years as they welcomed the newest members of their families.

Story continues below advertisement

2:20 GTA mother searches for Vancouver nurse who helped save her GTA mother searches for Vancouver nurse who helped save her

She says one of the biggest changes she has seen during his career is the switch to single-care rooms for new moms.

“I loved the single-room philosophy at Women’s,” she said.

“I worked in their unit when it started. There was a lot of controversy because it was a new thing. Women can come in, families can come in. They labour, deliver, they have their postpartum in the same room.

“This is such a much better model of care — yeah, happy little thing.”

Her final shift was filled with heartfelt goodbyes from colleagues who will miss her — and she says she will miss them, too.

“I work with some great people, great doctors, great nurses,” she said.

Nurses will continue to deliver up to 400 babies a month. It’s the part of the job that Ehbrecht says she’ll remember most.

“It’s such a privilege and an honour to be with a family when they’re experiencing that labour and delivery,” Ehbrecht said.

“I just feel so honoured that I could be a part of it.”

Story continues below advertisement

By

If we Recall Gavin Newsom, what will change? A new Governor, more than likely a Democrat and the bad policies will continue, with a new face. The Recall is a start to the healing process Californians need. But, it is only a start. We need to fix the entire governmental structure of the State. That starts with the legislature. Thanks to a weak Republican Party—no voter registration, so far 19 legislative seats without a GOP’er on the ballot for March (expect many more races in November without a Republican on the ballot), 18 in the Assembly, 7 in Congress and 10 in the State Senate. Nebraska has a unicameral legislature, it started by a constitutional amendment in 1934. This is a well-run State, low taxes and a State government that allows people freedom to run their businesses and lives with little interference from government. Maybe we need to get “radical” and try a Unicameral—certainly the present system is a massive failure. “Petitions for Ballot Initiative 1874-19-0012, are now being circulated for signatures, with Title & Summary that reads: Replaces State Senate and Assembly with Single House Legislature: Increases Number of Legislators. Initiative Constitutional Amendment: Replaces current State Senate and Assembly of 40 Senators and 80 Assembly Members with a Non-Partisan single-house legislature starting in 2022, Initially consisting of 250 legislators. Starting in 2024, the single-house legislature would have one legislator for every 80,000 to 100,000 persons in California. The number of legislators would be updated every ten years to reflect population changes as reported by the National Census. Legislators in the single-house legislature would serve four-year terms, and could server no more than twelve years.” I urge you to look into this and if you feel, as I do, that the present system is broken, then go to www.ARR4all.com and find out more. This is a serious effort from the grassroots.

Recall of Newsom Is Only One Part of the Fix for California

TERRY L GHERARDI, Americans Restoring Representation, 1/2/19

People have been lining up in droves across the state to sign the petition to Recall Governor Gavin Newsom, but unbeknown to most, signature gathering is now underway for an initiative that takes the needed Fix for California one step further by restructuring the legislative system and body aka the State Legislature.

As with the United States House of Representatives, the State Legislature is suppose to be the House of the People. Government is the servant of the People who founded it and who pay for it, not the other way around. In 1849, when the population of California was an estimated 90,000, the writers of the California Constitution established this state as a Republic with two houses (Bicameral) and capped the Assembly at 80 and Senate at 40 – or one assembly member for every 1,125 citizens and 1 Senator for every 2,250 citizens.

Fast forward to today where the population has grown to just under 40 million, but the state legislature and bureaucratic hierarchy has refused to lessen their power by amending the Constitution to give citizens more representation. Sadly, most people are not even aware that our states ratio of representation is 1 Assembly member for every 500,000 and 1 State Senator for every 1 million. In fact California has the worst ratio of representation of all 50 states. The U.S. Congress has a better ratio of representation than the California State Senate.

But Here’s the Good News – Help is on the way!

Fortunately, in 1911 the Governor and State Legislature gave citizens the right to Recall and introduce Legislation through the Initiative process. Although most are not big fans of finding multiple propositions on their ballots every election, a group of concerned California citizens decided to take it upon themselves to use that power given to the people by using the initiative process to increase the numbers in the Legislature to take the People’s House from the Bureaucrats and Special interests.

Petitions for Ballot Initiative 1874-19-0012, are now being circulated for signatures, with Title & Summary that reads: Replaces State Senate and Assembly with Single House Legislature: Increases Number of Legislators. Initiative Constitutional Amendment: Replaces current State Senate and Assembly of 40 Senators and 80 Assembly Members with a Non-Partisan single-house legislature starting in 2022, Initially consisting of 250 legislators. Starting in 2024, the single-house legislature would have one legislator for every 80,000 to 100,000 persons in California. The number of legislators would be updated every ten years to reflect population changes as reported by the National Census. Legislators in the single-house legislature would serve four-year terms, and could server no more than twelve years.

As mentioned previously, California is a Bicameral legislature and has an Assembly and a Senate, just like Washington. Yes, 2 houses, but not like Washington. In the 1960’s the U.S. Supreme Court decided that acres and rocks don’t vote so they removed State Senates from being elected to counties and made its members elected by population, making the 2 houses essentially the same except for term of office and size of District. After the 1964 Supreme Court ruling, numerous states attempted to change their legislative system from Bicameral to Unicameral (1 house), but all failed, because Legislators did not want to give up their power.

The State of Nebraska has had a single house since 1935 and operates just fine as a Representative form of government. Nebraskans claim it is less expensive to run a single house, the checks and balances are still in place between the Legislature and the Governor, and they find there is less influence by Special Interests. Under the Unicameral system, the legislature has pared down their committees from 61 to 18, lessening the time to pass legislation. As one Nebraskan said, “the salvation of the State is watchfulness in the citizenry. Nebraska’s ratio of representation is 1 per 35,000.

How was the Ratio of One Representative for 80,000 Chosen? Only the future will decide if this ratio is correct. What is fact is that a fixed number cannot be set because it will only have the same problem created in 1849. Ratios of population to District must be used to allow for growth or decline in population to keep the House Membership responsive to the Constituent.

A population too large or too small can create its own problems, such as, too small and the district becomes run by nepotism or cronyism and is too easily controlled by Special Interests; too large and costs are far higher for candidates to run for office, often preventing well intentioned, qualified candidates from seeking office. Smaller districts allow voters to be more informed and make better decisions. A state legislator representing 80,000 citizens is more apt to find their feet held to the fire, should they not fulfill their promises, then one representing 500,000 and a million. In a large stage such as California, 80,000 and 100,000 seemed to strike a balance between too small and too large in today’s electronic environment. A group of approximately 500 legislators is a big enough increase to be effective while also small enough to not be overwhelming.

Isn’t More Legislators More Government? No. The Legislative Analysis Office says the restructure of the legislature will cost millions upon millions. California spends millions upon millions for bad government decisions that the people have no control over. Let’s spend a few millions to include accommodations in the already budgeted and planned enlargement of the Capitol Annex, projected to be large enough to house more than 1,250 legislative and executive staff. How about cutting the individual legislator’s salary commensurate to the size of the District and fewer expenses for office staff and travel. More legislators isn’t more government, it’s more people serving in government to control the agency’s, commissions, departments within the bureaucracy of government. And, if the people’s representatives don’t do their proper job, the Constituent has more local control to vote them out. Citizens want and deserve good government with Accountability and Accessibility for the electorate.

As Joe Mathews, author of California Crack Up wrote:”Having a State Senate and Assembly just doubles the number of dark alleys where shenanigans can take place.”

The question is: Are Californians ready to return the control and power of our government to the people of our state. Restoring Representation is the wave of the future returned from the past to ensure that America and California have representation for every Political Party, Independents, No Party Preference and every class of citizen who lives in cities, communities, farms, or forests. We Want Our Vote To Count, but We Must Fix Yesterday’s Mistakes! For more information and to download petitions, visit Americans Restoring Representation www.ARR4all.com

DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution

DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution

Pyongyang, Dec 31 (Prensa Latina) The chairman of the State Committee of Korea, Kim Jong Un, presented Cuba with flowers on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Revolution.

The brotherly gesture by the top Korean leader was also made on behalf of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the entire people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The source added that the action also took place on New Year's Eve, when both countries commemorate the 60th anniversary of relations between Havana and Pyongyang.

In 2020, they will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ernesto Che Guevara's visit to the DPRK in December 1960, and the 75th anniversary of the KWP, among other transcendental dates for North Korea and Cuba.

On November 4, the two countries commemorated the first anniversary of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's visit to the DPRK.

According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un sent the flower basket to the Cuban Embassy in Pyongyang.

jg/jcm/bjm

Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.

We noticed you’re blocking ads!

Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
Paris - Experienced Pole Robert Kubica will be a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo in the 2020 season, the team announced on Wednesday.

Kubica, 35, made his return to Formula One with Williams last season following a long absence caused by a life-threatening rally crash.

He will back up Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Kubica's return to the team formerly known as Sauber has been facilitated by a sponsorship deal between Alfa Romeo and his principal backer, Polish oil company PKN Orlen.

LONDON, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Robert Kubica will be Alfa Romeo's Formula One reserve driver for the 2020 season with Polish oil company and personal backer PKN ORLEN joining as co-title sponsor, the Swiss-based team said on Wednesday.

Kubica, 35, made his race debut with the team in 2006 when they were competing as BMW Sauber.

The Pole, who suffered a near-fatal rally accident in 2011, made his comeback with struggling former champions Williams last season but left at the end of the campaign in which he scored their sole point.

"I'm starting a new chapter in my career by joining Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. This is a team that has a special place in my heart and it'll be nice to see the familiar faces I still remember from Hinwil," he said in a statement.

Alfa Romeo's race drivers this year are Finland's 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, an unchanged lineup from 2019.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)

REUTERS2

The CBI on Wednesday arrested an Additional Director General of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Chander Shekhar and a middleman in connection with Rs 25 lakh bribery case, officials said.

The searches are going on in New Delhi, Noida and Ludhiana, they said.

According to the DRI web site, Chander Shekhar is posted as ADG, Ludhiana.

The agency had arrested the middleman while he was allegedly receiving the bribe on behalf of the officer, they said.

During the questioning, the middleman told the sleuths that the bribe was allegedly for the officer, they said.

The agency suspects it to be a part payment of a huge bribe which was discussed between the two, they said.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki car sales grow 2.4% in December; sells 133,296 units

Also read: Courts allow banks to utilise movable assets of Vijay Mallya to clear debt

The figure represents a 2.7 per cent rise from last year.

The ambulance service dealt with more than 2,500 calls on Hogmanay, one of the busiest nights of the year.

The ambulance service dealt with more than 2,500 calls on Hogmanay, one of the busiest nights of the year.

Additional call handlers, dispatchers, ambulance crews and support staff were on duty to deal with the high levels of demand on New Year's Eve.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said its control centres handled 2,547 calls between 7pm on December 31 and 7am on January 1, a 2.7 per cent increase on the same period last year.

Chief executive Pauline Howie praised all the staff involved.

She said: "Our frontline staff have coped with an exceptionally busy period over Hogmanay.

"It was a real challenge this year, as it has been over the whole festive period, but day in, day out our staff have constantly risen to the challenges and have shown real dedication.

"They have all done a great job and have helped us continue to deliver the highest possible level of care to patients across Scotland.

"I would like to thank all our fantastic staff for their hard work in 2019 caring for patients and saving lives and I wish them a very happy new year."

ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Lisa Nandy has said that people “cannot be silent in the face of racism and police brutality” as she backed those who are speaking out after the death of George Floyd.

Following mass anti-racism protests across the UK on Saturday, the shadow foreign secretary said that tackling the issue requires taking an active stance.

Ms Nandy said that she is “proud” of the young people demanding change, while urging them to take precautions when they take part in protests during the coronavirus pandemic.

She told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “I think it’s one of the most important things about living in a free society is that people can go out and protest.

“I’ve said repeatedly that it must be safe, people should social distance – please take precautions – but I’m very proud of those young people who are coming out and speaking up.

Read more Hundreds to descend on London for new Black Lives Matter rally- LIVE

“Now I’m someone who has lived with racism in my life, I’ve seen it with my family, I’ve seen it in our country and I think it requires you to take an active stance against it.

“You cannot be silent in the face of racism and police brutality, and I think those young people are right to raise their voices and to demand change.”

Ms Nandy also appealed to the small number of people who have used violence at the Black Lives Matter protests to stop.

London: Black Lives Matter George Floyd protest - In pictures 25 show all London: Black Lives Matter George Floyd protest - In pictures 1/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 2/25 Demonstrators hold placards backdropped by the Victoria Memorial, outside Buckingham Palace AP 3/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 4/25 A protester shouts slogans in front of a line of police officers AFP via Getty Images 5/25 People are seen wearing protective face masks as they demonstrate in a car REUTERS 6/25 A demonstrator is seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square REUTERS 7/25 Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placard REUTERS 8/25 Demonstrators are seen kneeling during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square REUTERS 9/25 Demonstrators are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in London REUTERS 10/25 Demonstrators are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in London REUTERS 11/25 Demonstrators are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in London AFP via Getty Images 12/25 Protesters march towards the US Embassy AFP via Getty Images 13/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 14/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 15/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 16/25 Demonstrators hold placards backdropped by the Victoria Memorial, outside Buckingham Palace AP 17/25 Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station AP 18/25 Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station AP 19/25 Youngsters shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter march AP 20/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square PA 21/25 Youngsters shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter march AP 22/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 23/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 24/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 25/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 1/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 2/25 Demonstrators hold placards backdropped by the Victoria Memorial, outside Buckingham Palace AP 3/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 4/25 A protester shouts slogans in front of a line of police officers AFP via Getty Images 5/25 People are seen wearing protective face masks as they demonstrate in a car REUTERS 6/25 A demonstrator is seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square REUTERS 7/25 Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placard REUTERS 8/25 Demonstrators are seen kneeling during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square REUTERS 9/25 Demonstrators are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in London REUTERS 10/25 Demonstrators are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in London REUTERS 11/25 Demonstrators are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in London AFP via Getty Images 12/25 Protesters march towards the US Embassy AFP via Getty Images 13/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 14/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 15/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road PA 16/25 Demonstrators hold placards backdropped by the Victoria Memorial, outside Buckingham Palace AP 17/25 Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station AP 18/25 Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station AP 19/25 Youngsters shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter march AP 20/25 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square PA 21/25 Youngsters shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter march AP 22/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 23/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 24/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images 25/25 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images

Asked what she would say to those who verbally abused and threw objects at police, she said: “I would say to them it’s wrong, stop it.

“And more than that, as well as it just being completely wrong to attack police officers who are trying to keep the peace, many of whom are deeply sympathetic with the sentiment behind these protests, who are struggling as well to deal with Covid and help to keep public order in a really unprecedented situation, it also has the effect of dampening the voices of those who are calling for change.

“Because the newspapers this morning, the headlines were dominated by the fact that there was violence, a small number using violence at the London protest.

“And actually across this country and across the world, you’ve got people coming out in the tens of thousands to protest peacefully and to raise their voices for change, and they’re the voices that I want to hear.”

The Labour MP for Wigan also said the UK Government cannot remain silent on police brutality in the United States.

“I actually think this is a deliberate election strategy,” she said of the actions being taken by US President Donald Trump.

“Now I’ve no idea whether Donald Trump is a racist or not a racist, what I do know is that in the run-up to the American elections, this is one of the ways that politicians try to activate their base.

“They divide people in order to try to advance their own cause and that’s actually one of the things that is so damaging about it.

“That’s crept into our politics in Britain in the last few years and we’re seeing under the cover of Covid, other countries trying to do something similar – rowing back on people’s freedoms, human rights, the rule of law, democracy.

“And that’s one of the reasons why I’ve said this Government cannot remain silent in the face of that.”

Lately, Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Khan have become one of the most loved siblings of Bollywood. From being on magazine covers to posing together on festive eves, the brother-sister duo has taken over the internet in an adorable way. Now treating her fans, Sara has shared some new pics from their recent vacation.

In the pictures, the two can be seen having a fun time as they enjoy the 'blues' in the middle of a pool. "When feeling blue isn’t a bad thing," Sara captioned the pictures.

Although it seems to be a while before we get to see her next on the silver screen, Sara’s fans are super happy to get updates of their favorite star. Sara has been quite active on social media and has been sharing a number of pics from her vacation.

Earlier, the actress shared some photos, where she can be seen donning a pastel pink bikini and basking in the pool. Her pictures have created quite a storm on social media.

On the films front, Sara will have a busy 2020. She is awaiting the release of Imtiaz Ali's untitled film with Kartik Aaryan, which is slated for Valentine’s Day release. Sara will also be seen in the remake of 1995 comedy blockbuster hit starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor, Coolie no.1. The movie is produced and directed by David Dhawan and has Varun Dhawan playing the male lead.

Follow @News18Movies for more

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.

Bernie Sanders would have you believe that he is not like the socialists who have ruined Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and – going back a few years – all of Eastern Europe.

Oh sure, he agrees with many of their economic ideas, but don’t worry. He’s a democratic socialist, and that’s different.

But it’s not, because democratic socialism doesn’t exist. That’s because it can’t exist, because socialism can’t take hold in a truly democratic system.

In order for socialism to “work,” the state has to take control of major industries like health care, energy and manufacturing. It has to confiscate massive amounts of private wealth. It has to control the means of production and distribution. It has to control wages and prices. It has to monopolize things like higher education.

That can’t work in a democratic environment because people might run for office who think these things should be controlled by the private sector. Or they might think taxes should be cut. Or they might think the power of the federal government should be limited to what the Constitution says.

People like this might get elected, and they might do what they believe should be done. They might privatize the industries, cut the taxes, limit the government. They might make people go out and earn what they need rather than just giving it to them.

Candidates like this will be called “demagogues” by socialist overlords and their media cheerleaders, but they are only advocating for the system that made America the world’s most prosperous nation over the course of more than two decades. Many voters will find their message appealing. They might actually gain power.

And if they do, socialism is history. In fact, given the inevitable failure that socialism produces, this scenario is inevitable in any country that tries socialism and maintains democratic institutions. As soon as the voters have the opportunity to elect new leaders who will get rid of socialist laws and institutions, they will do it.

That is why socialists always establish systems in which their socialism can’t be taken down. They either put an end to free elections or they write the laws in such a way that they’re impossible to repeal even when new leadership comes to power.

Consider the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was created through a law written by Elizabeth Warren . The CFPB has unprecedented power to sue and investigate banks and private companies. During the Obama administration, it was allowed to run wild. But Warren wrote the enabling law in such a way that Congress can’t cut its funding, which comes directly from the Federal Reserve.

She also wrote it to make it almost impossible for a president to fire the director. Indeed, when Obama-appointed director Richard Cordray stepped down several months into the Trump administration , he actually tried to name his own replacement.

That didn’t work, but it took a court battle to stop it.

This is the sort of thing socialists do all the time to make sure they don’t lose power, no matter what happens in elections, assuming elections are even allowed to happen. They will burrow into the bureaucracy. They will find friendly judges to overrule duly elected officials or the people.

Socialists never give up an inch of power once they attain it, which makes “democracy” meaningless in a socialist system.

There are no democratic socialists. You are either democratic, or you’re a socialist.

Bernie Sanders is a socialist, and if he’s given power, he and his socialist allies will never give it up.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question: (Newser) – Kathy Griffin surprised her fans on New Year's Eve with news that she was engaged. And after midnight, she went ahead and married longtime boyfriend Randy Bick, reports People. Griffin tweeted a short video of part of the ceremony, which was officiated by none other than Lily Tomlin. "We promised you atypical," wrote Griffin. "We are in love and we cannot stop laughing." Griffin is 59 and Bick is 18 years her junior. They met in 2011. Here is how Tomlin described things: "What was supposed to be a shallow, 'toot it and boot it' one-night stand has grown and flourished into something far more meaningful," she said. "They stayed together. Then they couldn’t stay away from one another." (Griffin is no longer apologetic over an infamous Trump image.)

Comics Kathy Griffin and Randy Bick are set to tie the knot in the new year.

The couple made the surprise announcement on New Year's Eve and said they were going ahead with the nuptials after midnight.

Griffin, 59, revealed the in a clip that featured her and Bick dressed in formalwear.

"Happy New Year! And, surprise! We're getting married! Tonight! After midnight! the couple said in unison in the video.

"She said yes!" Bick, 41, added.

The couple started dating in 2011 after meeting at a wine festival.

They briefly parted ways in November 2018, after being together for seven years then, but reunited in April 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Years-fresh starts, clean slates and new resolutions. Every first of January, people set New Year’s Resolutions in the hopes of improving themselves or their lives; but how best to make them stick?

The following are a few tips to help with keeping what we resolve to do-or not do in the new year, according to experts:

1. Set intentions. An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be, live, show up in the world and is the starting point to every goal.

2. Ask yourself why the intention or goal you set matters to you-and if it is realistic. Expectations that are too high can cause you to be too overwhelmed to start or maintain your goals.

3. Talk to people about your resolutions. This creates a support system as well as can hold you accountable.

4. Make a list of plans. Big goals can seem daunting, break your plan up into little things you can do each day to help achieve your ultimate goal.

5. Take the first step. Don’t procrastinate. You don’t need to wait until everything is just right. Get started now and make adjustments as you go along.

6. Ditch deprivation. Try not to approach your New Year’s resolutions from a place of deprivation, restriction or punishment.

7. Try not to focus on the end result. When you commit to the process of the goal, rather than the result, it’s easier to make it an enjoyable experience.

8. Take breaks. A goal should not consume your every thought and life, after all, is meant to be lived.

9. Plan for success. Instead of thinking about failing and what could go wrong, think of succeeding; put those positive thoughts out to the world. Worrying about failure is pointless and destructive.

10. Reward yourself. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small; you deserve it!

423 SHARES Share Tweet

Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ordered a review of state laws allowing illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses that will enable many illegals to vote.

New York is the latest state to pass such a bill on driver’s licenses.

Many county clerks in New York State are against the new law that allows illegals to use foreign documents to get driver’s licenses because employees are unfamiliar with the documents that are usually in Spanish.

It opens up the process to massive fraud.

You can use your driver’s license to register to vote in New York, which makes it easy for illegals to vote.

Every time an illegal casts a vote, it cancels out the vote of an American.

Wolf has ordered every department at the DHS to review the laws and see how they affect the DHS from doing its job.

Wolf has previously indicated that he is not in favor of illegals having licenses.

This review is probably to establish the fact that it violates the supremacy clause that disallows states from passing laws that are contrary to federal laws.

From The Daily Caller :

Wolf on Tuesday ordered all of the components of DHS to conduct a department-wide review of the state laws to determine how they affect their day-to-day operations, according to a memo obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The DHS chief’s directive indicates he is prepared to take aim against the state laws.

“Accordingly, I am instructing each operational component to conduct an assessment of the impact of these laws, so that the Department is prepared to deal with and counter these impacts as we protect the homeland,” Wolf’s memo read.

The memo follows implementation of New York’s “Green Light” law, and passage of a similar bill in New Jersey in December. Both laws not only allow illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses, but also restrict DMV data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of InfoWars notoriety has been ordered by Texas Judge Scott Jenkins to pay $100,000 in court costs and legal fees as part of a defamation lawsuit. The suit charges that Jones’ peddling of a conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax created by the federal government defames the parents of the murdered children by calling them “crisis actors.” Not only is this claim morally repugnant, but the parents say it’s led to real-life threats and harassment.

On Dec. 14, 2012, a gunman shot and killed 20 children and six adults at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones previously told the viewers of his show that the shooting was a hoax, though he has since said in a sworn deposition that he now believes the shooting was real. He says that a “form of psychosis” made him question whether the mass shooting was real.

Neil Heslin, the father of one of the children killed in Newtown, brought the defamation case against Jones and his website. Heslin says that he’s received numerous death threats from people who bought into Jones’ conspiracy theory. He sued Jones in April 2018, as did other families.

As reported by The New York Times, Judge Jenkins said Jones’ and his website’s lack of cooperation in the case “should be treated as contempt of court.” Jenkins also denied a motion from Jones and InfoWars to dismiss the case in a separate ruling. The Daily Beast reports that the fees break down to $65,825 for ignoring a court order to procure witnesses and documents and $34,323 to cover Heslin’s legal fees. Mind you, the case itself hasn’t even gone to trial yet.

Kochi: Residents in the neighbourhood of over 300 illegal waterfront apartment complexes at Maradu, ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court, have begun an indefinite fast, seeking urgent government intervention to secure the safety of their houses.

They fear that the demolition of the apartment complexes by controlled implosion would extensively damage their houses. The residents, who began the fast on Wednesday, alleged that their houses were damaged even in the pre-demolition work carried out by agencies contracted with demolishing them.

The authorities have set January 11 and 12 as dates for the demolition of over 300 flats. The intermediate walls of the buildings have been demolished through pre-demolition works and now the apartments are standing on bare structures.

Ernakulam district authorities and other agencies, including Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, have started completing formalities, including issuing No Objection Certificates and clearance certificates to the firms won the contracts to bring down the structures, official sources said.

Around 850 kg of explosives are reportedly required for the demolition of the buildings using controlled implosion. A total of 343 waterfront flats were built in the Maradu municipality by violating the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.

The Supreme Court in September last year had directed demolition of the apartment complexes within 138 days, a timeline given by the Kerala government. On May 8 last year, the apex court had directed that

these buildings be removed within a month as they were constructed in a notified CRZ, which was part of the tidally-influenced water body in Kerala.

The court had passed the order after taking note of a report of a three-member committee, which said when the buildings were built, the area was already notified as a CRZ and construction was prohibited.

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.

In response to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s mandate regarding COVID-19, Lyon County offices will be closed to the public beginning Wednesday, March 25, according to a news release.

Service will continue through telephone, fax and email, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Building and site improvement inspections will continue, but all inspection requests have to be either called-in or e-mailed to the appropriate department, the release said. There is no longer walk-in service for any Lyon County department until this pandemic has passed.

Law enforcement services such as fingerprinting, office reports, etc. will be completed by contacting your local sheriff’s substation or the main office and scheduling an appointment for services.

Marriage licenses, business licenses and recording documents will be completed by calling the appropriate office and making an appointment to have services completed.

To contact specific departments and offices, use lyon-county.org and click on the directory for phone number and email information.

If you have business with the courts contact them to determine access:

Third Judicial District Court, (775) 463-6571

Dayton Justice Court, (775) 246-6233

Fernley Justice Court, (775) 575-3355

Walker River Justice Court, (775) 463-6639

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday launched Visit Nepal Year 2020, an initiative of the Nepal government to attract two million tourists in a bid to re-energise the country's tourism sector which was hit by the great earthquakes of 2015.

Speaking at a grand ceremony held at the Dasharath Stadium here for the launch of Visit Nepal Year 2020, Bhandari said that there was a need to forge collaboration and cooperation among all for the development of tourism sector.

"We also need to preserve the nature and culture while promoting tourism, not by damaging them," Bhandari said.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai said that the Visit Nepal Year 2020 was only an entry point and that the government was preparing to observe the coming decade as the tourism decade.

Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal, and the largest source of foreign exchange and revenue.

Possessing eight of the 10 highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a hot-spot destination for mountaineers, rock climbers and people seeking adventure.

The devastating earth quake in 2015 that caused the Himalayan nation a huge infrastructure loss impacted its tourism industry the most.

Nepal received 1.2 million tourists in 2019 and the government is working out a strategy to increase the number of foreign visitors to two million in 2020.

The inaugural function was attended by the several dignitaries including India's Minister of State for Tourism Pralhad Singh Patel, China's Deputy Tourism Minister Wang Siaopheng, Myanmar's Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Conservation U. Ohan Moug among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Arpana Ale Magar

Kathmandu, January 1

Lighting the flame of unity, President Bidya Devi Bhandari officially launched Visit Nepal 2020 today with the slogan ‘Lifetime Experience’. Respective province chiefs also launched the campaign in all seven provinces at the same time.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, President Bhandari said the country’s economy was dependent on tourism, which had been affected by the long civil war and unstable political system.

“As we have already overcome political challenges, our major focus now is on economic prosperity. Tourism is the backbone of the country’s economic development,” she said.

Emphasising the immense tourism potential of Nepal, she said, “We can cater to all kinds of tourists as our country has been bestowed with cultural and natural diversity.”

She added that the campaign would play a significant role in conveying that Nepal had more to offer than just Sagarmatha, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini.

She requested all Nepalis — those residing in the country and abroad — to be a part of the campaign and make it successful as Nepali culture equated ‘guest with god (Atithi Devo Bhava)’.

Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai said Nepal was a unique creation of nature and implored all visitors to come for a lifetime experience.

“Nepal is a land of cultural excellence and tourists can visit sacred religious sites and experience our diverse wildlife, flora and fauna,” he said.

Assuring that the country was moving towards the path of good governance and prosperity, the minister also claimed that the government had created a conducive environment for investment.

Stressing that tourism is the main pillar of Nepal’s economic development, he said the target of two million tourists and the campaign itself were inadequate for sustainable development of the sector. “We consider this year as the starting point and plan to follow this path and mark 2020-30 as the tourism decade.”

Tourism ministers from India, China, Myanmar and Jamaica were present during the inauguration and extended their good wishes to Nepal for the grand success of the VN2020 campaign.

The inauguration ceremony of the mega tourism campaign kicked off with chanting of mantras of seven religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Kiratism, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism — practised in the country. Viber stickers of VN2020 and mascot for the campaign, Yeti, were also released during the inauguration.

A version of this article appears in print on January 02, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.

Follow The Himalayan Times on Twitter and Facebook

Northland entrants to the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards will spend their summer preparing for the exacting task of being judged on all aspects of their business in late January and early February.

While the entrants could be relaxing at the beach, this national competition continues to grow in popularity as a benchmark for farmers striving to be the best in their field.

And it must be addictive because some entrants return more than once to better their chances.

The Northland competition's organising committee is headed by regional managers Lesley and Brad Roberts, who won Share Farmers of the Year in 2015 and milk 900 cows at Riponui.

Advertisement

READ MORE:

• Northland Dairy Industry Awards finalists named

• Northland Dairy Industry Award winners swap office for farm

• Northland Share Farmers of the Year reject office life

• Northland couple crowned NZ Share Farmers of the Year

Lesley Roberts says entering the competition changed their lives and they continue to be involved because of the great support of the community and sponsors.

"The whole process is really rewarding,'' she says.

"It's all about the education along the way. You get really good advice on how your business can be improved and there are great networking opportunities.

"And if you are lucky enough to win, there are some amazing prizes,'' she says.

She says the intense scrutiny of all aspects of the farming business means no weaknesses can be hidden.

"If you say you are achieving something, you must be able to prove it and back it up with documentation."

Northland's representatives have won the major title of Share Farmer of the Year for the past two years in a row.

Advertisement

It is a high accolade for the region and shows the dedication of the young farmers who are rising through the ranks.

This year the robust nature of the competition has been proved with entrants to the Share Farmer of the Year category now able to have the body of work they prepare for the awards count towards modules in the New Zealand Diploma in Agribusiness Management.

The Recognition of Prior Learning is a formal recognition of the knowledge and skills already gained through working in the industry.

Roberts says this development will increase the value of participating in the awards process.

The dairy trainee entrants all have interviews and are set practical tasks, while those in the dairy manager and share farmer competitions have to provide comprehensive presentations to impress judges on their farms over several hours.

"The judging is all based on points. While they never see the points, the entrants do get extensive feedback that they can use to improve their farming business,'' Roberts says.

"The judges are all quality operators. They have to be up to date with their knowledge as farming involves so much technology now,'' she says.

The Dairy Industry Awards is split into three main competitions.

The Dairy Trainee of the Year has judging between January 28 and 30 with finals on February 17; Dairy Manager of the Year and Share Farmer of the Year entrants have preliminary judging between February 3 and 5 with finals between February 18 and 20.

This year there are 12 entrants in the dairy trainee section, and eight each in the dairy manager and share farmer competitions.

The awards dinner is held at Semenoff Stadium on March 7 and tickets are on sale early next year.

Winning award huge boost for couple

Winning the national award for New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year has been a huge boost to Wellsford couple Colin and Isabella Beazley.

Isabella says winning the 2019 title was "pretty awesome" and provided satisfaction in the acknowledgement of all of their hard work.

The Beazleys, both aged 31, are 50/50 Sharemilkers for Neil Jones and Wendy Crow-Jones' 163ha Wellsford property.

The couple had entered the awards twice before.

"We had worked so hard for it so it was quite a journey. It meant so much on a whole lot of levels."

The $52,000 prize package included free products and services as well as opportunities for free study.

"I think the real value of the competition is the feedback on every aspect of our farm business from the judges who are all, in effect, professional farm advisers.

"The advice we got has been so valuable, and we've been able to grow our business from milking 330 cows to 530 cows in a very short time," she said.

Now team leaders for Northland in their category, the couple will be encouraging the new crop of entrants on their judging journey.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an ovarian cancer drug for the maintenance and treatment of pancreatic cancer, according to AstraZeneca and Merck.

The drug, Lynparza (olaparib), has been approved in the United States for pancreatic cancer patients whose disease has not progressed on at least 16 weeks of a 1st-line platinum-based chemotherapy regimen.

Earlier this month, a panel of experts at the FDA recommended Lynparza after a study found that pancreatic cancer patients who were treated with the drug could go nearly twice as long without their cancer worsening than those taking a placebo.

“Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer historically have faced poor outcomes due to the aggressive nature of the disease and limited treatment advances over the last few decades,” said Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president of the Oncology Business Unit. “Lynparza is now the only approved targeted medicine in biomarker-selected patients with advanced pancreatic cancer,” he added.

Biomarker-selected patients are those with BRCA gene mutations, which hinder the body’s ability to fix damaged DNA and ultimately make it more likely that cells develop genetic mutations that can lead to cancer.

Lynparza is a PARP inhibitor, a type of drug that is used to stop cancer cells from reproducing.

"Metastatic pancreatic cancer patients have been waiting a long time for new therapy options for their devastating disease," said Julie Fleshman, president and CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. "Today’s approval of Lynparza provides an exciting new treatment option for patients with germline BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer.”

Advertisement

Lynparza is already approved for advanced ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer and has been used to treat 25,000 patients worldwide, and now AstraZeneca and Merck (the drug’s makers) are looking into the possibility of using it to treat other types of cancer as well.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.

American Girl is ringing in the new year by unveiling its first hearing impaired doll and 2020 Girl of the Year.

The popular doll line, owned by Mattel, introduced Joss Kendrick, with the help of Olympic surfing hopeful Caroline Marks.

Joss is a "a fierce athlete born with hearing loss and a passion for surfing and competitive cheer," the company said in a news release . Her story is based her hometown of Huntington Beach, California.

The doll has brown hair and brown eyes and comes with a removable hearing aid.

"American Girl has a rich legacy of creating timeless characters who encourage girls to reach for new heights and discover who they're meant to be," said Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl.

"Working with Olympic hopeful surfer Caroline Marks adds real-world inspiration about what can happen when you go 'all in' on your dreams."

In addition to the doll release, American Girl is partnering with the Hearing Loss Association of America to raise awareness and collect donations. The company also plans to donate $25,000 to the organization and support its annual walk. Starting January 1, it will also take donations for the HLAA in American Girl retail stores.

Joss is available online starting Tuesday and in stores starting Wednesday.

(Natural News) How do skilled pickpockets figure out an object with just the slightest touch? A study from the University of Cambridge and Columbia University revealed that the brain can identify an object’s properties using purely statistical information.

In sum, everyone has an “inner pickpocket” lurking inside them.

This interesting finding not only explains why this form of thievery is effective, but it also serves a practical purpose: It allows a person, for instance, to determine if something looks good on them – just by looking at it.

According to the researchers, this ability stems from how humans handle the steady stream of data obtained by their sensory input. The brain divides that nonstop information into discrete chunks for easier management.

For example, a window shopper’s sense of sight deciphers photons as reflected light from the objects in the storefront. Similarly, a pickpocket renders the series of small depressions on their fingers as a sequence corresponding to an object in a pocket or bag. (Related: Can your inbuilt “compass” respond to changes in Earth’s magnetic field?)

The brain consults earlier experiences to make guesses about new objects

Humans rely on their senses to interact with their surroundings, often relying on sight and touch to identify objects in a heaping mess. Through these senses, they can predict how they feel about it using sight, or what it feels like using touch.

Their brain delivers on those requirements by running statistical analyses of earlier experience. Based on the existing data, it may infer the properties of a newly-encountered object. Simultaneously, it may immediately guess the identity of an item despite having no obvious clue, such as well-defined shapes.

Sponsored: NEW Biostructured Silver First Aid Gel created by the Health Ranger combines three types of silver (ionic silver, colloidal silver, biostructured silver) with seven potent botanicals (rosemary, oregano, cinnamon and more) to create a breakthrough first aid silver gel. Over 50 ppm silver, verified via ICP-MS lab analysis. Made from 100% Texas rain water and 70% solar power. Zero chemical preservatives, fragrances or emulsifiers. See full details here.

In the study, co-lead author Mate Lengyel and his team looked at how the brain took in the continuous flow of sensory information and divided that data into objects. The researchers then compared the earlier data to the new sensory input.

“The common view is that the brain receives [specialized] cues: such as edges or occlusions, about where one [thing] ends and another thing begins, but we’ve found that the brain is a really smart statistical machine: It looks for patterns and finds building blocks to construct objects,” Lengyel added.

Everyone has an “inner pickpocket” that guesses what the hidden object looks or feels like

The research team set up scenarios with abstract shapes that lacked distinct boundaries between them. Their subjects either watched the objects on a screen or tugged them apart along a tear line. The line went either through or between the objects. Next, the participants performed tests that evaluated their ability to predict the visual and haptic characteristics of the jigsaw puzzles.

The visual exams determined the familiarity of the jigsaw pieces compared to abstract shapes made from the parts of two different objects. Meanwhile, the haptic tests investigated the difficulty of physically tearing new scenes apart in different directions.

They learned that participants succeeded in assembling the right mental model of the jigsaw pieces using only visual or touch-based experiences. Further, the subjects immediately predicted the haptic properties of an object from the visible characteristics and vice versa.

“These results challenge classical views on how we extract and learn about objects in our environment,” explained Lengyel. “Instead, we’ve [shown] that general-purpose statistical computations known to operate in even the youngest infants are sufficiently powerful for achieving such cognitive feats.”

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

ScienceDaily.com

eLifeSciences.org

Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from cornwalllive - Weekend Report Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email

Police are still searching for 21-year-old Ricky Gamage five days after he disappeared.

The young man, from Bude, was last seen at around 8.35pm on Saturday (December 28).He was leaving The Venue, the tenpin bowling allew where he works.

His family said that there are 'great concerns' for his welfare.

Since Ricky went missing there have been several unconfirmed potential sightings of him in Barnstaple, on the M5 at Burnham on Sea, the M5 at Taunton and on the M6 at Junction 11.

Now Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed that they are continuing the search.

(Image: Nicole Rachel)

The Force Incident Manager (FIM) said: "We are still appealing for anyone who think they saw him.

"We are still having searches being done."

Ricky is described as 6ft 2in tall with dark hair, a dark-coloured goatee beard, green eyes and a tattoo sleeve down his right arm.

At the time of his disappearance he was wearing a blue beanie hat with an unknown logo, a khaki green North Face hooded jacket, a grey ‘Venue’ logo t-shirt, black skinny jeans which had a tear on the left thigh, and black Dr Martin boots.

If you have seen Ricky, or know of his whereabouts, please call police immediately on 999, quoting log number 897 of 28/12/19.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles wild-card playoff preview: Can Russell Wilson win again on road?

Show Caption Hide Caption Lorenzo's Locks: How to bet on Sunday's wild card games SportsPulse: The two best games of the weekend may come out of the NFC slate on Sunday. Lorenzo provides the best bets you can make on each. USA TODAY

A preview of the NFC wild-card matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles

When: Sunday, Jan. 5, 4:40 p.m. ET

Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

Channel: NBC

Line: Seahawks by 1½

Injuries: Both teams are relatively banged up entering this one, with several key players who may or may not be able to play.

The Eagles recently lost starting right guard Brandon Brooks to a season-ending shoulder injury, while tight end Zach Ertz (ribs/back), running back Miles Sanders (ankle), wide receiver Nelson Agholor (knee) and right tackle Lane Johnson (ankle) missed all or part of the regular-season finale. Coach Doug Pederson said Monday the team would monitor their statuses throughout the week.

Seattle, meanwhile, had 14 players on its injury report entering last week's game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks will be without starting linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees, but hope to get safety Quandre Diggs back for Sunday's game, according to coach Pete Carroll. They could also be thin at wide receiver with Jaron Brown (knee) out and Malik Turner questionable this week after suffering a concussion.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Carries to be had: Few teams in the NFL embraced the run this season like the Seahawks and Eagles, who ranked third and seventh, respectively, in rushing attempts on the year. But injuries have put them in a similar predicament, trying to figure out who's going to get the carries. Philadelphia will hope for a healthy Sanders, lest they want to rely on Boston Scott for a second consecutive week. The Seahawks split carries between Marshawn Lynch (fresh out of retirement) and Travis Homer. With the cast of characters changing, it will be interesting to see if either team can establish consistent production on the ground.

2. What's home worth? The Eagles (9-7) earned home-field advantage in this game by virtue of winning the lowly NFC East, even though the Seahawks finished with a better record (11-5, including a 7-1 mark on the road) and have generally played like the better team this year. (They also beat the Eagles, in Philadelphia, in Week 12.) If the Eagles manage to pull off the upset and win this one, it would illustrate the value of home-field advantage in the playoffs — and help fuel critics who say playoff seeding should be determined by record, regardless of division.

3. All eyes on tight ends: One of the key matchups in this game will be Seattle's defense against Philadelphia's tight ends. The Seahawks ranked 31st in the NFL this year in catches (97) and receiving yards (1,099) surrendered to opposing tight ends, and Carson Wentz's top two targets are Ertz and Dallas Goedert. That pair combined for 146 catches, 1,523 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. All of this makes the health of Ertz that much more important in the days leading up to kickoff.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

Eagles facing Seahawks for second time with Boston Scott, Greg Ward, other new players filling big roles

Show Caption Hide Caption Eagles' Elijah Holyfield on his dad, boxing champ Evander Elijah Holyfield, signed by the Eagles on Tuesday, talks about his famous father; and Carson Wentz on upcoming game vs. Seahawks Martin Frank, The News Journal

PHILADELPHIA – When the Eagles played the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 24, Greg Ward had just been promoted from the practice squad, and Jay Ajayi, not Boston Scott, was the backup running back to Miles Sanders.

Mack Hollins was a starting wide receiver, even though he was going on his seventh straight game without a reception.

Right tackle Lane Johnson was sitting out with a concussion, and Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks would leave in the first quarter after having an anxiety attack.

SON OF A CHAMP: Eagles sign boxing champion Evander Holyfield's son Elijah to play RB with Sanders hurt

And quarterback Carson Wentz was playing in his first game without his top three wide receivers as DeSean Jackson was recently put on injured reserve, while Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor were sitting out with injuries.

Needless to say, it didn't go well as the Eagles committed five turnovers – four by Wentz with two lost fumbles and two interceptions – in their 17-9 loss.

The Eagles fell to 5-7 after losing the following week to Miami. They haven't lost since, winning four straight games despite a brand new cast of skill position players, most of whom the Seahawks haven't seen when the two teams play on Sunday in the NFC Wildcard Round of the playoffs.

SEASON SAVIORS: Ranking the Eagles' 10 former practice squad players by their importance

"I think it’s been different bodies out there, different guys making the plays, but Coach (Doug Pederson) has been putting together an awesome game plan each week and executing it and calling it really well, so I can just play fast and take what the defense gives me," Wentz said.

"And guys have been making plays. I’ve said that over and over now. It’s someone different every week. We saw Boston Scott last week. What was he, the (NFC) offensive player of the week? How cool is that? It’s finding ways to get the ball in playmakers hands and it’s my job to distribute it."

SEAHAWKS AGAIN: Eagles to face Seahawks in NFL playoff game, with chance to avenge regular-season loss

Scott didn't touch the ball at all in that first game against Seattle. Yet last Sunday against the Giants, Scott took over when Miles Sanders left with an injury in the second quarter and had 138 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in the Eagles' 34-17 win.

It's the same way with Ward. The first game against Seattle was only his second game on a game-day roster after spending parts of each of the last three seasons on the Eagles' practice squad.

Ward had his first NFL reception in that game, finishing with 6 catches for 40 yards. He has been the Eagles' leading receiver since, with 28 receptions, along with 254 yards and a touchdown. A week later, Hollins was released, while Jeffery has since gone on injured reserve, and Agholor has missed the last four games.

Eagles. Phillies. College and high school sports. Subscribe to Delaware Online to get every story.

"Some of the names are different, but the style of play and the way (Pederson) calls the offense and the defense, and how they do their stuff, doesn’t look different," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "Boston Scott is so much in the same vein (as Miles Sanders). They have the same-style type of guys of really exciting football players. They know how to use their guys. We’re just going to expect them to continue to do what they do."

But that has taken some time.

The Seahawks game was really the first time Wentz was playing with a new set of skill position players. That has continued to evolve as the weeks have gone on. Yet the Eagles have adjusted in must-win games in order to make the playoffs.

"We’ve had some moving parts," Scott said. "Guys have gone down. Guys have had to step up. At the end of the day, I feel like Carson has been putting us in good situations. It doesn’t really matter who’s in there. He’s kind of making that thing go. He’s our leader, and we have confidence in him, and he’s been putting us in positions to succeed."

In the last few days alone, Brooks went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury; tight end Zach Ertz missed last week's game with hip and back injuries and might not return this week; and Johnson has missed the last three games with a high-ankle sprain, and it's not known if he can return this week, either.

Fletcher Cox, Boston Scott after Eagles win over Giants Fletcher Cox had a pivotal fumble recovery at the Giants 2 yard line, while Boston Scott took over at running back to lead the win. Martin Frank, The News Journal

In that first game, rookie Andre Dillard, who had played left tackle ever since he began playing football, played right tackle and was benched at halftime for Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and Matt Pryor got into his first-ever NFL game at right guard.

Pryor played in the second half against the Giants last Sunday, and would be prepared to start if needed again Sunday.

The Seahawks have dealt with a similar situation over the past few weeks, when they lost 3 of their last 4 games. Their top three running backs in Chris Carson (1,230 yards rushing), Rashaad Penny (129 yards rushing vs. the Eagles) and C.J. Prosise have all suffered season-ending injuries.

The Seahawks last week signed veteran running back Marshawn Lynch. He hadn't played at all this season until last Sunday night in Seattle's 26-21 loss to San Francisco.

"We have to just deal with what’s been dealt to us," Carroll said. "Just make the adjustments and count on the guys to come through and make the plays, and play like the guy who just left. I know (the Eagles) have done a great job of that, overcoming tremendous odds. We’re up against a little bit now.

"Obviously, there’s a big survival challenge for both teams."

Injury update

Both Johnson and Ertz were limited participants in practice Wednesday, which was a walkthrough session. Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Ertz has not been cleared for contact, so unless that changes by Sunday, he won't play. Johnson has missed three straight games with an ankle injury.

WR Nelson Agholor, who has missed 5 of the last 6 games with a knee injury, didn't practice. Neither did Sanders. Pederson said a decision on Sanders will be made later in the week.

Eagles sign a WR

The Eagles placed Brooks on injured reserve Wednesday and signed WR Shelton Gibson. Gibson was the Eagles' fifth-round pick in 2017. He was waived in August, and spent the season on the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. Gibson has 3 career catches for 59 yards in 2017 and 2018.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

Six weeks after four men were killed in a mass shooting at a home in southeast Fresno, the Fresno Police Department announced the arrest of six suspects on Tuesday. One suspect remained at large.

Police said that on Nov. 17, two men sneaked into a backyard party in a majority-Hmong neighborhood and opened fire into a crowd of nearly 40 friends and family who had gathered to watch a football game. Sixteen people were shot, and four died: Kou Xiong, 38, Xy Lee, 23, Phia Vang, 31, and Kalaxang Thao, 40.

At a news conference Tuesday, Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall announced that the six suspects connected to the shooting were members of the Mongolian Boys Society gang. Hall said that the shooting was retaliation against the Asian Crips gang following a shooting that took place 16 hours before the backyard attack that left one of the Mongolian Boys Society members dead.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Fresno police said that they had created an Asian gang task force and feared further violence ahead of the Hmong New Year’s celebrations that will draw hundreds of Hmong to the area for what is considered to be the largest celebration of its kind in the nation.

Advertisement

Police originally had said there were no indications that any of the victims had gang ties. They did believe, however, that the home was targeted, but didn’t offer further details.

Hall said that one person at the party was a former affiliate of the Asian Crips, but was not an active member of the gang. The suspects targeted the house because they believed the event was an Asian Crips gang party, he said.

On Dec. 17, one of the suspects who was a person of interest in the backyard shooting was arrested on suspicion of mail theft. Police said they located a Glock pistol, believed to be the weapon used in the shooting, and two 30-round magazines.

On Thursday, Fresno police served 19 search warrants in the cities of Fresno and Visalia and contacted 40 people at the locations. Thirteen firearms were seized during the searches, one of which was determined to be the second weapon used in the backyard shooting. Police credited a tip to revelations during the investigation.

Advertisement

The arrests came one day after officials labeled the tragedy a gang-related shooting.

The suspects from Fresno – Billy Xiong, 25, Johnny Xiong, 25, Anthony Montes, 27, Porge Kue, 26, Pao Vang, 30, and Jhovanny Delgao, 19 – each could face charges that include four counts of homicide, 12 counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The suspects are being held on bail of more than $11 million.

“The shooting affected not only the city, but also really impacted our Hmong American community,” Hall said.

Police have been on high alert this week, monitoring social media for potential threats since the weeklong New Year’s event at the Fresno Fairgrounds started last weekend.

“The Hmong New Year celebration provides an opportunity to showcase the rich tradition of the Hmong culture and its people. This year it also shows the strength and resolve of a community that has recently dealt with tragedy,” Fresno Mayor Lee Brand tweeted.

The killings brought sudden attention to one of the nation’s largest Hmong communities, which has been left reeling as police searched for the suspects and motive. The youngest victim to die in the shooting, Lee, was a well-known Hmong singer. One of his most popular music videos has garnered over 4.4 million views – nearly 1 million of which came after his death – with hundreds of comments expressing sadness over his loss.

Many Hmong immigrants in California, including Kou’s family, are survivors of the so-called Secret War that followed the 1975 collapse of the kingdom of Laos. The Hmong people fought alongside U.S. troops against communism during the Vietnam War, marking them as targets after the Laotian communist government took over.

Most refugees fled to camps in Thailand before they were settled in the U.S. California now has the largest Hmong population in the country, with nearly 100,000 people.

Advertisement

Times staff writers Andrea Castillo, Anh Do and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report.

Somridho, a model and filmmaker wants to make being gender-fluid more mainstream (Picture: Tshiella D)

When 19-year-old Somriddho Dasgupta moved to London from New Delhi, India, he decided to sculpt a new version of himself.

Now a filmmaker, Somriddho’s style – inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race – is bold, androgynous and gender fluid.

Being gender fluid is when someone doesn’t identify themselves as having a fixed gender. The person might prefer to use ‘they’ pronouns instead of he/she. Somridho prefers he/his.

When he grew up in India, which he left as a 15-year-old, he was mocked for being ‘gentle and soft’.

He also came out as gay which his family is totally accepting of but at the time same-sex marriage was illegal in the country.

‘Acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community was just low,’ Somridho explains to Metro.co.uk.

‘Even now it is still relatively hard to be gay in India as compared to being gay in London. I felt free when I moved there.

Advertisement

Advertisement

He adds: ‘I could finally start expressing myself the way I wanted to. The first thing that I did when I moved to the UK was buy myself a nose ring and some nail paint, obviously!’

Though being gay and gender-fluid may have been considered unconventional in a traditional Indian family, Somridho’s parents never made him feel like an outsider.

He recalls one occasion where his dad called him up to congratulate him on one of the bold photoshoots Somridho regularly takes part in, as we works as a model on the side.

And while his parents still live in Delhi, Somridho manages to chat to them every day and go back home every six months.

As a gay, gender-fluid person who grew up in India, he’s had some tough times (Picture: Tshiella D)

‘I love my parents. They are very supportive,’ he tells Metro.co.uk.

‘They love me to pieces. It, of course, took them a while to get to this stage.

‘When I first told them I am gay (2016), they were quite shocked, a bit upset even. However, now they have reached a stage where they are really accepting.

‘I guess they love me so much that they just want me to be happy. And expressing myself in an androgynous manner makes me the happiest.’

That doesn’t mean that growing up as gay was any easier for Somridho.

Advertisement

Advertisement

While Somridho appreciates that India is changing its attitudes towards the LGBTQ community, in his adolescence it was difficult.

‘I love our culture and our traditions. It is a beautiful country, really diverse. But my experience with being gay, that was quite different.

‘Growing up, I had to pretend to have crushes on girls around my friends to feel accepted by them.

‘Right from a very young age, it is instilled in us that being feminine if you are a guy is wrong. My uncles and aunts would make fun of me for being too gentle and soft.

‘Obviously, they thought it was no big deal and they did not really mean to hurt me but it actually did hurt me. You see, casual homophobia is very common in India.’

He came to London at 15 where he’s also had some tough times (Picture: Somridho Dasgupta)

Somridho thinks that the Asian community is a little slower at accepting but is hopeful that attitudes are changing.

‘In our (Indian) culture, a lot of emphasis is placed on masculinity,’ he explains.

‘A man is expected to follow the traditional ideals of masculinity. Hence, when somebody does something that does not fit those ideals, everybody is shocked.

‘Progress has been made, of course. But there still is a long way to go.’

Advertisement

But that’s not to say the UK is an LGBTQ haven for Somridho. He’s had his fair share of intolerant attitudes here too.

‘I still face hate. I often get things thrown at me from moving cars. People scream slurs at me.

‘Even now, androgynous or gender-fluid people are too scared to express themselves, scared of the opposition they would face. Every year, numerous LGBTQIA+ people die in London as a result of hate crime.

‘But, did this stop me from expressing myself? No. I still walk out in public in my white fur trousers, my pearl covered glasses and my chunky earrings. I like to get a conversation going as language has power.

‘Good or bad, as long as people are talking about it, it is a victory for me because more people get to know about me, my style. They get to know that perhaps, they don’t have to be a man or a woman either.

‘They can be anything they want to be.’

MORE: From dresses made of meat to androgynous art – the best red carpet looks of the decade

MORE: The problem with calling the new androgynous emojis ‘non-binary’

MORE: In 2020, let’s end the needless hostility towards trans people

Advertisement Advertisement

Christmas isn't over just yet.

Eight people have been named to Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, including Santa's longtime stand-in, Bruce Templeton.

Templeton, of Outer Cove, has been invested into the order for his decades of volunteer work, community leadership and humanitarianism — including more than 40 years of playing Santa — as well as published books and charity work.

An investiture ceremony will be held on Jan. 29 at Government House in St. John's, where Templeton's name will be joining the 118 recipients in the 13 ceremonies since the order began in 2004.

"As Chancellor of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, it will be an honour to invest eight fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, who have made outstanding contributions to our province and people, into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, the province's highest level of recognition," said Lt.-Gov. Judy Foote in a news release on Tuesday.

"I look forward to thanking each of them personally at the investiture ceremony on Jan. 29 for the many efforts they have made, and continue to make, to ensure our province is the best it can be."

With new appointees set to receive their honours, 118 people will have been invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

Joining Templeton will be Jim Burton of Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's, Elaine Dobbin of Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's, Robert Lyall of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Helen Murphy of St. John's, Myles Murphy of St. John's, Susan Rose of Broad Cove and Gordon Slade of Mount Pearl.

The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence and achievement in an exemplary manner for the province and its residents, according to government.

Appointments to the Order are made by the chancellor on the recommendation of its advisory council.

"These eight individuals are determined to make a difference where and when they can for which I thank them on behalf of all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador," Foote said.

Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

Video: Suspect sucker punches NY cop on camera. Is immediately released by judgeJazz ShawPosted at 8:01 am on December 31, 2019New York City continues to descend into chaos under the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, particularly when it comes to the rule of law. We’ve already witnessed multiple instances of people dumping buckets of water on police officers as they perform their duties. There are weekly “protests” in Brooklyn, where marching vandals chant “F*** the Police” and demand that the cops be banned from subway stations so they can more easily commit crimes. And in the latest incident, a suspect sucker-punched a member of the NYPD right in front of other officers. And thanks to the lax rules being pushed by City Hall, the suspect was back out on the street almost immediately. (CBS New York)

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.