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PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE SHOOTOUT THAT HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE-K. THIS BULLET- RIDDLED CAR TELLS THE STORY OF A SUNDAY AFTERNOON SHOOTOUT BETWEEN POLICE AND 29 YEAR OLD RICHARD MURRAY- BURNS. WATERVILLE POLICE OFFICER TIMOTHY HINTON CALLED THE WATERVILLE WALMART TO INVESTIGATE A SHOPLIFTING CASE...HE SPOTS THE SUSPECT'S CAR NOT FAR FROM THE STORE AND PULLS HIM OVER. <SOT-DEPUTY CHIEF WILLIAM BONNEY/WATERVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT- 06.01.36> "THE OFFICER WAS SHOT AT AND STRUCK TWICE. THE OFFICER CONTINUED THE PURSUIT DESPITE HIS WOUNDS." DURING THE 17 MILES BETWEEN WATERVILLE AND CANAAN...THE OFFICER'S SUPERVISOR ORDERS HIM TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION - OTHER OFFICERS PICKED UP THE PURSUIT AND CHASED THE SUSPECT TO THE CIRCLE K..WHERE WITNESSES SAW IT ALL PLAYED OUT. <SOT-RILEY ALLEY/WITNESSES> "ALL OF SUDDEN YOU JUST HEAR, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM." RILEY ALLEY WAS WORKING HER SHIFT AT THE NEARBY DUNKIN' DONUTS. <SOT-RILEY ALLEY/WITNESSES> "AND ONE OF MY COWORKERS HAD ENDED UP GRABBING THE BACK OF MY SHIRT AND PULLED ME DOWN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON <CUT> AND THEN I SAW THE GUY LAYING ON THE GROUND." <SOT-DEPUTY CHIEF WILLIAM BONNEY/WATERVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT- 06.02.20> "IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR THE GOOD GUYS WHEN WE ALL GET TO GO HOME AND SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH OUR FAMILIES." POLICE SAY THE OFFICER WAS SHOT IN BOTH ARMS AND TREATED FOR HIS INJURIES AND RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. THE SUSPECT TAKEN TO "EASTERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER" IN BANGOR - THE HOSPITAL HAS NO INFORMATION TO RELEASE - BUT A STATE POLICE SPOKESMAN SAYS MURRAY-BURNS IS BEING TREATED FOR MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS BELIEVED TO BE NON LIFE- THREATENING. <JIM 5

WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — A man accused of shooting a police officer before leading officers from several agencies on a high-speed chase and getting shot himself was charged Wednesday with aggravated attempted murder, officials said.

Richard Murray-Burns, 29, of Harmony, was arrested upon his release from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was treated for gunshot wounds, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Murray-Burns was transported Wednesday to the Somerset County Jail and will likely make an initial court appearance on Thursday or Friday. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney.

Injured Waterville police officer Timothy Hinton was “recovering well” at home, Deputy Police Chief Bill Bonney told the Morning Sentinel.

Hinton, who was responding to a report of a shoplifter at Walmart, was shot in both arms on Dec. 22 in his cruiser after he stopped a vehicle on Main Street, police said.

Murray-Burns, 29, of Harmony, proceeded to lead police on a chase through several towns before he was shot multiple times by officers from several law enforcement agencies in Canaan, McCausland said.

Seven different officers fired at Murray-Burns, who was armed with an assault-style weapon; all seven are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure when deadly force is used, officials said.

Bonney said the case illustrates the danger law enforcement officials face every day. “I think that it goes to show that nothing is routine for us,” he said. “We don’t know what is on the other side of that traffic stop.”

At the Foreign Ministry, the Swiss envoy received the Islamic Republic’s strong protest over the hawkish comments made by American officials in violation of the United Nations charter.

In a meeting with the Swiss charge d’affaires on Wednesday, Mohsen Baharvand, an assistant to Iran’s foreign minister, urged Switzerland to convey Iran’s protest to the US, and also tell them that Iraq is an independent country with freedom-seeking, independence-seeking, and honourable people.

“The US army has martyred at least 25 young members of the Iraqi nation and wounded scores of others without providing any evidence for their culpability,” Baharvand said.

“The Iraqi people would naturally show reaction to a country that has occupied their territory and is killing their youths. Americans have even bombed two areas in Syria at the same time. That shows they are seeking to achieve other goals, and are just looking for pretexts,” he added.

Baharvand said the American officials had better stop pinning the blame on others and levelling groundless accusations against the Islamic Republic.

The Swiss envoy was also told that Iran is not a hawkish country, but its hands are not tied when it comes to countering any threat and unwise move.

In that case, it will defend itself with full force.

“Instead of raising baseless accusations against others, the US government must learn how to speak to other nations and stop occupation,” the Swiss charge d’affaires was told.

Angered by US air raids that killed over two dozen fighters from Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) on Sunday, hundreds of protesters stormed its embassy compound in the high-security Green Zone on Tuesday, setting fires and chanting: “Death to America!” They also demanded the removal of American troops from Iraq.

Reacting to the attack, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held Iran “fully responsible” for the incident on Twitter and added that the protesters “will be held fully responsible.”

In a separate statement, Trump later also warned that Tehran would “pay a very big price” after the attack.

SAN FRANCISCO, January 01, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Army has recognised five soldiers with awards and special promotion for their gallantry in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.

The awards were given at the 2019 Nigerian Army West African Social Activities (WASA) on Monday in Gwoza, Borno State.

They (promoted officers) were also given N200,000 each by Governor Babagana Zulum.

The two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were also recognised for their gallantry and bravery in the fight against insurgency.

Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai said that WASA was an age-long tradition of Nigerian army that brings all officers and soldiers together to mark the end of the year and usher in a new year.

Gen. Buratai said that the event was also an opportunity to reward the gallantry of personnel in the discharge of their constitutional duties.

According to him, Gwoza’s choice for the 2019 edition was an indication that the troops had recorded success in the war against Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

He praised the personnel for the successes recorded in all other operations across the country and assured them of improved welfare next year.

The COAS also commended the field commanders and principal officers for the support and implementation of all the strategic directives.

He said: “If you pass directive from the headquarters to the field commanders and they fail to execute it, that directive becomes useless; your operational and tactical capabilities have contributed to the successes recorded so far.”

He praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his guidance, support and motivation for the army to have the wherewithal to win all wars as well as the National Assembly for their support.

The governor said that activities like WASA could serve as a tool to encourage the troops and boost their mental capacity.

Zulum said that the celebration of the annual event by Nigerian army had over the years confirmed its commitment to appreciate and promote diverse cultural diversity in the army.

Praising the successes recorded by the military in the war against insurgency in the state, he lauded the effort of the civilian JTF and hunters for their support for the army.

He, however, implored the military and other security agencies to redouble their effort with a view to permanently end the scourge of insurgency.

The governor also called on the government and army authorities to ensure that the necessary logistics needed was provided for the troops to successfully prosecute the war.

He also called for judicious utilisation of resources available to them, urging them to develop the mindset to reduce corruption and sabotage.

On his part, the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Army, Abdulrazak Namdas, said that the successful hosting of WASA in Gwoza, was a confirmation that the Boko Haram has not only been ‘technically defeated but practically defeated’.

Namdas lauded the synergy between the army and other paramilitary agencies and urged them to continue in that manner.

He took details of the soldiers recognised for their gallantry for onward transmission to the national assembly for recognition.

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Kelly Fraser in 2018 arrives on the red carpet at the Juno Awards in Vancouver. (Darryl Dyck/AP)

Kelly Fraser, a Canadian pop artist who gained attention for an Inuit-language cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” part of her advocacy efforts for her indigenous culture, died Dec. 24 in Winnipeg. She was 26.

Her family issued a statement saying the cause was suicide, adding that “Kelly suffered from PTSD for many years as a result of childhood traumas, racism and persistent cyberbullying.”

Ms. Fraser, who grew up in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, and was living in Winnipeg, released “Isuma,” her debut album, in 2014. Her sophomore album, “Sedna,” came out in 2017 and was nominated for indigenous music album of the year at Canada’s Juno music awards.

When Ms. Fraser wrote or translated songs into Inuktitut, an Inuit language, a key aim was to “use pop music as a platform to strengthen her language,” said her producer, Thor Simonsen. She also wanted to make the music as accessible to as many people as possible, he said, so she mixed English and Inuktitut in her recordings and blended traditional Inuit sounds and themes with contemporary pop.

A video of her version of “Diamonds” was widely viewed online.

Ms. Fraser was “extremely passionate about trying to improve conditions for Inuit people” as well, and wanted to help young people understand the history that contributed to their difficulties, Simonsen said.

In a 2017 statement that accompanied the release of “Sedna,” Ms. Fraser said the album’s goal was to heal those suffering from the results of colonization, including the “damaging effects of residential school and forced relocation. There is a great need for Inuit artists to directly speak to those affected from the past.”

She was working on a third album, “Decolonize,” at the time of her death, Simonsen said.

Ryan Grim

March 8 2020, 7:42 a.m. (theintercept.com)

MICHIGAN HOLDS A special place in the memory of Jesse Jackson and the supporters of his insurgent 1988 presidential campaign. It was Jackson’s Nevada, the moment that the party establishment realized this campaign it had long written off might just seize the nomination.

At a rally in Michigan on Sunday, Jackson will endorse Sanders ahead of a do-or-die primary for the Vermont senator.

The Michigan contest in 1988 fell on March 27. After more than three dozen primaries and caucuses, a crowded presidential field had been winnowed down to three serious contenders: Michael Dukakis, the Massachusetts governor and presumed frontrunner; Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt; and the Rev. Jackson, a former close aide to Martin Luther King Jr., and the public bearer of the torch of the civil rights movement.

Joe Biden, then a senator from Delaware, had dropped out of the race following a plagiarism scandal and dismal polling numbers.

Given Gephardt’s hard-hat, working-class brand, he badly needed a win in Michigan. He threw everything he had left into the state. Dukakis, too, wanted Michigan — to show that his appeal extended beyond the liberal confines of Harvard Square, and that he could win back those Reagan Democrats whose defection had cost Jimmy Carter reelection.

Jackson spent that election day touring Detroit, hitting black churches and five different housing projects. The New York Times’ legendary political reporter, R.W. Apple, was on hand for the last minute push. Jackson, Apple observed in his election night dispatch, “had drawn surprisingly large crowds of both blacks and whites in the last few days,” adding that despite the black establishment’s support of Michael Dukakis — Detroit Mayor Coleman Young was backing Dukakis — Jackson won some Detroit neighborhoods by 15 or 20 to one. “But the surprise was the Chicago clergyman’s powerful showing in predominantly white cities like Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, several of which he carried.”

Indeed, Jackson did more than get out the black vote. Progressive whites in the state also rallied hard to his cause. (Dean Baker, now a prominent progressive economist, was district director for Jackson in Ann Arbor.)

The energy of the moment comes through in the Times dispatch. “So dramatically did [Jackson] seize the public imagination that he was able to counter successfully the notion that Mr. Dukakis was the Democrat with the best chance of nomination,” the Times wrote.

Jackson, after 37 primaries and caucuses, was now effectively tied with Dukakis in the delegate count — a stunning moment in American politics that has gone down the memory hole.

The victory generated two polar opposite responses in Washington, D.C., and Burlington, Vermont, both of which would have profound implications for the future of the party.

In Burlington, the city’s independent mayor, an outspoken supporter of Jackson, had to decide if he would engage directly with the Democratic Party in order to help Jackson win. After the Michigan victory, Bernie Sanders went all in, calling a local press conference and announcing that he would be participating in the April Democratic caucus to back Jackson. “I am the only non-Democrat, non-Republican, independent progressive mayor in the United States of America. OK, it is awkward, I freely admit, it is awkward for me to walk into a Democratic Party caucus, believe me, it is awkward. I am not a Democrat. Period,” he said.

But he said the stakes were too high, and the opportunity too great, to stand aside on principle. Jackson, he argued, could remake the Democratic Party in an image of social justice. “So while in fact, he may end up losing some conservative white votes, some racist white votes, I think there is a real chance that he could do what [Walter] Mondale couldn’t do in a million years. That is to bring millions and millions of poor people and working people into the political arena who in the past never participated.”

‘Pick up your sling shot, pick up your rock, declare our time has come, a new day has begun!’ — Rev. Jesse Jackson’s iconic ‘David and Goliath’ speech from 1984 is just as relevant today

3526:31 PM – Feb 5, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy165 people are talking about this

In Washington, though, the reaction was pandemonium. Just as party leaders melted down publicly after Sanders’s win in the Nevada caucuses, they did so after Jackson’s triumph in Michigan. Talk in the top echelons of the Democratic Party turned to panic, with David Espo of the Associated Press reporting that the establishment feared a general-election blowout if Jackson was the nominee. Plans were being drawn up, he reported, to draft New York Governor Mario Cuomo to challenge Jackson at the convention if Dukakis couldn’t stop the reverend.

E.J. Dionne, then reporting for the New York Times, captured the sense of dread.

White Democratic leaders who do not support Mr. Jackson admitted they were in a quandary, wondering how to confront the growing movement toward Mr. Jackson without appearing to be racist and without alienating the large core of activists, including many white liberals, that he has attracted…. Around Washington, the words used by leading white Democrats to describe their party’s situation included crisis, disarray, disaster, consternation, mess, and wacky. “You’ve never heard a sense of panic sweep the party as it has in the last few days,” said David Garth, an adviser to Senator Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee. Mr. Garth predicted that ‘”the anti-Jackson constituency, when the reality of his becoming President seeps in, may be a much bigger constituency than there is out there right now.”

Jackson, the Democratic political class argued, was simply unelectable, so the party should go with a winner like Dukakis. Rep. Barney Frank’s sister, Ann Lewis, was working for the Jackson campaign, but Frank was backing his home state governor. He explained to Dionne that there were two reasons Jackson couldn’t win. “One, there is unfortunately still racism in the country….That doesn’t mean the whole country’s prejudiced. It means that if there’s an irreducible 15 or 20 percent prejudice against a particular group, you’re giving away an awful lot,” Frank said. “Two, he’s still to the left of the country, especially on foreign policy.”

Jackson’s opponents had argued that his proximity to the nomination would paradoxically push some white Democrats away from him. It’s all fine and good to vote for the charismatic black guy with the unifying message in 1988 — indeed, it was an anti-racist badge of honor — just not if he actually might win. The party establishment pulled the fire alarm. I asked Jackson, in an interview for my recent book We’ve Got People, what kind of pressure he felt after his Michigan win. “The pressure was not on me,” he said. “It was the so-called Reagan Democrats who began sewing discord and spreading lies.”

At the April Democratic caucus in Vermont, Sanders spoke on Jackson’s behalf. The interloper’s speech did not go over well with every Democrat. As he headed back to his seat, a woman in the audience slapped him across the face, he later recounted in his 1997 book, “Outsider in the House.”

“Bernie represents direction not complexion. He stood up for me in ’88 and we won Vermont — the whitest state in the country,” Jackson recently recalled to Jeremy Scahill. On the back of the progressive coalition Sanders had organized in Vermont, Jackson won the Vermont caucuses 46 to 45 percent.

Outside of Vermont, it didn’t go as well. Jackson had been polling ahead in the next state on the calendar, Wisconsin, but the party consolidation behind Dukakis, fueled by the panic, flipped the momentum, and Dukakis took the state.

Over the next month, Dukakis would win Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Indiana, and while Jackson continued picking off a state here and some delegates there, the nomination contest was effectively over. As is often the case, political wisdom failed the party elite, and Dukakis was crushed by the unpopular George H.W. Bush.

Jackson’s endorsement comes in the wake of Elizabeth Warren’s departure from the race. “I will not go against Bernie, but I’ve not made a decision to endorse anybody,” Jackson said in a February episode of Intercepted. “And when we talk, I share with him observations. Same with Warren, share observations. I’m not endorsing either one at this point.”

But Jackson was clear on who he would not be supporting. “I think the idea that somehow Biden has largely inherited the black vote in South Carolina is not sound judgment,” he said. “We were saying no to Clarence Thomas, he said, yes, to Clarence Thomas. We were saying no to the Crime Bill. He said yes to the Crime Bill. No to the Iraq War. He said yes to the Iraq war. He’s on a different side of history. It’s his right to be there but he might as well own up to his side of history.”

Jackson said that Biden had taken on the aura of Obama, though that misunderstood the role Biden had played on the Obama’s ticket. “Joe Biden is seen as connected to Barack. He was put on the ticket to balance the ticket not to enhance it. Barack was against the Iraq war. He was for the Iraq war. Barack was against the Crime Bill. He was for the Crime Bill. Barack was supporting Anita Hill and Biden let Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court as a monument to his leadership in that committee. So his proximity to Barack gives the impression he is active in Civil Rights is clearer than it is,” Jackson said. “Biden was Barack’s right-wing. With Barack out, there’s nothing left but the right-wing.”

Biden isn’t offering a vision that meets the moment, Jackson said. “His message does not address the pain of our people. I’m not sure what moderate means if people don’t have affordable healthcare. I’m not sure what moderate, ‘I’m a moderate’ means to us. In fact, it means very little to us,” he said.

Just as Biden isn’t moderate, Jackson argued, Sanders isn’t on the left. “What Sanders represents is not the left-wing,” he said. “It’s the moral center. Healthcare for everybody is moral. Education even for the poor without student loan debt is the moral center. Middle East policy where you recognize Israel and Palestine is the moral center.”

Ryan Grim is the author of the book We’ve Got People: From Jesse Jackson to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the End of Big Money and the Rise of a MovementWAIT! BEFORE YOU GO on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadn’t done it? Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters weren’t on the beat? The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. We don’t have ads, so we depend on our members — 35,000 and counting — to help us hold the powerful to account. Joining is simple and doesn’t need to cost a lot: You can become a sustaining member for as little as $3 or $5 a month. That’s all it takes to support the journalism you rely on.Become a Member

CONTACT THE AUTHOR:

Ryan Grim ryan.grim@theintercept.com @ryangrim

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton and Hove Albion on New Year's Day, after Alireza Jahanbakhsh scored a breathtaking equaliser late on for the hosts.

The Blues took the lead inside ten minutes, when Tammy Abraham's blocked shot fell to the feet of César Azpilicueta, who tapped home from close range. Leandro Trossard forced an excellent diving save from Kepa towards the end of the first half, as Frank Lampard's men went into the break ahead.

Brighton were the better team in the second half, and deservedly equalised with just under ten minutes left to play, when substitute Jahanbakhsh struck a stunning overhead kick to bag the Seagulls' first goal of the new decade.

The hosts almost snatched all three points at the death, but Kepa made an excellent stop to keep the scores level, and the spoils were shared.

Brighton

Key Talking Point

There's only one moment we can really talk about here. Jahanbakhsh has struggled to adapt to life in England since his heavily-anticipated move, and he has failed to hit the heights expected of him. So having waited 18 months to score his opening goal for Brighton, he then scored a second against Chelsea. And what a second it was.

As the ball dropped from the sky, there was a moment where time stood still, and the whole world watched and waited. And then, delirium.

Jahanbakhsh flung his legs into the air, and with a moment of sheer magic, he delivered the perfect overhead kick, wrong-footing Kepa and giving Brighton a vital point against Chelsea . Absolute class.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Ryan (7); Montoya (7), Webster (7), Dunk (8), Burn (N/A); Bissouma (7), Pröpper (7); Trossard (9), Mooy (7), Alzate (7); Maupay (7)

Substitutes: Bernardo (7), Connolly (6), Jahanbakhsh (8)

STAR MAN - This guy is a real live-wire. Leandro Trossard struggled in the initial stages of the match - as did every Brighton player. But the change of shape really benefitted the Belgian winger, and he began to cause Chelsea's defence all sorts of problems.

The 25-year-old drifted inside, threading cute balls through to his teammates or twisting and tormenting his marker at every given opportunity. Trossard forced an excellent save from Kepa in the first half, and he grew into the game as his team upped the ante.

Although he may not be the most consistent player in the Premier League, Trossard is certainly one of the most exciting on his day, and he epitomises the change in style which Brighton are attempting to perfect.

Chelsea

Key Talking Point

Chelsea's superb away form has been much-talked about of late, but the Blues struggled in their 1-1 draw with Brighton. Lampard initially set his side up expertly, and their pressing game was nothing short of extraordinary. The hosts couldn't get out of their own half for large periods, and the Seagulls were forced into making some horrendous individual errors at the back by their rampant visitors.

But when opposing manager Potter re-jigged his Brighton side, Lampard had very little to offer and the Seagulls grew throughout the match to pick up a superb point. The Chelsea boss will ask questions of his team after this result, having seemed incapable of reacting to the switches made, and their naivety shone through again.

Youthful, but chaotic at times.

Player Ratings

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
Actor Aayush Shamra and wife Arpita Khan Sharma became parents to their second child Ayat on December 27, 2019. The day also marks the birthday of actor Salman Khan. While many fans thought that it was a major coincidence, Aayush actually spilled the beans saying that bringing Ayat into the world on Salman's birthday was a conscious decision.

“The due date was the last week of December or first week of January. When we told this to everyone, Bhai (Salman) was excited and said ‘give me a gift’. So, it was a conscious decision to bring Ayat into this world on that day. It is a very good omen to have her on Bhai’s birthday." the actor told Hindustan Times.

"Also, it saves me from giving multiple parties! Arpita has a habit of throwing lavish parties, so I was anyway thinking how much I’ve got to earn to celebrate hers, mine, Ahil’s and Ayat’s birthdays. “Now, we all can go to the farmhouse, where on one side, we can celebrate Bhai’s birthday and the other side can be booked for the kid’s party,” he added.

Aayush had taken to Instagram to share the first pictures with Ayat. "Welcome to this beautiful world Ayat. You’ve brought a lot of happiness into our lives. May you touch everyone’s life with a lot of love and joy," he wrote.

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Salman Khan's birthday is often a star-studded affair. However, this year Bhaijaan got a huge surprise as his sister Arpita Khan gave birth to a baby girl Ayat.

Since that day wishes are pouring in for the family. Salman, who always makes it a ritual to ring in his birthday at his farmhouse, decided to skip it as his sister was due and after the birth of baby girl Ayat. Ever since the first picture of Ayat went online, fans and fraternity just couldn't stop gushing over baby Ayat's snaps.

During the birthday celebration, Salman Khan got emotional after seeing the first picture of lil Ayat. A teary-eyed bhai told the media, "Ab celebrations sath mein hoga. Maamaaur chacha toh bann gaya, abhi baap banna baaki hai. (Now the celebrations will be together. I have become a maternal and paternal uncle, but I am yet to become a father. I woke and checked my phone and saw the picture of Ayat, nothing could have been a better gift than this to our family. She is beautiful. Ab iske baad toh December 27 ka matlab hi badal gaya in our family. In fact, I just tweeted to my fans that I really want to thank them for their love and good wishes."

Ayat was born at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital. Besides Salman, his parents Salim and Salma, brother Sohail and his wife, were seen at the hospital. The actor's former girlfriend Sangeeta Bijlani, his other sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri, were seen arriving too. Salman was accompanied by his alleged girlfriend Iulia Vantur when he reached the hospital.

As per social media posts, Salman and family are all set to ring in New Year's eve at their farmhouse at Panvel with the lil one Ayat!

International Business Times wishes Salman Khan and family a very happy new year!

Lahore: The historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - will be closed for local non-Sikh visitors for three days from Friday in connection with the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh, an official said here on Wednesday.

The Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan's Punjab province connects Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab in India.

"The (Pakistan) government has decided to close Kartarpur Sahib for three days from January 3 to 5 for non-Sikh visitors to exclusively hold a Sikh event - celebration of birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh at the Kartarpur Complex Narowal," Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI.

The ETPB looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan.

Hashmi said the government decided to close the Kartarpur Sahib for non-Sikh Pakistanis to let the Sikhs of Pakistan and India celebrate their Guru's birthday together at the historic Kartarpur complex.

"The main event of the 10th Guru of Sikh religion Gobind Singh's birth anniversary will be held at Kartarpur on January 5. In addition to 2,000 Pakistani Sikhs, officials of the ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhik Committee will also participate in it," the official said, adding that strict security measures have been taken to avert any untoward incident.

The official said that on Saturday and Sunday more than 20,000 non-Sikh pilgrims visit the Kartarpur complex which is 120 kilometres from Lahore.

ETPB chief Aamir Ahmed has directed the officials concerned to make all necessary arrangements for the event.

Pakistan opened the Kartarpur corridor on November 9 after Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated it in the presence of visiting Indian dignitaries like former premier Manmohan Singh, actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol and former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu.

According to the agreement between the two countries, every day 5,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims can visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige feels like a failure when big actors turn down roles in blockbuster Marvel films.

The 46-year-old film producer – who has been President of Marvel Studios since 2007 – deals with rejection on a regular bases as actors turn down iconic roles in the blockbuster franchise, but has said he can’t help feeling as though he’s done something wrong when big names walk away from movie deals.

Speaking at a Q&A at New York Film Academy, Kevin said: “It happened the other day, with an actor. There’s an actor we want for something, they come in, you give a big pitch and you can sort of tell they’re not into it. [You think] ‘I guess I’m a failure, I’ll show them, we’ll cast somebody even better.’ “

Representative image.

PILIBHIT: A case has been registered against Kishanlal, BJP MLA from Barkhera here, his nephew and unknown persons for allegedly beating up the gunner of the district magistrate, a police officer said on Wednesday. Police has registered a case on the orders of Special Additional Session Judge Vijay Kumar, the officer said. Constable Mohit Kumar Gurjar, posted as a gunner of the DM, alleged that he was beaten up by the MLA and his nephew.Superintendent of Police Abhishek Dixit told reporters that sub inspector Naresh Pal Singh, posted at Sunagarhi police station, is probing the matter and gave the assurance that the investigation will be impartial.

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Baltimore City Breaks Murder Record Of The Century

Baltimore City slid further into chaos and just broke its highest ever per-capita homicide rate after recording its 347th murder on Monday.

With about 602,000 residents, Baltimore City’s homicide rate breached 57 per 100,000 residents after 13 people have been murdered since Dec. 21.

The annual death toll has only hit 342 on two other occasions, onetime in 2017 and another in 2015. Breaching the 342 level to 347 is uncharted territory and suggests the situation will get worse in 2019.

This is the 5th year the city has recorded murders over 300, due mostly to the Ferguson effect post-2015 riots and socio-economic deterioration in the town.

The highest ever per-capita homicide rate and an out of control opioid epidemic comes as the total population in the city crashes to a 100-year low, many are fleeing the city for the suburbs as the local economy continues to dive deeper into a depression, never recovered since 2008.

Baltimore City Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young held an end-of-year news conference on public safety Monday. Young said, “Our residents deserve to live without the fear of violence and it is my obligation and duty to leverage every resource and tool available to stop the cycle of violence that is crippling our city.”

He added, “We cannot stop violent crime through policing alone. We must use both community-based interventions and an integrated crime-fighting strategy.”

Young also wrote an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday about his new strategy to turn Baltimore City around will focus on identifying and charging gun crimes and holding weekly case reviews with the police department and the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the number of people killed in the city this year is “deeply disturbing.”

“That level of violence simply cannot be tolerated in a civil society, much less in a great city like Baltimore,” Harrison said.

He said the department would start treating the “actual disease” of violence, instead of what he characterized as the symptoms.

“[W]hen we only treat symptoms and never deal with root cause issues, violence, like a disease, builds resistance. It gets stronger and becomes more difficult to eradicate,” Harrison said.

With no signs of abating, the murder crisis in Baltimore City will likely get worse.

Please do yourself a favor in 2020 and avoid traveling to the city considering its per capita homicide rate is one of the highest in the country.

tech2 News Staff

End to end encrypted messaging app Telegram has announced a whole bunch of new features that will be seen on the app soon.

These features were announced in a blog post last night. Being a security focused app, Telegram will now let developers who make open source apps to independently verify their code on GitHub and ensure that it is the same code that was used to build the app they downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store.

The new features coming to Telegram have already started rolling out.

Here are the major features.

New Theme Editor 2.0

via GIPHY

You will need to head to Chat Settings (Android) or Appearance Settings (iOS) to tweak how your Telegram interface looks. From changing the background to changing the chat window gradients, you can tweak the look to your heart's content. You also have predefined colour themes, where you can further tweak some things.

Send When Online

via GIPHY

Telegram already had a feature to schedule your messages when the recipient came online, provided you are allowed by the recipient to see when they are online. Now you can also schedule Stickers along with messages, with or without sound.

View Search Results as a list

via GIPHY

You can use the universal search feature to search for a particular word or phrase in a Telegram chat. But earlier you had to click on the up/down arrow to toggle between search results. The latest update shows you a list of search results thereby reducing the number of clicks required to go to your desired result.

Podcast and Audiobook support

This is a boon for podcast addicts. If you have an audio file or a podcast longer than 20 mins, Telegram will be able to remember your last played position. There's also a 2x speed dial for podcasts.

Android updates

Switch to Night Mode quicker

via GIPHY

Telegram on Android has supported Night Mode since 2017, but activating that involved a lot of steps. Now with just a single tap, you can switch between regular and night mode. This applies to the Maps as well.

New ripple animations

via GIPHY

Select part of a message

via GIPHY

This feature has been there on iOS. Now the Android app will also let you select part of the message instead of the full text.

Multi-sharing from other apps

via GIPHY

Telegram on Android will now let you share stuff with your friends from multiple apps. You can send a photo from Instagram or a tweet from Twitter to multiple friends and will even get an option to add a comment accompanying it.

iOS updates

Choose your browser

External browser support has now been added for opening links. Head to Settings > Data and Storage > Other to select between in-app Safari, Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera Touch among others.

Share sheet settings

You can control what does or doesn't appear in your iOS Share Sheet (which generally adds your most popular Telegram chats). Head over to Settings >Data and Storage > Other > Share Sheet and toggle according to your preference.

Switch Accounts faster

Just long hold on the Telegram icon and it will show you the other Telegram accounts. You can switch between up to three phone numbers without logging out.

Storage usage at a glance

You can get a quick look at how Telegram is using your phone's storage now. You can see the Telegram Cache, Other apps and Free storage. There is a button to clear Telegram Cache with a single click as well. Head over to Settings > Data and Storage > Storage Usage for more options.

Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


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Recreational marijuana use became legal in just one more state, Illinois, with the start of the New Year on Wednesday. More states could follow suit in 2020, with several states set to put recreational marijuana on the ballot. Cannabis is still considered an illegal substance at the federal level.

According to an end of the year CBS News Poll, support for legal pot hit a new high in 2019, with 65% of U.S. adults saying marijuana should be legal. And, for the first time in CBS News polling, a majority of Republicans (56%) favored legal marijuana. While people ages 65 and over continued to be the least likely age group to support marijuana legalization, slightly more of them favored it (49%) than opposed it (45%) in the 2019 poll.

The trend has been reflected in state legislatures, albeit piecemeal. Thirty three states have legalized pot in some form, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Since 2012 — when Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational use — 11 states in total have legalized recreational marijuana.

Marijuana is currently legal for recreational use in: Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. On January, 1, 2020, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana.

Illinois

Democratic Governor JB Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday, ahead of the state's official legalization — which the Legislature passed in June — effective on Wednesday. State officials estimate that 116,000 convictions involving 30 grams or less of marijuana, including for possession of the drug, are eligible for pardons under the new law.

Illinois is now the second state in the Midwest, following Michigan in 2018, to legalize recreational marijuana sales and use.

What's ahead?

Several states are expected to vote on recreational marijuana use measures in 2020, while others are preparing similar legislation.

Florida

Make It Legal Florida, a political committee, is behind a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Chairman Nick Hansen told CBS Miami in early December that, according to their polling, over 65 percent of Florida voters "want to have expanded access to cannabis for 21 and over."

However, that milestone appears to have hit a snag. The Miami Herald reports that Make it Legal filed a lawsuit against the state on Tuesday, alleging that a new election law placed restrictions on the ballot initiative process that hampered their ability to collect signatures.

As of Tuesday, the state had verified 219,290 signed petitions from Make It Legal — just 28% of the total signatures needed by the February 1 deadline.

Minnesota

Democrats in the state are preparing marijuana legislation, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. House Majority leader Ryan Winkler (D) has been touring the state on the issue in an effort to ready a bill for the state's session in February.

The Republican-controlled Senate, however, poses steep odds, as key conservative leaders remain opposed to legalization.

New York

Last year proved lackluster for recreational marijuana legislation efforts in the Empire State.

A measure to legalize cannabis for adults went up in smoke, despite support from Governor Andrew Cuomo. Legislators did downgrade possession from a misdemeanor to a fine, but people with more than two ounces of the drug on them can still be arrested, according to the New York Police Department.

Cuomo has continued to push the issue, hiring Norman Birenbaum, a major force in pro-legalization efforts, to lead the state's cannabis program.

New Jersey

The state will vote on legalization of recreational marijuana in November, 2020, The Associated Press reports. If the measure passes, New Jersey residents 21 and older will be allowed to use pot recreationally. All sales of cannabis products would be subject to a 6.625% sales tax.

Virginia

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has called for the "immediate decriminalization" of possession of small amounts of marijuana, and hosted a Cannabis Summit in December to educate state leaders on what steps need to be taken to accomplish that goal.

"The system is broken. It's unjust. It's not working and the way to fix it, first of all, is to move and decriminalize possession of small amounts and address those past convictions. But for me, I think we should move to legalize and regulate adult use," Herring said, CBS affiliate WTVR reports.

He may have the support he needs, as the Commonwealth of Virginia's House and Senate are now controlled by Democrats, who tend to favor marijuana reform.

One piece of marijuana legislation that has been filed for the state's 2020 session, SB 2, would decriminalize marijuana possession, and would raise the amount needed to be charged with distribution to one ounce versus half-an-ounce, WTVR reports. The bill would also allow people to petition to expunge their convictions.

California is still fine-tuning its cannabis regulation

On January 1, 2020, two new laws went into effect in California that clarify tax laws related to the state's legal cannabis industry — which competes with it's long-established illegal cannabis industry.

Senate Bill 34 allows licensed cannabis retailers to donate cannabis to low-income patients, and exempts those products from state taxes, CBS affiliate KFMB reports. Assembly Bill 37, allows cannabis businesses to claim deductions and credits available to other legal businesses in the state.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed those bills into law, but "begrudgingly" vetoed another cannabis bill that would have required some health care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis. In a message explaining his decision, Newsom wrote that the requirement would put patients on Medicaid and Medicare at risk of losing coverage.

Is federal legalization likely in 2020?

Since cannabis is still considered an illegal substance at the federal level, most banks are prevented from doing business with marijuana companies. To face this hurdle, lawmakers introduced the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would protect banks who partner with cannabis businesses, CBS Miami reports.

The Act passed the Democratic-led House, but is expected to fail in the Senate, after Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) expressed his strong opposition in December.

"Significant concerns remain that the SAFE Banking Act does not address the high level potency of marijuana, marketing tactics to children, lack of research on marijuana's effects, and the need to prevent bad actors and cartels from using the banks to disguise ill-gotten cash to launder money into the financial system," Crapo said in a press release outlining his concerns.

The same fate is likely for federal cannabis legalization.

In November, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019, or MORE Act, now heads to the full House, where its chances are better in the Democratic-controlled chamber than in the Republican-held Senate, where the bill's future is uncertain.

With 2019 nearly rolled up, it is time to exhale and recap the latest dose of marijuana laws affecting the workplace. In the last twelve months, Illinois became the eleventh state to legalize recreational marijuana use by adult[1] and several other jurisdictions passed or modified their existing laws governing marijuana and the workplace. Below is a summary of this year’s developments and some thoughts about what 2020 might bring.

Illinois Legalizes Recreational Marijuana Use

On June 25, 2019, Governor Pritzker signed the Illinois’ Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act into law, legalizing the use and possession of marijuana for adults age 21 or older starting January 1, 2020. The law, since modified, includes extensive workplace protections for employers, permitting employers to enforce drug free workplace policies—including random drug testing—and discipline or terminate employees who violate those policies, so long as those policies are applied in a nondiscriminatory manner. Employers are also shielded from liability for taking adverse actions against an employee based on the employer’s good faith belief that the employee is impaired or under the influence of marijuana while at work.

After enactment, questions arose as to whether Illinois employers who drug test their employees risked running afoul of the state’s Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on an employee’s off-site and off-duty use of a “lawful product.” Fortunately, the Illinois legislature subsequently passed an amendment to clarify that employers may take adverse action against employees or rescind offers to applicants who fail a drug test conducted pursuant to an employer’s reasonable policy.

Despite the amended law’s added protections for employers, employees nonetheless may have a private right of action for a bad faith termination of employment. In addition, the amendments do not expressly address the question of whether an employer has a duty to accommodate an employee who provides a medical marijuana card or note from a doctor.

Expanded Workplace Protections for Marijuana Use

Employers should also be aware of the states and cities that provided new protections for marijuana users in 2019. New Mexico and Oklahoma each passed legislation that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees because of their status as registered medical marijuana users; however, the Oklahoma law does provide an exception for safety-sensitive jobs and for situations which the employee possesses, consumes or is under the influence of marijuana at work.

In Nevada, a new law taking effect on January 1, 2020, prevents employers from failing or refusing to hire an applicant because the applicant tests positive for marijuana. Perhaps not surprisingly, New York City went one step further when it passed an Int. 1445-A, barring most employers from conducting any pre-employment testing for marijuana or THC. The ordinance provides several exceptions to allow drug testing of applicants for safety-related positions, transport-related positions, caregivers, and certain federal contractors.

Similarly, New Jersey now prohibits employers from disciplining or terminating an employee solely based on that individual’s status as a registered medical marijuana user. While the law does not prevent employers from prohibiting or disciplining employees from using marijuana during work hours or on workplace premises, Garden State employers with a drug testing policy are required to offer employees and applicants who test positive the opportunity to explain the positive result.

Looking Ahead to 2020

Given the recent trends, employers should expect another wave of marijuana legislation in the coming year. Indeed, several states, such as Florida, Indiana, and Massachusetts are already considering bills that would prohibit discrimination against medical marijuana users and potentially eliminate most workplace drug testing for marijuana and THC. After coming close to passing legal recreational marijuana in the prior legislative sessions, New York and New Jersey will likely see another push in the coming year. New Jersey is slated to consider a ballot-initiative in a push to let voters decide whether to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana.

Employers should also be aware of potential federal action relating to marijuana. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment prohibiting the Department of Justice from using appropriated funds to interfere with state-legal marijuana programs. The House passed a second major marijuana bill in September, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would protect banks and credit unions that serve cannabis businesses from being penalized under federal anti-money laundering and illicit finance laws. Finally, in November, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which removes marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and requires federal courts to expunge prior convictions for marijuana offenses. Although significant marijuana legislation is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate in an election year, Congress’s rumblings underscore a shift in public opinion that has already and likely will continue to drive states to legislate further in this area.

*****

[1] While still illegal under federal law, adult recreational use of marijuana is permitted in the District of Columbia and the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Reprinted with permission from Health Employment and Labor blog.

Source: Epstein Becker Green.

I don't really see it.

She looks like another actress, but I can't nail down who it is.

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kstew

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100%what I see

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the free upgrade tho

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KStew's imaginary bb sis who owns a hairbrush

Edited at 2020-01-02 03:12 am (UTC)

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theresa palmer?

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She looks a lot like Emilia Clarke to me.

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rachel mcadams!

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My first thought was Astrid Berges-Frisbey, at least in that photo.

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shes a mix of hil duff and elizabeth olsen

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I don't watch the show, but in that picture I'm getting a little bit of Mireille Enos from The Killing and Big Love

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Carly Chaikin From Mr.Robot and Suburgatory

Edited at 2020-01-02 06:23 am (UTC)

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elizabeth olsen + emma stone

basically this girl looks basic af

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She looks like Maddie Ziegler but grown up

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I see a Kat Dennings Piper Perabo hybrid

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stacey dash

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Felicity Jones

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Hilary Duff

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Liv Tyler

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Piper Perabo imo

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Evangeline Lilly

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this thread is sending me, lol

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Yep that was my first thought! Not like twins, but her looks and way of speaking were like Kat-lite. They’re both gorgeous.

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She reminds of Kristen Stewart and Riley Keough. And maybe more Riley than Kristen.

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yeah, I thought she looks more like riley keough too.

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idk about Kat so much but she looks 110% exactly like my friend's gf which makes watching this season an interesting experience

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your friend is so lucky

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I hope Kat Dennings comes back in the next Thor movie.

I was told that I look like Jennifer Lawrence once but I don't trust the guy that said it and I think I'm more like Shailene Woodley, which is kinda unfortunate tbh

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Lucky you, they're both very pretty!

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An old lady once swore I was identical to Jennifer Lawrence and to answer your question, no I am not.

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lmao

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She's apparently going to be in WandaVision I think.

I'd like to see Darcy again tbh

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I see a bit of Kristen Stewart?

I only recently realized Kat Dennings is a different person from Kristen Ritter, so I'm not the one to ask I guess.

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Her and Maddy Ziegler look alike

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Season 3 better be a main new girl with a normal name , love is different name ,

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i think so too lol

it would explain too why they decided to focus so heavily on that instead of his backstory in s1

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she definitely does just like the first girl looked like emily vancamp

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I thought the same when she was in Haunting of Hill House

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She absolutely does, it was the first thing I thought when I saw her in The Haunting of Hill House and even more so in YOU.

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I get more Kristen Stewart. I don't see Kat at all.

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Kinda, but her facial mannerisms aren't similar at all. She reminds me of someone, but I can't figure out who.

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I feel the exact opposite, like in pics not so much but in motion so much.

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ia

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same

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Her facial mannerisms really reminded me of Elizabeth Olsen.

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I think she looks like a more basic Anna Friel

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I see Sarah Sutherland

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It still blows my mind she's Kiefer Sutherland's kid.

Also christ! They really are twins.

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She’s WHAT

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she rocks both eye colors

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this girl looks like everyone

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IDK this girl but someone above said Liv Tyler and here I definitely see it.

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The Reds head into 2020 top of the league and top of the world. With Jürgen Klopp’s men threatening to dominate the coming decade there has never been a better time to be a Kopite. Melwood has been preparing for this coming period of dominance, we believe Curtis Jones will be the breakthrough star of 2020.

Jones has been at Anfield since he was a kid, first turning out for the club at under-nine level. He has rocketed through the ranks at Melwood, impressing at every level, often captaining his side.

The local lad made his first debut in January 2019, starting against Wolves in the FA Cup, he has since collected the man of the match award for his efforts against MK Dons in the League Cup, he scored the winning penalty against Arsenal in the next round.

Jones’ Premier League debut came during the Reds’ 3-0 win over Bournemouth at the start of December. We can expect more first team minutes for him in the near future.

Curtis Jones will surely be our breakthrough star of 2020 as it is the perfect time for him. The Reds have their strongest squad in modern history, there will be plenty of games where we are leading handsomely enough to bring on one of the youngsters.

As long as Jones continues to impress during the cameos we can expect him to win a few starts. The intense footballing style of Klopp’s Liverpool demands rotation, we need to keep our players refreshed in order to maintain our high press – Jones could benefit from this rotation.

Of course, Jones may also benefit from our vast lead at the top of the table, if the Reds were to win the league with time to spare, we may see the gaffer blood some young talent.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister P. Pushpa Sreevani has posted her selfie video on TikTok for a song praising Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Sreevani herself posed for the video with the Telugu song ‘Rayalaseema muddubidda mana Jagan Anna’ in the background. The selfie video of 33-year-old woman leader has gone viral on the social media.

This Telugu song was made by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) after he became the chief minister in May, hailing him as the son of Rayalaseema, a region he hails from.

Though Sreevani belongs to north coastal Andhra, she posted her video with a song, praising him for development of Rayalaseema.

Sreevani, who is a minister for tribal welfare, posted the TikTok video amid ongoing row over Jagan’s three-capital proposal, which has angered farmers in the present capital Amaravati.

Jagan has mooted Visakhapatnam (in north coastal Andhra) as administrative capital and Kurnool (in Rayalaseema) as judicial capital.

Sreevani, who comes from Vizianagaram district, recently acted in a Telugu movie to highlight the importance of natural farming.

She played the role of a teacher in the movie titled ‘Amrutha Bhoomi’.

IANS

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.

As the world faces a frightening youth employment challenge, 20 million young Africans are expected to join the workforce every year over the next two decades. At the same time, advances in technology offer an opportunity to boost labour demand in the digital economy in Africa.

So, in helping to tackle the youth employment challenge, insiders at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) say there is need to create a sustainable pipeline of talent with the right, future-forward, skills.

At the same time, working with governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations should build an enabling environment to create jobs for youth.

Like many new graduates, some youths realised very quickly after leaving university that the types of jobs available to them were not as plentiful as those who had studied Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

A testifier at ILO said she learned the hard way how important it is to have the skills that employers are looking for.

It is not just the study choices of students that need adjusting. In Kenya for instance, most universities are yet to adapt their curriculums to meet the growing demand for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills.

Three years from now – the length of an average first degree course – Kenya expects to have 17,000 ICT graduates available. Yet, a report by Youth Impact Labs estimates that by 2022 employers will be looking for 95,000 ICT professionals. Somehow this gap will need to be plugged.

However, it is not just a Kenyan, or an African, problem. Worldwide, no less than 79 per cent of global CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills. Among African business leaders, this figure jumps to 87 per cent.

One other African youth was lucky. He found a good job that also fed his interest in employment and skills issues. After he began working at ThinkYoung (a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to involve youth in decision-making processes and provides decision-makers with high-quality research on key issues affecting young people), it did not take him long to understand how this skills gap affects more than profit and growth statistics for businesses and economies.

Perhaps, even worse damage is done to our irreplaceable human capital, because having the wrong skills is a major contributor to unemployment among school leavers and graduates.

If African leaders can correct this mis-match, the potential benefits are enormous.

There are many ways to fill this gap though. Self-learning, tech hubs, online courses and workshops can all contribute. In 2017, the ILO partnered with the International Telecommunications Union to launch the Digital Skills for Jobs Campaign under the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, with the aim of equipping five million young people with digital skills by 2030.

This includes mainstreaming digital skills into school curricula, establishing comprehensive on-the-job training systems, and encouraging private and public sector job creators to employ young people in digital-centric jobs. There will also be a strong focus on fostering youth-led digital entrepreneurship.

Not all is however, lost for non-STEM graduates! Retraining and upskilling programmes are available. Among the resources is the Decent Jobs for Youth Knowledge Facility, which collates experiences gathered from many different partners to facilitate learning related to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of youth employment policies and programmes, including on digital skills and jobs.

Increasingly, non-STEM graduate are finding themselves advocating for more STEM education and training, particularly among schoolchildren. As it often said, one is never too young or too old to learn new things.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
Te Deum

Francis concluded the year 2019 with the usual Vespers and the. Then, he left St Peter’s Basilica to visit the Nativity scene on St Peter’s Square.Only few people were waiting for him. While greeting them, an Asian woman grabbed his hand. Francis violently slapped her hand several times until she let him go.A Twitter comment pointed to the Francis' angry face, “His mask fell off. That’s the real face of Pope Francis!”Shortly before the incident, Francis preached to his audience telling them "to take time for others" and "to dialogue" stressing that “to listen is an act of love.”

Pope Francis reacted angrily when he was grabbed on the arm by a woman at the Vatican as he was meeting pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve.

The pope was walking through the square, greeting people after a Vespers service, when he was grabbed on the arm by a woman. The pope appeared to be slightly hurt as she pulled him towards her, and slapped her hand when she refused to let go. Credit: Vatican TV via Storyful

Eau Claire (WQOW) - WQOW News 18 is partnering with Volume One to unveil the winners of the annual "Best of the Chippewa Valley."

As part of that, we want to send you and a friend to 'The Best Night' where Volume One will celebrate the organizations that topped the list of Best Of in the Chippewa Valley.

These tickets are VIP which means you get into the event an hour early and get free drinks and appetizers during that hour! The prize is valued at $130! Read the official rules here.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order dataminers have seemingly unearthed new information that reveals the future content coming to the Nintendo Switch game, including some new story DLC. More specifically, over on Reddit, user GypsyGold dumped a metric ton of information gathered from an alleged and recent datamining effort of the game.

According to the user, Beast, Dark Phoenix, and Professor X "mention several team bonuses, including 'Inhumans,' which doesn't currently exist." Meanwhile, it's said that Medusa has a new voice clip, which possibly points to a playable Medusa and Black Bolt to round out an Inhumans team. As for new content, there's allegedly new spoken NPC dialogue, which hints at story DLC. Further details on this aren't really divulged, but the post mentions that the Negative Zone and Doomstadt are explicitly named in the dialogue.

More specifically, Iceman mentions Negative Zone, noting that it's very cold, but not for him. Annihilus is also mentioned. The character is usually the leader of the Negative Zone, so this may confirm he is its boss in the game. As for Doomstadt, it appears to be in some type of trouble and overrun by vampires. Interestingly, Cable supposedly mentions Celestial, which possibly points to Galactus.

Again, take all of this with a grain of salt given the source. Further, datamining leaks in general are sometimes unreliable. Not only because things are subject to change, but sometimes old, unused files are mistaken for new and upcoming content.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is available for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch. For more on the game -- including news, media, and rumors -- be sure to check out all of our past and recent coverage of the 2019 game by clicking right here.

"The scope of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is impressive," reads a snippet from our official review of the game. "The story is all about fan service, but its fun, enjoyable fan service. The game is fun solo, though multiplayer is ideal. The drop-in, drop-out multiplayer makes that a breeze, and the Switch's portability and connectivity make it easy to find opportunities to play. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a grand, action-packed celebration of the Marvel Universe that fans won't want to miss out on.

BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday accused the BJP of weakening the Constitution through its communal approach but cautioned against any protests that are violent.

"The New Year should not be painful like last year. Due to the communal and narrow thought process of the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state, the Constitution was weakened in 2019," she said, adding that the year ended on a violent note, which is extremely worrying and unfortunate.

"The manner of protests should be as such that it should neither hurt feelings of people of any religion nor disturb the atmosphere of amity prevailing in the country," she said in a statement issued here. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said persons holding responsible positions should not forget that India is secular country, where people follow different religions.

"They have their style of living and culture. We should give respect to the culture of religions," she said.

Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes

A former Cambridge University professor has been suspended from the medical register after dishonestly claiming he did not know he was being paid full salaries from two different universities.

Professor Akhilesh Reddy, who is also a medical doctor, was receiving salaries from both University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge, but said he believed that he was 'sharing his salary' between the two, a tribunal heard.

The academic, whose dishonesty extended over a period of approximately 14 months, also made a £50,000 mortgage repayment with his large sum of money.

However the tribunal did not accept that Professor Reddy was financially naive and instead said he was a 'financially aware man' who 'dishonestly took advantage of a situation for his own financial gain'.

Professor Akhilesh Reddy (pictured) was receiving salaries from both University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge

A medical tribunal heard how Professor Reddy's full-time employment with UCL commenced on September 28, 2015 but the building where he was due to work was not yet completed.

He therefore continued both with his research at the University Of Cambridge and with clinical work at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

However the professor did not resign from the University Of Cambridge where his full-time employment continued until November 30, 2016 and dishonestly claimed two salaries, the tribunal heard.

In a statement read during his tribunal the professor said that 'he did not know he was in receipt of two full-time salaries' and did not check his bank account until February 2016.

The professor also said that he believed that the University Of Cambridge and UCL had 'come to an agreement about balancing payments from the two institutions' and that both establishments were aware of his position.

In a statement read to the tribunal, he said: 'It was my genuine belief that all necessary people were fully aware of the position.

'With the benefit of hindsight, I regret not being more proactive in ensuring that I specifically notified UCL of the situation.

'However, at the time, I thought that my employment situation was clear and widely known.'

However the tribunal did not accept that Professor Reddy was unaware of his situation and felt his argument lacked credibility.

The academic carried out his research at the University Of Cambridge (pictured) while he was still in full-time employment with UCL

The academic said that he believed the University Of Cambridge and UCL had 'come to an agreement about balancing payments from the two institutions'. Pictured: St John's College, Cambridge University

This was further demonstrated by a £50,000 mortgage repayment.

In a document publishing the decision, the tribunal wrote: 'Whilst the Tribunal accepts that Professor Reddy did not set out to be dishonest, he dishonestly took advantage of a situation for his own financial gain.

'Professor Reddy's dishonesty extended over a period of approximately 14 months and involved a substantial amount of money, albeit an agreed sum of money was repaid.'

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal has suspended Professor Reddy from the medical register for misconduct and the academic has since moved to Pennsylvania in the U.S. to continue his research following the allegations.

A UCL spokesman: 'UCL immediately took action as soon as we became aware that Akhilesh Reddy was drawing two salaries and he is no longer employed by UCL.

'This was a unique set of circumstances that involved the complex transfer of an academic group who remained for a period of time at their previous university before moving to a laboratory separate from UCL's campus.

'The behaviour of the individual involved fell seriously below the standards of behaviour we expect from members of UCL's academic community.'

A University of Cambridge spokesman said it was 'profoundly disappointed' by Professor Reddy's actions.

After Japan's strong demarche, India has assured Japan that the visa restrictions won't come in the way of essential travels including business-related visits. Japan also, according to sources, has expressed confidence that India will be able to manage the situation, keeping in mind the strong economic ties and the large presence of Japanese professionals working on projects in India.The Indian embassy in Tokyo , and also the consulate in Osaka , has assured locals that they will continue to facilitate essential visits including those for business and employment through a ``revised visa process’’ made available on its website. In a tweet, the Indian embassy requested understanding of visa seekers, keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation.There are as many as 1441 Japanese countries currently doing business in India. Japan is also India’s most important development partner which continues to contribute enormously to socio-economic development in India.The Indian side too is aware that visa restrictions imposed on Japanese individuals can delay work even on flagship projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train which is currently hard-pressed to meet its 2023 deadline.Japan though has been upset that it was clubbed with countries like South Korea, Iran and Italy by India in cancelling e-visas for people from infected countries. Japan has reported over 1150 cases of Covid-19 but almost 700 of these are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Yokohama. The number of locally infected cases is around 450 only while in Iran, Italy and South Korea it runs into thousands.According to MEA, Japan has been extending bilateral loan and grant assistance to India since 1958 and is the largest bilateral donor for India. Japanese ODA supports India’s efforts for accelerated economic development particularly in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects and projects related to basic human needs. Japan’s ODA Commitment in 2018-19 was at an all-time high of JPY 522.405 billion.

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Lisa Armstrong paid tribute to her father on Tuesday in an emotional New Year's Day post.

The make-up artist, 43, shared a picture of Derek on Instagram as she admitted that she was struggling with her grief, following his death from cancer in May 2019.

Lisa also showed off a tattoo she had inked in his honour, which reads Ohana (Hawaiin for family).

Struggling: Lisa Armstrong paid tribute to her father on Tuesday in an emotional New Year's Day post as she admitted that she was struggling with her grief following his death

Lisa shared a picture of her father that she captioned: 'Always with me and forever in my heart..... #dad #RIP #Theydaythefirstisthehardest #hurls #ohana'.

A second image showed Lisa's new inking, Ohana, and Derek's birth date on her elbow.

She posed with her arm over a picture of her beloved dog Hurley, who she shares with ex-husband Ant McPartlin.

Tragic loss: The make-up artist, 43, shared a picture of Derek on Instagram after he sadly lost his battle with cancer in May 2018 aged 71 years

Inked: Lisa also showed off a tattoo she had inked in his honour, which reads Ohana (Hawaiin for family) above Derek's birth date. She posed in front of a snap of her dog Hurley

Lisa recently got caught up in a Twitter spat over her pet pooch, when a follower questioned where her pet will stay during her family holiday to Mexico.

Lisa's friend tagged her in a Twitter post about the festive things people do with their pets and asked: 'Remind you of anyone?'

Another user waded in and said: 'Who is looking after poor Marley when Lisa goes to Mexico?'

Squabble: Lisa recently got caught up in a Twitter spat over her pet pooch, when a follower questioned where her pet will stay during her family holiday to Mexico

Lisa's friend then corrected her and said: 'It's Hurley' and added: 'Lisa has to share her baby so I expect he will be with him!' referring to her ex McPartlin.

The other user then shot back: 'So it's OK for Hurley to stay with Ant yet Lisa kicks up a fuss about access. By the way his name is Ant not him.'

Lisa's friend, called Mandy, then wrote back 'whatever love' with Lisa then chiming in.

She wrote: 'Exactly Mands, she can't even get his name right but she knows all the facts!' [sic].

Pooch: Lisa shares her beloved pet dog Hurley with her ex-husband Ant McPartlin

A source previously told The Sun that Lisa and her loved ones decided that they needed some time away for Christmas after Derek's death, and splashed out on the lavish Mexican getaway.

The insider explained: 'It's been a very difficult year for all of them since Derek died.

'Lisa wanted everyone to be together this Christmas and thought it would help if they all had something to look forward to. It won't be easy without him but at least they will all be together.'

Lisa lost her father in May 2019 (Picture: Rex/@lisaarmstrong)

Lisa Armstrong has shared an emotional tribute to her late father Derek, revealing the tattoo she got inked in his honour.

The makeup artist, who was previously married to Ant McPartlin, lost her father back in May 2019 to cancer.

Sharing a snap of her dad, she wrote: ‘Always with me and forever in my heart….. #dad #RIP #Theydaythefirstisthehardest #hurls #ohana.’

The 43-year-old also shared a photo of her tattoo, which reads ‘Ohana’ (Hawaiian for ‘family’).

Her friends sent supportive messages, with Alan Carr telling her: ‘Aww bless you! Stay strong,’ while Strictly’s Katya Jones commented heart emojis.

Lisa has been in the midst of a divorce from her ex-husband Ant, with it recently being claimed that she would be ‘crushed’ if he proposes to his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett.

‘Lisa feels as if every time something good happens right now Ant manages to ruin it,’ an insider told The Sun. ‘She is preparing herself for an announcement in the New Year that Ant and Anne Marie are engaged.

The tattoo means ‘family’ (Picture: @LisaArmstrong)

‘She knows it’ll be crushing but she’s anticipating it which she hopes won’t be as much of a blow if it does.’

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The make-up artist, 43, and I’m A Celebrity presenter, 44, divorced in October 2018 after 23 years together, with Ant moving on with his former assistant Anne-Marie shortly after announcing their split in early 2018.

The Geordie TV star now lives with Anne-Marie in a £6 million London pad with her two children and their dogs.

They officially divorced in October last year, but they’ve still in the process of dividing up their assets.

Ant and Lisa were together for 23 years (Picture: Getty Images)

However, Lisa’s not standing for any comments from trolls about their situation.

The make-up artist responded to a fan’s tweet which read: ‘How can 31 million, not be enough for you?! It’s enough for both me and my family put together for life. Just sayin’.

Lisa responded: ‘Don’t believe the lies #justsaying’.

She is said to have turned down a multi-million pound settlement offer from Ant to get their divorce finalised, in favour of having her day in court instead.

Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

MORE: Lisa Armstrong ‘will be crushed’ if ex-husband Ant McPartlin proposes to Anne-Marie Corbett at Christmas

MORE: Strictly’s Lisa Armstrong seeks energy hit with Lucozade as she’s spotted on break

CALGARY, Dec. 31, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, NorthRiver Midstream closed the final stage of the previously-announced transaction and assumed operation of the remaining assets of Enbridge's Canadian midstream business.

"With the strategic location of our operations across the Montney basin in British Columbia and Alberta, and the backing of a committed Canadian owner in Brookfield Infrastructure, NorthRiver Midstream is built on an asset base that creates a robust platform for growth," said Brandon Anderson, CEO of NorthRiver Midstream.

"NorthRiver is driven by our values and committed to building a different type of energy company. We are focused on operating responsibly, being present in communities and ensuring that we are looking at creative ways to deliver value to partners, customers and communities that are touched by our operations."

With over 700 talented employees, NorthRiver safely and reliably provides natural gas processing services with connectivity to major demand markets.

NorthRiver operates 19 natural gas processing plants and 3,550 kilometers of natural gas gathering pipelines across the Montney region of British Columbia and Alberta.

SOURCE NorthRiver Midstream

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2019/31/c1321.html

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It was announced in July that the Lord Hill Hotel would cease trading on January 1 and has been sold to local building company, SY Homes.

Raymond and Vera Proctor thanked their customers, suppliers, staff members, friends and family for their support over the years.

The pair took over the hotel in 2001 and said it has been a successful business, keeping pace with market expectations and returning reasonable profitability.

But, in recent years, there has been a significant downturn in trade, while costs have substantially increased.

The hotel needed a major investment in order to meet the high expectations of its guests, the couple said, which is why they made the difficult decision to sell up.

Staff were the first to be informed earlier this year and customers who had booked for 2020 were assisted in relocating their events.

A meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chaired by its president and Home Minister Amit Shah is underway at the party headquarters here on Wednesday.

BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda and general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh are also present at the meeting.

The meeting comes two days after Nadda conducted a meeting of party general secretaries.The meeting was held over different issues including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) outreach programme and party's organisational elections.On December 26, party sources had said that senior cabinet ministers and BJP leaders will be deployed across the country in an effort to dispel misgivings about the CAA and Register of Citizens (NRC) being allegedly spread by the opposition.All these senior leaders will be contacting eminent personalities of their respective fields and common people to spread awareness regarding the CAA, sources had said.

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

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Roseville Police say two suspects robbed a Tim Hortons, forcing one employee into a freezer and demanding another employee to give them cash from the cash register.

It happened at the Tim Hortons located at 25511 Gratiot Ave., Sunday at 8:45 p.m.

No one was injured and police believe the suspects fled west on foot from the location.

While the employees were working in the back of the restaurant the two suspects approached them. One displayed a handgun and the other carrying a white plastic bag.

Police say the suspects demanded money and cash was taken from the office and the cash registers.

The first suspect is described as a 6’4″ man weighing 240 pounds. He had on black gloves and was wearing an all black hoodie with black face mask. He wore black sweat pants and possibly black shoes with a white wavy stripe down the outside (possibly puma shoes).

The second suspect is said to be between 5’6″ and 5’9″ weighing 180-200 pounds. He was wearing a blue hoodie with a black knit hat over the hood, grey sweatpants and black shoes with black gloves.

Police said Monday afternoon there was no surveillance video at the time and the amount of cash taken is undetermined.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Houstoulakis at 586-447-4501.

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