Question:
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.”

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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.

Earlier this month, FDA experts voted—barely—that the agency should approve AstraZeneca and Merck’s Lynparza in pancreatic cancer. But that small majority was enough to convince regulators to follow suit.

The FDA greenlighted the drug Friday as a maintenance treatment for patients with germline BRCA-mutated disease who've already received a round of platinum-based chemo. The approval followed a priority review designation, awarded over the summer, and an orphan drug designation.

With the approval, AZ and Merck add a third disease area to the drug’s resume, which already includes indications in ovarian and breast cancers. And, for the third time, Lynparza is the first of its class of PARP inhibitors—which includes entrants from GlaxoSmithKline and Clovis Oncology—to break into a cancer type.

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RELATED: AZ, Merck's Lynparza fends off pancreatic cancer, cutting progression risk in half

Regulators based the go-ahead on data from the phase 3 Polo trial, presented at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, which demonstrated Lynparza could slash the risk of disease worsening or death by 47%.

The results are “very exciting” considering “we are now able to offer a chemo-free option in maintenance to patients who for over a decade haven’t had any meaningful improvement,” Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president and global head of AstraZeneca’s oncology business unit, said at the time.

But FDA staffers weren’t so sure. They brought Lynparza’s case before an expert advisory committee, citing concerns about the Polo study’s size and the limitations of imaging technology to accurately measure tumor size.

Ultimately, those experts voted 7-5 in favor of approval, though, with the lack of other treatment options giving the drug a boost. While pancreatic cancer is rare, it’s also particularly deadly, bearing the lowest survival rate of the most common cancers. It’s also the only major cancer with a single-digit five-year survival rate in nearly every country, according to AstraZeneca.

RELATED: AZ, Merck's Lynparza narrowly snags FDA panel backing in pancreatic cancer

While the vote was a narrow one, the corresponding approval didn’t surprise SVB Leerink analyst Andrew Berens and his colleagues, who, following the committee meeting, called an FDA nod “more likely than not.” And while they model a small sales boost from the latest OK—just $155 million in the U.S. and $50 million in the EU—they also “believe this favorable AdCom and potential approval could create a 'halo effect' for Lynparza, perhaps making the drug the PARP inhibitor of choice for the majority of medical oncologists," they wrote at the time.

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2020 has finally arrived, and Liverpool has welcomed it with open arms.

Our city is ever changing and a lot can happen in a couple of years, let alone a full decade.

This time 10 years ago, Liverpool had never even heard of the River of Light Festival and the Baltic Triangle was completely different.

In the past decade Liverpool has transformed, and we can only imagine what will come next.

With so much change, it’s hard to remember a lot of the details so we’ve taken a look at some of the things that seem so normal in Liverpool now - but you’d never have been able to do 10 years ago.

Go bowling in the city centre

(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)

Even a year ago families would have to travel outside of the city centre to the likes of Hollywood Bowl on Edge Lane to get their bowling fix.

Now, the city centre has two bowling alleys in the form of Lane7 in Clayton Square and Roxy Ball Room’s second venue in Rainford Square.

Soon, Pins Social Club will open on Duke Street and there will be even more options for bowling in the city centre.

Go to Fusion Festival

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Liverpool gained another music festival in 2016.

Following a year in Birmingham which saw Ed Sheeran, Rudimental and The Vamps headline, Fusion Festival decided to relocate to Merseyside at Otterspool Promenade - it then headed to Sefton Park in 2019.

At the time of the announcement, Damien Sanders, the events director, said: “Liverpool is such a vibrant, fun city that we can’t wait to become part of its musical fabric – exciting times indeed.”

2019 saw Little Mix, Anne-Marie, Rak-Su, Rudimental and Dizzee Rascal visit Liverpool to headline the show.

Visit the Museum of Liverpool

(Image: Colin Lane)

In July 2011 the Museum of Liverpool opened its doors to the public.

The free museum hosts some of the city’s most exciting artworks and has plenty of activities for the kids.

Now it attracts more than 700,000 visitors every year and houses ground breaking exhibitions - including Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono, which ran from May 2018 to November 2019.

Go to a concert at Anfield

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In 2018, Anfield stadium was finally given the go-ahead to host concerts in the ground.

Last year, Take That, Bon Jovi and Pink were the first artists to perform there in more than a decade.

In November 2019, Anfield announced the expansion of the Anfield Road stand and revealed it had applied for a permanent concert application to host events all year round.

See Liverpool Mountain

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

What do Las Vegas, Miami and Liverpool all have in common?

They all have a part of Ugo Rondinone’s mountain series.

Liverpool is the first city in Europe to have a permanent piece of artwork from the renowned artist.

The multicolour rock sculpture outside the Tate at the Albert Dock was erected in 2018 to mark the 10th anniversary of Liverpool European Capital of Culture, the 20th anniversary of Liverpool Biennial and the 30th anniversary of Tate Liverpool.

Ride the Wheel of Liverpool

(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)

You can find The Wheel of Liverpool in just outside the M&S Bank Arena.

Even though the arena opened in 2008, the wheel was slightly late to the party and didn’t arrive in the city until February 2010.

The 60 metre high wheel gives people views of the city centre, waterfront, Wirral and beyond.

It has 41 standard pods and a luxury VIP capsule, with a glass floor, leather interior and DVD player.

Snuggle with kittens at Cat Cafe

For years Liverpool was expecting a Cat Cafe and finally in 2018 one finally opened on Bold Street.

The Cat Cafe was the first of its kind in Merseyside.

In the cafe, customers don’t pay to enter or pay for drinks, instead they pay for the time spent.

Customers can drink as much as they like and cuddle with the cats for as long as possible and just pay for the duration they stay.

Play Bongo's Bingo

Bongo’s Bingo has only been running events in Liverpool for just over four years but now it’s a worldwide phenomenon.

Run a musical marathon

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is one of the world’s most unique running events.

Runners can take part in a marathon whilst being entertained by live music throughout the route.

The marathon originated in America but came to Liverpool in 2014, where it was the first UK city to host the marathon outside of the US. Liverpool is the home of rock and roll after all.

Visit the Cilla Black statue

In 2017 a statue of Cilla Black was unveiled on Mathew Street.

The bronze statue was commissioned by Cilla’s sons Robert, Ben and Jack, and was donated to the city in memory of their mum who passed away at her home in Spain in August 2015 at the age of 72.

Speaking at the revealing of the statue, Cilla’s eldest son Robert Willis said: "It’s so fitting that Cilla will be celebrated alongside a place that played such a pivotal role in her career, as the Cavern did in the careers of many other bands and singers.

“It’s wonderful Cilla will be standing next to the original Cavern door, the entrance that she would have used when she worked there. I think she would have been absolutely delighted.”

Spend the day at Comic Con

Comic Con might have been an annual event in America for years, but it’s fairly new in Liverpool.

This year it will be returning to the Exhibition Centre with a star-studded panel including cast from Stranger Things, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and more.

Comic book, film and TV fans are expected to flock to the event in their best costumes to meet stars, buy collectables and pose with some of their favourite movie props.

2019 saw stars such as Twilight star Peter Facinelli, Superman alum Dean Cain and Firefly actor Adam Baldwin attend to meet fans.

Eat your way around the city

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

According to Harden’s restaurant guide , known by many as ‘the restaurant bible’, just over a decade ago Liverpool was “lagging behind” in the culinary scene.

Now, ten years on, the restaurant scene has certainly changed.

There has been a restaurant boom in the city over the past few years and locations such as Bold Street, Castle Street, Liverpool ONE, Lark Lane and Albert Dock.

From award-winning street food to new vegan eateries and fine dining establishments, the city has it all.

See a film at the Everyman Cinema

(Image: James Maloney/Liverpool Echo)

The Metquarter may have opened in 2006 but recently it has got a face lift, including the new addition of Everyman Cinema.

The luxury cinema includes sofa seating and a fully stocked bar.

Guests can also have table service delivered right to their seat while watching films and in the lounge area cinema-goers can order restaurant-style food.

Enjoy the River of Light Festival

(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

The River of Light Festival may seem like a long standing tradition in Liverpool nowadays, but the first event only took place in 2016.

Each year, tens of thousands of people descend on Liverpool's waterfront as two simultaneous firework displays take place on the River Mersey.

In 2019, the festival got a whole new look, and was extended to nine nights, where visitors could visit 11 light installations around the city including giant glowing rabbits, a walk through light tunnel and more.

Visit the Magical Beatles Musuem

(Image: Elle May Rice)

In 2018, Liverpool gained the Magical Beatles Museum.

The Mathew Street museum is run by Roag Best, brother of the ‘fifth Beatle’ Pete, and it utilises his own personal collection of Beatles memorabilia.

The five-floor building houses rare items, including ones that very few people know about, with three of the floors dedicated to a different period in Beatles history.

Spend a whole day and night in the Baltic Triangle

(Image: Liverpool ECHO)

Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle has been given a brand new lease of life over the last decade.

Places to visit include the Camp and Furnace on Greenland Street, that is often hosting a cool and buzzing event, The Baltic Social, Unit 51, 24 Kitchen Street and much more.

The Baltic Market also paved the way for food halls in the city with its unique offering in Cains Brewery Village.

While Ghetto Golf, the 18-hole adults crazy golf wonderland, is also one of the many things to do around the area.

Enjoy the British Music Experience

(Image: Andrew Teebay)

In March 2017, The British Music Experience opened in Liverpool.

The national museum is dedicated to telling the history of British music from 1945 to today and allows members of the public to view state of the art effects and iconic memorabilia, some of which has never been seen before.

The BME is inside Liverpool’s Cunard Building and includes things such as David Bowie’s stage outfits, Noel Gallagher’s Union Jack guitar and Spice Girls’ tour costumes.

We couldn’t think of a more suitable place for the exhibit of the soundtrack to our nation’s history.

Take the kids to Mattel Play! Liverpool

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Mattel Play! opened in Liverpool in March 2016 and is the first of its kind in the whole of Europe.

The £1.5m family entertainment attraction opened its doors on the Albert Dock on March 22, 2016.

It includes themed fun zones includes: Thomas and Friends, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam.

Each zone features the the iconic characters from the TV show.

Take tours to the top of the Royal Liver Building

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In April 2019, Liverpool's Royal Liver Building opened its top floors to the public to host tours.

The guided tours are the first in the building's history and offer visitors the chance to enjoy 360 degree views from the 10th and 15th floors, as well as the opportunity to step inside the famous clock towers.

Make your own gin in the city centre

(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)

November 2018 saw the arrival of Liverpool Gin Distillery on Castle Street, which offers visitors the chance to create their very own gin - from scratch.

From the team behind Halewood Win and Spirits, which created Liverpool Gin, the venue sits across three floors and offers distillery tours, gin tasting, gin making and even has two bars.

Sign up to the What's On newsletter - packed with brilliant things to see and do in Liverpool and beyond.

Australia’s wildfire crisis intensified on Tuesday as coastal towns across the southeast caught ablaze, forcing thousands of stranded tourists and locals to seek refuge on beaches.

Thick black smoke billowing from infernos in Victoria and New South Wales states turned the morning sky pitch black or choked the coastline in a haunting red haze. Two people were killed as a fire ripped through the small community of Cobargo, taking the death toll since the devastating fire season began several weeks ago to 12. Five others are missing.

There’s no end in sight to the emergency as strong winds fan flames, wreaking havoc in popular tourist spots such as Batemans Bay during the peak summer holiday season.

“It’s been a truly awful day,” New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters, adding that the fire season was the worst in the state’s history. “We’ve got literally hundreds, thousands of people up and down the coast, taking refuge on the beaches, in clubhouses, surf clubs.”

The crisis gripping the world’s driest-inhabited continent has impacted all six states amid a prolonged drought. Almost 4 million hectares of forest and bushland have been destroyed in New South Wales alone. Fires are so intense they are generating their own weather systems, with dry thunderstorms sparking new blazes. A firefighter was killed on Monday when what authorities described as a “fire tornado” flipped the 10-ton truck he was in.

The emergency has placed scrutiny on Australia’s capacity to combat blazes that have spread over massive areas, pushing fire services largely manned by volunteers to their limits. It’s also put international focus on the conservative government’s climate change policies, with environmentalists saying Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s support of the nation’s massive coal-export industry has worsened conditions.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor defended the government’s record of tackling climate change in an op-ed published in The Australian on Tuesday, saying emissions had fallen in the past year and Australia was meeting its carbon-reduction targets.

“Shrill cries that we should be ‘ashamed to be Australian’ do not ring true with the quiet Australians,” Taylor said. “That won’t stop some commentators telling us that we should feel guilty about our performance on emissions reduction. They are wrong.”

While fires have been burning for weeks, conditions worsened at the weekend as a heatwave pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in the southeast. Authorities on Sunday urged some 30,000 holiday-makers in Victoria’s East Gippsland region to evacuate. Thousands did, but those who remained found themselves trapped as the blazes intermittently shut the main highway.

Australia’s government will deploy helicopters, aircraft and navy ships to assist efforts in the East Gippsland region, Linda Reynolds, the nation’s defense minister, tweeted Tuesday.

About 4,000 people were forced to gather on the foreshore or take to boats in the town of Mallacoota overnight and through much of the day as an out-of-control inferno bore down on the remote community.

“A mother took this photo. Her two primary school aged sons are in the boat with her.

They’re out on the #Mallacoota lake trying to stay safe from fire, it doesn’t look like it – but it’s daytime.” ~ABC Gippsland.#bushfirecrisis #vicfires #NSWfires #Bushfires #bushfiresVIC pic.twitter.com/CqA1FgMM02

— Fiona Bateman (@feebateman) Dec. 31, 2019

Country Fire Authority chief officer Steve Warrington said a cheer went up from the jetty where many were sheltering as authorities battling spotfires in the town announced the wind had changed and the main threat had passed.

Across the state border in New South Wales, buildings in Batemans Bay caught fire as thousands sheltered on the beach and ash rained down on the picturesque beachside town of Merimbula.

“It’s going to be an a very long, difficult and dangerous night still ahead,’ Fitzsimmons said. “It’s going to be another difficult day again tomorrow.”

Batemans Bay CBD has lost power and is pitch black at 12.20pm. pic.twitter.com/cPry7nsBHL

— Andrea Cantle (@AndreaCantle) Dec. 31, 2019

While cities such as Canberra and Parramatta canceled fireworks celebrations to bring in the new year, Sydney’s harborside festivities that draw in tens of thousands of tourists will go ahead.

The city council rejected a petition calling for the display to be scrapped and the money to be donated to bushfire and drought relief projects, saying the event is watched by millions of people worldwide and generates A$130 million ($91 million) for the local economy.

As thousands of people gathered along the foreshore of Sydney harbor to get a prime viewing spot of the midnight fireworks, smoke drifting in from bushfires caused a polluting haze.

Protesters who claim the Morrison government’s pro-coal mining policies are exacerbating the crisis aren’t about to give the prime minister a rest on New Year’s Eve and are planning to block roads around his official Sydney residence.

Photograph: A New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service vehicle moves along the closed Princes Highway in Batemans Bay. Photographer: Mark Graham/Bloomberg.

Related:

Thousands of Tourists Evacuated as Wildfires Sweep Through Southeast Australia

Copyright 2019 Bloomberg.

The fires in Australia continue, and chilling images and video show the scale of the destruction in all of the states and territories. At least eight people have died since Monday, and seven are missing. Over eleven hundred homes have been lost this fire season in New South Wales alone. New Zealand journalist Rebekah Holt is in Melbourne and joins us as the sun rises through the smoke in Australia this morning.

Photo: Saeed Khan / AFP

Welcome to the dawn of a new decade! With it, comes new innovations in every major field, from technology to medicine — and cosmetic procedures are no exception.

With that, Life & Style spoke exclusively with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Norman Rowe to get his professional opinion on what the biggest plastic surgery trends for 2020 will be. Dr. Rowe, who is based in NYC, detailed three buzzworthy procedures.

First up, Botox cream. “One of the newest innovations in cosmetic surgery that’s currently being tested in the European market is Botox cream, and it will be available in the US in 2020. This non-invasive iteration of Botox involves applying a cream, under the care of a physician, to the skin that relaxes the facial muscles and diminishes wrinkles caused by repetitive facial motions,” explains Dr. Rowe.

“It’s quite revolutionary, as there are no shots, bruising or downtime involved, which are the most common complaints about standard neuromodulators,” he continues. “I can tell Botox cream will be popular, as patients are always looking for the effects of Botox without the needles, and this product offers similar results.”

Needle-free Botox? Yes, please! Second on the list, breast implant removal. “A growing trend in the industry is women opting to remove their implants either altogether or trading them in for smaller implants due to the concern over potential side effects some breast implants can have, such as Breast Implant Illness (BII) or cancer,” details Dr. Rowe.

“Breast Implant Illness can refer to a wide variety of symptoms women with breast implants can experience as a result of having them, such as headaches, depression, chronic pain, brain fog, chest pain and much more. Additionally, there’s a major societal shift where women are valuing a more natural-looking body shape and are choosing to get their implants removed or swapped out for smaller ones purely for aesthetic purposes.”

Courtesy of Anastasia Karanikolaou/Instagram

One such celebrity includes Kylie Jenner’s BFF Anastasia Karanikolaou. The 22-year-old influencer took to Instagram on December 2, 2019, to reveal she “switched” her breast implants for “smaller ones.”

As for the third trend? Dr. Rowe includes nonsurgical penis augmentation. “Men are increasingly getting plastic surgery and the procedure that grows rapidly in popularity is penis augmentation, a non-surgical injection procedure with little downtime that improves self-confidence, as well as his and his partner’s pleasure,” Dr. Rowe says.

“The number of patients I see for this is up 25 percent over last year,” he adds. “I do about 30 of them a month. It definitely helps that they’re more widely acceptable for men to go under the knife, minimally invasive and temporary, in case they have any cold feet.”

Can’t get enough celebrity content? Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars!

Surrounded by snow, Indian soldiers sing heartwarming song for the New Year

01 Jan 2020, 01:49PM IST

Source: TOI.in

A heartwarming video of Indian army soldiers celebrating Christmas on a snowy altitude has surfaced on the internet and is winning hearts all over. While the entire nation celebrates New Year with joy today, the on-duty soldiers on a snowy peak also joined in the celebrations with a cheery spirit. All of them appear to be in a cheerful mood as they clap and groove to the tunes of the song. This video will definitely make your day merrier.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
A left-wing veterans group took to Twitter amid the attack on a US embassy to taunt the president of the United States.

Highlighting the sheer nastiness that makes up politics today, VoteVets tweeted, “Hey @POTUS remember you’re (sic) Benghazi rants during 2016?”

“You’re about to have your own one (sic) unfortunately in Iraq.”

The group, which deleted the tweet, was referring to the 2011 attack by Islamists in which four Americans died.

In contrast, no Americans died yesterday and Trump sent in reinforcements to protect American lives and property.

But the group didn’t delete this tweet, which blames pulling out of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal for the attack:

https://twitter.com/votevets/status/1211999556319293443

The group, which calls Trump a “national security threat” on its website, bills itself as the “largest progressive group of veterans in America.”

Liberal VoteVets group proves just how disgusting they are once again. This time routing for another Benghazi to happen just because of their hatred for President Trump.

You can see the disgusting tweet below:

“Hey @POTUS remember you’re Benghazi rants during 2016? You’re about to have your own unfortunately in Iraq.”

As it turns out the President is no Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and over 100 Marines, two dozens AH-64 Apaches, and a dozen fighter jets zoomed overhead. Everyone was evacuated safely from the embassy.

Here’s some of the responses to the asinine tweet by VoteVets.

Looks like VoteVets deleted this ill-thought-out tweet rooting for another Benghazi just to own Trump: pic.twitter.com/BjpRjGQs4L — Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) December 31, 2019

It's times like this that unmask those who are truly anti-American and pro-evil – here's such an instance with @votevets https://t.co/66qW3i7w1X — Tony Shaffer (@T_S_P_O_O_K_Y) January 1, 2020

What are your thoughts on the group VoteVets cheering for another Benghazi and loss of American life?

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A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mufutau Egberongbe, has urged Nigerians to enter 2020 with a resolution to play positive roles in how they are governed.

In a New Year message he signed and made available to DAILY POST, Egberongbe, who represents Apapa Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said it was time Nigerians are interested in how they are governed.

The lawmaker, however, commended citizens who have always given direction to the government as well as political officials in the current administration.

“We constantly need to play active roles in the way we are governed. We should be able to come up with ideas and suggestions on what the government should do and how the government should be run,” the lawmaker said.

Egberongbe noted that 2019 came with some challenges for both the government and the governed.

“The general elections held in 2019 and it is often known that in such a year, a lot of adjustments and readjustments take place. New policies are declared, new laws and amendments to existing laws are made.

“I am of the belief that Nigeria will experience positive growth in 2020 if we continue with the strides we have adopted,” the lawmaker said.

While appreciating Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila for what he described as ‘courageous and effective leadership of the ninth Assembly’, Egberongbe promised more people-friendly bills and motions from him and his colleagues at the National Assembly, especially with the independence enjoyed by the legislature at the federal level.

“Those who claim we are rubber-stamp may have expected us to start our jobs with open confrontations and condemnations and fights with the executive.

“Fighting the executive arm of government does not show our independence or prove that we are working. Anyone who has followed us since we took office would see that we have done a lot in a short while,” he said.

Who remembers brief cases, carried by dads everywhere? Eight pound, spit-shined, Mahogany-colored leather cases, they sometimes had gold plated combination locks and even "feet" so they could stand up on their own. Some expanded, accordion style, to accommodate extra papers from the office.

Brief cases served an important social function. They were instant status. They told the world the men had jobs--they were "businessmen" who went to the office every day. ("Corporate executive" hadn't been invented yet.) Their dads had worn hats and hid behind newspapers on commuter trains for the same reason.

Why were brief cases replaced by messenger bags? One reason, of course, was that people were now carrying laptops. But the bigger reason was people were now carrying cell phones. As soon as cell phones debuted, no one wanted to waste a perfectly good dialing or texting hand holding a brief case. Almost overnight, the only person still using a hand to hold a handbag was the Queen of England.

(Note: the real messengers who gave the name to messenger bags--the "bike messengers"--vanished with email because documents no longer needed to be biked across town.)

Of course there were other reasons people wanted their hands free and unencumbered by brief cases--swipe cards to get in the garage or on transit, water bottles and ubiquitous Starbucks drinks.

The Flight Bag Reprieve

Occasionally, when "businessmen" flew, they were freed from carrying brief cases and could carry flight bags, which were the messenger bag's ancestors. Flight bags gave businessmen a reprieve from "purse stigma" which was so acute back then that cartoons would mock how men would refuse to hold their wives' purses while their wives tried on dresses in department store fitting rooms. (Who remembers dresses and department stores?) Men of that era would also not push baby strollers and some would not be present in the wives' delivery rooms.

Flight bags did not just signal that strict gender codes were disappearing. They were also the first sign that the faux granite plastic-molded luggage of the day would go soft. Bulky, heavy and not on wheels yet, hard luggage often rode on the top of the family car, telling the world you were going On Vacation. Hard luggage had only three benefits. It was waterproof, crushproof and it kept Red Caps in train stations and Sky Caps in airports employed.

What did "Hippies" Carry?

Like young people today, hippies carried backpacks but it was not to leave their hands free for smart phones and swipe cards. It was to free their hands for cigarette smoking and bics. Asking for a light was the preferred way to meet romantic interests who would usually stay and talk for the duration of the smoke.

In those days everyone smoked and the Camel Filters Man was something of an icon. Though not a hippie, the Camel Filters Man was a Mark Spitz lookalike, always climbing mountains in Nepal or panning for gold with a Farrah Fawcett lookalike and not seeming to hold a day job. At rock concerts, hippies didn't hold up their smart phones, they held up their Bics.

But there was another reason hippies needed their hands free. Hitchhiking. Whenever they were and wherever they wanted to go there was an immediate ride thanks to hitchhiking--and everyone was cool. Hitchhiking was a hippie-era version of Uber except that it was free. Free was good in hippie days because there was no such thing as credit cards, debit cards or ATMs.

Other things hippies carried (besides drugs) could include a transistor radio (no boom boxes, Walkmans, CD players or smart phones yet), a custom pool cue and a can opener called a "church key" since pop tops on canned drinks read beer hadn't been invented yet. Of course the coolest thing that could be carried was a guitar case. Even if it was empty, even if the instrument belonged to someone else, even if the carrier only knew one chord, carrying a guitar conferred instant prestige. An old Mad magazine cartoon showed a child asking a guitar carrier what was in the case and the carrier replied "status."

(Article changed on December 27, 2019 at 17:53)

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They can cause confusion for many drivers, and the road users of Cornwall are no different.

The county is awash with roundabouts, mini roundabouts and even double mini roundabouts, many of which have been in place for decades.

Unfortunately, there are several in Cornwall that are pointless, incredibly confusing or just annoying to navigate.

You have the Westcountry to thank for roundabouts, as they were invented in Bath back in 1768.

Whether you like them or not, you can't go very far without coming across a roundabout – in fact, there are more than 60,000 across the world, with the UK unsurprisingly having the most out of any country.

Here are some of the many roundabouts in Cornwall that grind your gears. And ours too.

CHIVERTON CROSS - A30

There's only one place to start. Everyone in Cornwall has heard of 'Chivvy'. It's by far Cornwall's most notorious roundabout, and the stats back it up - it is the county's number one accident blackspot.

CARLAND CROSS - A30

If you live or work in Truro , you'll know how much of a nightmare it is to turn eastbound towards Fraddon at Carland Cross. During busy periods, the queue comes all the way down the hill to the dip. Friday, 5pm, and you could easily be stuck there for 30 minutes.

To make matters worse, people either skip half of the queue and then try to sneak in, or worse, they'll drive all the way up the left lane and cut across on the actual roundabout.

TRELUSWELL - A39 NEAR PENRYN

The new roundabout on the A39 at Treluswell opened in 2017 , but many drivers say it's actually worse now.

Coming from the Falmouth direction there used to be a dedicated lane for traffic travelling right, but as both lanes now serve Truro, big queues build.

TRAFALGAR - TRURO

To pull out of Malpas Road and onto the roundabout is almost impossible at any time of day, or at least before 9pm.

Every motorist who attempts to dash across does so with only a few seconds to spare, before the plethora of cars come speeding around like there's no tomorrow.

When you see a gap, you have to go for it. Cornwall's 32nd worst accident blackpot. And to think, it was fine before the council messed around with it.

MORRISONS - NEWQUAY

One of Cornwall's worst 'blind' roundabouts. Cars coming from the main road hammer across because they have a perfect view of what's coming from the right, so if you're coming out of Morrisons you often can't see them until the last minute.

NEWTOWN - A30 LONG ROCK

Cars coming from Penzance and heading in the direction of Helston also use the left lane, which is designed for the A30 Redruth, often cutting up people who are in the correct lane. It also gets very congested.

Cornwall's eighth worst accident blackspot.

ARCH HILL - TRURO

The first 'double mini' roundabout on the list. If it's busy, it will take a while for those turning left towards Falmouth. And there's the double mini which messes with many minds.

PENWINNICK - ST AUSTELL

Another notorious double mini roundabout, which people HATE. It's at number 18 on the list of Cornwall's accident blackspots.

SPAR / TRESAWLS ROAD - TRURO

There's a ridiculous junction ON the roundabout. And people who've never used it would have no idea it is there. A nasty surprise.

FAIRMANTLE/TESCO - TRURO

Pulling out when coming from Tesco is almost impossible at times. The roundabout is Cornwall's second worst accident blackpot.

AVERS - REDRUTH

Just a very busy and disliked roundabout above the A30 at Redruth . Cornwall's 26th worst accident blackspot.

TRENANCE - NEWQUAY

Another double mini roundabout. Manic in the summer.

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Do you have any resolutions for the new year? Eat better? Drink more water? Get more sleep?

Do you have any resolutions as far as your beauty routine is concerned?

I, personally, don’t take long to get ready. It takes me just a few minutes to put on my make-up. Letting my hair air dry takes the longest. I need to start getting ready a couple of hours before I need to leave if I want to let my hair dry naturally and have my natural wave come through. If I don’t mind not having my natural waves, I can just blow dry my hair.

My daughter takes FOREVER to get ready. Not only is she very particular about her make-up (she has to have the “perfect” eye), but her hair… oh my goodness her hair… that takes the longest. First she needs to take a shower and wash her hair. Then she needs to blow dry her hair. She has very thick hair, so that alone takes a very long time. After her hair is dry, she then has to use the straightener to straighten her hair.

If only there was a way she could dry and straighten her hair at the same time, but that would not be possible. Or would it?

Believe it or not, you CAN blow dry your hair AND straighten it at the same time. All you need is a revolutionary product called RevAir.

RevAir is the world’s first and only reverse air dryer. By reverse air, I mean instead of blowing hot air on your hair, RevAir “sucks” (for lack of a better description) the wetness from your hair. I liken it to a vaccuum cleaner… but for your hair.

Not only does RevAir dry your hair 3x faster than conventional hair dryers, it also straightens your hair too.

RevAir is good for all hair types, from fine to thick and from straight to kinky/curly. Anyone could use and enjoy RevAir.

I was sent a unit to review.

I was shocked when I received the package. The brand includes a lot with the unit (depending on the package you purchase). The one I received included a holder, clips and more goodies.

This is NOT your ordinary hair dryer. It literally looks like a mini-vacuum cleaner. The RevAir has a triangular shaped base, a thick hose and a strangely shaped wand at the end.

The wand creates a reverse-air tunnel that surrounds your hair from root to tip with heated air to naturally dry and straighten your hair. The high heat setting is half the wattage of a standard blow dryer. There is also a low heat setting and it can be used with no heat, as a cool shot of air. Reverse-air moves heat in the natural direction of cuticles helping to smooth hair. Consistent tension effectively straightens hair replacing the need for a brush’s damaging friction.

Check out this brief video to see the RevAir in action.

Due to a shoulder injury, I am unable to use the RevAir myself (using it was my initial “game plan” when offered a unit to review). My daughter was more than happy to use the RevAir and help me to facilitate my review.

My daughter has very thick hair. It’s normally wavy towards the ends of her hair (as seen in the photo below). It used to be thicker/wavier, but years of coloring and cutting it has taken away some of the thickness and wave to her hair.

My daughter’s hair is still wet/damp in the above photo. The top layer of her hair has already started to dry. You can use RevAir with wet hair (it just took me a bit to take the “before” photo, which is why it started to dry).

Small sections of you hair goes inside of the RevAir wand to “suck” the water out of it, while straightening it at the same time. If you would like to learn more about the process, you can read about it here – https://myrevair.com/pages/how-it-works.

Here is my daughter’s hair after using RevAir (disregard her split ends – that is from content coloring her hair).

It’s amazing how quickly my daughter can get herself ready by combining two steps (drying her hair and straightening it). We both like how her hair looks afterwards. Using the flat iron makes her hair look stiff and too flat/straight. Using the RevAir her hair is straight, but in a more natural looking way.

Here are some tips to using RevAir;

Tension (Reverse Air Speed) This is the dial on the Base Unit. Tension replaces the need for a brush or hot flat irons. Start at setting 2-3. Once you see what your individual hair can tolerate, you can go up one level at a time. If you have any tangles, go down a level. Do not turn it immediately to level 7, as it may not give you the best result – in fact, it can be the opposite. Coily, Type 4 hair usually works best around Level 5-7. Heat This is located on the Wand. The Temperature Settings are No, Low and High Heat. Even the hottest heat of the Wand is LESS than the lowest heat on most Flat Irons. No Pumping There is no need to pump or bounce the want. In fact, when you do that, you are not allowing the roots to get dry. The reverse-air move constantly and consistently down the entire length of your hair, drying from root to end at once. Bouncing the wand may distrupt air flow and that can cause tangles. Time to Dry Each section will dry in 30-90 seconds, so long as Wand is kept to scalp. Thickness, texture and section size mean your time may vary. Experiment to find your ideal time. Test by pulling Wand a few inches away from scalp and touching roots. If they are dry, it is likely you are done.

Waist length hair is much less dense at the ends, watch your tension setting and perhaps use detangler on the ends. You may need to use a bit bigger section if tangles occur at low tension settings (1 or 2). Some may have to dry in 2 phases – Dry the roots first, then move about half way down on a lower setting to be sure each section of hair gets dry time in the wand chamber. Want it straighter? For those with Type 4 hair, you may find you want to finish your look with flat ironing. Remember, getting hair to this point has just happened in less time with less heat, meaning less damage.

It took my daughter a few times to figure out what level works best for her. Now that she has the settings figured out to suit her hair type, it takes her even less time to do her hair. She’s a “pro” at using RevAir now.

Once my shoulder is better, I am going to start using the RevAir too. I do like how my hair looks with it’s natural wave, but those times where I want to change up my look, or I just need for my hair to dry faster (for example, when it’s freezing cold outside), I will defiantly use the RevAir. I have seen how nice my daughter’s hair looks using it, and I know what a time saver it is.

There are only a few “issues” some might have with RevAir. For one, it is costly (over $300+), so it is not “budget friendly.” If you would like to take into considering how much time it saves you on your beauty routine, then the price makes it well worth it. I would never be able to afford one myself, but owning one, I can appreciate the benefit to owning one.

The unit is large, and the hose is cumbersome. You would need room in your closet to fit it. My daughter keeps in on the floor by her dresser because we have no other place to house it. It does take up a lot more room than a typical hair dryer.

Initially it’s a little awkward to use, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not that bad (as per my daughter).

My daughter loves the RevAir, and she uses it all the time. She’s also very picky about her beauty products, so that says a lot about the RevAir.

If you are interested in learning more about RevAir, visit RevAir.com. The brand can also be found on social media. All of their links are found at the bottom of their website.

Check out their YouTube channel to see RevAir in action and some gorgeous before/after results.

Kimberly

*I received a free product sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

RALEIGH, N.C. — The federal judge who blocked the newest version of North Carolina's voter identification law cited the state's "sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression" as she ordered officials not to enforce the law in 2020.

U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Biggs' decision was released Tuesday and prevents North Carolina from requiring voters to provide identification starting in 2020. The Republican leaders of the state House and Senate, however, have asked North Carolina's Department of Justice to appeal.

The federal court advised last week that Biggs would formally block the photo ID requirement until a lawsuit filed by state NAACP and others is resolved. Her decision provided insight into why she blocked the law, which she said was similar to a 2013 law that a federal appeals court struck down in 2016.

That court said the photo ID and other voter restrictions were approved with intentional racial discrimination in mind, and Biggs said the newest version of the law was no different in that respect.

"North Carolina has a sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression stretching back to the time of slavery, through the era of Jim Crow, and, crucially, continuing up to the present day," Biggs wrote.

Legislators received a breakdown of voter behavior by race before passing the 2016 law and used that data to target African American voters, the court wrote in striking down that law. The defendants said there's no evidence of similar behavior before the most recent voter ID law.

But the same key lawmakers championed both bills, Biggs wrote. " ... they need not had racial data in hand to still have it in mind," the ruling says.

The approval of the new version, known as S.B. 824, was "procedurally unobjectional," Biggs wrote. But its closeness in time to the previous version; the fact that many of the same legislators were involved in both bills; the use of "unconstitutionally gerrymandered maps" and other issues "indicate that something was amiss," she wrote.

The legislative history of the bill, including statements from its supporters, show that "rather than trying to cleanse the discriminatory taint" imbued in the previous voter ID law, lawmakers tried to circumvent state and federal courts, she wrote.

The photo ID law would have been effective with the March 3 primary. But the requirement would have been put into motion sooner than that with mail-in absentee voters, who also would have had to provide an ID copy.

The Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, president of the North Carolina conference of the NAACP, said he was "overjoyed" by Biggs' decision.

"Quite frankly, tears are coming to my eyes as I read the decision," he said. Biggs' "strong language is so appropriate" as the nation approaches the 2020 elections, Spearman said.

"I hope it is something that will encourage people who have not exercised their right to vote to cast their votes," he said.

After losing one court battle over voter ID, Republicans put a question on the November 2018 ballot enshrining voter ID in the state constitution. The amendment passed with 55% of the vote. The legislature approved a separate law in December 2018 detailing how to implement that amendment. Legal challenges were filed almost immediately.

GOP legislators said they had to enact an ID law because voters had approved one. But Biggs, who was appointed to the bench in 2014 by then-President Barack Obama, said the constitutional amendment was a cover for legislators that allowed them to present themselves as "faithful servants whose hands were tied."

The argument that lawmakers had to pass this particular bill falls short, she wrote. "While the legislature may had to pass some form of photo voter-ID law, it did not have to enact one which suffers from impermissible defects," she wrote.

The law did allow for more types of IDs to be used and allowed voters to get a free ID card or fill out a form explaining their "reasonable impediment" to obtaining one.

But legislators rejected an amendment allowing the use of public assistance IDs, which Biggs described as "particularly suspect."

Republican legislators have urged the state DOJ to seek a stay of the temporary injunction, saying Biggs' ruling was "inappropriate."

Their attorneys sent a letter Monday saying it's "imperative that you seek a stay of Judge Biggs' injunction immediately to avoid irreparable harm to the state."

A state DOJ spokeswoman didn't respond to an email seeking comment on the lawmakers' request.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
A litter of 'ghost ships' is costing Auckland ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars

A litter of 'ghost ships' is costing Auckland ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars

2 January 2020

The number of abandoned vessels hauled out of the city's waters every year has quadrupled in less than a decade.

Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton says when he started in the role eight years ago, they were recovering about half a dozen abandoned boats a year.

Last year there were 23 - costing Auckland Transport 135-thousand-dollars.

Hayton estimates there could still be as many as 200 abandoned boats in the region.

© 2020

Newstalk ZB, NZCity

Mooring fees have increased $50 to cover the costs or removing abandoned boats from Auckland's waters. Photo / Supplied

Mooring fees have increased $50 to cover the costs or removing abandoned boats from Auckland's waters. Photo / Supplied

Michael Neilson is a political reporter for the New Zealand Herald

Hundreds of ghost ships litter Auckland's waters and require recovery, costing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton said when he started in the role over eight years ago they were plucking about half a dozen abandoned ships out of the water a year.

Last year it was 23.

The costs are increasing too. Last year his team, part of Auckland Transport, spent $135,000 hauling the unloved vessels out of Auckland's waters and disposing of them.

He estimates there could be as many as 200 abandoned boats in the area currently.

"It is becoming an unsustainable burden on the city."

This year they increased the fees for Auckland's 3000 moorings by $50, taking the total price to $296, to take the burden off ratepayers.

Hayton said it was unfortunate for responsible boat owners, but it was not fair for general ratepayers to be picking up the full tab.

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The abandoned vessels had all been left on moorings, and typically had been built in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was more popular for people to build their own boats, Hayton said.

Most were built with rudimentary materials, and the owner had likely since died.

"But the vessels still might hold a sentimental value to the children or grandchildren, and hence these boats just sit there, nobody wanting to get rid of them, until they fall into a state of disrepair, or are forgotten about."

The number of abandoned boats in the waters surrounding Auckland is increasing. Photo / Supplied

In other cases the boats might be sold for what looks like a bargain, until the new owner realised how much work it took to repair and maintain.

As these vessels aged them being abandoned was increasing and it was difficult to identify owners, Hayton said.

While the moorings were registered, there was no boat registration in New Zealand.

"Some people put dead boats onto moorings to dump them, so it is quite easy to shirk responsibility."

There was no typical process, rather the harbourmaster's team would take note of what looked like an abandoned boat, and seek to find the owner.

"It is quite easy to tell when they've been abandoned. There might be excessive growth on it, seagulls nesting, or even trees growing on them. They can be real eyesores."

If the owner could not be identified, under the Maritime Act they were required to place a notice on the vessel, an advertisement in the Herald, and contact police.

Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton says it is "easy to tell" when a boat has been abandoned. Photo / Supplied

If no owner came forward they would then seek to sell the vessel, but if it was beyond repair they would salvage what they could and dispose of the rest.

The process could cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars up to $30,000, the higher figure especially if the boat had sunk, as it would require divers.

There were about six boats going through that process now, but about 200 throughout Auckland's waters Hayton and his team are keeping an eye on.

Hayton said rather than simply abandoning boats owners should get in touch with the harbourmaster.

"The onus is on boat owners to keep their vessels seaworthy. But we understand people can fall on hard times, or people pass away and the boat be left with others.

"If you are unable to look after it, please just get in touch with us and we'll do what we can to help.

"Getting onto it sooner you might be able to recover some costs, whereas leaving it will end up costing more money."

Auckland Yacht and Boating Association chair Ian Clouston said a lot of boats were abandoned because the costs of maintaining them were so high.

"You might be looking at 15 to 20 per cent of the boat's value in maintenance a year, so with rising living costs and berthing fees some people simply can't afford it."

Selling boats was also more difficult these days, with them being classed as "luxury items".

He urged people to get onto the problem sooner than later, rather than abandoning them on random moorings.

"It is very irresponsible, and if you don't know the strength of the mooring the boat could be blown off in a storm."

It’s been a tough stretch for Arsenal, even as new manager Mikel Arteta has helped show the Gunners the light at the end of the Premier League holiday fixtures tunnel. Can Arsenal get the win it needs on New Year’s Day? Or will this match be a further indication that Manchester United has its season back on track?

This is the best and last of a full slate of Premier League matches on the first day of 2020. Here’s everything you need to know to stream Arsenal vs. Manchester United live.

Arsenal vs. Manchester United

When: 3pm ET, Wednesday, Jan. 1

3pm ET, Wednesday, Jan. 1 Where: Emirates Stadium in London, England

Emirates Stadium in London, England Streaming: NBCSN, NBC Sports Gold

Arsenal vs. Manchester United live stream: How to watch Premier League matches

The match is on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold; these streaming services provide fans the opportunity to catch Premier League action throughout the season.

Sling TV provides two base channel package options, each priced at $30 per month. Sling Orange includes three ESPN channels, while Sling Blue includes sports channels like NBCSN (where many Premier League matches appear), NFL Network, and local channels. (Sling Blue customers in select markets get NBC, where some matches appear; see if yours has it here. Sling Blue also brings Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Headline News as part of its regular slate of channels, with Fox Business Channel available for those who get the Sling Blue News Extra add-on.

If you’re Team “Why Not Both,” Sling Orange + Blue combines the two for just $45 per month.

Other features include a Free Cloud DVR tier for all subscribers (allowing 10 hours of recording a month), the ability to record all live linear channels, and no VOD preemption on any channels. New subscribers get $10 off the first month.

To add beIN SPORTS and maximize your soccer-watching potential, you’ll want to add either Sports Extra: Sling Orange ($5 per month) or Sports Extra: Sling Blue ($10 per month). (The latter also includes NFL RedZone.)

Spanish-speaking viewers have quite a few options. For bilingual families, you might consider the Español: Best of Spanish TV package for either Sling Orange or Sling Blue for 24/7 specialty channel LaLiga TV and beIN SPORTS Connect: Channels 4-9, which features matches from La Liga, Ligue 1 and Copa del Rey, among others. Both packages cost $5 per month after your free trial. Sling TV Latino is another Spanish-language package for $10 per month, including NBC Universo, History en Español, and—of import to soccer fans—four beIN SPORTS channels. (And choosing Best of Spanish + Sling Orange for $35 per month gives you access to ESPN Deportes.) For more information, check out our guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.

TRY SLING TV

Cost: $44.99 for your first month and $54.99 per month thereafter

FuboTV devices : Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices

Local channels: ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, the CW (in some markets) (check local availability here )

FuboTV is a solid TV streaming service option, whether your tastes run to entertainment (AMC, Syfy, FX), news (MSNBC, CNN), or sports (NBA TV, NFL Network).

If you’re a soccer fan, however, it will appear tailor-made for you, with NBC and NBCSN for Premier League matches, 10 beIN SPORTS channels, FS1, FS2, UniMás, and Champions League action via TNT all on tap. If you can’t watch a match live, FuboTV offers a three-day replay for each match and 30 hours of cloud DVR. (Check out the complete FuboTV channels list.)

FuboTV also has bilingual families in mind; each subscription comes with UniMás, Galavisión, NBC Universo, beIN SPORTS, Univision, and Fox Deportes. An extra $7.99 per month will bring you Latino Plus, which includes CNN en Español and TyC Sports among its offerings.

TRY FUBOTV

Cost: $54.99 per month

Hulu devices : Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS an d Android devices

Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here )

Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its broad spectrum of offerings, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)

TRY HULU WITH LIVE TV

YouTube TV is a great option for soccer fans, including TNT for Champions League matches, NBC and NBCSN for Premier League matches, and broadcasting partnerships with three MLS teams. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)

TRY YOUTUBE TV

Cost: $50-$135 per month

Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, iOS and Android devices

Local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW ( enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)

AT&T TV Now is a bonus for AT&T wireless customers, especially for those who happen to be soccer fans. It provides instant access to more than 45 channels, including local channels. That means NBC as well as NBCSN for Premier League action, Fox as well as FS1 and FS2 for MLS, Bundesliga, the U.S. men’s and women’s teams, and even Liga MX offerings, and ESPN and ESPN2 for its array of soccer and other sports programming. It even offers free HBO on PLUS and MAX channel suites. Plus, it comes with CloudDVR for up to 20 hours of TV recording per month. One account works on two devices, but you can add more devices for only $5.

TRY AT&T TV NOW

Cost: $39.99 (for Matchday Pass option); $64.99 (for Premier League Pass option)

NBC Sports Gold TV devices: Google Chromecast , Roku , Apple TV , Android TV , Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android device.

If you want access to every Premier League game this season, you’ll want an NBC Sports Gold subscription. At the Matchday Pass tier, for $39.99, you get access to 140 exclusive live matches, with at least four for each of the 20 clubs. The Premier League Pass option gives you an option to replay matches, in case you can’t catch a match live, and offers additional programming, including analysis and highlights. NBC Sports Gold offers additional packages for fans who want to follow rugby action, the PGA tour, Indy Car racing, cycling, and lacrosse.

TRY NBC SPORTS GOLD

Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Preview, recent form, odds, upcoming fixtures

Arsenal (Last 5 Premier League matches: WLDDL) lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Chelsea over the weekend to drop to 12th in the table. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got the opening goal in Arsenal’s impressive first-half performance, but the defense gave up two late goals to absorb yet another defeat. The first goal came courtesy of Jorginho, who many thought should have been off for a second yellow, and the second goal was the result of a mistake from the much-maligned Shkodran Mustafi, who suffered a head-to-head collision just moments before. Yet the fact remains: Arsenal has now just one win in its last 12 Premier League matches. These are the dark times.

Manchester United (Last 5 Premier League matches: WDLWW) bounced up to fifth in the standings with a 2-0 win over Burnley. Anthony Martial, on a bit of a roll lately, scored the opener, with Marcus Rashford providing a late insurance goal in stoppage time. While it’s still a bit more of a climb to break into the top four, United only finds itself four points behind an inconsistent Chelsea squad heading into the New Year.

Odds

The William Hill oddsmakers call this one pretty even: Arsenal’s at +170 odds (wager $100 to win $170), United’s a slightly more favored foe at +150, and a draw is set for +260.

Upcoming Fixtures

Arsenal, Monday, Jan. 6 vs. Leeds United (FA Cup); Saturday, Jan. 11 at Crystal Palace (Premier League)

Manchester United, Saturday, Jan. 4 at Wolves (FA Cup); Tuesday, Jan. 7 vs. Manchester United (League Cup)

READ MORE:

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Acting police Inspector General Duncan Mwapasa says the police have instituted a second probe into the Msundwe rapes following the release of a Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) report on the matter.

A report releasedby MHRC in Decemmber 2019 found that police raped at least eight women and sexually violated several others, including girls, during October’s post-election unrest.

Mwapasa said following the release of the MHRC report, he met 17 women who were allegedly raped and assaulted by the police officers.

“They were brought to my office by women lawyers. We even took their caution statements,” he said.

Mwapasa has however said he would not shield any police officer implicated in the matter.

He said the first report by the police on the Msundwe rapes is over and would be released in two weeks’ time.

The alleged sexual assaults were outlined in a 62-page report released by Malawi’s Ombudsman Martha Chizuma and Law Commissioner Rosemary Kanyuka.

The MHRC report says the police assaults occurred in the homes of victims and were carried out in revenge for the stoning death of a fellow police officer.

“We found out that a total of 17 women were sexually violated,” Chizuma said. “Five of them were under 18. One of the five girls was actually defiled. Eight women were raped. The rest, police found them doing their menses so were just violently beaten.”

But observers note a lack of evidence, as victims failed to obtain medical exams after the alleged assaults and were unable to identify police officers, whose faces were covered.

Meanwhile, no officers have yet been suspended or detained, and government authorities are questioning the validity of the report.

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The sad news is that yet another church attack took place this week and that two parishioners were killed. The good news is that the people stood up for themselves and others. Some say guns do not belong in church, yet the bad guys do not seem to care or read the signs. What a surprise,

Good for those that stand up for themselves. Still some say disarm the people and depend on the police. Unfortunately, because as good and dedicated as the police are, they take time to get there.

Signs or laws do not seem to stop criminals. We should all know this as the word criminal denotes someone who does not obey the laws. In the past these outlaws were dealt with quickly and decisively but not today.

In the past, there did not seem to be many repeat offenders, today almost all the bad guys have a record yet somehow, they are still out on the streets. People are arrested several times and do not serve any time, there seems to be no punishment just a record, whatever happen to work programs for convicts? Or programs that trained people for jobs?

The lesson in all this is there are bad people out there and there are more of them on the streets today so people need to protect themselves until the police can get there. There are more bad people today because we do nothing to deter their repeated bad behavior. Police cannot be everywhere and it takes time to get anywhere. Additionally, police are geared to responding and apprehension not prevention. Some might say they prevent crime and that is very true when they are present but as said, they cannot be everywhere all the time.

Luckily the people in the church took steps to protect themselves and their guests attending by arming and training people who are willing to be the front line of defense. This also illustrates the importance of defending yourself and your loved ones until the police can arrive. A big deal was being made that the protector was a gun instructor, which seemed to infer that he was specially prepared for this situation, partially true but any citizen at least in Nevada who receives a concealed carry permit is trained.

The conceal and carry courses are a good starting ground for average people who do not hunt or are not familiar with firearms. Yes, regular additional training is a great idea and should be part of any program and part of any concealed permit holder renewal program.

In Mesquite at least one church has such a program staffed by volunteers and it includes regular practice sessions and training. These guardians provide security and peace of mind for those attending services who do not or cannot protect themselves.

Two of these shootings occurred in Texas so some might ask why Mesquite? Because evil is everywhere and some people do not think straight. Yet even the most depraved can sometimes be detoured or dealt with. The name of the church mentioned above is not given unless someone requests that name so they can help in establish their own Guardians.

By hardening our targets, we hope someone will think again before attacking, if not they will not be put on the streets again. We pray for peace as we protect ourselves and others.

LUCKNOW: Nearly six months after 11 tribals were killed in indiscriminate firing by the head of Umbha village in Sonbhadra over a land dispute, police authorities on Wednesday penalised five cops with a fine equal to their 30-day salary for lackadaisical attitude which led to violence.Superintendent of police, Sonbhadra, Ashish Srivastava said, “When village head Yagya Dutt tried to forcibly grab a disputed piece of land in 2017, police inspector Shiv Kumar Mishra and his predecessor Mool Chand Chauhan, did not pay heed to complaints by Gond tribals. They handled the matter with a prejudiced approach.”“Three constables – Kanhaiya Lal, Sudhakar Yadav and Pramod Kumar Singh – did not act as per rule of law and followed directions of their senior officers. As a result, 30 days’ salary of these cops will not be given to them for their services,” he added. On July17 last year, a group of villagers belonging to Gond tribe were carrying out farming on disputed land when a group of men, led by gram pradhan Yagya Dutt, reached there to take possession of the land which, they claimed, was purchased by him and his relatives in 2017.This led to violence which left 11 tribals killed and 21 others injured.The government ordered an SIT probe into the incident which is still pending.Sonabahdra district police also launched a probe into the role of cops who had served at Ghorawal police station under whose jurisdiction Umbha village falls. On October 14, police also filed a chargesheet against 51 people.

JAMMU: Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, a member of Central Waqf Council, on Wednesday met Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu here at the Raj Bhavan.

The Lt Governor and Dr Andrabi discussed about the various important matters concerning the working of the Waqf Board and the due administration of Auqaf. Dr Andrabi shared with the Lt Governor her views about the prevailing scenario in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and also apprised the Lt Governor about several measures initiated by the Council for protection and retrieval of the Waqf properties and removal of encroachment and implementing Educational and Women Welfare Schemes for skill development. (AGENCIES)

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Dec 30 (Reuters) - Most Gulf stock markets were sluggish in thin trading early on Monday, with financials hurting Saudi Arabia and telecoms company Etisalat falling in Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI edged down 0.1%. Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE lost 0.3% and Arab National Bank 1080.SE was down 0.9%, a day after its board proposed a lower second-half dividend.

Oil giant Saudi Aramco 2222.SE slipped 0.1%, after two days of gains. On Tuesday, Aramco said Goldman Sachs may buy more of its shares to support the price. The so-called stabilisation period will end on Jan. 9.

Riyad Bank 1010.SE added 0.3% after raising its dividend for the second half to 0.55 riyal per share.

The Abu Dhabi index .ADI opened 0.1% lower as Emirates Telecommunications ETISALAT.AD lost 0.4%.

Elsewhere, Eshraq Investments ESHRAQ.AD slid 2.5% after announcing it would not reduce capital to cover accumulated losses.

In Dubai, the index .TASI was flat. Mashreq Bank MASB.DU plunged 9.9%, but Emaar Properties EMAR.DU rose 1.2%.

The Dubai government will increase spending by 17%, to a record 66.4 billion dirhams ($18.08 billion) in 2020, to stimulate the economy and support the Expo 2020 world fair, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing state news agency WAM.

Qatar's main index .QSI rebounded 0.3%, helped by a 1.1% increase in Commercial Bank COMB.QA and a 1.3% rise in Qatar Insurance QINS.QA.

($1 = 3.6727 UAE dirham)

(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru, editing by Larry King)

((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918067497129;))

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

By Ateeq Shariff

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Dubai's index ended the year up more than 9%, outperforming other major Gulf markets, while Kuwait led the region with a 32% gain and Oman fell for a third year in a row.

Dubai .DFMGI dropped 0.2% on Tuesday as Dubai Islamic Bank DISB.DU lost 0.7% and Emirates NBD ENBD.DU slipped 0.4%, but it closed 9.3% up over the year, despite slumping real estate prices.

Saudi Arabia .TASI rose 0.5%, bringing its annual gains to 7.2%. Riyad Bank 1010.SE added 2% on Tuesday, while Aramco 2222.SE rose 0.3%, at 35.3 riyals.

Oil giant Aramco commenced trading on Dec. 11 after a long-awaited market listing, surging 10% from the initial public offering price of 32 riyals ($8.53). The increase helped the company close in on the $2 trillion valuation long sought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Aramco raised $25.6 billion on Dec. 5 through the IPO. The flotation propelled the Riyadh bourse into the world's top ten by value of listed companies.

In mid-September, oil prices surged by as much as 19% before coming off peaks, after an attack on the kingdom that shut 5% of global crude output. The intraday jump was the biggest surge since the 1991 Gulf War.

Kuwait's blue-chip index .BKP advanced 32.4% in 2019, making it the best-performing stock market for the year.

Interest in Kuwait grew following MSCI's decision to move Kuwaiti equities into its main emerging market index in 2020. Vrajesh Bhandari, senior portfolio manager at Al Mal Capital, said they expect the index to be well supported until the move.

Egypt's index .EGX30 increased 7.1% in 2019. On Tuesday, Commercial International Bank COMI.CA edged up 0.2%.

Qatar's index .QSI gained 1% for the year, after the rally last year on account of passive flows as companies raised limits on foreign ownership of their shares.

"It was expected that the market would underperform in 2019 and the flat show is not surprising," said Vrajesh.

On the other hand, Oman's index .MSI had another bad year leaving it down 7.9% for all of 2019, close to 15-year lows.

SAUDI ARABIA

.TASI rose 0.5% to 8,389 points

ABU DHABI

.ADI dropped 0.3% to 5,076 points

DUBAI

.DFMGI down 0.2% to 2,765 points

QATAR

.QSI lost 0.2% to 10,426 points

EGYPT

.EGX30 up 0.2% to 13,962 points

BAHRAIN

.BAX added 0.1% to 1,610 points

OMAN

.MSI gained 0.7% to 3,981 points

KUWAIT

.BKP edged up 0.1% at 6,976 points

($1 = 3.7508 riyals)

(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918067497129;))

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem said the storms, tornadoes and flooding that devastated communities across the state was one of the biggest challenges she faced in her first year in office, in a wide-ranging interview in which she also promised to focus on growing the economy and improving her working relationship with lawmakers in the new year.

The first-term Republican governor called it “a difficult year, all in all, for the state” due to flooding that strained state resources and had her administration working overtime and traveling thousands of miles to respond to disasters. Noem said she had successes, naming her work to encourage foster families, address drug addiction and spread broadband internet access in rural areas.

And she also called herself “teachable,” a nod to some lawmakers who said she failed to communicate well on some policy decisions.

The former congresswoman took office in January last year, and almost as soon as the Legislature ended found herself leading the state’s response to severe storms in March and April that laid the foundation for what seemed a year of flooding.

South Dakota recorded the highest amount of precipitation in its history, beating the previous mark set in 1915. By the end of November, South Dakota already had more than 30 inches of precipitation, topping 1915’s mark of just under 28 inches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Floods and tornadoes caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage and the state led the nation in unplanted farmland.

“You’re focused on getting priorities and the state budget passed, and immediately went into getting people through a crisis situation and helping them recover,” Noem said.

The state got four presidential disaster declarations, in addition to the Oglala Sioux Tribe receiving one for storms and flooding. Noem’s administration is offering loans to counties, towns and tribes to fund recovery.

Noem acknowledged concerns about more flooding in 2020 with the forecast calling for a wet winter. That could add to the difficulty for farmers, who left nearly 4 million acres unplanted. The slump in the state’s largest industry affected South Dakota’s economy and budget.

Noem said she’ll respond by focusing on “growing our economy together” next year.

When asked to assess her first year in office, Noem declined to grade herself. She said she wanted to remain “teachable” and acknowledged she could do a better job communicating “so that people know not just what we’re doing, but why and the reason behind it.”

Legislative leaders from both parties said they were sometimes frustrated by a disjointed relationship between Noem’s administration and the Republican-dominated legislature. Senate Majority Leader Kris Langer, a Republican from Dell Rapids, said she felt Noem’s second session would be smoother, with legislation on mental health and addiction treatment in the works and both Noem and majority Republicans in support.

Senate Minority Leader Troy Heinert, D-Mission, worried that the recent departure of the governor’s chief of staff would be a setback heading into the session.

Noem drew national attention in November for the state’s “Meth: We’re on it” campaign, which received some snickers on social media. She defended the campaign, saying it was achieving its goal of drawing attention to a serious problem. Noem said she knew the campaign was “provocative,” but was surprised by the amount of attention it received. She plans to follow the $1.4 million ad campaign with funding for addiction treatment and law enforcement.

To get that funding, the legislature will have to pass it in the budget. The session begins on Jan. 14 when Noem will deliver her second State of the State address.

'Kingdom of Morocco is good for the Jewish community'

"Moroccan Jewry is very, very well off," said Rabbi Dr. Yitzhak Sabag of the rabbis of Moroccan Jewry in an interview with Arutz Sheva Tuesday.

Rabbi Sabag stated that many people from all over the world come to visit the Jewish community in Morocco, especially to visit the graves of numerous Righteous Among the Nations who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.

"We are a community of 1500-1800 members," said Rabbi Sabag, who added that there is a rich Torah educational world in the community. "My wife is one of the principals at the school," says the rabbi.

Rabbi Dr. Sabag emphasized that the rabbinical court is totally and officially recognized by the kingdom. "This is the only place in the world that is the case," he stated. "The rabbinical court belongs to the Ministry of Justice and the ruling of the rabbinical court is considered a ruling on behalf of the king."

Rabbi Sabag said that all the inscription and legal matters written in the rabbinical courts are considered official documents of the kingdom and added that in Morocco, even the Jewish inheritance documents are officially recognized by the authorities.

Historically, the Kingdom of Morocco has maintained a good relationship with the Jewish community, but does this situation continue even today when the community is so small? Rabbi Sabag answered - "The Kingdom of Morocco, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe said, is a 'kingdom of grace' and when I say 'kingdom of grace' is literally 'kingdom of grace.' So far, with G-d's blessing, the king is good to the Jews."

Rabbi Sabag told a story from World War II when the King of Morocco did not want to give the list of Jews in Morocco to Adolf Hitler. "One of the things he said was 'If you want to give them (the Jews) a yellow badge, then add some [badges] for the royal family.'"

Jews all over the world today are facing anti-Semitism, what is your situation?

"There is anti-Semitism all over the world, but with us, thankfully, we have not reached such situations," Rabbi Dr. Sabag said.

Tom Brady Uses Protection Stones, And Other Top 'Talkers' Of 2019That time the six-time Super Bowl champion revealed that his supermodel wife has him use protection stones...

Boston's Favorite Spots For Inexpensive Italian FoodLooking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare without breaking the bank?

Boston's Best Day SpasIf you are looking for some pampering and relaxation, maybe a day spa in the place for you. Here are the top rated spots in Boston.

To Do List: Holiday Pops, Harlem Globetrotters & Outdoor SkatingThe kids are just about on Christmas break and you’ll be looking for ideas to get everybody out of the house and moving.

Small Bites: Where To Celebrate National Cupcake Day In BostonCupcakes are having a moment, and with good reason. Here are some of the best in Boston.

Weekend To Do List: Ski Chalet In The City, Holiday Market, Tea Party ReenactmentWant to cozy up by the fire of an après ski chalet – in the city? It's just one option on this weekend's To Do List.

At least 17 people remain missing as 50 fires continue to rage across the state threatening the lives of those trapped in 24 isolated communities in East Gippsland.

Speaking in Bairnsdale on Thursday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he held serious fears for the 17 people missing and believes some of those unaccounted for may be stranded without access to power, or may have stayed in remote towns to defend their homes against the fires.

A caravan park in Mallacoota on Thursday morning. Credit:George Mills

“They may have been trying to defend their homes,’’ he said.

“That number may grow or indeed people may report to authorities. We do hold very significant fears for the welfare of anybody who is missing at this time.’’

'As we enter 2020, let us all stop fighting over Northern Ireland's future and start fighting for it instead' (stock photo)

Editor's Viewpoint: Let us refocus on a better future for all BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Some people like New Year's Eve while others loathe it, both for the same reason, as it is a time for reflection. It is also a time for resolutions, to be kept or not, and for such adventures as a Dry January after so much Christmas overindulgence. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/editors-viewpoint/editors-viewpoint-let-us-refocus-on-a-better-future-for-all-38823468.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/5c2ea/38824168.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/stormontfront.jpg

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Some people like New Year's Eve while others loathe it, both for the same reason, as it is a time for reflection. It is also a time for resolutions, to be kept or not, and for such adventures as a Dry January after so much Christmas overindulgence.

It is also an opportunity to take stock of where we are now. In 2010 the political situation was not perfect, but Stormont was running and the political institutions were bedding in. Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness were working together in a partnership which now seems like a halcyon period of bridge-building.

We now have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and we see the roots that were eventually to choke the Assembly. These included the failure to follow through on political agreements, and a growing lack of trust.

This led to the present long impasse, with the scandal of RHI, the decisions - or lack of them - which led to the NHS crisis, and the conspicuous failure to remove the gun from politics once and for all.

There was also the significant inability of our politicians to grasp the full implications of Brexit, well before the 2016 Referendum. No one is saying that they bear full responsibility for the current Brexit plague on all our houses, but they stand accused of not giving better leadership.

The past decade was also a time when we learned slowly and painfully that we are on our own and the outside world, not unreasonably, expects us to show that we can stand on our own two feet.

However, it is not all bad news. These are exciting times for Ulster University in developing its new Belfast campus, and for Queen's University with its important scientific developments.

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