Beijing has redefined its national interests at home and abroad, expounding on the just causes that would trigger the mobilization of troops and civilian resources in the name of national defense, according to a report by Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research. Amendments to China’s National Defense Law, effective from January 1, included the consolidation of decision-making power in the Central Military Commission—chaired by President Xi Jinping—and a reduction in the influence of cabinet-level officials in the State Council....

Other researchers have found hints of the problem in infants. Psychologists Dennis and Victoria Molfese at Southern Illinois University played a series of taped syllables, like “dee” and “bee,” for newborns in the hospital and then recorded their brain-wave responses. Eight years later, when the same children were in third grade, the researchers tested the kids for dyslexia. Preliminary results show that 80 percent of the dyslexics exhibited a single trait as newborns: on average, they responded to sounds three tenths of a second later than other babies....

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due hold a press conference on the matter at 4 p.m. local time. Johnson was holding talks with the cabinet this afternoon about a potential response. The news has sparked fears that a third nationwide lockdown could be in prospect just as millions of Britons prepare to celebrate the festive season and the government faces pressure not to “cancel Christmas.” Whitty issued a statement on Saturday saying “the new strain can spread more quickly....

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk told Congress last month that while there is “information about the involvement of some Iranian officials” in the Khobar bombing, none of it would hold up in court. But an official with access to the material says, “We have hard evidence on the Iranian government’s role.” CIA sources say terrorists received money and passports from Iran and that Iranian agents were casing American facilities in 1995....

The gap between Clinton’s message and what the Democratic Congress is doing offers a hint of how hard it is to change anything in Washington. After all, congressional Democrats are only doing what many of them do best: protecting the folks who underwrite their campaigns. Consider. only a quarter of the $21.8 billion approved by the Senate Finance Committee last week will go to the cities. The rest is a grab bag of tax incentives, unrelated to urban aid....

Louis Santiago, a 25-year-old Newark off-duty police officer, struck Damian Dymka, a 29-year-old nurse, with his vehicle at 3 a.m. November 1, police said. Santiago didn’t call 911 for emergency assistance, nor did he stop to help Dymka, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens wrote in a press statement. Instead, Santiago “returned to the scene multiple times” before eventually removing Dymka’s body and transporting it home in his vehicle, Stephens said....

During a press conference held on Monday, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart revealed the name of the victim: Francis Wayne Alexander, formerly known as “Gacy Victim Five.” Gacy is believed to have killed Alexander between 1976 and 1977 when the victim would have been 21-22 years old. Alexander’s remains were among those found in the crawlspace beneath Gacy’s Norwood Park home on December 26, 1978. Dart was joined by members of the DNA Doe Project, an investigative group committed to finding the identities of “John and Jane Does” with the help of DNA and genetic genealogy....

The musician, best known for his involvement in the 60s group Peter, Paul and Mary, is facing a new lawsuit that alleges Yarrow “groomed” the then-teenager. Documents were filed on Wednesday at Manhattan Supreme Court in the suit, which was brought under the Child Victims Act. Documents claim that Yarrow, now 82, met the victim a number of times before the incident took place in a Manhattan hotel room....

The Celtics even came out of an ugly first quarter with a lead, 20-19. Then the drubbing commenced. MORE: How rookies like Tatum, Mitchell and Kuzma are changing the game Cleveland opened the second quarter with a 22-4 run in the first 5:20, and the Celtics were reduced to little more than sweaty carnage in high tops. There was no doubt about who was the culprit: LeBron James, who showed in those five-plus minutes why Boston, or any other team in the East, would offer little credible resistance to the Cavs come playoff time....

The new setup is designed to greatly reduce the amount of full-speed contact between the cover and return teams and, in turn, reduce injuries. HAISLOP: Are you sure you would miss kickoffs in the NFL? Among the biggest changes: The covering team can’t get a running start before the kick; all but three players on the return team must line up within a 15-yard “setup zone” beginning 10 yards from the spot of the kick; and all those players at midfield can’t hit each other until the ball hits the ground or is caught by the receiving team....

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Fauci noted that while the BA.2 Omicron variant has a high level of transmissibility, it does not appear to cause more severe illness or evade immune responses from vaccinated individuals or those with prior infections. BA.2, which has also been dubbed the “stealth variant,” is considered to be a sub-type of Omicron that has been spreading across the U.S. and Europe in recent weeks. It is a different variant than BA....

It’s going to be a big month for reality TV as the new reality show Dated and Related is set to launch, as well as Love Is Blind: After the Altar Season 2, which will see cast members like Nick Thompson, Danielle Ruhl, Jarrette Jones and Iyanna McNeely returning to show fans what they’ve been up to since the cameras stopped rolling. As for movies, Ana de Armas is starring in Blonde as Marylin Monroe....

The 18-year-old striking phenomenon was in the unusual position of changing clubs while he was almost in the Les Bleus dressing room on Thursday. PSG 13/2 to win Champions League As France were warming up for their World Cup qualifying clash, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed they had sealed Mbappe’s signing from Monaco on a one-year loan deal, with an option to buy valid in June 2018. If that option is taken up, Mbappe is expected to become the second most valuable player in the world after new team-mate Neymar as PSG will pay a fee estimated at €180 million....

While the Gen 8 games, Pokémon Sword and Shield, didn’t offer much for Shiny Hunters the latest expansion has added a new and relatively easy way to find Shiny Pokémon, especially Shiny Legendaries. NEW SHINY HUNTING METHOD IN THE CROWN TUNDRA The new Shiny Hunting Method has to do with the Dynamax Adventures found in The Crown Tundra DLC. Dynamax Adventures can be accessed early on in the DLC, but it’s a great place to catch new Pokémon–including Legendaries–and grind for Dynite Ore for special items....

On Monday, University of Minnesota Paleontologist Peter Makovicky, who aided in leading the dig, said numerous other remains could be found at the site. “We actually have something that’s probably a mass death locality, where we have a herd of dinosaurs dying and being sort of buried together, and individuals of different ages,” Makovicky said. The fossils are from a Parrosaurus missouriensis, a large duck-billed dinosaur. It was discovered 80 years ago at the same site but was not identified as a new species until the latest find last month, according to The Associated Press....

Grocery stores open on New Year’s Day 2020 AlbertsonsHy-VeeCVSH-E-BKrogerPublixSafewaySprouts Farmers MarketStop and ShopTargetWalmartWegmansWhole Foods Remember that while the majority of stores within a chain may be open, stores’ opening hours can vary by location. Use this a guide but be sure to check with your local grocery store before venturing out. Is CVS open? Most CVS locations will be open on New Year’s Day, but CVS pharmacies may be closed or open with limited hours....

The biggest New Year’s Eve TV specials this year are on ABC, NBC and CBS (Fox canceled their December 31 special earlier in the month). ABC is airing the Rockin’ Eve celebration, with Ryan Seacrest hosting live from Times Square and Ciara, Billy Porter and Roselyn Sanchez reporting live from various states and Puerto Rico. CBS, meanwhile, is airing Nashville’s Big Bash, featuring 50-plus performances from country legends live from Tennessee....