BBC Verify has been tracking the Marinera for weeks. Housing, Europe ties, economy... what Canadians are hopeful for in 2026 The BBC spoke to people in Toronto and Montreal to find out what they're optimistic about heading into the new year. The powerful storm system brought blizzard conditions to areas of the Midwest and East Coast causing some travel delays. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for parts of California, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego. The White Settlement Police Department is searching for two suspects.

Erotic imagery and curiosity often arise in intimate relationships, especially when there's safety, play, and mutual recognition. It doesn't mean you've done anything "wrong." On the contrary, it shows that your imagination is alive and searching for ways to bridge the gap between closeness and distance, fantasy and reality. You offer me something charged, even a bit embarrassing, and you're watching--will I crumble?

Traditionally undervalued in the tech industry, empathy -- which is the ability to read and respond to another person's feelings, thoughts and experiences -- is a trait hiring managers and C-level executives can no longer ignore. After all, in a world where artificial intelligence will take up to 5 million jobs away from humans by 2020, the McKinsey Global Institute predicts that up to 14% of human workers will need to adapt to new occupations to secure our future in the workforce. In other words, as we start sharing the workforce with more machines, human soft skills such as empathy will be at a premium. And, that premium is justified. Hiring employees who are empathetic helps companies increase productivity, develop strong leadership and retain high-performing talent.

The movie's opening may as well arrive with an on-screen statement. Loud shrieking lends the impression a couple is having sex, but the first sight is a close-up of a cat. Then the camera cuts to the source of the shrieks, and it turns out what sounded like love was actually an assault. Needling, absurd, sexual, kinetic -- all those adjectives apply to Verhoeven. The Dutch-born director has followed one of the more improbable career arcs in modern cinema -- from European obscurity to Hollywood heights to industry punch-line ("Showgirls," anyone?), back to European acclaim.