Harrison Ford is returning to his iconic role of police officer Rick Deckard in the forthcoming Blade Runner sequel, it has been confirmed.
Denis Villeneuve, who directed Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal in kidnap drama Prisoners, is in talks to direct.
The story takes place several decades after the conclusion of the 1982 film, which was based on Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?.
Blade Runner 2 is scheduled to start shooting in the summer of 2016.
The cult 1982 film, directed by Ridley Scott, saw Rick Deckard hunting down genetically engineered lifelike robots, known as replicants, in a futuristic Los Angeles, set in 2019.
The latest installment – reportedly based on an idea from Ridley Scott, who will also produce the new film – has been written by Hampton Fancher, who co-wrote the original screenplay.
“We are honored that Harrison is joining us on this journey,” said producers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson in a joint statement.
“Hampton and Michael, with Sir Ridley Scott, have crafted a uniquely potent and faithful sequel to one of the most universally celebrated films of all time, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with this amazing, creative team.”
It marks the third time Harrison Ford, 72, has returned to an iconic role. In 2008, he returned to the role of Indiana Jones nearly 20 years after the franchise came to a halt in 1989.
Later this year, Harrison Ford will reprise the role of Han Solo in the latest addition to the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Zelda Williams, the daughter of late actor Robin Williams, has spoken out for the first time since her father’s death in August 2014.
Robin Williams took his own life at his Californian home at the age of 63.
Zelda Williams told NBC’s Today Show there was “no point” in asking why her father killed himself.
“We don’t have an explanation,” she told reporter Kate Snow.
“There’s no point questioning it… blaming yourself or the world. It happened.”
Zelda Williams, 25, said it was “going to take a lot of work to allow myself to have the sort of fun, happy life that I had, but that’s important”.
“Anybody who has ever lost anyone works very hard to continue that memory in a positive way.”
Photo Today Show
Robin Williams, who was famous for films such as Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society and Mrs. Doubtfire, was understood to have been battling depression at the time of his death.
“A lot of people feel his absence,” said Zelda Williams.
“The side of him that people know and love… is the characters that he had so much fun being.”
“I do think that’s what a lot of people will hold on to. That’s not going anywhere. They knew a dad that he was proud of them knowing. Laughter was incredibly important to him.”
However, Zelda Williams added her father was also very private, calm and subdued.
Reflecting on her own memories Zelda Williams said: “They are mine and I love that. They are private and lovely and perhaps very different. Who knows?”
Robin Williams’ daughter revealed she had acquired a hummingbird tattoo on her right hand shortly after his death.
“I like hummingbirds. They’re fun and flighty and strange. It’s hard to keep them in one place and Dad was a bit like that,” Zelda Williams said.
“Sometimes there are going to be days where things are really difficult and having a reminder that is permanently there is nice.”
PM David Cameron has defended the British security services amid criticisms they failed to stop Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John”, from joining ISIS in Syria.
The prime minister said MI5 made “incredibly difficult judgments” on the UK’s behalf.
His comments came after it emerged Mohammed Emwazi was known to authorities.
David Cameron said he would not comment on specific cases but urged the public to back the security services.
Mohammed Emwazi, who is in his mid-20s, first appeared in a video last August, when he apparently killed American journalist James Foley.
He was later thought to have been pictured in the videos of the beheadings of British aid worker David Haines, American journalist Steven Sotloff, British taxi driver Alan Henning, and American aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, also known as Peter Kassig.
UK-based advocacy group Cage has suggested that MI5 may have contributed to the radicalization of Mohammed Emwazi.
Downing Street said the claim was “completely reprehensible”, while London Mayor Boris Johnson described Cage’s comments as “an apology for terror”.
David Cameron defended the security services, praising the work of “these extraordinary men and women”.
He said: “I meet with them regularly, I ask them searching questions about what they do and in my almost five years’ experience as prime minister, I think they are incredibly impressive, hard-working, dedicated, courageous and effective at protecting our country.
“All of the time, they are having to make incredibly difficult judgements and I think basically they make very good judgements on our behalf, and I think whilst we are in the middle of this vast effort to make sure British citizens are safe, the most important thing is to get behind them.”
David Cameron went on to say the security services’ “dedication and work has saved us from plots on the streets of the UK that could have done us immense damage” within the last few months.
He said he was satisfied there was effective scrutiny of the work they do.
Mihammed Emwazi has appeared in videos dressed in a black robe with a black balaclava covering all but his eyes and top of his nose.
Speaking with a British accent, Jihadi John taunted Western powers before holding his knife to the hostages’ necks, appearing to start cutting before the film stopped.
Hostages released by ISIS said Jihadi John was one of three British jihadists guarding Westerners abducted by the group in Syria.
Founder of Mukto-Mona blog Avijit Roy, whose writing on religion had brought threats from Islamist hardliners, has been killed in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
Avijit Roy, an American-Bangladeshi atheist who advocated secularism, was hacked to death with machetes as he walked back from a book fair with his wife Rafida Ahmed, who was hurt in the attack.
“He died as he was brought to the hospital. His wife was also seriously wounded. She has lost a finger,” local police chief Sirajul Islam said.
No-one has been arrested but police say they are investigating a local Islamist group that praised the killing.
Hundreds of students gathered in Dhaka to mourn the blogger’s death.
Avijit Roy’s family say he had received threats after publishing articles promoting secular views, science and social issues on his Bengali-language blog, Mukto-Mona (Free Mind).
He defended atheism in a recent Facebook post, calling it “a rational concept to oppose any unscientific and irrational belief“.
The website was inaccessible on February 27.
The killing in early 2013 of another secular blogger, Ahmed Rajib Haider, which was blamed on religious hardliners, sparked protests from free-speech supporters and counter-protests from Islamists.
The police said the attack on Avijit Roy was similar to the 2013 murder.
German lawmakers have voted to extend Greece bailout by another four months.
The bailout extension – approved by international creditors last week in exchange for a series of Greek government reforms – needs to be ratified by eurozone members.
Some German lawmakers had expressed doubts about the deal and there is substantial public skepticism but the vote passed easily.
It comes after police and protesters clashed during anti-government demonstrations in Athens on February 26.
They were the first such disturbances since Greece’s leftist Syriza was sworn in as the main government party exactly a month ago, promising to renegotiate the country’s debt and end austerity.
Dozens of activists hurled petrol bombs and stones at police and set cars alight after a march involving hundreds of protesters. Some carried banners calling for Greece to leave the EU and for its debt to be cancelled.
Eurozone finance ministers on February 24 approved a set of reform proposals submitted by Greece.
Photo Reuters
As the dominant economic power in the EU, Germany’s approval was regarded as crucial – and on February 27 the overwhelming majority of lawmakers granted it. A total of 542 voted for the proposals, with 32 voting against and 13 abstentions.
The vote was preceded by a ferocious debate, with catcalling and jeering.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble spoke in favor of the deal, telling parliament: “We Germans should do everything possible to keep Europe together as much as we can.
“We’re not talking about new billions for Greece… rather it’s about providing or granting extra time to successfully end this program.”
There has been a chorus of skepticism about the deal inside Germany – with Thursday’s edition of the largest tabloid, Bild, emblazoned with the word “No!”, adding “No more billions for the greedy Greeks!”
Hawkish elements within Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU (Christian Social Union), have portrayed the extension deal as leniency for Greece.
Wolfgang Schaeuble himself has expressed doubt about the Greek government’s commitment to reform.
However, German legislators felt they had no choice but to pass the vote, as a eurozone breakup could prove even more expensive than the bailouts and potentially undermine the credibility of the euro.
In Greece, the proposed bailout extension has also triggered dissent within the governing party.
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras has defended it, but some on the hard left have accused Syriza of going back on pre-election pledges.
Even if the bailout extension goes through Greece still faces the formidable task of trying to service its debt obligations.
Greece will need to flesh out its reform program in detail by April and prove that reforms are bedding in before receiving a final disbursement of 7.2 billion euros.
In the meantime Greece has to repay several billion euros in maturing debts, including about 2 billion euros to the IMF in March, and 6.7 bilion in European Central Bank bonds maturing in July and August.
Law Wan-tung, the Hong Kong woman convicted of abusing her Indonesian maid, has been jailed for six years.
Law Wan-tung was found guilty earlier this month of causing grievous bodily harm, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages.
Maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih drew global attention last year when she returned to Indonesia in need of hospital treatment.
During the trial, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih described being beaten and starved by her employer.
The case drew intense scrutiny in Hong Kong, where a significant number of families rely on domestic helpers.
The city’s residents employ about 300,000 maids from other parts of Asia, mainly Indonesia and the Philippines.
In addition to the jail sentence, Law Wan-tung, 44, was also fined HK$15,000 ($1,934). She had faced a maximum sentence of seven years.
During the six-week trial the court heard that Law Wan-tung beat Erwiana Sulistyaningsih with various household objects and deprived her of proper food, allowing her only a small portion of rice and bread.
Law Wan-tung, a mother of two, only allowed Erwiana Sulistyaningsih to sleep four hours a night. On one occasion Law Wan-tung punched the maid so hard that her incisor teeth fractured.
Handing down the sentence, Judge Amanda Woodcock said Law Wan-tung “showed no compassion” to Erwiana Sulistyaningsih and other domestic staff.
Law Wan-tung saw them as “people that are beneath her”, Judge Amanda Woodcock said and called for an investigation by authorities in Hong Kong and Indonesia into workers’ conditions.
Twenty-four-year-old Erwiana Sulistyaningsih arrived in Hong Kong in 2013. She went home to her village in Central Java in January 2014 after working for Law Wan-tung for about eight months.
Erwiana Sulistyaningsih came home beaten and bruised, too weak to walk and without any money. Her face, hands and legs were covered with scabs and lacerations. Parts of her skin were blackened and peeling.
The maid’s case has prompted the Indonesian government to look at better ways of protecting its migrant workers.
The $150,000-dress worn by actress Lupita Nyong’o at the Oscars has been stolen in Hollywood.
The gown a custom-made Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa studded with 6,000 natural white pearls was taken from the London Hotel in West Hollywood when the Kenyan actress was out of the room.
Lupita Nyong’o won best supporting actress last year for Twelve Years a Slave and was a presenter at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.
Sheriff’s Lt William Nash said the dress appeared to be stolen on February 25 and officers were checking CCTV footage.
On the red carpet on February 22, Lupita Nyong’o, 31, told Associated Press: “I’m just wearing my diamonds and pearls. My homage to (musician) Prince.”
Lupita Nyong’o added of the dress: “We talked about it being fluid and liquid. I wanted it to be an homage to the sea.”
No arrests have been made.Calvin Klein has not commented.
David Haines’ widow says she wants ISIS militant Jihadi John to be caught alive.
Dragana Haines says the “last thing” she wants for the man who killed her husband is an “honourable death”.
Jihadi John, pictured in the videos of the beheadings of Western hostages, has been named as Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born Briton from west London.
David Haines’ daughter said she wanted to see “a bullet between his eyes”.
Mohammed Emwazi, who is in his mid-20s and was previously known to British security services, first appeared in a video last August, when he apparently killed American journalist James Foley.
He was later thought to have been pictured in the videos of the beheadings of British aid worker David Haines, American journalist Steven Sotloff, British taxi driver Alan Henning, and American aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, also known as Peter Kassig.
In a recent interview with BBC, Dragana Haines said she wanted Mohammed Emwazi to be caught alive and not have an “honorable death” by being killed in action.
A spokesman for the family of Steven Sotloff said: “We want to sit in a courtroom, watch him sentenced and see him sent to a super-max prison.”
Steven Foley’s mother Diane told the Times that she forgave her son’s killer.
“It saddens me, [Mohammed Emwazi’s] continued hatred,” she said.
“He felt wronged, now we hate him – now that just prolongs the hatred. We need to end it.
“As a mum I forgive him. You know, the whole thing is tragic – an ongoing tragedy.”
In each of the videos, Jihadi John appeared dressed in a black robe with a black balaclava covering all but his eyes and top of his nose.
Speaking with a British accent, he taunted Western powers before holding his knife to the hostages’ necks, appearing to start cutting before the film stopped. The victims’ decapitated bodies were then shown.
Earlier this month, Jihadi John featured in a video in which the Japanese journalist Kenji Goto appeared to be beheaded.
Hostages released by ISIS said he was one of three British jihadists guarding Westerners abducted by the group in Syria. They were known collectively as “the Beatles”.
Mohammed Emwazi known as Jihadi John:
1988: Born in Kuwait, moves to UK in 1994
2009: Completes computing degree at University of Westminster
Aug 2009: Travels to Tanzania with two friends, he says for safari, but refused entry at Dar es Salaam. Put on flight to Amsterdam. After questioning there, returns to Dover
Sept 2009: Travels to Kuwait to stay with father’s family
July 2010: Returns to UK for short stay but told he cannot return to Kuwait as visa denied
2012: Passes Celta English language teaching course
2013: Changes name by deed poll to Mohammed al-Ayan. Tries to travel to Kuwait but is stopped. Disappears. Parents report him missing. Police tell family four months later he has entered Syria
Nick Gordon has expressed his anger on Twitter after not being allowed by Bobby Brown to visit Bobbi Kristina Brown’s bedside.
“My heart is full of angry after the Browns have shut me out,” Nick Gordon tweeted on February 25.
“They don’t even know her. Sabotage.”
He added: “I miss her so much. I seem so weak right now. You all have been so supportive! Thank you for everything.”
Bobby Brown’s attorney recently said “there is no reason for any additional discussion with” Nick Gordon.
Photo Getty Images
While he continues to clash with the Brown family, Nick Gordon also filed a temporary restraining order on February 23 against the Roswell Police Department.
According to documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nick Gordon hoped to prevent authorities from carrying out a search warrant for footage captured on a Nest Labs web-based security camera.
On February 25, however, Nick Gordon had a change of heart.
“Mr. Gordon has since elected to dismiss the claim in an effort to help Roswell PD speed up their investigation,” his lawyer said in a statement to E! News.
“There will be no further comment.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, has been in a medically induced coma for almost a month.
Whitney Houston’s daughter was first hospitalized on January 31 after being found face down and unconscious in a bathtub at her Georgia home.
Saudi national Khalid al-Fawwaz, a former aide of Osama Bin Laden, has been found guilty of plotting the al-Qaeda bombing of US embassies in east Africa in 1998 that killed 224 people.
Khalid al-Fawwaz, 53, was convicted by a New York court after three days of jury deliberations.
Extradited from the UK to the US in 2012, Khalid al-Fawwaz was found guilty on four conspiracy counts and now faces a possible life sentence.
Khalid al-Fawwaz has been described as Osama Bin Laden’s spokesman in London.
A statement from Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the defendant “played a critical role for al-Qaeda in its murderous conspiracy against America”.
There were a dozen Americans among the dead after US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania were bombed in 1998.
Photo Reuters
He was arrested in London in the same year as the bombings and extradited 14 years later.
Preet Bharara described Khalid al-Fawwaz as one of Osama Bin Laden’s “original and most trusted lieutenants” who was the leader of an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan, then later acted as Bin Laden’s “media adviser” in London.
One of his roles, Preet Bharara said, was to ensure Osama Bin Laden’s threats against the US were distributed and noticed across the globe.
“Murderous words lead to murderous action,” assistant Attorney Nicholas Lewin told jurors.
The trial, which lasted a month under very heavy security in Manhattan, did not feature any testimony from the defendant.
When the verdict was read out, Khalid al-Fawwaz stood expressionless.
Five other people have already been convicted in New York for the embassy attacks.
Different parts of the world are subject to different elements of the environment, which allows some parts to have certain benefits more than others. The southeast part of the United States is typically known for their southern charm and warm climate, making it one of the most ideal places for people to retire.
While the climate may be lovely, and while residents there may have an endless supply of citrus fruits, the southeast is not all oranges and sunshine. There is terrible air quality in the southeast of America, and it could be completely damaging to everyone in the area if changes aren’t soon made.
Why is the air quality in the southeast so poor?
There’s a reason why the air quality in the southeast is so poor, and scientists have done many tests in order to figure it out. Tiny particles in the air near the Smoky Mountains in the southeast help give it the purple haze that looks good in pictures; however, it’s those particles that are making the air quality poor.
According to a CIRES atmospheric scientist, “The southeast has the highest natural emissions in the nation, and also has high manmade emissions, humidity and cloudiness.“ This is contributing to the poor air quality. Because people continue to break into the Smoky Mountains and other areas in order to tap the natural resources, the air quality will only continue to get worse as time goes on.
Poor air quality isn’t good, in the southeast or anywhere else. According to a 2012 WHO report, 7 million people died in 2012 as a result of air pollution exposure. This doubles previous estimates and proves that air pollution is the world’s single largest environmental health risk.
If the rates of air pollution continue this way in the southeast, these numbers will only continue to rise. Regularly breathing in polluted air can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, but it mostly has a negative impact on your lungs. Breathing in polluted air can harm the lining of your lungs, which can result in breathing trouble such as asthma, or it can result in something more serious, such as lung cancer. If changes aren’t made, there may be a rise in pollution-related deaths in the southeast.
What can be done to improve the air quality?
In order to improve the air quality in the southeast, people will have to stop tapping into the Smoky Mountains and other natural resources and allowing the particles to get into the air. More eco-friendly options need to be created in order to ensure that accessing these natural resources stops hurting the air quality. After all, if this isn’t done, then these particles and aerosols will only continue to get into the air, and the air quality will just continue to get worse.
Along with using eco-friendly options to access natural resources in the southeast, typical steps to reduce pollution can also be done to improve the air quality. For example, reducing the amount of gasses and other harmful chemicals and aerosols in to the air can help improve the air quality. Carpooling, taking public transportation, and even walking or riding a bike instead of driving yourself to and from work can help reduce the amount of harmful gases and pollutants entering the air. Reducing your use of aerosols can also help to improve the air quality, and refraining from burning harmful chemicals, such as plastics, can also help to improve the air quality.
You can also opt to improve the air quality in your own home in order to improve the air quality in the southeast. For example, investing in a home air purifier. According to Wave Home Solutions, “We spend as much as 90 percent of our time indoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor levels of air pollutants may be two to five times higher, and occasionally more than 100 times higher, than outdoor levels. A WAVE Air Purifier will let you breathe easier knowing the air you and your family are breathing inside your home is pure and clean.” This improvement will not only help your health, but it will also help to remove these harmful pollutants from the air, and this can improve the air quality in your neighborhood as well.
The terrible air quality in the southeast of America is a problem that needs to be immediately addressed. While the biggest way to remedy the situation requires eco-friendly processes and tools to be used for accessing natural resources, there are still some ways that you can help improve the air quality in the southeast on your own.
A controversial case against Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman has been dismissed by a federal judge on February 26.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Hector Timerman had been accused of covering up alleged Iranian involvement in a bomb attack against Amia Jewish centre in 1994.
Judge Daniel Rafecas said that there was no merit to the accusation as no crime had occurred.
The accusation came from prosecutor Alberto Nisman who was found dead last month in his flat.
Judge Daniel Rafecas said he would discontinue the case.
“The evidence gathered far from meets the minimal standard,” said a statement from Argentina’s judiciary system.
Photo Wikipedia
Alberto Nisman was due to testify in Congress against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner when his body was found.
The circumstances of his death have not been clarified.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Alberto Nisman been fed misleading information by a rogue intelligence agent in order to discredit her government.
The president and the foreign minister had been accused of acting to hide their involvement in the Amia Jewish centre bombing – Argentina’s worst terrorist attack, in which 85 people died.
The lower house of the Argentine Congress has meanwhile approved a bill tabled by Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner scrapping the country’s secret agency, the Intelligence Secretariat.
The proposal was first announced days after Alberto Nisman’s death, on January 18.
A new federal investigative agency, which will be accountable to Congress, will replace it.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said the change was overdue because the agency had remained largely untouched since the end of military rule in 1983.
The opposition accused the government of coming up with the proposal as a smoke screen for its involvement in the Amia bombing scandal.
Prince William has begun a four-day visit to Japan by taking part in a traditional tea ceremony in Tokyo.
The Duke of Cambridge spent about 40 minutes taking part in the ritual at Hama Rikyu Gardens.
He is on a week-long trip to China and Japan where he will undertake engagements to promote UK relations with both countries.
In his first visit to Japan, Prince William also took a speedboat ride to Tokyo Bay, which will host much of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The last time a major member of British royal family visited Japan was in 2008, when Prince Charles came with his wife Camilla.
Hundreds of students and school children waving British and Japanese flags waited in the rain to greet him.
Kate Middleton is not with Prince William as she is due to give birth to their second child in April.
On the first day of his tour Prince William visited the Nakajima tea house, built 350 years ago in Japan’s Edo period, in the middle of a small lake within the Hama-Rikyu gardens.
As he entered the tea house, Prince William removed his shoes like the other guests, which included Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe.
Dr. Genshitsu Sen, who is 92 and the 15th generation of his family to hold a senior role in the spiritual art of tea making, performed the traditional ceremony.
He also made tea for Prince William’s parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, when they visited Kyoto in 1986. Close to 100,000 people flocked to a parade in Tokyo at the time, as so-called “Diana Fever” swept the nation.
A number of gifts were given to Prince William, including a box of crackers, a book about the tea ceremony and a modern tea bowl decorated with a horse design in celebration of Prince George.
On February 27, Prince William is due to meet fellow royals Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.
In this his first visit to Japan, Prince William will also be taken to the areas devastated by the 2011 tsunami and meet survivors.
In Shanghai, Prince William will launch the three-day Great Festival of Creativity at the city’s Long Museum on March 2.
Lindsay Lohan has to do 125 more hours of community service after decreeing that activities she performed while appearing in a West End play last year did not count a Los Angeles judge has ruled.
Superior Court Judge Mark Young annulled credits that Lindsay Lohan received for time she spent in London in 2014.
Lindsay Lohan, 28, was originally ordered to complete 240 hours of community service as part of a 2013 plea deal.
It stemmed from a 2012 case involving reckless driving and lying to police.
Lindsay Lohan, who made her West End debut last year in a production of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, was not present for hearing on February 25.
The actress worked with charity group Community Service Volunteers (CSV) during her time in London and reportedly lobbied insurance giant Esurance to donate $10,000 to the organization.
A statement from CSV said Lindsay Lohan had volunteered on the organization’s Positive Futures project, which works with teenagers in Hackney.
“She has built strong relationships with the young volunteers she has worked with on the scheme,” CSV said.
Yet US prosecutors questioned some of her UK activities – which reportedly included “meeting and greeting” fans in London – and challenged evidence submitted by her attorney to show the required hours had been completed.
A hearing has been scheduled for March 12, when a new community service agency will be selected.
Lindsay Lohan will have until May 28 to complete the additional community service.
A transcript of a footage showing Paris gunman Amedy Coulibaly during a bloody rampage inside Jewish supermarket HyperCacher has been released nearly two months after the attacks in the French capital.
Amedy Coulibaly delivers an anti-Semitic rant and shouts “Stand up or I’ll kill you” at hostages, according to a transcript obtained by Le Nouvel Observateur.
During the seven-minute video he shoots dead three of his four victims.
Seventeen people died in three days of violence that began at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine on January 7.
Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi killed 12 when they burst into Charlie Hebdo‘s offices.
Police believe Amedy Coulibaly shot dead a policewoman in the Montrouge area of Paris the day before the attack on the kosher supermarket at Porte de Vincennes.
Investigators are examining seven minutes 45 seconds of footage apparently filmed by Amedy Coulibaly on a GoPro camera worn during the siege, according to reports.
The footage shows Amedy Coulibaly shouting “Nobody move”, before grabbing hold of a customer, asking his name, and then shooting him dead.
He asks another man what origin he is. And when the hostage replies “Jewish”, he kills him too.
“So you know why I am here then. Allahu Akbar,” Amedy Coulibaly shouts, according to Le Nouvel Observateur‘s report.
He is also heard making anti-Semitic remarks when one woman tries to tell him that his hostages have done nothing wrong.
Amedy Coulibaly is believed to have had a long history of criminal activity – including drugs offences – and links to at least one of the Kouachi brothers.
A separate video that emerged after Amedy Coulibaly was shot dead by police apparently showed him pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State militant group, and claiming the attacks were “retribution”.
The supermarket footage apparently shows Amedy Coulibaly asking one of his hostages to help up upload his camera footage to a computer.
Shop assistant Lassana Bathily is thought to have saved many customers’ lives by hiding them in a cold store.
The transcript comes a day after France announced plans to improve dialogue with the country’s Muslim community.
Allen Zderad from Minnesota is now able to see his wife again after ten years of being blind due to a bionic eye.
The 68-year-old man started having serious vision problems around 20 years ago due to a condition known as retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease which affects the retina.
Allen Zderad, who worked as a chemist when, was declared effectively blind a decade ago.
The man continued his hobby of woodwork by developing his sense of touch and spatial relationships.
Mayo Clinic researcher and ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Iezzi Jr. had been working on the Second Sight Argus II retinal prosthesis system when he reached out to Allen Zderad.
Dr. Raymond Iezzi Jr. considered Allen Zderad a suitable candidate for a bionic implant.
During the process, the ophthalmologist fitted 60 electrodes into Allen Zderad’s eye.
The electrodes work by interacting with a special camera attached to the patient’s glasses and a separate computer pack capable of sending information to the electrodes embedded in Allen Zderad’s retina, which then sends signals straight to the optic nerve.
After implant, Allen Zderad, a grandfather of ten, explains that he can’t make out detail, but he can now make out shapes and outlines.
Paris is often referred to as the most romantic city in the world. Its majestic sights and impressive cultural background can satisfy all tastes and ages. Whether you are planning to visit Paris for your honeymoon or offer your kids an unforgettable vacation, you can be sure of the fact that you will not regret your decision.
The French culture is very distinct from everything you have experimented so far in Europe. Just like the Spanish, the Norwegians or the Germans have their own customs and rituals, the French too have something that differentiates them from the rest. They wouldn’t be French without it, right?
Photo Source: diydilettante.wordpress.com
What to see in Paris?
Eiffel Tower – it is an obvious choice, but there is a reason why everyone puts the Eiffel Tower at the top of the list. Starting from its base that inspires young men to propose to their loved ones and finishing to the top, you can admire the stunning views of the luminous city. Make sure you don’t miss it!
Palace of Versailles – we can discover here the reason why the French have such a distinct attitude. The Palace of Versailles is a true, opulent monument dedicated to the decadence of royalty. It is truly a unique example of ostentatious representations of wealth. It will surely impress you!
Avenue des Champs Elysees – just like with the Eiffel Tour, a walk on Champs Elysees is another sweet cliché that romantic couples will appreciate. The street is filled with great shops so you will surely not get bored in case you don’t like the view (hardly possible).
The Louvre Museum – extremely popular, the Louvre museum contains some of the most popular works of art in the world (Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo) and it surprises through its various exhibitions that bring diversity and sophistication closer to the viewers.
The Notre Dame Cathedral – this is indeed a place of mystery, history and poetry. All these intertwine with the purpose of offering visitors a unique experience. Its construction began in 1163 and was completed only 170 years later. Its Gothic style, rose windows, and side chapels know how to charm tourists in the French style.
Photo Source: www.shoretrips.com
When to go to Paris?
The best time to visit Paris is during spring (March-May) and autumn (September- November). These are the periods when the locals return from their vacations and you can truly experience the atmosphere of the city. If you choose to fly to Paris from anywhere in the UK you should avoid the month of July (Bastille Day -14 July) or mid-January when lots of couture fashion shows take place and the prices rocket.
But if you want to save some money you can rent a car from Thrifty and get the best deals for different models of cars. Whether it’s just you and your partner or you plan a trip for the whole family, the car of your dreams is waiting to take you into a Parisian exploration.
The masked ISIS militant with British accent known as “Jihadi John”, who has been pictured in the videos of the beheadings of Western hostages, has been named as Mohammed Emwazi from London.
Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born British man believed to be from West London, who was known to UK security services.
They chose not to disclose his name earlier for operational reasons.
Mohammed Emwazi first appeared in a video last August, when he apparently killed the American journalist James Foley.
He was later thought to have been pictured in the videos of the beheadings of American journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines, British taxi driver Alan Henning, and American aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, also known as Peter Kassig.
In each of the videos, the militant appeared dressed in a black robe with a black balaclava covering all but his eyes and top of his nose.
Speaking with a British accent, the man taunted and threatened Western powers before appearing to kill the hostages.
Last month, the militant appeared in a video with the Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto, shortly before they were killed.
Friends of Mohammed Emzawi told the Washington Post that he was from a well-to-do family and that he studied computer programming at university.
Mohammed Emzawi is believed to be an associate of a former UK control order suspect, who travelled to Somalia in 2006 and is allegedly linked to a facilitation and funding network for Somali militant group al-Shabab.
The Washington Post said Mohammed Emzawi was believed to have travelled to Syria around 2012 and later joined ISIS, which has declared the creation of a “caliphate” in the large swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq it controls.
Secretary of State John Kerry has accused of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu of not being correct on Iran’s nuclear program talks.
Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized the US and others for “giving up” on trying to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
The Israeli PM “may not be correct”, John Kerry said after attending the latest Iran nuclear talks in Geneva.
Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress next week, after an invitation by Republican leaders criticized by the White House.
John Kerry was reacting to a speech in which Benjamin Netanyahu had said the US and others were “accepting that Iran will gradually, within a few years, develop capabilities to produce material for many nuclear weapons”.
“I respect the White House and the president of the United States but on such a fateful matter, that can determine whether or not we survive, I must do everything to prevent such a great danger for Israel,” he said in a speech in Israel.
Having just concluded the latest round of nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva, John Kerry told senators President Barack Obama had made it clear the policy was not to let Iran get nuclear weapons and Benjamin Netanyahu’s might therefore not be correct.
The invitation for Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress has angered Democrats.
Photo AFP/Getty Images
A spokesman for the White House warned against reducing US-Israeli relations to a party-political issue.
Earlier, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice had gone further and said Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit was “destructive to the fabric of the relationship”.
Benjamin Netanyahu was invited by House Speaker John Boehner in what is seen as a rebuke to President Barack Obama’s Iran policy.
Israel’s prime minister is expected to discuss Iran, as well as Islamist militant groups, in his address.
The current tensions took root over a decade ago when Iran’s nuclear program first came to light.
In 2005, Iran was referred to the UN Security Council, leading to a series of sanctions and UN resolutions requiring Tehran to stop enriching uranium.
The US and other powers – the so-called P5+1 – are negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program. They want to agree a deal by March this year, but Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to any agreement which might allow Tehran to retain the future capacity to build a nuclear weapon.
Benjamin Netanyahu has turned down an invitation to meet Senate Democrats privately, saying this “could compound the misperception of partisanship” surrounding his trip.
Several Democratic members of Congress including Vice-President Joe Biden have said they will not attend the speech.
Republican leaders did not consult the Obama administration before inviting Benjamin Netanyahu, which the White House has called a breach of protocol.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on February 25: “The president has said the relationship between the US and Israel can’t just be reduced to a relationship between the Republican party and the Likud party.”
Barack Obama does not plan to meet Benjamin Netanyahu next week. The White House cited the “long-standing practice” of not meeting government leaders close to elections, which Israel will hold in mid-March.
Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting a tough election against the Labor Party’s Yitzhak Herzog, who has focused on the prime minister’s cooler relations with Barack Obama.
Argentina’s Congress has voted to dissolve the country’s intelligence agency.
The Intelligence Secretariat will be replaced with a new federal agency that will be accountable to Congress.
The proposal was drafted last month by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, following the death of special prosecutor Alberto Nisman.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accused a rogue agent of feeding misleading information to Alberto Nisman, who was investigating the government.
The lower house of Congress voted 131 to 71 in favor of the bill. It had already been passed by the Senate.
During a six-hour debate, opposition lawmakers repeatedly expressed their discontent with the fact that, under the new law, oversight of all wiretaps will be moved from the intelligence services to the general attorney’s office.
They said they felt uneasy about the close ties between the government and the current general attorney.
They also said they were worried about the role army chief Cesar Milani would play in intelligence gathering under the new law.
The new agency is expected to be set up within 90 days of the bill being signed into law by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had argued a reform of Argentina’s intelligence services was overdue.
She said that the agency had kept much of the same structure it had during the military government, which ended in 1983, and needed to become more accountable.
“We need to make the intelligence services more transparent because they have not served the interests of the country,” the president said in a televised speech in January.
Kicking off the debate in the lower chamber on February 25, governing party lawmaker Diana Conti described the vote as “a fight for the democratization of the country’s intelligence services”.
She said it was time to put an end “to the perverse links between the intelligence services, the judiciary and some political sectors”.
One of the main criticisms of the SI had been a lack of control of its funding.
The new law creates “control mechanisms” to oversee the new agency’s finances, although critics said details of how these mechanisms would work were lacking.
Opposition congressman Manuel Garrido also warned that there were no safeguards to prevent the new agency from committing serious irregularities.
Manuel Garrido also said the law was a smokescreen to divert attention from the death under mysterious circumstances of federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman.
Alberto Nisman, who was 51, was found dead in his flat on January 18 with a gunshot wound to his head hours before he was due to testify to a congressional committee.
He had been investigating the bombing of the Amia Jewish centre in the capital, Buenos Aires, in 1994 which left 85 people dead.
Alberto Nisman had accused President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman of involvement in a plot to cover up Iran’s alleged role in the bombing.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner rejected the allegations and said a former secret agent had misled the prosecutor in order to discredit her government.
Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith shared the honors, winning two prizes each at last night’s BRIT Awards at London’s O2 Arena.
Ed Sheeran scooped the night’s main prize, album of the year, for his record X – which was the best-selling record of 2014 in the UK.
He also won best British male, while Sam Smith took home best breakthrough artist and the global success award – recognizing album sales outside the UK.
Earlier, Taylor Swift opened proceedings, playing her hit single Blank Space surrounded by dancers in white suits and bowler hats.
She went on to win best international female, her first award after eight years of releasing records in the UK.
Taylor Swift star dedicated her award to Ed Sheeran, a close friend, who fanned the flames of her love affair with the UK by “taking me to pubs and showing me how to make a proper cup of tea”.
Both acknowledged their slow-building success in their speeches.
Paloma Faith won best British female, and also alluded to her slow-building career.
She revealed she’d “been arrested twice” for fly posting in Hackney when she was a young artist, but could now see her face on posters at the tube station outside the venue.
Paloma Faith’s third album, A Perfect Contradiction, was the biggest-selling female record in the last year, shifting more than 725,000 copies.
She also gave one of the night’s more elaborate performances, singing Only Love Can Hurt Like This under a streaming waterfall.
Mark Ronson won best single for Uptown Funk, while rock duo Royal Blood were presented with best British Group by rock legend Jimmy Page.
The band also performed at the show, alongside George Ezra and Kanye West, who premiered a new song All Day, which had to be heavily censored by ITV.
