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Paris shooting: Hostages taken at Jewish bakery in Porte de Vincennes

Roy Siemens
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Paris shooting: Hostages taken at Jewish bakery in Porte de Vincennes

Hostages have been taken by a gunman at a Jewish bakery at Porte de Vincennes in Paris.

There are suggestions that the gunman may be the one who shot dead a female police officer on January 8. Police are now evacuating the area.

Separately, an intense standoff is ongoing between police and the Kouachi brothers suspected of carrying out the massacre at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, on January 7.

Photo Twitter
Photo Twitter

The gunman, believed to be the same man who killed a policewoman in Montrouge, southern Paris, on January 8 has reportedly stormed a kosher bakery and grocery store in the Vincennes area, taking five people hostage.

Witnesses said the man is heavily armed and opened fire upon entering the premises. Early reports suggest at least one person was injured in the shooting.

Security forces have rushed to the scene and are cordoning off the area.

The hostages are said to include women and children. Vincennes is located on the eastern outskirts of Paris.

Earlier local media named the Montrouge gunman as Amedy C., a 32-year-old radical belonging to the same jihadi cell of Cherif and Said Kouachi, the brothers who allegedly responsible for the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

Jyllands-Posten stops printing Prophet Mohammad cartoons

Sonia Pantiss
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Jyllands-Posten stops printing Prophet Mohammad cartoons

Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten has announced that it will not republish Charlie Hebdo‘s cartoons due to security concerns.

Jyllands-Posten already angered Muslims by publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad 10 years ago.

The magazine is the only major Danish newspaper not to do so.

“It shows that violence works,” Jyllands-Posten stated in its editorial on January 9.

Denmark’s other major newspapers have all republished cartoons from the French satirical weekly as part of the coverage of the attack which killed 12 people in Paris on January 7.Jyllands-Posten stops printing Prophet Mohammad cartoons

Many other European newspapers also republished Charlie Hebdo cartoons to protest against the killings.

When Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons by various artists in September 2005, most of which depict the Prophet Mohammad, it sparked a wave of protests across the Muslim world in which at least 50 people died.

“We have lived with the fear of a terrorist attack for nine years, and yes, that is the explanation why we do not reprint the cartoons, whether it be our own or Charlie Hebdo’s,” Jyllands-Posten said.

“We are also aware that we therefore bow to violence and intimidation.”

Jyllands-Posten decided to tighten its security level in the wake of the Paris attack.

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2024 Olympics: US Olympic Committee picks Boston as its candidate city

Clyde K. Valle
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2024 Olympics: US Olympic Committee picks Boston as its candidate city

The US Olympic Committee has selected Boston as its candidate city to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Boston beat domestic competition from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC to be put forward.

“Our goal is to host Olympic and Paralympic Games that are innovative, walkable and hospitable to all,” said Boston mayor Marty Walsh.

The deadline for cities to apply to host the 2024 Games is September 15.

The International Olympic Committee is due to make a decision in 2017.

The last time the USA hosted a summer games was in Atlanta in 1996, although Salt Lake City, Utah, hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002.Boston to apply for 2024 Games

“I very much want to bring the games to the United States to share the incredible spirit of the games with another generation of Americans, and advance the Olympic and Paralympic movements,” said American IOC executive board member Anita DeFrantz.

The US is the third country after Germany and Italy to officially launch a bidding process.

At an IOC meeting in Monaco in December, a 40-point action plan was voted on to revamp the sporting showpiece.

Potential hosts will find it easier and cheaper to bid under the “Olympic Agenda 2020” reforms and events can be held outside the host country or city.

The 28-sport cap for future summer Olympics has been removed – although there will be no changes to the Rio 2016 schedule.

Instead of a 28-sport limit, each summer Games will be restricted to 10,500 athletes and 310 events.

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4 Ways to Build Team Spirit

Nancy Clayson
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4 Ways to Build Team Spirit

Whether you’re a coach or a team captain, there are plenty of reasons to want improved team spirit. With the opportunity to increase performance, improve camaraderie among teammates, and to create an inclusive and positive experience for everyone involved, it’s easy to see why you should work on team spirit. Even with the best players, fostering a strong sense of community and sportsmanship still requires work. We’ve put together four easy ways you can build team spirit for your team.

Practice Team Building Exercises

When you’re trying to work on your team spirit, there are plenty of team building exercises you can undertake to improve things. Of course, if you’re starting from scratch with a brand new team, basic introductory exercises that help team members get to know one another and foster some conversation are a good place to start.

 

For teams that have been together for some time, try setting group goals for the season, like setting a realistic record of wins or discussing ways in which to improve team cohesion. If you need some help getting started, LiveStrong has some good ideas for team building like developing communication skills through sharing common challenges.

4 Ways to Build Team Spirit
4 Ways to Build Team Spirit

 

Plan a Periodic Dinner

Sometimes the best way to build team spirit is to take the team off the field, the court, whatever it is. Having a weekly or monthly dinner is a good way to encourage social bonds on the team and improve overall morale. When teammates like each other, they tend to perform better on the field as well. Not to mention, this gives you a good opportunity to discuss upcoming changes or make any announcements with everyone present.

 

At the end of the season, it’s always a nice gesture for the coach or the team captain to plan a celebratory dinner to show appreciation for everyone hard work and dedication that went toward making the season a success. It helps to leave everything off on a good note and gets everyone excited to return for next year’s season. If you want to go the extra mile, giving out awards for team members who have shown exceptional dedication or make notable progress throughout the season is always a good way to reward and to encourage future performance.

Design Custom T-Shirts

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but making team t-shirts is a great way for team members to show some pride in the sport, and it can double as a fundraising opportunity for the group. It’s easy to design t-shirts online with a site like RushOrderTees which allows you to pick out a style you like, select your team colors, and upload a logo or choose from the available template options. Once you’ve collected everyone’s size and decided on a design that everyone likes, place your order and you’ll have new team t-shirts in no time.

 

Choose a Team Charity

Engaging your team in charitable activities is a good way to get them involved in a common commitment and external goal. Working together toward a selfless goal is a good way to develop teamwork skills in which athletes focus on the team rather than on themselves. While professional teams like the Boston Red Sox have charities that have donated over $50 million in the past 10 years, your team can aim for a smaller scale goal with the same principles in mind.

If you follow these four tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a stronger, more cohesive, more unified team. And remember, don’t forget to have some fun while you’re building team spirit!

 

ISIS cleric Abu Saad al-Ansari claims Charlie Hebdo attack

Roy Siemens
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ISIS cleric Abu Saad al-Ansari claims Charlie Hebdo attack

Abu Saad al-Ansari, a cleric from the ISIS group, claims the radical militia was responsible for the deadly attack on the Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

“We started with the France operation for which we take responsibility. Tomorrow will be in Britain, America and others,” Abu Saad al-Ansari said in a sermon in the Islamic State-controlled Iraqi city of Mosul.

“This is a message to all countries participating in the [U.S.-led] coalition that has killed Islamic State members.”

According to the Islamic State-linked pages on Twitter on January 7, the gunmen who shot 12 French journalists dead at Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris are closely related to ISIS.Charlie Hebdo attack claimed by ISIS

According to tweets, ISIS elements celebrated retaliating journalists who drew caricatures scorning the prophet Mohamed of Islam in 2011.

“Don’t say we defend the prophet through his morals, but say we retaliated the insults of the prophet,” raid a tweet.

According to French official reports, the gun assault on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine killed 12 and injured 10, 5 of them seriously.

The fugitive suspects are French-born sons of Algerian-born parents, both in their early 30s, and already under police surveillance.

One of them, Cherif Kouachi, 32, was jailed for 18 months for trying to travel to Iraq a decade ago to fight as part of an Islamist cell. Police said they were “armed and dangerous”.

Charlie Hebdo, where journalists were gunned down during an editorial meeting, had been firebombed in the past for printing cartoons that poked fun at militant Islam and some that mocked the Prophet Muhammad.

Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo Shooting Suspects Surrounded in Dammartin-en-Goele

Roy Siemens
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Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo Shooting Suspects Surrounded in Dammartin-en-Goele

Police have surrounded a building in northern France where Charlie Hebdo massacre suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi are said to have a hostage.

Shots have been fired and several people are said to have been wounded in Dammartin-en-Goele, 22 miles from Paris.

The development comes nearly 48 hours after the attack on Charlie Hebdo‘s office, when 12 people were shot dead.

The heavily armed gunmen fled Paris by car after the attack.

The attackers, who shouted Islamist slogans, are believed to have been angered by Charlie Hebdo‘s irreverent depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

They are said to have shouted “We are al-Qaeda, Yemen”, an apparent reference to the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula group (AQAP).

In the US, a senior official has told reporters that one of the two brothers alleged to have carried out the attack, Said Kouachi, spent “a few months” training in Yemen with the group.Charlie Hebdo suspects surrounded

Said Kouachi and his younger brother, convicted terrorist Cherif Kouachi, were on a US no-fly list before the attack, a US counter-terrorism official told the New York Times.

In Dammartin, witnesses say police are protecting people in buildings close to the siege of a printing firm building.

Officers from the elite GIGN unit have told people working nearby to stay inside and turn lights off while the operation is going on.

People in the area say police helicopters began arriving around 08:45 local time followed by convoys of armed officers.

Some of those in premises in the industrial area where the suspects are cornered have been evacuated.

Police and military helicopters continue to hover low over the area, while lines of armed officers are guarding the edge of the national highway were traffic continues to flow.

The security situation at the town of Dammartin-en-Goele has affected flights at the main airport in Paris, which is in the vicinity. Officials at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport say they have changed landing and take-off patterns for aircraft in the light of the security situation.

Meanwhile, police are said to have identified a suspect in Thursday’s fatal shooting of a policewoman in Montrouge, south of Paris.

AFP quotes a source close to the investigation as saying that two people in his immediate circle have been taken into custody.

Jaycee Chan jailed for six months in China

Lisa.Felice
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Jaycee Chan jailed for six months in China

Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee, has been jailed in China for six months for a drug offence.

Jaycee Chan, 32, pleaded guilty in Beijing’s Dongcheng District Court to “sheltering others to use drugs”.

Police raided his home in August and found more than 100g of marijuana. He faced a maximum sentence of three years.

Jaycee Chan’s arrest came amid a drug use crackdown in China which saw several celebrities arrested.

In June 2014, President Xi Jinping ordered police to use strong measures to stop drug use.

Jaycee Chan and Taiwanese movie star Kai Ko, 23, were both detained at his Beijing home in August, with police saying they tested positive for marijuana.Jackie Chan's son Jaycee jailed in China

Kai Ko was released after a 14-day administrative detention for drug use.

Jaycee Chan was put under “criminal detention” for the additional and more serious crime of “providing a shelter for others to abuse drugs”, Beijing police said at the time.

He told the court on January 9 that when police came to his house: “I just gave them information and I confessed because I didn’t know how to deal with the marijuana.”

Jaycee Chan was also fined 2,000 yuan ($322), reports said.

Jackie Chan, who was named an official “Narcotics Control Ambassador” by Chinese police in 2009, has said he felt “ashamed” and “sad” over his son’s behavior.

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Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo Attack Suspects Take Hostage at Dammartin-en-Goele

Roy Siemens
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Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo Attack Suspects Take Hostage at Dammartin-en-Goele

Suspects linked to the Charlie Hebdo massacre, Cherif and Said Kouachi, have taken a hostage at a business facility in a Paris suburb as French police close in on them.

Shots have been fired and several people are said to have been wounded at Dammartin-en-Goele, 22 miles from Paris, but officials denied reports of deaths.

Negotiations are now under way with police, reports say.Charlie Hebdo attack, hostage taken in Paris

The development comes nearly 48 hours after the attack on Charlie Hebdo‘s office, when 12 people were shot dead.

The heavily armed gunmen fled Paris by car after the attack.

A convoy of police vehicles has been seen heading by highway to Dammartin-en-Goele.

AirAsia plane crash: Sonar pings detected in search for flight QZ8501

Diane A. Wade
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AirAsia plane crash: Sonar pings detected in search for flight QZ8501

Search teams have announced that “pings” have been detected in the Java Sea which could have come from the “black box” flight recorders of AirAsia flight QZ8501.

The pings were heard near where the plane’s tail was found. Officials say the black box could have been separated from the rear part of the plane.

Flight QZ8501 disappeared from radar on December 28 with 162 people on board.

No survivors have been found from the Airbus A320-200, which was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.

“We received an update from the field that the pinger locator already detected pings,” said Santoso Sayogo, an investigator at the National Transportation Safety Committee.

“We have our fingers crossed it is the black box. Divers need to confirm. Unfortunately it seems it’s off from the tail. But the divers need to confirm the position.”Pings detected in search for AirAsia crashed plane

The “black box” flight data recorders are usually housed inside the rear part of the plane. They are designed to survive a crash and being submerged in water, and contain underwater locator beacons which emit the so-called “pings” for at least 30 days.

Finding them has been one of the top priorities for search teams as they provide crucial clues from the last moments of the flight before it came down.

The cause of the crash is unknown but the plane encountered bad weather and asked for a flight path change before communication was lost.

The rear part of the plane was spotted on January 7 by an unmanned underwater vehicle at a depth of about 30 meters.

Authorities said it was upside down and partially buried about 20 miles from the point of last contact with the plane, off the coast of Borneo.

The commander of the Indonesian armed forces, Gen. Moeldoko said on January 9 the tail appeared to be in broken condition.

Authorities have been pulling bodies and wreckage from the sea but progress has been slow due to high waves and stormy weather.

Forty-six bodies have been retrieved so far. Search teams believe most of the remains may still be inside the fuselage of the plane which has yet to be found.

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Rod Taylor dies in Los Angeles at 84

Sonia Pantiss
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Rod Taylor dies in Los Angeles at 84

Movie legend Rod Taylor, who starred in The Time Machine and Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller The Birds, has died aged 84, according to reports in the US.

The Australian actor, who lived in the US, is said to have died from natural causes at his home in Los Angeles after a dinner party.

Rod Taylor came to prominence in the 1960s, starring alongside Hollywood greats like Jane Fonda and Richard Burton.

In 2009, Rod Taylor made a cameo as ex-UK PM Winston Churchill in Quentin Tarantino’s film Inglourious Basterds.Rod Taylor dead at 84

He got his first leading role in the 1960 adaptation of HG Wells’ science-fiction classic The Time Machine and went on to star in several hit films in the 1960s and 1970s.

Rod Taylor also voiced one of the Dalmatian dogs in Disney’s animated hit 101 Dalmatians.

He was due to turn 85 on Sunday.

Rod Taylor is survived by spouse Carol Kikumura and daughter Felicia Rodrica Sturt Taylor, a TV presenter.

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Sri Lanka elections 2015: Mahinda Rajapaksa concedes defeat as Maithripala Sirisena wins poll

Diane A. Wade
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Sri Lanka elections 2015: Mahinda Rajapaksa concedes defeat as Maithripala Sirisena wins poll

Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s long-time president, has been defeated by Maithripala Sirisena in the presidential election.

Official results showed Maithripala Sirisena, a former ally of the incumbent, had won 51.3% of the vote.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, in office since 2005, said on Twitter he looked forward to a peaceful transition of power.

His supporters credit him with ending the civil war and boosting the economy, but critics say he had become increasingly authoritarian and corrupt.

Maithripala Sirisena had already received promises of support from Tamil and Muslim leaders before the election.

However, the result shows Maithripala Sirisena also picked up a significant portion of the majority Sinhalese vote, most of whom solidly supported Mahinda Rajapaksa in previous elections.

Maithripala Sirisena, who is due to be sworn in at 18:00 local time, was surrounded by supporters and photographers as he left his offices earlier.

Photo EPA
Photo EPA

“We must allow all Sri Lankans to enjoy this victory, therefore avoid hurting or insulting people,” he said.

“I ask for everyone’s support to take this process forward with compassion and love.”

Mahinda Rajapaksa was seeking a third term in office after he changed the constitution to scrap the two-term limit.

But before the results were announced, Mahinda Rajakpaksa’s press officer said the president “concedes defeat and will ensure a smooth transition of power bowing to the wishes of the people”.

Both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena are Sinhalese, the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka.

They were allies until November when Maithripala Sirisena, the health minister in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, announced his surprise candidacy.

Turnout in many areas was above 70%, roughly in line with previous elections, with no reports of major incidents disrupting the voting process.

In Jaffna and Trincomalee, two of the main Tamil strongholds, turnout was higher than previous national elections.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was last elected in 2010 when he defeated his former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who was later jailed on charges of implicating the government in war crimes.

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North Korea rejects South Korea’s proposal for new talks

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea rejects South Korea’s proposal for new talks

North Korea has rejected South Korea’s call for resuming bilateral talks, after Kim Jong-un made a surprise New Year call for a summit.

South Korea’s parliament called last month for a resumption of negotiations on various issues including North Korea’s human rights, and families still separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

An official at South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said North Korea had rejected the proposal, without giving a reason.North Korea rejects talks with South Korea

South Korea has also proposed inter-Korean talks be held this month, but North Korea has not yet responded to that specific offer.

The rejection of the South Korean parliament’s call comes during a period of heightened tension between North Korea and the US, which is South Korea’s main ally.

On January 8, North Korea warned the US of a “war disaster” if it did not withdraw sanctions imposed by Washington following a crippling hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.

North Korea has denied it had any involvement in the attack.

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US to close 15 military bases across Europe

Roy Siemens
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US to close 15 military bases across Europe

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has announced that the US will close 15 military bases across Europe.

The Pentagon says the move will save around $500 million a year, and comes as the US military seeks to shift its attention towards Asia.

The US has named RAF Lakenheath to be the first permanent European base for the F-35 aircraft and currently has more than 60,000 troops stationed in Europe, mostly in Germany, Italy and the UK.

The number will remain the same, as the US ramps up rotations within Europe for training programs.

Many of the closures affect smaller bases that were remnants of the Cold War.

US officials also have finalized plans to cut about 500 military personnel from the Lajes military base in the Azores islands, which drew opposition from Portugal.

Chuck Hagel said he understood it would mean job losses and thanked those who had supported the US Air Force.

“I know that this will result in a reduction of our local host nations workforces at some locations. I value the tremendous support they provided us for decades.”

Other countries with closing bases include Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.

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Charlie Hebdo to print 1 million copies next week

Sonia Pantiss
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Charlie Hebdo to print 1 million copies next week

Charlie Hebdo will go to print next week, in defiance of yesterday’s apparent militant Islamist attack.

Ten journalists at the French satirical magazine and two police officers were killed when masked attackers opened fire at its Paris headquarters.

Columnist Patrick Pelloux said the decision to continue to publish will show that “stupidity will not win”.

Charlie Hebdo will have a print run of one million copies, compared with its usual 60,000 a week.

It will be half its usual length at eight pages long.

“It’s very hard. We are all suffering, with grief, with fear, but we will do it anyway because stupidity will not win,” Patrick Pelloux told the AFP news agency.Je suis Charlie Islamist attack on Charlie Hebdo

The attack happened during the magazine’s daily editorial meeting when masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles before exchanging shots with police in the street outside and escaping by car.

It is believed to be the deadliest attack in France since 1961.

Magazine editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, was among those killed, along with his police bodyguard.

Stephane Charbonnier, known as Chab to his friends, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection.

The motive for Wednesday’s massacre is not yet clear, however Charlie Hebdo has courted controversy in the past with its irreverent take on news and current affairs.

The latest tweet on Charlie Hebdo‘s account was a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Charlie Hebdo‘s offices were burned in an apparent arson attack in November 2011, a day after it named the Prophet Mohammed as its guest editor for the week’s issue.

Tips on How to Have the Best London Student Experience

Dana R
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Tips on How to Have the Best London Student Experience

Studying in London can be an exciting, if daunting, prospect to those unfamiliar with the city. As well as a world of entertainment and culture on your doorstep, there is the seemingly sky high cost of living and the public transport to familiarise yourself  with. Therefore whether you have come to London from Tokyo or Totness, there will be a lot to get your head around. Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your London student experience.

student accommodation in Central London.

Find the best place for you to live

There are plenty of options for living places in the capital from suburban townhouses to student accommodation in Central London. First you will need to figure out your budget. If you are considering living away from where your university is based you should also take into account the monthly price of public transport. If you want to live close to where you study you will need to decide between private student accommodation and university halls. You may be happy to share facilities and if this is the case you are likely to benefit from a more social time.

Get part time work

Although this may not be the most exciting prospect after a long summer working many hours it is worth doing. Gaining employment whilst at university will give you skills for your CV, give you extra spending money (something very useful in London) and enable you to make new friends. Try to get work which will not infringe too much on your studies and if you can get something connected to your degree, even better.

studying in London

Go on the tourist trail

There is little point in studying in London and not taking advantage of the fantastic cultural offer the city has. Make a list of the top attractions the city has and try and tick one off every weekend. You will have fun visiting Buckingham Palace, going on the London Eye and attending the Natural History Museum.

 

Join a society

As with part-time work, joining a club or society (either one affiliated with the university or otherwise) will improve your social life and gain you skills which will look great on your CV when it comes to seeking post-graduate employment. Most student unions have a wide range of societies from debating to sport. Find one which fits in with your interests or try something completely new.life in London

Budget

To make the most out of life in London, you will need a little money in your pocket. Analyse your monthly outgoings including food shopping, transport costs and rent then see how far your loan and savings will go. You may have to start shopping more smartly or look to invest in a bicycle to save your cash.

Cherif and Said Kouachi: Who are Charlie Hebdo Attackers?

Roy Siemens
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French police are hunting for Cherif and Said Kouachi, the two brothers suspected of carrying out the massacre at the Paris office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 people died.

Said and Cherif Kouachi are considered “armed and dangerous”, a police bulletin says. Photos were also released of the two suspects, who are Algerian-origin French citizens resident in Paris.

Cherif Kouachi, 32, was jailed in 2008 and had long been known to police for militant Islamist activities, French media reported.

He also went by the name Abu Issen and was part of the “Buttes-Chaumont network” that helped send would-be jihadists to fight for al-Qaeda in Iraq after the US-UK invasion in 2003.

Cherif Kouachi had grown up in an orphanage in Rennes, north-west France, and had trained as a fitness coach before joining his brother in Paris, Liberation newspaper reports. In Paris he worked as a pizza delivery man.

Police detained him in 2005 just as he was about to board a plane for Syria – at the time the gateway for jihadists hoping to fight US troops in Iraq.

In 2008, Cherif Kouachi was jailed for three years, but 18 months of the sentence was suspended, Liberation reports.

Koauchi brothers had allegedly frequented a mosque in the Stalingrad district of Paris, where they came under the influence of a radical imam called Farid Benyettou.

Farid Benyettou reportedly encouraged Said and Cherif Kouachi to study Islam at his home and at a Muslim centre in their neighborhood.

A key figure in the Buttes-Chaumont network was Boubaker al-Hakim, a militant linked to al-Qaeda resistance to US forces in Iraq, a French expert on Islamists says.

Jean-Pierre Filiu, an expert at Sciences-Po University in Paris, says a French court jailed Boubaker al-Hakim for seven years in 2008, at the same time as Cherif Kouachi, along with Farid Benyettou, who got six years. That action broke up the jihadist network they had created.

The experts says in ablog article that Boubaker al-Hakim had recruited militants to fight in Falluja, an Iraqi city that became an al-Qaeda stronghold in 2004.

Boubaker al-Hakim is also wanted in Tunisia over the murder of two Tunisian left-wing opposition politicians in 2013 – Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi. Hakim claimed the murder in the name of the so-called Islamic State group, Jean-Pierre Filiu says.

In 2010 Cherif Kouachi was named in connection with a plot to spring another Islamist, Smain Ait Ali Belkacem, from jail.

Ait Ali Belkacem used to be in the outlawed Algerian Islamic Armed Group (GIA) and was jailed for life in 2002 for a Paris metro station bombing in 1995 which injured 30 people.

Said Kouachi, 34, was also named in the Belkacem plot, but the brothers were not prosecuted, for lack evidence.

Said Kouachi’s ID card was found in the brothers’ getaway car which they abandoned after the shooting, AFP news agency reports, citing police sources.

Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo attack suspects rob service station near Villers-Cotterets

Roy Siemens
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Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo attack suspects rob service station near Villers-Cotterets

Cherif and Said Kouachi, the two main suspects in the Islamist attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris, are said to have robbed a service station in the north of France.

They stole food and petrol, firing shots as they struck at the roadside stop near Villers-Cotterets in the Aisne region, French media report.

France has observed a minute’s silence for the 12 people killed at the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

On January 8, a gunman shot dead a policewoman south of Paris.

A second person was seriously injured in the attack in Montrouge, after which the gunman fled by subway.

It is unclear if the attack is related to the pursuit of prime suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi.

According to the manager of the service station that was robbed on the RN2 road in Aisne at about 10:30AM, the attackers fit the description of the two men, and were heavily armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

They are said to have driven off in the direction of Paris in a Renault Clio car, apparently the same vehicle hijacked in Paris soon after the Charlie Hebdo attack.Cherif and Said Kouachi, Charlie Hebdo attack suspects

According to French commercial channel BFMTV, police are monitoring all of the main entry roads into the capital.

Meanwhile, the lawyer for Charlie Hebdo, Richard Malka, confirmed that next week’s edition of the magazine would go ahead on Wednesday, January 14, and would have a print run of one million, instead of the normal 60,000 copies.

Following the shootings at Charlie Hebdo, there appear to have been a number of revenge attacks on Muslims reported by French media, though nobody was hurt:

  • Two shots were fired at a Muslim prayer room in the town of Port-la-Nouvelle in the southern region of Aude on Wednesday evening
  • A Muslim family was shot at in their car in Caromb, in the southern region of Vaucluse
  • Dummy grenades were thrown during the night at a mosque in Le Mans, western France
  • The slogan “Death to Arabs” was daubed on the door of a mosque in Poitiers, central France, during the night
  • A blast hit a kebab shop beside a mosque in Villefranche-sur-Saone in central France

Paris has been placed on the highest terror alert and extra troops have been deployed to guard media offices, places of worship, transport and other sensitive areas.

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WGA Nominations 2015: Full List

Sonia Pantiss
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WGA Nominations 2015: Full List

Writers Guild Awards 2015 winners will be honored February 14 at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

Full list of nominees:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Boyhood
Written by Richard Linklater; IFC Films

Foxcatcher
Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman; Sony Pictures Classics

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness; Fox Searchlight

Nightcrawler
Written by Dan Gilroy; Open Road Films

Whiplash
Written by Damien Chazelle; Sony Pictures ClassicsWGA nominations 2015

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

American Sniper
Written by Jason Hall; Based on the book by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice; Warner Bros.

Gone Girl
Screenplay by Gillian Flynn; Based on her novel; 20th Century Fox

Guardians of the Galaxy
Written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman; Based on the Marvel comic by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The Imitation Game
Written by Graham Moore; Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges; The Weinstein Company

Wild
Screenplay by Nick Hornby; Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed; Fox Searchlight

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Finding Vivian Maier
Written by John Maloof & Charlie Siskel; Sundance Selects

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz
Written by Brian Knappenberger; FilmBuff

Last Days in Vietnam
Written by Mark Bailey & Kevin McAlester; American Experience Films

Red Army
Written by Gabe Polsky; Sony Pictures Classics

Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo suspects spotted in a car in northern France

Diane A. Wade
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Cherif and Said Kouachi: Charlie Hebdo suspects spotted in a car in northern France

Cherif and Said Kouachi had been spotted on Thursday, January 8, in a car on a road in the Aisne region of northern France, sources close to the investigation told AFP.

The two brothers are suspected of killing 12 people at the Paris office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on January 7.

Cherif and Said Kouachi were reportedly recognized by the manager of a service station near the town of Villers-Cotteret, and still armed.

Arrest warrants were issued for Cherif and Said Kouachi, said to be “armed and dangerous”.Charlie Hebdo suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi

A third suspect, 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad handed himself in to police in Charleville-Mezieres. He reportedly surrendered after hearing his name on the news.

Cherif Kouachi, 32, was sentenced in 2008 to three years in prison for belonging to a Paris-based group sending jihadist fighters to Iraq.

Overnight, seven people believed to be connected to the two main suspects in the Charlie Hebdo attack were detained in the towns of Reims and Charleville-Mezieres, as well as in the Paris area.

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Paris police shooting: Female officer killed in Porte de Chatillon

Diane A. Wade
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Paris police shooting: Female officer killed in Porte de Chatillon

A policewoman has been killed in Paris suburb of Porte de Chatillon, a day after suspected Islamists killed 12 people at the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

A second person was seriously injured in the attack in the southern suburb of Montrouge, after which the gunman fled.

It is unclear of the incident is related to the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

Police have made seven arrests in the hunt for two brothers, Cherif and Said Kouachi, the main suspects in Charlie Hebdo massacre. A third has surrendered.

Arrest warrants were issued for Cherif and Said Kouachi, said to be “armed and dangerous”.Policewoman killed in Montrouge after Charlie Hebdo attack

Sources close to the investigation told AFP news agency of a report that the two had been spotted on January 8 in a car on a road in the Aisne region of northern France.

They were reportedly recognized by the manager of a service station near the town of Villers-Cotteret, and still armed.

A minute’s silence was observed at midday across the country as France observed national mourning for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris tolled in mourning.

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FBI confident that North Korea was behind Sony attack

Nancy Clayson
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FBI confident that North Korea was behind Sony attack

FBI director James Comey says the bureau is confident that North Korea was behind the Sony Pictures cyber-attack last year because the hackers “got sloppy”.

James Comey said the group posted material from servers used exclusively by the North Koreans.

November’s attack on Sony Pictures saw the leak of sensitive documents, and film The Interview briefly shelved.

Cyber security experts have been skeptical about the FBI’s assertion North Korea was to blame.

Sony’s decision to temporarily cancel The Interview‘s release was described by President Barack Obama as “a mistake”. Sony later released the film in independent cinemas and also distributed it online.

The Interview‘s plot revolves around a plan to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Sony Pictures attack The Interview

Pyongyang has denied being behind the cyber-attack, but described it as a “righteous deed”.

In retaliation, the US has placed sanctions on three North Korean organizations and 10 individuals.

The sanctions are believed to be the first time the US has moved to punish any country for cyber-attacks on a US company.

James Comey had been addressing delegates at the International Conference on Cyber Security in New York.

He said there was evidence the hackers had used proxy servers in an attempt to disguise the attack’s origins, but sometimes neglected to do so, revealing, the FBI believes, the true location.

However, experts remain unconvinced that the US has proved its case.

“To be frank, director Comey has not revealed anything new,” said Brian Honan, a security researcher.

“Various IP addresses have been associated with this attack, from a hotel in Taiwan to IP addresses in Japan.

“Any IP address connected to the internet can be compromised and used by attackers.”

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Porte de Chatillon shooting: Two police officers shot in Paris hours after Charlie Hebdo attack

Diane A. Wade
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Porte de Chatillon shooting: Two police officers shot in Paris hours after Charlie Hebdo attack

Two more police officers have been shot in Paris near Porte de Chatillon as a gunman fled to the subway.

Police are still hunting for a gunman on the loose.

The man opened fire with a machine gun, leaving two officers injured in the Porte de Chatillon area in the south of the city, French media report.

The incident happened just after 8AM near a subway station.

It happened at the start of the morning rush hour, with an M5 assault rifle believed to have been used.

Witnesses saw what appeared to a collision between two cars, followed by two men appearing with the weapon.

William Thomas, a 19-year-old who lives close to this morning’s attack, said: “I was woken up by the first three shots.

“Then I heard someone shout ‘Take that’ and there were another two shots. It was before 8AM.”Chatillon shooting, second Paris shooting

The automatic gunfire was followed by the arrival of numerous special operations police, accompanied by emergency services.

A man who appeared to be of North African origin was seen running away from the scene. He was thought to be wearing a bullet proof vest.

The second suspect drove away in white Renault Clio. One of the men was arrested, said a local police spokesman. He was described as a 53-year-old.

Those wounded were a woman traffic officer from Montrouge, and a male colleague.

“Emergency workers tried to revive the woman officer at the scene but she was in a very bad way,” said another officer at the scene.

Both wounded officers were described by a police source as being in a “very serious condition”.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was at the scene and talked to the media.

He called on everyone to “keep calm” despite two critically injured victims.

He confirmed a shooter did escape the scene.

The man is 53-years-old and was wearing a bulletproof vest, and had a handgun and a machine gun, sources suggest.

“Around 8:09 he shot towards the police officers who were at the scene for a road incident,” said Bernard Cazeneuve.

“The police woman – who is in very critical condition – was shot in the back.”

Reports in France suggest there is currently nothing to link the Chatillon shooting to yesterday’s massacre at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine.

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Charlie Hebdo attack: Seven arrested as police hunt gunmen Cherif and Said Kouachi

Diane A. Wade
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Charlie Hebdo attack: Seven arrested as police hunt gunmen Cherif and Said Kouachi

French police have made seven arrests as they hunt for two suspects, brothers  Cherif and Said Kouachi, over the deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine staff in Paris.

The seven, connected to the two main suspects, were detained in the towns of Reims and Charleville-Mezieres, as well as in the Paris area, police said.

Photos were released of two brothers suspected of involvement in the attack.

France is mourning the 12 people killed when Charlie Hebdo was targeted by gunmen shouting Islamist slogans.

Reports are coming in from Paris of a shooting at a metro station in the south of Paris. At least one police officer is reported to have been injured. It is not known whether the incident is linked to the attack on Charlie Hebdo.Cherif and Said Kouachi, Charlie Hebdo attack suspects

President Francois Hollande is conducting an emergency cabinet meeting in Paris.

A minute’s silence will be observed at midday across the country and the bells of Notre Dame in the capital will toll.

Arrest warrants were issued for Cherif Kouachi, 32, and his brother Said Kouachi, 34, said to be “armed and dangerous”. A third suspect, Hamyd Mourad, a brother-in-law of Kouachi brothers, has surrendered.

Cherif Kouachi was sentenced in 2008 to three years in prison for belonging to a Paris-based group sending jihadist fighters to Iraq.

A third suspect, 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad handed himself in to police in Charleville-Mezieres. He reportedly surrendered after hearing his name on the news.

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Five incredible Sherlock facts to keep you going until 2015

Dana R
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Five incredible Sherlock facts to keep you going until 2015

If you’re a fan of Sherlock and John, you’ll be excited by rumours of a special episode – though it’s not even slated for filming until January 2015. Really can’t wait? Here are five facts about the award-winning show to keep you going.

1. Disappointed you don’t see Benedict Cumberbatch in deerstalker mode that much? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wouldn’t be. The author never actually said his detective wore one, although he did mention an ‘ear-flapped travelling cap’ in the book Silver Blaze.

SherlockHolmes - bellenews

Image Source

2. At least a hat would have covered his hair. Cumberbatch recently told The Times he hates the style he sports for the role, saying “I can’t think of a wittier or even accurate comparison, but I just think it makes me look a bit like… a woman.”

3. Love Martin Freeman as Dr Watson? Well, he almost didn’t get the part. The Office star had his wallet stolen on the way to the first audition and was so grumpy producers thought he didn’t even want the role.

4. Amazingly, Dr Who actor Matt Smith nearly got the part of John. Although he auditioned well, producers felt his zany character was more suited to play Holmes – who had already been cast.

5. Although we love Sherlock here in the UK, spare a thought for the show’s equally passionate Chinese fans. All 69 million of them have to watch the show illegally as it is banned in their country.

The cast have recently been spotted arriving at Bristol music venue Colston Hall, with Co-writer Mark Gatiss tweeting on Monday that he was en-route to start filming “On my way West. It begins… #Sherlock”

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) January 5, 2015”

Speaking of important dates, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t make it as simple as printing the detective’s actual birthday but an estimate of his age in the story.” His Last Bow” puts his year of birth at August 1854. Leslie S. Klinger, author of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, then sets his birthdate as January 6. That makes the great Detective the ripe old age of 161. So, Happy Birthday Sherlock and thank you for all twists and turns!

Charlie Hebdo attack victims: Full list

Nancy Clayson
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Charlie Hebdo attack victims: Full list

Twelve people were killed in Paris when Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarter was targeted by gunmen shouting Islamist slogans.

  • Charlie Hebdo editor and cartoonist Stephane “Charb” Charbonnier, 47, who had been living under police protection since receiving death threats
  • Cartoonists Jean “Cabu” Cabut, 76, Bernard “Tignous” Verlhac, 57, Georges Wolinski, 80, and Philippe Honore, 73

    Charlie Hebdo victims: economist Bernard Maris, cartoonists Georges Wolinski and Cabu, editor Stephane Charbonnier and cartoonist Bernard Verlhac
    Charlie Hebdo victims: economist Bernard Maris, cartoonists Georges Wolinski and Cabu, editor Stephane Charbonnier and cartoonist Bernard Verlhac
  • Economist and regular magazine columnist Bernard Maris, 68, known to readers as Uncle Bernard
  • Mustapha Ourrad, proof-reader
  • Isa Cayat, psychoanalyst and columnist, the only woman killed
  • Michel Renaud, who was visiting from the city of Clermont-Ferrand
  • Frederic Boisseau, 42, caretaker, who was in the reception area at the time of the attack
  • Police officers Franck Brinsolaro, who acted as Charb’s bodyguard, and Ahmed Merabet, 42, who was shot dead while on the ground

Source: Le Monde newspaper and other French media

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