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Israel withholds Palestinian tax revenues following bid to join ICC

Roy Siemens
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Israel withholds Palestinian tax revenues following bid to join ICC

Israel has frozen the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinians following their bid to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), Israeli officials say.

They said $127 million collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority last month would be held back.

The Palestinians submitted documents to join the ICC on January 2 in a move opposed by both Israel and the US.

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat condemned the Israeli measure, calling it a “new war crime”.

“Israel is once again responding to our legal steps with further illegal collective punishments,” Saeb Erekat said.

Israel collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinians, and transfers about $100 million per month, accounting for two-thirds of the authority’s budget.

It is not the first time Israel has halted the monthly transfers. It imposed a similar sanction in April 2014 after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas applied to join a series of international treaties and conventions.

Joining the ICC could see Palestinians pursue Israel on war-crime charges.

An unnamed Israeli official who announced the new freeze said Israel would defend itself against any Palestinian claims in the “international arena”.

He told Haaretz newspaper that “when it comes to war crimes, we have quite a bit of ammunition”.

Earlier this week Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It is the Palestinian Authority – which is in a unity government with Hamas, an avowed terrorist organization that, like ISIS [Islamic State], perpetrates war crimes – that needs to be concerned about the [ICC].”

On December 31, Mahmoud Abbas signed the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty.

Under the terms of the statute, it will take about 60 days for the Palestinians to join the ICC after they file the documents.

Neither Israel nor the US is a member of the ICC.

The Palestinians’ chances of joining were improved in 2012 after the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade their status to that of a “non-member observer state”.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has previously said the upgrade means Palestine now qualifies to join the Rome Statute.

Based in The Hague, the ICC can prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since July 1, 2002, when the Rome Statute came into force.

Little Jimmy Dickens dies of cardiac arrest at 94

Sonia Pantiss
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Little Jimmy Dickens dies of cardiac arrest at 94

Country legend Little Jimmy Dickens has died aged 94.

Jimmy Dickens’ spokeswoman Jessie Schmidt said the singer died on January 2 of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke on Christmas Day.

His novelty songs, including May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose, earned him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983.

Jimmy Dickens is also credited with introducing rhinestone suits to country music.Little Jimmy Dickens dead at 94

He was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly music concert broadcast live on radio from Nashville, Tennessee.

Little Jimmy Dickens had performed almost continuously on the show since 1948, making his last performance on December 20 to celebrate his 94th birthday.

Pete Fisher, vice-president of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, said the show “did not have a better friend than Little Jimmy Dickens”.

“He was a one-of-a-kind entertainer and a great soul whose spirit will live on for years to come,” he added.

Despite being just 4ft 11in tall, Jimmy Dickens said he had never been self-conscious about his height.

“It’s been very good for me. I’ve made fun of it, and get a laugh here and there,” he said in a 2009 interview.

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John Hinckley Jr. will not face new murder charges in James Brady case

Nancy Clayson
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John Hinckley Jr. will not face new murder charges in James Brady case

John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot White House aide James Brady in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, will not face new murder charges, federal prosecutors say.

A medical examiner had ruled James Brady’s death in August a homicide as he died of injuries related to the shooting.

Prosecutors say they cannot charge John Hinckley Jr. as he had already been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

John Hinckley, 59, has been confined to a psychiatric hospital since the verdict.

James Brady, who had suffered brain damage and partial paralysis, died in August at the age of 73.

Police said “an autopsy was conducted and revealed the cause of death to be a gunshot wound and consequences thereof, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide”.

On January 2, the prosecutors said the original verdict ruled out new charges.James Hinckley Jr

They added that Washington DC courts ruled at the time that a homicide prosecution could only be brought if a victim died within “a year and a day” of the attack.

“In summary, any further prosecution of Hinckley premised on his March 1981 shooting of Mr. Brady would be precluded,” the US attorney’s office said.

Barry Levine, John Hinckley’s lawyer, said he was not surprised at the latest decision, adding: “Mr. Hinckley is haunted by the tragedy that his conduct, more than 30 years ago, created.”

A lifelong Republican, James Brady had served in the Nixon and Ford administrations and as a Senate aide before joining Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.

On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley opened fire on the president’s party outside the Washington DC Hilton Hotel, striking four people, including James Brady and Ronald Reagan.

James Brady was shot in the head and was the most seriously wounded. Ronald Reagan was shot in one lung. A Secret Service agent and a police officer suffered lesser wounds.

Photos and video of the incident show the wounded press secretary sprawled on the ground as Secret Service agents rushed the president into his vehicle and others wrestled John Hinckley to the ground.

Since the trial John Hinckley has been committed to a Washington DC psychiatric hospital, but has been allowed to spend limited time at his mother’s home.

James Brady, who served in three Republican administrations, became an advocate for stricter gun control.

He lobbied for legislation to require background checks for handgun sales.

The so-called Brady Bill was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993.

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AirAsia plane crash: Two large objects found in Java Sea

Diane A. Wade
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AirAsia plane crash: Two large objects found in Java Sea

Two large objects have been found by search teams scouring the Java Sea for the wreckage of AirAsia flight QZ 8501, Indonesian officials say.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle was being lowered to take pictures, search and rescue agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said.

However, bad weather and heavy seas continue to hamper operations.

The jet disappeared with 162 people on board while flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore on December 28, 2014.

So far 30 bodies have been recovered in the search. No survivors have been found and the main sections of the Airbus A320 have not been retrieved.

Most bodies are thought to have been trapped in the plane’s fuselage.

Photo EPA
Photo EPA

Bambang Soelistyo said on January 3 that the large objects had been detected by sonar from an Indonesian navy ship.

“We found oil slicks and huge objects at 23:40 last night. I am confident these are parts of the missing AirAsia plane that we are looking for,” he said.

He said the larger of the objects was 32ft by 16ft but that strong currents made operating the underwater vehicle difficult.

A flotilla of ships, including two from the US navy, are converging on the site where the objects were located and preparing to put divers into the water.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. Specialist equipment has arrived to the search for the plane’s “black box” flight recorders, though officials say no signals have been picked up yet.

In another development, it has emerged that AirAsia did not have official permission to fly the Surabaya-Singapore route on December 28 – the day of the crash – but was licensed on four other days of the week.

The Indonesian authorities are suspending the company’s flights on this route with immediate effect pending an investigation, a transport ministry statement said.

Officials have said the plane was travelling at 32,000ft when it requested to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather.

Some investigators are reported to believe that the plane may have gone into an aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply.

There were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane – the majority Indonesian.

Four people have been identified so far: Hayati Lutfiah Hamid, Grayson Herbert Linaksita, Kevin Alexander Soetjipto and Khairunisa Haidar Fauzi.

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Girl, 7, survives fatal plane crash in Kentucky

Nancy Clayson
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Girl, 7, survives fatal plane crash in Kentucky

A 7-year-old girl has walked to a home in Kentucky to report that her plane had crashed, police say.

The plane was found later with the pilot and three other passengers dead.

The girl was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Associated Press quoted the Federal Aviation Administration as saying air traffic controllers had lost contact with the Piper PA-34 after the pilot reported engine problems.Girl survived Kentucky plane crash

About 30 minutes after the plane lost contact, a resident of Lyon County called police to say the girl had walked to his home to report the crash.

Sgt. Dean Patterson of the Kentucky state police told Associated Press: “This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash. It’s a miracle in a sense that she survived it, but it’s tragic that four others didn’t.”

He said the plane had been heading for Illinois from Florida and had crashed in a wooded area near a lake.

The girl’s relationship with those on the plane was not immediately known.

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Donna Douglas dies at the age of 81

Sonia Pantiss
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Donna Douglas dies at the age of 81

The Beverly Hillbillies star Donna Douglas has died at the age of 81, according to a report by CBS affiliate WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

According to WAFB, Donna Douglas died on January 2 at her home in Zachary, Louisiana.

Donna Douglas starred as Elly May Clampett, the naive only daughter of oil-rich Clampett clan, in the CBS sitcom that ran from 1962 to 1971. Buddy Ebsen played patriarch Jed Clampett, who moves his family from the Ozarks to Beverly Hills after stumbling into oil riches.

Elly May was known for her love of all kinds of “critters,” as well as for her shapely figure, form-fitting jeans and cascade of blond curls. She was a series regular through the run of the top-rated show, which was the first in a triptych of corny countrified sitcoms from creator Paul Henning that included Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.

The character’s love of “critters” was inspired by Donna Douglas’ real-life affection for animals, having grown up on her grandparents’ farm in rural Louisiana.

As a teenager, Donna Douglas moved into acting after winning several beauty pageants in her home state. She was crowned Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans in 1957, according to WAFB. She moved to New York to pursue acting and landed work as a model, in TV commercials and finally bit parts on The Perry Como Show and The Steve Allen Show.Donna Douglas in The Beverly Hillbillies

Donna Douglas logged a slew of TV guest shots in the late 1950s and early ’60s before landing on Beverly Hillbillies.

During the run of The Beverly Hillbillies, Donna Douglas had a guest shot on the gritty CBS legal drama The Defenders. She co-starred with Elvis Presley in the 1966 movie Frankie and Johnny.

Donna Douglas’ acting career was on the wane by the mid-1970s. She turned her focus to music and the Christian media marketplace, recording several gospel albums and writing children’s books.

In recent decades Donna Douglas’ mostly been seen on screen in Beverly Hillbillies revival projects, including the 1981 telepic The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, and in vintage TV retrospectives and events.

Donna Douglas made an appearance as herself on the CBS’ sitcom The Nanny in 1999.

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Prince Andrew named in US lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein

Nancy Clayson
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Prince Andrew named in US lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein

Queen Elizabeth’s son, Prince Andrew, was named this week in an ongoing US lawsuit brought by a group of women who claim they were trafficked to the world’s rich and powerful as part of an alleged underage “s** slave” ring run by American investment banker Jeffrey Epstein.

The allegation, found in a court filing this week, prompted Buckingham Palace to issue an unusual statement to the Guardian, noting that the allegation surfaced in “long-running and ongoing civil proceedings in the US to which the Duke of York is not a party”.

The statement continues: “As such we would not comment in detail. However, for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue.”

As part of a 2008 plea deal with prosecutors, Jeffrey Epstein spent 13 months in prison on a state charge of soliciting prostitutes. According to unsealed documents pertaining to that deal, Jeffrey Epstein was the subject of a federal investigation probing allegations that the powerful figure abused dozens of underage girls at his Palm Beach mansion. The deal effectively allowed him to avoid potential federal charges stemming from the investigation.

The lawsuit, filed by two anonymous alleged victims, charges federal prosecutors with violating a statute by not consulting with them before finalizing the plea deal. The latest filing is a motion to expand that existing case to include the allegations of two more women.

The two women named Prince Andrew, Alan Dershowitz and other powerful associates of Jeffrey Epstein as participants in the alleged abuse ring.

It’s the first time Prince Andrew’s name has appeared in a court document alleging that he abused Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims.

According to the Guardian, this isn’t the first time Prince Andrew’s name has been linked publicly to the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein were friends for years — before, during and after the banker served time in prison.

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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia suffers from pneumonia

Nancy Clayson
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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia suffers from pneumonia

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is suffering from pneumonia and has been breathing with the aid of a tube, Saudi officials have said.

The King, who is said to be aged about 90, was admitted to hospital on December 31 for medical checks.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who came to the throne in 2005, has suffered frequent bouts of ill health in recent years.King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia hospitalized

His age and condition has led to increasing focus on the issue of the Saudi royal succession.

Crown Prince Salman, who is in his late 70s, is next in line to succeed the king, though questions remain over who will follow.

The crown has passed between the sons of Saudi Arabia’s founding father Ibn Saud, but few are still alive.

Last year, King Abdullah took the unprecedented step of appointing a deputy crown prince, his younger half-brother Prince Muqrin, to try to ensure a smooth succession.

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The Interview: US imposes new sanctions on North Korea in response to Sony attack

Diane A. Wade
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The Interview: US imposes new sanctions on North Korea in response to Sony attack

On January 2, 2015, the White House has announced new sanctions on North Korea in response to a cyber-attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order allowing sanctions on three North Korean organizations and 10 individuals.

The White House said the move was a response to North Korea’s “provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions”.

US sanctions are already in place over North Korea’s nuclear program.

However, today’s actions are believed to be the first time the US has moved to punish any country for cyber-attacks on an American company.

Among those named in the sanctions were:US sanctions on North Korea after Sony attack

  • The Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s primary intelligence organization.
  • North Korea’s primary arms dealer, the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (Komid).
  • Korea Tangun Trading Corporation, which supports North Korea’s defense research.
  • Jang Song-chol: Named by the US Treasury as a Komid representative in Russia and a government official.
  • Kim Yong- chol: An official of the North Korean government, according to the US, and a Komid representative in Iran.
  • Ryu Jin and Kang Ryong: Komid officials and members of the North Korean government who are operating in Syria, according to the US.

White House officials told reporters the move was in response to the Sony hack, but the targets of the sanctions were not directly involved.

Instead, the sanctions are designed to further isolate North Korea’s defense industry as deterrent for future cyber-attacks.

The FBI and President Barack Obama have previously said they believe North Korea was behind the cyber-attack.

North Korea denies involvement in the hack, and some cyber-security experts have also cast doubt on its guilt.

However, a senior White House official said it was extremely rare for the US to attribute cyber-attacks, and it was only done so because of the destructive nature of the attack, and because the White House saw it as “crossing a threshold”.

Sony was embarrassed after a group calling itself Guardians of Peace leaked data from its computers, exposing emails and personal details.

The group later threatened cinema chains planning to screen Sony’s North Korea comedy, The Interview.

References to the 9/11 terror attacks prompted the cancellation of The Interview‘s nationwide release. A small number of independent cinemas did screen the film, and it was released online.

Announcing the new sanctions, the US said the apparent effort to stifle The Interview release was part of the justification for the new restrictions.

“We take seriously North Korea’s attack that aimed to create destructive financial effects on a US company and to threaten artists and other individuals with the goal of restricting their right to free expression,” the White House said in a statement.

“Today’s actions are the first aspect of our response.”

North Korea has blamed the US for lengthy internet outages in the country last week.

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Elvis Presley’s private jets Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II going up for auction

Sonia Pantiss
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Elvis Presley’s private jets Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II going up for auction

Elvis Presley’s private jets – the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II – are going up for auction.

The Lisa Marie, named after his daughter, was bought by Elvis Presley in 1975 and refurbished to include a master suite with full-size bed and conference room.

Neither plane is airworthy but has been on display at Graceland for more than 30 years for fans to tour.

They are being auctioned off by Julien’s by sealed bids.

Elvis Presley bought the Convair 880 jet in 1975, two years before his death, and spent about $300,000, refitting it and renaming the Lisa Marie. It also features a bathroom with gold taps and a stereo system with 50 speakers.Elvis Presley's private jet Lisa Marie

The tail is adorned with Elvis Presley’s trademark TCB for Taking Care of Business.

The last flight it took was to transport his former wife Priscilla Presley and actor George Hamilton to his funeral.

It was sold by his father, Vernon, in 1978, and had two owners before being bought by a consortium in a joint venture with the owners of Graceland to allow it to be displayed at the tourist hotspot.

The agreement with the owners and Graceland expires in 2015.

The Hound Dog II, a Lockheed JetStar, was bought in 1975 as a stopgap while the Lisa Marie was being prepared. It arrived at Graceland in 1984.

The planes are being sold as one lot, with the option to buy land next to Graceland to display them, independent of the Presley Museum.

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Edward Herrmann dies from brain cancer at 71

Sonia Pantiss
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Edward Herrmann dies from brain cancer at 71

Gilmore Girls’ Edward Herrmann has died at the age of 71.

The 6ft 5in star had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was in intensive care in New York before his death on December 31.

Edward Herrmann’s son Rory said in a statement: “He was full of knowledge and kindness and goodness.

“He always wanted to share the great and beautiful things in life.”

Edward Herrmann played the beloved grandfather Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, a waspish family drama set in a storybook Connecticut town.

The actor, who trained at London’s Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, was singled out for praise when Entertainment Weekly picked Gilmore Girls as one of its “new TV classics” in 2009.Edward Herrmann dies from brain cancer at 71

However, his son Rory, said his father’s favorite role had been President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom he played in the TV movies Eleanor and Franklin and Eleanor and Franklin: The Whitehouse Years in 1976 and 1977.

Edward Herrmann reprised the role in the 1982 movie musical Annie, and provided the voice for FDR in Ken Burns’ documentary series The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, last year.

He also starred in Joel Schumacher’s teen vampire film, The Lost Boys, alongside Kiefer Sutherland, where he played Max; and won a primetime Emmy in 1999 for his guest role in the Boston-based legal series The Practice.

His Broadway credits included the original run of Love Letters in 1989, The Deep Blue Sea with Blythe Danner in 1998 and George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, for which he won a Tony Award in 1976.

Edward Herrmann often appeared on the big screen in major films including The Wolf of Wall Street, The Aviator and Reds, and recently appeared on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother and The Good Wife.

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Ebola outbreak will be ended in 2015

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola outbreak will be ended in 2015

The current Ebola outbreak will be ended in 2015, Anthony Banbury, the head of the UN team fighting the disease, has said.

Anthony Banbury said the number of Ebola cases would be brought down to zero by the close of this year, but admitted that the end was “not close”.

“We are engaged in an epic battle,” he said.

The Ebola virus has killed nearly 8,000 people, mostly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, where the disease started in December 2013.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

What is Ebola virus disease (EVD)?

  • Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
  • Spread by body fluids, such as blood and saliva
  • Fatality rate can reach 90% – but current outbreak has mortality rate of about 70%
  • Incubation period is two to 21 days
  • There is no proven vaccine or cure
  • Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhea and vomiting can help recovery
  • Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus’ natural host

iOS 8: Apple sued for not telling users about memory required by operating system

Nancy Clayson
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iOS 8: Apple sued for not telling users about memory required by operating system

Two iOS 8 users are suing Apple for not telling about the amount of memory required by its flagship operating system.

The legal complaint revolves around iOS 8 and the amount of memory it reserves for itself on iPods, iPhones and iPads.

The complaint alleges that it takes up so much space that far less than advertised is left for people to store their own data.

Apple has yet to issue any official comment on the lawsuit.

The complaint has been filed in California by Miami residents Paul Orshan and Christopher Endara who say that iOS 8 can occupy up to 23.1% of the memory available on some Apple devices.

In addition, upgrading devices from the earlier iOS 7 to 8 can cause people to lose up to 1.3 gigabytes of memory, said papers filed in support of the legal action.iOS 8 too big for iPhone or iPad

The amount of memory taken up by iOS 8 can mean users run out of storage and, Paul Orshan and Christopher Endara allege, this is helping Apple force people to sign up for its fee-based iCloud storage system.

The lawsuit is seeking millions of dollars in damages for those using Apple devices facing the storage squeeze.

So far, Apple has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

The latest upgrade to iOS 8 was released in late September but Apple was forced to withdraw and then re-issue it because the first version meant a lot of iPhone 6 and Plus handsets could no longer make calls.

Apple issued a public apology over the botched update but said only 40,000 people were affected by it.

Bono may never play guitar again following bike accident

Sonia Pantiss
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Bono may never play guitar again following bike accident

Bono says he fears that he may never play guitar again following a bike accident in November 2014.

The U2 frontman made the comment in his A to Z of 2014, published on the band’s website.

Bono broke his arm in six places and fractured his eye socket, hand and shoulder blade in what he called a “freak accident” in New York.

In the letter to his fans, Bono said he was unable to move around physically and would have to “concentrate hard” to be fit for U2’s next tour.

At the time, the hospital where Bono was being treated said he had been involved in “a high-energy bicycle accident when he attempted to avoid another rider”.

The 54-year-old rocker spoke this week about being on painkillers for weeks and said he had a “massive injury, I can’t blame on anyone but myself”.

Bono also revealed he now had a titanium elbow.

The wide-ranging, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, A-Z letter covers topics ranging from the iTunes release of the Songs of Innocence album, to an update on his family.

Bono talked about learning from his mistakes adding “the first of which is the discovery that I am not an armored vehicle”.

He says the letter will be his only communication for the first part of this year.

“The consequences of this freak accident are significant enough that I will have to concentrate hard to be ready for the U2 tour in fitness terms,” he said.

Bono added: “As a result I have cancelled every public appearance and decided this missive is all the communication I can manage for the first half of 2015, beyond muttering and singing to myself of course.”

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AirAsia plane crash: Search moves underwater

Diane A. Wade
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AirAsia plane crash: Search moves underwater

The underwater search for AirAsia flight QZ8501 which crashed into the sea on December 28 is set to begin with the arrival of specialist equipment.

A French crash investigation team will use sensitive acoustic detection devices to try locate the plane’s “black box” flight recorder.

The Airbus A320-200 was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board when it vanished.

No survivors have been found and the cause of the crash remains unknown.

Several more bodies were located on January 2, bringing the total found to 16.

One person has been identified as passenger Hayati Lutfiah Hamid – her funeral was held in Surabaya on January 1.

The plane is almost certainly at the bottom of the relatively shallow Java Sea.

Several pieces of debris have been recovered, including what is thought to be part of a wing flap.

Despite a massive five-day search the fuselage is still missing. Officials say most of the passengers could still be inside.

Locating the fuselage and the flight recorder will help answer the mystery of what happened to make the plane fall from the sky.

The head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, Bambang Soelistyo, said on January 2 that wreckage and bodies are spread over a 3-mile area of the Java Sea.

The search was now focusing on an area of 1,575 nautical square miles of the Java Sea off Borneo, he told reporters.

“Divers are already on standby at the navy ship Banda Aceh to dive on that priority area to locate the body of the plane,” he said.

“I hope we’ll get a significant result today.”

There were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane. The majority of those on board were Indonesians.

Some investigators are reported to believe that the plane may have gone into an aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply to avoid a storm.

A source quoted by Reuters said that radar data appeared to show that the aircraft’s “unbelievably” steep climb may have been beyond the Airbus A320’s limits.

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Mario Cuomo dies at 82 just hours before son Andrew is inaugurated as NY governor

Nancy Clayson
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Mario Cuomo dies at 82 just hours before son Andrew is inaugurated as NY governor

Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo has died just hours before his son Andrew was inaugurated for a second term as governor, family sources say.

Mrio Cuomo, 82, refused a number of proposals to seek the US presidency during the course of a long career.

The three-time Democratic governor died of heart failure at his home.

The New York Times described Mario Cuomo as a “liberal beacon” who “commanded the attention of the country with a compelling public presence”.

It said that he will be remembered for his “exhaustive ruminations about whether to run for president”.

Mario Cuomo was urged by the Democrats twice to run for the White House – in 1988 and 1992 – but on each occasion rejected their overtures.

A renowned political orator, Mario Cuomo led New York during volatile times from 1983 to 1994 and many of his ambitious plans were stifled by recession and cash shortages.

Mario Cuomo did not attend his son’s inauguration speech on January 1st because he was not well – however the current governor used the occasion to honor his father.Mario Cuomo dead at 82

“He is in the heart and mind of every person who is here,” Andrew Cuomo said.

“He is here and his inspiration and his legacy and his experience is what has brought this state to this point, so let’s give him a round of applause.”

Mario Cuomo’s moved in public prominence in 1982 when he won the Democratic nomination for governor of New York, beating Ed Koch, the mayor of New York City. He then went on to defeat conservative millionaire Republican Lewis Lehrman.

His reputation for powerful oratory began at the 1984 Democratic National Convention when he delivered his Tale of Two Cities keynote address, in which he contrasted wealthy New York with its poorer areas.

Correspondents say that the son of Italian immigrants and avid baseball fan was an unusually deep-thinking politician whose eloquence was often matched by his prickliness.

Mario Cuomo won two more terms as governor in 1986 and 1990, and frequently vetoed legislation that would have restored the death penalty in New York.

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Thomas Piketty turns down Legion D’Honneur award

Clyde K. Valle
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Thomas Piketty turns down Legion D’Honneur award

Best-selling author of Capital in the 21st Century Thomas Piketty has turned down France’s top award, the Legion D’Honneur.

The French economist said: “I do not think it is the government’s role to decide who is honorable.”

His book examines income inequality in society and became a surprise hit, topping the bestseller list in the US.

Thomas Piketty, who was once close to the Socialist Party but has criticized the government of Francois Hollande, said he was unable to accept the award.Thomas Piketty refuses Legion D'honneur

“I have just learned that I was nominated for the Legion D’Honneur. I refuse this nomination because I do not think it is the government’s role to decide who is honorable,” he told the news agency AFP.

“They would do better to concentrate on reviving [economic] growth in France and Europe.”

Capital, a book of almost 600 pages, sold half a million copies and was much-debated, particularly in the US.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman called it “the most important economics book of the year – and maybe of the decade”.

In 2014, cartoonist Jacques Tardi also turned down the Legion D’Honneur.

Others to have refused the award include philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and radiology pioneers Pierre and Marie Curie.

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Jeb Bush 2016: Former Florida governor scales back business commitments

Diane A. Wade
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Jeb Bush 2016: Former Florida governor scales back business commitments

George W. Bush’s younger brother, Jeb Bush, has reportedly scaled back his business commitments as he thinks seriously about a 2016 White House run.

One of the Republican’s aides told the Washington Post the former Florida governor had ended his board memberships and resigned as a paid adviser to an education company.

Jeb Bush last month announced he was “exploring” running for president.

A 2016 bid could bring him up against the former first lady, Hillary Clinton.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Jeb Bush’s father, former President George H.W, Bush, was defeated by Hillary Clinton’s husband, Bill Clinton, in the 1992 election.

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner and widely expected to run, although she says she will make a decision in 2015.

Jeb Bush’s spokeswoman Kristy Campbell told the Post his decision to shed a large number of his business commitments, effective from New Year’s Day, meant he could focus on a “potential” run for president.

The Post reported that Jeb Bush has even stepped down from the board of his education foundation.

He recently terminated a consulting deal with Barclays, the British investment bank that reportedly paid him more than $1 million a year.

When he announced he was thinking about a presidential run, Jeb Bush said he would set up a political action committee in January to gauge support among donors and supporters.

Although he became the immediate frontrunner among the Republican candidates, Jeb Bush’s pro-immigration views have enraged some conservatives in his party.

Jeb Bush, a moderate conservative, has a Mexican-born wife, Columba, and three children. He speaks excellent Spanish and spent eight years as Florida governor, until 2007.

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Kim Jong-un offers to hold high level talks with South Korea in New Year address

Diane A. Wade
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Kim Jong-un offers to hold high level talks with South Korea in New Year address

In his New Year address, Kim Jong-un has offered to hold talks at the highest level with South Korea.

The North Korean leader was giving his New Year message broadcast on state television.

Kim Jong-un said if Pyongyang’s conditions were met, he would even be prepared to hold a summit meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

South Korea said the move was “meaningful”, and talks should include “practical and frank discussions on all issues of mutual concern”.

“Our government hopes for dialogue between the South and North Korean authorities in the near future without limits on format,” said Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae, quoted by the South’s Yonhap news agency.

On December 29, Ryoo Kihl-jae had called for dialogue to resume on issues including reunions for families separated by the Korean War, adding that he hoped North Korea would respond positively.Kim Jong-un New Year speech 2015

Ryoo Kihl-jae offered to meet in Seoul, Pyongyang or any other South or North Korean city agreed with North Korean officials.

In his address, Kim Jong-un said the “tragic” division of Korea could no longer be tolerable and acceptable.

“Depending on the mood and circumstances, there is no reason not to hold a high-level summit,” he said.

Later in his speech, Kim Jong-un condemned joint US-South Korean defense drills for deepening tensions on the peninsula.

“In a tense mood of such war-preparatory exercises, trust-based dialogue can’t be possible, and North-South relations can’t move forward,” he said.

North Korea has previously seen South Korea’s unification plans as an attempt to take it over.

The last formal high-level talks were in February 2014, leading to rare reunions for Korean families separated for over 60 years since the end of 1950-1953 Korean War.

More talks planned in October were dropped after North Korea accused South Korea of not doing enough to stop activists sending anti-Northern leaflets across the border on balloons.

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Shanghai stampede kills at least 36 at New Year’s Eve celebrations

Nancy Clayson
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Shanghai stampede kills at least 36 at New Year’s Eve celebrations

Thirty six people have been killed and others 47 injured in a stampede at New Year’s Eve celebrations in Shanghai, Chinese officials say.

The stampede happened in Chenyi Square in Shanghai’s historic Bund district overlooking the Huangpu river.

Thousands of people had gathered to see in 2015.

Social media reports suggest the stampede was triggered by people stopping to pick up fake money thrown from the balcony of a nightclub.

The Shanghai City government said the situation began to deteriorate at 23:35 local time and that a “working group” had been set up to handle the incident.Shanghai stampede New Year's Eve

Pictures posted on social media showed people receiving first aid on the road and large numbers of police securing the area.

Many of the dead are believed to be students, with 25 of them women, state media report.

President Xi Jinping has told the Shanghai government to find the causes of the crush as soon as possible, according to state TV.

A traditional new year fireworks display on the Bund had already been cancelled due to official fears of overcrowding, the Shanghai Daily reports.

In a statement, the Shanghai City government said that those hurt had been transferred to hospitals across the city, and that the Shanghai party secretary had visited some of the injured.

Earlier, Shanghai’s police department wrote on its verified social media account that some “tourists” had “fallen over” at the Bund, and urged people to leave the area in an orderly fashion.

According to the Shanghai Daily, close to 300,000 people turned up for New Year’s Eve celebrations last year, leading to traffic problems.

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Happy New Year 2015! Celebrations begin around the globe

Diane A. Wade
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Happy New Year 2015! Celebrations begin around the globe

People around the globe have gathered to welcome in the New Year, with New Zealand and Australia leading the celebrations.

A giant clock in Auckland’s Sky Tower counted down the minutes until midnight, when fireworks erupted.New Year celebrations 2015

Up to 1.5 million people have lined the shores of Sydney harbor in preparation for the city’s famous firework display.

Celebration plans have been muted in Indonesia, however, in the wake of the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crash.

In Brazil, more than one million people will join the crowds on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach, while New Yorkers will watch the city lower its trademark crystal ball over Times Square.

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Yahya Jammeh returns to Gambia after coup plot

Diane A. Wade
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Yahya Jammeh returns to Gambia after coup plot

President Yahya Jammeh has returned to The Gambia after a reported coup attempt, sources say.

Heavy gunfire was heard near the presidential palace in Banjul on December 30 but officials say the military takeover was thwarted.

Details remain sketchy but Yahya Jammeh, 49, said there had been an attempted invasion from neighboring Senegal.

Yayha Jammeh seized power in Gambia in 1994, and is accused of not tolerating any opposition.

A pro-opposition radio station says most businesses are closed, while the market in the biggest town, Serekunda, is deserted.

The pro-opposition Freedom newspaper reports that four people were killed, including the alleged ringleader Lamin Sanneh, a former head of the presidential guards, but this has not been confirmed.Yahya Jammeh returns to Gambia after coup plot

Yahya Jammeh was said to have been in either France or Dubai during Tuesday’s unrest but different sources agree he has now returned.

The president claims to be able to cure HIV/AIDS and in 2011, he told the BBC he would rule for “a billion years”

Yahya Jammeh has won several elections since seizing power but critics say they were neither free nor fair.

Numerous officials and opposition leaders have fled the country, saying they fear for their lives.

Apart from a short Atlantic coast, The Gambia is entirely surrounded by Senegal.

The Gambia’s main foreign currency earners are tourism and peanut exports.

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Christine Cavanaugh dies aged 51

Sonia Pantiss
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Christine Cavanaugh dies aged 51

Cartoon voice Christine Cavanaugh, who brought to life characters including Babe and Chuckie on Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats, has died aged 51.

Christine Cavanaugh’s sister, Deionn Masock, confirmed the actress had died on December 22 at her home in Utah.

Deionn Masock said the cause of death was not known.

“She was able to do incredible and amazing things with her voice and bring lots of smiles and many laughs to many people,” her family said.

Announcing in the death in the Los Angeles Times, they wrote: “Her imagination, humor and intelligence were evident to anyone who had the pleasure of meeting her.

Photo AP
Photo AP

“Many know of her from the roles she played, but in each role there was a part of her showing through that the ones who truly knew her could see.”

Christine Cavanaugh was a prolific actor, providing the voices of dozens of cartoon characters in the 1990s.

She began her career with small parts on TV shows including Cheers, before landing her first big role in 1991 as Gosalyn Mallard on Darkwing Duck.

In 1995, Christine Cavanaugh gave her voice to the title character in the hit movie Babe, based on Dick King-Smith’s 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, about a talking pig who wants to be a sheepdog.

Christine Cavanaugh also provided the voice to kid genius Dexter in Cartoon Network’s Dexter’s Laboratory for seven series from 1996.

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AirAsia plane crash: First bodies arrive in Surabaya

Diane A. Wade
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AirAsia plane crash: First bodies arrive in Surabaya

AirAsia Flight QZ8501 bodies arrived back in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, where relatives are waiting.

Next of kin have been asked for DNA samples to help identify the victims.

The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people from Surabaya to Singapore, disappeared on December 28 and remains were located in the sea on December 30.

The authorities say seven bodies have been retrieved, but bad weather is hampering further salvage efforts.

A public memorial will be held in Surabaya on Wednesday evening local time.

All New Year’s Eve celebrations have been cancelled.

On board the plane were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew.AirAsia bodies arrive in Surabaya

It is not yet clear what happened to the plane but its last communication was a request from air traffic control to climb to avoid bad weather. The pilot did not respond when given permission.

A three-day search ended on December 30 when remains including aircraft parts, luggage and the bodies were found in the Karimata Strait, south-west of the town of Pangkalan Bun in the Indonesian part of Borneo.

The bodies were flown to Surabaya’s Juanda airport on Wednesday afternoon from a hospital in Pangkalan Bun, where they had been sent from the crash site.

Another five bodies are reported to be on board a ship on their way to a harbor near Pangkalan Bun.

Four of the seven bodies are male and three female, one of them a flight attendant.

Strong winds and high waves have slowed down the recovery of bodies and debris, with helicopters mostly grounded and divers prevented from searching the waters.

The weather is forecast to deteriorate further, with heavy rains until January 2, 2015.

Next of kin of passengers and crew have been asked for DNA samples to help identify the bodies when they come in.

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Veronica J. Rutledge: Woman accidentally shot dead by her 2-year-old son in Hayden Wal-Mart

Nancy Clayson
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Veronica J. Rutledge: Woman accidentally shot dead by her 2-year-old son in Hayden Wal-Mart

Veronica J. Rutledge has been killed at an Idaho Wal-Mart after her two-year-old son accidentally shot her with a gun he found when reaching into her handbag.

The 29-year-old mother was shot in a Wal-Mart in Hayden, a town in Idaho’s northern panhandle.

Veronica J. Rutledge had been shopping with several children at the time, a spokesman for the office said.Veronica J. Rutledge accidentally shot dead by her 2-year-old son

Officials said she had had a concealed weapons permit.

Veronica J. Rutledge and her children had been in the rear of the store near the electronics area when the shooting occurred, they said.

The Wal-Mart closed after the shooting and is not expected to reopen until December 31.

Witnesses and video surveillance from the store helped officials determine the shooting was accidental, said broadcaster KREM.

Veronica J. Rutledge came from Blackfoot, a town in the south of Idaho, the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Facebook.

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