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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket recovery test fails

James J. Williams
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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket recovery test fails

SpaceX says its experiment to bring part of its Falcon rocket down to a soft landing on a floating sea platform has failed.

The vehicle was launched on a mission to send a cargo capsule to the International Space Station (ISS).

Once the first-stage of the rocket completed its part of this task, it tried to make a controlled return.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the booster hit the platform hard.

“Close, but no cigar,” he added.

“Bodes well for the future tho’. Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment on the deck will need to be replaced.”

Elon Musk continued: “Didn’t get good landing/impact video. Pitch dark and foggy. Will piece it together from telemetry and… actual pieces.”

SpaceX intends to keep trying. If this kind of capability can be proven, it promises to dramatically lower launch costs in the future.

It would mean that normally disposable rockets could be recovered, refurbished and re-used.

It might also point to new ways of bringing spacecraft back down to Earth in general.F9 FLT-001

Lift-off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the Falcon 9 with its Dragon freighter occurred at 04:47 local time. The cargo ship was confirmed in orbit and en route to the ISS nine minutes later – at about the same time the first stage was expected at the drone ship. Dragon’s arrival at the station is set for January 12.

This is the first American re-supply mission to the orbiting platform since October’s spectacular explosion of a freighter system operated by competitor Orbital Sciences Corporation.

Traditionally, rockets have had an expendable architecture.

As they head skyward, they dump engines and empty propellant tanks to save the weight that allows their upper-stage, including the satellite payload, to make the jump to orbit.

Any discarded hardware simply tumbles back towards the planet and is torn apart.

This approach means every new mission needs an expensive new rocket.

SpaceX, on the other hand, believes it can recycle key elements of its rockets.

The company has been testing first-stage boosters that relight their engines to try to slow their fall through the atmosphere, attaching fins to help guide them downwards and legs to make a stable touchdown.

Until January 10, these were all mock landings, in which the stage was brought to a hovering position at the surface of the ocean, where, without a solid platform to set down, every booster was then subsequently lost into the water.

This latest experiment marked the first use of the drone platform.

SpaceX conceded that reaching this touchdown pad at the first attempt would be an immense challenge.

The barge is less than 100m wide, and all previous experiments had been working on a landing accuracy of some 10km.

Nonetheless, SpaceX will be encouraged that it got so close to the platform.

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Heather Cook: Maryland’s first female episcopal bishop faces hit-and-run charge

Nancy Clayson
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Heather Cook: Maryland’s first female episcopal bishop faces hit-and-run charge

Heather Cook, Maryland’s first female Episcopalian bishop, will face charges over a hit-and-run crash that killed a cyclist in Baltimore, prosecutors say.

Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook will be arrested for vehicular manslaughter over the death of Thomas Palermo, 41.

Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby said Heather Cook’s blood-alcohol level was at .22 after the crash, almost triple the state’s legal limit for driving.

Heather Cook, who was elected bishop in September, has been put on leave.

The Maryland diocese previously said Heather Cook initially left the scene but returned 20 minutes later “to take responsibility for her actions”.

The national Episcopal Church has also opened a separate investigation to determine whether Heather Cook violated church law.Bishop Heather Cook hit and run charges

Heather Cook became an ordained priest in 1987 and served in Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania before returning to Maryland.

In a statement, the Palermo family said they “support the prosecutor’s efforts to hold Bishop Heather Cook accountable for her actions to the fullest extent of the law”.

A small makeshift memorial was created near the road where Tom Palermo was killed on December 27. The road had a designated bike lane.

An eyewitness said he found Tom Palermo on the road and while other witnesses called emergency services he went looking for the vehicle and found it at a light.

“The windshield was completely smashed in, with a hole on the passenger side, and from the damage of the car, there was no doubt in my mind that was the car,” Moncure Lyon said.

“I asked the lady who was driving <<Are you all right?>> Then the light turned green, she said <<Yes,>> and she left.”

Heather Cook had previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2010 and was sentenced to a fine and probation, according to court records.

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Cyprus Airways ceases operations after breaching EU rules

Clyde K. Valle
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Cyprus Airways ceases operations after breaching EU rules

Cyprus Airways has ceased operations after an EU decision saying that the carrier must repay over 65 million euros in illegal state aid.

The EU Commission said the Cypriot government had breached rules on support for struggling companies.

The Cypriot national carrier has repeatedly received aid between 2007 and 2013.

The government, which owns 93% of Cyprus Airways, had searched unsuccessfully for outside investors.

“The company has ceased being a viable entity, and cannot continue to operate,” said finance minister Harris Georgiades.

Harris Georgiades said there would be alternative arrangements covering Cyprus Airways flights from January 10.

Photo Wikipedia
Photo Wikipedia

The Commission undertook an in-depth investigation after the government in Nicosia approved repeated state aid packages to the airline.

Publishing the investigation’s results, the Commission was highly critical of Cyprus Airways’ restructuring plans. It said they were based on “unrealistic assumptions”, failed to address the cause of the airline’s difficulties and were taking longer to implement than EU rules permitted.

Under EU rules, struggling companies can be given aid under what the Commission terms the “one time, last time” principle.

Governments may grant a one-off tranche of aid to support a restructuring process once within a period of 10 years. The rule is intended to prevent companies becoming reliant on government support and gaining unfair advantage over rivals.

“Cyprus Airways has received large quantities of public money since 2007 but was unable to restructure and become viable without continued state support… injecting additional public money would only have prolonged the struggle without achieving a turn-around,” EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

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AirAsia plane tail recovered from Java Sea

Diane A. Wade
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AirAsia plane tail recovered from Java Sea

The tail of the AirAsia plane that crashed two weeks ago has been recovered from the seabed, the Indonesian navy has announced.

Divers used an inflatable device to pull the tail to the sea’s surface.

They are also searching for the plane’s “black box” flight recorders, which officials believe have been separated from the tail section.

AirAsia flight QZ8501 disappeared from radar in bad weather on December 28 with 162 people on board. It was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.

Forty-eight 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.

On January 9, pings were detected in the Java Sea near where the tail was found. Officials said they could have come from the plane’s “black box” flight recorders.

Photo AP
Photo AP

The rear part of the Airbus A320-200 was spotted on January 7 by an unmanned underwater vehicle at a depth of about 100ft.

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

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

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

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.

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David Petraeus faces charges for leaking classified information to Paula Broadwell

Diane A. Wade
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David Petraeus faces charges for leaking classified information to Paula Broadwell

Ex-CIA director David Petraeus should be charged with providing classified information to former mistress Paula Broadwell, prosecutors have recommended.

The New York Times first reported the news, citing officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A decorated former general, David Petraeus resigned as CIA chief in 2012 after details of his affair with Paula Broadwell emerged.

He was a commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan before taking the role.

A US Justice Department investigation is focusing on whether David Petraeus gave Paula Broadwell access to his CIA email and other classified information while director of the organization, the newspaper says.

FBI agents discovered classified documents on Paula Broadwell’s computer after David Petraeus quit, according to the New York Times.

Photo AP
Photo AP

The recommendations to press criminal charges from the FBI and US Justice Department would leave Attorney General Eric Holder with a decision on whether to seek an indictment, which could see David Petraeus jailed if found guilty.

David Petraeus has said he never provided classified information to Paula Broadwell, according to the paper.

The affair reportedly began in 2011, while Paula Broadwell was working on a biography of David Petraeus.

In the same year, David Petraeus resigned from his commanding position in Afghanistan to take on the CIA role.

David Petraeus resigned from the CIA in 2012, saying he had shown “extremely poor judgment” in conducting the affair.

President Barack Obama paid tribute to David Petraeus at the time, saying he had “provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades”.

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Hayat Boumeddiene: French police hunt for terror attacks accomplice

Roy Siemens
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Hayat Boumeddiene: French police hunt for terror attacks accomplice

French police are hunting for any accomplices of the gunmen who killed 17 people in two days of terror attacks.

One key figure is Hayat Boumeddiene, Amedy Coulibaly’s girlfriend. He was killed when police stormed HyperCacher supermarket in Paris on January 9.

Hayat Boumeddiene was said to be with Amedy Coulibaly when a female police officer was killed and is described as “armed and dangerous”.

Cherif and Said Kouachi, the two gunmen who carried out Wednesday’s deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine, were killed by police on January 9.

President Francois Hollande praised the police but also warned of further threats.

He thanked the security services for their “bravery and efficiency”, saying the week’s violence was “a tragedy for the nation”.

Francois Molins, the chief prosecutor in France, said authorities were urgently focusing on Hayat Boumeddiene.

French newspaper Le Monde published a series of photos said to show Amedy Coulibaly with Hayat Boumeddiene in 2010. In one, the 26-year-old woman is pictured pointing a crossbow at the camera while wearing a full-face veil, which is banned in France.

Francois Molins said the investigation would “focus on determining who their accomplices were, how these criminal actions were financed, and all the instruction and help they may have benefited from whether in France, from overseas”.

He said 16 people had been detained for questioning, including the wife of one of the Kouachi brothers and other members of their family.

French government ministers are meeting on Saturday morning to plan their next steps.

A number of world leaders have called Francois Hollande to express support.

The first siege on January 9 – in Dammartin-en-Goele, 22 miles north of Paris – involved the Kouachi brothers who had attacked the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine on January 7.

Cherif and Said Kouachi were shot dead as they came out of a warehouse building firing at police. Two officers were injured.

One hostage had earlier been released and a second employee, who was hiding in the building’s cafeteria, was freed by police after the shooting ended.

Police shortly afterwards launched an assault on HyperCacher supermarket in Paris, killing Amedy Coulibaly and rescuing 15 hostages. They found the bodies of four hostages believed to have been killed before the assault.

Officials have said they were aware of Amedy Coulibaly and the Kouachi brothers. Said Kouachi was known to have travelled to Yemen in 2011.

Said and Cherif Kouachi are understood to have been on UK and US watch-lists.

While holed up in the warehouse north of Paris, Cherif Kouachi phoned a French TV news network and told them he was acting on behalf of the Yemen branch of al-Qaeda (AQAP).Hayat Boumeddiene Paris shooting

The extremist group released an audio message late on January 9 praising the attacks but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

AQAP senior leader Sheikh Harith al-Nadhari said “some in France have misbehaved with the prophets of God,” adding that “God’s faithful soldiers” had taught them “the limits of freedom of speech”.

Earlier on Friday, a man claiming to be Amedy Coulibaly told French TV station BFMTV that he was a member of the Islamic State militant group, and that he had “co-ordinated” his attack with the Kouachi brothers.

Francois Molins confirmed that Amedy Coulibaly knew one of the brothers and their respective partners had spoken on the phone more than 500 times.

During Friday’s siege, Amedy Coulibaly had threatened to kill his captives if police attempted to capture the brothers, he added.

PM Manuel Valls admitted there had been a “clear failing” in French intelligence.

“If 17 people die, this means mistakes have been made,” he said, including those killed in attacks on January 7 and 8 in the toll.

The violence started on January 7 when the Kouachi brothers killed 12 people and injured 11 in an attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo.

The unprecedented attack shocked France and there has been an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity worldwide.

The French ministers’ meeting on Saturday will make preparations for a huge unity rally due to take place in the heart of Paris on January 11.

Among those attending will be UK PM David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy.

President Barack Obama said he had directed his intelligence agencies to help France deal with any further threats.

Meanwhile, the US state department has updated its travel guidance, warning Americans travelling abroad to maintain a high level of vigilance.

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Montpellier siege: Hostages taken at jewellery store

Nancy Clayson
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Montpellier siege: Hostages taken at jewellery store

A third hostage crisis is underway after a gunman locked himself in a jewellery store in Montpellier, Southern France.

The new incident is evolving shortly after hostages were freed in Paris and Charlie Hebdo attack suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi killed in Northern France.

According to the media, two people are being held in a jewellery shop on La Rue du l’Argenterie, in the center of Montpellier. The police have surrounded the area.

The suspect had been holding the two employees – women of 30 and 40 years old – for several hours, threatening them with a gun before a police negotiator managed to establish a contact with him. No one was killed or wounded, local Midi Libre said.Montpellier hostage crisis

Special police forces arrived on the scene along with the region’s prosecutor and Montpellier mayor.

According to Montpellier prosecutor Christophe Barret, cited by Midi Libre, the situation is “very calm“ and there is no reason to connect the new siege with the events in Paris and in Northern France.

“It was a robbery, it has nothing to do with what is happening in Paris,” Christophe Barret said.

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Keystone XL pipeline: House passes controversial bill

Diane A. Wade
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Keystone XL pipeline: House passes controversial bill

The House of Representatives has passed the controversial bill approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Senate is expected to pass a similar bill soon, which President Barack Obama has said he will veto.

Earlier in today, a court in Nebraska dismissed a case that would have stalled construction of Keystone XL pipeline.

The project has been one of the most contentious issues between President Barack Obama and Republicans who now lead Congress.

It is 1,179-mile extension of an existing pipeline that would bring additional oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to refining facilities near the Gulf of Mexico.

The bill was the first piece of major legislation to be introduced by the newly Republican-controlled Congress. It passed the House by a vote of 266-153, with 28 Democrats supporting the measure.

“We shouldn’t be debating it, we should be building it,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said.

The Senate will consider a similar bill on January 12, which it will likely pass in the coming weeks.House passes Keystone XL bill

The $5.4 billion project was first introduced in 2008.

The bill is controversial because the tar sand oil that the pipeline will transport is said to be more polluting than other types of oil.

However, an official environmental review released last year raised no major environmental objections to the pipeline’s construction.

Many Republicans and some trade unions support the bill because they say it will generate jobs.

Because the pipeline would cross an international border, the state department has to grant a permit for its construction.

But in voting today, Congressional Republicans have set the stage to bypass this review process and allow construction to begin immediately.

Earlier in the week, the Obama administration said it opposes the bill because it “prevents the thorough consideration of complex issues that could bear on US national interests,” and because of “uncertainty due to ongoing litigation in Nebraska”.

On January 9, the Supreme Court in Nebraska dismissed the lawsuit on which Barack Obama’s veto threat was party based.

The lawsuit was considered a major obstacle to the pipeline’s construction.

Despite passing, the bill failed to garner the two-thirds majority in the House that it would need in the future to override a presidential veto.

The Senate would likely be unable to override a veto as well.

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Four hostages killed at HyperCacher supermarket in Paris

Roy Siemens
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Four hostages killed at HyperCacher supermarket in Paris

Four hostages have been killed at HyperCacher as anti-terror forces stormed the Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris.

Several hostages were being held by a gunman with links to Charlie Hebdo attack suspects.

It is not clear whether the four hostages were killed before or after the police assault began.

Another four hostages were seriously injured, but 15 were freed alive.

After the police operation started, several hostages could be seen leaving the HyperCacher supermarket.

Two police officers were injured in the rescue operation, AP reported.

In a separate incident, a hostage at the warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele, 22 miles north of Paris was also freed, while a police officer at the scene was injured, AFP news agency said.

Charlie Hebdo attack suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi have been killed in the incident.

French President Francois Hollande has described the events as “a tragedy for the nation”.

In a national address, Francois Hollande thanked the security forces for their “courage, bravery [and] efficiency”, but added that France still faced threats.

“We have to be vigilant. I also ask you to be united – it’s our best weapon,” he said.

“We must be implacable towards racism,” he added, saying that the supermarket attack was an “appalling anti-Semitic act”.

“Those who committed these acts, these fanatics, have nothing to do with the Muslim faith.”

The police assaults came after three tense days in France.

Twelve people were shot dead and 11 were injured in Wednesday’s attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine.HyperCacher hostages Paris

The unprecedented attack shocked France and there has been an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity worldwide.

The two suspects of the Charlie Hebdo shootings, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, then went on the run for two days, before being surrounded at Dammartin as night fell on Friday.

French police said they came out firing.

The hostage taker in eastern Paris targeted Jewish supermarket HyperCacher, near Porte de Vincennes. He has been named as Amedy Coulibaly, 32. It is not clear whether he had an accomplice.

He knew at least one of the suspected Charlie Hebdo attackers, a source told AFP news agency.

Amedy Coulibaly had threatened to kill his captives if police attempted to capture the brothers, reports citing police said.

Earlier on Friday, a man claiming to be Amedy Coulibaly told French TV station BFMTV that he was a member of the Islamic State militant group, and that he had “co-ordinated” his attack with the Kouachi brothers.

Amedy Coulibaly was also suspected of being behind the shooting of a policewoman in the southern suburb of Montrouge on January 8.

On January 9, French police issued an appeal for witnesses to that shooting. They said they were looking for Amedy Coulibaly, as well as a woman called Hayat Boumeddiene, 26.

Hayat Boumeddiene’s whereabouts are not clear.

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Reham Khan: Who is Imran Khan’s new wife?

Lisa.Felice
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Reham Khan: Who is Imran Khan’s new wife?

Reham Khan is the new wife of Pakistan’s opposition leader and former cricketer Imran Khan.

On January 5, 2015, after months of speculation, Imran Khan confirmed marriage with Reham.

The British Pakistani journalist, a former BBC weather girl, currently hosts the current affairs talk show In Focus on Dawn News.

Reham Nayyar was born Ajdabiya, Libya, on April 3, 1973. Her parents belong to Lughmani Pashtun tribe and originally come from Baffa village in Mansehra. They moved to Libya in late 1960s.

She has two sisters and a brother.

Reham Khan did her bachelors in education and postgraduate in sociology.

She married Ijaz Rehman in 1992, when she was 19. Reham had three children with Ijaz Rehman one son called Sahir, and two daughters Ridha and Inaya Rehman. Sahir studies in the University of Southampton, daughter Ridha is also attended University in UK and daughter Inaya now lives with Reham in Islamabad and goes to Froebels School in Islamabad.Imran and Reham Khan wedding

Reham Khan and Ijaz Rehman divorced after 16 years of marriage because she fell in love with another cousin of hers called Sohaib Mufti who came to stay with Reham’s family in UK from Abbotabad. Reham flirted with numerous men during the course of her marriage and that is the reason why her husband Ijaz Rehman could not trust her anymore, and they both had alot of fights and arguments over it and Reham later filed for divorce to marry someone else who she was having an affair with.

In her divorce settlement she got 100,000 pounds cash, a house in the UK, 2000 pounds monthly payments, child support for each of the 3 children, and even a pension account that she will access when she is 65 yrs old. Property in Pakistan and UK was also divided.

Ijaz Rehman has now re-married to another woman called Dr. Samavia Rehman, and has two children with her.
Reham Khan was recently in a relationship with a 21 year old British Man in the UK, but he refused to marry her, so Reham left for Pakistan.

Reham Khan started her career as weather girl at BBC, she also held the position as a broadcast journalist on BBC South.

In 2006, Reham Khan joined Legal TV. In 2007, she began presenting for Sunshine Radio Hereford and Worcester. In 2008, Reham Khan joined BBC as broadcast journalist.

In 2013, Reham Khan returned to Pakistan and joined news channel News One. She later joined AAJ TV.

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HyperCacher hostages released as police storm Jewish supermarket

Roy Siemens
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HyperCacher hostages released as police storm Jewish supermarket

Explosions and gunfire have been heard at Jewish supermarket HyperCacher in eastern Paris, at Porte de Vincennes, where a gunman had held several hostages.

Reports suggest Amedy Coulibaly was linked to Charlie Hebdo attack suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi.

After the operation started, several hostages could be seen leaving the supermarket.Paris Hyper Cacher hostages

The hostage at the printworks warehouse has also been freed, while a police officer at the scene was injured, AFP news agency said. Charlie Hebdo attack suspects Cherif and Said Kouachi are reportedly dead.

Twelve people were shot dead and 11 were injured in Wednesday’s attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine.

The unprecedented attack shocked France and there has been an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity worldwide.

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Cherif and Said Kouachi Killed as Police Storm Dammartin-en-Goele Hostage Site

Roy Siemens
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Police have stormed two hostage sites in Paris and north of the city.

Gunshots and explosions have been heard at a printing facility in Dammartin-en-Goele, where two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo shootings, Cherif and Said Kouachi, were holding at least one hostage.

French media are reporting that brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi have been killed.

Explosions and gunfire could also be heard at kosher supermarket HyperCacher in eastern Paris, at Porte de Vincennes.

A gunman there was thought to be holding several hostages. Reports suggest he is linked to the Charlie Hebdo suspects.

Several hostages could be seen coming out from the HyperCacher supermarket.

The hostage at the printworks warehouse has also been freed, AFP news agency said.

Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene named as suspects in Clarissa Jean-Philippe killing case

Roy Siemens
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Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene named as suspects in Clarissa Jean-Philippe killing case

Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene have been named as suspects wanted in connection with the killing of policewoman Clarissa Jean-Philippe in Montrouge on January 8 and an ongoing hostage siege at a kosher grocery in a Paris suburb.

Amedy Coulibaly, 32, and his girlfriend Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, are described as “armed and dangerous”.

The man is also believed to be behind the siege at a kosher grocery in Porte de Vincennes in which two people have reportedly died and at least five people are being held hostage, including women and children.

Amedy Coulibaly reportedly told police: “You know who I am and I’m going to keep these hostages until the siege in Dammartin is lifted.”

Just like the Kouachi brothers, who are believed to be behind Charlie Hebdo attack that left dead 12 people, Amedy Coulibaly was part of the “Buttes-Chaumont network” that helped send would-be jihadists to fight for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene

Amedy Coulibaly was named along with Cherif Kouachi in connection with the 2010 prison escape plot for another Islamist, Smain Ait Ali Belkacem, who bombed the Paris subway in 1995, which injured 30 people.

In 2013, Amedy Coulibaly was condemned to five years in prison for the Belkacem escape plot – but got out of jail just two months ago.

Amedy Coulibaly and Cherif Kouachi were followers of convicted terrorist Djamel Beghal, according to Le Monde. The two visited Djamel Beghal’s home in Murat in the south of France, according to telephone conversations.

Hayat Boumeddiene has been Amedy Coulibaly’s partner since 2010 and lived in his home while he was serving a prison sentence.

Clarissa Jean-Philippe was shot in the vicinity of Amedy Coulibaly’s intended target – a Jewish primary school, CNN reported.

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Paris kosher grocery siege: Nearby schools under lockdown as police orders shops closure

Roy Siemens
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Paris kosher grocery siege: Nearby schools under lockdown as police orders shops closure

Heavily armed anti-terror teams are mobilized in eastern Paris after a gunman has seized hostages at a kosher supermarket.

Schools near the supermarket are under lockdown, AP news agency reports.

Separately police have ordered the closure of all shops in the Marais, a traditionally Jewish area in the heart of Paris’s central tourist district.

The hostage-taker in eastern Paris – said to have taken up to five people prisoner – knew at least one of the suspected Charlie Hebdo attackers, a source told AFP news agency.

The gunman is suspected to be behind the shooting of a policewoman in Montrouge on January 8.

French police have issued an appeal for witnesses to that shooting. They said they were looking for two people: a man called Amedy Coulibaly, 32, and a woman called Hayat Boumeddiene, 26.Paris kosher grocery attack

The two were thought to be “armed and dangerous”, French police said.

The Charlie Hebdo attackers, named as brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, linked by intelligence officials to militant groups, shouted Islamist slogans during the shooting at the magazine office on January 7 and then fled Paris in a hijacked car, heading north.

Shots were fired during a high-speed car chase earlier on Friday.

It appears the suspects had hijacked another car in the town of Montagny-Sainte-Felicite before travelling on to Dammartin.

The car’s owner is said to have recognized them as brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, the key suspects.

In a televised statement, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed the men being sought on January 9 were those wanted for the Charlie Hebdo attack and said they would be “neutralized”.

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Je suis Charlie: Who is behind viral slogan?

Nancy Clayson
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Je suis Charlie: Who is behind viral slogan?

Je suis Charlie slogan appeared minutes after terror attack on Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine on January 7.

The slogan, I am Charlie in English, became viral on Twitter on the same day.

But who is behind those three words?

According to French media, the man behind Je suis Charlie slogan is journalist and artistic director Joachim Roncin.Je suis Charlie author is Joachim Roncin

Joachim Roncin, who was identified as the author of Je suis Charlie by French publication Le Progres, works for Stylist magazine.

He tweeted Je suis Charlie message on January 7, at 11.52AM, less than a hour after the terror attack on Charlie Hebdo offices.

The hashtag #JeSuisCharlie was re-tweeted 619,000 times on the same day.

Je suis Charlie has become a message of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo attack victims and wants to shoe the refusal of being silenced.

On Charlie Hebdo’s website, all cartoons has been replaced by Je suis Charlie banner.

Je suis Charlie meaning: Message of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo attack victims

Nancy Clayson
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Je suis Charlie meaning: Message of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo attack victims

French hashtag Je suis Charlie, meaning “I am Charlie”, has trended after the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine’s offices in Paris on January 7.

Je suis Charlie is a message of solidarity with the victims of Charlie Hebdo attack, and is also being used as a hashtag on Twitter (#JeSuisCharlie).

Following the massacre of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo headquarter, the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie has trended in France and further afield.Je suis Charlie meaning

Je suis Charlie is being used by tweeters who wish to show refusal to be silenced by the massacre.

French tweeters started the hashtag by posting a simple image with the text “Je Suis Charlie” on a black background, claiming that the attackers would not take their freedom.

Tweeters from other countries also showed solidarity with France and those who lost their lives in the shooting.

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Harold Hamm divorce: Sue Ann Arnall deposits $974.8 million divorce check

Lisa.Felice
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Harold Hamm divorce: Sue Ann Arnall deposits $974.8 million divorce check

Harold Hamm’s ex-wife, Sue Ann Arnall, has deposited a handwritten $974.8 million divorce check, the Oklahoma oil magnate’s lawyer said on January 8.

Sue Ann Arnall, 58, deposited the check after earlier this week declining the payment and pledging to pursue her appeal of a divorce ruling she viewed as unfair.

In the November ruling by an Oklahoma County Court judge, Harold Hamm, the chief executive of Continental Resources was allowed to keep his 68% stake in the company, now worth about $9 billion, while Sue Ann Arnall was awarded about $1 billion in cash and assets from the marital estate.

The check represents the entire remaining balance of what Harold Hamm owes Sue Ann Arnall based on the November ruling, including interest.

Harold Hamm’s divorce lawyer, Craig Box, said he believes Sue Ann Arnall’s deposit of the check will end her efforts to appeal the case and that Hamm also wants the case resolved.

“We have received confirmation that the check was deposited in an Oklahoma City bank,” Craig Box said.

“We feel this is the end of the case from her perspective. It means she’s done and should dismiss her appeal.” Harold Hamm divorce settlement

A source close to the Hamm case confirmed the deposit, which represents one of the largest divorce awards in US history.

Earlier, Harold Hamm had filed his own appeal, seeking to have Oklahoma’s Supreme Court reduce what he owes Sue Ann Arnall, after a plunge in oil prices shaved billions from the value of his Continental shares in recent months. During a trial last year, the shares had been worth as much as $19 billion.

The Hamm case, initially filed in 2012, has pitted Oklahoma’s most successful oil wildcatter against his former wife of 26 years, an attorney and longtime executive at Continental. The company, a leading oil driller in North Dakota, was dragged into the case but has said it did not affect business.

In an appeal document, Sue Ann Arnall contended a trial judge wrongly allowed Harold Hamm to keep more than 90% of the wealth the couple accrued during their marriage.

Although Harold Hamm owned Continental before the marriage in 1988, the value of his shares surged 400-fold during the union. Sue Ann Arnall has been seeking a multi-billion dollar portion of those gains.

To limit what he would owe, Harold Hamm’s defense sought to show that his company’s growth during the marriage resulted mostly from “passive” factors beyond his control, such as rising oil prices. Under Oklahoma law, only the growth in wealth stemming from the active efforts and skills of either spouse during the marriage is split in a divorce.

Sue Ann Arnall contended that Harold Hamm’s deft management of the firm led to its growth.

Harold Hamm has already paid Arnall more than $20 million during the case, and the parties have spent millions in legal fees.

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Yingluck Shinawatra impeachment hearing begins in Thailand

Diane A. Wade
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Yingluck Shinawatra impeachment hearing begins in Thailand

An impeachment hearing against former PM Yingluck Shinawatra has begun in Thailand’s parliament on January 9.

Yingluck Shinawatra could be banned from politics for five years after her impeachement.

The former prime minister, Thailand’s first woman in this position, was removed from office for abuse of power in May 2014 and days later her government was ousted in a military coup that ended months of street protests against her by her rivals.

Yingluck Shinawatra remains popular among the rural poor who elected her in a 2011 landslide, as does her brother, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and the impeachment hearing could test a fragile calm under military rule.

In her opening statement to the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly, Yingluck Shinawatra said the proceedings were futile as she no longer held any political post.

“I was removed from my position as prime minister. I have no position left to be removed from,” Yingluck Shinawatra told the assembly.

About 20 of Yingluck Shinawatra’s supporters gathered outside parliament despite government warnings to stay away. Some held red roses and tried to raise pictures of the former prime minister until police told them to put them away.

Thailand is under martial law and public gatherings are banned.Yingluck Shinawatra impeachment hearing

The case concerns Yingluck Shinawatra’s role in a rice subsidy program which critics denounced as a wasteful handout to her supporters and which incurred billions of dollars in losses.

A day after she was ordered to step down in May, the National Anti-Corruption Commission indicted her for dereliction of duty in relation to the rice scheme.

The impeachment is the latest chapter in a divisive 10-year struggle for power between the Shinawatras and the royalist-military establishment which Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist former telecommunications tycoon, as a threat.

A guilty verdict would see Yingluck Shinawatra banned from politics.

Her supporters say the case is aimed at barring her from an election the military has promised to hold early next year and ending the influence of the Shinawatra family.

Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives in self-exile to avoid a 2008 graft conviction but remains hugely influential.

The National Legislative Assembly has said a decision could come by the end of the month.

Under the subsidy scheme, Yingluck Shinawatra’s government bought rice from farmers at prices much higher than on the open market leading to huge stockpiles.

Yingluck Shinawatra defended the scheme in her opening statement.

“Please look at the benefits of the scheme and not just the financial cost,” she said.

Yingluck Shinawatra’s hearing resumes on Friday, January 16.

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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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