A shooting takes place at a pub inTel Aviv,Israel, leaving two dead and eight injured. The gunman managed to escape and possibly killed his accomplice, an Arab taxi driver, whose body was found nearby. The police identified the shooter as 30 year old muslim Nisa'at Melkham fromAr'ara and searched his home.(Haaretz)
Arts and culture
A new 28-foot tall statue ofJesus, dubbed "Jesus de Greatest," is unveiled on New Year's Day outside St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Abajah village, Nigeria'sImo state, which is described as the tallest Jesus statue in Africa.(USA Today)
Heavily armed terrorists, reportedly members ofJaish-e-Mohammed, attack anIndian Air Force base inPathankot,Punjab; three security force personnel and four of the terrorists are reported to have been killed.(DNA)
Gunfire and loud explosions are heard at anIndian Air Force base inPathankot,Punjab, as anti-terrorist operations continue. A further two militants, for a total of six, are reported to have been killed; seven military and paramilitary personnel are reported to have been killed, with up to 20 other security personnel wounded.(DNA)
Five of the terrorists who attacked anIndian Air Force base inPathankot,Punjab are reported to have been killed; mopping-up and search operations continue. National Security Guard officials state the operations will continue until the air base is made safe.(Indian Express)
TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant'sbranch in Libya attacks theLibyan oil port ofSidra, which is Libya's largestoil depot. Two members of the Petrol Facilities Guard militia, which is defending Sidra, were reportedly killed in clashes. Islamic State militants were reportedly pushed back from the port, but the group now says it controls the town ofBin Jawad, 30km west of Sidra on the road from its stronghold inSirte.(BBC)
Saudi Arabia will end all air traffic and trade links withIran, and demands that Iran must "act like a normal country" before it would restore severed diplomatic relations.(Reuters)
In efforts to control an influx of migrants,Denmark introduces ten days of identity checks on its southern border withGermany, whileSweden introduces similar measures on theØresund Bridge between itself and Denmark. All three countries are subject to theSchengen Agreement on the free movement of people.(BBC)
Islamic State militants continue to besiege theLibyan oil port ofSidra, attacking checkpoints on the road to the port, leaving seven guards dead. TheNational Oil Corporation (NOC) said an oil storage tank in the port was set on fire by a long-range rocket, and that the oil tank fire started just as firefighters were close to bringing under control another blaze at an oil tank that was hit during fighting in the nearbyRa's Lanuf Refinery on Monday.(Reuters)
California's state climatologist Michael Anderson mentions that the recentEl Niño-fueled storms will put a dent in theongoing drought, but not end the conditions citing larger reservoirs that are still below normal.(USA Today)
TheGround Force is re-organized under the People's Liberation Army Ground Force Command, under commanderLi Zuocheng.(SCMP)
Former BeijingDeputy Communist Party SecretaryLu Xiwen is expelled from the Communist Party of China for "interfering with the market economy and law enforcement" and "living a luxurious lifestyle", among other offenses.(SCMP)
Gunmen open fire on tourists at a hotel close to theGiza pyramids. There were no casualties in the attack, which caused some damage to the hotel, and the attackers were arrested shortly afterwards.(BBC)
Saudi-led coalitionairstrikes today reportedly hit thepresidential palace and a mountain military base to the south ofSana'a, causing children and teachers in several schools to flee. There were no immediate reports of casualties.(Reuters)
Tribal chair Charlotte Rodrique of the localBurns Paiute Tribe has joined in asking the occupiers to leave saying "The protesters have no claim to this land". Rodrique further cites a treaty, never ratified by theUnited States Congress, giving ownership of the land to the tribe.(The Washington Post via MSN)
French police shoot dead a knife-wielding man, who was shouting "Allahu Akbar", outside a police station inGoutte d'Or, located in the18th arrondissement ofParis. A piece of paper with anIslamic State flag and claim for the attack written in Arabic was found on his body. The incident is noted for taking place on the anniversary of last year'sCharlie Hebdo shooting.(BBC)
In theUnited States, a swarm of 30 (and counting) earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater struckOklahoma from Wednesday evening through Thursday mid-afternoon. The biggest, a magnitude 4.8, happened yesterday at 10:27 p.m. CST, 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest ofFairview, Oklahoma.(The Weather Channel)
The bodies of six people are found in a rural village inGuerrero state in southernMexico.(La Prensa)
Scotland Yard confirms that they are investigating a triple murder in relation to the death of British actressSian Blake and her two sons after the discovery of their dead bodies on Tuesday.(AAP via News Limited)
Three people are unaccounted for and at least 135 structures are destroyed, including the historicYarloop Workshops, following a bushfire in the smallWestern Australian town ofYarloop. Reports coming out of the area suggest the town of Yarloop has been almost completely destroyed with one local official,Murray Cowper, saying, "A big fireball came through and there was no way they were going to stop it. This could well be the end of the town".(SBS)(BBC)
The chief ofCologne's police force,Wolfgang Albers, is relieved of his duties following criticism of his handling of violent clashes and sexual assaults by migrant gangs in the city on New Year's Eve.(The Independent)
Anti-Serbian protesters set fire to the government's headquarters inKosovo's capital,Pristina, over an EU-brokered deal that will give Kosovo'sethnic Serb minority greater local powers.(RT)
Law and crime
Sian Blake's partner Arthur Simpson-Kent is arrested inGhana in connection with the murder of Blake and her two children.(The Guardian)
Poland summons theGerman ambassador inWarsaw over "anti-Polish" remarks made by German politicians.(BBC)
Law and crime
U.S. Army officials set August 8 as the start date for Sgt.Bowe Bergdahl’scourt-martial. Bergdahl, charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, was held captive by theTaliban for five years after he left his base in Afghanistan. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for early this week.(AP)
Armed militiamen, also known as theCitizens for Constitutional Freedom, who are occupying theUSFWS administeredMalheur National Wildlife Refuge inHarney County, Oregon, tear down a part of a fence that they claim was erected by the federal government in order to allow privately owned cattle to graze on the adjacent public land.USFWS condemns the actions through a written statement which states that, "Removing fences, damaging any refuge property, or unauthorized use of equipment would be additional unlawful actions by the illegal occupiers. Any movement of cattle onto the refuge or other activities that are not specifically authorized by [the Fish and Wildlife Service] constitutes trespassing."(The Guardian)(The Oregonian)
Thousands of protesters inLeipzig demonstrate against arecord refugee influx they blame for mass sexual violence at New Year's Eve events inCologne and other German cities. Many chanted 'We are the people', 'Resistance!' and 'Deport them!'. The rally was organized by a local chapter ofPEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident). SixPakistani men and oneSyrian man were also attacked by so-called vigilantes in Cologne, following calls onsocial media for "revenge" in the wake of the New Year's Eve assaults.(Daily Mail)
Three winningPowerball lottery tickets are sold in the U.S. states of California, Florida, and Tennessee. Each will share the estimated jackpot of US $1.6 billion dollars, the largest lottery jackpot in world history.(ABC News)
Subtropical Storm Alex is located 785 miles (1,260 km) south-southwest of theAzores. Alex is one of just four tropical or subtropical storms to occur in January since 1851, the first year records were kept. The hurricane season begins on June 1 of each year. Alex is expected to hit the Azores on Friday with average rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches.(The Washington Post)(NHC)
Israel says Swedish Foreign MinisterMargot Wallström is no longer welcome in the country after she called for investigations into "suspected extrajudicial executions" of Palestinians by the Israeli army. Sweden has for many years financed NGOs such asB'Tselem andBreaking the Silence operating in Israel.(Breaking Israel News)
A major indication that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are increasingly normalized will be the island nation’s participation later this month at an annualCaribbean security conference in Jamaica, according to the outgoing head of theUnited States Southern Command,General John F. Kelly.(Military Times)
Gunmen armed with heavy weapons attack a restaurant called Cappuccino and the Splendid Hotel, taking hostages, in the heart ofBurkino Faso's capital,Ouagadougou. At least 20 people are reportedly killed.(BBC)(The Guardian)
Three men are arrested in the outskirts ofJakarta in connection with the attacks. Police have identified the attackers killed in the raid with two of the men having been imprisoned for terrorism related offences.(AP via Newser)
A trial of the facts regarding allegations of child abuse against 12 former residents of children's homes inLeicester by British lordGreville Janner ends due to his death.(BBC)
American rapperMos Def is banned fromSouth Africa for five years, having been living illegally in the country since 2013 on a tourist visa.(BBC)
A special court is set up atThe Hague to tryKosovo Liberation Army suspects for alleged war crimes against ethnic minorities and political opponents.(BBC)
Hundreds of civilians are reportedly killed byIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants throughout the city ofDeir ez-Zor.Syria's state news agencySANA, quoting residents, said "around 300 civilians" were killed. If confirmed it would be one of the deadliest days in Syria's nearly five-year war.(AFP via Yahoo!)
ThreeAmericans are missing, feared kidnapped, inBaghdad. Several unconfirmed reports claim that they were kidnapped by a shi'ite militant group.(Washington Examiner)
TheUnited Nations Commission on Human Rights releases a report stating that at least 18,802 civilians have been killed and another 36,245 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015. Of these, 3,855 civilians were killed and 7,056 wounded between 1 May and 31 October 2015, with approximately half of these deaths occurring inBaghdad.(United Nations)
Arts and culture
Pakistan lifts a three-year ban onYouTube afterGoogle launches a local version that allows thegovernment to demand removal of material it considers to be offensive. Similar systems have existed inChina for many years.(Reuters via Yahoo!)
TheU.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal that may redefine the boundaries ofinsider trading in U.S. law and regulation, especially as it relates to tips shared among family and friends.(Bloomberg)
Kyrgyzstan's parliament revokes an agreement with Russia to construct hydropower plants, officially ending a deal that in reality was going nowhere, due to the "unfavorable economic situation" in Russia.(Radio Free Europe)
A British inquiry alleges that Russian PresidentVladimir Putin "probably" personally approved theFSB's murder ofAlexander Litvinenko in November 2006 based on findings from a public enquiry.(CNN)
Wei Hong resigns as Governor ofSichuan province in China after it was revealed that he was undergoing investigation for "breaching party discipline." FormerWorld Health Organization executive committee memberYin Li becomes acting governor.(SCMP)
Jordanian soldiers kill 12 "infiltrators" and wound several others, on the border withSyria, foiling an attempt by dozens of smugglers to cross into the kingdom. The soldiers also confiscated more than 2 million narcotics pills that were left behind.(Reuters)
This potentially record storm, which is predicted to generateblizzard conditions through a third day on Sunday, has caused at least 10 deaths, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, led to more than 8,300 canceled flights, stranded many travelers on major highways and, with up to 70 mph winds, produced record-high tides along theDelaware andNew Jersey shores.(NBC News)(Reuters)(ESPN)
Poland surveillance law plan angers protesters: Thousands of Poles take part in marches in Warsaw and other cities to protest about plans of the conservative government, which they say will curtail privacy and freedom.(BBC News)
Heavy snowfall in western and centralJapan leaves at least two people dead and over a hundred injured. Snowfall was also recorded for the first time in 155 years onAmami Ōshima, a subtropical island in Japan's southernKagoshima Prefecture.(The Japan Times)
Officials from the New York Stateparks system have proposed to temporarily "shut off" the American portion ofNiagara Falls (also known asAmerican Falls) within three years. The shut off will allow the replacement of two 115-year-oldpedestrian stone bridges that are unsafe for the public.(Sky News)
At least eighty-five people are killed inTaiwan and tens of thousands stranded in airports as an unprecedented cold snap hits severalAsian countries includingChina andSouth Korea.(Focus Taiwan)(CNN)
InTexas, a grand jury has clearedPlanned Parenthood of any wrongdoing while it has indicted two anti-abortionists who were involved in makingvideos of the organization.(New York Times)
Romania offers neighboringMoldova a $65 million (60 million euros) loan to help stave off economic collapse and keep the formerSoviet Republic on a pro-European course, provided the Moldovan government implements major reforms. Government funds were needed to cover more than $1 billion that "disappeared" from three Moldovan banks in November 2014. In the frigid capitalChișinău, 15,000 people from both the pro-European and pro-Russian sides of the political divide, protested on Sunday against the current government and demanded new elections.Prime MinisterPavel Filip, who took office last week, is the country's sixth PM in a year.(AP)(Reuters)(The New York Times)
Authorities in thePeople's Republic of China say that Wang Baoan is under suspicion for "serious violation of discipline" (a phrase usually associated with corruption charges) as the head of that country's powerful National Bureau of Statistics.(BBC)
Amnesty International reports that at least 160 youngIranians are currently awaiting execution and 73 others have been put to death between 2005 and 2015, which including sentencing girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to death.(The Huffington Post)
Intennis, the sport's governing bodies launch an independent inquiry into the anti-corruption unit following a report published by theBBC andBuzzFeed about allegations of failing to pursue allegations ofmatch fixing.(ABC Australia)
Georgia welcomes theICC's investigation into alleged war crimes committed during the2008 South Ossetia war, which will be the first inquiry by the ICC into possible abuses by Moscow and/or Georgia.(Radio Free Europe)
U.S. corporationXerox announces it will split into two companies, separating itsbusiness process outsourcing line from its legacy business, document technology.(Reuters)
Scientists fromUCLA conclude that study of the geology of theEarth andMoon indicate that both consist of a mixture of rocks from the original Earth and a hypothesizedplanetary-mass object calledTheia after a collision.(The Telegraph)
Jamaican health officials confirm the country's first case of theZika virus in a 4-year-old child who recently returned from a trip toTexas.(USA Today)
Japan deploys twoMIM-104 Patriotsurface-to-air missile interceptor systems inTokyo in preparation for anyNorth Korean ballistic missiles potentially heading for the city. The deployment comes amid concerns of an imminent North Korean missile launch following the detection of "increased activity" at a North Korean missile facility.(RT)
