TWO LOCATION FRENCH HOSTAGE CRISES: Kouachi Brothers, Charlie Hebdo Suspects Killed; Kosher Supermarket Gunman Killed; Four Hostages Reportedly Killed

Smoke is seen at left as French police special forces launch their assault at a kosher supermarket (seen at rear) where several people were taken hostage near the Porte de Vincennes in eastern Paris January 9, 2015.(Reuters / Gonzalo Fuentes)

Four people and one hostage-taker have been killed at a supermarket in Paris as security forces undertook a rescue operation, according to reports. A worker in Dammartin-en-Goele has been freed, and the two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo massacre killed.

BREAKING NEWS: Another Gunman Takes 'At Least' Five Hostage In 'Kosher' Grocery In Paris - And Police Fear It Is The Same Gunman Who Shot Dead Policewoman Yesterday

Pictured: French media identified this woman as Clarissa Jean-Philippe, the young policewoman who was gunned down as she attended a routine traffic accident in Montrouge at 8am yesterday

It's feared the gunman responsible for killing a policewoman in Paris yesterday has wounded one and taken at least five others hostage in a new shooting in eastern Paris.

EBOLA OUTBREAK: 2 Leading Ebola Vaccines Appear Safe, Further Tests Starting

The World Health Organization says the two leading Ebola vaccines appear safe and will soon be tested in healthy volunteers in West Africa.

After an expert meeting this week, WHO said there is now enough information to conclude that the two most advanced Ebola vaccines — one made by GlaxoSmithKline and the other licensed by Merck and NewLink — have "an acceptable safety profile."

Fed Govt To Bring Back National Development Plans

The National Planning Minister, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, said yesterday that the Federal Government will soon bring back the National Development Plan to ensure sustainable infrastructural development.

Child Rapist Who Filmed Abuse Told Police ‘Take Me Out And Shoot Me’

The court heard that Harris was caught after a colleague saw footage on his memory stick

Paedophile Michael Harris who filmed his abuse of two young girls told the police “just take me out and shoot me.” Harris preyed on his victims, one aged only two-years-old, at his family home in Dunfermline, Fife, UK. 

2015 ELECTIONS: PROFESSOR OKEY NDIBE: Politics In A Time Of Bankruptcy

Professor Okey Ndibe (Photo: Africainwords.com)

By Okey Ndibe

In many nations, whenever it is felt that hard times have befallen a people, elections represent a real opportunity for contemplating a variety of options. Voters become relatively more attuned, more sophisticated, more attentive to policy debates between candidates. Many voters jettison primitive partisanship. Instead, they leave themselves open to consider new directions, receptive to new ideas. In fact, many voters become impatient with politicians who stick to the usual, easy game of mudslinging. Eschewing the politics of personal attacks, these voters insist that political candidates wrestle with issues. Often, they listen to, and reward, candidates who are most adept at spelling out what they understand the problems to be—and most gifted at proposing ways to fix things.

Can You Believe The Language Nigerian Leaders & Elders Are Using On Each Other? North’s Elders To Jonathan: Sitting Leaders Are Pick-Pockets

When All Was Rosy: Alhaji Maitama Sule (C) led the NEF to Visit President Jonathan (L) and VP Sambo (2nd L)

What manner of leaders; what manner of elders? Can you believe the language Nigerian leaders & elders are using on each other? Actually Professor Okey Ndibe described this phenomenon in his current essay. See the next post.

Europe's Nightmare: Terror Threats Both Large And Small As Jihadis Return From Syria

Photo: Bloomberg.com

The military-style attack in Paris has made clear that Europe faces an evolving, ever-more complex terror threat no longer dominated by a few big players.

PARIS MASSACRE MANHUNT: Charlie Hebdo Killers Are Cornered

Scores of armed police were surrounding the Charlie Hebdo massacre gunmen after they seized a hostage and holed up in town north east of Paris. Dammartin-en-Goele, 25 miles from the capital, was locked down as a siege situation developed with brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi.

Toure Is A Worthy Winner, Says Enyeama As Yaya Toure Emerges Africa’s Best Four Times In A Row

L-R: Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan; African Footballer of the year, Yaya Toure; and CAF President, Issa Hayatou, during the 2014 Glo/CAF Award in Lagos

Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama has admitted Cotê d’Ivoire skipper Yaya Toure was a worthy winner of the 2014 African Player of the Year award. Yaya Toure was on Thursday named the Glo/CAF African Footballer of the Year beating Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the process. The Cotê d’Ivoire and Manchester City player became the first African to win the award in four straight years.

Paypal Co-Founder Becomes First Multi-Million-Dollar Marijuana Investor

Reuters / David McNew

Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel is investing millions of dollars in a Seattle-based company that owns a popular marijuana venture. Under America’s federal laws, however, marijuana is still considered illegal throughout most of the country.

German Nurse Suspected Of Multiple Deaths Admits To 30 More Murders

A general view shows a central Delmenhorst near Bremen. (Reuters/Christian Charisius)

A German nurse has confessed to killing 30 patients at his hospital in order to practice his skills at reviving the dead. The man was already on trial for three murders and two attempted ones, but has now confessed to tens of others.

PARIS MASSACRE FALLOUT: ‘Stupidity Won’t Win’: Charlie Hebdo To Publish 1mn Copies Next Week

A woman reads an issue of the French satirical weekly newspaper "Charlie Hebdo" (AFP Photo / Miguel Medina)

The next issue of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo will hit stores on Wednesday as usual, but will have an extended circulation of one million copies, according to employees of the weekly who survived Wednesday’s terror attack.

FIFA PRESIDENCY: Prince Ali's FIFA Bid Doomed, Say Asia Chiefs

FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordon (C) arrives for the Asian Football Confederation Extraordinary Congress meeting in Melbourne on January 9, 2015 ©William West (AFP)

Once Michel Platini who many truly believe has the clout and the pedigree to defeat the incumbent Sepp Blatter to the FIFA presidency, decided not to contest against the incumbent, many believed there was scant hope for any other aspirants.

2015 ELECTIONS: One Month To Polls, INEC Yet To Distribute 15.3m PVCs

Professor Jega, INEC Chair

Denies Northern district heads collected PVCs for voters.

With 37 days to the presidential election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday disclosed that 38.7 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been distributed nationwide out of the 54.3 million PVCs with the commission.

The development indicates that 15.3 million Nigerians are yet to receive their PVCs. INEC in a table which showed the breakdown of distributed PVCs as at yesterday, revealed that only 71.35 per cent of the PVCs have been distributed so far, according to Leadership.

BREAKING: The Biggest Manhunt In French History Is On-going Now In The Village Of Dammartin-En-Goele, Northeast Of Paris; Unconfirmed Reports Of Hostages Taken

Said Kouachi, along with Cherif Kouachi are the two prime suspects in the Paris terror attack (Judicial Police of Paris/PA)

88,000 police and security personnel are involved in the attempt to apprehend and detain two suspects, the Kouachi brothers, on the run after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris is 72 hours ago, on Wednesday, January 07, 2015.

RIDING THE GRAVY TRAIN: Rogue UK Firms Scam Workers Out Of Legal Minimum Wage

Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). (AFP Photo/Andrew Cowie)

A slew of UK firms have developed elaborate scams to avoid paying staff the national minimum wage, a new report suggests. Common ruses include charging workers for uniforms, exploiting interns and clocking-off staff in the absence of customers.

SHOCKING! India Police Probe Godman Over Alleged Castration Of 400 Followers

Indian spiritual guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim -- seen here on January 5, 2015 -- heads the Dera Sacha Sauda organization based in Haryana state ©Chandan Khanna (AFP)

Indian police said they are investigating a popular self-styled godman for allegedly encouraging 400 followers to undergo castrations at his ashram so they could get closer to god.

PARIS MASSACRE: French President, Hollande Declares National Mourning

French president, Francois Hollande

French president, Francois Hollande has declared national mourning for the Paris Massacre in which 10 journalists and two policemen were killed.

Measles Outbreak Tied To Disneyland, California Health Officials Say

Pedestrians walk near the entrance to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California (AFP Photo)

Nine people are confirmed to have contracted measles when they visited Disneyland in California in mid-December. Another three cases are suspected, according to state health officials who are investigating the outbreak, RT.com reports.

SHOCKING: Indian Government Fires Employee Who Skipped Work For 24 Years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Even in India, where government jobs are considered to be for life, A.K. Verma was pushing it. Verma, an executive engineer at the Central Public Works Department, was fired after last appearing for work in December 1990.

FOOTBALL: Valdes Close To Manchester United Move

Manchester United close to securing a deal for Victor Valdes

Manchester United Football Club is closing in on the signing of free agent Victor Valdes. The former Barcelona goalkeeper has been training with United since October and PA Sport understands he has accepted the offer of an 18-month contract with the Red Devils.

PARIS MASSACRE: Two Armed Charlie Hebdo Suspects Traced To Northern France - Reports

Cherif Kouachi (L), and his brother Said Kouachi (R) (AFP Photo/French Police)

Two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo shooting have been tracked down in the Picardy region of northern France, sources say, according to AFP. The men were traveling in a Renault Clio, they were reportedly armed and wearing hoods, Le Parisien reported.

US Cop Shoots Woman Dead In Front Of Family, While Trying To Pacify Their Dog

Burlington Police Department stand near the scene of a shooting Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in Burlington. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the Burlington Police Department responded to a domestic dispute.(Photo: The Des Moines Register)

An Iowa cop shot and killed a 34-year-old woman in front of her husband and four-year-old son. Witnesses say he was aiming for the family dog, which startled him as he was trying to break up an argument between the couple.

Jonathan’s Visit: Security Operatives Ground Traffic, Lagos Commuters Stranded

Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS)

GRAPHITTI NEWS gathers hundreds of commuters have become stranded between the Oworonshoki Expressway and Victoria Island following the roadblocks put in place by security agents in expectation of President Goodluck Jonathan who is set to visit Lagos State, to kick-off his presidential campaign at 11am.

Media report cite that the entire stretch of the Third Mainland Bridge inward Lagos Island as at the time of reporting had come to a complete standstill.

It was learnt that several commercial buses have refused to ply the route while the few that are willing to go are charging double of the usual fare.

Jonathan is expected to arrive the Tafawa Balewa Square along with all governors and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and thousands of supporters.

Arise, Sir Viagra! Queen Knights Inventor Of Sex Performance Drug In 2015 Honours List

AFP Photo / HO

The inventor of Viagra – a pill designed to enhance sexual performance – has received a knighthood from the Queen in her annual New Year’s Honours.

UN: 5.5 Million Displaced By War In First Half Of 2014

War across large swatches of the Middle East and Africa in the first six months of 2014 forcibly displaced some 5.5 million people, signalling yet another record, the United Nations reported on Wednesday.

All Registered Voters Must Get Cards, President Orders Jega

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that all registered Nigerians got their Permanent Voter Cards before next month’s general elections.

Blast Hits Restaurant Near Mosque In France's East - Reports; Shooting Heard On The Outskirts Of Paris, 1 Officer Severely Injured - Reports

An explosion has been reported in a restaurant near a mosque in Villefranche-sur-Saone, eastern France. There are no reports of any injuries and the cause of the blast remains unknown.

Scientists Find Antibiotic That Kills Bugs Without Resistance

Teixobactin has been found to treat many common bacterial infections such as tuberculosis. The first new antibiotic to be discovered in nearly 30 years has been hailed as a ‘paradigm shift’ in the fight against the growing resistance to drugs. Photo: Alamy

Scientists have discovered a new antibiotic, teixobactin, that can kill serious infections in mice without encountering any detectable resistance, offering a potential new way to get ahead of dangerous evolving superbugs.

Luis Enrique Slams Reports Of Bust-Up With Messi

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has described reports of a bust-up with Lionel Messi as "inaccurate and ill-intentioned" and said he has the backing of all the players in his squad. Talk has been rife of disagreements and heated exchanges between the pair while rumours of a move to Chelsea have grown with Catalan radio saying the London club has contacted the players' father and agent Jorge.

BREAKING NEWS Charlie Hebdo Attack: Cartoonists Charb, Cabu And Wolinski Die - Report

French newspaper, Le Figaro reports that acclaimed cartoonists Jean “Cabu” Cabut, Stéphane "Charb" Charbonnier and Georges Wolinski are among the those killed in the attack.

Shell To Pay Out £55 Million (US$83 Million) To Settle Nigeria Oil Spill Claims

Filled oil drums are seen at Royal Dutch Shell Plc's lubricants blending plant in the town of Torzhok, north-west of Tver, in this November 7, 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin)

Royal Dutch Shell will pay out £55 million pounds ($83.4 million) in compensation for two oil spills in Nigeria in 2008 after agreeing a settlement with the affected community.

FRENCH SHOOTING UPDATE: Hollande - Shooting At Charlie Hebdo Is “Undoubtedly A Terrorist Attack”

French President Francois Hollande has arrived at the scene of the shooting, and will shortly hold an emergency government meeting, according to Reuters, citing a source at the president’s office.

"Two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs. A few minutes later we heard lots of shots," a witness told local TV station iTele, adding that the men were then seen fleeing the building.

About thirty shots were fired, according to Reuters.

According to some sources, there were three armed men involved in the shooting.

A manhunt is currently underway in Paris, Le Point reported, with the anti-crime brigade (BAC) chasing two armed men in the eleventh district of Paris.

A witness told France Info media outlet that the assailants said “We will avenge the Prophet.”

"It's a massacre. There are dead!" an employee of the newspaper told French media outlet 20minutes, and then the call disconnected. 

Charlie Hebdo is a controversial French satirical newspaper that was under attack over the publication of caricatures of Muslim leaders and Prophet Mohammed in 2011.