Top News Stories –

Hanging around –
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (@GovChristie) was left hanging after a Dallas Cowboys win on Sunday, when his high-5 appeal was ignored. Political commentators have decided that it will damage his chances of becoming a Republican presidential candidate.

Google extends Chromecast to audio –
The Chromecast dongle is now able to plug into amplifiers and powered speakers to “cast” music from any music app. Similar to the video service, users use their phone to control the music, which is then played directly through the speaker from a wi-fi router. Apps already compatible include Deezer, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, NPR One, Pandora, Rdio and TuneIn. Spotify is currently included.

Ghost in the Shell –
Scarlett Johansson to play Motoko Kusanagi in the film version of Ghost in the Shell
Scarlett Johansson

List of the day –

Scarlett Johannson acting credits

Top Twitter Trends –

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
  • A Libyan warplane bombs a Greek-operated oil tanker anchored offshore the city of Derna, killing two sailors, oneGreek and one Romanian. The Greek government condemned what it called an “unprovoked and cowardly” attack and demanded an investigation and punishment for those responsible. (Reuters)
• Boko Haram
  • News emerges that two days prior hundreds of Boko Haram militants had overrun several towns in northeast Nigeriaand captured the military base in Baga. (Wall Street Journal)
• Two militants, one wearing a suicide vest, kill two Saudi Arabian border guards and a general near the border with Iraq.(Businessweek)
• Bangladeshi police report that two opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists are shot dead in clashes with members of the ruling Awami League in the town of Natore on the first anniversary of disputed general election. (BBC)
• A suicide car bomber hits the headquarters of EUPOL Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing one person and injuring five others. The Taliban have claimed responsibility. (AP via ABC)

Arts and culture

• A Czech archaelogical team discovers the tomb of formerly unknown Ancient Egyptian queen Khentakawess III who lived during the Fifth Dynasty. (CNN)
• The site where Jesus may have been tried, prior to his crucifixion, opens to the public for the first time located under an abandoned prison building, called Kishle, that is part of the Tower of David Museum ground in the Old City of Jerusalem,Israel. (Huffpost)

Business and economics

• China relaxes controls over the export of rare earth elements after losing a case brought by the United States at theWorld Trade Organization. (AP)
• Ireland becomes the first European nation to be allowed to export beef to the United States since the mad cow diseasescare 15 years ago. (AP via Star Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

• For the second day in a row a multi-story residential building in Nairobi, Kenya, collapses, this time an 8-story building, killing one person with eight people still missing. (AP via ABC)
• An avalanche near the Rettenbach glacier in the Austrian Alps, kills two prospects for the United States ski team, Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle. (AP)
• After being grounded in Abu Dhabi for over 12 hours with all passengers onboard, Etihad Airways Flight 183 completes its flight to San Francisco International Airport. (KRON).

International relations

• South Korea announces that it will repatriate the remains of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army soldiers killed in theKorean War. (Yonhap)
• Lebanon implements stricter immigration rules on its Syrian border in response to the refugee crisis caused by theSyrian Civil War. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Taiwan’s justice ministry releases former President Chen Shui-bian from jail on a one-month medical parole. (BBC)
• The anti-graft body of the Communist Party of China detains Yang Weize, incumbent Party Secretary of Nanjing, the provincial capital of Jiangsu province, for investigation. (SCMP)
• The Justice Department charges two American citizens of Gambian descent with violating the Neutrality Act by helping to finance and lead the 2014 Gambian coup d’état attempt. (New York Times)

Sport

• In ice hockey, the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship closes with Canada beating Russia in the gold medal game, while Slovakia captures bronze. (Canadian Press via Yahoo! Sports Canada)

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