The BBC news with Jerry Smit.
A large security operation is underway well pass nightfall, in
a rural area to the northeast of Paris near where 2 armed men
believed to be the Islamic militants who attacked the satirical
magazine Charlie Hebdo were sighted. Police blocked roads near the
village of Longpont in the region of Picardy. Chris Morris reports.
In northern France, a huge manhunt, the search for the men who attacked
Charlie Hebdo is now concentrated in a rural area backing hours' drive northeast
of Paris. A matter of police called on near the village of Longpont. There are reports
of searches and sightings. Helicopters have landed in nearby fields. They are blocking
the roads, this local man says it's all we know. The authorities hope the night is clothing.
Cherif Kouachi and his brother Said have been named as the suspects that police are
chasing. Earlier in the day, they were reported to have stolen food and petrol from
a nearby service station, still armed with automatic weapons. That location tune
has been called in doss.
The French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said aircraft will be used in the
search for the men. He also said 88,000 police officers and soldiers had been
deployed since the attack. Mr. Cazeneuve said the authorities acted as soon as
they had suspects.
As soon as identity of theses suspects were established,there was surveillance.
On the 7th of January last night, some searches were made, his home and where
has evidence several towns were searched,several people have been also arrested.
For a second successive night, Parisians have gathered in the Place de la Republique
to hold a vigil of solidarity with the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. The
rally comes at the end of day mourning in France. In New York, the 15 representatives
at the UN security council also stood in a moment of silence.
The US defense secretary Chuck Hagel has confirmed the closure of 15 US military
bases in Europe. The Pentagon says the move will save around half a billion dollars a
year. The US has more than 60,000 troops station in Europe. Our defense correspondent
Jonathan Marcus reports.
The overwhelming bulk of US military bases that have shut down were in Germany.
The most important site is the airbase of Mildenhall in Britain and 2 US-run
communication's bases in Cambridgeshire are also to close. Small facilities are
involved in Belgium and the Netherlands as well. The closures are all part of a
much broader review by the Americans of their bases in Europe as the US military
seeks to reduce its footprint and to save money with the Pentagon looking more to
alter to Asia-Pacific.
Jonathan Marcus.
World news from the BBC.
A Nigerian senator has said more than 10,000 people had fled to Chad following recent
fighting in Borno state in the northeast of their country. Maina Maaji Lawan who represents
the area said a humanitarian crisis was unfolding in Chad after raids by Boko Haram militants
which killed many people. Local officials say much of the town of Baga and surrounding villages
have been burned to the ground.
A UN commission has accused Christian militias in the Central African Republic of ethnic cleasening.
The commission also accused those militas and mainly Muslim Seleka movement of war crimes and crimes
against humanity. He said it was probable that the numbers killed in almost 2 year in secterian
violence were much higher than the reported figures of three to six thousand.
The third division, English football club Oldham Athletic has confirmed it will not be signed
in player Ched Evans who was released from jail in October after serving half of a 5 years
sentence for rape. Attempts by the player to resume his football career had met with widespread
opposition. Dan Roen has the details.
Ched Evans is tonight facing a futuring football in *, his hopes of joining Oldham Athletic over.
But 83 days after he left prison, today came a first show of contrition towards the victim he was
jailed for raping. In a carefully word of statement, the 26 year old striker said I continue to
maintain my innocence. I wish to make it clear that I how heartly apologise for the effects that
night in Rio has had on many people not least the woman concerned. But that didn't prevent a deal
with Oldham Athletic from collapsing amidst storm of ranker and opposition.
The US assistance secretary of state Roberta Jacobson will lead a delegation travling to Havana
late this month for the first high-level talks since Cuba and the US announced they will be
restoring relations. The state department said the talks would focus on migration.
BBC news.