Ohio man arrested for planning attack on US Capitol building
An Ohio man claiming sympathy with Islamic State militants was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a plot to attack the US Capitol with guns and bombs, court documents disclosed.
Christopher Cornell, 20, of Cincinnati researched the construction of pipe bombs, purchased a semi-automatic rifle and 600 rounds of ammunition and made plans to travel to Washington to carry out the plan, according to an FBI informant's legal testimony.
Cornell indicated on Twitter that he supported the Islamic State group under the alias Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah, court documents said.
Read more here
US judge dismisses suit against India PM Modi over 2002 riots
A US judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that accused him of "attempted genocide" over deadly anti-Muslim riots in 2002.
New York judge Analisa Torres threw out the suit on the grounds that Mr Modi is not under her court's jurisdiction after the US government argued he was entitled to immunity as a sitting head of government.
The American Justice Centre, a human rights group, filed the civil suit against Mr Modi in September, accusing him of initiating and condoning the massacre and holding him responsible for the deaths.
Read more here
Comedian to stand trial as France cracks down on hate speech
Controversial French comedian Dieudonne was arrested Wednesday and will stand trial over a comment suggesting he sympathised with one of the Paris attackers, as France cracks down on those who condone terrorism.
The arrest was one of 54 cases for "condoning terrorism" or "making threats to carry out terrorist acts" opened since Islamist gunmen last week killed 17 people in a three-day shooting spree that targeted the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, police and a Jewish supermarket.
In the midst of a mounting debate on the limits of free speech, prosecutors started a case against the comedian Monday after he posted a Facebook message saying "Tonight, as far as I'm concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly".
Read more here
Samsung makes takeover approach to BlackBerry: Sources
Smartphone company Samsung has recently approached BlackBerry to buy the company for as much as US$7.5 billion (S$10 billion), looking to gain access to its patent portfolio, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.
South Korea's Samsung proposed an initial price range of US$13.35 to US$15.49 per share, which represents a premium of 38 per cent to 60 per cent over BlackBerry's current trading price, the source said.
The offer price would imply an enterprise value of US$6 billion to US$7.5 billion for BlackBerry, assuming conversion of US$1.25 billion of convertible debt, according to the documents.
Read more here
Majority in US expect a woman president in their lifetime: Poll
Seventy-three per cent of Americans expect to see a female president in their lifetime, even as men are expected to maintain their dominant role in business, a survey published Wednesday said.
The Washington-based Pew Research Centre interviewed 1,835 adults online in November to get a sense of how Americans view women and leadership today.
Most respondents felt there was no difference between men and women when it came to leadership qualities like intelligence and capacity for innovation.
Read more here
