Hillary Rodham Clinton tweeted her support for vaccinations on Monday night, wading into a debate that moved to the front of the 2016 presidential campaign with comments from Chris Christie and Rand Paul.
Clinton, the former secretary of State and a likely Democratic candidate,  came down on the side of doctors and scientists who believe in vaccinating children against diseases such as measles.
While she didn’t mention the Republicans by name, her tweet is viewed as a rebuke of Christie and Paul. She also used the hashtag #vaccineswork, as well as noting her status as a grandmother.
Clinton’s tweet came after Christie, the New Jersey governor, told reporters the government should find “balance” on the issue and that  “parents need to have some measure of choice” when it comes to immunizations. Christie later walked back his comments, issuing a statement through his office stressing that he believes”there is no question kids should be vaccinated” when it comes to diseases like the measles.
Paul, a Kentucky senator and ophthalmologist, then said in separate radio and cable TV interviews that he believes most vaccines should be “voluntary.”  While saying he is not anti-vaccine, Paul said in a heated CNBC interview that he believes “parents should have some input. The state doesn’t own your children … and it is an issue of freedom and public health.”
The Kentucky senator also offered that he had “heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who would up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.” But he did not cite specifics.
The comments from Clinton, Christie and Paul came after President Obama encouraged parents to vaccinate their children, amid a measles outbreak that sickened more than 100 people in 14 states. Obama said the science regarding vaccines is “indisputable.” Most of these measles cases have been linked to an outbreak that originated at Disney theme parks in California.

Police said the bus had been full of sleeping passengers when it was attacked near the town of Chauddagram.
It is the latest in a spate of attacks on buses, lorries and cars since anti-government protests began last month.
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia called for the protests on the anniversary of last year's election.
However, she has denied that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies are behind the firebombings.
"Seven passengers were burnt to death in the bus after the petrol bomb was thrown at 04:00 (20:00 GMT Monday)," district police chief Tuttul Chakrabarty told AFP news agency.
"Five of the passengers are fighting for their life. They have been shifted to a hospital in the capital."
Police officials said authorities had raided nearby villages but no arrests had been made.
Last month, Ms Zia urged her supporters to enforce a nationwide blockade of roads, railways and waterways to try to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to call fresh elections.
Bangladesh has arrested more than 7,000 opposition activists since the protests began.
Ms Hasina has denounced the opposition as militants and accused activists of engaging in terrorism rather than politics.
Ms Zia was put under house arrest at the start of the protests, but has since been released.

The sergeant opened fire in June 2014 at his post near the North Korean border and fled, sparking a manhunt.
He was captured two days later after he shot himself during a tense stand-off with troops.
It reignited debate on military culture in South Korea, where all males must do about two years military service.
The conscript's attack had previously been attributed by a defence ministry spokesman to his "difficulties in adapting to military life".
He had been placed on a list of conscripts requiring special attention.
In July last year, the military completed its investigation into the incident and said the attack, at a post near the border town of Goseong, was in revenge for bullying in the army and at school.
The 23-year-old recruit, surnamed Im in previous reports but named as Lim by Yonhap news agency, was found guilty of killing and injuring his comrades by detonating a grenade and firing at them.
He was also found guilty of running away with a rifle and ammunition, said the news agency.
Under South Korea's military law, a soldier must face the death penalty for killing a superior. One of those killed was a staff sergeant.
The soldier expressed remorse in a statement last month before his sentence was announced, AFP news agency reported.
"I feel deeply sorry for the victims and their relatives... I am overcome with remorse... How happy would I be, had it been merely a dream and had it been possible to return to the past?" he said.

 Jupiter Ascending
Originally slated for release in the summer of 2014, the latest from Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix) was pushed back to allow them time to complete “more than 2,000 special effects shots”. The delay prompted questions over the studio’s lack of confidence – but that might just be a sign that the film bucks straightforward blockbuster formula, with a story that sees Mila Kunis starring “as a sort of cosmic Snow White alongside Channing Tatum as a man-wolf space bounty hunter”. The space opera aims big: cast member Douglas Booth has described it as “a cross between Star Wars and The Matrix”. Released 5 February in Argentina, 6 February in Malaysia and 19 February in Australia.

 Fifty Shades of Grey
Anticipation for the screen adaptation of EL James’s bestselling erotic novel is being whipped to fever pitch: its star Dakota Johnson was photographed by Mario Testino for the cover of this month’s Vogue and its trailer has become Universal’s most-viewed teaser ever. The tale of the twisted affair between Anastasia Steele (Johnson) and sadistic CEO Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) is directed by Turner Prize-nominee Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), who has described it as “a very dark Grimm’s fairy tale, told for adults”. Released 11 February in France, 12 February in Brazil and 13 February in the US.



 The Voices
Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick – and a talking cat. An evil talking cat, to be precise, countered by a benevolent talking dog. Directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and written by Michael R Perry (Paranormal Activity 2), The Voices mashes together tones and genres in a comic portrayal of a mentally ill factory worker. According to The Playlist: “Normally homicide and hilarity do not mix especially well, but The Voices ... manages to do exactly that in a way where both the tension and the grisly laughs are in perfect synch.” Released 6 February in India and the US, 12 February in the Netherlands and 26 February in Portugal.


 The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Director John Madden and writer Ol Parker follow up their 2011 sleeper hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with a comedy-drama starring many of the same cast. Seasoned thesps Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Celia Imrie are joined by Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig for the sequel, which updates the tale of a group of British retirees living out their golden years in the Indian city of Jaipur. In its review of the original movie, Variety made the point that “there’s an interesting parallel between the way companies outsource customer care to call centres in India and the way seniors are forced to retire to developing nations where their money will go further”. Released 26 February in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.

The Trial of Viviane Amsalem 

Israeli siblings Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz end their trilogy of films about an Israeli family with a courtroom drama that has moments of bitter comedy. Ronit stars as Viviane, first seen in To Take a Wife (2004) yearning to leave her marriage of 20 years; in the follow-up Seven Days (2008) she was separated from husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian). Now, the Orthodox Jewish woman struggles to get a divorce from Elisha in a religious court. The film reflects the difficulties faced by women in Israel seeking to end their marriages: divorce in the country is granted by rabbinical judges and in this case, the process takes five long years. It first screened at Cannes, where Variety praised it for a “beautifully modulated script, ripe with moments of liberating humour” which “builds to a crescendo of indignation, allowing Elkabetz several cathartic outbursts, but they’re no more riveting than the actress’ silences”. Released 21 January in the US, 19 February in Greece and 20 February in Poland.

 
Maghaberry Prison is Northern Ireland's only high-security jail and houses dissident republican prisoners separately from other inmates
It is understood the incident is at Roe House, a building on the prison estate where dissident republican prisoners are held separately from other inmates.
A Prison Service spokeswoman said staff were trying to resolve the incident but would not comment further.
Monday's prison visits have not been affected by the situation.
Maghaberry Prison is Northern Ireland's only high-security jail.
It houses men who have been convicted of serious offences as well as remand prisoners awaiting trial.
The inmates are held in both separated and integrated conditions.

This was the third explosion in Gombe in two days
At least three people were killed and 18 others were wounded when the bomb exploded, hospital sources said.
Mr Jonathan is standing for re-election on 14 February against against former general Muhammadu Buhari.
The militant Islamist group Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks in the run-up to the contest.
Mohammed Bolari, who was at the rally in Gombe, said the explosion occurred some three minutes after Mr Jonathan's departure, AFP news agency reports.
"The president had just passed the parking lot and we were trailing behind his convoy when the explosion happened," he was quoted as saying.
Mr Jonathan addressed a rally in the north-eastern city a day after it was hit by two blasts that killed at least five people, AFP reports.
Since Monday morning, the city has largely been in lockdown with security operatives restricting the movement of people in most areas, Nigeria's privately owned Daily Trust newspaper reports.
A local journalist told AFP the latest blast had led to unrest in Gombe, with angry youths attacking supporters of Mr Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP).
"They were shouting and denouncing the president's visit which they blamed for the attack," he added.
Northern Nigeria is seen as Mr Buhari's stronghold.

The ceasefire agreement was signed at talks in Ethiopia.
But consultations will continue on the contentious issue of a future government and power-sharing.
The conflict - which erupted in December 2013 - has displaced about 1.5 million people and earlier ceasefire deals have not lasted.
Coup allegation "Complete cessation of hostilities in South Sudan is expected as of this morning (Monday)," said Seyoum Mesfin, a negotiator from the regional Igad bloc.

 
Many people are taking refuge in UN compounds in South Sudan
It is proposed that Mr Kiir would remain president in a new administration, while Mr Machar would be appointed vice-president, two African diplomats attending the talks told Reuters.
But the talks have now been adjourned until mid-February to allow the parties involved to consider the power-sharing arrangements, the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in Addis Ababa reports.
A final agreement should be concluded by 5 March.
Clashes in South Sudan erupted several months after a decision by Mr Kiir in July 2013 to dismiss the entire cabinet and Vice-President Machar.
The president had accused Mr Machar of plotting a coup.
Mr Machar denied the allegation, but then raised a rebel force to fight government troops.
Some 10,000 people are estimated to have died in the fighting, which has mainly been between President Kiir's Dinka ethnic group and the Nuer group of Mr Machar.
Salva Kiir has led South Sudan, the world's newest state, since its independence from Sudan in 2011.

As Japan mourns following the apparent beheading of its journalist by ISIS, thousands of miles away, an anxious Jordan awaits the fate of its pilot.

Japan and Jordan

'We will never, never forgive them'

Japan not part of ISIS campaign

Race to save Goto's life

Jordan to keep working on pilot's return

Two nations, forever linked by the fate of their sons

 Ugandan troops have found the grave of what is believed to be that of a rebel commander wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A deserter from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group had led troops to the suspected grave of Okot Odhiambo, an army spokesman said.

Mr Odhiambo was presumed to have been killed in clashes in 2013.

He was indicted by the ICC in 2005 on 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

'Ruthless killer'

He is suspected to have commanded an attack on a camp for displaced people in northern Uganda in February 2004, killing about 300 people in one of the largest massacres blamed on the LRA.

People were burnt alive, hacked to death with machetes and shot as they tried to escape, Uganda's state-owned New Vision newspaper reports.

If Mr Odhimabo's identity is confirmed, it will mean that only LRA leader Joseph Kony remains at large from the ICC's wanted list of suspected Ugandan war criminals.


The LRA is notorious for seizing children and using them as sex slaves and fighters.

Ugandan army spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda told the the BBC that US forces were conducting DNA tests to check whether the remains were those of Mr Odhiambo.

The BBC's Patience Atuhaire in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, says the army is not giving that many details, but the grave is believed to have been uncovered in the Central African Republic (CAR).

In its indictment, the ICC describes Mr Odhiambo as a "ruthless killer" who was part of the LRA's core leadership

Last month, the LRA suffered a major blow when one of its feared commanders, Dominic Ongwen, was taken into the custody of US forces in CAR.

The US said Mr Ongwen had surrendered to its elite troops searching for the LRA's top leadership, but the CAR's Seleka group said it had captured Mr Ongwen after a battle before handing him over.

The LRA began its rebellion in northern Uganda more than two decades ago, but it retreated to CAR, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo following an offensive by the Ugandan military.

The group says it is fighting for a Biblical state in Uganda.