IS police ‘kidnapped’ in Syria
Reports from Syria say some members of the religious police force set up by the militant group Islamic State have been kidnapped. BBC News – Middle East
Craig Taylor
Tesco to close 43 stores across UK
The beleaguered supermarket Tesco has said it will close 43 unprofitable stores, and look to make cuts of £250m, despite enjoying better Christmas sales. BBC News – UK
Arrests as France hunts gunmen
Police in France make seven arrests as they hunt for two named suspects over the suspected Islamist attack on staff at a satirical magazine. BBC News – Europe
Paraguay rebel leader ‘killed’
The leader of Paraguay’s ACA rebel group, Albino Jara, is killed in a clash with special security forces in the north, the authorities say. BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean
US temperatures ‘dangerously’ low
Temperatures across much of northern and eastern US are plunging to “dangerously cold” levels, the National Weather Service says. BBC News – US & Canada
US forces hold LRA commander
Uganda’s military confirms that a senior commander from the Lord’s Resistance Army has been taken into custody by US forces in the Central African Republic. BBC News – Africa