Are Islamic State Missiles A Threat To RAF

We now know that they have at least the technology, if not the ability, to shoot down aircraft.
But how concerning is this for the coalition planes flying bombing missions over Syria and Iraq?
Will IS actually be able to shoot down US, French or British fighter jets?

Combat pilots can send out chaff and flares to evade missiles

The RAF Tornados and Typhoons fly at around 20,000 feet. Drones operate at a similar altitude. Shoulder-borne surface-to-air missiles, MANPADS, have a range of 12,000 feet, putting coalition aircraft out of reach.
The main threat therefore, would be to helicopters or during an aircraft's take-off and landing - the point at which they are most vulnerable.

Video: Inside IS Weapons Lab

During operations in Afghanistan, guards, usually from the RAF regiment, would patrol and secure the perimeter of Kandahar and Bastion airfields to prevent Taliban insurgents from targeting planes.
Surveillance balloons would keep watch over the bases and surrounding areas too.
This precaution isn't necessary during current anti-IS operations because all aircraft are stationed inside friendly territory: Cyprus, Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan, UAE and aircraft carriers in the Gulf.
Heightened airfield security is in practice, however, because of the situation.
If an aircraft is targeted by a surface-to-air missile, it has a suite of defensive options it could use to divert the attack.
Onboard detection systems will identify the MANPAD radar before a missile is even launched, giving the pilot time to take evasive action or prepare for an attack.
If a missile is fired, the pilot could send out chaff and flares.
Chaff is basically tin foil, cut into thousands of small pieces. It reflects radar signals and effectively hides the aircraft in an electro-magnetic cloud, confusing the tracking mechanism on the radar-guided missile.

Video: Islamic State's Driverless Car Bomb

Flares are effective against infrared-guided missiles. These weapons seek a heat source, so they are attracted to the hot spots on a plane, in particular the jet engine nozzles and exhaust.
One of the features of stealth aircraft for instance, is a low heat signature.
Flares create sudden bursts of intense heat, hotter than anything the aircraft is giving off itself. This acts as a decoy to the missile, again confusing its tracking system and, ideally, diverting the threat away.
A classic manoeuvre is to fire off the multiple flares and chaff then make a rapid turn away from the threat, and reduce engine power to lower the thermal signature of the aircraft.
Commercial aircraft don't have these defence measures, but having this weapon in Raqqa is one thing, getting it to and using it at a major European airport against an international airline, is some leaps away for IS yet.
It's all very well obtaining a surface-to-air missile system, but you need to know how to operate it. Just because you own an F1 car, doesn't mean you can drive it properly.
The video obtained by Sky News doesn't show Islamic State fighters actually using the shoulder borne surface-to-air missile, but we do see them demonstrate a worryingly advanced knowledge of the way it is put together, and that, at the very least, suggests a degree of competency.
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Germany shocked by Cologne New Year gang assaults on women

The scale of the attacks on women at the city's central railway station has shocked Germany. About 1,000 drunk and aggressive young men were involved.
City police chief Wolfgang Albers called it "a completely new dimension of crime". The men were of Arab or North African appearance, he said.
Women were also targeted in Hamburg.
But the Cologne assaults - near the city's iconic cathedral - were the most serious, German media report. At least one woman was raped, and many were groped.
Most of the crimes reported to police were robberies. A volunteer policewoman was among those sexually molested.

The pretty Christmas market and medieval setting may look idyllic, but at Christmas and New Year the area around Cologne Cathedral is a notorious danger zone when it comes to pickpockets and theft.
Now the sexual harassment, and in one case rape, of dozens of women has shocked Germany.
What is particularly disturbing is that the attacks appear to have been organised. Around 1,000 young men arrived in large groups, seemingly with the specific intention of carrying out attacks on women.
Police in Hamburg are now reporting similar incidents on New Year's Eve in the party area of St Pauli. One politician says this is just the tip of the iceberg.
And there are real concerns about what will happen in February when the drunken street-parties of carnival season kick off.

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Cologne will stage carnival events in February, with hundreds of thousands of revellers expected in the streets, as on New Year's Eve.
The police chief said "the assailants' behaviour is a real concern for me, also because of the carnival".
Police were deployed outside the central station because of the crowds on New Year's Eve, but failed to spot the many attacks, according to reports. There are also fears that a number of women did not report assaults.

'Monstrous' assaults

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker said the attacks were "monstrous". "We cannot allow this to become a lawless area," she said, insisting that visitors could not come to the city fearing attack.
German Justice Minister Heiko Maas tweeted that "we won't tolerate these abhorrent assaults on women - all those responsible must be brought to justice".
One man described how his partner and 15-year-old daughter were surrounded by an enormous crowd outside the station and he was unable to help. "The attackers grabbed her and my partner's breasts and groped them between their legs."
A British woman visiting Cologne said fireworks had been thrown at her group by men who spoke neither German nor English. "They were trying to hug us, kiss us. One man stole my friend's bag," she told the BBC. "Another tried to get us into his 'private taxi'. I've been in scary and even life-threatening situations and I've never experienced anything like that."
The justice minister warned against linking the crimes to the issue of migrants and refugees.


Germany saw a record influx of migrants in 2015, which provoked an intense debate on immigration and marches by the anti-Islam Pegida movement.
Mr Maas said "the law does not discriminate regarding a person's origin or passport. All are equal before the law".
Cologne news website Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger says the suspects were already known to police because of frequent pickpocketing in and around Cologne central station.

Wider problem

In Hamburg several women told police that gangs of men had molested and robbed them on New Year's Eve on the Reeperbahn - a street known for its boisterous night life.
Some similar attacks were reported in Stuttgart.
A policeman who was outside Cologne station during the New Year's Eve trouble told the city's Express news website that he had detained eight suspects. "They were all asylum seekers, carrying copies of their residence certificates," he said.
However, there was no official confirmation that asylum seekers had been involved in the violence. Commentators in Germany were quick to urge people not to jump to conclusions.
German n-tv news says Cologne police are considering calling in reinforcements from other parts of Germany and installing extra surveillance cameras, with telescopic lenses.

New Year’s Eve: Country Artists Work the Night Shift

For country music fans, the top picks of New Year’s Eve entertainment will be taking place in Nashville and Austin — two cities where country reigns, of course — and also in New York City.
In Music City, the seventh annual Jack Daniel’s Bash on Broadway is expected to draw an estimated 150,000 people to Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville for a free concert headlined by Kings of Leon, along with Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini and country newcomers LANco, among others. A 15-foot-tall red Music Note Drop will descend from a 145-foot structure to signal the arrival of 2016. Should anyone overlook the magic moment, it will also trigger a fireworks display and confetti cannons.
Elsewhere in Nashville, Old Crow Medicine Show will ring in the New Year at the Ryman Auditorium. The show has been sold out for months, but WSM-AM/Nashville will be broadcasting the concert and streaming it live beginning at 10:30 p.m. CT at WSMonline.com.
Also in Twang Town, Marty Stuart and his band, the Fabulous Superlatives, will be rocking the house at City Winery. Local favorite Chris Knight is at the Exit/In, and the Grascals will be sharing their music at Nashville’s bluegrass mecca — the Station Inn. Fans of the Nashville TV series may gravitate to the famed Bluebird Café for a writers-in-the-round session with Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch, Tony Arata and Jelly Roll Johnson
In Texas, Willie Nelson has enlisted Kacey Musgraves to join him for his annual show at Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real will set the mood for the celebration. The concert will air live on Sirius XM satellite radio’s Willie’s Roadhouse channel.
In New York City, the annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest special will include performances by Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, along with Jimmy Buffett’s promise to perform “Margaritaville” from the concert he’s playing with Huey Lewis and the News.
Looks like Bryan is already in New York and has caught up with Seacrest’s co-host Jenny McCarthy.
On NBC, New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly Live doesn’t include any country performers, per se, although it will include an appearance by Gwen Stefani, and most of America is aware she’s dating Blake Shelton, her cohort on The Voice.
Although this is by no means a comprehensive list of all New Year’s Eve events, here’s a quick overview of other country artists who will be working the late shift:
Little Big Town/Holly Williams: Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Connecticut)
Chris Janson/The Swon Brothers: Grand Casino Mille Lacs Event Center (Onamia, Minnesota)
Colt Ford: Wild Bill’s (Duluth, Georgia)
Kid Rock: KFC Yum Center (Louisville, Kentucky)
Avett Brothers: Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Randy Rogers Band: Cain’s Ballroom (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
LoCash: 8 Seconds Saloon (Indianapolis)
Greensky Bluegrass: Royal Oak Theatre (Royal Oak, Michigan)
Shinyribs: Gruene Hall (New Braunfels, Texas)
Pokey LaFarge: The Pageant (St. Louis)
The Infamous Stringdusters: Rams Head Live (Baltimore)
Cory Morrow: House of Blues (Dallas)
Wade Bowen: John T. Floore Country Store (Helotes, Texas)

2015 Country Music News in Review

 

In an industry that’s congenitally prone to patting itself on the back, 2015 was an especially congratulatory year for country music artists. Several ascended to the various halls of fame.
Others contented themselves with armloads of trophies. The brightest new stars in the country firmament were Chris Stapleton, who emerged from the CMA Awards with wins in three categories and the most-talked-about live performance of the year, and Sam Hunt, who had the year’s bestselling album,.
But there was ample sad news, too. Country Music Hall of Famers Little Jimmy Dickens, Jim Ed Brown and Billy Sherrill passed away, and Blake and Miranda were divorced, as were Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock.
In the stars-of-the-recent-past category, Shania Twain announced her final tour, while the Dixie Chicks trumpeted that they would return to touring.
Here’s the compact, freeze-dried version of country music in 2015:
January
Grand Ole Opry star and Country Music Hall of Fame member Little Jimmy Dickens dies at 94. … Nielsen Music’s 2014 year-end report lists Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean and Brantley Gilbert among American’s bestselling album artists. … Blake Shelton hosts Saturday Night Live. … Taylor Swift makes surprise appearance at Nashville party for Grammy nominees. … Eric Church plays solo acoustic show in Salt Lake City after band and crew become ill with stomach flu.
February
At the Grammy Awards winners include Miranda Lambert’s Platinum (best country album), Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water” (best country solo performance), The Band Perry’s “Gentle on My Mind” (best country duo/group performance), Glen Campbell’s “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” (best country song) and the Earls of Leicester’s The Earls of Leicester (best bluegrass album). … Tim McGraw sings Glen Campbell’s nominated “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” at Academy Awards show. … Eric Paslay, Sam Hunt, Maddie & Tae, Frankie Ballard and Cole Swindell perform on Country Radio Broadcasters’ New Faces show. … CMT Crossroads: Bob Seger and Jason Aldean premieres.
March
Shania Twain announces she will commence her final tour in June. … Jason Aldean marries Brittany Kerr. … Some radio stations say they will not play Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” because of listener misperceived complaints about its content. … Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opens the exhibit Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City.
April
Luke Bryan named Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year. Other ACM winners include Miranda Lambert (female vocalist), Jason Aldean (male vocalist), Little Big Town (vocal group), Florida Georgia Line (vocal duo), Cole Swindell (new artist), Lambert’s Platinum (album of the year), Lee Brice’s “I Don’t Dance” (single record of the year), Lambert’s “Automatic” (song of the year), Florida Georgia Line’s “This Is How We Roll” featuring Bryan (vocal event of the year) and Luke Laird (songwriter of the year).
May
Florida Georgia Line named top country artist, and Jason Aldean wins for top country album (Old Boots, New Dirt) and song (“Burnin’ It Down”) at Billboard Music Awards. … Consultant Keith Hill sparks a furor when he advises radio programmers to play more records by males and fewer by females and uses the unfortunate metaphor that men are the “lettuce” and women the “tomatoes” in the ideal playlist salad.
June
Carrie Underwood is the big winner at the CMT Music Awards, taking home trophies in three categories, one of which she shared with co-star Miranda Lambert. Also winning were Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and Bob Seger, Lady Antebellum and Luke Bryan. … Grand Ole Opry star and impending Country Music Hall of Fame member Jim Ed Brown dies at 81. … Superstar-heavy CMA Music Festival draws an average of 87,680 fans on each of its four days. . . . Headlined by Ty Herndon, country music’s gay community and its sympathizers stage “Concert for Love and Acceptance” at Nashville’s City Winery. … Brad Paisley opens for the Rolling Stones at Nashville’s LP Field. … Bobby Braddock and Toby Keith inducted into New York-based Songwriters Hall of Fame. … Country Radio Broadcasters present Dwight Yoakam a career achievement award.
July
Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” sets Billboard chart history for a group act by staying the No. 1 country song for 11-consecutive weeks, thereby beating the Brown’s 10-week tenure for “The Three Bells” in 1959. … Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert confirm they are divorcing after four years of marriage.
August
Reba McEntire and her husband-manager, Narvel Blackstock, announce they are ending their 26-year marriage. … Billy Sherrill, the legendary songwriter and producer of such superstars as Tammy Wynette, George Jones and Charlie Rich dies at 78. He is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. … Charlie Daniels stages Volunteer Jam in Nashville after long hiatus. … Taylor Swift invites Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines to the stage at Los Angeles concert. … Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll: The Cosmic Genius of Sam Phillips exhibit opens at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. … CMT Crossroads: Lynyrd Skynyrd and Brantley Gilbert premieres.
September
Academy of Country Music presents Loretta Lynn its Crystal Milestone award and Alabama its career achievement trophy. … Americana Music Association names Sturgill Simpson artist of the year and Lucinda Williams’ Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone album of the year.
October
Earls of Leicester sweep International Bluegrass Music Association Awards show. Bill Keith and Larry Sparks inducted into International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. … Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley announces he will record and tour as soloist tour while Lady A is on hiatus. … Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens, Mark James and Craig Wiseman inducted into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. … The Browns, the Oak Ridge Boys and guitarist Grady Martin inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame. … CMT Crossroads: REO Speedwagon and Sara Evans premieres.
November
SESAC declares Cary Barlowe its songwriter of the year and “Homegrown” its song of the year. … Former President Jimmy Carter is surprise guest as ASCAP names Ashley Gorley and Sam Hunt songwriters of the year and “Leave the Night On” top song. … BMI cites Rodney Clawson as top songwriter, “Beat of the Music” top song and Mac Davis its Icon award-winner. . . Chris Stapleton-Justin Timberlake duet brings down the house at the CMA award show. The official winners are Luke Bryan (entertainer of the year), Miranda Lambert (female vocalist), Stapleton (male vocalist and new artist), Little Big Town (vocal group), Florida Georgia Line (vocal duo), Stapleton’s Traveller (top album), Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” (single and song), Keith Urban’s “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Eric Church (musical event), Maddie & Tae’s “Girl in a Country Song” (music video) and Mac McAnally (top musician). … Dixie Chicks announce they will tour in 2016. … Willie Nelson wins Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress. … American Music Awards proclaim Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood favorite country artists, Sam Hunt new artist of the year.
December
CMT honors Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Rogers, Chris Stapleton and the cast of the Nashville TV series at its CMT Artists of the Year ceremonies. … Billboard calculates that Sam Hunt’s Montevallo is year’s bestselling country album.

Grammy-Winning Singer Natalie Cole Dies At 65

 

The singer, who had suffered drug addiction and hepatitis, "fought a fierce, courageous battle", her family said.

Natalie Cole, the singer and daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, has died at the age of 65.

She passed away on Thursday evening from ongoing health issues at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, her family said.
TMZ reports she died from congestive heart failure. Cole had a kidney transplant in 2009 after contracting hepatitis C, which she blamed on her past intravenous drug abuse.

Natalie's parents, Nat King Cole (R) and singer Maria Ellington

"Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity, strength and honor," read a statement from her son, Robert Yancy, and sisters, Timolin and Casey Cole.
"Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever."

Cole, who was married three times, followed her father into the music business with hits like This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).
The Grammy winner topped the charts in 1991 with Unforgettable, a virtual duet with her late father, who died in 1965 when she was 15.
In 2000, Cole released an autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder, which chronicled her abuse of heroin and crack cocaine.
She was born in 1950 to Nat King Cole and his wife, Maria Ellington Cole, a singer with the legendary Duke Ellington band.
With her parents' pedigree, not to mention musical mentors such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, she seemed destined for the stage.
Cole began performing with her father when she was just 11 years old, before embarking on a career that embraced R&B, pop and jazz.
She faced racism while growing up in Los Angeles' overwhelmingly white, upmarket Hancock Park area.
When told residents didn't want "undesirable" neighbours, the young starlet said: "Neither do I, and if I see (any), I'll be the first to complain."
Her 1991 album, Unforgettable, which reworked some of her father's best-known hits, sold 14 million copies and won six of her nine Grammys.
Cole also took television acting roles, appearing on Grey's Anatomy and Touched by an Angel, a supernatural drama.

Chris Brown Accused Of Las Vegas Hotel Attack

 

The musician's publicist says the woman's allegations are "unequivocally untrue" and his accuser was "out of control".

R&B singer Chris Brown has denied claims he punched a woman who took a photo of him in a Las Vegas hotel.

Police have said they are investigating an allegation of battery against the 26-year-old musician.
Officers received a call on Saturday morning about the alleged attack at the Palms Casino Resort.
The alleged altercation took place in a room at the resort when the victim tried to take a picture of Brown.
Police said the woman told them she was struck by the Grammy winner and that he had taken her mobile phone.

Brown admitted attacking his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in 2009

Detectives tried to speak with Brown at his hotel room, but the singer left before police had arrived.
Police have not named the alleged victim, but she was identified by celebrity news website TMZ as a Brazilian model.
Investigators said Brown has been listed as a suspect for misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor battery in the case.
But Nicole Perna, publicist for Brown, issued a statement on Saturday night calling the charges "unequivocally untrue".

Brown served 108 days in jail after punching a man in 2013

The accuser "was escorted out of the private after party at the Palms Casino Resort for being disruptive and out of control", Ms Perna told the AP.
"Once she was in the hallway, while waiting for Chris Brown's security to bring out her phone, she had a total meltdown - throwing her purse to the ground and claiming that she 'could buy everyone in the hotel'.
"Her claim that she had her phone in her possession inside the after party and was able to take a photo causing an altercation with Chris Brown is a complete fabrication," Ms Perna added.
Brown performed on Friday at Drai's nightclub at the Cromwell Las Vegas, where he appears regularly.
In 2009, the singer pleaded guilty to felony assault in a case involving his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.
He pleaded guilty to a separate misdemeanor assault in Washington DC in 2013, while serving five years' probation in the Rihanna case.

Mark Zuckerberg Reveals Plan For A.I. Butler

 

The Facebook boss wants an artificial intelligence system in his home which could let friends in when they ring the doorbell.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said he wants to build an artificially intelligent assistant to help him at home and work.

Mr Zuckerberg, who commits to a new personal challenge every year, revealed his plan in a Facebook post.
"You can think of it kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man," he wrote, referring to the artificially intelligent butler who appears in the Marvel comic books and films.
Mr Zuckerberg said he would start the project by exploring existing technology, and then begin teaching the technology to understand his voice so it can learn to control everything in his home, such as music, lights and temperature.
His plan also includes teaching the assistant to let his friends into his home by looking at their faces when they ring the doorbell.

Video: Zuckerberg On Hollywood Portrayal

Mr Zuckerberg also wrote in the post that he wants the assistant to visualise data to support him at work.
He said: "This should be a fun intellectual challenge to code this for myself.
"I'm looking forward to sharing what I learn over the course of the year."

Video: Zuckerberg Inspired By New Baby

Other challenges Mr Zuckerberg has taken on in recent years have included reading two books every month and learning Mandarin.