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As night falls upon Magdeburg, CNN’s senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen reflects on the atmosphere in the German city, less than 24 hours after a deadly attack at a Christmas market killed at least five people and injured many more.“When I got here yesterday, there was obviously a lot of fear here, the authorities were out in full force, they had cordoned everything off,” says Pleitgen, who was at the scene of the incident shortly after it happened.“They had basically turned the entire city center of Magdeburg into an emergency room,” he added.But now, all of that frenzy has disappeared and turned into pure sorrow for many of the city’s residents. For others, tensions are running high, with some questioning if they will be better protected in the future.“The Christmas market is now dark. It has been completely cordoned off,” Pleitgen said. “There is a lot of grief now among many people, I think there is also a lot of anger as far as the security is concerned.”A constant stream of mourners has been laying flowers and candles near the scene of the incident all day Saturday. An official memorial service will be held this evening.
A group of agitators waving Palestinian flags stormed the court during a basketball game between Israel’s Hapoel Holon and France’s Nanterre 92, sparking chaos in the stands.
The bedlam came during the third quarter of the game in Nanterre, France, which was part of the FIBA Basketball Champions League.
Around 10 individuals ran onto the court waving Palestinian flags, angering hundreds of attendees from the French Jewish community cheering for the Israeli team.
Some of the anti-Israel agitators jumped into the stands and were quickly apprehended by security. A group on the pro-Israel side began breaking out into nationalist chants.
The match resumed a few minutes later after police detained the disruptors. Security was ramped up for the remainder of the game, including officers equipped with shields, to separate members of the Jewish community from other fans.
The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs had issued a warning regarding the game earlier in the day, including initial indications of a planned protest by groups expected to gather near the arena. These included the pro-Palestinian organization Europalestine and the far-left party La France Insoumise.
Nanterre Mayor Raphaël Adam earlier this week barred fans from attending the game to "prevent public disturbances," but a court overturned that decision Wednesday morning.
Hapoel Holon lost the game to Nanterre, 87-77. But the Israeli team still advanced to the Top 16 stage thanks to the loss of Bosnian team Igokea to German team Würzburg. Yotam Hanochi led Guy Goodes’ scorers with 18 points, while Paul Lacombe excelled on the opposing side with 23 points.‘
A group of agitators waving Palestinian flags stormed the court during a basketball game between Israel’s Hapoel Holon and France’s Nanterre 92, sparking chaos in the stands.
The bedlam came during the third quarter of the game in Nanterre, France, which was part of the FIBA Basketball Champions League.
Around 10 individuals ran onto the court waving Palestinian flags, angering hundreds of attendees from the French Jewish community cheering for the Israeli team.
Some of the anti-Israel agitators jumped into the stands and were quickly apprehended by security. A group on the pro-Israel side began breaking out into nationalist chants.
The match resumed a few minutes later after police detained the disruptors. Security was ramped up for the remainder of the game, including officers equipped with shields, to separate members of the Jewish community from other fans.
The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs had issued a warning regarding the game earlier in the day, including initial indications of a planned protest by groups expected to gather near the arena. These included the pro-Palestinian organization Europalestine and the far-left party La France Insoumise.
Nanterre Mayor Raphaël Adam earlier this week barred fans from attending the game to "prevent public disturbances," but a court overturned that decision Wednesday morning.
Hapoel Holon lost the game to Nanterre, 87-77. But the Israeli team still advanced to the Top 16 stage thanks to the loss of Bosnian team Igokea to German team Würzburg. Yotam Hanochi led Guy Goodes’ scorers with 18 points, while Paul Lacombe excelled on the opposing side with 23 points.‘
#FIBAChampionsLeague
#Israel
#France
The US Navy has ended an operational pause on its troubled fleet of V-22 Osprey aircraft, allowing flights to resume with inspections of the aircraft.
In a statement, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said they ordered an inspection of the flight hours on each aircraft’s gearbox before they fly again. If an aircraft’s gearbox has more than a set number of hours, it can resume flying.
But aircraft with gearboxes that have fewer than the set number of hours must undergo an additional series of checks and “risk mitigation controls,” NAVAIR said.
NAVAIR would not say what the number of hours would be to determine if an aircraft is permitted to resume flying, nor would it disclose how many Ospreys would be affected for “operational security concerns.”
The latest two-week pause went into effect on December 9 following what the military called an “immediate landing” of an Air Force CV-22 Osprey in New Mexico. There were no injuries, and the cause of the incident is being investigated.
NAVAIR runs the Osprey joint program office, which means it has the authority to ground the military’s Osprey fleet over security concerns and allow the fleet to resume flying. The vast majority of Ospreys are operated by the Marine Corps. The Navy and Air Force Special Operations Command also operate a small number of Ospreys.
The ultimate holiday drink menu requires a perfect martini
British-born gin connoisseur Simon Ford breaks down the components of a proper (and perfect) martini, a staple of any festive holiday gathering.
While most people agree that classics never truly go out of style, there's no denying the martini is having a moment in London right now. Forget low-ABV spritzes – the spirit-forward cocktail made with gin (or vodka) and vermouth and served in a V-shaped glass is so iconic, it's an emoji and status symbol all at once.
"The martini is a drink that bartenders love," says Simon Ford, cocktail expert and founder of Ford's Gin, who is a longtime fan of the classic. "It's a symbol of elegance and sophistication – and shows you have a deeper understanding of cocktail culture when you make and serve one well."
Ford notes that assembling the perfect martini requires a bit of attentiveness, a few specific ingredients, and just-the-right-sized glassware, preferably chilled. (He suggests serving martinis in smaller martini glasses – never the oversized ones – so that you and your guests sip only cold cocktails.) Attention to detail, he says, cannot be overlooked.
"The vermouth needs to be fresh, the glass should be in the freezer till the very last minute right before being poured," Ford says. "When it comes to making a martini, all the ingredients need to be treated with a lot of respect. It's a very sophisticated cocktail. It almost reeks of sophistication, and in terms of booze, it's much like a Manhattan or an old fashioned: it's a stirred, spirits-forward cocktail. If you live in a cold climate, a martini is a warming drink and fits quite nicely into a celebratory holiday. It's also a treat; a martini is not an everyday drink."
Ford points out that there is an art to making the perfect martini, and the bespoke service and attention to detail is often worth the price. "There are places that specialise in making good martinis these days," he says, "places where you spend a little bit more money, and you expect extra service with a very proficient bartender in front of you. The whole thing lends itself to being a more celebratory drink."
The American Bar at the Savoy in London helped make the martini famous in London (Credit: Getty Images)
The origins of this classic cocktail date back more than a century. Its recipe is actually a riff on other cocktails that came before it, but the martini was popular right from the very start, Ford explains. In fact, in pre-Prohibition New York City, the martini was the status symbol of its d
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"The martini is an evolution of the Manhattan, which was invented in New York City in the pre-Prohibition era," Ford says. "It put gin firmly on the map as one of the most important spirits in the US. The martini was everywhere in New York City up until Prohibition, just like the espresso martini today, just like the cosmopolitan in the Sex and the City days. It was very sophisticated – arguably the mother of all cocktails."
Not only was the martini a hit in the Big Apple, it had international ripples, a merging of a spirit invented in London (dry gin) with New York's cocktail culture, and it wouldn't be long before the martini found its way to the British capital. Ford points out that most significantly, the American Bar at the Savoy in London helped fuel the fervour of the cocktail.
"The American Bar was very known for making the martini famous [in London] and the influence of Ian Fleming and James Bond on the martini and its connection to London cannot be overlooked," he says. "Bond was drinking gin and vodka martinis. England's most sophisticated fictional character (at the time) was drinking martinis because Ian Fleming was drinking them! The Vesper martini was born out of fiction – and not a bar – which is remarkable in itself."
Ford explains that World War Two destroyed London and its cocktail culture, but in the 1980s and '90s it started to come back. What never went away, however, was the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, which was serving martinis perfectly, even when it wasn't in fashion. ("When cocktails were cool again and there was media attention, people like Peter Dorelli and Salvatore Calabrese were like, 'We've been doing this for 30 years!'")