£10m lottery win for Belfast army torture victim

Joe Clarke was one of 11 people awarded £12,500 damages after internment in 1971

An Irish republican internee who was once tortured by the British Army has won £10.2m in the New Year Euro- millions lottery.

Joe Clarke, 60, who was awarded £12,500 for being subjected to extreme interrogation by the military during internment in 1971, bought the winning ticket in his native west Belfast last week. He only found out about his jackpot when he returned to the Saveway Spar filling station store on the Springfield Road where he bought the ticket on Thursday. At the time it is understood he did not realise how much he had won.

Thai accused of shooting Stephen Ashton appears in court

Ekkapan Kaewkla charged with premeditated murder and illegal possession of a weapon over death of Briton at new year party

A man accused of shooting dead a British tourist at a New Year's Eve party in Thailand has appeared in court.

Stephen Ashton, 22, was caught in the crossfire of a gun fight between two groups of locals at a crowded beach bar on the island of Koh Phangan. His family said they were "completely devastated" by his death.

Clinton's blood clot an uncommon complication

The kind of blood clot in the skull that doctors say Hillary Rodham Clinton has is relatively uncommon but can occur after an injury like the fall and concussion the secretary of state was diagnosed with earlier this month.

Doctors said Monday that an MRI scan revealed a clot in a vein in the space between the brain and the skull behind Clinton's right ear.

The clot did not lead to a stroke or neurological damage and is being treated with blood thinners, and she will be released once the proper dose is worked out, her doctors said in a statement.

CAR Negotiations May Not Be Possible

BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC — The Central African Republic capital of Bangui remained tense Tuesday as rebels threatened to take the last major government stronghold, the city of Damara, just 75 kilometers away. President Francois Bozize said he is willing to negotiate a unity government. However, rebels say he must go. It remains to be seen whether or not a negotiated solution is still possible.

Regional leaders are trying to organize peace talks in Gabon on January 10 between the government of the Central African Republic and a northern rebel alliance known as Seleka that has seized a third of the country in less than three weeks.

Net loss: Brooklyn fires coach Avery Johnson

NEW YORK (AP) -- Coach of the month in November, out of a job by New Year's.

The Brooklyn Nets have elevated expectations this season, and a .500 record wasn't good enough. Coach Avery Johnson was fired Thursday, his team having lost 10 of 13 games after a strong start to its first season in Brooklyn.

"We don't have the same fire now than we did when we were 11-4," general manager Billy King said at a news conference in East Rutherford, N.J. "I tried to talk to Avery about it and we just can't figure it out. The same pattern kept on happening."