The first issue of Charlie Hebdo since last week’s murderous attack on its staff sold out its 3m print run in a matter of hours. Despite protests and condemnation by Muslim leaders, a further 2m copies will apparently be printed for distribution worldwide, while controversy and debate remains among some media organizations concerning the cover, and the nature of free speech.

Sky News cut away from an interview with Charlie contributor Caroline Fourest when she attempted to hold up the cover. Other broadcast outlets and some newspapers also chose not to show the cover.

(via YouTube/Simon Cobbs)

Elsewhere, it emerged that one newspaper had decided to digitally alter images of the assembled world leaders during the solidarity march in Paris.

France, meanwhile, extended its crackdown on “hate speech”, including the arrest of controversial comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, for the offense of “defending terrorism.”

In a speech at the University of Vermont, author Salman Rushdie said:

Both John F Kennedy and Nelson Mandela use the same three-word phrase which in my mind says it all, which is, ‘Freedom is indivisible.’ You can’t slice it up otherwise it ceases to be freedom. You can dislike Charlie Hedbo … But the fact that you dislike them has nothing to do with their right to speak.

A surprise best-seller in French bookstores this week has been Voltaire’s Treatise on Tolerance.

Ahead of the British prime minister’s visit to the White House, David Cameron and Barack Obama write a joint editorial in Thursday’s Times. They write:

There are more than one billion Muslims in the world, the vast majority of whom are sickened by the evil these terrorists claim to perpetrate in the name of Islam. The United States and Britain will continue to work closely with all those who believe in peace and tolerance. The terrorists know only how to destroy, but together we can do something infinitely more powerful: build security, strengthen justice and advance peace

US Secretary of State John Kerry is heading to Paris on Thursday, as the city prepares for the  funerals of some of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for last week’s attack, but such claims remain unconfirmed.

* WORLD * An Ohio man was arrested tonight in connection with an alleged plot to attack the US capitol. The FBI said the 20-year-old Cincinnati man, Christopher Lee Cornell, claimed to be a sympathizer of Islamic State and had come to the attention of authorities after posts on social media supporting violent jihad.

The US Secret Service is to oust four senior officials in the wake of recent security lapses.

Pope Francis has moved on to Manila, where authorities are deploying some 50,000 police and troops for crowd control, with millions of people expected to turn up to see him.

* POLITICS * The Republican National Committee gathers in San Diego for its winter meeting. Here are some things to watch for. The RNC will also be grappling with the status of Michigan National Committeeman Dave Agema. Meanwhile, the Republican convention will be held in Cleveland from July 18-21.

In the UK, comedian Al Murray is apparently set to stand in the May general election against Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party. Murray’s alter ego, The Pub Landlord’s, plan to enter the contest for the seat in Thanet South, prompted Farage to Tweet: “The more the merrier.”

* BUSINESS * A report that Samsung apparently was looking to buy Blackberry – later denied – sent Blackberry stock up about 30 per cent on the day.

RadioShack is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Britain’s Chancellor George Osborne said he believes Britain “could be the world’s richest economy by 2030.”

* MEDIA * The BBC was labeled as treating its staff “like the enemy” after details emerged of an increase in the monitoring of employee email.

Facebook launched its Facebook At Work app which lets businesses create Facebook-like networks for their employees, who might not be Facebook friends with each other.

The New York Times’ head of audience development Alexandra MacCallum, talked strategy, and whether or not the paper considers itself to be competing with sites like BuzzFeed. Separately, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim increased his stake in the New York Times, becoming the company’s biggest single shareholder.

The Online News Association will be holding its first international conference in London on March 6.

* CULTURE * This year’s Oscar nominations will be announced from 8.30am ET on Thursday morning and the only sure thing is that there’ll be plenty of speculation from now until the ceremony on Feb 22.

VH1 is about to begin airing every SNL episodes in the longest TV marathon ever, the 19-day fest to culminate with the show’s 40th anniversary.

Artist Helen Green created this gif celebrating decades of David Bowie hairstyles, to mark the Thin White Duke’s 68th birthday earlier this month.

* SPORTS *  Two climbers, Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell, reached the top of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall in the Yosemite National Park this afternoon, the first time the 3,000 ft granite wall has been scaled in a “free climb”. The ascent took some 19 days.

A deal has apparently been agreed for Manny Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather, reportedly on May 2 in Las Vegas. Iron Mike Gallego at Deadspin explains why it comes five years too late.

Manchester City made Wilfried Bony one of the most expensive African players, signing him from Swansea City for fee that could reach £28m. With the African Cup of Nations set to start this weekend, it might be the middle of next month before 26-year-old Bony makes his first start for his new club.

The first African-registered team will take part in this year’s Tour De France beginning in July. South Africa’s MTN-Qhubeka team is led, appropriately enough, by Doug Ryder.