School Shooting: Calls For Stricter Gun Laws

The husband of the US politician Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in Arizona, has called for action on America's gun laws following the latest mass shooting.

As America deals with the aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Captain Mark Kelly, a Nasa astronaut, wrote on his Facebook page that tightening the gun controls could wait no longer and called on politicians to act now.

He said: "As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right."

He added: "The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait."

Barack Obama wipes away a tear as he calls for "meaningful action"

His wife was one of the people shot by Jared Loughner in Arizona in 2011. She survived with serious head injuries but six others were killed in the attack.

Barack Obama hinted at the possibility of gun law reform following the shooting in Connecticut, signalling it was time to come together to take meaningful action, "regardless of the politics".

There have been 61 mass murders involving firearms since 1982.

The most recent, where Adam Lanza shot dead 27 people on Friday, ranks as the country's worst school shooting.

Of all shootings, it is second in its gravity only to the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, which claimed 32 lives.

A call for action at the White House vigil for the victims of the shooting

Already there have been protests outside the White House calling for reform of America's liberal gun laws.

Michael Moore, the director of Bowling For Columbine, a documentary which explored America's relationship with guns, tweeted: "Too soon to speak out about a gun-crazy nation? No, too late. At least THIRTY-ONE school shootings since Columbine."

He added: "The way to honour these dead children is to demand strict gun control, free mental health care, and an end to violence as public policy."

But with the right to bear arms enshrined in the second amendment to the US constitution and an increasingly strong gun lobby in the National Rifle Association, it is thought to be unlikely that will take the form of an outright ban.

Part of the problem with the US gun laws is that they vary widely between different states.

Connecticut, the state at the centre of the latest shooting, has the fourth strongest gun laws in the country, the US political commentator Charlie Wolf, told Sky News.

Yet Lanza, who it has been reported has a history of mental health, managed to amass an arsenal of at least six lethal weapons.

Two handguns and semi-automatic rifle found at the scene appeared to be legally purchased by the mother of the mass shooter.

Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 at Virginia Tech - America's most deadly shooting

Mr Wolf said the Sandy Hook shooting would not lead to an outright ban on gun ownership and that there were other issues which needed to be addressed, such as mental health.

He said: "I'm sure if this guy really wanted to he would have found guns elsewhere. It didn't stop Derrick Bird in this country (UK)."

He said that the right to bear arms was enshrined in the constitution but that it was possible the law could be strengthened to make sure people who shouldn't own guns couldn't buy them.

On top of the differences in gun laws across the states, the federal government regulates very little.

The so-called Brady law, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993, requires federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States.

It is intended to detect any potential red flags in an individual's criminal and mental health history.

But 40 per cent of arms sales are not affected by the law, because they take place between private individuals, through websites, or at gun show stands. These sales are not regulated by the federal government.

Loughner, who carried out the attack that wounded Ms Giffords, obtained the green light from the background check system before purchasing his guns.

He was cleared even though he was suspended from school for misconduct and had a history of drug use.

Gun ownership in the US is now at an all-time low and there is a suggestion that the public increasingly supports some gun control measures.

A recent CCN/ORC poll found a majority supported background checks and a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Perhaps the killing of 20 children all aged under 10 will come to mark the beginning of a discussion that could lead to a rethink on America's gun laws.

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Emotional Obama Responds To School Shooting

Barack Obama wept as he addressed the nation in the aftermath of the school shootings in Connecticut.

And a day after the shooting, the US President used his weekly address to call for solidarity in the wake of the massacre, where 20 children and seven adults were killed.

Many of those killed in the shooting in the small town of Newtown were between the ages of five and 10.

On Friday, Mr Obama paused repeatedly as he struggled to keep his composure while speaking of the children who had been killed and the milestones in their lives they would never have - birthdays, graduations, weddings.

"Our hearts are broken today," he said, at times using a finger to wipe tears at the corners of his eyes.

Mr Obama said he had reacted to news of the elementary school shooting first as a parent.

He added that he and First Lady Michelle would do what any other parent in America would do - "hug our children a little tighter".

Mr Obama called for "meaningful action" regardless of politics.

"As a country, we have been through this too many times," he said in the televised address from the White House.

Mr Obama said in his weekly address that Americans need to "come together" to prevent tragedies like the school massacre, one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

"While nothing can take the place of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need - to remind them that we are there for them; that we are praying for them; and that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their own memories, but also in their community, and their country," he said.

"Every parent in America has a heart heavy with hurt.

"We grieve for the families of those we lost. And we keep in our prayers the parents of those who survived. Because as blessed as they are to have their children home, they know that their child's innocence has been torn away far too early."

Mr Obama said the tragedy was all too familiar, after similar deadly shootings at a shopping mall in Oregon, at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and at a cinema in Colorado earlier this year.

He did not give details, but some US politicians called for a serious look at gun control laws, a subject which Mr Obama did not tackle strongly in his first term.

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Newtown Principal Dawn Hochsprung Among Dead

A headteacher and a school psychologist went to the aid of their pupils after hearing gunshots at a Connecticut school, according to reports.

Therapist Diane Day was in a meeting with head Dawn Hochsprung and the school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Friday morning when the gunman began shooting at around 9.30am.

"We were there for about five minutes chatting, and we heard Pop! Pop!, Pop!" Ms Day told The Wall Street Journal.

"I went under the table."

But Ms Hochsprung and the psychologist jumped out of their seats and ran out of the room, Ms Day said.

Ms Hochsprung was confirmed to be among seven adults and 20 children killed during the rampage. The school psychologist was also reported to have been killed.

"They didn't think twice about confronting or seeing what was going on,"  Ms Day said. 

Ms Hochsprung is also believed to have switched on a loudspeaker system in the school to alert students and staff to the danger.

"She was just an amazing woman... the kids loved her. It's a huge loss for our school and our town," said assistant librarian Maryanne Jacobs.

A candlelit vigil was held for the victims

Fourth-grade teacher Theodore Varga said: "You could hear the hysteria that was going on.

"Whoever did that saved a lot of people. Everyone in the school was listening to the terror that was transpiring."

He added that a school caretaker also ran out warning people there was a gunman on the premises.

The masked gunman has been named as 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

Robert Licata, whose six-year-old son was in one of the classrooms when the gunman burst in and opened fire, said he told him the shooter did not say anything.

He said: "That's when my son grabbed a bunch of his friends and ran out the door.

"He was very brave. He waited for his friends."

First-grade teacher Kaitlin Roig barricaded her 15 students inside a tiny bathroom with a bookshelf and told them to be "absolutely quiet".

She told ABC News: "I said, 'there are bad guys out there now. We need to wait for the good guys'.

"They asked, 'Can we go see if anyone is out there? I just want Christmas. I don't want to die, I just want to have Christmas.'"

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Mandela Recovering After Gallstones Removed

Nelson Mandela is recovering from a successful operation to have gallstones removed, the South African government has confirmed.

The 94-year-old former president, who has been in hospital for a week with a lung infection, had the procedure this morning.

"The former president underwent a procedure via endoscopy to have the gallstones removed ... The procedure was successful and Madiba is recovering," the government statement said, referring to Mr Mandela by his clan name.

Mr Mandela was admitted to the 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria on December 8 for tests, which revealed the recurrence of the infection.

Doctors wanted to treat him for this first before carrying out the gallstones procedure, the government said.

Mr Mandela's latest hospital stay has caused growing concern in South Africa, which idolises him as the nation's first democratically-elected president after the apartheid era.

He made his last public appearance when his country hosted the 2010 World Cup football tournament.

In January 2011, he was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests but turned out to be an acute respiratory infection.

The chaos that followed saw the South African military take charge of his care and the government control information about his health.

South African President Jacob Zuma has wished Mr Mandela a "speedy recovery".

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US Shooting: Gunman Forced His Way Into School

The gunman who massacred 26 children and adults in America's worst school shooting forced his way into the building, police say.

Lieutenant Paul Vance told a news conference that the suspect was not voluntarily let into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton.

Authorities say 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot his mother on Friday, drove her car to the school, then shot 20 children and six adults.

After storming through several classrooms, Lanza, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying two handguns, turned one of the guns he was carrying on himself.

Lt Vance confirmed that all of the victims have been positively identified.

The painstaking investigation of the crime scene itself is ongoing, and likely to continue for a further two days, he added.

When asked whether investigators had discovered any emails or notes to suggest the gunman's motive he said "very good evidence" had been recovered.

"Our investigators at the crime scene … did produce some very good evidence in this investigation that our investigators will be able to use in hopefully painting the complete picture as to how and more importantly why this occurred."

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North Korea Rocket: Mass Rally Staged

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have gathered for a government-staged rally to celebrate a long-range rocket launch, state TV has shown.

Below a grey sky and with flags flying high, the huge crowd of soldiers and civilians stood in neat ranks and applauded various speeches from officials.

State media released footage of the launch

Military and party figures praised the country's young leader Kim Jong-Un and hailed the success of Wednesday's launch, which has been condemned by the international community.

Jang Chol, president of the State Academy of Sciences, said: "This was achieved thanks to the Great Marshall Kim Jong-Un's endless loyalty, bravery and wisdom."

North Korea has said the launch was designed to place a satellite in orbit for peaceful research. Critics say it amounted to a banned ballistic missile test.

The communist state is not thought to have a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile, but the launch has been seen by many as an advance in its weapons programme.

South Korea's navy has retrieved rocket debris that fell into sea and it will be studied to determine the North's rocket-launching capabilities.

The rally in Pyongyang came hours after state media published a statement by Mr Kim ordering more launches in spite of global outrage.

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US Missiles And Troops To Protect Turkey

The US is deploying two Patriot missile units along with 400 troops to Turkey as part of a Nato force to protect Turkish territory from potential Syrian attack.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta signed a deployment order on Friday on his way to Turkey from Afghanistan.

The order calls for the American soldiers to operate two batteries of Patriots at undisclosed locations in Turkey.

The move is part of a wider Nato effort to bolster Ankara's air defences amid growing tension on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Germany and the Netherlands are also sending Patriots, which are designed to knock out cruise and ballistic missiles as well as aircraft.

Turkey is a founding member of Nato and requested the help from the alliance after siding with opposition forces battling President Bashar al Assad's regime.

Leon Panetta has been meeting troops and politicians in Afghanistan

The Turkish government has vowed to defend its territory after cross-border artillery fire wounded civilians and one of its fighter jets was  downed.

US and European leaders have warned the Assad regime not to use its arsenal of chemical arms, calling it a "red line" that would trigger international military action.

During a brief stop at Incirlik Air Base Mr Panetta told US troops that Turkey might need the Patriots.

He said he had approved the deployment "so that we can help Turkey have the kind of missile defence it may very well need to deal with the threats coming out of Syria."

Mr Panetta did not reveal how soon the two Patriot batteries will head to Turkey or how long they will stay.

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Russia Journalist Murder: Ex-Policeman Jailed

A former policeman has been jailed for 11 years in a prison camp over the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov admitted tracking Ms Politkovskaya so that she could be assassinated in 2006 and providing the gun to shoot her.

The journalist was well known for her hard-hitting reporting and her criticism of the Kremlin under Vladimir Putin.

Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov admitted tracking Ms Politkovskaya

Ms Politkovskaya was shot dead in the lift of her flat block in Moscow on October 7, 2006.

She was shot twice in the chest, once in the shoulder, and once - at point blank range - in the head.

Ms Politkovskaya made her name with her reports from Chechnya, which became the subject of several books. She won many international awards for her writing, mainly with the Russian newspaper, critical of Putin, Novaya Gazeta.

She published her reporting experiences in the book Putin's Russia, which won global acclaim.

Pavlyuchenkov made a plea bargain with the court which meant he was given a reduced sentence.

He was ordered to pay 3m rubles (£60,500) compensation to Ms Politkovskaya's family. They had asked for 10m rubles (£201,360).

The former policeman was tried separately from five other men accused of the reporter's murder.

Anna Politkovskaya with former spy Alexander Litvinenko before her death

The other defendants include three members of the same Chechen family.

Rustam Makhmudov is accused of firing the shot that killed Ms Politkovskaya, and his brothers Dzhabrail and Ibragim are accused of acting as getaway drivers.

They were tried in 2009 and acquitted but the Russian Supreme Court ordered their retrial.

Meanwhile, Russia has denied any links to the murder of a former spy and Kremlin critic in London in 2006.

It comes after a coroner in London was told that Russia was involved in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich responded by saying: "We hope that as a result of the (legal process) ... all the baseless allegations about some kind of a Russian involvement in this affair will be dispelled once and for all."

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EU Summit: Cameron 'Committed To Saving Euro'

The Prime Minister has made it clear he wants favours in return for signing a deal aimed at increasing economic and monetary union in the European Union.

At the seventh and final EU summit of the year, David Cameron insisted the UK was not in an uncomfortable position, despite refusing to have its banks monitored by a centralised supervisor.

"We did not stand in the way of the eurozone having a banking union ...now there are opportunities for us to seek changes in our (EU) relationship, changes that the British people will be more comfortable with," he said.

"They (the eurozone countries) want to make changes, and we can ask for changes too."

His comments come a day after European finance ministers took a major step towards full banking union by agreeing to create a single supervisor for eurozone banks.

But although the UK will not be subject to the scrutiny - continuing to monitor its own institutions - Mr Cameron insisted that Britain "remains at the heart" of decision making in Europe.

The ECB will oversee all banks in the 17 EU countries that use the euro

"I don't think Britain is in an uncomfortable position at all," he said.

"I think we are in a position where we have opportunities to maximise what we want from our relationship with the European Union.

"The fact is we have a multi-faceted Europe, we have a Europe where countries like Britain are absolutely at the heart of decision making."

Earlier this year, Mr Cameron called for a "new settlement" between the UK and Brussels and on Thursday said his focus was now on getting a "better deal" for Britain.

The banking deal gives the European Central Bank (ECB) oversight for lenders in the 17 EU countries that use the euro - and any other country that wants to opt in.

It also paves the way for Europe's bailout fund to give direct aid to ailing banks - a measure seen as vital to helping the eurozone break free of its debt crisis.

The agreement, which follows months of negotiations, was described by the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, as a "deep and genuine economic and monetary union", which requires "steps towards political union".

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School Shooting In Connecticut, US, Say Police

US state police are responding to reports of a shooting at a school in Connecticut.

A number of people are reported to be injured following the incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Hartford.

Local media says there are unconfirmed reports of multiple victims and two shooters - one who is dead and another who is still at large.

Police told local media that a shooter was in the main office of the school and that a person in one room had "numerous gunshot wounds".

Crying pupils were seen being escorted from the school, which has children aged between five and 10 years old.

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Man Held Over Facebook Child Abuse Video

Police have arrested a mechanic for alleged child abuse after a video of a toddler being hit by his stepdad was put on Facebook.

A 32-year-old suspect was held over the nine-minute video which was first posted by Facebook user Vasu Amaithi Padai on Tuesday, according to the New Straits Times.

The video, which has 44,537 shares, shows the three-year-old being physically abused by his stepfather whilst a baby and another toddler are in the room.

The child is slapped to the ground, held in the air and punched repeatedly and beaten with a various objects.

He is now being treated in a Malaysian hospital and under the supervision of social welfare officers.

Many Facebook users expressed outrage and demanded the police take action against the individual and the video-maker.

Facebook user, Alice Perumal, commented: "Oh my god! It is so cruel! Is this his real father? Who is doing the shooting (the video)? I can't stop crying after watch this ..."

In a statement to the media through their Facebook account, the Royal Malaysian Police confirmed that the man in the footage was the stepfather to the three-year-old toddler, said the newspaper.

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Brazil: Team Quits Final Over 'Gun Threat'

The final of South America's second biggest football competition was abandoned after the away team claimed they were beaten and had guns pulled on them at half-time.

Brazil's Sao Paulo were awarded the Copa Sudamericana after their Argentinian opponents refused to play the second half of the final's second leg, claiming the players feared for their safety.

There were ugly scenes as players fought while leaving the pitch at the end of first half, with the Brazilian side leading 2-0 in front of their home fans.

The referee leaves the field to discuss Tigre's concerns about safety

Things apparently got worse for Tigre during the break, with coaches claiming security personnel entered the changing room and attacked their players with clubs.

Tigre manager Nestor Gorosito briefly returned to the pitch and, referring to unspecified security officials, told reporters: "They pulled two revolvers. We're not going to play any more".

Tense negotiations took place outside the changing room area

While it was unclear what happened in the changing room, Argentine television showed what appeared to be blood stains spattered on walls.

After the break, referee Enrique Osses of Chile awarded the trophy - South America's equivalent of the Europa League - to Sao Paulo after waiting around 30 minutes for Tigre to retake the field.

Tigre's coach Tigre Gorosito told reporters guns were pulled on his team

"Police entered and struck our players with sticks," Gorosito told Argentine television. "It was crazy. What happened was crazy."

Romer Osuna, a Bolivian official with Conmebol, South America's governing body of football, said Tigre players were afraid to carry on with the game.

Earlier, Sao Paulo star Lucas had given the home side the lead

"The Tigre people declined to play because they considered security was not good enough," Osuna told Fox Sports.

Fans at the 72,000 capacity Morumbi stadium celebrated Sao Paulo's first Copa Sudamericana win as if the violence had never happened, but the incident may raise questions about Brazil's ability to host the 2014 World Cup.

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Chef Jamie Oliver Sued In 'Pink Slime' Row

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is among those being sued in the US by a worker laid off by a beef processing firm after "pink slime" was apparently used in fast food and school lunches.

Bruce Smith is one of 750 employees fired earlier this year by Beef Products Incorporated (BPI) following a flood of reports about the substance. He is suing Oliver, ABC News, and blogger Bettina Siegel.

The lawsuit accuses them of "the dissemination of untrue facts and misinformation" about Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) and argues they "engaged in negligent, wilful and reckless behaviour" against BPI.

The process involves heating beef scraps and running them through a centrifuge to separate out fat, then treating the final product with ammonium hydroxide to prevent contamination by e.coli and other pathogens.

The company, which had produced 350,000 tons of the substance each year, insists LFTB is a "significant, safe and reliable source of lean beef meat" and that the ammonium hydroxide is not considered an ingredient.

"Pursuant to USDA and FDA regulations, LFTB was, and is, 100% beef," it said.

Mr Smith, 58, has requested $70,000 (£43,000) in compensation, saying a larger amount may mean the case is transferred out of his Nebraska community and into a US federal court.

A worker in Nebraska feeds offcuts into the processing line

He said he wants the public to understand "how consumer fears and concerns were falsely hyped and manipulated by the traditional and social media, celebrities, politicians and others".

In an episode in April 2011 of his Food Revolution show, Oliver spun beef scraps in a washing machine and doused them with ammonium hydroxide to illustrate the process, referring to the finished product as "pink slime".

"You've just turned dog food into potentially your kids' food," Oliver said at the end of the demonstration, adding "everything about this process to me is about no respect for food, or people, or children".

The following March, Ms Siegel, author of The Lunch Tray blog, launched an online petition to ban LFTB in school lunches, gathering 250,000 signatures. ABC News then ran a series of stories on the substance.

At around the same time, a picture of strawberry-coloured chicken paste was widely circulated on the internet, falsely labelled as LFTB.

ABC News and Oliver could not immediately be reached for comment, but Ms Siegel wrote on her blog that she was confident the constitutional freedom of speech protects her from "meritless attempts at censorship like this one."

She added: "I will vigorously defend my right, and the rights of all of us, to speak out on matters of public importance and to petition the federal government."

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Japan Murder Mystery: Elderly Suspect Dead

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Efforts to solve a string of murders in Japan have been complicated after the main suspect - a grandmother - was found dead.

Miyoko Sumida, 64, was the suspected mastermind behind a series of deaths in Amagasaki in Japan's Hyogo prefecture.

In an extraordinary and hugely complicated case, it is alleged that Sumida and a number of her family members murdered an unspecified number of other family members and acquaintances and concealed their bodies underground and in concrete.

In an investigation which has gripped Japan, she and eight other people including her husband, adopted sons and daughter-in-law were arrested in November 2011 for multiple murders.

She was found dead in her police cell on Wednesday having apparently taken her own life.

According to investigators in the murder case, Sumida built up a complex network of relatives and other acquaintances, who she controlled with violence.

The arrests came following the discovery of the body of 66-year-old Kazuko Oe in a concrete-filled drum at a warehouse in the city of Amagasaki.

In October this year three more bodies were discovered.

Police found them hidden underneath the home belonging to the 88-year-old grandmother of Sumida's daughter-in-law.

Local media reports have identified them as Takashi Tanimoto, 68, Mariko Nakashima, who was the 29-year-old sister of Sumida's daughter-in-law and Mitsue Ando, 71 years-old and the partner of Sumida's older brother.

A fifth body, identified as Jiro Hashimoto, 53, was found in a concrete-filled drum retrieved from the sea in Japan's Okayama prefecture at the end of October.

The sixth body, understood to be that of 88-year-old Nori Minayoshi, was found in a farm shed in early December. Other relatives are still understood to be missing.

Sumida was being held in a cell at the police headquarters in the city of Kobe. She had been placed on suicide watch after repeatedly telling police that she wanted to die.

Police found her in the cell with a long sleeve shirt around her neck. Attempts to revive her failed.

Given the complexity of the relationships between the alleged murderers, accomplices and victims, police had been struggling to piece the crime together.

Sumida's apparent suicide, before her trial, is likely to make the police and prosecution job even harder.

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Town In Chile Struck By 170 Earthquakes

More than 170 tremors have been felt in the coastal town of Navidad in quake-prone Chile in just five weeks.

The strongest - of 5.9 magnitude - struck during a funeral and sent panicked mourners fleeing into the street.

The town, with a population of 5,500, has become one of the shakiest spots on Earth.

Seismologists cannot say whether the recent quakes have been aftershocks from Chile's devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake two years ago - or warnings of another huge disaster to come.

The town's residents, though, have learned to take the quakes in their stride.

Navidad means Christmas in Spanish - and with the festive season in full swing Navidenos have been taking extra precautions to ensure the celebrations pass as smoothly as possible.

Families have taken to decorating their Christmas trees with quakes in mind, wiring ornaments to the branches or taking extra efforts to secure the base.

Some restaurant owners have even switched from bottled beer to cans.

Children at public schools have been practicing drills every day and everyone has been equipped with a 'quake bag' comprising flashlights and food.

"We were born, grew up and were raised with earthquakes," acting Mayor Rodrigo Soto said.

"It seems like the world for the first time has discovered Navidad. Everyone asks us if we're scared and all we can say is that we need to be prepared."

The town has an inadequate tsunami alert system - a siren that sounds like a car alarm and lacks the volume needed to reach all the townspeople. But after so many tremors, he said Navidenos know in their bones when to run.

"People are afraid because in the past weeks it shook so much," said 18-year-old waitress Karen Contreras.

"It's still trembling, but at least people know where to evacuate if it's strong," she added.

The February 2010 quake hit central Chile, killing hundreds of people and wrecking 220,000 homes.

The country suffered 150 strong aftershocks in the immediate days following the disaster, and it was also reported that the initial tremor was so powerful, it may have shifted the Earth's axis and made days slightly shorter.

No-one was killed by the huge quake in Navidad, but some 200 homes were lost or severely damaged, and most households had no power or water for a month.

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North Korea Rapped Over Rocket Launch

Rocket Is Propaganda Coup For Kim

Updated: 8:35am UK, Wednesday 12 December 2012

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

North Korea had two points to prove with its latest rocket launch.

The first was that it had successfully overcome the technical problems that led to the embarrassing failure of an identical launch in April this year.

The second is that the country has indeed put a satellite into space, which would confirm its long-standing claim that all this is about pursuing a peaceful space programme.

It appears to have succeeded with the first point. The rocket remained airborne for a considerable period. It followed the planned and published trajectory and the three "stages" of the rocket separated and fell to the ocean as scheduled.

April's rocket was airborne for barely over a minute before it disintegrated and fell into the sea off South Korea. This time the rocket travelled for about 3,000km (1,864 miles).

The North Koreans claim to have succeeded in putting a satellite being carried by the rocket into orbit.

This is harder for them to prove. On two previous occasions, officials in the North Korean capital Pyongyang have said they have put satellites into space. But international observers including the US and Russia have found no evidence of this.

Pyongyang is yet to provide images of a working satellite being loaded into the rocket and that rocket then being launched. Even if they did, they would then need to prove that the satellite was in orbit. Only then can their claim that this is about pursuing a peaceful space programme begin to stand up.

The US and its allies, including the UK, believe the rocket launch is a straightforward test of North Korea's ballistic missile technology. They say the "space programme" claim is simply a cover.

North Korea has been conducting underground nuclear tests for some time. A combination of those tests with the successful launch and flight of a rocket would give the country somewhat of a credible nuclear deterrent. If it is creating ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear weapons, it could threaten areas as far away as the west coast of the US.

The timing of this launch is very significant. December 19 is the first anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, the father of the current leader Kim Jong-Un. December 19 also marks the presidential election in South Korea and the Japanese parliamentary election is on December 16.

The launch will prompt a wave of propaganda within North Korea. It is designed to solidify the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, who is in his early-30s and hugely inexperienced.

Pyongyang announced an intention to launch this latest rocket earlier this month. It gave a launch window of between December 10 and December 21. Last weekend, it extended that window to December 29 citing technical difficulties. The latest launch therefore caught people somewhat by surprise.

Within North Korea, a closed society with no access to international news, there will have been no announcements of the plan in case it failed again. The first North Koreans would have heard of the launch was this morning in a special broadcast on North Korean state TV.

What can the international community do now? Further sanctions perhaps, but they are unlikely to have much of an effect - North Korea is already among the most sanctioned countries in the world.

Pressure on China will no doubt come. Beijing is North Korea's only real ally. The Chinese leadership expressed concern about this latest launch plan, but only because its priority is stability in the region.

The removal of the Kim regime and a North Korea unified with the South would only add to America's clout in the region.

For Pyongyang's part, this launch will provide a massive boost of confidence. Kim Jong-Un and those behind him may now use this confidence and perceived new status to engage with the West in order to secure much needed economic assistance. The problem is, Western governments will never believe the claim that this is all about a space programme.

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Argentine Sex Slave Trial Clears 13 Accused

Judges have acquitted all the defendants in a high-profile case of an Argentine woman who was allegedly kidnapped and forced into sex slavery a decade ago.

When Maria de los Angeles "Marita" Veron vanished in 2002, her mother, Susana Trimarco, launched a one-woman campaign to find her - and rescued hundreds of women from sex slavery along the way.

Marita Veron, 23, had left to go to a doctor's appointment in their hometown in the northern Argentine province of Tucuman, but she never came back.

After getting little help from police, Ms Trimarco started her own investigation into a tip that Ms Veron was abducted and forced into sex slavery.

Ms Trimarco was the primary witness during the trial

Soon, Ms Trimarco was visiting brothels seeking clues about her daughter and the search took on an additional goal of rescuing sex slaves and helping them start new lives.

Ms Trimarco has been honoured by the US State Department and the Argentine government, and even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize - but she has never found her daughter.

The 13 people on trial - seven men and six women - faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted on charges they abducted Marita Veron and made her work as a prostitute.

The three-judge panel delayed for more than four hours on Tuesday night before reading their unanimous verdict: not guilty of any of the charges.

The courtroom erupted at the news, with the defendants sobbing and spectators shouting expletives.

Politicians for and against Argentina's government tweeted in support of Ms Trimarco, who was honoured with a human rights award from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Sunday night.

Some of defendants react after being cleared

The judges later explained from the bench that despite the testimony of more than 130 witnesses, including a dozen former sex slaves who described brutal conditions in brothels, there was no physical evidence linking any of the defendants to Ms Veron, and no trace of her whereabouts.

"It's absolutely clear that this is an act of corruption," said one of Ms Trimarco's lawyers, Jose D'Antona.

Ms Trimarco was clearly upset but kept her composure as she left the courthouse.

Later, she told Argentina's TN news channel that she will promote an effort to impeach the three judges.

"We won't stop until these three con men are put on trial. These judges today were an embarrassment for Argentina," Ms Trimarco said.

Defence lawyer Hernan Molina defended the judges, however, saying they had done the right thing.

"There wasn't any evidence. The judges can't convict innocent people," he told reporters at the courthouse.

Ms Trimarco (3rd from L) receiving an award from Condoleezza Rice in 2007

The defendants, who were all accused of participating in organised crime in Argentina's provinces, told the judges as the trial wrapped up that they were the victims of a politically charged process.

Maria Jesus Rivero, owner of the car service allegedly used to kidnap Ms Veron, told the judges he had already been effectively convicted by Argentine security minister Nilda Garre, who had asked the judges to set an example by convicting them all.

"There isn't a single piece of evidence that links me to the people accused here, just the declarations of liars. Marita isn't here, and we don't have anything to do with this," Mr Rivero said.

Ms Trimarco was the primary witness during the trial, testifying for six straight days about her search for her daughter.

The road to trial was a long one.

With her husband and granddaughter in tow, Ms Trimarco disguised herself as a recruiter of prostitutes and entered brothel after brothel searching for clues.

A woman holds a photo of Ms Veron at a rally against people trafficking

She soon found herself immersed in the dangerous and grim world of organised crime, gathering evidence against police, politicians and gangsters.

In an interview last week, Ms Trimarco recalled how the very first woman she had rescued taught her to be strong.

"She told me not to let them see me cry, because these shameless people who had my daughter would laugh at me, and at my pain," Ms Trimarco recalled.

"Since then I don't cry anymore. I've made myself strong, and when I feel that a tear might drop, I remember these words."

When Ms Veron disappeared, she had a three-year-old daughter Micaela.

Now 13, Micaela has been by her grandmother's side throughout the year-long trial, contributing to publicity campaigns against human trafficking and keeping her mother's memory alive.

In 2008, the story of Ms Trimarco's search for Marita became the basis of a soap opera, Vidas Robadas (Stolen Lives).

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Mandela Doctors 'Satisfied' With Progress

Ailing Former South African President Nelson Mandela has "made progress during the past 24 hours", according to his doctors.

The 94-year-old is continuing to recover from the lung infection that has kept him in hospital for five days, the government has said.

"Doctors attending to former President Mandela have reported that he has made progress during the past 24 hours and they are satisfied with the way he is responding to treatment," President Jacob Zuma's office said a statement.

Mr Mandela was admitted to the 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria on Saturday for tests, but it was several days before authorities revealed he was ill.

His illness has been causing growing concern in South Africa, a nation of 50 million people that reveres Mr Mandela as the nation's first democratically-elected president after the apartheid era.

In January 2011, he was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests but what turned out to be an acute respiratory infection.

The chaos that followed saw the South African military take charge of his care and the government control information about his health.

Mr Mandela has a history of lung problems. He fell ill with tuberculosis in 1988 toward the tail-end of his prison years.

While doctors said it caused no permanent damage to his lungs, experts say TB can cause problems years later for those infected.

Mr Mandela was a leader in the struggle against apartheid and when he emerged from 27 years in prison in 1990 he won worldwide acclaim for urging reconciliation.

He won South Africa's first truly democratic elections in 1994, serving one five-year term as president before later retiring from public life to live in his home village of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape.

Mr Mandela made his last public appearance when his country hosted the 2010 World Cup football tournament.

He disengaged himself from South Africa's politics over the last decade but continued campaigning against AIDS. He has grown increasing frail in recent years.

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Syria Conflict: Explosion At Interior Ministry

A bomb has struck the interior ministry in Damascus, according to Syrian state TV.

The blast reportedly occurred at the main entrance to the building situated in Kafar Souseh - a battleground for rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

A resident said she head sirens and shouting after a "huge explosion".

More follows...

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Bosnian Serb Commander Jailed For Genocide

A former senior Bosnian Serb Army commander is jailed for life for his role in Europe's worst massacre since World War II.

Judges at the UN court in The Hague said that General Zdravko Tolimir was the "right hand" of Bosnian Serb military chief General Ratko Mladic.

Mladic is considered the chief architect of the murder of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys at the Srebenica enclave in eastern Bosnia in July 1995.

Tolimir, 64, is the latest Serb soldier to be convicted in the bloody Bosnian war between 1992 and 1995, which left around 100,000 dead.

Mladic and his political master Radovan Karadzic are still on trial for overseeing Serb atrocities throughout the war, including the Srebrenica massacre.

Presiding Judge Christoph Fluegge said: "The accused not only had knowledge of genocidal intent of others but also possessed it himself.

"He is therefore responsible for the crime of genocide."

Judge Fluegge added: "The suffering these men went through in the moments leading up to their deaths must have been unbearable.

"On many occasions those waiting to be shot saw others executed."

Tolimir stood, crossed himself three times and removed his glasses, but showed no emotion when he was told he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Before the judgement was read, he told the court: "I wish for these proceedings to be concluded in accordance with God's will."

He was the top Bosnian Serb intelligence officer and a trusted aide of Mladic.

Bosnian Serb forces overran Srebenica in 1995 despite the presence of Dutch UN peacekeepers who - outgunned and outnumbered - put up virtually no resistance.

Women were bussed away from the area before the Muslim men and boys were rounded up, taken to remote locations, executed and their bodies put into mass graves.

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Lottery Winner Murder: Dorice Moore Found Guilty

A woman has been convicted of murdering a lottery winner and then burying his body underneath a concrete slab at her home in central Florida.

Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore showed no emotion as the verdict was read out and the judge sent her to jail for life for shooting dead Abraham Shakespeare, who had won $17m (£10.5m) in 2006. 

Prosecutors said Moore befriended him in late 2008, claiming she was writing a book about how people were taking advantage of him.

They claimed Moore later became Mr Shakespeare's financial adviser but eventually controlled every asset he had left, including an expensive home, the debt owed to him and a $1.5 million (£933k) annuity.

"She got every bit of his money," Assistant State Attorney Jay Pruner said in closing arguments. "He found out about it and threatened to kill her. She killed him first."

The court was told Moore tried to cover up the 43-year-old's death for almost a year, including sending letters and text messages to his family to make it appear he was still alive.

She also allegedly paid a friend to pretend to be Mr Shakespeare, and then call the dead man's mother to say he was okay, but wanted to be left alone.

Dorice Moore showed little emotion in court. Pic: ABC ActionNews

Moore claimed she had been trying to help protect the Lakeland lottery winner's assets from a pending child support case when he was killed by drug dealers.

Her lawyer Byron Hileman argued that there were other potential suspects whom prosecutors refused to consider.

"There were a lot of people who owed Mr Shakespeare a lot of money. One guy owed him a million dollars," he said during his closing arguments.

"The police focused on Dee Dee Moore and they didn't even consider other people."

Moore was briefly banned from the courtroom in Tampa on Monday over concerns that she may have threatened jurors.

She was back a short time later for closing arguments but said she did not want to testify in order to protect her family.

Describing her as  "cold, calculating and cruel, Judge Emmett Battles told Moore that she was probably the most manipulative person the court had ever seen.

"Abraham Shakespeare was your prey and your victim. Money was the root of the evil you brought to Abraham," he said.

Moore has 30 days to appeal against the sentence.

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HSBC To Pay £1.2bn In Money Laundering Case

Record Fine: HSBC's Statement

Updated: 8:39am UK, Tuesday 11 December 2012

HSBC released the following statement after confirming it will pay $1.9bn (£1.2bn) to the US Department of Justice over money-laundering.

HSBC has reached agreement with United States authorities in relation to investigations regarding inadequate compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

This includes a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the US Department of Justice. HSBC has also reached agreement to achieve a global resolution with all other US government agencies that have investigated HSBC's past conduct related to these issues and anticipates finalising an undertaking with the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority shortly.

Under these agreements, HSBC will make payments totaling $1.921bn, continue to cooperate fully with regulatory and law enforcement authorities, and take further action to strengthen its compliance policies and procedures.

Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive, said: "We accept responsibility for our past mistakes. We have said we are profoundly sorry for them, and we do so again. The HSBC of today is a fundamentally different organisation from the one that made those mistakes. Over the last two years, under new senior leadership, we have been taking concrete steps to put right what went wrong and to participate actively with government authorities in bringing to light and addressing these matters.

"While we welcome the clarity that these agreements bring, ensuring the highest standards wherever we do business is an ongoing process. We are committed to protecting the integrity of the global financial system. To this end we will continue to work closely with governments and regulators around the world."

In the past several years, the Board of HSBC Holdings plc has taken decisive action to direct management to fix past shortcomings as they have come to light. Since 2011, with new senior leadership teams in place at both HSBC Group and HSBC North America, HSBC has taken extensive and concerted steps to put in place the highest standards for the future.

The Department of Justice has recognised these efforts in the DPA: "Management has made significant strides in improving 'tone from the top' and ensuring that a culture of compliance permeates the institution. The efforts of management have dramatically improved HSBC Bank USA's and HSBC Group's Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering and Office of Foreign Assets Control compliance programmes."

As noted in the DPA, HSBC Bank USA already has, over the past several years, undertaken the following voluntary remedial measures:

• increased its spending on anti-money laundering (AML) approximately nine-fold between 2009 and 2011;
• increased its AML staffing nearly ten-fold between 2010 and 2012;
• revamped its Know Your Customer programme, including treating non-US HSBC Group Affiliates as third parties subject to the same due diligence as all other customers;
• exited 109 correspondent relationships for risk reasons;
• clawed back bonuses for a number of senior officers, and
• spent over $290m on remedial measures.

HSBC Group has also undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of its structure, controls, and procedures. A number of these improvements is included in the DPA. Among other measures, HSBC Group has:

• simplified its control structure, allowing the Group to manage risks worldwide more effectively;
• elevated the role of Group Compliance and given it direct oversight over every compliance officer globally, so that both accountability and escalation now flow directly to and from HSBC Group Compliance;
• created the new role of Head of Group Financial Crime Compliance and Group Money Laundering Reporting Officer, who will help to establish a Global Financial Intelligence Unit;
• made other new senior hires with extensive experience handling relevant international legal and regulatory issues, including a new Chief Legal Officer and a new Global General Counsel for Litigation and Regulatory Affairs;
• adopted a set of guidelines limiting business in those countries that pose a high financial crime risk;
• issued a new global sanctions policy using a more extensive and consistent set of lists to screen all cross-border payments;
• commenced a review of all Know Your Customer files across the entire Group - the first phase of this remediation will cost an estimated $700m over five years, and
• undertaken to implement single global standards shaped by the highest or most effective anti-money laundering standards available in any location where the HSBC Group operates.

Over the five-year term of the agreement with the Department of Justice, an independent monitor will evaluate HSBC's progress in fully implementing these and other measures it recommends, and will produce regular assessments of the effectiveness of HSBC's compliance function.

The agreement notes that HSBC Bank USA and HSBC Group have "provided valuable assistance to law enforcement." HSBC conducted multiple extensive internal investigations, voluntarily made employees available for interviews, and collected, analysed and organised voluminous evidence and information.

HSBC is firmly committed to putting in place robust standards that will help promote the integrity of the global financial system. 

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Egypt: Masked Gunmen Fire On Cairo Protesters

Masked gunmen have opened fire on opposition protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, peppering them with birdshot and injuring nine of them.

Police cars surrounded the scene of the attack but officials said it was unclear who was responsible, as the unrest in the country heads into its third week.

It happened at the start of another day of protest against President Mohamed Morsi and his proposed new constitution.

According to witnesses, the gunmen also threw petrol bombs which started a small fire.

Tanks have been deployed to protect the presidential palace

John Gerges, a Christian Egyptian, said:  "The masked men came suddenly and attacked the protesters in Tahrir. The attack was meant to deter us and prevent us from protesting today.

"We oppose these terror tactics and will stage the biggest protest possible today."

Further violent clashes are anticipated after Mr Morsi announced on Sunday that he will hold a referendum on the new constitution.

Opponents announced a day of protest saying the move was an empty gesture and that the new charter fails to guarantee basic rights with its emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

A banner in Tahrir Square reads: 'No to constitution'

President Morsi has ordered the Army to cooperate with police to tackle the protesters and protect presidential institutions until after the vote on Saturday.

Tanks and armed troops have surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo since Thursday after running street battles between Mr Morsi's supporters and his opponents, which left seven dead and 700 injured.

Despite their presence they have not confronted the thousands of protesters who have gathered there.

The army took control of the country following the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime but has since sought to remain a neutral force.

Anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace

Mahmoud Ghozlan, the spokesman for Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood party, said the opposition could stage protests but should keep the peace.

"They are free to boycott, participate or say no; they can do what they want. The important thing is that it remains in a peaceful context to preserve the country's safety and security," he said.

The latest outbreak of violence in Egypt has sparked concern among Western leaders. They have criticised Mr Morsi's attempt to adopt sweeping powers, which triggered the protests more than two weeks ago.

He reversed the decision at the weekend but his determination to push through a new and hastily drawn-up constitution has sparked fresh unrest.

If the new charter is rejected in Saturday's vote, Mr Morsi has promised to have a new one produced by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

However, analysts say it is unlikely that the new constitution will not win support in a referendum.

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Nelson Mandela Treated For Lung Infection

Nelson Mandela is responding to medical treatment after suffering a recurrence of a lung infection, the South African government has said.

The 94-year-old former president is spending his fourth day in hospital in Pretoria after being flown there from his home village in a remote part of the Eastern Cape province.

Referring to Mr Mandela by his clan name, the government said in a statement: "Doctors have concluded the tests, and these have revealed a recurrence of a previous lung infection, for which Madiba is receiving appropriate treatment and he is responding to the treatment."

The former president was admitted to hospital on Saturday and is said to have suffered breathing difficulties since 2011.

In an interview late on Monday, Mr Mandela's wife Graca Machel said it was painful to see him growing more frail.

"I mean, this spirit and this sparkle, you see that somehow it's fading," she told eNews Channel Africa

"To see him ageing, it's something also which pains you. You understand and you know it has to happen."

South African President Jacob Zuma has said Mr Mandela is "in good hands" and has thanked the public for their support.

The country's government has asked its citizens to respect the beloved politician's privacy.

Mr Mandela is a national icon of racial reconciliation after he spent 27 years in prison fighting apartheid and became South Africa's first black president in 1994.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner made his last public appearance at the 2010 football World Cup hosted by South Africa.

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Over Half A Million People Flee Syria Conflict

The number of Syrian refugees registered by the United Nations in the Middle East and North Africa has passed half a million, the UN refugee body has said.

But many more have not come forward to seek help, making the number of people fleeing the 20-month-old Syrian conflict even higher, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"According to UNHCR's latest figures for Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and North Africa, 509,559 Syrians are either already registered or in the process of being registered," the agency said in a statement issued in Geneva.

In November, the numbers were rising by 3,200 per day, and close to 1,000 Syrians crossed into Jordan in the past two nights alone, it said.

"They arrived in very bad weather, their clothing soaked, shoes covered in mud," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters, adding they were "fearful, freezing and without proper winter clothing".

Some 3,200 refugees have been crossing into neighbouring countries each day

As fighting rages, an activist group said rebels had taken full control of a sprawling military base near the northern city of Aleppo.

The rebels killed 35 troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad in the offensive, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

More 40,000 people have been killed since the violence started in March 2011.

Diplomatic efforts to end Mr Assad's embattled regime are intensifying.

Rebels have claimed the Sheikh Suleiman base northwest of Aleppo

The United States has designated a militant rebel group with links to al Qaeda - Jabhat al-Nusra, or "the Support Front" in Arabic - a foreign terrorist organisation.

The move, which freezes any assets its members may have in US jurisdictions and bars Americans from providing the group with material support, is largely symbolic.

But US officials hope the penalties will prompt others to take similar action and discourage Syrians from joining.

Washington is also preparing to recognise the newly-formed Syrian Opposition Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The decision is expected to be announced at an international conference on the crisis in Morocco on Wednesday, and is likely to be accompanied by pledges of additional humanitarian and non-lethal logistical support for the opposition.

Britain, France and several Arab countries have already recognised the group.

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Philippines Typhoon: UN Launches Aid Appeal

More than 600 people have now been killed as a result of Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines, which has left millions more without food and shelter.

At least 900 people remain missing, including 300 fishermen as landslides and floods obliterated entire communities in the south of the country.

Civil defence chief Benito Ramos said the fishermen were headed to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and to the Pacific Ocean.

Many of those missing could be among the hundreds of unidentified bodies, many of them bloated beyond recognition, Mr Ramos said.

Typhoon-affected residents scramble to get relief assistance in New Bataan

The United Nations has launched a £40m ($65m) global aid appeal to help the thousands affected.

The UN will provide an immediate aid package as well as long-term support for the southern region of Mindanao which has been hardest hit by Typhoon Bopha.

"Five million people were affected and they need express assistance," Imogen Wall, spokeswoman for the UN, has said.

"Priority needs are food, water and shelter but there's also a big emphasis on helping people's livelihood," she said.

The region will need sustained assistance for at least six months, she added.

A number of villages are still completely cut off and not receiving any aid a week after the typhoon struck.

Nearly 400,000 people have lost their homes and are crowded inside evacuation centres.

Relief workers have reported looting of shops in at least one hard-hit town on Mindanao's east coast. Homeless people without a space in government shelters have been reduced to begging on roadsides.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the typhoon-devastated region on Monday showed the precarious situation survivors face, although the quake was too deep to cause any damage.

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Egypt: Morsi Orders Army In Ahead Of Protests

President Mohamed Morsi has ordered the Egyptian army to "preserve security" and help police tackle protesters ahead of a mass demonstration over the new constitution.

A new decree compels the army to "co-operate" with police, orders it to "protect vital institutions" and gives it powers to make arrests until after a controversial referendum on the constitution on Saturday.

The order, which comes into force today, says: "Armed forces officers participating in missions to preserve security and protect vital state institutions ... all have powers of legal arrest."

The opposition to Mr Morsi has called for another day of protest on Tuesday over the new constitution and further outbreaks of violence are widely anticipated.

Tanks and armed troops have surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo since Thursday following running street battles between Mr Morsi's supporters and his opponents, which left seven dead and 700 injured.

Despite their presence they have not confronted the thousands of protesters who remain gathered there.

The army took control of the country following the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime but has since sought to remain a neutral force.

Tanks have been deployed outside the presidential palace

Mr Morsi attempted to quell the violence in the country on Saturday by surrendering the decree which gave him sweeping new powers and which triggered the recent unrest in the country.

Instead he said there would be a referendum on the new constitution, which opponents claim does not guarantee basic rights to Egyptians with its emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

Opponents rejected the referendum. They view the draft constitution, largely drafted by Mr Morsi's Islamist allies, as undermining human rights, the rights of women, religious minorities, and curtailing the independence of the judiciary.

Mr Morsi has pushed on with the new charter, saying it is necessary to secure democratic reform.

The spokesman for the National Salvation Front opposition, Sameh Ashour, said: "We do not recognise the draft constitution because it does not represent the Egyptian people."

Hundreds have been injured and seven killed in running battles

He said that going ahead with the referendum "in this explosive situation with the threat of the Brothers' militias amounts to the regime abandoning its responsibilities".

The Muslim Brotherhood, Mr Morsi's party, has responded to the call for the new day of protest by organising a rally of support.                  

If the new charter is rejected, Mr Morsi has promised to have a new one drawn up by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

However, analysts say it is unlikely that the new constitution will not win support in a referendum.

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Apple Maps 'Life-Threatening' To Drivers

Police in Australia have warned drivers not to use Apple's map software after a number of people ended up lost in the wilderness in scorching temperatures.

Motorists trying to find the south-eastern town of Mildura became lost after following the map system, which locates it about 43 miles (70km) from its actual position.

One man was stranded for 24 hours in temperatures of up to 46C, and at least three more have had to be rescued, police said.

Tests on the mapping system show that Mildura is incorrectly listed as being in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park.

Mildura police have now issued a warning on their website.

"Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life-threatening issue," it says.

"Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception."

Parts of the park have no water supply or telephone reception

Inspector Simon Clemence told Australia's ABC News that he is concerned people using the Apple Maps app could find themselves in trouble.

"If it was a 45-degree day, someone could actually die," he said.

"It's quite a dangerous situation, so we would be calling for people not to use the new Apple iPhone mapping system if they're travelling from south Australia to Mildura."

Police have contacted Apple in relation to the issue.

Apple dropped Google as its map provider in September with the launch of its iOS 6 software for the iPhone and iPad.

It was panned by users for putting towns and cities in the wrong place and misspelling locations.

Well-known areas such as Westminster and Shepherd's Bush in London were misspelt "Westminister" and "Shepard's Bush".

And search for Chessington in Surrey initially brought up Chessington Tyres Ltd in Plymouth, then Chessington House.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to apologise for the glitches, and the manager who oversaw the software update has also left the company.

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Nobel Peace Prize: EU Leaders Collect Award

European Union leaders pledged to "stand by" the euro as they collected their Nobel Peace Prize in the face of the worst crisis in its 60-year history.

The leaders of European institutions said the single currency was one of the strongest symbols of unity it had.

However, the award comes against a backdrop of an EU riven by divisions over budgets and violent anti-austerity protests.

The EU was awarded the prize for turning Europe "from a continent of war to a continent of peace".

Accepting it, the European Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, said: "Today one of the most visible symbols of our unity is in everyone's hands.

"It is the euro, the currency of our European Union. We will stand by it."

Tensions between the 17 nations that share the euro and those that remain outside the single currency are heightening amid crisis-linked demands to tighten the economic and monetary union.

Making the award, Thorbjoern Jagland, the Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, said: "We are not gathered here today in the belief that the EU is perfect.

Europe's leaders watch the award presentation

"Europe needs to move forward. Safeguard what has been gained. And improve what has been created, enabling us to solve the problems threatening the European community today.

"This is the only way to solve the problems created by the financial crisis, to everyone's benefit."

Based on the will of old enemies France and Germany to reconcile after three bloody wars, the EU has grown from six states to 28 next July, when Croatia becomes the latest of Balkans nations embroiled in conflict only 20 years ago to join the bloc.

A score of EU heads of state and government attended to see the EU president, Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso and European parliament president, Martin Schulz, accept the award.

Speaking from Oslo, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "Today's prize is a tribute to the people of Europe, not an institution.

"For centuries, the idea of Europe and peace was a contradiction in terms.

"The fact that we have not been to war with our neighbours for nearly 70 years now is a testament to the sacrifices of the generations that have gone before us and the hard work since."

However, half a dozen EU leaders snubbed the event, taking place just four days before a key EU summit on monetary union.

Efforts to agree a new EU budget for 2014-2020 last month collapsed amid deep divisions between Europe's leaders.

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Nelson Mandela Faces More Medical Tests

Nelson Mandela is to undergo more medical tests today, the South African government has announced.

A statement from President Jacob Zuma's office said: "Mandela had a good night's rest. The doctors will still conduct further tests today. He is in good hands."

The 94-year-old has been in hospital in Pretoria for three days - and has been receiving military medical care since 2011. The exact nature of his illness has not been revealed.

Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula spoke to journalists after visiting Mr Mandela.

"He's doing very, very well," she said.

"And it is important to keep him in our prayers and also to be as calm as possible and not cause a state of panic because I think that is not what all of us need."

An earlier statement from Mr Zuma's office had said Mr Mandela was receiving care that was "consistent for his age".

Mr Mandela has suffered a series of health problems in the past and underwent seven weeks of radiation therapy for prostate cancer in 2001.

After spending 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule, he became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and served one five-year term.

The Nobel laureate later retired from public life to live in his remote village of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape area, and last made a public appearance when his country hosted the football World Cup in 2010. He has grown increasingly frail in recent years.

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Italy's Silvio Berlusconi Says He Will Run For PM

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said he will run for the office again in next year's general election.

Speaking near the northern city of Milan, the leader of the right-wing People of Freedom party said: "I'm returning sadly to public service.

"And again, I'm doing it out of a sense of responsibility."

Mr Berlusconi, 76, stepped down in disgrace last year as Italy was on the brink of financial disaster.

His resignation paved the way for a government of unelected technocrats led by current PM Mario Monti.

Mr Berlusconi has since been convicted of tax fraud and now faces plunging poll numbers.

He is also on trial on charges of paying for sex with underage prostitute Karima El Mahroug - an allegation he has denied.

But the ever-combative conservative leader was not deterred. "I am running to win," he said. "The campaign is already on."

His centre-right camp has been in disarray recently, weakened by corruption scandals and infighting over who might succeed Mr Berlusconi as leader.

Karima El Mahroug is at the centre of Mr Berlusconi's sex case

Italy is to hold a general election in 2013, though the date has not been set.

Mr Berlusconi has been increasingly critical of the government's austerity measures, and this week his party pulled parliamentary support for Mr Monti's government, increasing the likelihood of a snap election.

It will be the sixth national election that Mr Berlusconi contests since he stepped into politics in the mid-1990s on the back of a business empire that includes the country's largest private broadcaster, publishing interests and a football team, AC Milan.

He has won three times and is already the longest-serving Prime Minister in post-war Italy.

Mr Berlusconi will be up against Pierluigi Bersani of the Democratic Party, who has just won a strong endorsement in primary votes held among centre-left voters across Italy.

Mr Bersani is widely seen as a front-runner, though Mr Berlusconi is a formidable campaigner with a history of comebacks.

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Venezuela: Chavez To Have Surgery In Cuba

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he will have surgery in Cuba after his cancer returned.

The recently re-elected president has also revealed for the first time that if his health worsens, his successor would be Vice President Nicolas Maduro.

"We should guarantee the advance of the Bolivarian Revolution," Mr Chavez said on television, seated at the presidential palace with Mr Maduro and other aides.

The president said that tests had shown a return of "some malignant cells" in the same area where tumours were previously removed.

Referring to his "new battle," he said he would return to Cuba to undergo surgery in the coming days.

The planned surgery will be Mr Chavez's third operation to remove cancerous tissue in about a year and a half.

Mr Chavez celebrated his re-election as president in October 2012

The 58-year-old first underwent cancer surgery for an unspecified type of pelvic cancer in Cuba in June 2011, after an operation for a pelvic abscess earlier in the month found the cancer.

He had another cancer surgery after a tumour appeared in the same area in February 2012. He has also undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Mr Chavez arrived back in Caracas on December 7 after 10 days of medical treatment in Cuba, but until Saturday night had not referred to his health.

His unexplained decision to skip a summit of regional leaders in Brazil on Friday had raised suspicions among many Venezuelans that his health had taken a turn for the worse.

Mr Chavez said that he was requesting permission from lawmakers to travel to Havana and that he hoped to have good news after the surgery.

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Philippines: Storm Hits Days After Typhoon

A storm is set to reach land in northern parts of the Philippines just five days after the year's strongest typhoon killed 540 people in the south.

The country's weather bureau issued storm alerts for northern provinces on the main island of Luzon, as greatly reduced winds of about 35mph changed course back towards land after heading into the South China Sea.

Typhoon Bopha first hit land on Tuesday with winds stronger than Hurricane Sandy that devastated the US East Coast in October.

Residents in typhoon-hit areas on southern Mindanao island have been appealing for food, water and other relief supplies.

Typhoon Bopha devastated the country

On Saturday, President Benigno Aquino declared a state of national calamity in the typhoon-hit areas to control prices of basic commodities and allow local governments to draw special calamity funds for relief operations.

The official death toll rose to 540 people and nearly 850 are still missing, mostly in the Mindanao provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. More than 1,000 were injured and about 370,000 are in temporary shelter areas.

"They have neglected us," said farmer Cresencia Blanco, 57. "They are focused on New Bataan," she added, referring to another town in the valley.

"Since the typhoon struck, we only got a total of four kilos of rice, that's all."

Benito Ramos, executive director of the national disaster agency, said the United States had offered to send transport planes and helicopters to help bring food supplies to remote and isolated areas.

Security forces were sent to guard government warehouses and commercial centres to prevent looting after people raided a rice warehouse in a coastal area in Davao Oriental province.

Humanitarian agencies said some 5.4 million people affected by the typhoon urgently need food, potable water and shelter after Bopha wiped out 90% of houses in the worst-hit towns in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

Donations from the international community have poured in, with US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also ordering the Pacific Command to support relief and rescue operations.

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Egypt: President Morsi Backs Down On Powers

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has annulled a decree he issued last month expanding his powers, an official has said.

But a referendum on a draft constitution would still go ahead as planned on December 15, Islamist politician Selim al Awa added.

He explained that constitutionally President Morsi was unable to change the date, as Mr al Awa spoke to reporters after talks between the President and political leaders.

The two issues -  the decree and the referendum - have been at the heart of anti-Morsi protests that have rocked Egypt in the past two weeks.

But the initial signs are that Mr Morsi's concession will not satisfy an increasingly fierce opposition which is calling for the vote on the new constitution to be cancelled as well.

Overnight, protesters continued to gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which has become a focal point for anti-Morsi activists, and news of the annulled decree sparked no celebrations.

"This will change nothing," said Mohamed Shakir, 50.

"Even if they offered us honey, it would not be enough," added Hisham Ezzat.

Over the past seven days, the demonstrations have left seven people dead and hundreds injured.

Mohamed Morsi is abolishing an unpopular decree

The main opposition bloc, the National Salvation Front, has said it is ready for "serious and objective dialogue" as soon as Mr Morsi met its demands to scrap both the decree and the referendum.

It had rebuffed his offer on Thursday to open talks because he failed to give way on those two points.

On Saturday the Front spoke of the possibility of organising a general strike in protest.

However Islamist groups supportive of Mr Morsi have categorically refused to consider even delaying the constitutional referendum.

Egypt's military has said it will not allow violence and has called on rival political groups in the country to talk.

The controversial decree, issued on November 22, had put the president's decisions beyond judicial review - a measure fiercely denounced as dictatorial by the opposition.

Opposition leaders demanded it be rescinded and the referendum be scrapped before they entered into any dialogue with Mr Morsi to calm a crisis which led to street clashes this week that left seven people dead and hundreds injured.

Egypt's powerful military warned Mr Morsi and the opposition to sit down for talks, otherwise it would take steps to prevent a "disastrous" degradation of the situation.

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Mandela 'Comfortable' In Hospital, Says President

Former South African president Nelson Mandela is "comfortable" in hospital, the country's leader Jacob Zuma has said.

President Zuma visited Mr Mandela at the hospital in Pretoria after the 94-year-old was airlifted to hospital on Saturday.

Mr Mandela is "comfortable and in good care," presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

On Sunday morning worshippers gathered at the Regina Mundi Catholic church in the Soweto area of Johannesburg to pray for him.

The church was a centre of anti-apartheid protests and funerals.

"Yes, it really worries us because he is a great person," churchgoer Shainet Mnkomo said as she left an early morning service.

"He did so many things to the country, he's one of those persons who we remember most."

Mr Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule, became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and served one five-year term.

He later retired from public life to live in his remote village of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape area, and last made a public appearance when his country hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.

US Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton visited Nelson Mandela in August

Many in this country of 50 million people view Mr Mandela, who led the African National Congress to power, as a father figure and an icon of integrity and magnanimity amid the nation's increasingly messy politics.

Inside the church, a stained glass window depicts him, in a grey suit and blue tie, raising his hands to wave at a crowd.

His image stands next to another portraying a man carrying the corpse 13-year-old, Hector Pieterson, who was gunned down by police in the black township of Soweto in June, 1976, as students protested peacefully against the white government.

A statement from Mr Zuma's office announced that Mr Mandela had been admitted to hospital for tests and was receiving medical care "which is consistent for his age".

In February, Mr Mandela spent a night in a hospital for a minor diagnostic surgery to determine the cause of an abdominal complaint.

In January 2011 he was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests but what turned out to be an acute respiratory infection. He was discharged days later.

Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his years in prison. He also had surgery for an enlarged prostate gland in 1985.

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