Shooting At Denver School Near Columbine

A gunman has killed himself after opening fire at a Denver high school near to the site of the Columbine High School massacre.

One 15-year-old student was injured at the Arapahoe High School in Centennial and is in a critical condition, according to authorities.

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson identified the shooter as 18-year-old Karl Halverson Pierson.

Pierson entered the school with a shotgun and was looking for an individual teacher who he identified by name, said Mr Robinson.

Armed police at the school

He added: "The teacher began to understand that he was being looked at and exited the school. One student confronted the armed student and was shot."

Mr Robinson did not elaborate on any possible motive except to say Pierson had had a "confrontation or disagreement" with the teacher.

The teenager was later found with fatal self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Mr Robinson said a possible Molotov cocktail was also found at the scene.

Pupils were led out of the building with their hands in the air by police officers after the shooting, which began at 12.30pm local time. All the schools in the area are on lockdown as a result. 

One student told the Denver Post: "I was scared and shaking." She added that she heard, "bang, bang, bang" and by the third shot was on the ground.

Youngsters told the newspaper they hid in the corners of dark classrooms until police SWAT teams arrived.  

A student is reunited with her father after the shooting

The school is about eight miles (13km) east of Columbine High School in Littleton, where two teenage shooters killed 12 classmates and a teacher before killing themselves in 1999.

Tracy Monroe, who had step-siblings who attended Columbine, was standing outside the high school looking at her phone, reading text messages from her 15-year-old daughter inside.

She said she got the first text from her daughter, Jade Stanton, at 12.41pm. The text read: "There's sirens. It's real. I love you."

A few minutes later, Jade texted "shots were fired in our school".

Ms Monroe rushed to the school and was relieved when Jade texted that a police officer entered her classroom and that she was safe.

Ms Monroe was friends with a teacher killed in the Columbine shooting, Dave Carpenter.

"We didn't think it could happen in Colorado then, either," she said.

Some 2,141 students attend the school, which has 70 classrooms.

The attack comes almost one year after 20 children and six adults were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown.

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Mandela Funeral: Tutu 'Heartbroken At Snub'

Desmond Tutu is said to be "heartbroken" after he was apparently left off the guest list for the funeral of his close friend Nelson Mandela.

The 82-year-old retired archbishop said he received "no indication" he had been invited to the burial service.

He worked closely with the former South African president in his long struggle against apartheid and welcomed Mr Mandela into his home after his fellow campaigner's release from jail.

"Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral," he said.

Contradicting President Jacob Zuma's claim that he was "definitely" on the guest list, Mr Tutu added: "Had I or my office been informed that I would be be welcome, there is no way on Earth that I would have missed it."

The apparent exclusion of the Nobel Peace Prize winner has led to speculation he is being punished for vocal criticism of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

Don Mullan, who travelled from Ireland to South Africa as Mr Tutu's photographer, told Sky News the veteran campaigner is "grieving very, very much" and deserved to be at the event.

"The world needs Desmond Tutu to be here to say goodbye to his old friend," he said.

"This is about Madiba, it's about South Africa and it's about two very important peacemakers saying farewell to each other."

Mr Mullan, who said he will refuse to attend the service in protest against the apparent omission of Mr Tutu, said there was "great confusion" but also "great sadness" at his absence.

"Mr Tutu was the one who kept the flame of freedom alive when Mr Mandela and other campaigners were in prison or in exile," he said.

"He is the one Mr Mandela spent his first night of freedom with and the one he and Graca Machel asked to assist at their wedding."

Zelda la Grange, a former private secretary to Mr Mandela, said South Africa's first black president was "very fond" of the man he affectionately called "The Arch".

"Madiba really adored him," she said. "He respected him, he loved him - there was a very close relationship."

Mr Mandela will be buried in his childhood home of Qutu following South Africa's first state funeral.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Mthatha, as his body was driven towards its final resting place.

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Egypt Sees First Snow Storm In Years

A winter storm has brought snow to Cairo for the first time in decades and has blanketed parts of the Middle East.

Bad weather closed two of the country's Mediterranean ports and two ports on the Red Sea as "several" in inches fell in the Sinai Desert and elsewhere.

Ali Abdelazim, an official at Egypt's meteorological centre, said it was "the first time in very many years" since the last snowfall in the suburbs of Cairo.

Precipitation of any kind is rare in Egypt so the rare sight of snow has been much talked about on social networking sites such as Twitter.

In Syria's contested northern city of Aleppo, soldiers and rebels took a break from fighting as the temperatures on the deserted streets hovered around zero.

"All the fighters are cold and hiding," the activist who uses the pseudonym Abu Raed said.

A man walks through the snow in Jerusalem

The cold weather was part of a storm, dubbed Alexa, which has been pounding much of Lebanon and parts of northern Syria since Wednesday, pushing temperatures below zero in mountainous areas and dumping snow and heavy rains.

The snow has heaped another layer of misery on the already grim existence of many of the more than two million Syrians who have fled the civil war raging in their homeland.

In Lebanon, snow fell on northern and eastern regions where tens of thousands of Syrian refugees are staying, many of them in flimsy plastic tents.

Up to 13cm (5in) have fallen in refugee camps in Lebanon with 8cm (3in) in the wartorn Syrian city of Homs.

Jerusalem was left blanketed by up to 50cm (20in) of snow, forcing police to block access to and from the city as the army was called in to help restore power to more than 35,000 homes.

The city's heaviest snowstorm for 50 years forced Israeli authorities to lift a ban on public transport on the Jewish Sabbath - Saturday.

The unusually large fall allowed children to build snowmen but left elderly residents shivering.

John Kerry and Benjamin Netanyahu look out at snow-covered city Jerusalem

The weather even featured in talks between visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Kerry, a former Massachusetts senator, said the snow in Jerusalem made him feel "at home".

"I have heard of making guests welcome and feeling at home. This is about as far as I've ever seen anything go ... giving me a New England snowstorm."

In the West Bank and Gaza, UN relief teams offered emergency services to the worst-hit communities.

In Gaza, which was experiencing its first snow in a decade, more than 500 people were evacuated from their homes, according to Hamas spokesman Ihab Ghussein.

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Iran Claims 'MI6 Spy' On Trial After Capture

Iran says it has arrested a "spy" accused of working for the British secret intelligence service.

A court official said the man had confessed to his alleged crimes and was on trial.

He was detained in the town of Kerman in southeast Iran after authorities spent months tracking him down, the semi-official ISNA news agency said.

The suspect is accused of meeting four British intelligence operatives and giving them information.

Dadkhoda Salari, head of the Kerman revolutionary court, said: "Through the efforts of Iranian security forces, an MI6 spy has been arrested.

"He has met British intelligence officers in person 11 times, both inside the country and abroad, and provided them with intelligence."

It has not been suggested the alleged spy is a Briton, and Tehran has a history of announcing the arrest of people it claims are spying without releasing more details.

But the news is potentially embarrassing at a time when diplomatic relations between the UK and Iran had been improving after a two-year freeze.

On Friday, Iran's new envoy to Britain, Hassan Habibollah-Zadeh, held talks in London on his first visit since his appointment in November.

And a British diplomat, non-resident charge d'affaires Ajay Sharma, said he had "detailed and constructive discussions" about the UK's relationship with Iran during talks earlier this month.

He visited the site of the UK's embassy in the Iranian capital to assess the damage caused when it was ransacked by a mob in 2011, an incident which prompted the Government to pull its staff out of the country.

The thaw in relations between Tehran and the international community has also seen a deal reached over its nuclear programme.

Responding to the reported arrest a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We don't comment on intelligence matters."

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Mandela Funeral: Mourners Angry At Procession

Tribal Traditions At Mandela Burial

Updated: 11:05am UK, Saturday 14 December 2013

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Qunu

He is Qunu's most famous son and the return of Nelson Mandela's body to his ancestral homeland is not just for sentimental reasons - it is part of Xhosa tradition that those who pass away are returned to the soil from where they came.

This weekend sees a stark shift in tempo, organisation and ceremony as the state funeral meshes with the centuries-old traditions of Mr Mandela's countrymen and women in the rural Eastern Cape.

"We feel very represented by Nelson Mandela," Mandisi Tshaka, a young Xhosa man, resplendent in his traditional robes and big beaded necklace, told me.

"Everyone in the world knows the Xhosa tribe because of him and we're saluting him."

The South African government has announced the former president's state funeral is a "first for the country" and means full military ceremonial honours will be laid on and led by the armed forces.

There will be 21-gun salutes and a fly-over by the South African Air Force.

But there is a strong importance being put on performing the Xhosa rites as Mr Mandela is laid to rest.

There will be a ritual slaughtering of an ox in the early hours before receiving his body at Mthatha airport in the Eastern Cape.

The AbaThembu king, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, is expected to lead a group of traditional leaders as well as Mandela elders in welcoming him home to the village of Qunu, where he spent much of his childhood.

Xhosa custom dictates a welcome ritual is performed to ensure the ancestors are informed of the arrival of Mr Mandela's remains.

Mr Mandela will be called on by his praise name Dlibhunga and the AbaThembu king will shout this three times as he greets the body when he arrives home.

Despite the pomp and ceremony of the state funeral, there will be equal, if not more, importance put on the traditional Xhosa burial rituals to ensure the man they call Madiba has an easy transition into the afterworld.

The Xhosa king, Zwelonke Sigcau, told Sky News: "The Xhosa people believe Nelson Mandela is not leaving us. It is just his body which is going into the ground. His spirit will remain."

In the African culture many believe a dead person's spirit lives on beyond death and joins other ancestors who guide, help and protect the living.

It is a belief which greatly helps alleviate the pain felt by the loss of a loved one - and Mr Mandela may assume even greater importance amongst his people because of his exalted status as a spiritual ancestor now.

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North Korea Purge Sparks China And US Concern

The Rise Of Jang Song-Thaek

Updated: 10:52am UK, Friday 13 December 2013

While hereditary leader Kim Jong-Un is the unquestioned ruler of North Korea, his uncle Jang Song-Thaek was thought to be the country's second most powerful figure.

The 67-year-old had occupied a privileged and yet precarious spot within the inner circle, and his ties to Mr Kim were more than political.

He was the son-in-law of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung, and was married to Mr Kim's aunt, Kim Kyong-Hui, the younger sister of the former leader, Kim Jong-Il.

A native of the far northeastern border city of Chongjin who hailed from humble roots but was sharp enough to gain entry to prestigious Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, he rose from municipal bureaucrat to vice chairman of the National Defence Commission and member of the Political Bureau.

These posts put him second in power only to Mr Kim.

He started his career as instructor for the Pyongyang City Committee of the Workers' Party, and rose post-by-post reaching the top ranks.

Despite not being a career military man, he was made a four-star general, and helped engineer a campaign to bring the once-powerful military into the party's fold.

He was purged and sent to a labour camp for two years in the mid-2000s, according to Kim Young-soo, a North Korea expert at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. That purge was widely seen as a move to clip his wings.

It was after Kim Jong-Il's stroke in 2008 that he was assumed to be serving in a regency role while the young heir Mr Kim, then in his late 20s, was being groomed to succeed his father.

Gen Jang would accompany Mr Kim on guidance trips, often dressed in a trim white general's uniform and standing within arm's length of the young heir on field visits and at state events.

That rise to the inner circle gained speed after Kim Jong Il's death from a heart attack in December 2011.

A well-travelled diplomat with a network that spread to China, Gen Jang was considered the chief architect of economic policy that focused on partnering with the neighbour and ally.

He had recently added a new title to his portfolio - chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission - one of Mr Kim's pet projects. Mr Kim is a basketball fan and famously invited US basketball star Dennis Rodman for a rare official visit to the country.

Last seen publicly in early November meeting a sports delegation from Japan, rumours of Gen Jang's dismissal began surfacing in Seoul last week.

On Sunday, he was fired from all posts at a special party meeting and dragged away by the arms by soldiers - his ordeal broadcast on North Korean television.

Four days after his dramatic public arrest, Gen Jang was tried for treason by a special military tribunal.

On Friday, North Korea's official news agency KCNA announced he had been executed. He confessed, according to state media.

He was described as "a traitor to the nation" and "worse than a dog".

The list of crimes against Gen Jang was long, with plotting to overthrow the leadership the most serious of the allegations.

Subsequently, pictures showing both Mr Kim and Gen Jang were doctored to remove the uncle - a technique notoriously used by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in the 1930s.

Gen Jang's demise offers an intriguing and revealing glimpse into the murky, feudalistic world of politics in the secretive country.

The fall from grace, accompanied by allegations from corruption to womanising and capped by his arrest at the party meeting on Sunday, has suggested to some analysts that Mr Kim is still trying to consolidate the power he inherited from his father two years ago.

For North Koreans, the shocking public humiliation of a man seen as a father figure to Mr Kim was designed to send a clear message about the intolerance of opposition in a totalitarian state that demands absolute loyalty to the leader.

It was a humiliating end to a complicated career.

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North Korea Executes Leader's 'Traitor' Uncle

The Rise Of Jang Song-Thaek

Updated: 10:52am UK, Friday 13 December 2013

While hereditary leader Kim Jong-Un is the unquestioned ruler of North Korea, his uncle Jang Song-Thaek was thought to be the country's second most powerful figure.

The 67-year-old had occupied a privileged and yet precarious spot within the inner circle, and his ties to Mr Kim were more than political.

He was the son-in-law of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung, and was married to Mr Kim's aunt, Kim Kyong-Hui, the younger sister of the former leader, Kim Jong-Il.

A native of the far northeastern border city of Chongjin who hailed from humble roots but was sharp enough to gain entry to prestigious Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, he rose from municipal bureaucrat to vice chairman of the National Defence Commission and member of the Political Bureau.

These posts put him second in power only to Mr Kim.

He started his career as instructor for the Pyongyang City Committee of the Workers' Party, and rose post-by-post reaching the top ranks.

Despite not being a career military man, he was made a four-star general, and helped engineer a campaign to bring the once-powerful military into the party's fold.

He was purged and sent to a labour camp for two years in the mid-2000s, according to Kim Young-soo, a North Korea expert at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. That purge was widely seen as a move to clip his wings.

It was after Kim Jong-Il's stroke in 2008 that he was assumed to be serving in a regency role while the young heir Mr Kim, then in his late 20s, was being groomed to succeed his father.

Gen Jang would accompany Mr Kim on guidance trips, often dressed in a trim white general's uniform and standing within arm's length of the young heir on field visits and at state events.

That rise to the inner circle gained speed after Kim Jong Il's death from a heart attack in December 2011.

A well-travelled diplomat with a network that spread to China, Gen Jang was considered the chief architect of economic policy that focused on partnering with the neighbour and ally.

He had recently added a new title to his portfolio - chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission - one of Mr Kim's pet projects. Mr Kim is a basketball fan and famously invited US basketball star Dennis Rodman for a rare official visit to the country.

Last seen publicly in early November meeting a sports delegation from Japan, rumours of Gen Jang's dismissal began surfacing in Seoul last week.

On Sunday, he was fired from all posts at a special party meeting and dragged away by the arms by soldiers - his ordeal broadcast on North Korean television.

Four days after his dramatic public arrest, Gen Jang was tried for treason by a special military tribunal.

On Friday, North Korea's official news agency KCNA announced he had been executed. He confessed, according to state media.

He was described as "a traitor to the nation" and "worse than a dog".

The list of crimes against Gen Jang was long, with plotting to overthrow the leadership the most serious of the allegations.

Subsequently, pictures showing both Mr Kim and Gen Jang were doctored to remove the uncle - a technique notoriously used by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in the 1930s.

Gen Jang's demise offers an intriguing and revealing glimpse into the murky, feudalistic world of politics in the secretive country.

The fall from grace, accompanied by allegations from corruption to womanising and capped by his arrest at the party meeting on Sunday, has suggested to some analysts that Mr Kim is still trying to consolidate the power he inherited from his father two years ago.

For North Koreans, the shocking public humiliation of a man seen as a father figure to Mr Kim was designed to send a clear message about the intolerance of opposition in a totalitarian state that demands absolute loyalty to the leader.

It was a humiliating end to a complicated career.

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Bangladesh Execution Leads To Violent Clashes

At least four people have been killed in violent clashes following the execution of Islamist leader Abdul Quader Mollah for war crimes committed more than four decades ago.

The decision to hang Mollah, dubbed the 'Butcher of Mirpur' in Bangladesh for his part in hundreds of killings during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, drew widespread condemnation from political allies and international human rights groups.

But many people celebrated the first ever execution of a Bangladesh war criminal, which took place at the Dhaka Central Jail in the capital late on Thursday.

Mollah, a senior figure in the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, was buried in the early hours of Friday in his home village in the southern district of Faridpur.

In the latest violence, his supporters set fire to vehicles and houses, looted shops, set off crude bombs and blocked roads in several parts of the country.

Describing the violence in Dhaka, resident Mohammad Khokon said: "They (the protesters) came with boxes full of bombs and they wore helmets and started throwing many handmade bombs on the street and ran away."

Police said two people were hacked to death in Satkhira, in the southwest, early on Friday.

One person died in clashes with police in the southern district of Noakhali, and a driver was killed after being chased down by protesters.

Mollah's execution has added to tensions that were already running high, threatening to cripple Bangladesh's economy, most notably its £13.5bn clothing industry.

There has been almost daily unrest in the poverty-stricken country of 160 million people since last month's announcement of parliamentary elections on January 5.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League are determined to go ahead with the vote, but the opposition says it will not participate unless an interim government is installed and she steps down.

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Ireland Bailout Exit 'Not End Of The Road'

Ireland's finance minister has warned of continuing pain ahead as the country prepares to officially exit its bailout.

At a news conference in Dublin ahead of Sunday's milestone, Michael Noonan told reporters "this isn't the end of the road" but pledged there would never be a repeat of its financial collapse because of the measures taken to prevent such a crisis.

He acknowledged the sacrifices made and losses suffered by ordinary people since the nation went cap-in-hand to the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a €85bn rescue package in 2010.

He said: "The real heroes and heroines of the story are the Irish people.

"They have had their taxes increased, they have had their services cut drastically - some of them including public servants have had very serious pay cuts.

"Everybody has had cuts in their pensions as well. But they have continued to support the government."

Mr Noonan said those who had suffered the most were the hundreds of thousands who lost their jobs and homes.

Cutbacks and tax rises led to protests as the Celtic Tiger economy crashed

More than 200,000 people were forced to emigrate in the wake of the collapse of the Celtic Tiger economy - brought about by the bursting of Ireland's property bubble which crippled the banking sector.

The country will officially exit the bailout programme on December 15, allowing it to properly re-enter the money markets after raising just €5bn in the past year.

The money it was loaned by the so-called troika - made up of the IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission - will start to be paid off in 2014.

Mr Noonan was speaking on the day the European Commission released its final tranche of bailout funding to the country while the IMF was to follow suit.

Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso congratulated the Irish government and people for the achievement.

"Thanks to their efforts and sacrifices, Ireland will now be able to finance itself through its own efforts," Mr Barroso said.

"Today's result would not have been possible without the solidarity and significant financial support of the other EU member states." Those countries also include the UK, as it provided separate bilateral loans.

Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said the bailout exit would give "much greater control over our own destiny into the future" but he cautioned there would be no spending spree.

Both he and Mr Noonan warned there will be no cause for the country to "go mad" on Monday following the exit, insisting the government will have to remain committed to making "prudent" economic and social decisions.

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Russian PM Weighs In Over Ukraine's EU Row

Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said Ukraine must overcome a "tectonic split" in the country that threatens the existence of the state.

Speaking at a meeting with his Belarussian counterpart, Mr Medvedev said the appearance of European politicians at protests in Kiev was "crude interference" in Ukraine's internal affairs.

His comments came as Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych held talks with opposition leaders including former boxer Vitali Klitschko, who has been a visible presence at protests in recent weeks.

Police have become more violent towards protesters

Before the meeting, Mr Yanukovych proposed an amnesty for all protesters facing criminal charges in the country's wave of massive anti-government demonstrations.

"There should be an amnesty, in order to give guarantees that the process of confrontation will stop," Yanukovych said.

"I am outraged by the radical actions on both sides ... from the side of provocateurs and from the side of the security forces, which have not always behaved properly."

There have been angry scenes in Independence Square

The proposed amnesty could be a sizeable step toward resolving the conflict that has threatened the president's leadership.

The protests began on November 21 after he refused to sign a landmark deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Demonstrators are continuing their protests against the government's decision, setting up an extensive tent camp in Independence Square where they gather around the clock.

Mr Klitschko meets protesters earlier this month

The row between government and opposition parties has seen clashes involving tens of thousands of demonstrators and riot police protecting the government.

Deputy PM Sergiy Arbuzov insists the government intends to sign the treaty with the EU, but he says are issues that still need to be worked out.

The US has threatened sanctions unless police stop their actions

Opposition parties accuse the government of bowing to pressure from Russia's President Vladimir Putin who, they say, is against Ukraine getting close to the EU.

Experts had earlier said time was running out for Mr Yanukovych to make a decision on a future direction for his politically volatile nation, which is split between a Ukrainian-speaking, pro-EU west and a Russian-speaking, Moscow-leaning east.

A pro-EU protester walks a fine line near riot police earlier in the week

His choices are to either sign a deal with the EU that would put his ex-Soviet nation on track to eventually joining the bloc, or join a Moscow-led Customs Union, which Russia sees as a future alternative to the EU.

The 46 million-people is deeply divided over the EU deal.

Many people in eastern Ukraine, the country's rural heartland, are against the protesters in Kiev and want the country to have closer economic ties with Russia.             

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Newlywed Denies Pushing Husband Off Cliff

The trial of a newlywed accused of murdering her husband has heard she told the FBI: "I pushed him and I took off."

The statement from Montana woman Jordan Graham, 22, was taken from a recording made by an FBI agent in Kalispell, where the couple lived, days after her husband's body was found in Glacier National Park.

Graham is charged with both the first-degree murder and second-degree murder of her 25-year-old husband on July 7 this year. She is also accused of lying to authorities by originally saying Mr Johnson had driven off with friends.

His body was found in the park on July 11. He had an eight-inch fracture on his forehead and was not wearing a wedding ring.

Graham initially said Mr Johnson disappeared after leaving with friends.

She later told federal investigators they had argued and he accidentally fell off a cliff when she tried to remove his hand from her arm.

Prosecutors say Mr Johnson was head over heels in love with his new wife, but she was having second thoughts.

Jurors were shown dozens of text messages between Graham and her friend Kimberly Martinez that documented Graham's emotional spiral from excitement about her wedding to despair about being married.

Cody Johnson's body was found in Glacier National Park

Prosecutors say Graham knew where the body was because she deliberately pushed Mr Johnson during a row. Her lawyer maintains her husband's death was an accident.

He said Graham had lied about the accident because she thought nobody would believe her.

Friends of the accused revealed she showed little emotion when her husband's body was found.

Cecilia Lewellen said Graham had climbed a steep slope below the road from where her husband fell and called out that she had spotted his body in a ravine.

Another friend, Hannah Sherrill, said Graham remarked that now a funeral could be held and "the cops can be out of it".

Meanwhile, the defendant's teenage brother cried while in the witness box when asked to describe his feelings toward her.

Michael Rutledge said he was angry with his sister because she had lied about her husband's disappearance, and kept on lying to cover it up.

The 16-year-old was with her when she led police to Mr Johnson's body. He said his sister told him to say it had been discovered by park rangers.

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Australia: Details Emerge Of Farm Incest Case

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A dozen children, some unable to read or write or brush their teeth, have been removed from a remote farm in Australia after suffering years of sexual abuse and incest.

The victims, all aged under 16, had been living in a group of around 40 people in New South Wales (NSW).

Social workers responded in July 2012 to complaints that the children were failing to attend school and that when they did attend, they were thin, dirty and suffering from a lack of even basic hygiene.

Genetic testing revealed only one of the removed children had parents who were not related.

The testing also revealed a range of disabilities among the children including deafness and blindness.

They also displayed sexualised behaviour towards one another and strangers, and had disturbing stories of sexual acts in the commune involving children.

Some were unable to wash themselves, use a toilet or brush their teeth. Others had developmental issues, were malnourished and unable to read or write.

The NSW Children's Court took the rare step of publishing its judgement - originally made in September - this week, saying "there is no realistic possibility of restoration of any of the children" to their parents.

Court documents said the victims were either developmentally delayed or cognitively impaired, with seven of the group "unable to speak intelligibly".

One child had died when she was two months old due to a genetic condition.

The commune lived in "very dirty and hazardous" conditions in two caravans, two sheds and two tents without running water or sewage.

Evidence pointed to "inter-generational incestuous relationships and intra-familial sexual abuse", the judgement said.

The children were ordered to remain in state care until they are 18 years old.

The abuse is believed to have taken place over three generations, with the victims later becoming abusers.

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Govt Admits Mistake Over Mandela Signer

Hiring a sign language interpreter who claims to have had a schizophrenic episode while translating at the Mandela memorial was a mistake, the government has said.

Thamsanqa Jantjie, who was criticised for apparently making "meaningless gestures" while interpreting the speeches of world leaders on stage, said he takes medication for the condition.

Mr Jantjie says he started hearing voices and hallucinating

He said he did not know whether it was the scale of the event or the happiness he felt about being involved that triggered the episode.

The 34-year-old, who was pictured signing next to the likes of US President Barack Obama, claimed he suddenly lost concentration and started hearing voices and hallucinating.

He also had visions of angels coming into the stadium and was trying not to panic because there were "armed policemen around me".

Mr Jantjie said the episode impaired his ability to hear things properly and interpret what was being said, but he did not feel able to leave so continued to sign words and phrases that did not make sense.

He apologised and was quoted by South Africa's Star newspaper as saying: "There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation.

"I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry, it's the situation I found myself in.

"Life is unfair. This illness is unfair. Anyone who doesn't understand this illness will think that I'm just making this up."

The interpreter pictured next to President Barack Obama

Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, deputy minister of women, children and people with disabilities, accepted the government had made a mistake and apologised to deaf people around the world.

She said an investigation into how Mr Jantjie came to be hired was under way - but said the owners of the company which provided his services had "vanished into thin air".

A statement from the African National Congress confirmed that the party had "utilised the services" of Mr Jantjie in the past, but added that he was hired by the government for the memorial service.

"The processes that were followed to procure Mr Jantjie's services were thus government processes and not ANC processes," the statement said.

"Because of this, the African National Congress is not in a position to offer a view on how his services were secured by government.

"It is important to make the point that ... the African National Congress had not been aware of any complaints regarding the quality of services, qualifications or reported illnesses of Mr Jantjie."

Mr Jantjie has been called an 'embarrassment'

Concerns over the interpreter had been raised by deaf people watching the service at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium.

Bruno Druchen, the national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, said he "was moving his hands around but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for".

South African parliament member Wilma Newhoudt, a member of the ruling party, also said the interpreter communicated nothing with his hand and arm movements.

Both Mr Druchen and Ms Newhoudt are deaf.

Three sign language experts said the man was not signing in South African or American sign languages.

South African sign language covers all of the country's 11 official languages, according to the federation.

Nicole Du Toit, an official sign language interpreter who also watched the broadcast, said the man on stage was an "embarrassment".

Mr Jantjie, who was accused of being an imposter, which led to security concerns, claims he is a genuine interpreter and a "champion of sign language" who was paid 850 Rand (£50) for one day's work.

Asked about his interpreting skills, he said: "It is very sad at this present moment because I believe that it was an issue that had to be dealt with earlier.

"If the Deaf Federation of South Africa​ have an issue with my interpreting they should have clarified it a long time ago, not at this crucial time for our country."

He says he has photographs of him working next to various people including President Jacob Zuma in the past.

He said felt honoured to be part of the historic event on Tuesday, but the president's office has contacted him to find out who recommended him for the job.

Meanwhile, the South African government has said it will not release photographs of Mr Mandela lying in state, and has urged people to avoid a picture posted on the internet which purports to show his body.

An official statement said: "If this content exists, government calls on people not to view it and to delete it from their timelines."

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Kenya: Grenade Thrown At British Tourists

Attackers hurled a grenade at British tourists in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, but it failed to explode.

Mombasa's police chief Robert Kitur told the AFP news agency: "The grenade was detonated safely by experts.

"We are investigating the incident and looking for the man who threw the grenade at the tourists and fled."

The tourists, who were in a vehicle in the Likoni district, were travelling from the popular Indian Ocean resort of Diani on the way to a wildlife safari at the Masai Mara national park.

Tourism is a key source of foreign currency for Kenya.

The British High Commission in Kenya said it had "heard the reports and was investigating", but gave no further details.

Kenya has seen a wave of grenade attacks since it invaded southern Somalia in October 2011 to try to oust al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents. 

Explosives have been thrown into restaurants in Mombasa and crowded areas in the capital Nairobi, and there has been a string of attacks in the remote northeast region bordering Somalia.

Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the assault on Nairobi's Westgate mall in September, in which at least 67 people died during a four-day siege.

In September 2011 gunmen killed Briton David Tebbutt and kidnapped his wife Judith. She was held for six months before being freed.

Three weeks later, disabled Frenchwoman Marie Dedieu was kidnapped from her home on Kenya's Manda island and later died in captivity in Somalia.

Mombasa police say they have strengthened security.

Mr Kitur said: "We are appealing to everybody to exercise caution, especially over this festive season, and to share information with security agencies to win the war on terror.

"We have intensified security at tourist hotels and other vital installations to avert terrorism attacks."

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Golden Globes Nominations Revealed

Golden Globes Nominations List

Updated: 3:45pm UK, Thursday 12 December 2013

Here is the full list of nominations for the 71st annual Golden Globes announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:

:: Best Motion Picture - Drama

12 Years A Slave; Captain Phillips; Gravity; Philomena; Rush

:: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

American Hustle; Her; Inside Llewyn Davis; Nebraska; The Wolf Of Wall Street

:: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave; Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom; Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips; Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club; Robert Redford, All Is Lost

:: Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

Cate Blanchett,  Blue Jasmine; Sandra Bullock, Gravity; Judi Dench, Philomena; Emma Thompson, Saving Mr Banks; Kate Winslet, Labor Day

:: Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Christian Bale,  American Hustle; Bruce Dern, Nebraska; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street; Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis; Joaquin Phoenix, Her

:: Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Amy Adams, American Hustle; Julie Delpy, Before Midnight; Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said; Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

:: Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips; Daniel Bruhl, Rush; Bradley Cooper, American Hustle; Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave; Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

:: Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine; Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle;  Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years A Slave; Julia Roberts, August: Osage County; June Squibb, Nebraska

:: Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity; Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips; Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave; Alexander Payne, Nebraska; David O Russell, American Hustle

:: Best TV Series - Drama

Breaking Bad; Downton Abbey; The Good Wife; House of Cards; Masters of Sex.

:: Best TV Series - Comedy

The Big Bang Theory; Brooklyn 99; Girls; Modern Family; Parks and Recreation

:: Best TV Movie or Mini-Series

American Horror Story: Coven; Behind the Candelabra; Dancing on the Edge; Top of the Lake; The White Queen

:: Best Foreign Language Film

Blue is the Warmest Color; The Great Beauty; The Hunt; The Past; The Wind Rises

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Brazil: Football Fans In Violent Clashes

At least three people have been seriously injured after a fight in the stands at a football match in Brazil.

Riot police fired rubber bullets to stop hundreds of supporters charging each other, before a helicopter landed on the pitch to airlift those hurt to hospital.

Play was halted for more than an hour in the Brazilian championship match between Atletico Paranaense and relegation-threatened Vasco da Gama.

Television pictures from the southern city of Joinville showed at least two fans being kicked and stamped on by a mob of rival supporters.

At one point, a group of around 20 Paranaense fans could be seen kicking a man who was lying on the ground.

A Paranaense fan was attacked in a similar manner by Vasco supporters, with one stamping on his neck and head, even though he already appeared to be unconscious.

There were no police inside the stadium at kick-off as a private security firm was being used, and pictures showed rival fans in the half-empty venue were not segregated.

A fan is attacked by rival supporters

Before the match resumed, Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Alessandro told Brazilian television: "For a country that is hosting the World Cup next year this is very sad.

"The stadium isn't safe. We're a bit worried."

The game was held in the small Arena Joinville because Paranaense's ground is being modernised to host four matches in the World Cup.

Reports in Brazil said the three people taken to hospital were in a serious, but not life-threatening condition.

Paranaense, who were ahead 1-0 at the time, went on to win 5-1, condemning former South American champions Vasco to relegation.

Paranaense finished third to qualify for next year's Libertadores Cup.

The incidents completely overshadowed the rest of the final day of the Brazilian championship during which Vasco's Rio de Janeiro neighbours Fluminense were also relegated.

They became the first defending champions to be relegated the following season, despite a 2-1 win over Bahia in their final game.

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Thai Prime Minister To Dissolve Parliament

Thailand's Prime Minister has said she will dissolve parliament and hold an election, following a wave of anti-government protests.

Yingluck Shinawatra had said an election would be held "as soon as possible" - before the country's ruling party announced she would be a candidate in the vote.

Jarupong Ruangsuwan, head of Ms Yingluck's Puea Thai Party, said: "She will definitely run as she has worked with the party all along.

Protesters want to oust Ms Yingluck and eradicate her brother's influence

"We dissolved parliament because we are confident.

"We want the Democrat Party to take part in elections and not to play street games."

The vote will probably be held on February 2 next year, an Election Commission official said.

Ms Yingluck said in a nationally televised speech: "After consultation with many parties, I have submitted a royal decree requesting parliament be dissolved.

Thousands marched on Bangkok's Government House

"At this stage, when there are many people opposed to the government from many groups, the best way is to give back the power to the Thai people and hold an election.

"So the Thai people will decide."

The announcement came as Democratic Party politicians resigned from parliament over what it called "the illegitimacy" of the elected government.

The leader of the anti-government protesters, Suthep Thaugsuban, had called for a final demonstration today in an attempt to force Ms Yingluck out.

Mr Suthep said he would continue with the demonstration despite Ms Yingluck's dissolving of parliament and the promise of an early general election.

"Today we will continue our march to Government House," he said.

The protests have left five people dead

"We have not yet reached our goal. The dissolving of parliament is not our aim."

He has repeatedly said he does not want a new election, but some form of unelected "people's council" to run the country.

Protesters have been on the streets of the capital Bangkok for weeks, vowing to oust Ms Yingluck and eradicate the influence of her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The demonstrations are the latest eruption in nearly a decade of rivalry between forces aligned with the Bangkok-based establishment and those who support Mr Thaksin.

During recent days, tensions have been raised during street clashes where police have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against rock-throwing demonstrators.

The unrest has left five people dead and more than 200 injured in Bangkok.

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Central African Republic: France's Ultimatum

The French military may be back in force in the Central African Republic (CAR) but French influence has been present since the former colony became independent in 1960.

That influence is why Michel Djotodia's rule as interim president may not last through to its scheduled term in 2015.

Mr Djotodia seized power in March with the help of gangs of mostly Muslim fighters called the Seleka. 

Since then, the CAR, which has a population of about five million people, has slid into chaos as the Seleka attacked the majority Christian population which then formed its own militia groups. 

In the past few days about 400 people have died, prompting the French military intervention which is backed by a United Nations' resolution. 

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says fighters must hand in the weapons: "First we'll ask nicely, and if they don't react, we'll do it by force."

Mr Hollande met CAR Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye in Paris on Saturday

French President Francois Hollande has made it clear he feels Mr Djotodia has to step down, saying: "We can't leave in place a president who hasn't been able to do anything, who let things happen."

It is expected France will force the presidential election to be brought forward to next year.

Mr Djotodia blames the recent violence on gunmen loyal to the man he deposed, Francois Bozize.

About 1,600 French troops have deployed to the country to support an African Union force which will grow to 6,000 from 3,500. 

The French troops were cheered by crowds when they arrived, with people thankful for the relative calm which has come to the capital Bangui and the second city Bossangoa.

Ex-Seleka fighters pass French troops on patrol in Bangui

There are seven main ethnic groups in the CAR, which is approximately 50% Christian and 15% Muslim. The rest of the population is a mix of various indigenous beliefs. 

The Muslim population mostly lives in the north of the country, towards the border with Chad, but small numbers are elsewhere.

The country is rich in gold, diamonds and uranium but remains one of the poorest in the world.

A series of coups has meant 50 years of conflict and political instability with little of the profit from the natural wealth being invested in the country's infrastructure.

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Snow Storm Brings Misery To Much Of US

A powerful storm has dropped snow, freezing rain and sleet on the Mid-Atlantic and the East Coast, blanketing some NFL playing fields and forcing thousands of flights to be cancelled.

The storm coated parts of Texas in ice, and struck the East Coast with unexpected force.

It left travellers stranded, slowing traffic on roads and leading to a number of accidents, and caused some power outages.

Arctic air plunged temperatures in much of the country, with the record low of -42F (-41C) reported in Jordan, Montana, on Saturday.

The storm turned NFL playing fields in Pennsylvania into winter wonderlands.

In Texas, the storm caused power outages and scrapped flights

The snow fell so heavily in Philadelphia on Sunday that yard markers at Lincoln Financial Field - where the Eagles beat the Detroit Lions - were completely obscured.

"Twenty-seven years I've been a season-ticket holder, I've never seen snow at the game like this," Philadelphia fan Dave Hamilton said.

"It just kept coming down."

It was almost as bad in Pittsburgh, where the snow intensified after kick-off.

Highways that ground to a halt over the weekend might be treacherous today, and travel problems were expected to linger for commuters.

More than 1,000 flights scheduled for today have already been scrapped, many from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

On Sunday, more than 2,500 were cancelled with thousands more delayed, according to estimates from the website Flightaware.com.

The forecast for today remains up in the air for the northeast, depending on how quickly the system moves and temperatures rise, according to the National Weather Service.

Much of Dallas was covered in ice

A winter storm warning was in effect in the morning for Washington DC and Baltimore, where freezing rain could cause power outages.

Slippery conditions were reported overnight in the New York City area, where a crash involved about 20 vehicles. No injuries were reported.

So far, one person has died in North Texas after a pick-up truck went off an icy bridge while four people have died of hypothermia in the San Francisco Bay area of California.

Heavy snow in the Philadelphia area has led to a fatal crash that involved some 50 vehicles.

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Mandela: South Africa Awaits World Leaders

By Emma Hurd, Sky News Correspondent

South Africa is preparing for the arrival of scores of world leaders as the official mourning continues for Nelson Mandela.

President Barack Obama and First Lady First Lady Michelle departed today to attend the memorial service for the anti-apartheid hero.

Former US presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives were also making their way.

George HW Bush is the only living president who will not attend. His spokesman said the 89-year-old no longer is able to travel long distances.

The American leaders will join dozens of other dignitaries, including about 60 heads of state who have confirmed their attendance at this week's memorial events.

A large structure used for ceremonies is built at Mr Mandela's former home

Prime Minister David Cameron will attend the main memorial service on Tuesday, while Prince Charles will represent Britain at Sunday's state funeral.

The leaders of France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Spain, Brazil and a host of other nations will also fly into the country.

Celebrities, including Bono, Oprah Winfrey and Sir Richard Branson are also expected to head to South Africa to pay their personal tributes to the man they considered a friend.

Later today, a special joint session of parliament will be held in Cape Town to allow South African politicians from all political parties to mark the passing of the nation's first black president.

President Jacob Zuma has urged the country to remember the values of peace and forgiveness that Mr Mandela lived by and uphold them.

A child lays flowers in Cape Town

His sentiments were echoed by the anti-apartheid icon's family, who released a statement calling for South Africans to "keep the dream alive".

On Tuesday, the focus will shift back to Johannesburg where a huge memorial service is due to take place at the FNB Stadium, the scene of Nelson Mandela's last public appearance ahead of the 2010 World Cup Final.

Some 80,000 people are expected to attend the event, including President Obama, his wife Michelle and other visiting dignitaries.

From Wednesday, Mr Mandela's body will "lie in state" in Pretoria at the Union Buildings where he governed as president between 1994 and 1999.

A funeral cortege carrying the icon's remains will pass through the capital daily until Friday, with South Africans being urged to line the streets to form a "guard of honour".

The state funeral will take place in Mr Mandela's ancestral homeland of Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Sunday.

It is still not clear whether President Obama will still be in the country, but many other world leaders are expected to travel to the usually sleepy rural village to join Mr Mandela's family, friends and former comrades in bidding farewell to the revered statesman as he makes his final journey home.

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