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Merrill Newman: North Korea Frees War Veteran

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 07 Desember 2013 | 16.15

North Korea has released an American war veteran detained for more than a month for "hostile acts" against the country.

Merrill Newman, 85, was freed because he had apologised for his crimes during the Korean War and because of his age and medical condition, the country's official KCNA news agency said.

He has not yet spoken publicly and it was unclear from the report where he had been deported to.

The US State Department said it welcomed North Korea's decision, but called for the release of another American, Kenneth Bae, who has been held for over a year.

KCNA handout shows a four-page document entitled "Apology" supposedly written by U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman A four-page apology said to have been written by Mr Newman

The move came as US Vice President Joe Biden visited South Korea, the last stop on a three-country Asia tour that has already taken him to Japan and China.

Pyongyang admitted last week that it was holding Mr Newman, saying he was detained after entering the country "under the guise of a tourist".

Mr Newman, from California, was detained on October 26 shortly before take-off from Pyongyang following a 10-day tour.

KCNA said he had committed crimes both as a tourist and during his participation in the Korean War six decades ago, and published an apology running to nearly 600 words in which he allegedly confessed to his crimes.

KCNA handout shows U.S. citizen Newman putting his thumbprint on a piece of paper at an undisclosed location in North Korea Mr Newman is seen signing his apology with a thumbprint

There was speculation his alleged confession shown on state TV was coerced.

Pyongyang has been accused of previously coercing statements from detainees, and it was riddled with stilted English and grammatical errors, such as "I want not punish me".

North Korea has detained at least six Americans since 2009 and five of them have either been released or deported after prominent Americans like former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter travelled to Pyongyang.

It is still holding Mr Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator, who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour on charges of seeking to topple the government.     

:: Watch Sky News HD on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad for all the latest news.


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Nelson Mandela: South Africa Salutes Its Hero

Mandela Embraced Sport To Heal

Updated: 1:02am UK, Saturday 07 December 2013

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

Of the many remarkable images of Nelson Mandela's remarkable life, few speak as powerfully as the moment South Africa's new president handed the 1995 Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar in Johannesburg.

In front of an overwhelmingly white crowd at Ellis Park, the man once regarded as an enemy of the state emerged wearing a Springbok shirt bearing Pienaar's No 6 on the back.

Entirely won over, the crowd chanted his name, and two hours later watched as the two No 6s, one black, one white, but both South African, celebrated a moment of shared sporting triumph.

It was a moment of brilliant political judgement and deep symbolic power.

Mr Mandela had only been president for a year and extreme right-wing elements were attempting to destabilise his government.

At a stroke he had provided a rallying point for a fledgling nation.

"It is hard to put into words what it meant," said Pienaar.

"Everyone knows about our embarrassing past and he comes out and asks the rest of the country to support us.

"I never thought he would wear a Springbok jersey. That meant so much for the white South Africa. He comes out and carries the Springbok on his chest. I think it was a rallying call for the country, that this was a team that played for us all."

Sport is a persistent theme of South Africa's journey from apartheid to emancipation. First, as a lightning rod for the global anti-apartheid movement, and then at Mr Mandela's behest used as a means of healing the nation's deep divisions.

In the dark days of apartheid the old Imperial games of cricket and rugby were central to white South African identity.

Lucas Radebe, the former South African football captain, told Sky News the black majority played soccer in isolation, associating the other games with the regime.

"We looked at cricket as the sport of the minority, we didn't want to have anything to do with cricket or rugby. Everything was just apartheid," he said.

"Our parents still bear the scars, but it got better and there is a lot of history."

Whatever the game, black and white South Africans were barred from playing together. And when it came to sending national teams to play abroad, only whites were considered for selection.

The African National Congress, operating in exile, recognised the symbolic power of this and campaigned for a global boycott of teams selected on racist lines.

The sporting boycott was perhaps the most effective of all sanctions, hitting white identity hard and bringing the iniquities of the apartheid regime to the attention of a global audience.

Mr Mandela and Desmond Tutu both acknowledged the role played by sport in raising awareness, but winning the support of sport was not straightforward.

In Europe and within cricket and rugby there was resistance to a boycott, with many spouting the canard that sport and politics should not mix.

Exclusion from the Olympic Games was a powerful symbol of global revulsion, but it took concerted action from Asian and African countries to overcome European resistance within the International Olympic Committee.

British rugby was only jolted from its complacency by nationwide protests against South African tourists, and cricket finally joined the anti-apartheid consensus after one of the most controversial and divisive incidents in all sport, the Basil D'Oliveira affair.

D'Oliveira was, in the parlance of apartheid South Africa, a "Cape Coloured" who, denied a chance to play international cricket left South Africa and qualified to play for England.

In 1968 he appeared certain to be selected for the tour of South Africa, a decision that was likely to lead to the cancellation of England's visit by the South African government.

But following a secret lobbying campaign orchestrated from Pretoria, D'Oliveira was omitted from the MCC touring party for the winter tour of his homeland.

It prompted outrage and protests and, a month later, following an injury to a player selected ahead of him, he was added to the touring party.

The South African government responded with contempt, cancelling the tour and describing the MCC squad as "the team of the anti-apartheid movement".

The affair exposed the deep racism of South African society, and cast the sport into a wilderness in which it remained until Mr Mandela was released.

Attempts to break the boycott served to highlight the anti-apartheid cause, particularly rebel cricket tours culminating in a party led by former England captain Mike Gatting in 1989.

Gatting, who will become MCC President in October, found himself at the centre of the final convulsion of apartheid, and saw his mercenary expedition cancelled as Mr Mandela was finally released.

Football attracted less attention but there were notable boycott breakers, including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hirst and Alan Ball of England's 1966 World Cup winning side, who all played in South Africa under apartheid.

Having been a tool in the struggle, sport became a symbol of change once Mr Mandela was released.

A South African team competed under the Olympic flag in Barcelona in 1992, and the cricket team played in the West Indies in 1992 with the protea, a flower, replacing the Springbok on their badge.

Mr Mandela astutely used the power of sport to try and heal his nation's deep divisions.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the most obvious example but there were others. The 1996 African Cup of Nations, won by the hosts with a team led by the great Lucas Radebe, lifted national esteem further.

Major sporting events were drawn to South African, including the 2003 World Cup and most recently, the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

That brought Mr Mandela's final public appearance as he was driven around Soccer City in a golf buggy, visibly frail but rapturously greeted by a global audience hungry for a piece of the modern-day saint.

Many things matter more than sport as South Africa comes to terms with life after Mr Mandela, but when black and white play together they can take comfort that the simple act is part of his legacy.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


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World Cup 2014: England's Opponents Revealed

England have been drawn to play against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The draw means England's first game, against Italy on June 14, will kick off at 2am UK time in the city of Manaus, in the Amazon region.

They will face Uruguay five days later in Sao Paulo, before finishing their group match fixtures against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte on June 24.

Roy Hodgson reacts to England's World Cup draw England manager Roy Hodgson reacts to the draw

England manager Roy Hodgson said: "Well, it's a tough group, there's no doubt about it.

"There's no doubt that with Uruguay and Italy, we almost got two number one seeds in our group, because Italy were very unlucky (not to be seeded).

"I'm not disappointed and having at least two of the tree games in places where the climate is more favourable for us is a positive.

"What climatic differences we'll face up there (in England's opening match, against Italy) will be the same for both teams."

Speaking ahead of the draw, Mr Hodgson had said Manaus was the one venue he was keen to miss out on.

"The tropical nature of Manaus is the problem," he said.

"Manaus is the place ideally to avoid and Porto Alegre is the place ideally to get."

The opening game of the competition will see hosts Brazil take on Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo.

Should England qualify from their group, they will face either Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast or Japan in the second round.

The last time England faced either Uruguay, Costa Rica or Italy in the first round of the World Cup was in 1966 - the last and only time they have ever lifted the trophy.

Then, they played Uruguay in Group 1, drawing 0-0 at Wembley.

The groups in full:

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic


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Nelson Mandela: An Inspirational Life

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 06 Desember 2013 | 16.15

Life And Times Of Nelson Mandela

Updated: 3:36am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

July 18, 1918: Born Rolihlahla Mandela in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

1944: Joins the African National Congress (ANC).

1944:  Marries first wife Evelyn Mase.

1948:  South African government introduces the racial segregation policy of apartheid.

December 1952:  Sentenced to nine months hard labour, suspended for two years, for civil disobedience campaign. Opens first black law firm with Oliver Tambo.

1956:  Charged with high treason as part of a round-up of 156 activists.

1958:  Divorces Evelyn Mase and marries social worker Winnie Madikizela.

1959: New racial segregation laws create homelands for South Africa's blacks.

March 21, 1960: Sixty-nine black protesters killed during a demonstration at Sharpeville, in the Transvaal, provoking national uproar.

March 31, 1960: Government declares state of emergency.

April 8, 1960: Government bans the ANC.

March 29, 1961: Mr Mandela acquitted of treason at the culmination of four-year trial. He goes underground on the same day and is dubbed "The Black Pimpernel" by the media for his ability to evade the police.

April 1, 1961: Robben Island turns into a prison for political prisoners.

January 11, 1962: Using the name David Motsamayi, he leaves country and travels around Africa and to England to gain support for the "struggle".

July, 1962: Returns to South Africa.

August 5, 1962: He is arrested for leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike.

November 7, 1962: Mr Mandela is convicted and jailed for five years.

July, 1963: Police raid ANC secret hideout in Rivonia.

October, 1963: Joins 10 other activists on trial for sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial.

April 20, 1964: Gives his famous Speech From The Dock during which he declares he is prepared to die for equality.

June 11, 1964: He is convicted, jailed for life with seven others and sent to Robben Island.

1968: Mr Mandela's mother dies.

1969: His eldest son is killed in a car crash; he is not allowed to attend his funeral or that of his mother.

1969: Winnie Mandela is detained in solitary confinement at Pretoria Central Prison for 16 months under the Terrorism Act.

:: Watch Sky News HD for all the latest news and reaction to Nelson Mandela's death

June 16, 1976: Soweto uprising protests - as many as 20,000 students demonstrate against the introduction of Afrikaans in the schoolroom. Up to 700 people are said to have died.

September 12, 1977: Anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko dies naked in Pretoria Central Prison after being tortured in police custody.

1980: Oliver Tambo, the president of the ANC, launches international campaign to release Mr Mandela.

May, 1980: British Lions tour to South Africa goes ahead despite British government opposition on grounds of apartheid.

March 14, 1982: Bomb explodes at ANC headquarters in London. Eight South African policemen admit the blast was in revenge for a 1981 attack on a Pretoria military base.

March, 31, 1982: Mr Mandela is transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town.

10 February, 1985: Refuses President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence.

1985: Fellow Rivonia trialist Denis Goldberg is released from prison.

July 20, 1985: After protests against apartheid increase, President Botha declares a state of emergency in 36 districts.

October, 1985: British PM Margaret Thatcher agrees to impose limited Commonwealth trade sanctions on South Africa.

Nov 1985: Mr Mandela undergoes prostate surgery.

June 12, 1986: State of emergency is extended to the whole country.

November 1987: Fellow Rivonia trialist Govan Mbeki is released from prison.

August 12, 1988: Mr Mandela is treated for tuberculosis.

December 7, 1988: He is moved to a house at Victor Verster Prison, near Paarl.

September 20, 1989: FW de Klerk replaces Mr Botha as president and in his first speech vows to end racism in South Africa.

15 October, 1989: The remaining Rivonia trialists and Jeff Masemola, a Pan Africanist Congress prisoner, are released from prison.

December 13, 1989: Mr de Klerk meets Mr Mandela for the first time to discuss the future of South Africa.

February 2, 1990: Mr de Klerk lifts the ban on the ANC.

February 11, 1990: After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walks free from Victor Verster Prison.

1991: Mr Mandela becomes president of the ANC.

December 10, 1993: He and Mr de Klerk win the Nobel Peace Prize.

April 27, 1994: Mr Mandela votes for the first time in his life in a free and democratic election.

May 10, 1994: Mr Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first democratically elected president as the head of the Government of National Unity.

1996: Divorces Winnie Mandela.

1998:  Marries Graca Machel - former first lady of Mozambique.

June 1999:  Steps down as president and Thabo Mbeki takes over after ANC wins elections.

July, 2001: Mr Mandela is diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoes treatment.

June 1, 2004: Announces retirement from public life.

January 6, 2005: Mr Mandela announces death of his son Makgatho from Aids.

June 27, 2008: Hyde Park concert in honour of Mr Mandela's 90th birthday.

June 11, 2010: Great granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car crash.

January 26, 2011: Mr Mandela is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he is treated for a chest infection for two days.

June 21, 2011: Meets Michelle Obama at his home.

February 25, 2012: Is admitted to hospital for one night with abdominal pains.

December 8, 2012: Goes back to hospital - this time with a lung infection.

December 15, 2012: He has an operation to remove gallstones.

December 26, 2012: Mr Mandela is released from hospital but undergoes further treatment at home.

March 9, 2013: He is admitted for a scheduled overnight hospital check-up.

March 27, 2013: Returns to hospital with a recurrence of his lung infection. President Jacob Zuma asks the world to "pray".

April 6, 2013: Is discharged from hospital.

June 8, 2013: Is admitted to hospital.

December 5, 2013  Mandela dies at age 95. South African President Jacob Zuma makes the announcement at a news conference, saying "we've lost our greatest son."


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Nelson Mandela Tributes From Around The World

David Cameron has led dozens of international tributes to Nelson Mandela, who has died in South Africa aged 95.

The Prime Minister said: "A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time: a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero.

"I believe that his inspiration for the future will be every bit as powerful as the extraordinary things he achieved in his remarkable life."

MPs will be given the opportunity to pay their tributes in the House of Commons on Monday.

The Queen said she was "deeply saddened" by Mr Mandela's death, saying he "worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today".

:: Live coverage: all the latest news and reaction now on Sky News HD

US President Barack Obama said he had achieved "more than can be expected by any man".

US President Bill Clinton(R) and South African Pre Bill Clinton was in office at the same time as Mr Mandela

"Today he has gone home and we have lost one of the most inspirational, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth," he said.

"He now no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages."

South African President Jacob Zuma made the emotional announcement live on television, in which he said Mr Mandela was now at peace.

He added: "Our nation has lost its greatest son."

FW de Klerk, South Africa's last white president, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mr Mandela in 1993, said he was a "great unifier".

He added: "This emphasis on reconciliation was his greatest legacy."

Nelson Mandela with FW de Klerk Mr Mandela with FW de Klerk, with whom he shared a Nobel Peace Prize

South Africa's archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu said South Africa was "drowned by grief".

He said: "He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison."

French President Francois Hollande added: "Nelson Mandela's message will not disappear. It will continue to inspire fighters for freedom, and to give confidence to peoples in the defence of just causes and universal rights."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "He spent much of his life standing against the injustice of apartheid.

"When that fight was won, he inspired us again by his capacity to forgive and reconcile his country.

"While the world may never see another Nelson Mandela, he has inspired countless men and women throughout the world to live more courageous and honest lives."

Nelson Mandela with Archbishop Desmond Tutu Desmond Tutu has said South Africa is 'drowned by grief' at his death

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond described him as a "towering statesman" whose influence "transcended ideology, race and creed".

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny said a "great light has been extinguished".

He said: "The boy from the Transkei has finished his long walk. His journey transformed not just South Africa, but humanity itself."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said: "Only because of such a great man like Nelson Mandela is it possible that particular people in Africa and elsewhere are able to enjoy freedom and human dignity.

"We have to learn the wisdom and determinations and commitment of Mr Mandela to make this world better for all."

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge also paid tribute at the Royal premiere of the new Nelson Mandela film, Long Walk To Freedom, in Leicester Square, London.

The Duke of Cambridge said: "It is extremely sad and tragic news. We are just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was."

People listen to a radio as the death of former South African President Mandela is announced in Houghton People listen to a radio as the news is announced in South Africa

Prince Charles also issued a statement paying tribute.

"Mr Mandela was the embodiment of courage and reconciliation," he said.

"He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life. With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family's lives, but also in those of all South Africans and the many others whose lives have been changed through his fight for peace, justice and freedom."

Leading figures from around the world joined in with praise for the anti-apartheid icon.

Former US president George W Bush said: "He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example."

Former prime minister Tony Blair described him as the world's "most powerful symbol of reconciliation, hope and progress".

Former US president Bill Clinton called Mr Mandela a "true friend".

World Mourns Mandela

He said: "History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation."

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Now that his long walk has ended, the example he set for all humanity lives on. He will be remembered as a pioneer for peace."

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said: "Above all, he showed us the power of people, in the cause of justice, to overcome the mightiest obstacles. He moved the world and the world will miss him deeply."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "The hope he offered was enough to unite races; it bridged cultures and transcended generations; and it could heal the deepest divides."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "An international icon and inspiration to millions, his appeal transcended race, religion and class. His courage, humility and sense of forgiveness have secured his place in history."

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "When the definitive history of our time is written, the name Mandela will stand taller than most - perhaps tallest of them all."

A joint message from President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said: "We mourn the death of one of the greatest political figures of our times.

"Nelson Mandela represents the fight against racism, political violence and intolerance. Only a person with his profound humanity, moral integrity and authority and clear vision for the future of his country, could have achieved this."

American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said Mr Mandela has left an "everlasting imprint".

He said: "Nelson Mandela was a giant of immense and unwavering intellect, courage and moral authority. He chose reconciliation over retaliation. He challenged the course of history."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was the "father of his people", adding: "He will be remembered as the father of new South Africa and as an outstanding moral leader."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "Nelson Mandela's shining example and his political legacy of non-violence and the condemnation of all forms of racism will continue to inspire people around the world for many years to come.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Mr Mandela as "one of the greatest politicians in modern times", saying the former South African leader was a man who never betrayed his convictions.

"Mandela, having gone through the most difficult ordeals, was committed to the end of his days to the ideals of humanism and justice," Mr Putin was quoted as saying in a statement.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said: "Humanity has lost a tireless champion of peace, liberty and equality."


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Nelson Mandela: South Africa's Hero Dies

Life And Times Of Nelson Mandela

Updated: 3:36am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

July 18, 1918: Born Rolihlahla Mandela in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

1944: Joins the African National Congress (ANC).

1944:  Marries first wife Evelyn Mase.

1948:  South African government introduces the racial segregation policy of apartheid.

December 1952:  Sentenced to nine months hard labour, suspended for two years, for civil disobedience campaign. Opens first black law firm with Oliver Tambo.

1956:  Charged with high treason as part of a round-up of 156 activists.

1958:  Divorces Evelyn Mase and marries social worker Winnie Madikizela.

1959: New racial segregation laws create homelands for South Africa's blacks.

March 21, 1960: Sixty-nine black protesters killed during a demonstration at Sharpeville, in the Transvaal, provoking national uproar.

March 31, 1960: Government declares state of emergency.

April 8, 1960: Government bans the ANC.

March 29, 1961: Mr Mandela acquitted of treason at the culmination of four-year trial. He goes underground on the same day and is dubbed "The Black Pimpernel" by the media for his ability to evade the police.

April 1, 1961: Robben Island turns into a prison for political prisoners.

January 11, 1962: Using the name David Motsamayi, he leaves country and travels around Africa and to England to gain support for the "struggle".

July, 1962: Returns to South Africa.

August 5, 1962: He is arrested for leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike.

November 7, 1962: Mr Mandela is convicted and jailed for five years.

July, 1963: Police raid ANC secret hideout in Rivonia.

October, 1963: Joins 10 other activists on trial for sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial.

April 20, 1964: Gives his famous Speech From The Dock during which he declares he is prepared to die for equality.

June 11, 1964: He is convicted, jailed for life with seven others and sent to Robben Island.

1968: Mr Mandela's mother dies.

1969: His eldest son is killed in a car crash; he is not allowed to attend his funeral or that of his mother.

1969: Winnie Mandela is detained in solitary confinement at Pretoria Central Prison for 16 months under the Terrorism Act.

:: Watch Sky News HD for all the latest news and reaction to Nelson Mandela's death

June 16, 1976: Soweto uprising protests - as many as 20,000 students demonstrate against the introduction of Afrikaans in the schoolroom. Up to 700 people are said to have died.

September 12, 1977: Anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko dies naked in Pretoria Central Prison after being tortured in police custody.

1980: Oliver Tambo, the president of the ANC, launches international campaign to release Mr Mandela.

May, 1980: British Lions tour to South Africa goes ahead despite British government opposition on grounds of apartheid.

March 14, 1982: Bomb explodes at ANC headquarters in London. Eight South African policemen admit the blast was in revenge for a 1981 attack on a Pretoria military base.

March, 31, 1982: Mr Mandela is transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town.

10 February, 1985: Refuses President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence.

1985: Fellow Rivonia trialist Denis Goldberg is released from prison.

July 20, 1985: After protests against apartheid increase, President Botha declares a state of emergency in 36 districts.

October, 1985: British PM Margaret Thatcher agrees to impose limited Commonwealth trade sanctions on South Africa.

Nov 1985: Mr Mandela undergoes prostate surgery.

June 12, 1986: State of emergency is extended to the whole country.

November 1987: Fellow Rivonia trialist Govan Mbeki is released from prison.

August 12, 1988: Mr Mandela is treated for tuberculosis.

December 7, 1988: He is moved to a house at Victor Verster Prison, near Paarl.

September 20, 1989: FW de Klerk replaces Mr Botha as president and in his first speech vows to end racism in South Africa.

15 October, 1989: The remaining Rivonia trialists and Jeff Masemola, a Pan Africanist Congress prisoner, are released from prison.

December 13, 1989: Mr de Klerk meets Mr Mandela for the first time to discuss the future of South Africa.

February 2, 1990: Mr de Klerk lifts the ban on the ANC.

February 11, 1990: After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walks free from Victor Verster Prison.

1991: Mr Mandela becomes president of the ANC.

December 10, 1993: He and Mr de Klerk win the Nobel Peace Prize.

April 27, 1994: Mr Mandela votes for the first time in his life in a free and democratic election.

May 10, 1994: Mr Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first democratically elected president as the head of the Government of National Unity.

1996: Divorces Winnie Mandela.

1998:  Marries Graca Machel - former first lady of Mozambique.

June 1999:  Steps down as president and Thabo Mbeki takes over after ANC wins elections.

July, 2001: Mr Mandela is diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoes treatment.

June 1, 2004: Announces retirement from public life.

January 6, 2005: Mr Mandela announces death of his son Makgatho from Aids.

June 27, 2008: Hyde Park concert in honour of Mr Mandela's 90th birthday.

June 11, 2010: Great granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car crash.

January 26, 2011: Mr Mandela is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he is treated for a chest infection for two days.

June 21, 2011: Meets Michelle Obama at his home.

February 25, 2012: Is admitted to hospital for one night with abdominal pains.

December 8, 2012: Goes back to hospital - this time with a lung infection.

December 15, 2012: He has an operation to remove gallstones.

December 26, 2012: Mr Mandela is released from hospital but undergoes further treatment at home.

March 9, 2013: He is admitted for a scheduled overnight hospital check-up.

March 27, 2013: Returns to hospital with a recurrence of his lung infection. President Jacob Zuma asks the world to "pray".

April 6, 2013: Is discharged from hospital.

June 8, 2013: Is admitted to hospital.

December 5, 2013  Mandela dies at age 95. South African President Jacob Zuma makes the announcement at a news conference, saying "we've lost our greatest son."


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qantas To Cut 1,000 Jobs Amid Profits Warning

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 05 Desember 2013 | 16.15

Shares in Australian airline Qantas lost almost a fifth of their value after it issued a shock profits warning, flagging a half-year loss of up to A$300m (£165m).

Chief executive Alan Joyce said conditions had seen a "marked" deterioration and the airline was battling "extraordinary circumstances" including record fuel costs, a strong Australian dollar and fierce competition from subsidised rivals.

He confirmed at least 1,000 jobs would be shed though it was not clear where the axe would fall.

The profits warning sent Qantas shares into freefall, with the stock plunging as much as 17% before regaining ground to close 10.8% lower.

"The challenges we now face are immense," Mr Joyce said in an update to the Australian stock exchange.

Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce Alan Joyce claims Qantas faces unfair competition

"Since the global financial crisis, Qantas has confronted a fiercely difficult operating environment - including the strong Australian dollar and record jet fuel costs, which have exacerbated Qantas' high cost base," he added.

"The Australian international market is the toughest anywhere in the world."

Qantas was optimistic it had turned a corner after signing a major partnership with Dubai-based Emirates and reversing its 2012 annual loss - the first since privatisation - with a modest full-year profit in August.

But Thursday's announcement showed it is still facing significant headwinds.

Mr Joyce said Qantas expected to report a loss before tax in the six months to December 31 of A$250m-$300m, with passenger loads slipping significantly in November as increased competition drove down the carrier's market share.

He added that "urgent" action was needed to salvage the Flying Kangaroo's profitability, including the sacking of "at least 1,000" staff.

Mr Joyce also confirmed a 38% cut in his own pay and that of the Qantas board, a review of spending with top suppliers and a salary and bonus freeze.

The airline will undertake a structural review, to report back in February, prompting speculation a sell-off of its Jetstar assets in Asia could be on the cards.

"All options are on the table in terms of the structural review, we're not ruling anything in or anything out," Mr Joyce said when asked about potential divestments.

He added that Qantas was "in dialogue with the government on a number of different options" as he continues lobbying for the easing of foreign investment restrictions or state intervention to shore up the carrier.

Under the Qantas Sale Act, dating from 1995 when the airline was privatised, foreign ownership in the national carrier is limited to 49%, and Mr Joyce wants that revisited in the face of what he described as "unprecedented distortion" by foreign backers of the Australian market.

"Our competitors in the international market, almost all owned or generously supported by their governments, have increased capacity to pursue Australian dollar profits, changing the shape of the market permanently," the Qantas chief said.

He again took aim at domestic rival Virgin Australia, which is now majority owned by state-backed Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Etihad, accusing it of a deliberate "strategy to weaken Qantas in the domestic market" with cheap seats underwritten by foreign cash injections.

Mr Joyce has been locked in a bitter war of words with Virgin in recent weeks over what he has described as "predatory" behaviour by his rivals.


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Central African Republic: UN To Approve Action

Blasts from heavy weapons have rocked several districts of the capital of the Central African Republic ahead of a UN vote on dispatching reinforcements to restore order in the country.

The fighting erupted in the north of Bangui, and then spread to other neighbourhoods on Thursday.

The UN Security Council is set to approve the deployment of thousands of French and African soldiers to try to stop the country's descent into chaos after months of sectarian violence between Muslim and Christian groups which has seen widespread killings, torture and rapes.

The landlocked nation has been beset by eight months of fighting since Seleka, a mainly Muslim rebel coalition led by Michel Djotodia, overthrew former President François Bozize and seized power in March.

A French soldier patrols in Bangui A French soldier on patrol in Bangui

Christian militias, known as anti-balaka, recently have launched retaliatory attacks, forcing thousands of civilians to take refuge in churches and mosques.

Though Mr Djotodia has dissolved the rebel coalition, which has been accused of human rights abuses, his government's failure to stem the violence has prompted calls at the UN Security Council for international intervention to restore order.

France has called for the UN vote which would also authorise French forces, for a temporary period, "to take all necessary measures" to support the AU-led force known as MISCA, whose troop numbers are expected to rise from about 2,500 to 3,500.

French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud has said he expects the council to approve the resolution.

Michel Djotodia attends a ceremony marking the beginning of construction on a new building for the national television station in Bangui Central African Republic President Michel Djotodia

The country promised last week to send 1,000 troops to the Central African Republic - one of the poorest nations in the world - following a warning from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that the former French colony was "on the verge of genocide".

Its defence ministry has said about 600 soldiers are in the country.

The draft resolution would also impose an arms embargo on the Central African Republic for a year and order all countries to ban the sale or transfer of arms, ammunition, military equipment, spare parts and technical assistance and training.

It expresses deep concern at the "total breakdown in law and order, the absence of the rule of law, inter-sectarian tensions" and "grave concern" at the consequences of instability on the region.

And it asks the secretary-general to rapidly establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of rights abuses and help identify perpetrators.


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Rob Ford May Have Tried To Buy 'Crack Video'

Toronto mayor Rob Ford may have offered $5,000 (£2,900) and a car to buy a video allegedly showing him using crack cocaine, according to notes from police wiretaps.

Details of the alleged offer were included in a 450-page police document released by an Ontario Superior Court judge.

According to police notes of a recorded phone conversation involving two suspected gang members, Mr Ford was aware of the video's existence in March, and offered to buy it.

One alleged gang member is heard telling another that he rejected the offer for the tape and planned to meet the mayor and ask for "150", meaning $150,000.

In one recording on April 20, an alleged gang member is heard saying "Rob Ford was smoking his rocks today" and that he would post a picture on Instagram.

On Wednesday, Mr Ford laughed off the claims and ignored questions as he left his office.

Mr Ford acknowledged last month that he smoked crack in a "drunken stupor" about a year ago.

He previously denied the existence of the video.

Mr Ford has refused to resign as mayor of Canada's largest city and financial capital, despite mounting pressure after a string of incidents that have embarrassed Canadians.

They include public drunkenness as well as appearing in another video that showed him threatening "murder" in an incoherent rant.

Toronto City Council has stripped him of most of his powers.

Mr Ford has said he has given up drinking and adopted a healthier lifestyle.


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Ukrainian PM Warns Protesters Of More Force

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 04 Desember 2013 | 16.15

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Correspondent, in Kiev

Opposition leaders in Ukraine have vowed to continue mass street protests and blockades of government buildings, as the country's prime minister threatened to respond with force.

During a raucous parliamentary session, at times shouted down by opposition cries of "shame" and "revolution", Mykola Azarov apologised for the riot police action, but warned against continued protests, which he said bore signs of a coup d'etat.

In a pointed speech to the chamber he said: "We have extended our hand to you, but if we encounter a fist, I will be frank, we have enough force."

What started as a reaction to the president's refusal to sign an EU trade deal last week, has evolved into a concerted attempt to overthrow the government, fuelled by allegations of police brutality against protesters.

The country's notorious 'berkut' riot police moved in on what had been a dwindling protest camp in the early hours of Saturday morning, beating protesters and journalists.

Hundreds of thousands have surged onto the streets since in the biggest display of mass discontent since the 2004 Orange Revolution, which forced the current president, Victor Yanukovich, from power.

Protesters, particularly from the younger generation, see President Yanukovich's action as a fundamental shift away from a path towards a modern, European Ukraine, back into the hands of their former Soviet masters in Russia.

Klitschko walks past police outside parliament in Kiev Boxer Vitali Klitschko walks past police outside parliament

In short, they believe they are fighting for the future of their country.

Mr Yanukovich has insisted that he remains open to negotiation with the EU, but that Ukraine's battered economy cannot afford the deal in its current form, particularly given the likely punitive trade and gas sanctions that would follow from Russia as an immediate consequence.

Mr Yanukovich left for China on Tuesday in pursuit of much-needed finance agreements, with aides denying it was a strategic mistake as the country descended deeper into political and financial turmoil.

His government survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, but the vast majority of pro-government deputies either abstained or did not vote, in an implicit warning of discontent in the ranks.

At least two members of Mr Yanukovich's Regions Party have already defected over the handling of the protests.

Outside, riot police squared up to protesters who continue to mass outside parliament and the presidential administration buildings.

They have already taken control of Kiev's City Hall, which they have re-named 'Revolution HQ' and the capital's symbolically important Independence Square, heart of the 2004 Orange Revolution.

Protestors clash with police during a demonstration in support of EU integration in Kiev Protesters have been involved in clashes with police

Volunteers have built barricades and parked vans draped with the national flag across roads leading to the square, in an attempt to stop police advancing towards it.

Protesters have set up tents and are distributing donations of food, water and warm clothes, in a sign they are digging in for the long haul despite freezing December temperatures.

"The Orange Revolution laid the foundation for this," said self-employed businessman Yegor Kitov, aged 45.

"But this movement is stronger because, while then it was political parties that were organising the people, now we are organising ourselves."

Ukraine's Central Bank, meanwhile, has been forced to reassure people that their savings are safe, as the country's currency, bonds and share prices come under severe pressure.

Ukraine faces gas bills and debt repayments next year of more than £10bn. The cost of insuring its debt against default rose to its highest level since January 2010.

The finance minister issued a recorded message via state television insisting the country could continue to meet its debt repayments.

"Ukraine is a reliable borrower and is flawlessly fulfilling, and will fulfil, all of its obligations on time," Yuri Kolobov said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry declined a visit to Kiev for a ministerial conference this week, but urged Ukraine's government to "listen to the voices of its people".

These protests do not represent all of Ukraine - the view in the Russian-speaking industrial regions to the east is very different - but they have nevertheless exposed a faultline, in a country still deeply divided between East and West.


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Hizbollah Leader 'Assassinated' In Lebanon

Hizbollah says one of its commanders has been assassinated outside his home in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

The militant Shi'ite group said Hussein al Laqis was killed as he returned from work at around midnight in the Hadath district of the city.

Gunmen opened fire with an assault rifle while he was sat in his vehicle in a car park, Lebanese secutiy officials told the Associated Press.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, but died from his injuries.

A map showing the location of Beirut, Lebanon Hussein al Laqis was killed outside his home in the Lebanese capital

Hizbollah said: "Direct accusation is aimed of course against the Israeli enemy, which had tried to eliminate our martyred brother again and again, in several places, but had failed until yesterday evening.

"This enemy must bear full responsibility for ... all the consequences of this heinous crime."

However, Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, denied his country was involved.

"Israel has nothing to do with this incident," he said.

"These automatic accusations are an innate reflex with Hizbollah. They don't need evidence, they don't need facts, they just blame anything on Israel."

Mr al Laqis was close to Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a source within the group told the AFP news agency.

His son died fighting Israel in the month-long war of 2006, in which more than 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and more than 150 Israelis, mainly soldiers, were killed.


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Sandy Hook Massacre: 911 Tapes To Be Released

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

Parents of 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting are braced for the release of recordings of emergency service calls made in its immediate aftermath.

The tapes will be released mid-afternoon after the town of Newtown lost a legal battle to block their publication.

"We have been preparing emotionally for this possibility," Newtown councillor Pat Llodra told Sky News.

"We know they will be played over and over again on television and radio and YouTube."

Lawyers for the town argued there was minimal public good to gain from releasing the tapes.

They record the harrowing moments after gunman Adam Lanza burst into the school and began shooting his victims, all aged six or seven as well as six adults, after shooting his mother dead at home.

Newtown Reaction Residents will mark the anniversary of the shootings this month

But a judge ruled there were no grounds for keeping them secret.

The 911 recordings are unlikely to reveal new details that have not emerged in subsequent investigations.

There is no controversy about the speed of the police response. The first officers were on the scene within minutes of shots being fired.

Their release is a second blow at this hugely difficult time of year. Last week an official investigation recorded in gruesome detail the event that became America's worst school shooting, but failed to find a motive to explain why it happened.

"Every time there's an event that drags us back to that day, it's incredibly painful for all of us and exponentially so for the families," Cllr Llodra said.

Newtown shooter Adam Lanza Newtown shooter Adam Lanza

The looming anniversary of the shooting on December 14 only makes matters worse.

"The pressure of these three things at the same time is difficult, and especially at a time of year when the atmosphere is meant to be celebratory," she added.

Newtown will be marking the anniversary of the shooting in a deliberately low-key manner. 

There will be no public community-wide events remembering the victims, just family and church-based commemorations, not least to avoid creating a magnet for the media to descend once again onto the small rural town.

Much of the news media has already agreed to stay away for that week to allow families to grieve in private.


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Paul Walker Fans Warned Over 'Burning Rubber'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 03 Desember 2013 | 16.15

Police in Los Angeles have warned fans of the Fast And Furious star Paul Walker not to "burn rubber" near the spot where he was killed.

The caution was issued amid reports of people performing stunt manoeuvres on the stretch of road in Santa Clarita where the red Porsche the actor was in with his friend Roger Rodas crashed into a lamp post and tree.

A makeshift shrine has been created at the scene with both fans and Hollywood stars taking time to pay their tributes.

Officers said the crash happened in an area known as a "hot spot" for street racers.

World Premiere Of Fast & Furious 6 Paul Walker with his co-stars in Fast & Furious 6

The street forms a loop amid commercial buildings that is isolated from traffic, especially on weekends.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the collision, but has already said speed was a factor.

At least one witness has suggested that 40-year-old Walker and Rodas, 38, may have been drag-style racing at the time, according to CNN, although others have rejected such accounts.

One fan was apparently seen drifting, an illegal technique in which the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the rear wheels to skid and making the car slide sideways.

Crash scene Firefighters at the scene of the crash

"We sent deputies to the accident location this morning after we started getting reports of drivers burning rubber and spinning tyres at the site," said Santa Clarita sheriff's office spokesman Richard Cohen.

"So far I haven't had any reports of any drivers being cited or arrested ... but we have deputies there to stop that behaviour if it happens again."

The first Fast And The Furious movie was released in 2001. The series, with its focus on fast cars driven by tough guys, is one of Hollywood's most lucrative global franchises.

Meanwhile, video has been released of an interview Walker gave in November as one of his final films hits the screens this month.

The Associated Press talked to him on November 14 about his role in Hours, a drama set in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.


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Cameron In China: Human Rights 'Discussed'

Prime Minister David Cameron has denied soft-pedalling on human rights in China to improve his chances of securing business deals for Britain.

On a three-day visit with six ministers and 100 business people, the largest-ever British mission of its kind, Mr Cameron said the UK was the Western country most open to Chinese investment and well-placed to take advantage of China's market liberalisation.

"China's transformation is one of the defining facts of our lifetime ... I see China's rise as an opportunity, not just for the people of this country but for Britain and the world," Mr Cameron told reporters after meeting Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Mr Li also indicated that China is interested in investment opportunities in Britain, particularly the HS2 rail link and nuclear power stations in the UK.

Mr Cameron championed a China-EU trade deal, which could be worth £1.8bn to the UK alone.

But as business deals took centre stage, Mr Cameron came under pressure in a round of TV interviews over the low profile he has given to Beijing's poor human-rights record.

David Cameron visit to China Mr Cameron visited a Jaguar Land Rover plant in China

It was in stark contrast to the spotlight shone on Sri Lanka's alleged abuses when the Prime Minster attended the Commonwealth summit there last month.

China is widely thought to have blocked a visit by Mr Cameron earlier this year in retaliation for him meeting the Dalai Lama in London in 2012, relenting only after the PM told the House of Commons that Britain does not support Tibetan independence.

Neither Mr Cameron nor Mr Li mentioned Tibet directly in public statements following the talks, but Mr Li said he "appreciated" the Mr Cameron's confirmation that the UK respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Mr Cameron later insisted that he had raised human rights during talks with both Mr Li and President Xi Jinping, pointing to an "important" agreement to restart the human rights discussion next year.

British Prime Minister David Cameron visits China Neither Mr Cameron nor Mr Li mentioned Tibet directly in public statements

"I don't believe there is a choice between raising growth and investment issues or raising human rights issues. I raised them both," he said.

"That's what a policy of engagement is all about.

"There are some huge opportunities here in China for British jobs, British growth, British investment, and I want to make the most of them, and that is right for our country to compete and succeed in the global race."

Asked if he had specifically mentioned Tibet or China's imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo in the talks, Mr Cameron said: "We spoke about all those issues as I always do. Whenever I come to China, I always raise human rights issues and I continue to do that on this visit."

He added: "The British policy towards Tibet is unchanged. I have met the Dalai Lama as leader of the opposition, I have met him as Prime Minister, I don't have plans to meet him again.

David Cameron visit to China It is the largest ever British mission of its kind to China

"But my diary is for me to decide."

Sky's China Correspondent Mark Stone, in Beijing, said: "Mr Cameron knows that open criticism of China or endorsement of its opponents is fatal for political co-operation. For British business to fully harness the opportunities in China, political harmony is vital.

"British investment into China is a necessity for David Cameron. That's why he won't lecture them about their human-rights record."

Mr Cameron spent much of the day championing a multibillion-dollar free-trade agreement between the European Union and China, casting Britain as far more progressive on trade than other EU member states.

"Some in Europe and elsewhere see the world changing and want to shut China off behind a bamboo curtain of trade barriers. Britain wants to tear those barriers down," Mr Cameron told reporters.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg meet the Dalai Lama Mr Cameron and Nick Clegg met the Dalai Lama last year

His approach irritated the European Commission, which is privately understood to oppose a trade deal on the grounds that it risks flooding the 28-nation bloc with cheap Chinese imports.

Mr Li characterised the talks as "highly productive" and said the countries had become "indispensable partners for each other's development".

Some of the business deals struck on the first day of the trip included a £4.5bn order for 100,000 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles and a £200m Sino-British innovation and research fund for science.

And a raft of co-operation agreements were signed, covering issues ranging from tackling cross-border crime to healthcare and patents, as well as a digital and media alliance which Downing Street believes could open up £2bn of opportunities for British companies.


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Thailand: Protesters Enter Govt Headquarters

Violence Blights Thailand's Image

Updated: 8:27am UK, Tuesday 03 December 2013

By Jonathan Samuels, Sky Correspondent, Bangkok

Outside Government House, in the centre of Bangkok, as another round of teargas is fired at protesters, a monk adjusts his gas mask. It is an arresting image, and the irony is lost on no one.

This Buddhist country likes to project an image of peace, a place to enjoy a relaxing holiday, to escape from the world's problems.

And yet for the last few years, it has been rocked by periods of violence as it struggles with a merry-go-round of political turmoil.

So who are the latest demonstrators, and what are their demands?

The protesters are mainly made up of Thailand's "better off" - the elite, the educated, royalists.

For the large part, they have been peaceful demonstrations - a huge group of people, including children and grandparents, all joining what has often been a carnival atmosphere.

They listen to speeches, blow whistles and enjoy the food from the many stalls (Thais rarely pass up a business opportunity like this.)

But now a hardcore group of mainly young men is determined to take a path of more violent protest, attacking government ministries and buildings.

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been democratically elected, which makes it hard for many to understand the protesters' desire for a "people's coup".

But they say she is controlled by her brother Thaksin Shinawatra - himself kicked out of office in 2006.

The man who divided opinion in his own country now lives in Dubai, escaping corruption charges. The protesters accuse him of widespread corruption and abuse of power.

He was popular with a different section of Thai society, those from the country, farmers, the working class. For these people, Thaksin's healthcare reforms and access to cheap finance were vote winners.

His sister wanted to bring in an Amnesty Bill which would have effectively paved his way to return to Thailand. That was the spark to this upheaval.

So, the protesters are calling for their own, rather vague, form of government. A "people's council". Vague and undemocratic, say the critics.

"This is quite a bold and blatant demand to replace the government in the streets," says Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor and director of Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Security and International Studies.

"But Khun Suthep's (anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban) demands go down very well with the people who hate corruption in Thailand, who think that the electoral system can no longer be trusted and therefore they have to set up their own government and rewrite the rules."

So there is a stalemate, and the threat of weeks of protest just as the peak holiday season approaches.

A season which could be blighted as people think maybe this isn't the oasis of calm and serenity the brochures would lead us to believe.


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Train Derails In New York: Four Killed

Written By Unknown on Senin, 02 Desember 2013 | 16.16

Four people have been killed and 63 injured in a train crash north of New York city.

A seven-carriage passenger Metro-North train travelling from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central derailed at 7.20am on Sunday, stopping just feet from the mouth of the Harlem River where it flows into the Hudson.

Three of the four people killed in the accident were found outside the train, which left the track 100 yards north of Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx.

Derailed train in the Bronx, New York There are 'multiple injuries' at the scene. Pic: Naomi Fink

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said 135 firefighters were at the scene, with 11 of those injured said to be in a critical condition and another six in a serious condition.

The Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) said five of the carriages on the diesel train had derailed on a curved section of track, but none entered the adjacent Hudson or Harlem rivers.

Spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said the accident occurred in a slow speed area. She added the train black box would reveal how fast the train was travelling.

The crash was reported by an engineer, but it was unclear if any of the train crew were injured.

Rescue workers at scene Emergency workers examine one of the carriages

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said four people had been killed and 63 injured. Among the injured was the train operator. There were between 100 and 150 passengers on board.

He added that authorities believe everyone at the site has been accounted for and that the National Transportation Safety Board was on the way to carry out an investigation.

Witnesses had reported the train appeared to be going too fast as it reached the bend.

Witness Edwin Valero was in an apartment building above the scene when the train derailed.

The crash site near Spuyten Duyvil station The crash occurred close to the Hudson and Harlem rivers

He said at least one carriage stopped just feet from the edge of the water. Initial reports had suggested some of the carriages may have been submerged.

Footage of the crash scene showed divers in the water after some passengers were thrown clear of the train.

Eyewitness Rebecca Schwartz told Sky News: "I was walking in the park across the water from the train station, and I saw multiple-cars derailed, at least one very close to if not in the water, and many, many emergency vehicles pouring onto the scene."

Joel Zaritsky woke up as his carriage rolled off the track.

He said: "I was asleep and I woke up when the car started rolling several times. Then I saw the gravel coming at me, and I heard people screaming.

"There was smoke everywhere and debris. People were thrown to the other side of the train."

He added that passengers were taken off the train, with dozens bloodied and scratched and holding ice packs to their heads.

A statement from Metro-North said: "Rescuers are ascertaining the extent of injuries, and we will update information throughout the day."

President Barack Obama said his thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of the victims of the fatal train derailment.


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Ukraine: Protesters Block Government Offices

Protesters in Ukraine have blocked streets leading to government offices in their ongoing bid to topple the administration of President Viktor Yanukovich.

In response to an opposition call for a nationwide strike over Mr Yanukovich's U-turn on Europe, protesters gathered outside the cabinet building in the capital Kiev.

They lined the street with obstacles, including flower pots and rubbish bins, to prevent government workers from getting inside.

"We have to block entire street, the streets behind us also, to be sure that not even one official will get to the Cabinet of Ministers office," said one protester, as he gave directions to a group.

"We were told to go back home and await further instructions. We simply could not get to work. All the doors are blocked," said a government employee who tried to enter the building.

A man throws a flare in the direction of Interior Ministry members during a rally held by supporters of EU integration in Kiev A flare is thrown near the Interior Ministry

Witnesses said a pro-Europe rally in Kiev on Sunday attracted about 350,000 people, the biggest protest in the capital since the "Orange Revolution" of nine years ago.

The protesters have vowed to stage round the clock protests in capital Kiev, demanding the resignation of the government and the president.

They are seeking early elections over Mr Yankovych's failure to sign a deal with the European Union.

Thousands of supporters of the ex-Soviet state's closer alliance with Brussels and opposed to closer links with Russia camped out overnight in the capital's Independence Square.

The energetic crowd had first defied a ban on protests on Sunday by driving lines of helmeted police off the expansive square in scenes reminiscent of the 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution.

Protesters try to break through police lines near the presidential administration building during a rally held by supporters of EU integration in Kiev Protesters try to break through lines of riot police in Kiev

Some of the protesters also steered a yellow bulldozer within striking distance of barricades protecting the nearby office of the president.

Security forces outside the president's office fired dozens of stun grenades and smoke bombs at masked demonstrators who were pelting police with stones and Molotov cocktails.

Kiev police spokeswoman Olga Bilyk said that around 100 officers were injured in Sunday's clashes.

A mayor's office official said nearly 50 demonstrators had also been treated by doctors for various injuries.

The nation of 46 million people, which is struggling economically, was thrown into its deepest crisis in nearly a decade when Mr Yanukovych snubbed EU leaders at a summit on Friday.

UKRAINE-UNREST-POLITICS-EU-RUSSIA A demonstrator waves a flag at riot police protecting presidential offices

EU leaders primarily blame the decision on the stinging economic punishments Russia had threatened should Ukraine move towards closer links with the West.

The move now threatens to backfire on Mr Yanukovych as his political foes try to build momentum amid existing discontent with state corruption and disappearing jobs.

About 50,000 protesters also rallied on Sunday in the western city of Lviv, while another 250 EU supporters ignored a court ban in the president's native region of Donetsk.


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Thailand: Police Fire Rubber Bullets At Protesters

Police have fired rubber bullets at protesters trying to get into the compound housing the prime minister's office in Bangkok.

It happened after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said in a televised address police would not use force against the demonstrators.

She said her immediate aim was to restore "peace" to the capital's streets and vowed police "will not use force against the people."

But shortly after Thailand's security chief said polcie were "alternating between the use of water cannons, teargas and rubber bullets" to contain the protesters.

Paradorn Pattanathabutr added: "Rubber bullets are being used in one area only and that is the bridge near Government House."

The protesters are attempting to remove the government, which they say is corrupt, and replace it with a 'People's Council'.

Anti Government Protest Leader Gives Thai PM 2 Day Ultimatum Following Weekend Demonstrations A bus that was set on fire during the protests

But Ms Shinawatra rejected their demands in her address.

"Anything I can do to make people happy, I am willing to do ... but as prime minister what i can do must be under the constitution," she said.

Ms Shinawatra was speaking for the first time since violence broke out on Saturday after weeks of peaceful protest.

On Sunday opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban gave her two days to stand down 

Thailand has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since 1932, most recently in 2006 when Ms Shinawatra's brother, Taksin Shinawatra, was overthrown.

More follows...


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Sacred Shrines Become 'Ticking Time Bomb'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 01 Desember 2013 | 16.15

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent in Jerusalem

The supreme leader of the Palestinian Muslims and guardian of Islam's most sacred shrine in the Old City of Jerusalem has warned of an uprising and regional war if Jews attempt to take greater control of the al Aqsa Mosque complex.

The warning came amid advancing efforts in the Israeli parliament to try to take administrative control of the sacred Islamic site which Jews also lay claim to as it sits on the remains of their Second Temple.

For now "sovereignty" of the Haram al Sharif, as the complex is traditionally known, lies with Jordan.

But several Knesset members, led by deputy speaker Moshe Feiglin, a member of the Likud Party, are pressing for greater access to Jews for prayer on the site and administrative control of it.

"It is the hard core of our identity ... those places that represent the basis for our existence here altogether. Should we insist on [access to] these places or not?" Mr Feiglin told Sky News.

"Because if we cannot insist on our legitimacy on our basic rights to pray in the most holiest place for the Jews in the land of Israel -  under Israeli sovereignty in the middle of Jerusalem - then we're losing our legitimacy not just in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, but everywhere else."

Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque The Dome of the Rock is part of the al Aqsa complex under Muslim control

The Knesset member is a forceful rejectionist of talks with the Palestinians aimed at establishing an independent state on the West Bank and in Gaza.

He believes that Israel is a threat to itself by ceding territory it captured in 1967 and has occupied since then. On the issue of what Jews call the Temple Mount, he is equally unbending.

"I don't need to prove anything, history says it all. Any honest person who learned a bit of history knows the truth - Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and to the Jews only, that's a fact. And by the way the Temple Mount never really interested Muslims before the Israelis came back."

The Mohammed Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, issued a stark warning against any attempts to replace the Muslim administration of the Haram al Shari/Temple Mount in an exclusive interview with Sky News.

Grand Mufti of the Al Aqsa Mosque The Grand Mufti says if Israelis push the issue the region will be at war

"If the Israelis come here it will be more than an intifada," he said.

What do you mean more than an intifada?

"The whole region will be engulfed by war," the Grand Mufti insisted.

Such threats are not idle.

In 2000, Ariel Sharon triggered the Second or "al Aqsa" Intifada which led to the deaths of 4,000 people and many more wounded over the next half decade by insisting on his right to visit the shrine.

He did so at a time of heightened tension when 10 years of talks aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza appeared to Palestinians to be going nowhere - and when they were also frustrated at the ineptitude and corruption of their own leadership.

Violence In 2000, 4,000 people died in the Second or 'al Aqsa' Intifada

Today, peace talks are going nowhere. The Palestinians have been letting Jewish settlements chew into their lands on the West Bank. Their leadership remains corrupt and incompetent - and are increasingly being seen as collaborators.

The tinder box that Mr Sharon, then leader of the Israeli opposition, lit in 2000 is just as dry now.

"It's a huge and dangerous issue - taking the place from Muslims where they believe they have the right to pray is very dangerous," Grand Mufti Hussein said.

Jews are banned from praying on the holy site by the Israeli police, although the courts have found that they should be able to exercise this right.

They are also forbidden, when they do visit, from removing so much as a leaf or a grain of soil.

Sky News joined a small group who were escorted by an Israeli policeman, who monitored their progress on a pre-set route around the outer edge of the 35-acre complex.

A man praying at Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque Religious tensions are high

They prayed by talking to themselves as they walked, or by pretending to be in conversations and instead reciting invocations.

They were led by Rabbi Yitzchak Reuven, assistant director of The Temple Institute which is dedicated to restoring the temple to its third incarnation and is collecting the sacred vessels that one day it hopes will be used there.

A model of the Third Temple has pride of place in the Temple Institute Museum just 100 yards from the Western Wall - all that remains of the Second Temple since its destruction by Rome in 70AD.

Rabbi Reuven said: "It's not a fantasy at all because we have the instructions of what needs to be done, we have the information, we have the technology to achieve all these things.

"In terms of arriving at the moment that's a historical process, we don't expect a metaphysical change in the world, we don't expect a divine intervention that's going to set things right."

His ambition may have a purely theological intent, but it also poses an explosive political reality.

He is sanguine.

"We're hoping by increasing awareness we will be closer to achieving the dream of the Jewish people and one that we have for the entire world because as Isaiah says this shall be a house of prayer for all nations."


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Thai PM Flees Building During Violent Protests

Thailand's Prime Minister has been moved to a secret location after protesters forced their way into a police sports club in Bangkok where she was staying.

The anti-government mob broke into the building where Yingluck Shinawatra had been during the morning, but she was able to leave the premises and go to an undisclosed location, an aide said.

In another area of the city, police have fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters near Government House, where Ms Yingluck's office is located.

It is the first time police have used force against protesters who have occupied government offices for the past week in an attempt to topple the PM.

The violence flared near Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium which was hosting a rally by thousands of Red Shirts, who support the embattled premier.

Bangkok A Red Shirt is attacked by anti-government protesters

The Red Shirts - who also back Ms Yingluck's brother, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - had gathered en masse to ward off any coup attempt against the government.

Police said a 21-year-old had been shot dead. At least five other people were also wounded by gunshots and five more were injured by knives or rocks, officials at the nearby Dr Panya General Hospital said.

It was not immediately known who fired the shots or whether the victims were supporters or opponents of the government.

Those seeking to topple the government also attacked several people they believed were going to the rally.

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra speaks during a news conference at the Government House in Bangkok Yingluck Shinawatra is accused of being a puppet for her brother

Two people were badly beaten and two buses attacked, their windows smashed.

One protester used an iron rod with a Thai flag wrapped around it to smash the driver's side window of one bus.

The buses and one taxi appeared to have been targeted because they carried people wearing red shirts.

Police claimed soon afterwards they had the situation under control, but attacks continued overnight on individual Red Shirts, and the crowds on both sides grew.

Police called for military backup to protect parliament and Ms Yingluck's office.

Anti-government protesters Protesters tear down barricades outside Government House

Protesters there tore down stone and razor-wire barriers ahead of a planned move to occupy it.

Demonstrators briefly occupied the headquarters of the army on Friday, urging it to join them in a complex power struggle centred on the enduring political influence of Ms Yingluck's billionaire brother.

The tension heightens a nearly decade-long conflict that broadly pits Thailand's traditional establishment of top generals, royalists and the urban middle class against the mostly rural, northern supporters of Mr Thaksin.


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North Korea: Detained American 'Admits Crimes'

An American veteran of the Korean War who was detained for "hostile acts" against the communist North has released an apology supposedly confessing to his alleged crimes.

Merrill Newman, an 85-year-old from California, was held in October after entering North Korea "under the guise of a tourist", the country's official KCNA news agency said.

KCNA handout shows a four-page document entitled "Apology" supposedly written by U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman The alleged four-page confession with thumb prints

It is the first time the reclusive state has officially admitted holding Mr Newman, whose family said he was detained on October 26 shortly before take-off from Pyongyang following a 10-day tour.

KCNA said Mr Newman had committed crimes both as a tourist and during his participation in the Korean War six decades ago, and published an apology running to nearly 600 words in which the American allegedly confessed to his crimes.

KCNA handout shows Merrill Newman reading from a piece of paper at an undisclosed location in North Korea Mr Newman reading the alleged apology

Pyongyang has been accused of previously coercing statements from detainees, but it was riddled with stilted English and grammatical errors, such as "I want not punish me".

Mr Newman, a retired financial executive who served three years during the war, has been accused of infringing upon the "dignity and sovereignty" of the secretive state and "slandering its socialist system, quite contrary to the purpose of the tour", the report said.

The American had also masterminded espionage and subversive activities during the 1950-53 Korean War and was involved in the killing of North Korean soldiers and innocent civilians, it said.

"I realise that I cannot be forgiven for my offensives but I beg for pardon on my knees by apologising for my offensives sincerely toward the (North Korean) government and the Korean people and I want not punish me," Mr Newman was quoted as saying by KCNA.

The Korean War veteran had intended to meet surviving soldiers and pray for the souls of the dead, KCNA said, adding he had asked his guide for help.

He had also criticised North Korea during his trip, it said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the 991 Unit of the KPA Air and Anti-Air Force North Korean released an undated photo of lleader Kim Jong Un on Saturday

"I will never commit the offensive act against the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) government and the Korean people again," Mr Newman said in his apology.

North Korea released video showing Mr Newman reading his apology, which was dated November 9.

Officials also showed an email printout dated April 19 which allegedly showed Mr Newman was formerly a military adviser to a special forces unit known as Donkey 6 who tried to meet survivors of the guerrilla United Nations Partisan Forces-Korea (UNPFK).

According to the US Special Operations Forces Handbook, the so-called Donkeys - nicknamed after the Korean word for liberty - operated behind enemy lines on missions that remained classified for 30 years.

KCNA handout shows a document that reads as an email sent by U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman, who has been detained in North Korea North Korea issued an alleged email from Mr Newman dated April

It said: "From tiny islands off the Korean coast, the Donkeys conducted raids, rescued downed airmen and maintained electronic facilities.

"Under the guidance of the special forces and other US cadre, (UNPFK) eventually numbered 22,000 and claimed 69,000 enemy casualties."

According to Mr Newman's son Jeff, his father had been on an organised tour and was detained due to a "misunderstanding".

"My father is a veteran, and wanted to see the country and culture he has been interested in for years," he said.

North Korea is also holding US national Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator arrested a year ago who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour on charges of seeking to topple the government.

The State Department recently issued an updated travel advisory urging Americans to avoid North Korea, which was reportedly "arbitrarily detaining US citizens and not allowing them to depart the country".


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