Quincy Actor Jack Klugman Dies Aged 90

Jack Klugman, who starred in TV's The Odd Couple and Quincy, M.E. has died at the age of 90.

Klugman seen at a charity benefit in 2004

His son Adam said he passed away on Monday afternoon in Los Angeles.

"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," he said.

In the 1970s sitcom The Odd Couple, Klugman played sloppy sports writer Oscar to co-star Tony Randall's Felix, a fussy photographer.

In Quincy, M.E., which aired from 1976 to 1983, Klugman played an idealistic, tough-minded medical examiner.

He lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s but trained himself to speak again.

"The only really stupid thing I ever did in my life was to start smoking," he said in 1996.

He said of seeing people smoking in television and films: "It disgusts me, it makes me so angry. Kids are watching."

He returned to acting in a 1993 Broadway revival of Three Men On A Horse.

Klugman then split his time between TV, movies and the New York stage.

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India Rape Protests: Injured Policeman Dies

An Indian policeman who was injured in clashes during a protest over a gang-rape in New Delhi has died.

The 47-year-old police constable, Subash Tomar, was deployed at the India Gate monument on Sunday to control the protests.

He was beaten up by a mob and rushed to hospital by the police.

"The protesters pelted stones at Tomar, he was unconscious for two days and today he died," New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.

More than 50 policemen were injured in Sunday's violence as police struggled to quell increasing outrage over sex crimes following the gang-rape of a student.

Tomar's cousin Ajay who was in the hospital to claim the body said he had joined the police in 1985 and never spent a single festival with the family.

"My cousin was always out on streets maintaining law and order. The mob attacked him for no reason. They just killed him," said Ajay Tomar.

Much of central Delhi remains sealed off after the wave of violent protests over the gang-rape of a 23-year-old student in the capital and a surge in violence against women.

Protests have taken place across India over the last week to denounce the police and government.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has appealed for calm in the city.

His pleas were echoed by the victim's father.

"Please pray for my daughter and do not resort to any violent activity. She needs your support and your prayers," the father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Hindi-language News 24 network.

"My daughter is fighting for her life, but she is very strong and has a strong will to live."

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Timberlake Video: Mocked Homeless Man's Appeal

A homeless man from Los Angeles who featured in a mock video produced by one of Justin Timberlake's friends for his wedding wants the star to visit him on Skid Row.

The man, who goes by the name "Eddie", has lived for six or seven years in the neighbourhood which has a large homeless population.

The video, initially posted on the Gawker website, featured a series of LA vagrants, street musicians and others talking into a camera, sending wishes to Timberlake and actress Jessica Biel on their recent Italian nuptials.

Eddie was paid $40 (£25) to appear in the video but said he did not realise it was going to make fun of him.

High-profile lawyer Gloria Allred is representing Eddie who has written an open letter to Timberlake asking to arrange a meeting with him "very soon".

Gloria Allred

He said he wants to talk to the actor-singer "so you can understand my situation, and so that we can talk about this situation involving so many others who are homeless".

Ms Allred challenged Timberlake and his friends to "take action to provide meaningful assistance to 'Eddie' and others like him".

"This issue is not just about fans being upset or anyone being offended by a video," she said. "It is about people being down on their luck and in desperate need of help by those who are in a position to provide it."

Timberlake posted an open letter in October on his website about the video, saying: "I had no knowledge of its existence. I had absolutely ZERO contribution to it."

The video was titled Greetings from your Hollywood friends who just couldn't make it.

"I think we can all agree that it was distasteful, even though that was not its intention," Timberlake added.

Eddie said Timberlake's letter showed he has a "good heart, but (does) not really understand the situation I face or that (is) faced by the thousands living on the streets of Los Angeles and around the country".

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Steve Jobs' Yacht Row Settled With Payout

Steve Jobs' yacht is free to set sail after the late Apple co-founder's estate paid a deposit to resolve a dispute with the designer.

The boat, which reportedly cost more than £80m to build, was impounded after Philippe Starck said Mr Jobs' estate still owed him around £2.5m for his contribution to its design.

Mr Starck said he was to be paid a fixed sum of £7m, while lawyers for Mr Jobs' estate said he was to be paid a percentage of the project's cost - equal to £5m.

"The Venus is no longer impounded, we have found a solution," said lawyer Gerard Moussault.

"A security deposit was paid into a bank account, but I cannot say for how much."

The designer was supposedly "very close" to Mr Jobs during the period the design was agreed and construction went ahead.

That was said to be one of the reasons there was no formal agreement on the job.

The Dutch-built yacht was unveiled in October, just over a year after Mr Jobs died of respiratory problems related to his pancreatic cancer.

Seven iMacs are installed in the bridge

Although the boat is no longer impounded, it remains in Amsterdam harbour because of bad weather.

The yacht will reportedly be taken to the United States, where Mr Jobs' family, including his widow Laurene Powell Jobs and their three children Reed, Erin and Eve, are to take charge of the boat.

The aluminium-hulled 70-metre (230-foot) yacht was built by shipbuilder Royal De Vries in Aalsmeer, just south of Amsterdam, with the interiors designed by Mr Starck.

He described the vessel as "sleek and minimalist", with teak decks.

The bridge features a control panel made up of an array of seven iMac computers.

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Manila Christmas Eve Fires Tear Through Slum

At least eight people have been killed and thousands more left homeless after two fires broke out in Manila in the Philippines.

One of the blazes sparked a riot in a slum with emergency workers being showered with rocks as they drove in to help people.

Fire marshall Santiago Laguna said the clashes left one man dead and two suspected rioters were arrested.

"They (residents) started grabbing hoses from our firefighters, who could not do anything as they feared for their own safety," Mr Laguna said.

He said a man was beaten up and later died from his injuries as the blaze consumed the shantytown in the San Juan district. Arson is believed to be the cause of the blaze.

Mr Laguna said residents were apparently angered by the delayed arrival of firefighters. The emergency workers could not get their fire trucks through narrow streets jammed with parked vehicles.

The shantytown blaze left some 2,000 families homeless, Mr Laguna said, adding that equated to around 8,000 people without a roof over their heads at Christmas.

In the separate fire seven charred bodies, all believed to be from one household, were recovered after one of the fires ripped through a row of old apartments in northern Manila.

"They are all believed to be from a family that owned the apartment row and lived in one of the units where the fire was suspected to have started," fire officer Francisco Mabunga added.

The cause of that blaze, which broke out as the metropolis of 14 million people held Christmas Eve parties that lasted until dawn, is under investigation, officials said.

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Pope Benedict Celebrates Christmas Mass

The Pope has marked Christmas with a Mass in the Vatican and asked if people still have room for children, the poor and God in their technology-driven lives.

The pontiff also prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strife-torn Syria as well as Lebanon and Iraq.

The Pope's Christmas Eve ceremony began at 10pm local time with the blare of trumpets, meant to symbolise Christian joy over the news of Christ's birth in Bethlehem.

As midnight neared, church bells tolled throughout Rome, while inside the basilica, the voices of the Vatican boys' choir resounded joyously.

Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican traditionally began at midnight, but the start time was brought forward years ago to give the 85-year-old pontiff more time to rest before his Christmas Day speech.

A smiling Benedict, dressed in gold vestments, waved to applauding church-goers as he glided up the St Peter's Basilica aisle toward the ornate main altar on a wheeled platform guided by white-gloved aides.

In his homily, Benedict urged people to reflect upon what they find time for in their busy lives.

He said: "The great moral question of our attitude toward the homeless, toward refugees and migrants takes on a deeper dimension. Do we really have room for God when he seeks to enter under our roof? Do we have time and space for him?

"The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent."

He continued: "Let us pray that Israelis and Palestinians be able to live their lives in the peace of the one God and in freedom."

On Christmas Day, the Pope delivered the Vatican's traditional message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

He again spoke of political turmoil across the world, encouraging Arab spring nations, especially Egypt, to build just and respectful societies.

He also prayed that China's new leaders respect religion, a reference to persecution Chinese Roman Catholics have at times endured under communism.

In his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, which traditionally reviews world events and global challenges, the pontiff prayed that "peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict that does not spare even the defenseless and reaps innocent victims."

He also called for easier access to help refugees and for "dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict."

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Mandela In Hospital: 'Looking Much Better'

South African President Jacob Zuma has visited Nelson Mandela in hospital and says the 94-year-old is "looking much better".

Mr Zuma said the ex-president was in good spirits on Christmas morning.

Family members, including his wife Graca Machel, are spending the day with Mr Mandela at his bedside.

According to Mr Zuma, doctors are "happy" with Mr Mandela's progress.

The anti-apartheid icon was admitted to hospital on December 8 with a lung infection.

Since then he has also undergone surgery to remove gallstones.

Officials have previously said Mr Mandela was improving, but note that doctors are taking extraordinary care because of his age.

On Monday, Mr Zuma's office, which is tasked with issuing updates on Mr Mandela's condition, said doctors had confirmed that he would not be home for Christmas.

But there was no indication of when he might be discharged.

His grandson Mandla Mandela earlier told eNCA television that the family was saddened by his absence from home this Christmas.

"We are greatly saddened by his absence ... we didn't anticipate that he would be away for so long," he said from Mvezo village, where he is the local chief.

He said the family was hopeful that the much loved elderly statesman will be home soon, adding that his presence was enjoyed by the family and the community of Qunu, the rural village where he grew up and later retired to.

Before his retirement in 2004, Mr Mandela used to host a Christmas feast for impoverished children in Qunu, which was a highlight for many.

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Four Brits Injured In Burma Plane Crash

Three people have been killed and at least 11 injured, including four British nationals, after an Air Bagan flight made an emergency landing on a road in Burma.

The plane was carrying Christmas tourists, including 51 foreigners and six crew members, from Rangoon, via Mandalay to Heho airport in Shan state.

The fatalities were all Burmese citizens: a tour guide and an 11-year-old child on board the plane and a man riding a motorcycle on the road where the plane came down.

Airport officials in Heho said that injured passengers were taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Taunggyi for treatment.

Air Bagan said the emergency landing was made on a road about two miles from Heho airport.

"While descending, the plane mistakenly landed ... due to fog beside the runway," state television reported. It said the aircraft made a hard landing on a road and then came to a stop in a nearby rice paddy field.

"The rear end of the plane broke and caught fire," state TV said, carrying a statement posted on Deputy Information Minister Ye Htut's Facebook page. Rescuers brought the fire under control about 45 minutes later, he said.

Witnesses said smoke filled the plane when it hit the ground and was still rising from the plane's badly charred wreckage hours later.

Air Bagan is one of several domestic carriers seeking to profit from a tourist boom in Burma as it emerges from decades of military rule.

It is owned by tycoon Tay Za, who is known for his close links to the former junta and has been blacklisted by the US Treasury which once described him as "a notorious regime henchman and arms dealer".

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Firefighters Shot Dead In House Blaze 'Trap'

Two volunteer firefighters have been shot dead and two others injured when a gunman opened fire as they were responding to a house fire in New York state.

The gunman, named as William Spengler, opened fired on the four men as they arrived shortly after 5:30am on Monday to put out the blaze in Webster, said police chief Gerald Pickering.

Spengler set fire to a car and house to lure the firefighters to his house on the shore of Lake Ontario.

"It does appear it was a trap," an emotional Mr Pickering said at a news conference.

Spengler, 62, had served more than 17 years in prison for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980 at the house next to where the attack happened.

Police said Spengler died at the scene after shooting himself in the head.

Webster is northwest of New York City

One of the firefighters who died, Mike Chiapperini, was also a town police lieutenant, but it was not clear whether he returned fire.

The other firefighter who was killed was named as Tomasz Kaczowka.

The two wounded firefighters, named as Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino, remained in a critical condition in hospital.

Police were concerned that Spengler's sister, Cheryl Spengler, was in the house where the fire started, reports said.

Spengler reportedly lived there with his sister and mother, Arline Spengler, who died in October.

The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blaze

An off-duty police officer who was driving past the scene also has injuries from shrapnel, Mr Pickering said.

The fire spread and destroyed six other homes in the quiet lakeside town, around 340 miles (550 km) northwest of New York City.

The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blaze.

The neighbourhood's residents were evacuated and searched by police, and a SWAT team was called to the scene.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the shooting was a "senseless act of violence" and offered his condolences to the victims' families.

"New York's first responders are true heroes as they time and again selflessly rush toward danger in order to keep our families and communities safe," he said.

Monroe county sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said: "It's sad to see that that this is becoming more commonplace in communities across the nation."

The shooting in Webster comes 10 days after the shooting rampage at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, in which 20 children and six adults were killed.

The Newtown massacre has revived debate in the United States on the country's gun laws, which are far more lax than in most other developed nations.

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Piers Unrepentant In Face Of 60,000 Petition

Piers Morgan has renewed his call for a ban on assault rifles as the number of Americans signing a petition to get him out of the country rises.

More than 60,000 people have now signed the petition on the White House website, ensuring the Obama administration will respond.

But Morgan, famous for his sharp tongue and straight talking interview style, has nudged back on Twitter, saying: "Merry Christmas! Even to those who want me deported."

He has also repeated his view that assault rifles should be banned in the US following the latest shooting in which two volunteer firefighters were shot dead in New York state.

The pair were killed, and two others injured, by a gunman who set fire to a car and a house and ambushed them when they arrived at the scene.

The CNN host and former Daily Mirror editor tweeted: "Americans murdered with assault weapons in movie theaters, temples, schools, shopping malls - now, as they put out fires. Where does it end?

"Come on America, ENOUGH: Ban assault weapons & high-capacity magazines, and enforce background checks on 100% of gun sales. Do it now."

Mr Morgan's outspoken views on gun control have sharply divided opinion in the States.

Lanza used a Bushmaster rifle, similar to this one from Rock River Arms

The petition was launched after he interviewed Gun Owners of America executive director Larry Pratt last week in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Mr Pratt suggested some of the victims could have been saved if the teaching staff had been armed, and were therefore able to stop gunman Adam Lanza.

Mr Morgan, who repeatedly interrupted Mr Pratt and shouted over him when he was talking, appeared incredulous when he claimed more guns were the answer.

Gun control advocates also want high-capacity magazines banned

"You're an unbelievably stupid man, aren't you?" Mr Morgan asked him during the heated debate.

"You have absolutely no coherent argument. You don't actually give a damn about the gun murder rate in America."

Following the interview, a Texas journalist went on the White House website and posted the petition to eject him.

It alleges Mr Morgan "is engaged in a hostile attack against the US Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment".

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Sandy Hook Shooting: New School For Survivors

By Brian Donathan, in Monroe, Connecticut

Officials have admitted the Connecticut school where 20 children and six adults were shot dead may never reopen, as new classrooms are set up nearby for survivors of the massacre.

Staff and volunteers have been working around the clock, moving desks, chairs and filing cabinets from Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown, to the former Chalk Hill Middle School in neighbouring Monroe.

Sandy Hook has been shut down indefinitely following Friday's massacre.

Lieutenant George Sinko, of Newtown Police Department, said he "would find it very difficult" for students to return to the same school but added: "We want to keep these kids together. They need to support each other."

A Newtown school employee, who wanted to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the process and because his son attended Sandy Hook, said the furniture being moved to Chalk Hill was from sections of the school not affected by the shooting rampage.

He said officials have examined the floor plans of both schools to help make the young students' secondary home as familiar as possible.

"The classrooms will be set up to be as seamless as possible, so they'll think they're walking into their old classrooms," he said.

Survivors will study at the old Chalk Hill Middle School, seven miles away

The worker added that despite some people in the town saying it was too soon to send the children back to school, he believes the sooner they are back in the classroom the better.

"My son is getting on that bus," he said. "I'll follow him to school, and when he gets off the bus I'll give him a wink. He'll be fine. They're all going to be fine."

Lieutenant Brian McCauley, a spokesman for the Monroe Police Department, said: "These kids have been through something that none of us ever, ever want to go through in our lives, and we want to make their transition back to school as easy, simple and sensitive as possible."

Officials have not determined an exact start date at Chalk Hill, but Monroe Fire Marshal William Davin said the process of making sure the school meets fire and state building codes should be completed in "a matter of days".

Representatives from the Newtown school district will make the final call on when the students will return, Lt McCauley explained.

He said police had been stationed at all schools in Monroe and that officers will be on hand once Chalk Hill opens.

Monroe resident Vicki D'Auria expressed pride in knowing that her town had reached out to aid survivors of the Sandy Hook massacre.

"I've never been more proud to live in Monroe," she said. "The fact that all those kids can now come ... they don't have to go back to that school, it's very nice."

She said her 10-year-old son, who is a fourth grader at Fawn Hollow Elementary next to Chalk Hill, is hoping he gets to make a welcome poster before the Sandy Hook children arrive.

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South Africa Poverty Survey Shows Slow Progress

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Johnnesburg

A government study has shown more than half of the people in South Africa live in poverty.

The survey, which is the latest to be conducted by the government's statistics agency but dates back to 2009, shows that South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world.

And the first census done in a decade indicates that white South Africans still take home six times more pay than their black compatriots - nearly two decades after the end of apartheid.

The reports come at a difficult time for the South African president, Jacob Zuma, who is fighting to be re-elected as leader of the ruling ANC party.

The outcome of that vote will determine who leads the party into the next election - and therefore who'll likely be the South African president until 2019.

The reports show the country's black middle class is growing fast. It's now the same size as the white South African middle class, helped by the country's employment laws which were drawn up to redress decades of inequality and unfairness by previous white regimes.

A protest in Cape Town in August against the government

But a report by Statistics South Africa shows two-thirds of the country's youth live in poor households which have a per capita income of less than 650 rand a month (around £47).

Mr Zuma applauded the results of the census which indicates that the numbers of those living without basic amenities has been halved. The incomes of black households have increased by 169% over the past 10 years. But he conceded the country had a long way to go.

For Seth Maggagane, who lives in the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg, progress can't come soon enough. He has been in the same one-room shed for the bulk of the post-apartheid years.

Here he fends off rats during the night and works as a gardener to try to support his family living miles away in Petersburg.

"The rats come and bite us at night. Even I have been bitten here," he says, gesturing towards his bed which takes up most of the room of his home.

President Zuma is fighting for re-election as leader of the ANC

He has been supplementing his income by catching rats and handing them into Lifeline, a charity which has started an initiative to try to crackdown on the rat problem in Alexandra. For every 60 rats that Seth can catch, he will be given a free mobile phone. He's on his second so far. Not as good as Peter Kapolo who is on his third and has brought in 93 rats in a single day.

It's a world away from Dainfern and the life of Puleng Mash-Spies, who recently shot to fame when she appeared on the popular television programme Come Dine With Me South Africa.

Despite coming from Sebokeng township and witnessing a 'necklace' murder when she was nine, she now runs her own beauty business with all the comforts of a very wealthy woman including Christian Louboutin shoes and a diamond in her front tooth.

But she is extremely critical of the slow pace of change in the country for the millions of her fellow black South Africans.

"It didn't come easy and I wasn't lucky. My parents worked hard for me to become the woman that I am today. That's why for me Sebokeng is so touchy. And I do feel bad for those who are still there," she says with tears running down her cheeks.

"But I'm glad now they can't see the things that I saw. I was only nine …

"The ANC did some good things but now they are losing the plot. We don't want to go back there. I don't want my kids, my family to go back and see what I saw. If we don't change things in South Africa, we will go back there."

She means that the growing feelings of discontent against the country's leaders, against those who have such a lot while so many have so little, will lead to even greater outpourings of dissatisfaction than already seen in the country.

The deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe, who is challenging Mr Zuma for the ANC leadership, has said South Africa is at "tipping point" after the deaths of 34 miners shot by police during violent strikes at the country's mines.

Mr Zuma has denied that is the case - but there are plenty in the country who would disagree with him.

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China Cracks Down On 'Doomsday Cults'

Hundreds of members of a Christianity-inspired religious sect have been arrested by Chinese authorities and accused of spreading rumours about the end of the world.

Official state media said the Almighty God group had been using doomsday prophecies linked to the ancient Mayan calendar to encourage followers to rise up against the Communist Party.

More than 400 followers of the sect, also known as Oriental Lightning, were held in just one province, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said.

"These cult members recently latched on to the Mayan doomsday scenario to predict the sun will not shine and electricity will not work for three days beginning on December 21," the state-run news agency Xinhua reported, citing the public security bureau of Xining, capital of the southwestern province of Qinghai.

Police seized leaflets, DVDs, books and other material forecasting the end of the world during raids across eight provinces and regions.

"The investigation into the 'Almighty God' evil sect forms an important aspect of our maintenance stability work and we will closely link it up with our anti-self-immolation fight," CCTV cited Qinghai police as saying.

Nearly 100 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest at China's rule of its Tibetan-inhabited regions, which include Qinghai.

China's ruling Communist Party has brutally suppressed other religious groups that have refused to toe the party line, including the Buddhist-inspired Falun Gong, which was banned in the late 1990s.

The country has a long history of religiously-inspired anti-government movements, most notably the nineteenth century "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom", led by a man who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ, gathered hundreds of thousands of followers in an attempt to overthrow the emperor.

Church of Almighty God was reportedly founded in Heilongjiang province in 1989 and later began to teach that Jesus Christ had returned to Earth in the form of a Henan woman named Deng.

On its website, the group calls China "a fortress of demons and a prison controlled by the devil".

The suggestion that the apocalypse is imminent has also been blamed for the stabbing of 23 children at a school in Henan province.

"Initial police investigation found Min (the suspect arrested by police), a long-term epilepsy sufferer, had been strongly psychologically affected by rumours of the forthcoming end of the world predicted by ancient prophecy," the Xinhua agency reported.

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Hazing Death: Two Dozen Students Face Charges

Nearly two dozen students at Northern Illinois University are facing charges after a new fraternity member died in a suspected alcohol-fuelled initiation ceremony.

Arrest warrants were issued on Monday for 22 members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity in DeKalb. 

Five members are charged with felony hazing connected to the apparent student ritual. The others are facing misdemeanour charges.

There was no reaction from the fraternity to the development.

First year student David Bogenberger was found unresponsive at the fraternity house in November.

The local coroner ruled the 19-year-old died from cardiac arrhythmia, with alcohol intoxication as a contributing cause.

The coroner said the student's blood-alcohol level was about five times the legal limit for driving.

Northern Illinois University has temporarily removed the fraternity as a recognised student organisation.

The Bogenberger family have released a statement asking college and fraternity officials to help bring an end to potentially deadly "hazing and initiation rituals".

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Jalal Talabani: Iraqi President Has Stroke

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is fighting for his life after suffering a stroke, an official has said.

Mr Talabani is being treated at a hospital in Baghdad but may be flown to another country for treatment, said Prime Minister's spokesman Ali al Moussawi.

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki is visiting the president at the hospital in the Iraqi capital.

Mr Talabani, 79, a veteran of the Kurdish guerrilla movement, is Iraq's first president from the ethnic group.

He has struggled with his health in recent years. He was treated for exhaustion in Jordan in 2007 and underwent heart surgery in the US in 2008.

Mr Talabani has lived through decades of conflict with the central government and other Kurdish groups, including a period in exile, before the fall of Saddam Hussein.

He assumed the largely ceremonial presidency in the years after the 2003 invasion, and has often used the role to mediate between sectarian and ethnic groups.

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Pakistan: Polio Vaccination Workers Shot Dead

Gunmen on motorbikes have shot dead four women giving polio vaccinations in Pakistan.

The attacks were carried out in three different areas of Karachi, the country's biggest city.

The women - all Pakistanis - were killed on the second day of a three-day nationwide drive against the disease, which is endemic in Pakistan.

The health minister for Sindh province said he had ordered a halt to all polio vaccinations in Karachi following the shootings.

Police said another polio worker was shot dead there on Monday, although the circumstances of his death only became clear later.

Karachi is on the coast of southern Pakistan

Senior police officer Shahid Hayat blamed the killings on "militants who issued a fatwa against polio vaccination in the past".

Pakistan is one of only three countries where polio, a highly-infectious and crippling disease, remains endemic, along with neighbouring Afghanistan and Nigeria.

But efforts to tackle the problem have been hampered over the years by suspicion over vaccination drives.

Warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur and the Pakistani Taliban banned polio vaccinations in the country's tribal northwest, where polio is a particular problem, last June.

They claim the anti-polio campaign is a cover for spying activities by the West.

Officials say the ban is putting the health of 240,000 children in North and South Waziristan at risk.

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Instagram Pic Policy Change Prompts Backlash

Some Instagram users are threatening to abandon the service after the firm announced it was giving itself the right to sell people's photos to advertisers.

The Facebook-owned photo-sharing network is introducing new terms of service on January 16 which are an automatic opt-in - unless people decide to leave.

The new terms mean Instagram can share information about the people using the service with Facebook - and with its advertisers.

As well as giving itself the right to sell people's pictures, the new terms mean users will receive no payment themselves and will receive no notification about what is happening to their images.

Tech website BuzzFeed said: "There's an adage that's basically a cliche in tech now: if you are not paying for it, you're not the customer. You're the product being sold.

"Well, there's a reason that it's become cliche, and that's because it's true - over and over and over again."

Instagram users were quick to take to social media such as Twitter to voice their concern - and in some cases their outrage.

User Wardina Safiyyah tweeted: "Shud we all leave IG now? Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos."

Fellow user maggielmcg wrote: "Bye Instagram. As of Jan they will be able to sell user's pics as stock photos with no revenue share."

John Frankel was more forthright, tweeting: "DISGUSTING: Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos."

Wired even wrote an online article telling users How to Download Your Instagram Photos and Kill Your Account.

Instagram explained the changes in its new terms of service, saying: "Some or all of the Service may be supported by advertising revenue.

"To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you."

Sarah Byrt, of intellectual property specialist Mayer Brown, said: "Instagram may face another user backlash once people see how their photos are used.

"It makes it all the more important that users check their privacy settings. Legally, it doesn't mean Instagram can ignore other rights.

"For example, if the user had taken a picture of someone famous without their consent, or had taken a picture of something protected by copyright, Instagram - or the company using the picture in an ad - still need to think about those issues."

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Fiji: Cyclone Evan Leaves Trail Of Destruction

Tropical Cyclone Evan has left a swathe of destruction across Fiji, destroying homes, flooding rivers and stranding thousands of tourists.

The storm hammered the Pacific nation for more than 12 hours.

But, despite the damage, officials reported no fatalities as the storm headed out to sea on Tuesday morning and was downgraded a notch to category three.

Neighbouring Samoa had no advance notice when Evan pummelled it late last week and officials there said the official death toll had risen to five, with up to 10 people still missing.

Fears that Evan would rival the deadly force of Cyclone Kina, which killed 23 people when it swept through Fiji in 1993, proved unfounded, largely due to extensive planning as the storm advanced.

However, Fijians face a long road to recovery on an island where entire houses have been blown away.

Scene in the village of Sanasana, east of Natadola Bay

Almost 8,500 people had sheltered in evacuation centres and thousands of tourists, many of whom were relocated from other islands for their own safety, rode out the storm on main island Viti Levu's resorts.

"Everyone was hunkered down, the winds were so strong last night (Monday) you couldn't even open your doors, it was over 200km per hour (125 mph)," said Marc Hinton, a New Zealander visiting Fiji.

Western parts of Viti Levu saw the most destruction, as Evan tore through the area overnight.

The Fiji Times have described the township of Lautoka in Viti Levu as a "war zone".

"The destruction this cyclone has caused is beyond words. Not one house has been spared here," Lautoka resident Melaia Waisele said.

Samoa's Disaster Management Office (DMO) said almost 5,000 people were still in evacuation centres and power remained off in much of the country.

DMO spokeswoman Filomena Nelson said the damage caused by the storm, estimated by the government to cost $130m (£80m), was more extensive than when a tsunami hit the country in 2009, killing 143 people.

"While the cost in lives has been less, the destruction is greater than the tsunami because it's affected a far larger area," she said.

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Samsung Drops Attempts To Ban Apple Products

Samsung has withdrawn lawsuits which seek to ban the sale of Apple products in Europe, although the companies' legal battle over copyright continues.

A statement by the South Korean company said it strongly believed companies should compete in the marketplace, not in court.

"Samsung remains committed to licencing our technologies on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms," it said. 

"In this spirit, Samsung has decided to withdraw our injunction requests against Apple on the basis of our standard essential patents pending in European courts, in the interest of protecting consumer choice."

The announcement came shortly after a US judge rejected Apple's call to ban the sale of several Samsung smartphone models in the US.

Apple applied for the ban after a jury found in its favour in August, saying the Seoul-based firm had illegally used Apple technology.

District Judge Lucy Koh's decision is part of a series of rulings that she is releasing over several weeks to address the many legal issues that were raised in the case.

Apple was awarded $1.05bn (£648m) in damages after jurors found Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad.

Samsung was found to have copied features of the iPad and iPhone

It had urged the judge to permanently ban the US sales of eight Samsung smartphone models, while also seeking to add millions more to the award.

"The phones at issue in this case contain a broad range of features, only a small fraction of which are covered by Apple's patents," Judge Koh wrote in her ruling.

"Though Apple does have some interest in retaining certain features as exclusive to Apple, it does not follow that entire products must be forever banned from the market because they incorporate, among their myriad features, a few narrow protected functions."

Earlier this month, she appeared ready to trim the $1.05bn in damages that had been awarded by the jury, but gave no indication as to how much.

Adding to the legal tangle, Apple filed a second lawsuit earlier this year, alleging that Samsung's newer products are unfairly using Apple's technology.

That trial is scheduled to go ahead in 2014. The two companies are also locked in legal battles in several other countries.

Earlier this year, Apple lawyer Harold McElhinny claimed Samsung "willfully" made a business decision to copy Apple's iPad and iPhone.

He called the jury's $1.05bn award a "slap on the wrist".

Samsung lawyer Charles Verhoeven argued Apple was trying to tie up Samsung in courts around the world rather than competing with it in the marketplace.

Samsung also claimed it had been deprived of a fair trial as the California courthouse is located just 12 miles from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino.

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Sandy Hook Shootings: Protest At Gun Lobby HQ

Protesters have marched on the headquarters of the US gun lobby as the clamour for tighter firearm controls grows in the wake of the Newtown school massacre.

As the first two funerals for young victims of the Sandy Hook shooting took place, 75 activists descended on the Washington DC headquarters of the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA).

The protesters chanted: "Shame on the NRA," and demanded the organisation drop its hardline stance and make way for new gun control laws.

"More than anyone else, the NRA is responsible for the more than 12,000 people murdered by guns every year in this country," said Josh Nelson, the campaign manager for the progressive Credo Action group that organised the protest.

"We call on the NRA's lobbyists to stand down and allow Congress to pass common-sense gun laws."

The activists' cause has been backed by two pro-gun US senators, who have come out in favour of reform after the murder of 20 children and six adults at the elementary school.

Democrats Mark Warner and Joe Manchin, who have so-called "A" ratings from the NRA, said the Newtown massacre has convinced them the time for change has come.

Gunman Adam Lanza

West Virginia's Senator Manchin told MSNBC it was time to "move beyond rhetoric" on gun control.

He said: "I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle. It's common sense."

Senator Warner said "the status quo isn't acceptable" and in a later interview called for "rational gun control".

Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy called for changes to the law during an emotional news conference, where he broke down while describing the ordeal of parents who lost their children at Sandy Hook.

He said: "You try to feel their pain, but you can't. You try to find some words that you hope will be adequate, knowing that they will be inadequate, and you see little coffins and your heart has to break."

He added: "I'm a big believer in hunting rights and a big believer in supporting the Second Amendment, but there's a reality that this stuff has gone too far and is too easy to own.

"Do I think Washington DC needs to get its act together and enact stricter gun control laws at the federal level? You bet I do."

New York's popular mayor Michael Bloomberg made an appearance flanked by relatives of shooting victims and demanded that President Barack Obama make good on his promise to tackle gun violence in the US.

On Sunday, Mr Obama told residents at a vigil in Newtown the US must do more to protect its children.

Since then, White House spokesman Jay Carney has said tighter gun control laws are part of the answer to violence in the US, but the president did not have a specific policy to announce.

Mr Obama is understood to support reinstating a ban on assault rifles that expired in 2004.

Since the shootings, the NRA has been silent.

Requests for comments have gone unanswered, and officials are turning down interview requests until they have more details.

The NRA's 1.7 million-strong Facebook group has disappeared, and the group's Twitter account - which is a favourite platform to communicate with supporters - has not sent a message since before the grim reality of Friday's shootings set in.

Governor Dan Malloy was emotional after victim Noah Pozner's funeral

The massacre has prompted private capital group Cerberus Capital Management to sell its shareholding in Freedom Group, which manufactures the the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle used. 

The Dick's Sporting Goods chain also announced it was suspending sales of modern rifles and removing all guns from display at stores near Newtown during "this time of national mourning".

But the industry remains powerful, directly employing more than 98,000 people and generating another 111,000 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries, according to the US firearms trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

It also says the firearms and ammunition industry was responsible for as much as $31.84 billion in total economic activity in the country in 2012 and, along with its employees, paid $2.07 billion in taxes.

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Nelson Mandela Treated For Lung Infection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Royal Nurse: Radio Gives £320K To Family Fund

A memorial fund for the family of the dead nurse who was the victim of the royal hoax call has been set up by the radio station responsible for the prank.

Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of radio station 2Day FM, said the remainder of the profits for 2012 should go to a memorial fund to benefit Jacintha Saldhana's family.

The sum is expected to amount to AUS$500,000 (£326,000).

It has also cancelled its Christmas party, saying it would be "inappropriate" to go ahead with the celebrations, and would instead donate the money it would have spent to charity.

Rhys Holleran, SCA's chief executive, said: "We are very sorry for what has happened. It is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts continue to be with the family.

"We hope that by contributing to a memorial fund we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time."

A post-mortem examination on Ms Saldanha, who initially answered the prank call made to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge, is being held today.

Ms Saldanha's family have been left "devastated" by their loss

Ms Saldanha was found dead on Friday days after she was tricked by Australian radio hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who called the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

She transferred the presenters, believing they were the Queen and the Prince of Wales, to a colleague who divulged details about Kate's treatment for severe morning sickness.

Ms Saldanha, 46, from Bristol, was found dead in a block of nurses' flats close to the hospital, where she stayed while working in London.

MP Keith Vaz met her family on Monday and said they had been "devastated" by the loss of a "loving mother and a loving wife".

Flanked by Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Mr Vaz said: "They miss her every moment of every day, but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness."

Mr Vaz has called for the hospital to provide the family with more support and to hold an inquiry.

His criticism came after the DJs broke their silence about the nurse's death.

Interviewed on Australian TV networks, the 2Day FM presenters said there had been a "tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected".

Mr Christian and Ms Greig have spoken emotionally about the tragedy

Police in London have contacted their Australian counterparts with a view to interviewing the pair ahead of an inquest into Ms Saldanha's death.

In response to Mr Vaz's criticism the hospital said its chief executive John Lofthouse had spoken to the nurse's husband on Friday by phone and offered to meet him whenever he wanted.

Under Australian regulations, the permission of anyone on the receiving end of a radio prank must be sought before the call can be broadcast.

The hospital has denied that anyone within its senior management or media unit was contacted.

The radio station insists appropriate checks were conducted before the pre-recorded item was broadcast.

Ms Saldanha was originally from Mangalore in southwest India, according to reports which have named her children as daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16.

Scotland Yard said the post-mortem would be held at Westminster Mortuary and it was likely an inquest would be opened and adjourned at Westminster Coroner's Court later this week

The Duchess of Cambridge has cancelled an appearance at the UK premiere of The Hobbit tomorrow because of her pregnancy sickness but The Duke of Cambridge will attend.

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Lottery Winner Murder: Dorice Moore Found Guilty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moore has 30 days to appeal against the sentence.

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Strauss-Kahn Agrees Deal Over Sex Assault Case

Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit brought by a hotel maid who accused him of sexually assaulting her.

Details of the financial agreement between Nafissatou Diallo and Mr Strauss-Kahn will remain confidential, according to the judge in the case.

"About 10 minutes ago we reached a settlement in this case which was put on record," Douglas McKeon told the court at the start of a hearing in New York.

A French newspaper reported last month that the settlement would be in the region of $10m (£6.2m).

Ms Diallo accused Mr Strauss-Kahn of attacking her in a $3,000-a-night hotel suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan on May 14, 2011.

She alleged he forced her to perform oral sex on him after emerging naked from the bathroom, but the 63-year-old Frenchman said it was consensual.

Nafissatou Diallo outside the court in New York

The ensuing scandal forced Mr Strauss-Kahn from his role at the IMF and put an end to his ambitions to run for the French presidency.

However, criminal charges were dropped after prosecutors developed concerns about the Guinean immigrant's credibility.

These included what they said were inconsistencies in her account of what happened immediately following the incident. Ms Diallo insists she has always told the truth about the encounter.

Outside the court, the maid's lawyer, Ken Thompson, said: "Ms Diallo is a strong and courageous woman who never lost faith in our system of justice. With this resolution she can now move on with her life."

Ms Diallo herself made a short statement thanking her supporters.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, who has quietly resumed his career in recent months with speeches at private conferences and the establishment of a consulting firm, was not at the hearing in New York.

He is still awaiting a decision by a French court on whether he will face trial on pimping charges.

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HSBC To Pay £1.2bn In Money Laundering Case

Record Fine: HSBC's Statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Egypt: Masked Gunmen Fire On Cairo Protesters

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

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

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

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

Tanks have been deployed to protect the presidential palace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Italy: PM Monti Urged To Challenge Berlusconi

Italian technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti has been urged to stay in politics to keep his country's economy on track after his shock decision to resign early.

Mr Monti, who has been credited with restoring confidence in Italy's economy, announced at the weekend that he would stand down by the end of the year.

But pressure is now mounting on him to remain in politics to prevent a return of the crisis which brought him to power a year ago, when he was charged with rescuing the eurozone's third biggest economy from the threat of a Greek-style collapse.

According to the Financial Times, Mr Monti is being courted by centrist parties in Italy to stand in February's elections. Other leaders in Europe and the Catholic Church would also like him to stay on in order to safeguard his reforms.

Mr Monti, who is understood to be undecided about whether or not to run for office, announced he would resign early as former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged to return to frontline politics.

The technocrat said he found it impossible to lead after Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party, parliament's largest, withdrew its support for his government.

Silvio Berlusconi stepped into politics in the mid-1990s

The news rattled financial markets on Monday. Italy's borrowing costs rose and bond yields soared as investors feared that efforts to get the 17-country eurozone's third largest economy back in shape would be slowed.

Mr Berlusconi's decision to run for office also prompted negative comments from foreign politicians and media, worried by the prospect of a return to an old-style Italian political crisis and, like the markets, that a leadership change in Italy could derail Europe's efforts to tackle its financial crisis.

The centre-right leader in turn reacted angrily to the backlash, calling it an offensive interference in domestic affairs.

The 76-year-old media mogul also hit out at Mr Monti's reform agenda, saying it had dragged Italy into recession and forced him reluctantly to run for a fifth term.

Mr Berlusconi accused the technocrat government of pursuing economic policies dictated by Germany, which had taken advantage of the financial crisis to lower its own borrowing costs at the expense of other states.

He said Mr Monti's government had been compliant in following a harmful austerity policies set by other European countries.

"The Monti government has followed the Germano-centric policies which Europe has tried to impose on other states and it has created a crisis situation which is much worse than where we were when we were in government," Mr Berlusconi told his own Canale 5 television.

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Handcuffed Burglary Suspect Escapes In Cop Car

A handcuffed burglary suspect has escaped from police in Texas - by driving off in their squad car.

Officers from White Settlement near Fort Worth had arrested 41-year-old Darren Porter last Friday on suspicion of breaking into an antiques shop.

But when they left him alone for a few minutes in the back of their car, he managed to roll down a window, reach out and open the door.

Video from a dashboard camera in another squad car shows him then climbing into the driver's seat and taking off.

The second police car then shot off in pursuit, but to no avail.

The antique shop owner, Kenny Boone, said it was a comical scene.

"It kind of reminded me of the Keystone cops," he joked. "They were all running for their police car to chase this guy. I shouldn't say it was funny but it was kind of comical."

The police car was found abandoned in Fort Worth soon afterwards, but Porter was still at large on Tuesday morning.

White Settlement Police Department said the window switches in the back of their squad cars are supposed to be disabled.

But apparently not in this case.

Officers are now checking their other vehicles to make sure the back windows do not open.

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Over Half A Million People Flee Syria Conflict

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rebels have claimed the Sheikh Suleiman base northwest of Aleppo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Virgin Atlantic Takes On BA With Delta Deal

Singapore Airlines has sold its 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic to rival Delta, in a move that will bolster Virgin's reach in the United States and intensify its rivalry with British Airways.

The deal was announced just 24 hours after a verbal spat between the chief executive of BA's parent firm and Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson over Virgin's future.

In their statement, Delta and Virgin said their joint venture would enhance competition between the UK and North America, offering greater benefits for customers travelling on those routes.

As part of the agreement Delta, which is the largest carrier in North America, will invest $360m (£224m) in Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Group and Sir Richard Branson will retain a majority 51% stake and Virgin Atlantic Airways will retain its brand and operating certificate.

Between them, they will jointly operate up to 31 round-trip flights between the US and UK each day.

Delta is taking a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic

Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive, said: "Consumers will reap the rewards of this partnership between two great airline brands on services from the U.K. to the USA, Canada and Mexico through a shared ethos in the highest standards of customer service.

"This unique joint venture will deliver much more effective competition at Heathrow.

"Both airlines are confident that the Department of Transportation will be as convinced as we are of the extensive consumer benefits arising from this joint venture, with expedited approval being granted by the end of 2013.

"The trans-Atlantic market is Virgin Atlantic's heartland - it's where we started. By aligning with Delta we can continue to grow our North American network and offer greatly enhanced connectivity across the USA."

Sir Richard Branson and Willie Walsh are at each other's throats

Sir Richard, who is Virgin Atlantic's President, commented: "This is an exciting day in Virgin Atlantic history. It signals the start of a new era of expansion, financial growth and many opportunities for our customers and our business.

"I truly look forward to the possibilities our partnership with Delta will offer. We have always been known for our innovation and service and have punched above our weight for 28 years. That is why our customers love us so much. We will retain that independent spirit but move forward in a strengthened partnership with Delta."

News of the deal followed the latest spat between BA and Virgin. Sir Richard offerefd to pay staff at BA £1m if the Virgin brand disappeared within five years as the boss of BA's parent firm, Willie Walsh, had suggested would be the case if Delta sided with Virgin.

Mr Walsh is reported to have responded that he did not have £1m as he was not a billionaire banker (referring to Virgin Money) but would settle for a 'knee in the groin' instead.

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Toulouse Gun Attack: Two Accomplices Arrested

French police have arrested two alleged accomplices of Islamist gunman Mohamed Merah, who shot seven people dead in Toulouse in March.

A man, identified as Charles Mencarelli and described by police as a member of the traveller community, was arrested in the southern town of Albi, about 45 miles (70 km) northeast of Toulouse.

He was arrested without incident and was to be brought to Toulouse for questioning, police sources told the AFP news agency.

Mencarelli's former partner was arrested separately at her home in Toulouse.

They are both being held on suspicion of helping Merah, 24, carry out the al Qaeda-inspired attacks, the sources said.

Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, shot a rabbi, three Jewish schoolchildren and three French paratroopers before being shot dead in a police siege.

Abdelghani Merah published a book unreservedly condemning his brother

Merah's elder brother, Abdelghani, previously told French media that the gunman had accomplices, including someone from the traveller community who may have been involved in stealing the scooter Merah used in his attacks.

Another brother, Abdelkader, was also arrested as a suspected accomplice and remains in custody.

Merah, a petty criminal lured into Islamic extremist circles in Toulouse, visited Afghanistan and Pakistan before he carried out the attacks.

French intelligence services have been heavily criticised for failing to realise the threat posed by Merah.

His attacks prompted a rethink of French security policies. Legislation is being considered that will allow authorities to prosecute citizens who attend militant Islamist training camps abroad and to boost monitoring of extremist websites.

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US Navy: No Drones Missing After Iran Claim

The US Navy has denied Iran's claim that it has captured one of their drones that was flying in the country's airspace and gathering intelligence over Gulf waters.

The Iranian Fars news agency reported that the ScanEagle drone was captured "in the last few days" by the naval unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It offered no details on the location or how it had been seized.

Ali Fadavi, the Revolutionary Guards' naval commander, was quoted by state TV as saying the unmanned aircraft was now in Iran's possession.

He said the drone "was conducting a reconnaissance flight and gathering data over the Persian Gulf" and "was captured by the Guard's navy air defence unit as soon as it entered Iranian airspace".

He said such drones are normally launched from large warships.

A member of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard

But a US Navy spokesman said no US drones were missing in the Middle East despite Iran's claims.

"The US Navy has fully accounted for all unmanned air vehicles (UAV) operating in the Middle East region. Our operations in the Gulf are confined to internationally recognised water and air space," Commander Jason Salata, from the US Navy's 5th Fleet, said.

"We have no record that we have lost any ScanEagles recently."

He added that US ScanEagles have been lost into the sea in the past.

The US says all of its drones are accounted for

The 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain.

If it is confirmed, the incident is likely to escalate tensions between the US and Iran.

The two countries are locked in a dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme, which Washington and its allies believe is aimed at developing an atomic bomb.

Iran says its programme is peaceful, but the country has come under tough international sanctions.

Last month, Iran said a US drone had violated its airspace. The Pentagon said the unmanned aircraft had come under fire at least twice but was not hit, and insisted the Predator drone was over international waters.

In 2011 Iran said it had brought down a CIA spy drone after it entered Iranian airspace from its eastern borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Tehran later said it had retrieved data from the RQ-170 Sentinel, a top-secret drone equipped with stealth technology.

The ScanEagle, manufactured by Boeing Co, is significantly smaller than the stealth drone.

According to the firm's website, the drone is 4ft (1.2 metres) long and has a 10ft (three-metre) wingspan.

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Runny Nose Turns Out To Be Leaking Brain Fluid

A woman who complained for months about her runny nose was horrified to find out that fluid was leaking from her brain.

Several doctors had reassured Aundrea Aragon from Tucson, Arizona, that the clear liquid was simply caused by allergies.

"I was scared to death and desperate," the 35-year-old mother said. "I knew it could not be allergies. The fluid would come out like a puddle."

The steroids and antibiotics she was prescribed had no effect.

"I was walking around with toilet paper shoved up my nose and changing it every ten minutes," Mrs Aragon recalled.

Cerebral spinal fluid streamed through Aundrea Aragon's nose. (File image)

Surgeons at the University of Arizona eventually noticed two small cracks in the back of her sphenoid sinus, which were caused by cerebral pressure.

While the human body replaces brain fluid, Mrs Aragon was at risk of developing meningitis, according to surgeon Dr Michael Lemole.

"If you are leaking brain fluid out your nose then you have the potential for catastrophic meningitis, the kind where bacteria crawls into your brain and 24 hours later you are essentially in a coma or dead," he explained.

Using an endoscopic procedure, doctors were able to avoid invasive surgery and fix the condition with a minimal recovery period.

They used tissue from her nose and belly to repair the cracks.

Mrs Aragon is now recovering well at home after the operation in October, but she will need to be monitored for the rest of her life in case of another leak.

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Cancer Patient Taken From Hospital By Mother

Fears are mounting for an 11-year-old girl with leukaemia and a heart catheter who was removed from a Phoenix hospital by her parents.

The child, Emily, had been receiving chemotherapy up until last week after an infection forced doctors to amputate her right arm and insert a catheter in her heart.

The device was due to be taken out when her mother unexpectedly changed her clothes and walked her out of the hospital last Wednesday night.

Police have said if the catheter is left in too long, it could lead to serious complications.

"If she contracts an infection, it really could just be a matter of days that could result in the young girl's death," Sgt Steve Martos said. "It's pretty serious."

The authorities had been held back initially by US health privacy laws that kept them from releasing the parents' names.

But police said on Monday that the US Border Patrol stopped the girl's father, Luis Bracamontes, 46, as he crossed into Arizona from Mexico over the weekend.

But he provided no clues to the girl's whereabouts and denied having any involvement in removing her from the hospital.

Police also released his wife's name, Norma Bracamontes, 35.

Neither parent is charged with a crime yet, but authorities want the child brought back to the hospital before it is too late.

The girl's father is a Mexican citizen with US residency. Emily and her mother are US citizens.

Authorities speculated they might have been concerned about paying the hospital bill.

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George Zimmerman Photo Shows His Bloody Nose

A newly-released photograph of George Zimmerman shows him with a bloody, swollen nose on the night he shot and killed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

The image was made available by the defence team for the Florida neighbourhood watch volunteer, who is charged with murdering the unarmed 17-year-old in February this year.

Zimmerman claims he shot the teenager in self-defence during a struggle, but the case sparked a national debate and protests on racial profiling, guns and Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law.

His lawyers say the photo is significant because it shows vividly the injuries that he incurred.  

"It's not a game changer," lawyer Mark O'Mara admitted.

But he added: "Does it really show what happened that night to George? Yes."

Previous police images of George Zimmerman and his wounds

However Ben Crump, who represents Trayvon's family, said the photo taken by police in Sanford adds nothing new to the case.

"Trayvon Martin was defending himself. He had every right to stand his ground to defend himself," Mr Crump said.

A grainy, black and white version of the photo was released previously, along with other evidence that Zimmerman was hit in the nose during the fight with the teenager.

Mr O'Mara said he only received the new clearer digital image from prosecutors after repeated demands by his office.

He pledged to make all public documents related to the case available on the defence team's website ahead of the trial set for June next year.

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Man Who Threw Rabbit In River Is Jailed

A man has been jailed for snatching a homeless man's rabbit and hurling it into a river.

The animal's owner, John Byrne, had been begging on Dublin's O'Connell Bridge when his pet Barney was taken from his arms and thrown into the River Liffey.

The 37-year-old jumped into the water after his beloved pet and gave him the kiss of life, but was unable to save the rabbit. Both were pulled from the river by firefighters.

Gary Kearney pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to cruelly torturing or terrifying an animal and was sentenced to four months in prison.

The 20-year-old, who is originally from the Crumlin area of Dublin and was brought up in care, also admitted breach of the peace during the incident on July 3, 2011. He has 138 previous convictions.

Outside the court, Mr Byrne, who has been living on the streets for 23 years, said he was in shock when he saw Barney swimming around in circles, looking up at him.

John Byrne was scared a seal would eat his rabbit

"I wasn't going to leave him there," he said.

"I had to get him, I had to jump in to get him. Barney died in my arms. I got him under the bridge and gave him the kiss of life."

Mr Byrne said the sentence sent out a clear message to people who abuse animals that they will not walk out of court laughing.

He said: "I was scared. Wouldn't anybody (be scared) going into freezing cold water? And there is a seal there that would have eaten Barney.

"I can swim and I'd done life-saving before. Only for that I was gone. The current would have pulled me under."

He added that one of his three dogs, Lily, would not go out begging with him after witnessing the incident.

Within days of his pet's death, Mr Byrne was given a Compassionate Citizen Award for going above and beyond the call of duty to help an animal in need.

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YouTube Boast About Robbery Catches Out Teen

A YouTube video has landed a 19-year-old woman from eastern Nebraska in jail.

Hannah Sabata from Stromsburg filmed herself boasting about stealing a car and then robbing a bank.

The video shows her holding handwritten signs detailing her alleged crime.

She holds up car keys, saying: "My new car is shiny. Of course I already took the plates off."

Later she shows a sign that reads "then I robbed a bank with a gun, a pillow case and a note".

She then holds a large bundle of cash in front of the camera.

Unfortunately for Sabata, her description and the clothes she is wearing in the video matched details of a robbery the day before at the Cornerstone Bank branch in nearby Waco.

York County Sheriff officers arrested her the same day the video was posted.

She is now facing robbery and theft charges.

The YouTube video will be turned over as evidence in the case.

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Dutch Linesman Death: Teens To Be Charged

Dutch prosecutors say they will charge three teenagers with manslaughter for allegedly taking part in an attack on a linesman over a youth football match.

Volunteer linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen died in hospital on Monday, a day after he was beaten and kicked by players from Amsterdam team Nieuw Sloten.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's own son had been playing in the game, which was held in the town of Almere.

Prosecutors said the three males, two 15 and one 16, would be arraigned on Thursday on charges of manslaughter, assault and public violence. Their identities were not released.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's team, Buitenboys, have not announced the exact cause of his death, but Dutch TV station RTL said he had brain damage.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen left after Sunday's match and was not aware anything was wrong. He returned to his club later that night and collapsed.

"You can't believe this could happen. That kids of 15 or 16 are playing football, you come to watch and see something like that," said Buitenboys chairman Marcel Oost.

"He did it every week. He enjoyed doing it. He was a real football man - he was always here."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in a statement he was "deeply shocked" by Mr Nieuwenhuizen's death.

Dutch sports minister Edith Schippers said: "It is absolutely terrible that something like this can happen on a Dutch sports field."      

Parents and other volunteers regularly referee and officiate at sports matches involving their children in The Netherlands, where youth football and hockey is popular and well organised.

Anton Binnenmars, of the Royal Netherlands Football Association, said: "It is too crazy for words that somebody involved in a sporting hobby becomes a victim of this kind of aggression."

Police said they would not rule out arresting more suspects.

Nieuw Sloten said in a statement on their website they had banned the players involved and pulled their team out of the league. Such incidents "do not belong on a football field", the statement added.

The Dutch FA said all Nieuw Sloten's matches next weekend had been cancelled at the club's request.

The attack in Almere was even discussed at a news conference in Spain on the eve of Ajax's Champions League match against Real Madrid.

"You can't imagine it happening," said Ajax coach Frank de Boer. "That boys of 15, 16 years short circuit like that. You wonder about the parenting ... this is too ridiculous for words."

The death is almost exactly a year since a Dutch amateur footballer fatally kicked a 77-year-old supporter following a match.

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Typhoon Bopha: 40 Dead In Philippines

More than 40 people have been killed in a powerful typhoon in the Philippines, including soldiers and villagers who were in an army truck that was washed away.

Typhoon Bopha, packing winds of up to 130mph, hit land on Mindanao island's east coast at dawn on Tuesday.

At least 33 of the victims drowned in the town of New Bataan when torrents of water dumped by the typhoon rampaged down a mountain. 

Governor Arturo Uy said the victims included villagers who had fled from their homes to a village hall, which was swamped by the flash flood, and those on board the army truck that was swept away.

The typhoon made landfall on Mindanao island

The dead included three children who were buried by the wall of mud and boulders that plunged into the village of Marapat.

Their bodies were wrapped in blankets by their grieving relatives and placed on a stage in a basketball court.

"The only thing we could do was to save ourselves. It was too late for us to rescue them," Valentin Pabilana, who survived the landslide, said.

The death toll could rise further because several other bodies could not immediately be retrieved from floodwaters strewn with huge logs and debris, governor Uy said.

Army troops and police were not able to reach the town because access roads were blocked by landslides and fallen trees, he said.

Trees were brought down across a wide area hit by the typhoon

Eight people have died elsewhere on Mindanao island in the country's south.

About 60,000 people fled their homes to escape what was the strongest storm to hit the country this year.

Two entire provinces lost power and more than 100 domestic flights were cancelled.

Residents evacuated high-risk coastal villages and along rivers, including in southern provinces that were devastated by a deadly storm a year ago.

Typhoon Bopha, which has a 370-mile wide rain band, was expected to barrel across southern and central provinces before blowing out into the South China Sea on Thursday, forecasters said.

:: The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons a year, with 1,500 deaths recorded last year from storms.

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Syria: Obama Warns Against Chemical Warfare

Barack Obama has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad of the "consequences" if he were to make the "tragic mistake" of using chemical weapons against his own people.

The US President's remarks came as security officials said they had detected activity at chemical weapons depots.

"I want to make it absolutely clear to Assad and those under his command, the world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable," he said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed Mr Obama's caution that such action would cross a "red line" for the United States that would prompt action.

She did not, however, address the reports of movement at Syrian chemical weapons depots - or go into detail about what the response might be - but insisted that Washington would address any threat that arises.

Buildings destroyed by regime missiles in the village of Houla, near Homs

"We have made our views very clear: This is a red line for the United States," she said on Monday while in Prague for meetings with Czech officials.

"I'm not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people. But suffice it to say, we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur."

She added: "We once again issue a very strong warning to the Assad regime that their behaviour is reprehensible, their actions against their own people have been tragic.

"But there is no doubt that there's a line between even the horrors that they've already inflicted on the Syrian people and moving to what would be an internationally condemned step of utilising their chemical weapons."

White House press secretary Jay Carney added: "We are concerned that in an increasingly beleaguered regime, having found its escalation of violence through conventional means inadequate, might be considering the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people."

Hillary Clinton says chemical warfare would be a "red line" for the US

The warning came as Lebanese security officials said Syria's foreign ministry spokesman had left the country and was heading to the UK on a flight from Beirut.

However, it was unclear whether Jihad Makdissi had defected from Mr Assad's regime.

Syria has been careful never to confirm that it has any chemical weapons - any use of which would draw international condemnation.

Its ministry of foreign affairs said Syria "would not use chemical weapons - if there are any - against its own people under any circumstances".

Syria is believed to have several hundred ballistic surface-to-surface missiles capable of carrying chemical warheads, and there are concerns its chemical and biological weapons could fall into the wrong hands should the regime in Syria collapse and lose control of them.

The US has opposed military intervention or providing arms support to Syria's rebels for fear of further escalating a conflict that activists say has killed more than 40,000 people since March 2011.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said it was suspending its aid operations in Syria and withdrawing all non-essential international staff due to attacks on humanitarian aid convoys and the hijacking of goods or vehicles in recent weeks.

The European Union said it too was scaling back its activities in the Syrian capital Damascus due to the worsening security situation.

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