Kim Jong-Un's Uncle 'Disappears After Sacking'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's uncle - one of the country's most powerful men - has been ousted, according to South Korea's spy agency.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it believed Jang Song Thaek has been removed as vice chairman of the North Korean National Defence Commission (NDC).

If true, the move would mark the most significant purge at the top of the North Korean leadership since Kim Jong-Un succeeded his late father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011.

Jang Song Thaek

According to the NIS, General Jang was "recently ousted from his position and two of his close confidantes - Ri Yong Ha and Jang Soo Kil - were publicly executed in mid November".

North Korean military personnel were notified of the executions, South Korean politician Jung Cheong Rae said, adding that Gen Jang, 67, had since "disappeared".

The husband of Kim Jong-Il's powerful sister, Kim Kyong Hui, Gen Jang was seen as instrumental in cementing his nephew's hold on power after his father's death.

He has been a frequent companion of Kim Jong-Un on his tours around the country, as he was for Kim Jong-Il. 

Gen Jang was often referred to as the unofficial number two in the hierarchy.

Kim Yong Hyun, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University, said: "I can only guess that the roles played by Jang have caused some tension in the process of consolidating Kim Jong-Un's power.

"Jang once visited South Korea and witnessed many aspects of capitalist society, including the changes that have been happening in China.

"So he was the figure who was most likely to aggressively push for some reforms and opening of the North's system."

Jang, right, pictured with the Kim Jong-Il in 2009

Analysts suggested Gen Jang may have lost out in a power struggle with Choe Ryong Hae, a close confidante of the North Korean leader who is director of the Korean People's Army's General Political Department.

In May, Mr Kim sent Choe as his personal envoy to Beijing to hand deliver a letter to China's new president, Xi Jinping.

Jang Song Thaek has fallen out of favour before.

In 2004 he was understood to have undergone "re-education" as a steel mill labourer because of suspected corruption, but he made a comeback the following year.

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Biden: US 'Deeply Concerned' At China Air Zone

US vice president Joe Biden has said the US is "deeply concerned" at the new air defence zone declared by Beijing over a set of disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Speaking from Tokyo, Mr Biden showed a united front with Japan, which has protested against the challenge to the status quo in the area.

"This action has raised regional tensions and increased the risk of accidents and miscalculation," the vice president told a news conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"I will be raising these issues with great specificity when I meet with Chinese leadership the day after tomorrow."

Tokyo is pressing Washington to be more active in supporting Japan in the escalating dispute with China over the airspace above the tiny islands that Beijing and Tokyo both claim.

The US and Japan have refused to recognise China's air defence zone. Washington and its allies are concerned China's move is part of a broader strategy to assert increasing authority in the region.

However, the US has been careful not to create a new fault line in its relationship with China at a time when it is pursuing a new era of economic co-operation with Beijing.

The disputed islands are small but likely surrounded by energy-rich waters

Mr Biden called on Japan and China to find ways to ease tensions.

"This underscores the need for crisis management mechanisms and effective channels of communication between China and Japan to reduce the risk of escalation," he said.

Washington takes no position on the sovereignty of the disputed islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. However, it recognises Tokyo's administrative control and says a US-Japan security pact applies to them.

Beijing says all aircraft entering the newly-imposed air defence zone must notify Chinese authorities beforehand or face unspecified defensive measures.

US, Japanese and South Korean military aircraft all breached the zone last week without informing Beijing and China later scrambled fighters into the area.

Mr Biden is on an Asian tour that includes stops in South Korea and China.

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Thailand: Protesters Enter Govt Headquarters

Violence Blights Thailand's Image

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

By Jonathan Samuels, Sky Correspondent, Bangkok

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bear Attacks Florida Woman Walking Her Dogs

A woman in Florida has been attacked and seriously injured by a bear while walking her dogs.

The woman from the central Florida town of Longwood was being treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center. She has not been identified.

Her injuries, while serious, were not considered life-threatening, officials said.

"She was out walking her dogs. The bear attacked her. She got away and ran to a neighbour's house," said Lieutenant Alisa Keyes of Seminole County Fire and Rescue.

"The bear ran off and they were unable to locate him."

The woman was walking her dogs at around 8pm. Pic: CBS/WKMG

The attack took place about a mile away from a conservation area known for bear sightings, local reports said.

Biologists were sent to hunt for paw prints and set a trap, but the animal has not been located.

Bear complaints have risen in Florida in recent years, with the animals venturing into residential areas in search of easily obtainable food.

"It's fall and the bears are trying to fatten up," said Karen Parker of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

"Our big message is remove attractants from your yard."

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Bolshoi Ballet Acid Attack: Dancer Jailed

A Russian ballet dancer has been jailed for six years after being convicted over an acid attack on the Bolshoi Theatre's artistic director.

Sergei Filin suffered severe burns to his eyes and face when a man threw sulphuric acid at him as he returned home late at night.

He has undergone dozens of operations after he was nearly blinded in the assault in Moscow last January.

And in emotional testimony earlier in the month-long trial, he told the court he is still unable to see his children.

Mr Filin before the acid attack, left, and leaving hospital

Judge Yelena Maximova said soloist dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko, 29, and two other men had intentionally caused grievous bodily harm to Mr Filin and all three defendants were jailed.

Yuri Zarutsky, who admitted to throwing acid in Mr Filin's face, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Andrei Lipatov, who drove Zarutsky to the scene, got four years behind bars.

The attack revealed bitter rivalries behind the scenes of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Dmitrichenko during a performance of Ivan The Terrible

Dmitrichenko admitted he wanted Mr Filin roughed up and had given Zarutsky the go-ahead to hit him.

But Dmitrichenko said he had not wanted acid to be used, and pleaded not guilty.

Zarutsky said it was his own idea and he had not told Dmitrichenko of his plan.

However, Dmitrichenko had told Zarutsky on the night of the attack that Mr Filin was on his way home from the theatre, according to the judge.

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Brains Of Men And Women 'Wired Differently'

Men and women really are different when it comes to brain power, according to a new study.

On average, men are more likely to be better at learning and performing a single task such as map reading because they have more connections within each hemisphere of the brain, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania found.

In women, the two halves of the brain are more interlinked, meaning they are more likely to have a better memory and social cognition skills.

They are likely to be better "mind readers" and be more sensitive to subtle psychological hints than men, and be able to multi-task and process social information more successfully.

While brains of men contain more nerve fibres, those of women have a greater proportion of "grey matter", consisting of the cell bodies of neurons.

The different patterns in brain structure are likely to explain differences in behaviour and skills seen in men and women, according to study leader Dr Ragini Verma.

"These maps show us a stark difference ... in the architecture of the human brain that helps provide a potential neural basis as to why men excel at certain tasks and women at others," she said.

Study author Ruben Gur added: "It's quite striking how complementary the brains of women and men really are.

"Detailed maps of the brain will not only help us better understand the differences between how men and women think, (they will) also give us more insight into the roots of neurological disorders, which are often sex related."

The findings, which are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are from a brain scan study of almost 1,000 children and young people aged between eight and 22.

Behavioural tests revealed "pronounced sex differences" in the participants, the researchers said.

They found few differences between the sexes in children younger than 13 but said these became more pronounced in adolescents and young adults.

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Venezuela Blackout Blamed On Opposition

A power blackout across Venezuela has been blamed on sabotage by right-wing opponents by President Nicolas Maduro.

The outage began as Mr Maduro was addressing the nation about his plan to reduce inflation crippling the automotive industry.

Within minutes, people in downtown Caracas could be heard banging on pots in an act of protest.

Mr Maduro then took to Twitter to say that he and his aides were monitoring the "strange blackout that occurred in the same place as the last act of sabotage".

He ordered armed forces on maximum alert to prevent attacks after power was restored, and said opponents were planning to target the electric grid and the nation's oil facilities.

Blackouts have become more frequent in Venezuela in recent years

In the last few days, Mr Maduro has warned that opponents might try to sabotage the electric grid to gain advantage in nationwide elections for mayors.

The late president, Hugo Chavez, used to make the same accusations as the number of blackouts increased in recent years.

Mr Maduro added: "These sectors of fascism are getting desperate, because they know a defeat is coming."

The blackout originated in central Venezuela, the same place where a power failure in September knocked out electricity to 70% of the country, according to Electricity Minister Jesse Chacon.

Although Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, it has been plagued by power outages in recent years.

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China's 'UK Is No Big Power' Snub To Cameron

UK 'Just An Old European Country'

Updated: 9:04am UK, Tuesday 03 December 2013

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

The editorial in China's Global Times on Tuesday gives a clear hint about how David Cameron has been received in the country so far.

To a significant extent, editorials in the Chinese (state run) papers reflect the broad thinking of the communist leadership.

Under the headline "China won't fall for Cameron's 'sincerity'", the Global Times' article is less than complimentary.

It reminds Mr Cameron that "the UK is not a big power in the eyes of the Chinese. It is just an old European country ..."

It also points out that on the very day that Mr Cameron was praising the Chinese, his Navy Chief of Staff was meeting the Japanese military and apparently supporting Japan's stance in a bitter territorial dispute.

In short, the editorial paints a picture of a China that is less than impressed.

:: Full transcript of the Global Times editorial:

"The UK Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in China Monday, starting his three-day tour in the country.

"The once halted Sino-British relations, due to Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama last year, may see an ice-breaking.

"This year, China has been actively engaged in relations with Germany and France, which propels the urgency of the Cameron administration to end the chilliness of bilateral relations.

"Some analysts say that the UK, France and Germany have reached an unwritten understanding on the issue of the Dalai Lama to provoke China. When the leadership of one country meets with the Dalai Lama, the other two countries develop ties with China.

"Such an argument does echo the real situation of China's relations with Europe, especially when, yesterday, the British Royal Navy's Chief of Staff, Admiral George Zambellas met with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and supported Japan's stance toward China's recently declared Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea.

"This has added doubts over Cameron's sincerity in improving ties with China.

"Perhaps there is no need to talk about 'sincerity' in terms of Sino-British relations.

"What Cameron does is out of his own political interest and the UK's national interest. His visit this time can hardly be the end of the conflict between China and the UK.

"Beijing needs to speed up the pace of turning its strength into diplomatic resources and make London pay the price for when it intrudes into the interests of China.

"China has gained some achievement in countering European leaders' moves of meeting with the Dalai Lama.

"China's strategic initiatives in its relations with Europe have been increasing.

"The UK, France and Germany dare not make joint provocations toward China over the Dalai Lama issue.

"The Chinese government will surely show courtesy to Cameron. But the public does not forget his stance on certain issues.

"We know that the British government has been making carping comments on Hong Kong implementing universal suffrage for the chief executive's election in 2017.

"It also gives ulterior support for those who advocate opposition between Hong Kong and the central government. This has added to the negative impression the Chinese public holds toward the UK.

"Chinese people believe that if London interferes in Hong Kong's transition process of implementing universal suffrage, Sino-British ties can be halted again.

"The Cameron administration should acknowledge that the UK is not a big power in the eyes of the Chinese. It is just an old European country apt for travel and study. This has gradually become the habitual thought of the Chinese people.

"China has believed in 'diplomacy is no small matter', while after years of ups and downs, we have acquired the strategic confidence that 'diplomacy is no big matter'. China will act accordingly given how it is treated.

"Finally, let us show courtesy to Cameron and wish him a pleasant trip."

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Ukraine PM 'Sorry' Over Crackdown On Protests

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has apologised for a violent police crackdown on protesters in Kiev on Saturday.

The police action drew strong criticism from the West and led to an even bigger rally attended by more than 300,000 people on Sunday.

"On behalf of our government, I would like to apologise for the actions of our law enforcement authorities on Maidan (Independence Square)," Mr Azarov told an emergency parliament session as he urged politicians not to repeat the 2004 Orange Revolution that overthrew the country's leadership.

Speaking over the boos of opposition politicians during a debate on a no-confidence motion against his government, Mr Azarov said: "We reach out our hand to you, push away the intriguers, the intriguers seeking power and who are trying to repeat the scenario of 2004," he said.

As Mr Azarov spoke in Russian, he was almost drowned out by calls for him to speak in Ukrainian.

Vitali Klitschko was among the protesters in Kiev on Sunday

Opposition members also shouted "shame" and "revolution" as pro-government MPs spoke.

"Shame to your president and shame to your government," shouted Arseniy Yatsenyuk, an MP with the Fatherland party, the largest opposition grouping.

Outside the building, thousands of demonstrators gathered again, calling for the government's dismissal.

But despite the fury, the opposition lost the call for a vote of no-confidence.

President Viktor Yanukovych's recent decision to shelve the long-anticipated agreement to deepen economic and political ties with the EU and to seek closer co-operation with Russia brought the protesters onto to the streets on Saturday.

But he left the country before parliament met to discuss the no-confidence motion, heading to China in an attempto to secure loans and investment to avert a debt crisis.

A deal with EU would deepen political and economic ties

In parliament, former heavyweight boxer Vitaly Klitschko, now leader of the opposition Udar (Punch) party, urged Mr Yanukovich to resign.

"Don't do anything stupid - don't drive yourself and the country into a dead end," he said.

The protests are the largest since the weeks of mass demonstrations in 2004, which also were directed against Mr Yanukovych after he was declared victor in a presidential election marred by fraud.

Those protests forced a revote, which Mr Yanukovych lost. He then narrowly won the office in 2010, beating Orange Revolution icon Yulia Tymoshenko.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who strongly opposed the EU deal, has denounced the opposition protests in Kiev as "pogroms".

The Ukrainian president phoned European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday to ask to renew negotiations on signing the association agreement.

He insisted he remained committed to European integration, but would like to negotiate better terms for the fragile Ukrainian economy.

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Family Awarded €1m Over New Mum's Death

The family of a woman who died a week after giving birth to her first child has been awarded almost €1m (£826,000) in damages from health chiefs.

Dhara Kivlehan, 28, died from multi-organ failure at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital in September 2010.

She had been airlifted from Sligo General Hospital after suffering from a severe variant of pre-eclampsia called Hellp, or Haemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes and Low Platelets.

Her death and maternity care has drawn comparisons with that of dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died in hospital in Galway last October after suffering a miscarriage and blood poisoning.

Inquiries into Mrs Halappanavar's death found she was denied an abortion as she miscarried and subsequently suffered fatal infection as doctors failed to recognise and act on signs that her condition was deteriorating.

Savita Halappanavar died in October 2012 after a miscarriage in Galway

In the High Court in Dublin on Tuesday, the Health Service Executive (HSE) apologised to widower Michael Kivlehan for shortcomings in his late wife's management and care at Sligo, where the couple's son Dior was delivered.

Adrienne Egan, a barrister for HSE, told the court: "The HSE unreservedly apologises to the Kivlehan and Sandhu family for the shortcomings in relation to the management and care of Dhara Kivlehan at Sligo Regional Hospital.

"They offer their sincere condolences to Michael Kivlehan and to his extended family in Ireland and India.

"The HSE confirms that lessons have been learned from the tragic outcome in Dhara's case."

Mrs Kivlehan, originally from India, died on September 28, 2010, and the inquest into her death, to be held in Northern Ireland, has been delayed for the court action.

Her heartbroken widower has been supported in court by his parents Michael and Susan.

The couple met in 2002 in London, where Dhara was studying fashion and Michael was working.

They moved to Co Leitrim, married in 2005 and planned to bring up a family where Michael grew up.

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