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Ukraine parliament votes to abandon non-aligned status

Roy Siemens
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Ukraine parliament votes to abandon non-aligned status

Ukraine will abandon its non-aligned status and work towards NATO membership after a vote in the country’s parliament.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the move “counterproductive” and said it would boost tensions.

It is not clear when Ukraine will apply for NATO membership and many officials see it as a distant prospect.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko pledged to seek NATO membership over Russian support for rebels in the east.

Russia, which annexed the Crimean peninsula in March, denies supplying the rebels with weapons. However, it is subject to EU and US sanctions over the crisis.

In a vote in Ukraine’s parliament on December 23, lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the move by 303 to eight.

Speaking before the vote, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said Ukraine was determined to pivot towards Europe and the West.Ukraine parliament NATO

“This will lead to integration in the European and the Euro-Atlantic space,” he said.

The non-aligned status, which Ukraine adopted in 2010 under Russian pressure, prevents states from joining military alliances.

Addressing foreign ambassadors on Monday night, President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine’s “fight for its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty has turned into a decisive factor in our relations with the world”.

Russia has made clear that it opposes Ukraine’s move towards NATO.

Andrei Kelin, Russia’s envoy to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said on Tuesday: “It’s an unfriendly step towards us. This political vector will only add to nuisances and acuteness in ties.”

In a Facebook post on Monday, Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev warned that Ukraine’s rejection of neutrality would have “negative consequences”.

“In essence, an application for NATO membership will turn Ukraine into a potential military opponent for Russia,” he wrote.

A NATO spokesman in Brussels said on December 23 that any accession to the alliance would probably take years, Reuters reported.

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North Korea’s internet services partially restored

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea’s internet services partially restored

Part of North Korea’s internet services have been restored after an almost unprecedented outage, amid a cyber security row with the US.

Though there has been no comment from the authorities in Pyongyang, US experts reported the restoration.

Some analysts say North Korea’s web access was cut entirely for a time.

Washington said it would launch a proportional response to a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures, which made The Interview comedy about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Officials would not comment on any US involvement in the current outages.

Meanwhile, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations has called for all sides to avoid an escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula after the UN Security Council put the North’s human rights record on its agenda.North Korea internet down

Internet services were partially restored after nine hours and 31 minutes of disruption, cyber security company Dyn Research says.

The website for the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and Rodong Sinmun newspaper were back online on December 23.

However, the recovery looked to be partial and potentially unstable with other websites still inaccessible.

Analysts had said technical problems or a cyber-attack could be to blame.

Doug Madory of Dyn Research said they had seen a progressive degradation of North Korea’s connectivity to the outside world until the point at which they were totally offline.

Arbor Networks, an internet technology service, said it had detected denial-of-service attacks against North Korea’s infrastructure beginning on December 20.

Only a small proportion of people have access to the internet in North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive countries.

North Korea’s internet is handled by state-run company Star Joint Ventures, which in turn is routed through Chinese telecommunications firm China Unicom.

Last week, the US government said an FBI investigation had shown that North Korea was behind a hacking attack on Sony, which led to unreleased films and private emails being leaked online. North Korea denied being responsible.

The internet disruption came as the UN Security Council discussed North Korea’s human rights for the first time, despite opposition from China and Russia.

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Belgian PM Charles Michel pelted with fries and mayo by anti-austerity activists

Nancy Clayson
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Belgian PM Charles Michel pelted with fries and mayo by anti-austerity activists

Belgian PM Charles Michel has been attacked with french fries and squirted with mayonnaise by anti-austerity activists.

“Michel out, austerity out,” cried the four activists as the 38-year-old was beginning a speech on December 22 in the southern city of Namur, according to several reporters.

French fries with mayonnaise are a Belgian specialty.

The protesters were swiftly tackled by security guards as Charles Michel looked on, smiling in a mayonnaise-stained suit.Blegium PM Charles Michel mayo attack

After the incident, the prime minister restarted his speech apologizing for smelling of mayonnaise.

Charles Michel, 39, who took office in October, leads a coalition that intends to raise the retirement age in Belgium to 67, scrap plans for a usually automatic cost-of-living raise next year and cut public-sector spending.

The plans sparked several rounds of strikes and demonstrations in the past weeks, including a march of more than 100,000 people in Brussels, which ended in violent protests that left dozens of police officers injured.

Food-related protests are a Belgian specialty.

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TripAdvisor fined €500,000 by Italian anti-trust authority

Nancy Clayson
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TripAdvisor fined €500,000 by Italian anti-trust authority

The Italian anti-trust authority has fined travel website TripAdvisor €500,000 ($625,000) for publishing misleading information in its reviews.

The competition watchdog began a seven-month investigation following a complaint from a consumer group and hotel owners.

TripAdvisor was accused of presenting its reviews as “authentic and genuine” despite not taking measures to avoid contributors publishing false opinions.

The US company said it disagreed with the decision and would appeal.TripAdvisor fined in Italy

TripAdvisor publishes reviews of hotels and restaurants, and other travel information. But there has been criticism that the reviews cannot always be trusted.

The regulator said TripAdvisor and its Italian arm should stop “publishing misleading information about the sources of its reviews”, adding that the practice started in September 2011.

However, the company said in a statement: “Our systems and procedures are extremely efficient in protecting consumers from a small minority of people who try to con our system.

“We firmly believe that TripAdvisor is a force for good, both for consumers and the hospitality industry.”

Dontre Hamilton: Department of Justice to review fatal shooting of Milwaukee black man by white officer

Diane A. Wade
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Dontre Hamilton: Department of Justice to review fatal shooting of Milwaukee black man by white officer

The Department of Justice will review the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by white police officer Christopher Manney in April in Milwaukee.

The decision came after a local prosecutor said he would not bring charges against the officer.

He ruled that Christopher Manney had acted in self-defense when confronted in a park by Dontre Hamilton.

The launch of the federal investigation follows protests across the US over the shootings of two other black men.

In both cases grand juries decided not to indict white police officers.

One of the incidents occurred in New York, where Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for the city to heal after the subsequent fatal shooting of two police officers led to controversy over his role.

In Milwaukee, Dontre Hamilton’s family had reacted with anger to the decision by County District Attorney John Chisholm not to charge Christopher Manney, and appealed for peaceful protests.Dontre Hamilton Milwaukee shooting

Dontre Hamilton was shot after workers at a Starbucks cafe called police to complain about him sleeping in a park.

According to Christopher Manney, Dontre Hamilton resisted arrest when he tried to frisk him, and hit him on the neck after the two exchanged punches.

The police officer then shot him 14 times.

Dontre Hamilton’s family said he had suffered from schizophrenia and had recently stopped taking his medicine.

His death triggered a series of protests in Milwaukee and Christopher Manney was dismissed over the incident – a decision the former officer has appealed against.

Explaining his decision in a written statement, John Chisholm said: “Officer Manney’s use of force in this incident was justified self-defense and that defense cannot be reasonably overcome to establish a basis to charge Officer Manney with a crime.”

The federal review will seek to determine whether there was any violation of civil rights law.

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Ebola vaccine: African populations trial shows promising results

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola vaccine: African populations trial shows promising results

The Ebola vaccine trial in Africa shows promising initial results, according to a report in the Lancet medical journal.

Scientists say it is a crucial step as other vaccines have shown lower levels of protection in African populations.

Tests involving Ugandan and American volunteers reveal the vaccine is so far safe and generates an immune response in both populations.

It provides reassurance for other trials currently underway, they say.

The Ebola virus has killed more than 6,900 people in the worst-affected countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.Ebola vaccine trial

No proven vaccine exists to prevent people from getting the disease, though several trials are underway.

The aim of a successful vaccine is to train the immune systems of healthy people to produce antibodies – proteins capable of fighting off any future infections.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health tested this experimental vaccine on healthy adults in Uganda, having first trialed it in the US.

Dr. Julie Ledgerwood, the lead researcher, said: “This is the first study to show comparable safety and immune response of an experimental Ebola vaccine in an African population.

“This is particularly encouraging because those at greatest risk of Ebola live primarily in Africa and diminished vaccine protection in African populations has been seen for other diseases.”

According to the study some 57% of people in Uganda who received the Ebola vaccine alone developed antibodies against Ebola in their blood.

However, further tests would be needed to see if the antibodies are strong enough and long-lasting enough to provide adequate protection against the disease.

Pope Francis Christmas speech on Curia: “Vatican is sick with power!”

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis Christmas speech on Curia: “Vatican is sick with power!”

In a pre-Christmas address to cardinals, Pope Francis has sharply criticized the Vatican bureaucracy, complaining of “spiritual Alzheimer’s” and “the terrorism of gossip”.

The pontiff said the Curia – the administrative pinnacle of the Roman Catholic Church – was suffering from 15 “ailments”, which he wanted cured in the New Year.

Pope Francis – the first Latin American pontiff – also criticized “those who look obsessively at their own image”.

He has demanded reform of the Curia.

There was silence at the end of the Pope’s speech.

Addressing the Curia on December 22, Pope Francis said some power-hungry clerics were guilty of “cold-bloodedly killing the reputation of their own colleagues and brothers”.Pope Francis Christmas speech on Curia

He compared the performance of the church’s civil servants to that of an orchestra playing “out of tune” because they fail to collaborate and have no team spirit.

Before his election in March 2013, Pope Francis encountered internal opposition to some of the reforms he wants to carry out.

He has set up a series of specialist bodies to fight corruption and poor management, appointing a team of advisers.

Pope Francis also launched a clean-up of the Vatican Bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR). The IOR has long had a poor reputation, after a succession of scandals.

He has also suggested that the Curia’s power – concentrated in Rome for centuries – could be diluted to some extent by giving Catholic bishops around the world a bigger say in Church doctrine.

Pope Francis himself did not work in the Curia before he was elected.

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North Korea human rights record discussed by UN Security Council

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea human rights record discussed by UN Security Council

North Korea’s human rights record is being discussed by the UN Security Council, despite opposition from China and Russia.

It comes days after the UN General Assembly voted in favor of referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity.

North Korea has meanwhile reportedly suffered a large-scale internet outage.

Last week, the US said North Korea was behind a cyber attack on Sony Pictures.

It is the first time the UN Security Council has discussed the country’s human rights record.

US envoy Samantha Power described North Korea as “a living nightmare”, and said a UN report showed the country’s brutality.North Korea human rights UN Security Council

The report by a UN human rights inquiry in February said that ordinary North Koreans faced “unspeakable atrocities”, including “deliberate starvation, forced labor, executions, torture” and political repression.

North Korea refused to co-operate with the report and condemned its findings. It is not attending the Security Council meeting.

Speaking on December 22, North Korean envoy Kim Song told AFP: “We cannot recognize the Security Council meeting. Its mandate is not human rights.”

China and Russia also attempted to block the subject from being discussed at the Security Council. However, they were overruled by other members.

Meanwhile, a US-based Internet performance company said that North Korea was experiencing severe internet outages.

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Joe Cocker dies from lung cancer at 70

Sonia Pantiss
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Joe Cocker dies from lung cancer at 70

Joe Cocker has died from pulmonary cancer at the age of 70.

The Sheffield-born singer had a career lasting more than 40 years, with hits including You Are So Beautiful and Up Where We Belong.

Joe Cocker’s agent, Barrie Marshall, said the singer, who died after battling lung cancer, was “simply unique”.

Known for his gritty voice, Joe Cocker – a former gas fitter – began his singing career in the pubs and clubs of Sheffield in the 1960s before hitting the big time.

He was propelled to pop stardom when his version of With A Little Help From My Friends reached number one in 1968.

He performed the song at the famous Woodstock Festival in New York state a year later.Joe Cocker dead at 70

Joe Cocker was also well-known for his Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour of 1970, which visited 48 cities across the US.

His duet with Jennifer Warnes, Up Where We Belong – from An Officer And A Gentleman – hit number one and went on to win both a Grammy and an Academy Award in 1983. He was made an OBE in 2011.

Joe Cocker, who recorded 23 studio albums and 40 albums, lived in Colorado, in the US.

Barrie Marshall said it was with “the heaviest hearts we heard that our beloved Joe Cocker passed away last night”.

He continued: “He was without the doubt the greatest rock/soul voice ever to come out of Britain and remained the same man throughout his life.”

Barrie Marshall described Cocker as a “true star” who was also “a kind and humble man who loved to perform.

Tunisia elections 2014: Beji Caid Essebsi wins first free presidential poll

Diane A. Wade
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Tunisia elections 2014: Beji Caid Essebsi wins first free presidential poll

Beji Caid Essebsi has been confirmed as winner of Tunisia’s first free presidential poll.

The veteran politician secured 55.68% of the vote in Sunday’s run-off, defeating caretaker president Moncef Marzouki (44.32%), the head of the electoral commission said.

Moncef Marzouki, a 67-year-old former exile, earlier refused to admit defeat.

Beji Caid Essebsi, 88, has urged all Tunisians to “work together” for stability but critics say his win marks the return of a discredited establishment.

They point out that he served under President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali, who was ousted in 2011 after the Arab Spring revolution triggered uprisings across the region.

Beji Caid Essebsi was also in the cabinet of Tunisia’s first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.Beji Caid Essebsi wins Tunisia elections 2014

Earlier on Monday, police fired tear gas in the southern city of Hamma to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who burned tires in protest at Beji Caid Essebsi’s victory.

The results of the run-off vote were announced by the head of the electoral commission, Chafik Sarsar, who was visibly emotional.

It is the first time Tunisians have been able to vote freely for their president since independence from France in 1956.

Moncef Marzouki earlier criticized Beji Caid Essebsi for declaring victory based on exit polls.

“The announcement of victory is undemocratic and we should wait if we want to be a state that respects the rule of law,” he told supporters.

Moncef Marzouki has been interim president since 2011 and is more popular in the conservative, poorer south.

He was thought likely to attract support from the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which has played a key role in Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring but did not field a candidate.

On December 21, Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on television after polls closed: “I dedicate my victory to the martyrs of Tunisia.”

“I thank Marzouki, and now we should work together without excluding anyone,” he added.

Supporters danced and let off fireworks outside the headquarters of Beji Caid Essebsi’s secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.

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Ling Jihua: President Hu Jintao’s most senior aide investigated over disciplinary violations

Diane A. Wade
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Ling Jihua: President Hu Jintao’s most senior aide investigated over disciplinary violations

China is investigating former President Hu Jintao’s most senior aide, Ling Jihua, state media report.

Ling Jihua is accused of “disciplinary violations”, Xinhua news agency said, which usually refers to corruption.

He was demoted in 2012 after reports that his son had died crashing his Ferrari sports car in Beijing.

Correspondents say the investigation shows current President Xi Jinping feels secure enough to detain even the trusted advisers of his predecessor.

Xi Jinping took over from Hu Jintao as the Communist Party leader and China’s president in late 2012.

Since the transition, Xi Jinping has introduced a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption, warning it could threaten the party’s very survival.Ling Jinhua investigated

Earlier this month it was announced that former Chinese security chief Zhou Yongkang was facing corruption charges – a move that sent shockwaves through the political elite.

A week later, former top economic official Liu Tienan was jailed for life for accepting millions of dollars in bribes.

Critics say President Xi Jinping’s campaign is as much about eliminating political rivals as it is about tackling corruption.

Until the scandal involving his son, Ling Jihua had been tipped for promotion to the party’s Politburo.

Instead, he was moved from head of the Central Committee’s General Office – in effect chief of staff to China’s leader – and appointed to the less influential post of head of the United Front Work Department.

The identity of those inside the Ferrari was never revealed and censors blocked online comments mentioning the crash.

However, reports said Ling Jihua’s son was behind the wheel and the two passengers were described as scantily-clad women.

Ling Jihua was accused of trying to cover up the scandal.

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Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies tops US box office with $56 million

Sonia Pantiss
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Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies tops US box office with $56 million

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has topped the US box office this weekend, according to studio estimates.

The third and final installment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films took $56.2 million over the weekend and $90.6 million since opening on Wednesday.

Another final installment Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb came in second place with $17.3 million.

Sony Picture’s Annie remake came in third place with $16.3 million.The Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies

The studio, which cancelled the release of its North Korea satire The Interview following hacking threats, called Annie‘s takings “a nice shot in the arm”.

The opening weekend figures were down on the two previous Hobbit films, although the five day takings were on a par with the previous Hobbit film The Desolation of Smaug.

The final Night at the Museum film was down greatly on the previous two.

The franchise’s previous debut was $54.2 million for 2009’s Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Last week’s top film, Ridley Scott’s Moses epic, Exodus: Gods and Kings, fell to fourth place with $8.1 million in its second week.

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Jaycee Chan: Jackie Chan’s son charged with drug offence

Sonia Pantiss
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Jaycee Chan: Jackie Chan’s son charged with drug offence

Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee Chan, has been charged with a drug offence, Chinese prosecutors in Beijing say.

Jaycee Chan, 32, is accused of sheltering others to use drugs. In August police said more than 100 grams of marijuana were found at his home.

Correspondents say that if convicted, Jaycee Chan could face up to three years in jail.

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “forceful measures” to tackle illegal drug use.

Several film and television stars, including directors and a prominent screenwriter have been arrested.Jaycee Chan charged

In August Jackie Chan apologized over his son’s arrest, saying he felt “ashamed” and “sad”.

Jackie Chan was named an official “Narcotics Control Ambassador” by Chinese police in 2009.

Jaycee Chan and Taiwanese movie star Kai Ko, 23, were both detained at his Beijing home in August, with police saying they tested positive for marijuana.

Kai Ko was released after a 14-day administrative detention for drug use.

Jaycee Chan was put under “criminal detention” for the additional and more serious suspected crime of “providing a shelter for others to abuse drugs”, Beijing police said at the time.

Jaycee Chan’s management firm M’Stones International apologized on his behalf at the time for the “social impact” caused and said they would “supervise his rehabilitation and help him return to the right path”.

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A New Era of Online Education

Dana R
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A New Era of Online Education

In new era of knowledge, online education plays an essential role to deliver knowledge and many universities have adopted this mode of education. Some university faculty thought online courses offer very less learning than face to face education and student-teacher education.

Online education plays remarkably significant role and have unique techniques to deliver education to students. But this success requires a huge investment of zeal, passion and concentration to make sure that all students can get full facility of education. In May 2013, the School of International Services start a master’s degree in I.R (International Relations). It was firstly introduced at master level in United State.

online-learning
Photo Source: researchictafrica-data.net

After one and half year, more than 100 students apply in this course and get live and online class from 26 states, 13 countries from different zones. Most students were retired army officers or on duty officers. All polices responsible for their admission, classes, decisions were handle by School. All faculty members prepare online courses within 7-9 months, including online lectures, videos and other stimulation for student.

Partnership with 2U, The School deliver pre-prepared and live coursework through an extensive platform. 2U invest human resource and financial support for online education. 2U invest resources to provide high quality and filmed interviews for students according to their relevant week course meeting. They are even given sometimes rush essays to test their writing capabilities.

In the live classes all students and their professor appear in virtual classroom on computer screen, and the professors and students can easily access to each other and teacher can appreciate fully engagement and participation of student in the class room. Different internet tools provide better enhance the quality of face to face interaction. Students from different areas and locations can provide a great chemistry in classroom. These students may be a deployed officer in Afghanistan, a professional in Dubai, Worker in international organization in Europe.

According to survey reports, all students and faculty members give great satisfaction and strongly recommend online master’s program to their friends. Universities invite their all online students to the campus for orientation in September – an experience like a family reunion, Students meet their professors and attend workshop on negotiation scenarios, and attend career development Alumni panel for their better future. Alongside 2U, they also provide same benefits and facilities to students as they receive in on-campus graduate degree programs.

To be sure, the online education has many challenges to deliver knowledge to the students of different locations at the same time. Despite all of the facilities, online system cannot provide same education as on-campus education. Sometime online courses are not fully aligned with the optimal uses of online platform. Luckily our all team members and partners resolve all these problems related to online education in regular meetings and all these meeting are very effective. Online competency based education can provide better experience and low cost education degree completion facility to the students and provide a great variety of easy, achievable and focused targeted programs for the need of people to access the great challenge of our time.

Tom Brokaw cancer: Former news anchor reveals multiple myeloma is in remission

Sonia Pantiss
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Tom Brokaw cancer: Former news anchor reveals multiple myeloma is in remission

Former news anchor Tom Brokaw has revealed that the cancer he was diagnosed with in 2013 is in remission.

“A year ago my future was more uncertain than I cared to acknowledge but now I face the New Year with very encouraging news,” the former news anchor told staff at the NBC network.

“The cancer is in remission and I will shortly go on a drug maintenance regime to keep it there.”Tom Brokaw diagnosed with cancer

Tom Brokaw, 74, revealed in February he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

The cancer affects blood cells in the bone marrow and there is currently no cure.

In a letter distributed to NBC employees, Tom Brokaw said the last year had been “a challenge” but that he had been “meeting it in world class hospitals with brilliant physicians”.

The Emmy-winning broadcaster is a special correspondent at NBC, having spent 20 years presenting NBC’s Nightly News bulletin.

Last month Tom Brokaw was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside such other distinguished honorees as Stevie Wonder and Meryl Streep.

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The Interview: North Korea threatens US over Sony attack

Roy Siemens
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The Interview: North Korea threatens US over Sony attack

In a fiery statement, North Korea has threatened unspecified attacks on the US in an escalation of a war of words following the Sony Pictures Entertainment cyber-attacks.

North Korea warned of strikes against the White House, Pentagon and “the whole US mainland”.

The communist country denies US claims it is behind cyber-attacks linked to The Interview movie that features the fictional killing of its leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea has a long history of issuing threats against the US.

The latest statement comes days after the US formally accused North Korea of orchestrating a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures.

“The army and people of the DPRK [North Korea] are fully ready to stand in confrontation with the US in all war spaces including cyber warfare space,” a long statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency said.

“Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole US mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the ‘symmetric counteraction’ declared by Obama.”

It also accuses President Barack Obama of “recklessly making the rumor” that North Korea was behind the Sony attack.The Interview North Korea Sony attack

The statement also said it “estimates highly the righteous action” taken by the hackers of Sony, although it is “not aware of where they are”.

The hack resulted in unreleased films and the script for the next James Bond film being leaked online.

Details of Sony finances and private emails between producers and Hollywood figures were also released.

The eventual fallout from the attack saw Sony cancel the Christmas release of The Interview, a comedy depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

That decision followed threats made by a group that hacked into Sony’s servers and leaked sensitive information and emails.

North Korea has denied being behind the attacks, and offered to hold a joint inquiry with the US.

The US turned down the offer, and President Barack Obama said it was considering putting North Korea back on its list of terrorism sponsors, a move that further angered Pyongyang.

North Korea had been on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism for two decades until the White House removed it in 2008, as part of now-stalled negotiations relating to Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

In an interview with CNN on December 21, Barack Obama promised to respond “proportionately” to the cyber-attack.

“I’ll wait to review what the findings are,” he said, adding that he did not think the attack “was an act of war”.

The US has reportedly also asked China to curb cyber-attacks by North Korea.

China is North Korea’s close ally and is seen as the nation with the most influence over Pyongyang.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with his US counterpart John Kerry on December 21 in which they discussed the Sony row.

Wang Yi said China was “against all forms of cyber-attacks and cyber-terrorism” but did not refer directly to North Korea.

In a statement posted on China’s foreign ministry’s website on December 22, Wang Yi said that China “opposes any country or person using infrastructure from another country to launch a cyber attack on a third-party country”.

At a later news conference, a foreign ministry spokesman said China wanted to “engage in constructive co-operation with the international community in cyber security on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust”.

Asked to respond to claims that North Korea was using Chinese facilities for cyber-attacks, the spokesman added: “I think to arrive at any conclusion, sufficient facts and evidence are needed. China will handle the case on the basis of facts, international laws and Chinese laws.”

Correspondents say the issue of hacking is a sensitive one in China-US relations, with the two sides frequently trading accusations of cyber-espionage.

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Princess Cristina of Spain to face tax fraud trial over Inaki Urdangarin’s business dealings

Diane A. Wade
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Princess Cristina of Spain to face tax fraud trial over Inaki Urdangarin’s business dealings

Princess Cristina of Spain is to face a tax fraud trial over alleged links to her husband’s business dealings.

It is the first time for modern Spain to put a royal in the dock to face trial.

Infanta Cristina’s husband, Inaki Urdangarin, is accused of embezzling millions in public funds with a former business partner.

Princess Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin deny wrongdoing.Princess Cristina of Spain and Inaki Urdangarin

Prosecutors in Palma, Majorca, say Inaki Urdangarin’s sports foundation misused public money.

It is alleged that €5.6 million ($7.5 million) of public money went missing from the Noos Institute, a charitable sports foundation, when Inaki Urdangarin was in charge of it.

Princess Cristina, 49, is under suspicion over €2.6 million of that money. She is the sister of King Felipe VI, and youngest daughter of the former king, Juan Carlos.

The allegations relate to business affairs between 2007 and 2008.

Inaki Urdangarin and his then business partner, Diego Torres, allegedly used the Noos Institute to organize events for the regional governments of Valencia and the Balearic Islands at hugely inflated prices.

Tunisia elections 2014: Beji Caid Essebsi claims poll win while Moncef Marzouki refuses to admit defeat

Diane A. Wade
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Tunisia elections 2014: Beji Caid Essebsi claims poll win while Moncef Marzouki refuses to admit defeat

Tunisian candidate Moncef Marzouki has refused to admit defeat in the country’s first free presidential election after exit polls suggested Beji Caid Essebsi had won.

The caretaker president, a former exile, said his rival’s declaration of victory was “undemocratic”.

Beji Caid Essebsi, 88, has been celebrating with supporters, telling them all Tunisians now need to “work together”, and promising to bring stability.

Critics say his success marks the return of a discredited establishment.

Official results are not expected until Monday evening. One exit poll gave Beji Caid Essebsi 55.5%, with several others showing similar figures.

The election marks the last stage of Tunisia’s move to democracy, after the 2011 overthrow of President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali.

It is the first time Tunisians have been able vote freely for their president since independence from France in 1956.

Moncef Marzouki, a 67-year-old human rights activist forced into exile by the Ben Ali government, said the election was too early to call.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“The announcement of victory is undemocratic and we should wait if we want to be a state that respects the rule of law,” he told supporters.

“What I want to tell you is that we are victorious, we are victorious , we are victorious. Tunisia has won and you have won. You have won for Tunisia, for democracy and for human rights.”

Moncef Marzouki has been interim president since 2011 and is more popular in the conservative, poorer south.

He was thought likely to attract support from the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which has played a key role in Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring but did not field a candidate.

Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on television after polls closed on Sunday, saying: “I dedicate my victory to the martyrs of Tunisia.”

“I thank Marzouki, and now we should work together without excluding anyone,” he added.

Supporters danced and let off fireworks outside the headquarters of Beji Caid Essebsi’s secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.

Beji Caid Essebsi held office under both deposed President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali and Tunisia’s first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.

He led in the first round of voting last month with 39% of the vote. Moncef Marzouki polled 33%.

He is popular in the wealthy, coastal regions, and based his appeal to voters on stability and experience.

Whoever wins faces restricted powers under a constitution passed earlier this year.

The president will be commander-in-chief of the armed forces but can appoint or sack senior officers only in consultation with the prime minister.

The president will also set foreign policy in consultation with the prime minister, represent the state and ratify treaties.

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Ismaaiyl Brinsley: New York shooter boasted to onlookers

Nancy Clayson
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Ismaaiyl Brinsley: New York shooter boasted to onlookers

Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the man who shot dead two NYPD officers, told members of the public “watch what I’m going to do” shortly before the attack, police say.

Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley, 28, had a history of violence and mental instability.

Candlelit vigils have been held in New York in memory of the two officers, Liu Wenjin and Raphael Ramos.

Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot officers as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn before running into a nearby subway station and reportedly shooting himself.

He had posted messages on social media saying he would kill police officers in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died when white police officers arrested him.

The Rev Al Sharpton, a prominent civil rights activist, said Eric Garner’s family had no connection to the gunman and called the killings “reprehensible”.New York shooter Ismaaiyl Brinsley

Community leaders have called for peace and the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, has ordered flags across the city to be flown at half-mast.

Ismaaiyl Brinsley had been arrested at least 19 times and had a troubled childhood so violent that his mother was afraid of him, police said.

In online postings, he expressed “self-despair and anger at himself and where his life was”, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

Before the shootings, Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot and wounded a former girlfriend.

The killings come at a tense time, with nationwide protests over the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police officers.

The attacks have also put pressure on the New York mayor.

Officers turned their back on him at a news conference, angry at what they saw as his support for protests against the police.

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Dijon: Islamist driver injures 11 pedestrians

Diane A. Wade
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Dijon: Islamist driver injures 11 pedestrians

Eleven pedestrians have been injured in Dijon, France, after being targeted by a driver shouting the Islamic phrase “God is great” in Arabic.

Two of the victims are in serious condition, French media say.

The driver was arrested after targeting pedestrians in five different parts of the city in the space of half an hour.

He is said to be “apparently imbalanced” and to have spent time in a psychiatric hospital.

French police shot dead a man on December 20 after he attacked them with a knife, also shouting “God is great”.

The lives of the two people seriously injured in Dijon are not said to be in danger.Dijon Ilsamist driver injured 11 pedestrians

Witnesses told police the driver, aged around 40, had also said he was “acting for the children of Palestine”, an unnamed source close to the investigation told AFP news agency.

A spokesman for the interior ministry told French TV he believed the attacker had been acting alone.

The driver has been known to police for minor incidents dating back 20 years, he added.

France’s PM Manuel Valls tweeted to express his “solidarity” with the victims.

In Saturday’s incident, a man injured three police officers in the city of Tours before being shot dead.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told French TV the man had been “very unstable”.

Anti-terrorism investigators have opened an inquiry into the attack.

France has the largest number of Muslims in western Europe – estimated at between five and six million.

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James Holmes: Parents make plea for Aurora gunman’s life

Nancy Clayson
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James Holmes: Parents make plea for Aurora gunman’s life

The parents of James Holmes, the man charged with killing 12 people in the 2012 Aurora theatre massacre, have pleaded he be spared the death penalty.

Robert and Arlene Holmes wrote a letter to the Denver Post, saying their son is “not a monster”.

They instead argue James Holmes suffers from severe mental illness.

The suspect has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing 12 and injuring 70 in the 2012 attack at a movie theatre outside Denver.

“We have spent every moment for more than two years thinking about those who were injured, and the families and friends of the deceased who were killed,” the couple wrote.

They say James Holmes should be treated for mental illness at an institution for the remainder of his life, thus preventing any harm to him or others and avoiding the trauma of a public trial.

“We do not know how many victims of the theatre shooting would like to see our son killed,” they add.James Holmes Aurora shooting

“But we are aware of people’s sentiments.”

The letter is the first statement from the couple regarding their son since immediately after the attack. They have not disclosed details of James Holmes’ mental condition.

James Holmes is charged in connection with a mass shooting – one of the worst in American history – at a midnight screening of a Batman film in Aurora.

At the time of the shooting, James Holmes was a graduate student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado in Denver, but was withdrawing from his studies after failing a key exam.

Prosecutors have argued James Holmes methodically planned the shooting for months, amassing weapons and elaborately booby-trapping his apartment to kill anyone who tried to enter.

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Craig Ferguson hosts his last edition of The Late Late Show

Sonia Pantiss
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Craig Ferguson hosts his last edition of The Late Late Show

Craig Ferguson has hosted his last edition of The Late Late Show after a run of ten years.

The Scots-born comedian insisted that he was not retiring, saying: “I’m not stopping doing it, I’m stopping doing this.”

Craig Ferguson’s role will be filled by James Corden, 36, from March 23.

His final guest was Jay Leno, who bowed out of hosting The Tonight Show earlier this year.Craig Ferguson The Late Late Show final edition

Craig Ferguson and Jay Leno spoke about the pitfalls of presenting chat shows, while Leno said that it was “fun being a comedian again instead of a talk show host”.

The 52-year-old presenter, who fronted the late night show on CBS for 2,058 episodes, is expected to present a new early evening program.

However, Craig Ferguson remained tight-lipped about the precise nature of his future plans during his final appearance.

James Corden, known for presenting the Brit Awards and starring in sitcom Gavin and Stacey, was confirmed as the new Late Late Show presenter in September and made an appearance on the program on December 17.

The actor said he was “hugely excited” to host the program and would do his best “to make a show that America will enjoy”.

James Corden’s profile in the US was boosted in 2012 when he won a Tony for his role in the Broadway transfer of stage hit One Man, Two Guvnors.

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The Interview: North Korea to go back on US terror list after Sony attack

Sonia Pantiss
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The Interview: North Korea to go back on US terror list after Sony attack

The US is considering putting North Korea back on its list of terrorism sponsors after the hacking of Sony Pictures, President Barack Obama has announced.

A decision would be taken after a review, Barack Obama said, calling the attack an act of cyber-vandalism, not of war.

North Korea denies the attack over The Interview movie, which depicts the fictional killing of its leader Kim Jong-un.

Sony canceled The Interview Christmas Day release after threats to cinemas. It is considering “a different platform”.

In a CNN interview, Barack Obama described the hacking as a “very costly, very expensive” example of cyber-vandalism.

He said US officials would examine all the evidence to determine whether North Korea should be put back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.The Interview North Korea movie

“I’ll wait to review what the finding are,” Barack Obama said, adding that he did not think the attack “was an act of war”.

North Korea had been on the US list for two decades until the White House removed it in 2008, after Pyongyang agreed to full verification of its nuclear sites.

On December 20, the US also asked China to curb North Korea’s cyber-attacks.

So far there has been no response from Beijing – North Korea’s main ally. North Korea’s communications run through China.

The US National Security spokesman Mark Stroh said: “We are confident the North Korean government is responsible for this destructive attack.”

“If the North Korean government wants to help, they can admit their culpability and compensate Sony for the damages this attack caused,” he said.

The Interview features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Kim Jong-un. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him.

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Elton John and David Furnish wedding: Couple get married in Windsor ceremony

Lisa.Felice
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Elton John and David Furnish wedding: Couple get married in Windsor ceremony

Elton John married his long-term partner David Furnish in a ceremony at Windsor estate in Berkshire, the UK.

A number of stars attended the ceremony. Among them were David and Victoria Beckham, Ed Sheeran and David Walliams.

David Furnish and Elton John, who have two sons together, became civil partners in 2005.

The couple’s sons Zachary, who was born in 2010, and Elijah, born last year attended the ceremony.

One image – showing the newlyweds holding hands, with Elijah standing between them – bears the caption: “Zachary grabs David’s iPhone and takes a photo of his brother while we exchange our vows.”

Elton John has been including the hashtag #ShareTheLove on his Instagram posts on December 21.

Photo Instagram Elton John
Photo Instagram Elton John

Friends of the couple have also been using the tag, with the Beckhams’ eldest son Brooklyn writing: “Amazing day with family and special friends congratulations Uncle Elton and Uncle David #ShareTheLove.”

The teenager posted a photograph of the wedding lunch menu, which included wild mushroom soup with truffle cream, beef short rib and caramelized onion pie and warm chocolate pudding with ice cream. Guests were served Laurent-Perrier champagne.

Elton John has posted a number of pictures on Instagram, where he has thousands of followers, including a picture taken at a window showing a garden, with the caption: “Good morning! Nice day for a wedding.”

He later wrote: “The tables look stunning! We had red roses at our Civil Partnership 9 years ago and they brought us so much luck.”

On December 21, 2005, Elton John and David Furnish held a civil partnership ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall.

In March, the law was changed in England and Wales to allow same-gender marriage.

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Winter Solstice 2014: December 21 is the shortest day of the year in northern hemisphere

James J. Williams
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Winter Solstice 2014: December 21 is the shortest day of the year in northern hemisphere

December 21 is the shortest day of 2014 in the northern hemisphere.

The moment is marked at 22:03 GMT by an astronomical phenomenon known as the winter solstice – the moment the North Pole is tilted furthest from the sun as the Earth continues on its orbit.Winter Solstice 2014

The solstice doesn’t always occur on December 21. Sometimes it nudges into the early hours of December 22, which will happen again in 2015.

The hour of day also varies. Last year’s arrived at 17:11. In 2015 will be at 04:38.

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