South Africa is marking one year since the death of Nelson Mandela with numerous events held across the country, including a wreath-laying ceremony and a cricket match.
Anti-apartheid movement veterans joined Nelson Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, at a remembrance service in Pretoria.
Sirens and vuvuzelas sounded across the country before a commemorative three minutes’ silence was held.
There was a worldwide outpouring of grief when South Africa’s first black president died in 2013 at the age of 95.
Nelson Mandela, also known by his clan name of Madiba, spent 27 years in prison for fighting white-minority rule in South Africa.
Veteran liberation struggle hero Ahmed Kathrada addressed the remembrance service at the Union Buildings in the capital, Pretoria, on Friday morning.
He described Nelson Mandela as a democrat with a touch of autocratic rule.
“The body gave in but Madiba’s spirit never, never changed, it was always the same until the end,” his widow, Graca Machel, said before laying a wreath at the base of the 9m (30 ft) tall bronze statue of her husband.
Graca Machel said it remained the responsibility of every person in the world to ensure his legacy lived on.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu also paid tribute to Nelson Mandela, saying: “We thank God for him, and the example he gave us. He taught us about the worth of a human being, all human beings.”
An interfaith service was held at Freedom Park in Pretoria earlier on Friday.
Commemorations are taking place across the country, including at Nelson Mandela’s birthplace of Qunu where a marquee has been erected outside the Nelson Mandela Museum.
Nelson Mandela was buried in his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape 10 days after he died.
Barcelona’s professional sports teams have got together to bring you a fun-packed advent calendar for 2014.
According to FC Barcelona’s website, fans can win a Barça shirt by posting Barça themed photos on Instagram using the hashtag #NadalFCB.
The football, basketball, handball, futsal and roller hockey players all appear in a special advent calendar that’s full of surprises.
Each day from December 1 to 25, fans can enjoy a different video of the players getting up to all kinds of festive frolics and sending you their season’s greetings in a host of fun and imaginative ways.
The Barça squads have clearly had a blast making these different videos, with plenty of improvised humor along the way. They appear wearing their respective first team shirts, but there are plenty of Christmas decorations there too.
The first video in FCB’s countdown to December 25 features the three goalkeepers Marc-André ter Stegen, Claudio Bravo and Jordi Masip.
Tens of thousands of people in the Philippines have sought shelter as powerful Typhoon Hagupit heads towards the country.
Typhoon Hagupit, or Ruby in the Philippines, has gusts of up to 143mph and is due to hit land on Saturday evening.
It is on course for the Eastern and Northern Samar provinces and the city of Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
Local residents, many of them still living in temporary shelters, are moving away from coastal areas.
President Benigno Aquino, who met disaster agency chiefs on December 5, has ordered food supplies to be sent to affected areas, as well as military troops and police officers to be deployed to prevent looting in the aftermath.
Local media reported Benigno Aquino as saying there was “no indication” for now that Hagupit would be as strong as Haiyan.
Typhoon Haiyan – known as Yolanda in the Philippines – was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land. It tore though the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
The latest update from Philippine weather authorities said that Hagupit, which means “smash” in Filipino, was weakening slightly, though it still has powerful gusts.
It could bring storm surges up to one storey high, as well as heavy rain and the risk of landslides, officials have warned.
Schools and government offices are closed in some areas and there were long queues at shops and petrol stations as people stocked up on supplies.
In Tacloban, many people have taken shelter in the sports stadium.
About 19,000 people from coastal villages are in 26 evacuation centers, Tacloban’s disaster office spokesman Ilderando Bernadas told Reuters.
He said that number was expected to double was the authorities began forcing people to evacuate.
The Philippine weather authorities said that as of 16:00 local time on December 5 Hagupit was 230 miles east of Eastern Samar and moving at 8 mph, a relatively slow speed.
Typhoon Hagupit has weakened slightly, but still remains powerful, with sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts of up to 145 mph. Up to 35 provinces and municipalities are likely to be affected.
The US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center had classified Hagupit as a super typhoon but downgraded it on Friday morning. It remains the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Meteorologists had said there was a chance Hagupit could veer north towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether, but this scenario is increasingly seen as unlikely.
The Philippines gives its own names to typhoons once they move into Philippine waters, rather than using the international storm-naming system.
A black man, identified as Rumain Brisbon, has been killed by a Phoenix white officer just a day before a New York grand jury decided against charging Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the murder of Eric Garner.
According to Phoenix police spokesman, Sgt. Trent Crump, on December 2, two officers were investigating a burglary complaint when a resident of a nearby apartment complex reported a drug deal inside a parked Cadillac SUV.
The officers were going to the SUV to ask questions when they observed the driver – 34-year-old Rumain Brisbon – get out of the car and appear to be removing something from the rear of the vehicle.
Rumain Brisbon was allegedly ordered to show his hands, but according to the police, he put his hands into his waistband, and verbally challenged the cop – witnesses said.
The unidentified, but described to be a 30-year-old, seven-year veteran, officer then drew his service weapon and demanded that Rumain Brisbon get on the ground.
Rumain Brisbon instead took flight to a nearby apartment. His actions prompted a short foot chase and when the officer caught up with Rumain Brisbon, a struggled ensued.
President Barack Obama joined Americans in celebrating the holidays at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, December 4, 2014.
First daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, helped their father to light the national Christmas tree. They were joined by their mother Michelle, and their maternal grandmother Marian Robinson, as they clustered around the light switch just feet away from the White House
First Lady Michelle Obama read from The Night Before Christmas at the event hosted by Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.
The major musical performances came from singers Patti LaBelle and Steve Miller.
In his address, President Barack Obama said the national tree is a “symbol of hope and holiday spirit”.
Barack Obama urged Americans to remember members of the U.S. military serving overseas, as well as their families: “As we hold our loved ones tight, let’s remember the military families whose loved ones are far from home.
“They are our heroes.”
There followed performances from artists including singer NE-YO, pop performers Nico & Vinz, The Tenors and Chely Wright.
The 2014 ceremony marks the 92nd annual lighting of the Christmas tree just steps from the White House.
The tradition was started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923, according to the National Parks Service.
Luke Somers’ family has appealed in a video to al-Qaeda militants in Yemen to “show mercy” and release him.
In the online statement, the mother of the UK-born American hostage, Paula Somers, says: “Please… give us an opportunity to see our Luke again.”
A man identifying himself as Luke Somers, who was abducted in 2013, appeared in a separate video on December 3, saying his life was in danger and asking for help.
The US has revealed it tried to rescue Luke Somers in November 2014.
“Regrettably, Luke was not present, though hostages of other nationalities were present and were rescued,” the National Security Council said on December 4.
In a video posted on YouTube, Luke Somers’ mother and brother said he was “only trying to do good things for the Yemeni population”.
“Luke is only a photojournalist and is not responsible for any actions the US government has taken,” his brother, Jordan, said.
Noting that her son “appears healthy” in his captors’ video, Paula Somers said: “We thank you for that.”
Luke Somers, 33, worked as a journalist and photographer for local news organizations and his material appeared on international news outlets.
In the video released on December 3, a member of al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) threatens to kill Luke Somers unless unspecified demands are met.
In a statement afterwards, the White House said President Barack Obama had authorized a rescue operation to free Luke Somers and other hostages last month, but that he was not present at the time of the raid.
On November 25, US and Yemeni forces rescued six Yemenis, a Saudi and an Ethiopian being held by AQAP in an operation at a mountain cave in the remote Hajr al-Sayar district of Hadramawt province. Seven militants were reportedly killed.
AQAP’s threat to kill Luke Somers follows the murder of five Western hostages – including three Americans – since August by the Islamist militant group Islamic State, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq.
The Obama administration has been criticized for not paying ransoms, not allowing hostage families to speak out and not taking opportunities to negotiate.
AQAP is regarded by the US as one of the deadliest offshoots of al-Qaeda.
The group is based in eastern Yemen and has built up support amid the unrest which has beset the impoverished country since the overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has cancelled a public appearance to mark his 87th birthday, on medical advice.
The news comes amid growing concern about the health of the king, who is highly revered by Thais.
Thousands of people had turned out in the capital, Bangkok, in the hope of seeing the king at the Royal Palace.
Events are also being held across Thailand, which is still under martial law after the army ousted the government in May.
In a statement released on December 5, King Bhumibol’s office said doctors had examined the him and “agreed that he is not ready to grant a royal audience, therefore they have recommended he cancels royal activities”.
King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, was last seen in public in November.
He has spent the past few months in hospital and recently underwent an operation to remove his gall bladder.
Crowds of supporters massed outside the hospital on December 5 to wish him well.
There is deep affection for the king in Thailand, but the country is also governed by harsh lese majeste laws which punish any criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in prison.
King Bhumibol’s heir is Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, but the laws mean any discussion of succession is extremely sensitive issue, and many aspects cannot be reported from inside the country.
In late November, it emerged that the crown prince had asked the government to strip his wife’s family of their royally-bestowed name.
The move is widely expected to be a first step to divorce – the couple were already known to be estranged.
Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn ‘s order followed the arrest of seven of the princess’s close relatives in a purge of officials allegedly involved in corruption.
According to New Zealand prosecutors, the charges faced by former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd relate to an alleged threat to kill a man and his daughter.
The details of the allegations have been made public for the first time, a day after Phil Rudd breached his bail by having contact with a witness.
Phil Rudd, 60, has denied threatening to kill and drug possession.
He was originally also charged with attempting to procure murder, but this was later dropped for lack of evidence.
New Zealand prosecutors on December 5 released details of their allegations against him, stating that on the morning of September 26, Phil Rudd had made two phone calls.
The first was to a business associate where he allegedly “spoke about what he wanted done to” the unnamed man, who had been working for him for three years.
The second phone call was to the man himself, in which Phil Rudd allegedly “threatened to kill him and his daughter”.
On November 6, police searched Phil Rudd’s home in Tauranga and found 130g (4.6 ounces) of marijuana and 0.7g of methamphetamine.
Phil Rudd acknowledged possessing the marijuana, prosecutors allege, but denied both threatening to kill the contractor and making the phone calls.
He could be jailed up to seven years if found guilty of threatening to kill. Possession of cannabis carries a sentence of three months and methamphetamine possession six months.
On December 4, Phil Rudd was recalled to Tauranga District Court after he was found to have breached his bail conditions by coming into contact with a prosecution witness. The encounter ended in scuffles.
Phil Rudd’s lawyer said he had run into the witness at a coffee shop in a shopping centre by chance.
The drummer was re-released on bail but the conditions were tightened to specifically include a ban on taking illegal drugs.
Fresh protests have been held in New York and across the US for a second night over the death of Eric Garner, a black man held in an apparent chokehold by a white New York police officer.
Thousands of people took to the streets in New York and other cities, disrupting traffic and holding sit-ins.
The protests began on December 3, after a grand jury decided not to press charges over the death of Eric Garner.
Civil rights activists are pinning their hopes on a federal investigation into the case.
The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, said the city’s 22,000-strong police force would be retrained in how to better communicate and remain calm when making arrests, and they will be fitted with body cameras.
President Barack Obama welcomed Bill de Blasio’s commitment to act, adding: “Too many Americans feel deep unfairness when it comes to the gap between our professed ideals and how laws are applied on a day to day basis.”
America saw a wave of race-related unrest only last week over the decision not to indict another white police officer who had shot dead a young black man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri.
UN human rights experts have expressed “legitimate concerns” over the decisions not to bring to trial the cases of both Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
Photo AP
On Thursday night in New York, protesters carried coffins across the Brooklyn Bridge and marched in several groups through Manhattan, carrying banners saying “Racism kills” and “This stops today”.
Police in riot gear told protesters staging sit-ins that they would face arrest if they did not move along. Police arrested more than 80 people in Wednesday’s protests, though the demonstrations have been largely peaceful.
Smaller-scale protests were held in cities including Chicago, Washington, Denver, and Boston. In Minneapolis, some protesters blocked traffic by marching or lying in the middle of a highway.
Activists have called for another march in Washington on December 13, followed by a summit on civil rights.
EricGarner, 43, was stopped on a street in New York on July 17 on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.
After a confrontation with police officer Daniel Pantaleo placed his arm round Eric Garner’s neck. Eric Garner, who had asthma, was wrestled to the ground and restrained by force.
On video of the incident, he can be heard repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe”. He became unresponsive and later died.
The city’s medical examiner’s office found in the summer that Eric Garner’s death was caused by “the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police”.
Police unions and Daniel Pantaleo’s lawyer have said that he used an accepted takedown maneuver on Eric Garner, rather than a chokehold, which is banned under New York City police regulations.
District attorney Daniel Donovan sought to defend the grand jury decision not to bring charges.
Daniel Pantaleo admitted hearing Eric Garner say “I can’t breathe” but said he had believed that once he got him down on the ground and put him on his side, he would be revived by paramedics.
The police officer also testified that he had tried in vain to talk Eric Garner into complying with police instructions – something not seen on the video.
“Let’s make this easy, you’ve been through this before,” the police officer is said to have told Eric Garner.
Attorney General Eric Holder promised “an independent, thorough, fair and expeditious” federal investigation into potential civil rights violations in the case.
A review of how to heal a “breakdown in trust” between police and communities is also under way.
Cardinal George Pell, the man responsible for the Vatican’s finances, says he has found millions of Euros “tucked away” off balance sheets.
Cardinal George Pell, who heads the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy, said it meant the Holy See’s finances were better than expected.
He made the comments in the Catholic Herald, in an essay outlining his vision for the Vatican.
Pope Francis appointed Cardinal George Pell as part of his efforts to reform the Church and make it more transparent.
“It is important to point out that the Vatican is not broke,” Cardinal George Pell wrote.
“Apart from the pension fund (…) the Holy See is paying its way, while possessing substantial assets and investments.
“We have discovered that the situation is much healthier than it seemed, because some hundreds of millions of Euros were tucked away in particular sectional accounts and did not appear on the balance sheet,” he added.
There have been a number of scandals at the Vatican Bank in 2013 when allegations were made the bank had been used by money launderers.
Cardinal George Pell did not say any wrongdoing had been found but said Vatican departments long had “an almost free hand” with their finances.
Pope Francis’ reforms, he said, were “already past the point where it would be possible to return to the ‘bad old days'”.
They aimed to make Vatican finances “boringly successful”, he added.
At the time of Pope Francis’ election, Cardinal George Pell – who is Australian – had been vocal in his calls for financial reform.
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has spoken of his anger that his embattled VP Joice Mujuru allegedly plotted to assassinate him and accused her of being a thief.
Speaking at the ruling Zanu-PF party’s congress, Robert Mugabe said he would act against all corrupt officials.
Joice Mujuru’s absence from the congress showed she was “scared”, he added.
She is also Vice-President of Zanu-PF.
Robert Mugabe, 90, had targeted Joice Mujuru to advance the “fortunes” of his wife Grace, the former Zanu-PF spokesman added.
Joice Mujuru, who has previously denied the allegations, had been seen as a potential successor to Robert Mugabe, with whom she fought for Zimbabwe’s independence from white-minority rule.
However, her career ran into trouble when Grace Mugabe entered into politics this year, and accused her of plotting against her husband.
The congress, being held in the capital Harare, is expected to elect Grace Mugabe as the head of Zanu-PF’s women’s wing.
Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, will remain as Zanu-PF leader.
He told thousands of delegates that he welcomed the fact that his wife had exposed Joyce Mujuru’s attempt to oust him.
“Thieves never succeed… look at all the transgressions. Her corruption is now exposed,” Robert Mugabe said.
Robert Mugabe, while speaking in the local Shona language, said Joice Mujuru planned to assassinate him but in English he only accused her of trying to have him “kicked out” by bribing delegates.
“But you delegates are not foolish. You can’t be bought,” he added.
Vowing to tackle corruption, Robert Mugabe said: “If you were a minister, you will lose your job. Some will face the full might of the law.”
Joice Mujuru was first accused in the state-owned media of plotting to kill Robert Mugabe and has instructed her lawyers to take legal action to clear her name.
Referring to her and her allies’ failure to attend the congress, Robert Mugabe said: “As you see we have empty spaces on the stage. We didn’t chase them away but they chose not to come.”
Correspondents say Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa is now among the candidates being tipped to succeed Joyce Mujuru, her long-time rival.
Joice Mujuru, 59, took part in the 1970s guerrilla war against white-minority rule when her nom de guerre was Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood). She married Solomon Mujuru, the former army chief seen as Zimbabwe’s king-maker in 1977. Solomon Mujuru died in a fire at his farm in 2011.
Argentine soccer player Franco Nieto has died at the age of 33 after being struck in the head following a match on November 30.
Franco Nieto, the captain of regional club Tiro Federal, was attacked by hooligans after a match against rivals Chacarita Juniors in the town of Aimogasta, in north-west Argentina.
The match was stopped 15 minutes before full time after the referee sent off eight players for fighting.
This year, 15 people have died in football-related violence in Argentina.
Franco Nieto’s cousin, Pablo Nieto, said three people surrounded the player as he was going to his car with his wife and one-month-old daughter.
They kicked and punched him before one of the attackers struck Franco Nieto in the head with a stone, leaving him unconscious.
Franco Nieto was operated on December 2 but died on December 3.
Local police chief Fabian Bordon told local media that three people had been detained in connection with the attack.
Football violence is a huge problem in Argentina.
According to the NGO Salvemos el Futbol (Let’s Save Football), deaths caused by football-related violence have tripled in 2014.
The main culprits are the so-called Barras Bravas, gangs of radical supporters who control the terraces and the streets around the stadiums.
Small Faces and the Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan has died at the age of 69 due to complications from a stroke suffered earlier this week.
“It is with great sadness and eternal admiration that we report the passing of [a] rock and roll icon,” read a statement on his official website.
Ian McLagan, known as Mac, played on such memorable Small Faces tracks as Lazy Sunday and Itchycoo Park in the 1960s.
The band became the Faces when Rod Stewart and Ron Wood joined in 1969.
Ian McLagan went on to record and perform with the Rolling Stones and also worked with Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
The Hounslow-born musician was about to embark on a North American tour, supporting label mate Nick Lowe, at the time of his death in his adopted home town of Austin, Texas.
As a member of Small Faces, Ian McLagan was known for his dexterity on the Hammond Organ and Wurlitzer electric piano.
When Rod Stewart departed to go solo and Ron Wood left to join the Stones, the group continued as the Small Faces, before disbanding in 1978.
The Faces reformed at the end of the 2000s, with Mick Hucknall filling in for Rod Stewart, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
According to the announcement on his website, Ian McLagan had a stroke on December 2 and died the following day “surrounded by family and friends”.
Former BZN vocalist Anny Schilder has been diagnosed with breast cancer this summer.
After performing surgery in secret, Anny Schilder began her first chemotherapy in October, Vosound Records director Jos Lauwers confirmed.
Anny Schilder and her duo partner Jan Keizer have recently joined the label of fellow townsman Jan Smit.
Jos Lauwers said: “Anny and the treating physicians are hopeful that the disease can be conquered. The singer is shocked. But I know her as a strong woman who will beat through here.
“She is rather less cheerful, but fights with his head on.”
Anny Schilder, 55, has deliberately chosen not to remain silent about her condition as Jos Lauwers said: “She wants that way for speculation and prevent.”
In September, Anny Schilder and Jan Keizer, 65, launched Unforgettable Duets which includes their new single Felicità.
Due to Anny Schilder’s health condition a number of the duo’s concerts in South Africa were canceled.
An already planned Christmas tour in Romania has been also canceled.
South Korean violinist Kyung-Wha Chung has shocked audiences at the Royal Festival Hall by publicly berating the parents of a coughing child.
The 66-year-old musician had been absent from the London stage for 12 years, partly due to a finger injury.
Kyung-Wha Chung took offence at a child coughing during her performance of Mozart’s Sonata In G.
“Maybe bring her back when she’s older,” she scolded the parents from the stage.
Anna Picard, music critic for The Times, said the atmosphere in the hall had already been tense, such was the anticipation surrounding the violinist’s comeback.
British violinist Thomas Gould was also in the audience, and tweeted: “Difficult to be charmed by Kyung-Wha Chung’s Mozart after her curious outburst at parents of a coughing child.
“But the raised temperatures added an extra belligerence to her taut Prokofiev.”
Fellow string player Elizabeth Stahlmann noted that there were “plenty of people coughing” during the performance and it was “not cool to pick on a child”.
Coughing is a particular problem for classical performers in the winter months. An academic paper released in 2013 even suggested that people appear to cough more in concerts than in they do in normal life.
Frozen follow-up, Frozen Fever, will be screened ahead of Kenneth Branagh’s live-action Cinderella in March 2015.
Frozen Fever, a one-off short film, will once again feature Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf the snowman.
Frozen is the biggest animated feature of all time, making more than $1.25 billion at the worldwide box office.
The original team behind Frozen Fever will reunite, including directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee,
The plot will see Elsa’s icy powers threaten to overshadow her sister Anna’s birthday party.
The short will also feature a new original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
Voice actors Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff) and Josh Gad (Olaf) will to return to their Frozen roles in the short.
Frozen has become the fifth highest-grossing film in box office history and won two Oscars, for best animated feature and best original song for Let It Go.
The movie, which was released in November 2013, has taken $1.27 billion worldwide, overtaking Iron Man 3‘s total haul.
It now stands behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, with $1.34 billion in global ticket sales.
The animated hit has sold more than three million copies on DVD/Blu-ray and is on track to become the biggest seller of the decade, according to the Official Charts Company.
Cinderella stars Lily James Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Derek Jacobi and Helena Bonham Carter.
Disney announced the film in 2010 following the success of its live-action version of Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton.
NASA’s Orion space capsule that is set to get humans to Mars is about to make its maiden flight.
Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies.
The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems.
Given that this is a first outing, there will be no people aboard.
Nonetheless, the NASA describes the demonstration as a major event.
NASA has a window in which to launch Orion of about two-and-a-half hours, which began at 07:05 local time.
The launch preparations had to be stopped shortly before the opening of the window because a boat strayed into the eastern part of the launch range. After that, the countdown had to be held because of strong winds and a technical issue.
Orion is being developed alongside a powerful new rocket that will have its own debut in 2017 or 2018.
Together, they will form the core capabilities needed to send humans beyond the International Space Station to destinations such as the Red Planet.
For Thursday’s flight, the Delta IV-Heavy rocket – currently the beefiest launcher in the world – is being used as a stand-in.
It will send Orion twice around the globe, throwing the ship up to an altitude of almost 3,600 miles.
This will set up a fast fall back to Earth, with a re-entry speed into the atmosphere close to 20,000mph – near what would be expected of a capsule coming back from the Moon.
It should give engineers the opportunity to check the performance of Orion’s critical heat shield, which is likely to experience temperatures in excess of 4,000F.
They will also watch how the parachutes deploy as they gently lower the capsule into Pacific waters off Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.
Spectre has been announced as the title of the 24th official James Bond film.
Director Sam Mendes revealed the title at a launch event at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where principal photography is due to begin on December 8.
Daniel Craig will play 007 for the fourth time in the film, to be released in the UK on October 23, 2015.
Other cast members were also announced at Thursday’s event, which was beamed around the world.
They include Andrew Scott, as a Whitehall-based character called Denbigh, and Dave Bautista, playing a henchman called Mr. Hinx.
Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux have been unveiled as the new Bond girls, named Lucia Sciarra and Madeleine Swann respectively.
As previously reported, Christoph Waltz will have a role in the film, playing a character called Oberhauser.
The name of the character is the same as that of James Bond’s former ski instructor, though it has been rumored Christoph Waltz will really be playing Bond’s old nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
Spectre – Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion – was the name of an international crime syndicate, whose Number One was Ernst Stavro Blofeld himself.
The organization featured in the Bond films of the 1960s and was part of a legal tussle with a rival film producer that was recently resolved after many years.
Thursday’s event also saw the unveiling of the Aston Martin DB10 which James Bond will be driving in his latest screen adventure.
The car manufacturer had had a long association with the James Bond series, starting with Goldfinger in 1964.
Daniel Craig, 46, first played Ian Fleming’s legendary secret agent in 2006’s Casino Royale, then in 2008’s Quantum of Solace and 2012’s Skyfall.
The 007 production will be based at Pinewood Studios and on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco.
James Bond will return to the snow once again, this time in Solden, along with other Austrian locations, Obertilliach, and Lake Altaussee.
President Vladimir Putin has delivered his annual state of the nation address to parliament.
Speaking to both chambers in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin condemned Western governments for seeking to raise a new iron curtain around Russia.
Western sanctions, in response to Russia’s role in eastern Ukraine, and falling oil prices have hit hard.
The government has warned that Russia will fall into recession next year.
In an attempt to kick-start the economy he proposed a “full amnesty” for capital to return to Russia. Capital flight is estimated at more than $100 billion this year.
He also proposed a four-year freeze on tax rates.
On Decemebr 1, the rouble suffered its biggest one-day fall since 1998.
The currency slid almost 9% against the dollar before rallying after suspected central bank intervention.
From the outset of his speech, in front of an audience of 1,100 people, Vladimir Putin defended Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March, saying that the Ukrainian peninsula’s residents were “our people”.
He insisted that the “tragedy” in Ukraine’s south-east had proved that Russian policy had been right, but said Russia would respect its neighbor as a brotherly country.
Condemning the “pure cynicism” of the West, Vladimir Putin complained that even if Crimea had not been annexed, the West would have come up with a different pretext to impose sanctions to contain Russia’s resurgence.
Then he began to accuse Western governments of trying to raise a new iron curtain around Russia. While he asserted that Russia would not enter an “expensive arms race”, it would provide its own security so that nobody would gain military domination. Russia had enough “power, will and courage” to protect itself, he added.
Moving on to the economy, Vladimir Putin pledged that Russia would be open to the world – to foreign investment and joint projects. But he warned that it faced a “hard time ahead: much depends on each of us at our workplace”. Western sanctions should be seen as a stimulus, he argued.
Western sanctions over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine are contributing to the country’s economic problems.
The estimated cost of sanctions and falling oil prices to Russia is $140 billion a year, according to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
Over the last year the rouble has lost around 40% of its value against the dollar and inflation is expected to reach 10% early next year.
The Philippines are braced for the arrival of Typhoon Hagupit, expected to hit land on December 6.
Hagupit, which is building strength over the Pacific, is slowly bearing down on the region devastated by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
The typhoon has gusts of up to 105mph and is expected to be a category 4 storm by December 6.
Thousands of people, many still living in temporary shelters, have been told to go to evacuation centers.
Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land.
It tore though the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
Typhoon Hagupit is not expected to be a powerful as Haiyan, but could bring storm surges up to one storey high.
The vice-mayor of Tacloban, the city which was worst hit by Haiyan, said the authorities were enforcing evacuation orders.
“We have no more excuse, we have gone through Yolanda, and to lose that many lives, it’s beyond our conscience already,” Jerry Yaokasin told reporters on December 3.
He told AFP news agency: “Our problem is: we don’t have enough evacuation centers.”
Meteorologists say there is a chance Hagupit could veer north towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether, but officials said they were preparing for a worst case scenario.
Psy’s Gangnam Style exceeded YouTube’s view limit, prompting the site to upgrade its counter.
YouTube said the video – its most watched ever – has been viewed more than 2,147,483,647 times.
It has now changed the maximum view limit to 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, or more than nine quintillion.
Gangnam Style became a worldwide hit when it was released in 2012, largely due to the surreal video.
YouTube’s counter previously used a 32-bit integer, which is a unit used to represent data in computer architecture. This means the maximum possible views it could count was 2,147,483,647.
On December 1, it posted a statement saying: “We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer… but that was before we met Psy.”
Google, which owns YouTube, later told website The Verge that engineers “saw this coming a couple months ago and updated our systems to prepare for it”.
YouTube now uses a 64-bit integer for its video counter, which means videos have a maximum viewer count of 9.22 quintillion.
Psy has yet to comment although news of YouTube’s change was posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages.
The second most-watched video on YouTube – Baby by Justin Bieber – lags behind Gangnam Style by more than a billion views.
A civil rights investigation into the death of Eric Garner, a black man who was placed in an apparent chokehold by a white New York police officer, is to be launched by the US Justice Department.
The inquiry was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder after a grand jury decided against charging the officer.
That decision prompted street protests in New York. Activists have called for a march in Washington next week.
President Barack Obama said the case “speaks to larger issues”.
The decision not to charge the officer came just a week after another grand jury, in Ferguson, Missouri, decided not to charge a white police officer who shot and killed black teenager Michael Brown.
The ruling into the death of Michael Brown in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson sparked riots and protests across the country.
Eric Garner, 43, was stopped on a street in New York on July 17 on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.
The case drew attention when mobile phone video of police officer Daniel Pantaleo arresting Eric Garner surfaced.
The video shows a lengthy exchange between Eric Garner and police, during which he verbally refuses to be handcuffed.
Several officers then move to restrain Eric Garner, with Daniel Pantaleo holding him by the neck.
The detainee, who is asthmatic, can be heard shouting: “I can’t breathe!”
That cry was echoed by protesters who marched through the streets in New York late on Wednesday, occasionally disrupting traffic. They chanted “I can’t breathe!” and “Hands up – don’t choke!”
Attorney General Eric Holder announced “an independent, thorough, fair and expeditious” investigation into potential civil rights violations in the case.
The justice department, he said, would conduct a “complete review” of material gathered in the local investigation.
“All lives must be valued – all lives,” Eric Holder added.
Urging demonstrators to remain peaceful, he said he was continuing a review of how to heal a “breakdown in trust” between police and communities.
After the grand jury decision President Obama said: “When anybody in this country is not being treated equally under the law, that is a problem, and it’s my job as president to help solve it.”
Eric Garner family lawyer Jonathon Moore said he was “astonished” by it.
Venezuela’s leading opposition figure Maria Corina Machado is to be investigated over an alleged plot to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.
Maria Corina Machado, a former congresswoman, led a major street protest against President Nicolas Maduro’s government in January.
She dismissed the accusations as a charade designed to silence her.
The alleged plot came in a series of emails which Maria Corina Machado says are fake.
She said the charges were designed to distract Venezuelans from a growing economic crisis.
Officials produced the emails in the midst of months of street protests.
They said they contained conversations between Maria Machado and US State Department officials discussing a plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government.
Maria Machado said the messages used her old email accounts and had been manipulated and were fabricated.
She said on her social media account that the conspiracy charges were in retribution for demanding a new leadership at the state elections council.
Maria Machado had helped lead demonstrations which had initially been started in January in the western state of Tachira by university students.
They were protesting against the high rate of crime on campuses and the country’s struggling economy.
She was expelled from the National Assembly in March after she backed the protests which had spread across the country.
The President of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello said Maria Machado had been expelled because she had incited violent protests in which over forty protesters and police officers died.
Before her court appearance, she said: “Our protest movement has always been peaceful in its essence. Violence is what the regime does to frighten people and de-motivate citizen protest.”
She said she would continue to support all types of protests in the country against what she described as “daily abuses committed by the government”.
Since narrowly winning an election last year to succeed his mentor, the late President Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro has said there have been five assassination attempts against him and more than a dozen acts of sabotage and conspiracy.
Conspiracy carries a prison sentence of between eight and 16 years in Venezuela.
Honey Boo Boo’s elder sister Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell is asking her fans to help her financially after revealing that her mother, June Shannon, had stolen her trust fund money.
Anna Cardwell recently created a GoFundMe campaign for herself and has pleaded with fans to send their donations, TMZ reports.
As TLC has cancelled reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Anna Cardwell’s trust fund money was allegedly stolen, she is allegedly struggling to stay afloat financially.
However, her fans immediately slammed Anna Cardwell and refused to offer donations to a famous and once highly paid reality TV star, TMZ reports.
Following the backlash, Anna Cardwell reportedly issued an apology before deleting the GoFundMe page: “I’m deleting my fund me cause everyone thinks I’m money hungry.”
“And I have been think about everyone’s opinions and I got alot of chooses and I have done there idea and I get the s*** end of the stick.”
Anna Cardwell is also looking to write a tell-all book about her family or star in her own spin-off reality TV show.
TLC canceled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo following the news that Mama June was dating convicted child molester Mark McDaniel, who also allegedly molested June Shannon’s daughters.
