Romanian actor Radu Beligan has been named the world’s oldest active professional theatre actor by the Guinness World Records.
Radu Beligan was born on December 14, 1918, and at 94 years and 350 days old is still performing at the National Theatre Bucharest, Romania, as verified on 29 November 2013.
The actor has performed in many roles in an acting career spanning from 1937 to the present day receiving numerous accolades including the Ordre National de la Legion D’Honneur from the President of France for his artistic work.
At 95 years old, Radu Beligan is still performing at the National Theatre Bucharest
Radu Beligan headed the Comedy Theatre of Bucharest between 1961 and 1969 and the National Theatre of Bucharest from 1969 to 1990. He was also a profession of the Theatre and Film Institute (1950-1965) and was elected as honorary member of the Romanian Academy in 2004, as recognition of his artistic career.
He was also awarded many medals: Grand Officer of the “Faithful Service” Order, the golden star and collar of the Order of the Yugoslav Flag.
Radu Beligan is also a Doctor Honoris Causa of the “I. L. Caragiale” National University of Theatrical and Cinematographic Art of Bucharest.
Duck Dynasty stars returned to TV for a Christmas special and proved themselves to be a triple threat when they showed off their acting skills at their church’s nativity play.
“Considering the talent involved, it’s borderline miraculous [we pulled off the play],” Jase Robertson said.
Even the Robertson’s youngest brother Jep, who has terrible stage fright, managed to remember his one line.
However, Uncle Si Robertson, who played one of the wise men, insisted on calling frankincense “franken scents.”
“Everybody knows that <<franken>> is a prefix,” Si Robertson explained.
“Like <<franken stein>> and <<frank and beans>>.”
While the nativity play, which featured the entire family, went on fairly smoothly, the episode focused on what the Robertson family does best: hunting.
“Well every Christmas, it seems like my house is invaded by yuppies,” said Phil Robertson as he prepared to go hunting for the family’s Christmas dinner.
Duck Dynasty stars showed off their acting skills at their church’s nativity play
“All they do all day long is decorate and talk.”
Before Phil Robertson could head out to hunt, Miss Kay and Jessica insisted he take them hog hunting.
“In the spirit of Christmas and in the spirit of the American West, we say y’all get your camo on,” he told them before quickly regretting his decision to let the women join him.
“If the yapping keeps up there won’t be a hog coming within a mile of us,” Phil Robertson complained. Failing to get Jessica and Miss Kay to stay quiet, Phil devised a plan to trick them into acting foolish.
He told them to scream for the pigs to come while walking in a circle and bending close to the ground. After several minutes of this Phil couldn’t hold back his laughter and the jig was up.
But there was no harm done as Phil soon after shot a pig for their Christmas dinner. He enlisted the help of Jessica who was not too happy to help her father-in-law drag the pig back to the truck.
“I’m a better pioneer woman [than Jessica],” Miss Kay said.
“I’ve been helping cleaning and carrying hogs since I could carry and clean hogs.”
Meanwhile, Willie Robertson was searching for the perfect present to get his wife Korie after she admitted he was not the best gift giver. In previous years she received a Snuggie and a bedazzled clutch.
Determined to make this year different, Willie Robertson took the advice of younger brother Jep and had a family portrait framed.
Satisfied his gift would make an impression on his wife, Willie Robertson was disappointed when brother Jase turned up with the same gift for his wife Missy.
Despite the minor setback, both wives loved their gifts and Willie was happy to save the “camo pajamas” he bought Korie for her birthday.
Alan Robertson also made an appearance on last night’s episode sporting some new scruff. The former minister led the family and the church in a prayer after the nativity play.
The company which supplied a “fake” sign language interpreter to the Mandela memorial service has vanished, a South African minister has said.
Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu apologized to the deaf community for the poor quality of interpretation given by Thamsanqa Jantjie from SA Interpreters.
“He is Xhosa speaking. The English was a bit too much for him,” she said.
Thamsanqa Jantjie himself has blamed his flawed interpretation on a schizophrenic episode.
He also admitted he has been violent in the past.
Thamsanqa Jantjie has blamed his flawed interpretation on a schizophrenic episode
During the memorial, Thamsanqa Jantjie was employed to stand on the stage next to key speakers such as President Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela’s grandchildren, translating their eulogies.
But the minister denied there was a security issue, saying the interpreter had been properly accredited.
Nelson Mandela died last week at the age of 95, and will be buried on Sunday, December 15.
Ever since Tuesday’s event, pressure has been mounting on the government to explain why Thamsanqa Jantjie was hired for such an important event.
During a press conference, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, the deputy minister for women, children and people with disabilities, admitted that a mistake had been made but said there was no reason for the country to be embarrassed.
“There are as many as a hundred sign language dialects,” Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said, to explain the difficulties he faced.
“He started well and later he became tired. Guidelines say we must switch interpreters every 20 minutes.”
Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu did not rule out employing him in some circumstances again.
But she accused Thamsanqa Jantjie’s employers, SA Interpreters, of being cheats, and said the company’s directors had now vanished into thin air.
His performance was watched on television by millions of people worldwide.
Thamsanqa Jantjie said that during the event, he had lost concentration because of voices in his head.
He had started hallucinating, and saw angels coming into the stadium.
Thamsanqa Jantjie also indicated that his past behavior had sometimes been unpredictable, telling the Associated Press news agency that “sometimes I will react violent on this place, sometimes I will see things chasing me”.
A fight between majority and opposition erupted in the Georgian parliament over plans to support the Ukrainian opposition for European integration.
Video footage taken inside the Georgian parliament shows deputies throwing documents in the air and brawling with one another following the opposition’s suggestions.
A fight between majority and opposition erupted in the Georgian parliament over plans to support the Ukrainian opposition for European integration
Opposition deputy Giorgi Baramidze wanted to encourage supporters of Ukraine’s European integration with a special resolution.
Giorgi Baramidze also condemned violence inflicted on participants of peaceful rallies in Kiev.
No one was seriously injured in the incident, but opposition representatives have demanded a public apology from the parliamentary majority before they will participate in any more plenary meetings.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has announced that Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych intends to sign a deal on closer EU ties after all.
Baroness Catherine Ashton was speaking as pro-EU protesters continued to paralyze the centre of Kiev over Viktor Yanokovych’s decision not to sign the EU association agreement.
The president’s U-turn late last month followed pressure from Russia.
Catherine Ashton said Viktor Yanukovych had assured her when they met that his aim was to sign the agreement.
The baroness did not give an indication of when she expected this to happen.
She said his concern during their talks was the “short term economic issues” that Ukraine faced.
Catherine Ashton met President Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev
Viktor Yanukovych pulled out of the deal last month, explaining that Kiev could not afford to sacrifice trade with Russia. While adding that he still aimed to sign the deal, Viktor Yanukovych said Ukraine would need at least 20 billion euros ($27 billion) a year to upgrade its economy.
Catherine Ashton said on Thursday: “It is my view that those challenges, which are real, can be addressed by the support that not only comes from the European Union institutions, but actually by showing that he has a serious economic plan in signing the association agreement also will help to bring in the kind of investment that he needs.”
The Ukrainian government’s handling of the pro-EU protests in Independence Square in Kiev has met with a stern response from both the European Union and the US.
Police moved into the main protest camp in the early hours of Wednesday, prompting US Secretary of State John Kerry to express “disgust” at the government’s treatment of a peaceful protest.
At least nine people were detained and there were some reports of police using violence. The state department said later it was considering a range of responses including sanctions.
After her meeting with Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday, Catherine Ashton said she had insisted on the release of anyone arrested because of the protests and that the Ukrainian president had assured her that would happen.
Moscow is concerned the EU free trade deal with Kiev would flood the Russian market and wants Ukraine to sign up to a customs union that includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.
In his annual address to the Russian parliament on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said he hoped a solution to Ukraine’s crisis could be found and insisted the customs union would not be forced on Kiev.
The death sentence of Bangladeshi Islamist leader Abdul Kader Mullah has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The judge dismissed his appeal, saying it paves the way for his execution.
Abdul Kader Mullah had been scheduled to be executed on Tuesday, before gaining a reprieve. No new date has been set.
He was convicted in February of crimes against humanity during the country’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. The senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party denies the charges.
Jamaat-e-Islami says that the trial is politically motivated.
“There is now no legal bar to execute him,” Attorney-General Mahbubey Alam told AFP news agency in the court, amid applause by pro-government lawyers.
Mahbubey Alam said that Mullah had exhausted all avenues of appeal. But Abdul Kader Mullah’s lawyers have disputed his conclusions. His final hope would rest with a presidential pardon.
Abdul Kader Mullah was convicted of crimes against humanity during the country’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan
Abdul Kader Mullah’s trial earlier this year sparked protests from Jamaat supporters. They accuse the government of pursuing a political vendetta which has resulted in the imprisonment of several of the party’s senior leaders.
Security was stepped up in Dhaka in advance of Thursday’s ruling.
Abdul Kader Mullah is one of five Islamist leaders condemned to death by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), set up in 2010 to investigate atrocities committed during the 1971 conflict, in which some estimates say that as many as three million people died.
So far none of those convicted has been executed.
Abdul Kader Mullah – who is assistant secretary-general of Jamaat -was initially sentenced to life imprisonment for killing unarmed civilians and intellectuals in the Mirpur suburb of the capital Dhaka.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding the death penalty, a move that prompted parliament to amend a law allowing the state to appeal against any verdict reached by the war crimes tribunal.
The Supreme Court then passed a death sentence.
Bangladesh set up the special court to deal with those accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop East Pakistan, as Bangladesh was then, from becoming an independent country.
However, human rights groups have said the tribunal falls short of international standards and that he should have another opportunity to appeal.
Jamaat is barred from contesting elections scheduled for January 5, 2014, but plays a key role in the opposition movement led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Air Canada has ordered 61 Boeing 737 MAX planes worth $6.5 billion at list prices, a big win for the aircraft maker over its rival, Airbus.
Boeing 737 MAX planes will replace Air Canada’s current fleet of Airbus narrow-body aircraft.
Air Canada said the new planes will help it cut fuel and maintenance costs on a per-seat basis by more than 20%.
Airlines have been keen to upgrade their fleets to more fuel-efficient aircraft amid high fuel prices and falling profit margins.
Air Canada has ordered 61 Boeing 737 MAX planes worth $6.5 billion at list prices
“Renewal of our North American narrow-body fleet with more fuel efficient aircraft is a key element of our ongoing cost transformation programme,” Calin Rovinescu, chief executive of Air Canada, said in a statement.
The rising demand for fuel-efficient aircraft has triggered competition among planemakers as they fight for a bigger share of the growing market.
The 100-200 seat narrow-body – or single-aisle – aircraft market is forecast to generate $20 trillion over the next 20 years.
The sector is currently dominated by Airbus’s A320 and Boeing’s 737 aircraft.
Air Canada’s order includes options and rights to purchase 48 additional Boeing planes.
The airline said it was also evaluating the potential replacement of its Embraer E190 fleet with “more cost efficient, larger narrow-body aircraft that are better suited to its current and future network strategy”.
Analysts said that Air Canada’s decision to opt for Boeing planes to replace the existing Airbus fleet was a major endorsement for the American company.
Former Thailand’s PM Abhisit Vejjajiva has been formally charged with murder in connection with a crackdown on demonstrators in 2010.
More than 90 people died in clashes during the 2010 protests.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, who leads the opposition Democrat Party, denied the charges and was granted bail.
The indictment came as protests against current PM Yingluck Shinawatra continued, and protesters briefly entered Government House.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who was Abhisit Vejjajiva’s deputy in 2010, also faces charges but has asked the court to postpone his hearing.
Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban were in power when thousands of supporters of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra occupied parts of Bangkok. They authorized the army to clear the protesters.
Abhisit Vejjajiva has been formally charged with murder in connection with a crackdown on demonstrators in 2010
The charges relate to the shooting deaths of a 43-year-old taxi driver and a 14-year-old during the crackdown.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, protesters briefly broke into Government House, and later cut off the office’s power supply, reports said.
Anti-government protesters want Yingluck Shinawatra to resign and for her government to be replaced with an unelected “People’s Council”.
They say that Thaksin Shinawatra, who is also Yingluck Shinawatra’s brother, controls the ruling Pheu Thai party.
Abhisit Vejjajiva and other Democrat Party lawmakers resigned from parliament on Sunday so that they could join the protesters.
On Monday, Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament and announced general elections for February 2nd, 2014, as 150,000 protesters surrounded Government House.
However, she has refused to resign before the elections.
Yingluck Shinwatra’s Pheu Thai party has a majority in parliament, and draws significant support from Thailand’s rural areas. The party is seen as well-placed to win February’s election.
However, protesters accuse it of using public funds irresponsibly to secure votes, including on a controversial rice subsidy scheme which hurt Thailand’s exports.
Thaksin Shinwatra is in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.
Kanye West halted his show in Phoenix to share his disappointment with fans after his album Yeezus failed to grab a nod in Grammys 2014 Album of the Year nominations, suggesting the oversight is racially charged.
The rapper said: “I’m 36-years old and I have 21 Grammys. That’s the most Grammys of any 36 year old. Out of all of those 21 Grammys, I’ve never won a Grammy against a white artist. So when the Grammy nominations come out, and Yeezus is the top one or two album on every single list (poll of the year), but only gets two nominations from the Grammys, what are they trying to say? Do they think that I wouldn’t notice?”
Kanye West halted his show in Phoenix to share his disappointment with fans after his album Yeezus failed to grab a nod in Grammys 2014 Album of the Year nominations
“Do they think that, someway, that I don’t have the power to completely diminish all of their credibility at this moment?
“When you see me talking about what people are doing when I say <<marginalized>>, when I say <<boxed in>>, when I say <<hold back>>, when I say <<people are afraid of the truth>>, that’s one example right there in front of you.”
Kanye West admits he’s not impressed with his two Grammy nods for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for New Slaves, adding: “People come to me and congratulate me on those two nominations. F**k those nominations!”
Thamsanqa Jantjie – the South African sign language interpreter accused of gesticulating gibberish during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service – defended his “champion” performance Thursday, but said he may have suffered a schizophrenic episode while on stage.
Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, told Johannesburg’s Star newspaper he started hearing voices in his head and hallucinating, resulting in gestures that made no sense to outraged deaf people around the world.
“There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry. It’s the situation I found myself in,” Thamsanqa Jantjie told the paper.
He did not know what triggered the attack, saying he took medication for his schizophrenia.
Thamsanqa Jantjie said he may have suffered a schizophrenic episode while on stage at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service
Millions of TV viewers saw Thamsanqa Jantjie interpreting Tuesday at Nelson Mandela’s memorial attended by leaders from around the world, but South Africa’s leading deaf association on Wednesday denounced him as a fake, saying he was inventing signs.
However, in a radio interview, Thamsanqa Jantjie said he was happy with his performance at the memorial.
“Absolutely, absolutely. I think that I’ve been a champion of sign language,” he told Talk Radio 702.
The controversy has overshadowed South Africa’s 10-day farewell to Nelson Mandela, whose remains were lying in state for a second day Thursday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where he was sworn in as the nation’s first black president in 1994.
Revelations about Thamsanqa Jantjie’s unconventional gestures – experts said he did not know even basic signs such as “thank you” or “Mandela” – sparked a hunt for the mystery signer on Wednesday.
The government, which was in charge of the mass memorial, said it had no idea who he was, as did the ruling African National Congress (ANC), even though footage from two large ANC events last year showed him signing on stage next to President Jacob Zuma.
Thamsanqa Jantjie said he worked for a company called SA Interpreters, which had been hired by the ANC for Tuesday’s ceremony at Johannesburg’s 95,000-seat Soccer City stadium.
Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon have been hit by a fierce winter storm, the UN say.
There has been snow, rain, high winds and freezing temperatures in the north of the country and the Bekaa Valley, home to more than 200 informal camps.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was “working harder than ever” to protect the more than 800,000 Syrians sheltering in Lebanon.
The Lebanese army is helping distribute emergency kits, including blankets.
“We are worried, because it is really cold in the Bekaa region, and we’re extremely worried about the refugees living in makeshift shelters, because many are really substandard,” UNHCR spokeswomen Lisa Abou Khaled told the AFP news agency.
At least 80,000 refugees will have to spend the winter in tents. Many others are living in unfinished or unheated buildings with only slightly more protection.
Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon have been hit by a fierce winter storm
Lisa Abou Khaled said the UNHCR had stockpiles of items to help refugees whose shelters might be damaged or destroyed, including plastic sheeting, floor mats, blankets and mattresses. Supplies have also been given to local councils.
“The Syrian refugees here are shivering with cold, especially the ones in tents,” said Wafiq Khalaf, a councilor in Arsal, a town in the northern Bekaa Valley that has seen 20,000 people arrive in the past few months.
“Water has come into the tents from the roofs, and from the ground where there is flooding,” he told AFP.
“At the moment there is more than 10cm [3.9in] of snow on the ground, but more is expected.”
Forecasters are predicting between 7.6cm and 13cm of snow in total.
The latest warning comes after the UNHCR announced on Tuesday that it would be airlifting food and other aid items into northern Syria from Iraq for the first time.
Twelve planeloads of supplies will be flown in over the next few days, ahead of what the UN fears will be the region’s harshest winter in a century.
The decision was made after land convoys were shot at, harassed, and detained at check points, officials said.
Almost 2.3 million Syrians have fled into neighboring countries since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011, according to the UN. There are also an estimated 6.5 million internelly displaced people (IDP’s) inside Syria, and many more in need of aid.
Mexico’s Senate has approved a measure to open the state-run oil fields to foreign investment for the first time in 75 years.
The measure would let private firms explore and extract oil and gas with state-run firm Pemex, and take a share of the profits.
It now moves to the lower house to be voted on, where it is expected to pass.
President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter that it was “a significant decision for Mexico”.
Mexico’s Senate has approved a measure to open the state-run oil fields to foreign investment for the first time in 75 years
Enrique Pena Nieto said it was necessary to modernize Mexico’s energy sector and increase oil production, which has dropped from 3.4 million barrels per day in 2004 to the current rate of 2.5 million barrels per day.
However, the left-wing Democratic Revolution Party said it was a submission to US oil companies, and protestors set up camp outside the Senate.
They say the move strikes at the heart of Mexico’s identity.
In 1938, then-president Lazaro Cardenas nationalized the oil industry, which had been operated by foreigners up to that point, asserting that Mexico had a right to its mineral wealth.
If the measure passes Mexico’s Congress, it must then be approved by 17 of the country’s 32 federal entities.
Passengers aboard two WestJet flights from southern Ontario to Calgary in November got their holiday gift wishes granted as they flew across Canada.
Before boarding, passengers were invited scan their boarding passes that allowed them to talk with a virtual Santa who asked them what they wanted for Christmas. Hidden cameras recorded their gift requests.
Passengers aboard two WestJet flights from southern Ontario to Calgary in November got their holiday gift wishes granted as they flew across Canada
Items on lists included trains and dolls from the kids, but some passengers asked for things such as a snowboard, a big-screen TV –even a Samsung Galaxy phone.
While the plane was in the air, over 150 “merry WestJetters” acted as Santa’s elves, rushing out to stores and nabbing the items on the passengers’ lists, according to a release from the Canadian-based WestJet.
By the time the flights landed four hours later, the 250 unsuspecting passengers were greeted by a festive display at baggage claim and were handed gifts they had asked for.
President Barack Obama was caught smiling and taking a selfie with his seat-mates, Denmark’s PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Britain’s David Cameron during Nelson Mandela’s massive memorial service in Johannesburg.
As the three of them smile for the camera, a stern-looking Michelle Obama can be seen staring straight ahead, hands clasped.
Michelle Obama’s reaction – not just to the “selfie” but to her husband’s chatting and joking with the young Danish prime minister – was priceless. In one picture, Michelle Obama could be seen glaring over at Barack Obama while he put his hand on Helle Thorning-Schmidt’s shoulder.
In another, it appeared the first lady and the president switched seats, putting Michelle Obama squarely between him and Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
Barack Obama was caught smiling and taking a selfie with Helle Thorning-Schmidt and David Cameron during Nelson Mandela’s massive memorial service
The photographer behind the “selfie” pic of the three dignitaries, though, later claimed that the first lady herself was “joking with those around her” a few seconds earlier.
“The stern look was captured by chance,” he wrote.
After the images surged through social media, the White House on Wednesday released its own set of photos of Barack Obama’s South Africa visit and among them was a picture of Obama, the first lady and the Danish prime minister.
But in this one, Barack Obama was talking to his wife, while Helle Thorning-Schmidt seemed preoccupied with her phone.
The “selfie” incident was the second unexpected controversy stirred up by the president in South Africa. Earlier, Cuban-American lawmakers publicly objected after Barack Obama – on his way to deliver his tribute to Nelson Mandela – shook the hand of Cuba’s President Raul Castro.
Justin Bieber will release a handful of new tracks along with all of the Music Mondays work in a limited-edition collection called Journals later this month, Billboard reported.
Journals will only be available from December 16th until January 2nd and can be purchased exclusively on iTunes for $13.99.
The collection will feature five previously unreleased songs, which include production work by Diplo and guest spots from Big Sean, Lil Wayne and Future.
Two videos and the trailer for the theatrical release of Believe (which hits select theaters on Christmas Day) will also be included in the Journals package.
Although the content is only available as a package until January 2nd, the songs can still be purchased as individual tracks after that date. For those who already bought the Music Mondays songs, there’s a “complete my Journal” option on iTunes similar to its “complete my album” to fill in the rest of the collection.
According to Billboard, Justin Bieber plans to release a video for today’s track “Confident,”early in 2014, at which point he’ll also announce plans for his next album, which is expected at the end of next year.
Justin Bieber will release a handful of new tracks along with all of the Music Mondays work in a limited-edition collection called Journals
Journals track list:
1. Heartbreaker
2. All That Matters
3. Hold Tight
4. Recovery
5. Bad Day
6. All Bad
7. PYD feat.R. Kelly
8. Roller Coaster
9. Change Me
10. Confident feat. Chance the Rapper
11. One Life
12. Backpack feat. Lil Wayne
13. What’s Hatnin’ feat. Future
14. Swap It Out
15. Memphis feat. Big Sean
16. All That Matters (music video)
17. Believe theatrical trailer
18. Guatemala Pencils of Promise Journal Video
Comet ISON was burned to death on its maiden voyage around the Sun, scientists say.
The comet, which excited astronomers and the media as it zipped within 730,000 miles of the sun on Thanksgiving Day, was pronounced dead at a scientific conference Tuesday.
Naval Research Lab astronomer Karl Battams, who headed the observing campaign for the comet, said ISON was stretched and pulled by the sun’s powerful gravity. It was also hit with solar radiation. And the icy snowball just fell apart.
Comet ISON was burned to death on its maiden voyage around the Sun
“At this point it seems like there is nothing left,” Karl Battams said at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco.
“Sorry, everyone, Comet ISON is dead. But its memory will live on.”
Astronomers had hoped it would survive because some comets make it past close approaches with the sun. Last year, Comet Lovejoy did.
The US and UK have decided to suspend all “non-lethal assistance” for Syrian rebels.
A US embassy spokesman in Ankara said the decision was made after Islamist rebels seized bases belonging to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).
Fighters from the Islamic Front, a new alliance of major rebel groups, took control of the bases at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey last week.
Humanitarian assistance by the US and UK is not expected to be affected.
That was distributed through international and non-governmental organizations, the US embassy spokesman added.
Last month, seven leading rebel groups – the Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, Suqour al-Sham, Liwa al-Tawhid, Liwa al-Haqq, Ansar al-Sham and the Kurdish Islamic Front – declared that they were forming the largest alliance yet in the 33-month conflict, with an estimated 45,000 fighters.
Fighters from the Islamic Front, a new alliance of major rebel groups, took control of the bases at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey
They said the new Islamic Front was an “independent political, military and social formation” that aimed to topple President Bashar al-Assad’s government and build an Islamic state.
The front does not include al-Qaeda affiliates like the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and the al-Nusra Front, but its charter welcomes “muhajirin”, or foreign fighters, as “brothers who supported us in jihad”, and suggests it is willing to co-operate with them.
Last week, the Islamic Front announced that it had withdrawn from the command of the FSA’s Supreme Military Council (SMC), which is aligned to the opposition National Coalition.
Four days later, its fighters drove out SMC-aligned forces out of their bases and warehouses at Bab al-Hawa, in the north-western province of Idlib, which contained weapons and equipment that had been brought into Syria through Turkey.
SMC spokesman Louay Meqdad said the Islamic Front had raised its flag in place of the SMC’s after “asking” its personnel to leave. But he also stressed: “We believe that those brigades are our brothers, that they know that we are not the enemy.”
On Wednesday, the US embassy spokesman told the Reuters news agency that the situation at Bab al-Hawa was being investigated to “inventory the status of US equipment and supplies provided to the SMC”.
The US government has committed to provide $250 million in non-lethal assistance to the National Coalition, local opposition councils and the SMC. Rebel brigades have been provided with food rations, medical supplies, communications equipment and vehicles.
Deaf viewers have complained that the official sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service was inept.
According to the Deaf Federation of South Africa, the man’s signs were “arbitrary” and “did not make sense”.
Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, South Africa’s first deaf female MP, tweeted that the interpreter was “signing rubbish”.
The man was “employed by ANC head office or used by them” but didn’t use South African sign language.
Nelson Mandela’s memorial deaf interpreter used fake sign language
“ANC-linked interpreter on the stage with dep president of ANC is signing rubbish. He cannot sign. Please get him off,” Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen tweeted during the live broadcast.
The ANC refused to comment on whether it had used the interpreter at previous events.
South Africa’s government said it was preparing a statement, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The sign language interpreter has yet to be publicly identified.
Francois Deysal, who is a signing trainer at the Deaf Federation of South Africa, said he was “not known to the deaf community or other interpreters in South Africa”.
South African sign language has its own structure and is not linked to any spoken language like Afrikaans, Xhosa or English..
South African Braam Jordaan, the Young Deaf Leader for the World Federation of the Deaf, said the man was “creating his own signs”.
Braam Jordaan said deaf people had been excluded in South Africa long before apartheid happened.
There is one sign language interpreter for every 10,000 deaf people in South Africa, he said via an interpreter.
Major national and international news channels broadcast Nelson Mandela’s state memorial service live on Tuesday.
The man was seen on stage signing as friends and family of Nelson Mandela, and world leaders, paid tribute to the former South African president.
Pope Francis has been named Person of the Year 2013 by Time magazine after only nine months in office.
The Pope had pulled “the papacy out of the palace and into the streets”, managing editor Nancy Gibbs said.
“Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly – young and old, faithful and cynical,” she added.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was runner-up.
Buenos Aires Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope last March. He named himself Francis after a 12th Century Italian saint who turned his back on an aristocratic lifestyle to work with the poor.
Since then, Pope Francis has eschewed some of the more regal trappings of high office, made headlines by washing the feet of prisoners, and is planning some major reforms to the Church.
Pope Francis has been named Person of the Year 2013 by Time magazine after only nine months in office
“In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very centre of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power,” Nancy Gibbs wrote.
Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said it was “a positive sign” that one of the international media’s most prestigious recognitions had been given to “a person who proclaims… spiritual, religious and moral values and speaks out forcefully in favor of peace and greater justice”.
“The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honors,” said Federico Lombardi.
“But if the choice of Person of Year helps spread the message of the Gospel – a message of God’s love for everyone – he will certainly be happy about that.”
This is the third time a Pope has received the recognition from Time magazine. John Paul II was selected in 1994 and John XXIII was chosen in 1962.
Besides Edward Snowden, this year’s other finalists were US activist Edith Windsor, US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Jazz guitarist Jim Hall died early Tuesday at age 83, his wife has announced.
Jim Hall was one of the leading jazz guitarists of the modern era, whose subtle technique, lyrical sound and introspective approach strongly influenced younger protégés such as Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell.
The guitar master died in his sleep after a short illness at his Greenwich Village apartment in Manhattan, said Jane Hall, his wife of 48 years who described her husband as “truly beloved by everybody who ever met him.”
Jim Hall was one of the leading jazz guitarists of the modern era
Jim Hall, who led his own trio since the mid-1960s, remained active until shortly before his death. Last month, his trio performed a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room with guest guitarists John Abercrombie and Peter Bernstein. He had been planning a duo tour in Japan in January with bassist Ron Carter, a longtime partner.
In 2004, Jim Hall became the first of the modern jazz guitarists to be named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, the nation’s highest jazz honor.
Jim Hall is survived by his wife, a psychoanalyst, and his daughter, who was married to the late NEA Jazz Master John Levy, a bassist who is credited as the first African-American personal manager in jazz.
According to a scientific report, the supervolcano that lies beneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is far larger than was previously thought.
A study shows that the magma chamber is about 2.5 times bigger than earlier estimates suggested.
A team found the cavern stretches for more than 55 miles and contains 48-144 cubic miles of molten rock.
The findings are being presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
Prof. Bob Smith, from the University of Utah, said: “We’ve been working there for a long time, and we’ve always thought it would be bigger… but this finding is astounding.”
If the Yellowstone supervolcano were to blow today, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The last major eruption, which occurred 640,000 years ago, sent ash across the whole of North America, affecting the planet’s climate.
Now researchers believe they have a better idea of what lies beneath the ground.
The team used a network of seismometers that were situated around the park to map the magma chamber.
Dr. Jamie Farrell, from the University of Utah, explained: “We record earthquakes in and around Yellowstone, and we measure the seismic waves as they travel through the ground.
“The waves travel slower through hot and partially molten material… with this, we can measure what’s beneath.”
The team found that the magma chamber was colossal. Reaching depths of between 1 to 9 miles, the cavern was about 55 miles long and 20 miles wide.
It pushed further into the north east of the park than other studies had previously shown, holding a mixture of solid and molten rock.
The supervolcano that lies beneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is far larger than was previously thought
“Yes, it is a much larger system… but I don’t think it makes the Yellowstone hazard greater,” explained Prof. Bob Smith.
“But what it does tell us is more about the area to the north east of the caldera.”
He added that researchers were unsure when the supervolcano would blow again.
Some believe a massive eruption is overdue, estimating that Yellowstone’s volcano goes off every 700,000 years or so.
However, Prof. Bob Smith said more data was needed, because there had only been three major eruptions so far. These happened 2.1 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago and 640,000 years ago.
Clashes have erupted between Ukrainian protesters and riot police outside city hall in Kiev.
The clashes follow a night of scuffles and a stand-off after police moved in on a large protest camp in Independence Square.
But more demonstrators have joined the protest in response to an opposition call for solidarity.
The government’s decision to withdraw from a free-trade deal with the EU last month sparked huge street rallies.
Police stormed city hall as they tried to dislodge protesters from the building.
Reports said protesters used hoses to fire icy water back at the police.
Clashes have erupted between Ukrainian protesters and riot police outside city hall in Kiev
Protesters gathered around the police, chanting slogans against their action, said 5 Kanal TV station in scenes carried on a live feed from the protests.
Police had moved in on the protest at about 02:00 a.m., saying they wanted to free up a passage through the square for traffic.
Protesters in hard hats locked arms to form human walls to try to resist the police push. At least nine people were detained.
There were calls for restraint from priests intoning prayers and pop singer Ruslana – urging “Do not hurt us!” – on a stage in the square. More people flooded into the square in response to pleas for solidarity.
The latest police action comes after EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton held talks with President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday.
Baroness Catherine Ashton, who was cheered by crowds when she visited Kiev’s main protest site, said she was saddened that police had later used force to try to remove protesters.
“I was among you on Maidan [Independence Square] in the evening and was impressed by determination of Ukrainians demonstrating for European perspective of the country,” Catherine Ashton said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Some hours later I observe with sadness that police uses force to remove peaceful people from the centre of Kiev. The authorities didn’t need to act under the coverage of night to engage with the society by using police.”
Riot police and interior ministry officers dismantled some barriers and tents but met resistance from opposition supporters.
Nelson Mandela’s coffin arrived at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where his remanis will lie in state for three days.
The former South African president’s remains were taken in procession from a hospital mortuary to the government main building.
Members of the public lined the route to form a “guard of honor”.
The public, invited heads of state and international guests will be able to view the body of the former president who died last Thursday, aged 95.
He will be buried in his home village of Qunu in Eastern Cape province on Sunday.
Tens of thousands of South Africans joined scores of world leaders for a national memorial service on Tuesday as part of a series of commemorations.
Nelson Mandela’s coffin arrived at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where his remanis will lie in state for three days
The procession left the city’s 1 Military Hospital shortly after 07:00 on Wednesday. The coffin could be seen inside a black hearse, draped in a South African flag.
It travelled along Kgosi Mampuru Street and Madiba Street on the way to the Union Buildings.
The hearse was in a long convoy with military outriders and military ambulances.
Nelson Mandela’s remains will make the journey from the military hospital every morning from Wednesday until Friday, the government announced.
“The public are encouraged to form a guard of honor by lining the streets,” it said.
At the memorial service on Tuesday, President Jacob Zuma announced that the Union Buildings would be renamed the Mandela Amphitheatre.
Nelson Mandela’s family and selected VIP visitors will be able to view the body from 10:00 local time on Wednesday.
Members of the public can file past from 12:00 to 17:30.
The public will then be able to view the body from 08:00 to 17:30 on Thursday and Friday.
