Emotional Obama Responds To School Shooting

US President Barack Obama wept as he addressed the nation in the aftermath of the school shootings in Connecticut.

Mr Obama paused repeatedly as he struggled to keep his composure while speaking of the children who had been killed and the milestones in their lives they would never have - birthdays, graduations, weddings.

"Our hearts are broken today," he said, at times using a finger to wipe tears at the corners of his eyes.

Mr Obama said he had reacted to news of the elementary school shooting first as a parent.

He added that he and First Lady Michelle would do what any other parent in America would do - "hug our children a little tighter".

"There is not a parent in America who does not feel the same overwhelming grief I do," he said.

Mr Obama called for "meaningful action" regardless of politics.

"As a country, we have been through this too many times," he said in the televised address from the White House.

Many of those killed in the rampage were between the ages of five and 10.

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Egyptians Vote In Constitution Referendum

Queues have formed at polling stations in Egypt as the country votes on a constitution many hope will lead to long-term stability.

The referendum, which is taking place over two days, asks Egyptians to accept or reject the charter, which must be in place before a parliamentary election can take place next year.

Opponents say the constitution does not guarantee basic rights for Egyptians and places emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

Queues formed across Egypt as polling stations opened

Supporters of President Mohamed Morsi say it is needed to secure democracy, nearly two years after the fall of military-backed former leader Hosni Mubarak.

If the charter is voted down, a new assembly will have to be formed to draft another version - a process that could take up to nine months.

Mr Morsi, who was among the first to vote, was shown on television casting his ballot and dipping his finger in ink - a measure designed to prevent people voting twice.

President Mohamed Morsi casts his vote in the referendum

Security has been tightened around polling stations and government buildings, with 120,000 troops and 6,000 tanks and armoured vehicles deployed by the army.

It follows weeks of violent clashes between supporters and opponents of Mr Morsi.

On Friday, at least 19 people were reportedly injured in a sword fight in Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city. Cars were set alight and a mosque was surrounded, trapping a preacher who had criticised those planning to oppose the constitution.

In Cairo, at least eight protesters have died and hundreds have been hurt since Mr Morsi assumed sweeping new powers to push through the constitution.

The president later annulled the decree but demonstrations have continued in the capital's Tahrir Square.

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US School Shooting: Gunman Kills 27

The United States is in shock after a man murdered his mother at home before gunning down 20 children and six adults in a Connecticut school.

The heavily armed gunman, named as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot the children - aged between five and 10 years old - at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where his mother had worked as teacher.

Dawn Hochsprung, the head teacher at the school in Newtown, was among those killed in the shooting, which began at around 9:30am - just after school day started.

After storming through several classrooms, Lanza, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying two handguns, turned one of the guns he was carrying on himself.

A police officer leads two women and a child from the school

An emotional US President Barack Obama wiped tears from his eyes as he told a stunned country: "Our hearts are broken today."

Mr Obama hinted at possible gun law reform, declaring that the latest atrocity signals that the country should come together to take meaningful action, "regardless of the politics".

The President also used his weekly address to express his sadness in the wake of the shooting.

A young boy weeps after learning of the school massacre

"We grieve for the families of those we lost. And we keep in our prayers the parents of those who survived. Because as blessed as they are to have their children home, they know that their child's innocence has been torn away far too early," Mr Obama said.

Children told their parents they had heard bangs and, at one point, a scream over the intercom. Teachers ordered them to hide in closets or corners.

"I was going back to my classroom and I heard like a person kicking on the door and I turned around I smelled smoke," an eight-year-old boy told NBC.

Reports said Lanza killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, and then drove to the school in her car.

Mr Obama wiped away tears and struggled to maintain his composure

At least three guns were found - a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols, inside the school, and a high-powered rifle in the back of the car, authorities said.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said some of the guns used in the attack may have belonged to Lanza's mother, who had legally purchased five weapons.

The attack, just two weeks before Christmas, was America's second-deadliest school shooting, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech university massacre in 2007 that left 32 dead.

Authorities offered little clue as to the motive for the shootings in the picturesque small town northeast of New York City.

The gunman was believed to suffer from a personality disorder and lived with his mother in an affluent part of Newtown.

Lanza's older brother Ryan was questioned

State police Lt Paul Vance said just one person suffered an injury and survived, indicating that the gunman was unusually accurate or methodical in his fire.

Lanza's older brother Ryan, 24, of Hoboken, New Jersey, has been questioned by police but a law enforcement official said he was not believed to have had any role in the shooting and was "extremely cooperative".

Ryan Lanza told law enforcement he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.

Hours after the shooting, hundreds of people gathered for a vigil, the crowd filling the church to capacity and spilling outside its doors.

Some lit candles while others joined hands to sing Christmas songs.

Vigils were held in the town on Friday evening

"Evil visited this community today," State Governor Dan Malloy said earlier.

David Connors, whose triplets were at the school during the shooting but were unharmed, said he was still horrified.

"It's hard. I've never imagined a thing like that could happen here."

Police said they expected to be able to make public the identities of the victims later on Saturday.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It is heartbreaking to think of those who have had their children robbed from them."

The shooting happened at a school in the town, 60 miles from New York

The Queen sent a message to Mr Obama in which she said she was "deeply shocked and saddened".

Pope Benedict XVI sent a letter of condolence to the community, which was read aloud at a vigil in Newtown on Friday evening.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon wrote to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy to give his "deepest condolences at the shocking murders," a statement said.

"The targeting of children is heinous and unthinkable," he added in condemning the "horrendous" crime.

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North Korea Rocket: Mass Rally Staged

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have gathered for a government-staged rally to celebrate a long-range rocket launch, state TV has shown.

Below a grey sky and with flags flying high, the huge crowd of soldiers and civilians stood in neat ranks and applauded various speeches from officials.

State media released footage of the launch

Military and party figures praised the country's young leader Kim Jong-Un and hailed the success of Wednesday's launch, which has been condemned by the international community.

Jang Chol, president of the State Academy of Sciences, said: "This was achieved thanks to the Great Marshall Kim Jong-Un's endless loyalty, bravery and wisdom."

North Korea has said the launch was designed to place a satellite in orbit for peaceful research. Critics say it amounted to a banned ballistic missile test.

The communist state is not thought to have a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile, but the launch has been seen by many as an advance in its weapons programme.

South Korea's navy has retrieved rocket debris that fell into sea and it will be studied to determine the North's rocket-launching capabilities.

The rally in Pyongyang came hours after state media published a statement by Mr Kim ordering more launches in spite of global outrage.

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Earthquakes Hit US West Coast In Pacific

Two large earthquakes have struck off the coast of southern California and Mexico.

The US Geological Survey said the two first quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 and hit 163 miles southwest of the Californian city of Avalon.

A second quake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck 88 miles from Avalon. Both were recorded at relatively shallow depths, although no tsunami warning has been issued.

More follows...

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Russia Journalist Murder: Ex-Policeman Jailed

A former policeman has been jailed for 11 years in a prison camp over the murder of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov admitted tracking Politkovskaya so that she could be assassinated in 2006.

The established journalism was well known for her hard hitting reporting and her criticism of the Kremlin under Vladimir Putin.

Politkovskaya was shot dead in the lift of her flat block in Moscow on October 7, 2006.

She was shot twice in the chest, once in the shoulder, and once - at point blank range - in the head.

More follows...

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Man Held Over Facebook Child Abuse Video

Police have arrested a mechanic for alleged child abuse after a video of a toddler being hit by his stepdad was put on Facebook.

A 32-year-old suspect was held over the nine-minute video which was first posted by Facebook user Vasu Amaithi Padai on Tuesday, according to the New Straits Times.

The video, which has 44,537 shares, shows the three-year-old being physically abused by his stepfather whilst a baby and another toddler are in the room.

The child is slapped to the ground, held in the air and punched repeatedly and beaten with a various objects.

He is now being treated in a Malaysian hospital and under the supervision of social welfare officers.

Many Facebook users expressed outrage and demanded the police take action against the individual and the video-maker.

Facebook user, Alice Perumal, commented: "Oh my god! It is so cruel! Is this his real father? Who is doing the shooting (the video)? I can't stop crying after watch this ..."

In a statement to the media through their Facebook account, the Royal Malaysian Police confirmed that the man in the footage was the stepfather to the three-year-old toddler, said the newspaper.

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Brazil: Team Quits Final Over 'Gun Threat'

The final of South America's second biggest football competition was abandoned after the away team claimed they were beaten and had guns pulled on them at half-time.

Brazil's Sao Paulo were awarded the Copa Sudamericana after their Argentinian opponents refused to play the second half of the final's second leg, claiming the players feared for their safety.

There were ugly scenes as players fought while leaving the pitch at the end of first half, with the Brazilian side leading 2-0 in front of their home fans.

The referee leaves the field to discuss Tigre's concerns about safety

Things apparently got worse for Tigre during the break, with coaches claiming security personnel entered the changing room and attacked their players with clubs.

Tigre manager Nestor Gorosito briefly returned to the pitch and, referring to unspecified security officials, told reporters: "They pulled two revolvers. We're not going to play any more".

Tense negotiations took place outside the changing room area

While it was unclear what happened in the changing room, Argentine television showed what appeared to be blood stains spattered on walls.

After the break, referee Enrique Osses of Chile awarded the trophy - South America's equivalent of the Europa League - to Sao Paulo after waiting around 30 minutes for Tigre to retake the field.

Tigre's coach Tigre Gorosito told reporters guns were pulled on his team

"Police entered and struck our players with sticks," Gorosito told Argentine television. "It was crazy. What happened was crazy."

Romer Osuna, a Bolivian official with Conmebol, South America's governing body of football, said Tigre players were afraid to carry on with the game.

Earlier, Sao Paulo star Lucas had given the home side the lead

"The Tigre people declined to play because they considered security was not good enough," Osuna told Fox Sports.

Fans at the 72,000 capacity Morumbi stadium celebrated Sao Paulo's first Copa Sudamericana win as if the violence had never happened, but the incident may raise questions about Brazil's ability to host the 2014 World Cup.

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Royal Prank Call Nurse 'Left Three Notes'

The nurse tricked by a radio prank call was found hanging from a wardrobe by a scarf, an inquest has heard.

Jacintha Saldanha died days after falling victim to the hoax that targeted the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated.

The opening of her inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard injuries were found on the nurse's wrists - and that she had also left three notes.

Two were found in her room at London's King Edward VII hospital and another was among her possessions.

The inquest was told police were exploring emails and texts sent by the 46-year-old, who was discovered in her nurses' quarters by a colleague and a security guard on Friday.

Officers are also interviewing Ms Saldanha's friends and family, and staff at the Australian radio station responsible for the prank.

Detective Chief Inspector James Harman said: "On Friday December 7 Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging.

"There were also injuries to her wrists. The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene. At this time there are no suspicious circumstances."

Michael Christian and Mel Greig gave tearful interviews after the hoax

The inquest came as pressure mounted on bosses at the radio station to name the executives responsible for airing the hoax.

Sky News understands Australia's independent media watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), has had 2,500 complaints from around the world over the 2Day FM segment.

ACMA has announced a rare fast-track investigation into the prank, which saw Ms Saldanha put two radio hosts through to a fellow nurse who unwittingly revealed details about Kate's treatment.

DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian impersonated the Queen and Prince Charles, with the "monarch" making enquiries about her "granddaughter".

Australia's radio broadcasting code stipulates that it is a breach to record a person in conversation, and also air it, without their knowledge.

The radio station insists it did not break the law and says it tried to contact the hospital on five separate occasions. The hospital disputes any contact was ever sought.

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Obama: US Recognises Syrian Opposition

Syria: A War Tearing Apart Families

Updated: 8:59am UK, Wednesday 12 December 2012

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor, in Damascus

At night the Rizak extended family come together in one room and listen to the sounds of shelling, gunfire, and explosions.

They are from Jaramana in Damascus, close to the road leading to the international airport which continues to see fierce fighting between Syrian troops and opposition fighters.

It is a mixed district, but the majority of residents are from the minority Druze and Christian communities.

They mix freely with Alawites and some Sunni Muslims who also live there.

It is a microcosm of Syrian society, one which is slowly being destroyed as people cleave to their own amid the violence pushing them apart from others.

The Rizaks gather in a room away from the windows in case a stray shell hits their building.

Tragedy has already struck them.

Two weeks ago, two car bombs exploded in the street next to their home. Some 68 people were killed and 130 injured. Annan Rizak, 20, was killed alongside his uncle Haldoon.

Annan's father Salim, an engineer, invited us into their front room, reserved for guests, and now adorned with a large photo of the deceased.

Over small cups of Arabic coffee, Salim told me of the hopes he had that Annan would have a successful life.

"He was very clever, he always had good grades," he said.

"Now in the evenings, we are all in one room. We sit very close so we can help each other. There is too much noise, too many explosions coming down."

Two floors up, in the same building, Ghias Rizak lies in bed, his leg shattered in the same explosion that killed Annan and Haldoon.

The attack was blamed on the then Jihadist al Nusra Front, which has carried out a number of such attacks including suicide bombings. Other victims included Iraqis who had fled the violence in Baghdad.

As we talked Ghias' wife, Malak, bustled in tidying up because of the presence of a TV crew. She insisted we have coffee and eat some fruit and told of how she had heard the first explosion and rushed out onto her balcony to see what was happening.

"I looked down and there was Ghias, and then there was the second bomb, and I saw him thrown several metres by the blast," she said.

Ghias and Malak have two children who join Salim and others in the evenings.

Ghias, who will be off work for three months because of his injuries, said their two children are always asking questions: "Will we go to school tomorrow? Can I see my friends? What is going to happen?"

On the ground floor the family's patio is crowded with bags of candles brought by neighbours of other religions to help them light the house during the frequent electricity cuts, and to remember their loss.

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North Korea Rapped Over Rocket Launch

Rocket Is Propaganda Coup For Kim

Updated: 8:35am UK, Wednesday 12 December 2012

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

North Korea had two points to prove with its latest rocket launch.

The first was that it had successfully overcome the technical problems that led to the embarrassing failure of an identical launch in April this year.

The second is that the country has indeed put a satellite into space, which would confirm its long-standing claim that all this is about pursuing a peaceful space programme.

It appears to have succeeded with the first point. The rocket remained airborne for a considerable period. It followed the planned and published trajectory and the three "stages" of the rocket separated and fell to the ocean as scheduled.

April's rocket was airborne for barely over a minute before it disintegrated and fell into the sea off South Korea. This time the rocket travelled for about 3,000km (1,864 miles).

The North Koreans claim to have succeeded in putting a satellite being carried by the rocket into orbit.

This is harder for them to prove. On two previous occasions, officials in the North Korean capital Pyongyang have said they have put satellites into space. But international observers including the US and Russia have found no evidence of this.

Pyongyang is yet to provide images of a working satellite being loaded into the rocket and that rocket then being launched. Even if they did, they would then need to prove that the satellite was in orbit. Only then can their claim that this is about pursuing a peaceful space programme begin to stand up.

The US and its allies, including the UK, believe the rocket launch is a straightforward test of North Korea's ballistic missile technology. They say the "space programme" claim is simply a cover.

North Korea has been conducting underground nuclear tests for some time. A combination of those tests with the successful launch and flight of a rocket would give the country somewhat of a credible nuclear deterrent. If it is creating ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear weapons, it could threaten areas as far away as the west coast of the US.

The timing of this launch is very significant. December 19 is the first anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, the father of the current leader Kim Jong-Un. December 19 also marks the presidential election in South Korea and the Japanese parliamentary election is on December 16.

The launch will prompt a wave of propaganda within North Korea. It is designed to solidify the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, who is in his early-30s and hugely inexperienced.

Pyongyang announced an intention to launch this latest rocket earlier this month. It gave a launch window of between December 10 and December 21. Last weekend, it extended that window to December 29 citing technical difficulties. The latest launch therefore caught people somewhat by surprise.

Within North Korea, a closed society with no access to international news, there will have been no announcements of the plan in case it failed again. The first North Koreans would have heard of the launch was this morning in a special broadcast on North Korean state TV.

What can the international community do now? Further sanctions perhaps, but they are unlikely to have much of an effect - North Korea is already among the most sanctioned countries in the world.

Pressure on China will no doubt come. Beijing is North Korea's only real ally. The Chinese leadership expressed concern about this latest launch plan, but only because its priority is stability in the region.

The removal of the Kim regime and a North Korea unified with the South would only add to America's clout in the region.

For Pyongyang's part, this launch will provide a massive boost of confidence. Kim Jong-Un and those behind him may now use this confidence and perceived new status to engage with the West in order to secure much needed economic assistance. The problem is, Western governments will never believe the claim that this is all about a space programme.

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Vegas Weddings: Thousands Flock For 12/12/12

Thousands of couples are expected to descend on Las Vegas wedding chapels today - to be married on the memorable date of 12/12/12.

It will be the last time in most people's lifetimes that there is an auspicious triple-digit date, as the next one will not happen for another 89 years.

Previous propitious dates have been big draws for Las Vegas and Clark County.

On 07/07/07 a total of 4,333 couples were wed, whereas an average daily total is normally about 145.

More recent repeating digit dates attracted 3,090 couples on 10/10/10 and 3,342 on 11/11/11.

The Clark County Marriage Licence Bureau has nearly doubled its staffing level and around 80 wedding chapels have readied themselves for the rush.

According to Viva Las Vegas Weddings, the number 12 is particularly lucky.

The Egyptian theme for 12/12/12 at LasVegasWeddings.com

"The 'go-getting' 1 and the 'sensitive' 2 make this a very balanced number. 1 is the vibration of 'new beginnings' and starting things afresh," it explained on its website.

"The 2 vibration is about seeking 'balance' and that's certainly something that many will struggle with - balancing the bank balance, balancing the food and beverage intake, balancing the emotions … balancing in every way."

It offers a variety of wedding themes, including Cleopatra and Mark Antony, the Blues Brothers, the Grim Reaper, Alice Cooper, and Rocky Horror Show couple Brad and Janet.

Other wedding themes available in Sin City include pirates, Woodstock, Austin Powers, gangster and disco.

Traditionalists still have the option of choosing the standard Elvis-themed union.

Tourists from Britain, Europe, Brazil and Australia have lodged wedding applications for the day, in addition to thousands of Americans.

Chapel of the Flowers spokeswoman Aimee Stephens told the New York Times her firm would deal with 80 weddings instead of its normal 15 unions.

The last daily wedding peak was 07/07/07 when 4,333 couple tied the knot

She believes there is another reason beyond luck that has driven couples to get married on the 12th.

"People like being a part of something larger," Ms Stephens said.

She added that the brides also wanted "to make it easier for their husbands to remember" their wedding date.

While it can cost $60 for a wedding minister's fee, some themed marriages top $2,500.

Viva Las Vegas has put a premium on certain times of the day, boosting the price above its budget $712.12 themed ceremony cost.

It warned those searching for wedded bliss: "Please note the midnight 12/12, 12 noon, or midnight 12/13 slot must be the $1212.12 Diamond Wedding Package or higher."

Thousands of couples in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore are also tying the knot today, seeking good fortune for marriages begun on the century's last repeating date.

Couples also queued to marry in many mainland Chinese cities, on the basis that 12/12/12 sounded like "Will love/will love/will love" in Chinese, the official news agency Xinhua said.

:: Las Vegas wedding chapels are already preparing for the next big event, an alleged global apocalypse based on the end of the Mayan calendar on December 21.

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Afghanistan Women Reporting More Violence

The number of violent attacks against women being reported in Afghanistan has more than doubled in a year, according to a UN report.

Some 4,010 cases of violence against women were reported in the seven months between March and October this year, nearly twice as many as in the previous 12 months, says the report.

The figure includes an increase in the number of so-called honour killings, where women are killed for apparent sexual disobedience.

Beating and cutting are still the most widely used forms of violent attack, the report by the UN's mission in Afghanistan found.

However, the majority of cases still go unreported due to cultural restraints, religious beliefs, and because women fear for their lives.

The report details the death of a 15-year-old girl who set herself on fire this year after repeated beatings by her new husband and his father.

When she reported her case to prosecutors she was told to withdraw the complaint or face being jailed.

Despite the bleak picture, Afghanistan has made some progress in using the law to protect women and the increase in the number of cases being reported was deemed "an encouraging development".

A Christian Aid exhibition promoting women's rights in Afghanistan

Before the US invasion, the Taliban regime barred women from going to school or to work.

Billions of dollars in aid have poured into Afghanistan and there have been advances for women.

They now have the right to an education and women sit in the Afghan parliament.

There are fears though that when the coalition forces withdraw from the country by the end of 2014 women's hard-won rights will be reversed. 

There have also been a number of high-profile cases involving women who have been brutally attacked by the Taliban for perceived wrongs.

The most recent to catch global attention was the case of Malala Yusufzai, the 15-year-old education and human rights activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban in neighbouring Pakistan. She was flown to Britain for treatment.

Teenage activist Malala Yusufzai was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan

A new law was introduced in 2009 which made child and forced marriage illegal, as well as buying or selling women for marriage and giving women away to settle disputes.

It also made 17 other acts of violence against women against the law including rape and beating.

This law has been credited with the increase in the number of women coming forward to report violent attacks.

But despite this, in 16 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, where the UN was able to gather detailed information, just 21 per cent of 470 reports of violence against women resulted in convictions.

The report says that rather than following legal procedures, prosecutors refer many cases to groups of local elders.

This sometimes results in cases where a court may have sentenced a rapist to imprisonment while at the same time the elders decide that the victim should marry the rapist.

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Strauss-Kahn Agrees Deal Over Sex Assault Case

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nafissatou Diallo outside the court in New York

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

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

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

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

Ms Diallo herself made a short statement thanking her supporters.

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

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

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HSBC To Pay £1.2bn In Money Laundering Case

Record Fine: HSBC's Statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Philippines Typhoon: UN Launches Aid Appeal

More than 600 people have now been killed as a result of Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines, which has left millions more without food and shelter.

At least 900 people remain missing, including 300 fishermen as landslides and floods obliterated entire communities in the south of the country.

Civil defence chief Benito Ramos said the fishermen were headed to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and to the Pacific Ocean.

Many of those missing could be among the hundreds of unidentified bodies, many of them bloated beyond recognition, Mr Ramos said.

Typhoon-affected residents scramble to get relief assistance in New Bataan

The United Nations has launched a £40m ($65m) global aid appeal to help the thousands affected.

The UN will provide an immediate aid package as well as long-term support for the southern region of Mindanao which has been hardest hit by Typhoon Bopha.

"Five million people were affected and they need express assistance," Imogen Wall, spokeswoman for the UN, has said.

"Priority needs are food, water and shelter but there's also a big emphasis on helping people's livelihood," she said.

The region will need sustained assistance for at least six months, she added.

A number of villages are still completely cut off and not receiving any aid a week after the typhoon struck.

Nearly 400,000 people have lost their homes and are crowded inside evacuation centres.

Relief workers have reported looting of shops in at least one hard-hit town on Mindanao's east coast. Homeless people without a space in government shelters have been reduced to begging on roadsides.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the typhoon-devastated region on Monday showed the precarious situation survivors face, although the quake was too deep to cause any damage.

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Egypt: Opposition Rejects Referendum

Egypt's main opposition group has rejected a constitutional referendum set by President Mohamed Morsi, saying it risked dragging the country into "violent confrontation".

The opposition coalition has vowed to oppose a referendum scheduled for December 15, despite Mr Morsi apparently backing down on a decree which gave him sweeping new powers.

The National Salvation Front said in a statement read by its spokesman: "Holding a referendum now in the absence of security reflects haste and an absence of a sense of responsibility on the part of the regime, which risks pushing the country towards violent confrontation."

The Front, an umbrella opposition group of liberal and leftist parties, called for mass protests on Tuesday against a draft constitution shaped by Islamists that it said lacked consensus.

"The Front calls for demonstrations in the capital and in the regions on Tuesday as a rejection of the president's decision that goes against our legitimate demands," the coalition spokesman said.

The statement also condemned "militias" from the Muslim Brotherhood backing Mr Morsi and "terrorist gangs".

Pro-Morsi supporters with 'I support the President's decisions' banners

Hundreds of protesters milled around Mr Morsi's palace, despite tanks, barbed wire and other barriers installed last week.

With the president's decision on Saturday to retract a controversial decree awarding himself wide powers failing to placate his opponents, the call for a mass protest on Tuesday extends Egypt's political crisis.

The demonstrations could lead to more violence, as occurred on Wednesday when seven people were killed and hundreds injured in vicious clashes outside the presidential palace.

The referendum plan has sparked some of the bloodiest clashes between Morsi supporters and opponents since he came to power in June.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled the president to power, urged the opposition to accept the referendum's verdict.

Islamists say the vote will seal a democratic transition that began when a popular uprising toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak 22 months ago after three decades of military-backed one-man rule.

Their liberal, leftist and Christian adversaries say the document being fast-tracked through could threaten freedoms and fails to embrace the diversity of Egypt's 83 million people.

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Nelson Mandela Faces More Medical Tests

Nelson Mandela is to undergo more medical tests on Monday, the South African government has revealed.

More follows...

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Egypt: President Morsi Backs Down On Powers

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has annulled a decree he issued last month expanding his powers, an official has said.

But a referendum on a draft constitution would still go ahead as planned on December 15, Islamist politician Selim al Awa added.

He explained that constitutionally President Morsi was unable to change the date, as Mr al Awa spoke to reporters after talks between the President and political leaders.

The two issues -  the decree and the referendum - have been at the heart of anti-Morsi protests that have rocked Egypt in the past two weeks.

But the initial signs are that Mr Morsi's concession will not satisfy an increasingly fierce opposition which is calling for the vote on the new constitution to be cancelled as well.

Overnight, protesters continued to gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which has become a focal point for anti-Morsi activists, and news of the annulled decree sparked no celebrations.

"This will change nothing," said Mohamed Shakir, 50.

"Even if they offered us honey, it would not be enough," added Hisham Ezzat.

Over the past seven days, the demonstrations have left seven people dead and hundreds injured.

Mohamed Morsi is abolishing an unpopular decree

The main opposition bloc, the National Salvation Front, has said it is ready for "serious and objective dialogue" as soon as Mr Morsi met its demands to scrap both the decree and the referendum.

It had rebuffed his offer on Thursday to open talks because he failed to give way on those two points.

On Saturday the Front spoke of the possibility of organising a general strike in protest.

However Islamist groups supportive of Mr Morsi have categorically refused to consider even delaying the constitutional referendum.

Egypt's military has said it will not allow violence and has called on rival political groups in the country to talk.

The controversial decree, issued on November 22, had put the president's decisions beyond judicial review - a measure fiercely denounced as dictatorial by the opposition.

Opposition leaders demanded it be rescinded and the referendum be scrapped before they entered into any dialogue with Mr Morsi to calm a crisis which led to street clashes this week that left seven people dead and hundreds injured.

Egypt's powerful military warned Mr Morsi and the opposition to sit down for talks, otherwise it would take steps to prevent a "disastrous" degradation of the situation.

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Italy's Silvio Berlusconi Says He Will Run For PM

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said he will run for the office again in next year's general election.

Speaking near the northern city of Milan, the leader of the right-wing People of Freedom party said: "I'm returning sadly to public service.

"And again, I'm doing it out of a sense of responsibility."

Mr Berlusconi, 76, stepped down in disgrace last year as Italy was on the brink of financial disaster.

His resignation paved the way for a government of unelected technocrats led by current PM Mario Monti.

Mr Berlusconi has since been convicted of tax fraud and now faces plunging poll numbers.

He is also on trial on charges of paying for sex with underage prostitute Karima El Mahroug - an allegation he has denied.

But the ever-combative conservative leader was not deterred. "I am running to win," he said. "The campaign is already on."

His centre-right camp has been in disarray recently, weakened by corruption scandals and infighting over who might succeed Mr Berlusconi as leader.

Karima El Mahroug is at the centre of Mr Berlusconi's sex case

Italy is to hold a general election in 2013, though the date has not been set.

Mr Berlusconi has been increasingly critical of the government's austerity measures, and this week his party pulled parliamentary support for Mr Monti's government, increasing the likelihood of a snap election.

It will be the sixth national election that Mr Berlusconi contests since he stepped into politics in the mid-1990s on the back of a business empire that includes the country's largest private broadcaster, publishing interests and a football team, AC Milan.

He has won three times and is already the longest-serving Prime Minister in post-war Italy.

Mr Berlusconi will be up against Pierluigi Bersani of the Democratic Party, who has just won a strong endorsement in primary votes held among centre-left voters across Italy.

Mr Bersani is widely seen as a front-runner, though Mr Berlusconi is a formidable campaigner with a history of comebacks.

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Nelson Mandela: Ex-SA President In Hospital

Former South African President Nelson Mandela has been admitted to hospital for tests.

The country's government said Mr Mandela, 94, had been taken to hospital in Pretoria for routine checks, adding that there was no cause for alarm.

The anti-apartheid icon is known to be in frail health and has not made public appearances for some years.

He was last taken to hospital in February after suffering from persistent abdominal pain. He was released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong with him.

A statement from President Jacob Zuma's office about his re-admittance to hospital in South Africa's administrative capital gave no details of the condition of the former leader.

"Mandela will receive medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age," said Mr Zuma's office.

Hillary Clinton met Nelson Mandela at his home in August

"President Zuma assures all that Madiba is doing well and there is no cause for alarm," it added, referring to Mr Mandela by his clan name.

Mr Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his fight against white minority rule under apartheid, becoming the country's first black president in 1994 at the end of white minority rule.

He turned 94 in July and has not appeared in public since South Africa's Football World Cup Final in 2010 because of his frail health.

However, in the last few months he has continued to receive high-profile visitors, including former US President Bill Clinton and Mr Clinton's wife Hillary, the US Secretary of State.

Since retiring from public life, Mr Mandela has spent most of his time in his ancestral home in Qunu, a village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province.

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