Nelson Mandela Used Sport To Heal South Africa

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

Of the many remarkable images of Nelson Mandela's remarkable life, few speak as powerfully as the moment South Africa's new president handed the 1995 Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar in Johannesburg.

In front of an overwhelmingly white crowd at Ellis Park, the man once regarded as an enemy of the state emerged wearing a Springbok shirt bearing Pienaar's No 6 on the back.

Entirely won over, the crowd chanted his name, and two hours later watched as the two No 6s, one black, one white, but both South African, celebrated a moment of shared sporting triumph.

Nelson Mandela is greeted by Lucas Radebe and Francois Pienaar

It was a moment of brilliant political judgement and deep symbolic power.

Mr Mandela had only been president for a year and extreme right-wing elements were attempting to destabilise his government.

At a stroke he had provided a rallying point for a fledgling nation.

"It is hard to put into words what it meant," said Pienaar.

"Everyone knows about our embarrassing past and he comes out and asks the rest of the country to support us.

"I never thought he would wear a Springbok jersey. That meant so much for the white South Africa. He comes out and carries the Springbok on his chest. I think it was a rallying call for the country, that this was a team that played for us all."

Sport is a persistent theme of South Africa's journey from apartheid to emancipation. First, as a lightning rod for the global anti-apartheid movement, and then at Mr Mandela's behest used as a means of healing the nation's deep divisions.

In the dark days of apartheid the old Imperial games of cricket and rugby were central to white South African identity.

Lucas Radebe, the former South African football captain, told Sky News the black majority played soccer in isolation, associating the other games with the regime.

"We looked at cricket as the sport of the minority, we didn't want to have anything to do with cricket or rugby. Everything was just apartheid," he said.

"Our parents still bear the scars, but it got better and there is a lot of history."

Whatever the game, black and white South Africans were barred from playing together. And when it came to sending national teams to play abroad, only whites were considered for selection.

The African National Congress, operating in exile, recognised the symbolic power of this and campaigned for a global boycott of teams selected on racist lines.

The sporting boycott was perhaps the most effective of all sanctions, hitting white identity hard and bringing the iniquities of the apartheid regime to the attention of a global audience.

Mr Mandela and Desmond Tutu both acknowledged the role played by sport in raising awareness, but winning the support of sport was not straightforward.

The South African national soccer team in May 1998

In Europe and within cricket and rugby there was resistance to a boycott, with many spouting the canard that sport and politics should not mix.

Exclusion from the Olympic Games was a powerful symbol of global revulsion, but it took concerted action from Asian and African countries to overcome European resistance within the International Olympic Committee.

British rugby was only jolted from its complacency by nationwide protests against South African tourists, and cricket finally joined the anti-apartheid consensus after one of the most controversial and divisive incidents in all sport, the Basil D'Oliveira affair.

D'Oliveira was, in the parlance of apartheid South Africa, a "Cape Coloured" who, denied a chance to play international cricket left South Africa and qualified to play for England.

In 1968 he appeared certain to be selected for the tour of South Africa, a decision that was likely to lead to the cancellation of England's visit by the South African government.

But following a secret lobbying campaign orchestrated from Pretoria, D'Oliveira was omitted from the MCC touring party for the winter tour of his homeland.

South Africa celebrates winning the African Cup Of Nations in 1996

It prompted outrage and protests and, a month later, following an injury to a player selected ahead of him, he was added to the touring party.

The South African government responded with contempt, cancelling the tour and describing the MCC squad as "the team of the anti-apartheid movement".

The affair exposed the deep racism of South African society, and cast the sport into a wilderness in which it remained until Mr Mandela was released.

Attempts to break the boycott served to highlight the anti-apartheid cause, particularly rebel cricket tours culminating in a party led by former England captain Mike Gatting in 1989.

Gatting, who will become MCC President in October, found himself at the centre of the final convulsion of apartheid, and saw his mercenary expedition cancelled as Mr Mandela was finally released.

Football attracted less attention but there were notable boycott breakers, including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hirst and Alan Ball of England's 1966 World Cup winning side, who all played in South Africa under apartheid.

The South Africa cricket team in August 2013

Having been a tool in the struggle, sport became a symbol of change once Mr Mandela was released.

A South African team competed under the Olympic flag in Barcelona in 1992, and the cricket team played in the West Indies in 1992 with the protea, a flower, replacing the Springbok on their badge.

Mr Mandela astutely used the power of sport to try and heal his nation's deep divisions.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the most obvious example but there were others. The 1996 African Cup of Nations, won by the hosts with a team led by the great Lucas Radebe, lifted national esteem further.

Major sporting events were drawn to South African, including the 2003 World Cup and most recently, the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

That brought Mr Mandela's final public appearance as he was driven around Soccer City in a golf buggy, visibly frail but rapturously greeted by a global audience hungry for a piece of the modern-day saint.

Many things matter more than sport as South Africa comes to terms with life after Mr Mandela, but when black and white play together they can take comfort that the simple act is part of his legacy.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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Nelson Mandela's Lifelong Bond With Winnie

Nelson Mandela Dies Aged 95

Updated: 10:04am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

Nelson Mandela, whose victory against apartheid united his native South Africa and changed the course of modern history, has died following a long illness.

The Nobel Peace laureate, who spent nearly three decades as a political prisoner before going on to lead his country, passed away at his Johannesburg home surrounded by his family.

South African President Jacob Zuma said "the nation has lost its greatest son", adding: "He is now resting. He is now at peace."

Mr Mandela, who was 95, will get a state funeral and national flags will be lowered to half-mast.

He had been receiving medical treatment for the last three years for a prolonged lung infection and for the last six months had been critically ill.

"Our people have lost a father," said Mr Zuma.

"Although we knew this day was going to come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.

"His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, passion and humanity, earned him their love."

The anti-apartheid icon served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 after spending 27 years in jail, including the notorious Robben Island prison.

Madiba - as he was affectionately known by many South Africans - was released in 1990 and went on to guide his country to democracy, bringing an end to white minority rule and securing black people the right to vote.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking outside Downing Street, said: "Tonight one of the brightest lights of our world has gone out.

"Nelson Mandela was not just a hero of our time, but a hero of all time.

"Through his dignity, through his triumph, (he) inspired millions."

US President Barack Obama called Mr Mandela an "extraordinary man" whose journey from prisoner to president had inspired the world, as well as him personally.

"He achieved more than can be expected of any man - and today he's gone home," said President Obama.

"We've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth."

"He no longer belongs to us - he belongs to the ages."

The Queen said she was "deeply saddened" by Nelson Mandela's death, saying he "worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today".

Zindzi and Zenani Mandela, Mr Mandela's daughters, were informed of his death as the premiere of a film about their father's life got under way in London.

They are understood to have been told just as the film started - but insisted that the screening continue.

Speaking on the red carpet, Zindzi Mandela had earlier told reporters her father was "fine" and that "we are hoping to see more of him".

Others inside the Leicester Square premiere were left stunned as the film's producer announced Mr Mandela's death as the closing credits rolled. A moment of silence was held.

Prince William, who was also at the premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, paid tribute from the lobby of the cinema.

"It was extremely sad and tragic news," he said.

"We were just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now."

Crowds gathered outside Mr Mandela's Johannesburg home after his death, singing songs in celebration of his achievements.

Sky News' Alex Crawford, who is at the scene, said people were dancing and clapping.

"People are upset," she said. "They've come with flowers, people are obviously very emotional about it, but they are also in a very celebratory mood as well.

"It was very sombre when we arrived, (but) more and more people have gathered here and the mood is entirely different.

"It has changed to singing tribute songs, they've sung the national anthem, they're singing a lot of songs from way back when they were pushing for democratic rights."

One woman among the crowds told Sky News: "We're really really sad but we show this by singing ... the struggle songs all in his memory. He left a huge legacy, everybody still looks up to him all over the world."

"I hope the whole world is behind us - even after his passing."

Another mourner outside his house said she was 12 years old when Mr Mandela was released.

"For me, he represented hope, he represented freedom." she said.

"So today I'm here to show I'm thankful for him. I grew up in a rural area, so it was just blacks. All I knew of white people was going to town. There were places where you could go and couldn't go. I remember from my childhood not being able to go where I wanted to go.

"As he said, the walk is far from being over, but it's a far cry from what it used to be before, so for that I'm thankful. My kids don't know what we knew, but then that's because of him."

Mr Mandela is survived by his third wife, Graca Machel, and daughters Makaziwe, Zindzi and Zenani.

The former president's body has been taken to a military hospital in Pretoria. It is thought his body will lie in state for three days before a funeral is held on Saturday in Qunu, the village in Eastern Cape where he was born.

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Nelson Mandela: South Africa Salutes Its Hero

Mandela Embraced Sport To Heal

Updated: 1:02am UK, Saturday 07 December 2013

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

Of the many remarkable images of Nelson Mandela's remarkable life, few speak as powerfully as the moment South Africa's new president handed the 1995 Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar in Johannesburg.

In front of an overwhelmingly white crowd at Ellis Park, the man once regarded as an enemy of the state emerged wearing a Springbok shirt bearing Pienaar's No 6 on the back.

Entirely won over, the crowd chanted his name, and two hours later watched as the two No 6s, one black, one white, but both South African, celebrated a moment of shared sporting triumph.

It was a moment of brilliant political judgement and deep symbolic power.

Mr Mandela had only been president for a year and extreme right-wing elements were attempting to destabilise his government.

At a stroke he had provided a rallying point for a fledgling nation.

"It is hard to put into words what it meant," said Pienaar.

"Everyone knows about our embarrassing past and he comes out and asks the rest of the country to support us.

"I never thought he would wear a Springbok jersey. That meant so much for the white South Africa. He comes out and carries the Springbok on his chest. I think it was a rallying call for the country, that this was a team that played for us all."

Sport is a persistent theme of South Africa's journey from apartheid to emancipation. First, as a lightning rod for the global anti-apartheid movement, and then at Mr Mandela's behest used as a means of healing the nation's deep divisions.

In the dark days of apartheid the old Imperial games of cricket and rugby were central to white South African identity.

Lucas Radebe, the former South African football captain, told Sky News the black majority played soccer in isolation, associating the other games with the regime.

"We looked at cricket as the sport of the minority, we didn't want to have anything to do with cricket or rugby. Everything was just apartheid," he said.

"Our parents still bear the scars, but it got better and there is a lot of history."

Whatever the game, black and white South Africans were barred from playing together. And when it came to sending national teams to play abroad, only whites were considered for selection.

The African National Congress, operating in exile, recognised the symbolic power of this and campaigned for a global boycott of teams selected on racist lines.

The sporting boycott was perhaps the most effective of all sanctions, hitting white identity hard and bringing the iniquities of the apartheid regime to the attention of a global audience.

Mr Mandela and Desmond Tutu both acknowledged the role played by sport in raising awareness, but winning the support of sport was not straightforward.

In Europe and within cricket and rugby there was resistance to a boycott, with many spouting the canard that sport and politics should not mix.

Exclusion from the Olympic Games was a powerful symbol of global revulsion, but it took concerted action from Asian and African countries to overcome European resistance within the International Olympic Committee.

British rugby was only jolted from its complacency by nationwide protests against South African tourists, and cricket finally joined the anti-apartheid consensus after one of the most controversial and divisive incidents in all sport, the Basil D'Oliveira affair.

D'Oliveira was, in the parlance of apartheid South Africa, a "Cape Coloured" who, denied a chance to play international cricket left South Africa and qualified to play for England.

In 1968 he appeared certain to be selected for the tour of South Africa, a decision that was likely to lead to the cancellation of England's visit by the South African government.

But following a secret lobbying campaign orchestrated from Pretoria, D'Oliveira was omitted from the MCC touring party for the winter tour of his homeland.

It prompted outrage and protests and, a month later, following an injury to a player selected ahead of him, he was added to the touring party.

The South African government responded with contempt, cancelling the tour and describing the MCC squad as "the team of the anti-apartheid movement".

The affair exposed the deep racism of South African society, and cast the sport into a wilderness in which it remained until Mr Mandela was released.

Attempts to break the boycott served to highlight the anti-apartheid cause, particularly rebel cricket tours culminating in a party led by former England captain Mike Gatting in 1989.

Gatting, who will become MCC President in October, found himself at the centre of the final convulsion of apartheid, and saw his mercenary expedition cancelled as Mr Mandela was finally released.

Football attracted less attention but there were notable boycott breakers, including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hirst and Alan Ball of England's 1966 World Cup winning side, who all played in South Africa under apartheid.

Having been a tool in the struggle, sport became a symbol of change once Mr Mandela was released.

A South African team competed under the Olympic flag in Barcelona in 1992, and the cricket team played in the West Indies in 1992 with the protea, a flower, replacing the Springbok on their badge.

Mr Mandela astutely used the power of sport to try and heal his nation's deep divisions.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the most obvious example but there were others. The 1996 African Cup of Nations, won by the hosts with a team led by the great Lucas Radebe, lifted national esteem further.

Major sporting events were drawn to South African, including the 2003 World Cup and most recently, the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

That brought Mr Mandela's final public appearance as he was driven around Soccer City in a golf buggy, visibly frail but rapturously greeted by a global audience hungry for a piece of the modern-day saint.

Many things matter more than sport as South Africa comes to terms with life after Mr Mandela, but when black and white play together they can take comfort that the simple act is part of his legacy.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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Nelson Mandela: An Inspirational Life

Life And Times Of Nelson Mandela

Updated: 3:36am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

July 18, 1918: Born Rolihlahla Mandela in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

1944: Joins the African National Congress (ANC).

1944:  Marries first wife Evelyn Mase.

1948:  South African government introduces the racial segregation policy of apartheid.

December 1952:  Sentenced to nine months hard labour, suspended for two years, for civil disobedience campaign. Opens first black law firm with Oliver Tambo.

1956:  Charged with high treason as part of a round-up of 156 activists.

1958:  Divorces Evelyn Mase and marries social worker Winnie Madikizela.

1959: New racial segregation laws create homelands for South Africa's blacks.

March 21, 1960: Sixty-nine black protesters killed during a demonstration at Sharpeville, in the Transvaal, provoking national uproar.

March 31, 1960: Government declares state of emergency.

April 8, 1960: Government bans the ANC.

March 29, 1961: Mr Mandela acquitted of treason at the culmination of four-year trial. He goes underground on the same day and is dubbed "The Black Pimpernel" by the media for his ability to evade the police.

April 1, 1961: Robben Island turns into a prison for political prisoners.

January 11, 1962: Using the name David Motsamayi, he leaves country and travels around Africa and to England to gain support for the "struggle".

July, 1962: Returns to South Africa.

August 5, 1962: He is arrested for leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike.

November 7, 1962: Mr Mandela is convicted and jailed for five years.

July, 1963: Police raid ANC secret hideout in Rivonia.

October, 1963: Joins 10 other activists on trial for sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial.

April 20, 1964: Gives his famous Speech From The Dock during which he declares he is prepared to die for equality.

June 11, 1964: He is convicted, jailed for life with seven others and sent to Robben Island.

1968: Mr Mandela's mother dies.

1969: His eldest son is killed in a car crash; he is not allowed to attend his funeral or that of his mother.

1969: Winnie Mandela is detained in solitary confinement at Pretoria Central Prison for 16 months under the Terrorism Act.

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June 16, 1976: Soweto uprising protests - as many as 20,000 students demonstrate against the introduction of Afrikaans in the schoolroom. Up to 700 people are said to have died.

September 12, 1977: Anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko dies naked in Pretoria Central Prison after being tortured in police custody.

1980: Oliver Tambo, the president of the ANC, launches international campaign to release Mr Mandela.

May, 1980: British Lions tour to South Africa goes ahead despite British government opposition on grounds of apartheid.

March 14, 1982: Bomb explodes at ANC headquarters in London. Eight South African policemen admit the blast was in revenge for a 1981 attack on a Pretoria military base.

March, 31, 1982: Mr Mandela is transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town.

10 February, 1985: Refuses President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence.

1985: Fellow Rivonia trialist Denis Goldberg is released from prison.

July 20, 1985: After protests against apartheid increase, President Botha declares a state of emergency in 36 districts.

October, 1985: British PM Margaret Thatcher agrees to impose limited Commonwealth trade sanctions on South Africa.

Nov 1985: Mr Mandela undergoes prostate surgery.

June 12, 1986: State of emergency is extended to the whole country.

November 1987: Fellow Rivonia trialist Govan Mbeki is released from prison.

August 12, 1988: Mr Mandela is treated for tuberculosis.

December 7, 1988: He is moved to a house at Victor Verster Prison, near Paarl.

September 20, 1989: FW de Klerk replaces Mr Botha as president and in his first speech vows to end racism in South Africa.

15 October, 1989: The remaining Rivonia trialists and Jeff Masemola, a Pan Africanist Congress prisoner, are released from prison.

December 13, 1989: Mr de Klerk meets Mr Mandela for the first time to discuss the future of South Africa.

February 2, 1990: Mr de Klerk lifts the ban on the ANC.

February 11, 1990: After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walks free from Victor Verster Prison.

1991: Mr Mandela becomes president of the ANC.

December 10, 1993: He and Mr de Klerk win the Nobel Peace Prize.

April 27, 1994: Mr Mandela votes for the first time in his life in a free and democratic election.

May 10, 1994: Mr Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first democratically elected president as the head of the Government of National Unity.

1996: Divorces Winnie Mandela.

1998:  Marries Graca Machel - former first lady of Mozambique.

June 1999:  Steps down as president and Thabo Mbeki takes over after ANC wins elections.

July, 2001: Mr Mandela is diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoes treatment.

June 1, 2004: Announces retirement from public life.

January 6, 2005: Mr Mandela announces death of his son Makgatho from Aids.

June 27, 2008: Hyde Park concert in honour of Mr Mandela's 90th birthday.

June 11, 2010: Great granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car crash.

January 26, 2011: Mr Mandela is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he is treated for a chest infection for two days.

June 21, 2011: Meets Michelle Obama at his home.

February 25, 2012: Is admitted to hospital for one night with abdominal pains.

December 8, 2012: Goes back to hospital - this time with a lung infection.

December 15, 2012: He has an operation to remove gallstones.

December 26, 2012: Mr Mandela is released from hospital but undergoes further treatment at home.

March 9, 2013: He is admitted for a scheduled overnight hospital check-up.

March 27, 2013: Returns to hospital with a recurrence of his lung infection. President Jacob Zuma asks the world to "pray".

April 6, 2013: Is discharged from hospital.

June 8, 2013: Is admitted to hospital.

December 5, 2013  Mandela dies at age 95. South African President Jacob Zuma makes the announcement at a news conference, saying "we've lost our greatest son."

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Nelson Mandela Tributes From Around The World

David Cameron has led dozens of international tributes to Nelson Mandela, who has died in South Africa aged 95.

The Prime Minister said: "A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time: a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero.

"I believe that his inspiration for the future will be every bit as powerful as the extraordinary things he achieved in his remarkable life."

MPs will be given the opportunity to pay their tributes in the House of Commons on Monday.

The Queen said she was "deeply saddened" by Mr Mandela's death, saying he "worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today".

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US President Barack Obama said he had achieved "more than can be expected by any man".

Bill Clinton was in office at the same time as Mr Mandela

"Today he has gone home and we have lost one of the most inspirational, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth," he said.

"He now no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages."

South African President Jacob Zuma made the emotional announcement live on television, in which he said Mr Mandela was now at peace.

He added: "Our nation has lost its greatest son."

FW de Klerk, South Africa's last white president, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mr Mandela in 1993, said he was a "great unifier".

He added: "This emphasis on reconciliation was his greatest legacy."

Mr Mandela with FW de Klerk, with whom he shared a Nobel Peace Prize

South Africa's archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu said South Africa was "drowned by grief".

"He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison," he said.

Former Irish president Mary Robinson was one of a group of prominent world figures, the Elders, formed by Mr Mandela to help tackle some of the world's most intractable problems.

She issued a statement saying: "Why are we so bereft? Because he was the best of us, the best of our values.

"As we mourn the passing of this extraordinary man, and young people around the world feel a particular sense of loss, we can honour him best by giving of ourselves to others."

French President Francois Hollande added: "Nelson Mandela's message will not disappear. It will continue to inspire fighters for freedom, and to give confidence to peoples in the defence of just causes and universal rights."

Desmond Tutu has said South Africa is 'drowned by grief' at his death

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "He spent much of his life standing against the injustice of apartheid.

"When that fight was won, he inspired us again by his capacity to forgive and reconcile his country.

"While the world may never see another Nelson Mandela, he has inspired countless men and women throughout the world to live more courageous and honest lives."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond described him as a "towering statesman" whose influence "transcended ideology, race and creed".

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny said a "great light has been extinguished".

He said: "The boy from the Transkei has finished his long walk. His journey transformed not just South Africa, but humanity itself."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said: "Only because of such a great man like Nelson Mandela is it possible that particular people in Africa and elsewhere are able to enjoy freedom and human dignity.

People listen to a radio as the news is announced in South Africa

"We have to learn the wisdom and determinations and commitment of Mr Mandela to make this world better for all."

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge also paid tribute at the Royal premiere of the new Nelson Mandela film, Long Walk To Freedom, in Leicester Square, London.

The Duke of Cambridge said: "It is extremely sad and tragic news. We are just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was."

Prince Charles also issued a statement paying tribute.

"Mr Mandela was the embodiment of courage and reconciliation," he said.

"He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life. With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family's lives, but also in those of all South Africans and the many others whose lives have been changed through his fight for peace, justice and freedom."

Leading figures from around the world joined in with praise for the anti-apartheid icon.

Former US president George W Bush said: "He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example."

Former prime minister Tony Blair described him as the world's "most powerful symbol of reconciliation, hope and progress".

Former US president Bill Clinton called Mr Mandela a "true friend".

He said: "History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation."

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Now that his long walk has ended, the example he set for all humanity lives on. He will be remembered as a pioneer for peace."

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said: "Above all, he showed us the power of people, in the cause of justice, to overcome the mightiest obstacles. He moved the world and the world will miss him deeply."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "The hope he offered was enough to unite races; it bridged cultures and transcended generations; and it could heal the deepest divides."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "An international icon and inspiration to millions, his appeal transcended race, religion and class. His courage, humility and sense of forgiveness have secured his place in history."

A joint message from President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said: "We mourn the death of one of the greatest political figures of our times.

"Nelson Mandela represents the fight against racism, political violence and intolerance. Only a person with his profound humanity, moral integrity and authority and clear vision for the future of his country, could have achieved this."

American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said Mr Mandela has left an "everlasting imprint".

He said: "Nelson Mandela was a giant of immense and unwavering intellect, courage and moral authority. He chose reconciliation over retaliation. He challenged the course of history."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was the "father of his people", adding: "He will be remembered as the father of new South Africa and as an outstanding moral leader."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "Nelson Mandela's shining example and his political legacy of non-violence and the condemnation of all forms of racism will continue to inspire people around the world for many years to come.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Mr Mandela as "one of the greatest politicians in modern times", saying the former South African leader was a man who never betrayed his convictions.

"Mandela, having gone through the most difficult ordeals, was committed to the end of his days to the ideals of humanism and justice," Mr Putin was quoted as saying in a statement.

And Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote on his Twitter page: "With a heavy heart, we say goodbye to Nelson Mandela. Surely, his legacy will remain a source of #inspiration and courage for all people."

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said: "Humanity has lost a tireless champion of peace, liberty and equality."

Boxing great Muhammad Ali: "He taught us forgiveness on a grand scale. His was a spirit born free, destined to soar above the rainbows. Today his spirit is soaring through the heavens. He is now forever free."

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Nelson Mandela: South Africa's Hero Dies

Life And Times Of Nelson Mandela

Updated: 3:36am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

July 18, 1918: Born Rolihlahla Mandela in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

1944: Joins the African National Congress (ANC).

1944:  Marries first wife Evelyn Mase.

1948:  South African government introduces the racial segregation policy of apartheid.

December 1952:  Sentenced to nine months hard labour, suspended for two years, for civil disobedience campaign. Opens first black law firm with Oliver Tambo.

1956:  Charged with high treason as part of a round-up of 156 activists.

1958:  Divorces Evelyn Mase and marries social worker Winnie Madikizela.

1959: New racial segregation laws create homelands for South Africa's blacks.

March 21, 1960: Sixty-nine black protesters killed during a demonstration at Sharpeville, in the Transvaal, provoking national uproar.

March 31, 1960: Government declares state of emergency.

April 8, 1960: Government bans the ANC.

March 29, 1961: Mr Mandela acquitted of treason at the culmination of four-year trial. He goes underground on the same day and is dubbed "The Black Pimpernel" by the media for his ability to evade the police.

April 1, 1961: Robben Island turns into a prison for political prisoners.

January 11, 1962: Using the name David Motsamayi, he leaves country and travels around Africa and to England to gain support for the "struggle".

July, 1962: Returns to South Africa.

August 5, 1962: He is arrested for leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike.

November 7, 1962: Mr Mandela is convicted and jailed for five years.

July, 1963: Police raid ANC secret hideout in Rivonia.

October, 1963: Joins 10 other activists on trial for sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial.

April 20, 1964: Gives his famous Speech From The Dock during which he declares he is prepared to die for equality.

June 11, 1964: He is convicted, jailed for life with seven others and sent to Robben Island.

1968: Mr Mandela's mother dies.

1969: His eldest son is killed in a car crash; he is not allowed to attend his funeral or that of his mother.

1969: Winnie Mandela is detained in solitary confinement at Pretoria Central Prison for 16 months under the Terrorism Act.

:: Watch Sky News HD for all the latest news and reaction to Nelson Mandela's death

June 16, 1976: Soweto uprising protests - as many as 20,000 students demonstrate against the introduction of Afrikaans in the schoolroom. Up to 700 people are said to have died.

September 12, 1977: Anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko dies naked in Pretoria Central Prison after being tortured in police custody.

1980: Oliver Tambo, the president of the ANC, launches international campaign to release Mr Mandela.

May, 1980: British Lions tour to South Africa goes ahead despite British government opposition on grounds of apartheid.

March 14, 1982: Bomb explodes at ANC headquarters in London. Eight South African policemen admit the blast was in revenge for a 1981 attack on a Pretoria military base.

March, 31, 1982: Mr Mandela is transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town.

10 February, 1985: Refuses President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence.

1985: Fellow Rivonia trialist Denis Goldberg is released from prison.

July 20, 1985: After protests against apartheid increase, President Botha declares a state of emergency in 36 districts.

October, 1985: British PM Margaret Thatcher agrees to impose limited Commonwealth trade sanctions on South Africa.

Nov 1985: Mr Mandela undergoes prostate surgery.

June 12, 1986: State of emergency is extended to the whole country.

November 1987: Fellow Rivonia trialist Govan Mbeki is released from prison.

August 12, 1988: Mr Mandela is treated for tuberculosis.

December 7, 1988: He is moved to a house at Victor Verster Prison, near Paarl.

September 20, 1989: FW de Klerk replaces Mr Botha as president and in his first speech vows to end racism in South Africa.

15 October, 1989: The remaining Rivonia trialists and Jeff Masemola, a Pan Africanist Congress prisoner, are released from prison.

December 13, 1989: Mr de Klerk meets Mr Mandela for the first time to discuss the future of South Africa.

February 2, 1990: Mr de Klerk lifts the ban on the ANC.

February 11, 1990: After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walks free from Victor Verster Prison.

1991: Mr Mandela becomes president of the ANC.

December 10, 1993: He and Mr de Klerk win the Nobel Peace Prize.

April 27, 1994: Mr Mandela votes for the first time in his life in a free and democratic election.

May 10, 1994: Mr Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first democratically elected president as the head of the Government of National Unity.

1996: Divorces Winnie Mandela.

1998:  Marries Graca Machel - former first lady of Mozambique.

June 1999:  Steps down as president and Thabo Mbeki takes over after ANC wins elections.

July, 2001: Mr Mandela is diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoes treatment.

June 1, 2004: Announces retirement from public life.

January 6, 2005: Mr Mandela announces death of his son Makgatho from Aids.

June 27, 2008: Hyde Park concert in honour of Mr Mandela's 90th birthday.

June 11, 2010: Great granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car crash.

January 26, 2011: Mr Mandela is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he is treated for a chest infection for two days.

June 21, 2011: Meets Michelle Obama at his home.

February 25, 2012: Is admitted to hospital for one night with abdominal pains.

December 8, 2012: Goes back to hospital - this time with a lung infection.

December 15, 2012: He has an operation to remove gallstones.

December 26, 2012: Mr Mandela is released from hospital but undergoes further treatment at home.

March 9, 2013: He is admitted for a scheduled overnight hospital check-up.

March 27, 2013: Returns to hospital with a recurrence of his lung infection. President Jacob Zuma asks the world to "pray".

April 6, 2013: Is discharged from hospital.

June 8, 2013: Is admitted to hospital.

December 5, 2013  Mandela dies at age 95. South African President Jacob Zuma makes the announcement at a news conference, saying "we've lost our greatest son."

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Rob Ford May Have Tried To Buy 'Crack Video'

Toronto mayor Rob Ford may have offered $5,000 (£2,900) and a car to buy a video allegedly showing him using crack cocaine, according to notes from police wiretaps.

Details of the alleged offer were included in a 450-page police document released by an Ontario Superior Court judge.

According to police notes of a recorded phone conversation involving two suspected gang members, Mr Ford was aware of the video's existence in March, and offered to buy it.

One alleged gang member is heard telling another that he rejected the offer for the tape and planned to meet the mayor and ask for "150", meaning $150,000.

In one recording on April 20, an alleged gang member is heard saying "Rob Ford was smoking his rocks today" and that he would post a picture on Instagram.

On Wednesday, Mr Ford laughed off the claims and ignored questions as he left his office.

Mr Ford acknowledged last month that he smoked crack in a "drunken stupor" about a year ago.

He previously denied the existence of the video.

Mr Ford has refused to resign as mayor of Canada's largest city and financial capital, despite mounting pressure after a string of incidents that have embarrassed Canadians.

They include public drunkenness as well as appearing in another video that showed him threatening "murder" in an incoherent rant.

Toronto City Council has stripped him of most of his powers.

Mr Ford has said he has given up drinking and adopted a healthier lifestyle.

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Central African Republic: UN To Approve Action

Blasts from heavy weapons have rocked several districts of the capital of the Central African Republic ahead of a UN vote on dispatching reinforcements to restore order in the country.

The fighting erupted in the north of Bangui, and then spread to other neighbourhoods on Thursday.

The UN Security Council is set to approve the deployment of thousands of French and African soldiers to try to stop the country's descent into chaos after months of sectarian violence between Muslim and Christian groups which has seen widespread killings, torture and rapes.

The landlocked nation has been beset by eight months of fighting since Seleka, a mainly Muslim rebel coalition led by Michel Djotodia, overthrew former President François Bozize and seized power in March.

A French soldier on patrol in Bangui

Christian militias, known as anti-balaka, recently have launched retaliatory attacks, forcing thousands of civilians to take refuge in churches and mosques.

Though Mr Djotodia has dissolved the rebel coalition, which has been accused of human rights abuses, his government's failure to stem the violence has prompted calls at the UN Security Council for international intervention to restore order.

France has called for the UN vote which would also authorise French forces, for a temporary period, "to take all necessary measures" to support the AU-led force known as MISCA, whose troop numbers are expected to rise from about 2,500 to 3,500.

French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud has said he expects the council to approve the resolution.

Central African Republic President Michel Djotodia

The country promised last week to send 1,000 troops to the Central African Republic - one of the poorest nations in the world - following a warning from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that the former French colony was "on the verge of genocide".

Its defence ministry has said about 600 soldiers are in the country.

The draft resolution would also impose an arms embargo on the Central African Republic for a year and order all countries to ban the sale or transfer of arms, ammunition, military equipment, spare parts and technical assistance and training.

It expresses deep concern at the "total breakdown in law and order, the absence of the rule of law, inter-sectarian tensions" and "grave concern" at the consequences of instability on the region.

And it asks the secretary-general to rapidly establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of rights abuses and help identify perpetrators.

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Bashir Resigns From MSNBC Over Palin Remarks

Martin Bashir has resigned from MSNBC after suggesting on his show that former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin eats faeces.

The British-born TV host made the controversial remarks last month after Mrs Palin, a former Alaska governor, compared the US indebtedness to China with slavery.  

Mr Bashir has since apologised for the comments, but has failed to quell the uproar.

"After making an on-air apology, I asked for permission to take some additional time out around the Thanksgiving holiday," he said in a statement.

"Upon further reflection, and after meeting with the president of MSNBC, I have tendered my resignation.

"It is my sincere hope that all of my colleagues, at this special network, will be allowed to focus on the issues that matter without the distraction of myself or my ill-judged comments."

Martin Bashir gained prominence for a 1995 interview with Princess Diana

Mr Bashir added: "I deeply regret what was said."

His resignation, effective immediately, was accepted by MSNBC president Phil Griffin, who in a statement thanked him "for three great years" with the network.

"Martin is a good man and respected colleague - we wish him only the best," Mr Griffin said.

There was no immediate reaction from Mrs Palin, who had previously accused MSNBC of condoning Mr Bashir's comments.

Mr Bashir criticised Mrs Palin and her "long-diseased mind" after playing a video of her speech about China.

He told the story of Thomas Thistlewood, a former overseer at a plantation who described in diaries how he dealt with wayward slaves by, in one case, having another slave defecate in the mouth of the miscreant.

In another case, someone urinated in the face of a slave being punished.

"When Mrs Palin invokes slavery," Mr Bashir said, "she doesn't just prove her rank ignorance, she confirms (that) if anyone truly qualifies for a dose of discipline from Thomas Thistlewood, then she would be the outstanding candidate."

Mr Bashir won attention for his exclusive interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1995 and for documentaries including Living With Michael Jackson, which aired on ABC in 2003 to a huge audience.

He joined ABC in 2004 and moved to MSNBC in 2010.

Mr Bashir's exit from MSNBC took place shortly after Alec Baldwin was suspended from his weekly talk show after just two weeks for using an anti-gay slur in a New York City street encounter.

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Ukrainian PM Warns Protesters Of More Force

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Correspondent, in Kiev

Opposition leaders in Ukraine have vowed to continue mass street protests and blockades of government buildings, as the country's prime minister threatened to respond with force.

During a raucous parliamentary session, at times shouted down by opposition cries of "shame" and "revolution", Mykola Azarov apologised for the riot police action, but warned against continued protests, which he said bore signs of a coup d'etat.

In a pointed speech to the chamber he said: "We have extended our hand to you, but if we encounter a fist, I will be frank, we have enough force."

What started as a reaction to the president's refusal to sign an EU trade deal last week, has evolved into a concerted attempt to overthrow the government, fuelled by allegations of police brutality against protesters.

The country's notorious 'berkut' riot police moved in on what had been a dwindling protest camp in the early hours of Saturday morning, beating protesters and journalists.

Hundreds of thousands have surged onto the streets since in the biggest display of mass discontent since the 2004 Orange Revolution, which forced the current president, Victor Yanukovich, from power.

Protesters, particularly from the younger generation, see President Yanukovich's action as a fundamental shift away from a path towards a modern, European Ukraine, back into the hands of their former Soviet masters in Russia.

Boxer Vitali Klitschko walks past police outside parliament

In short, they believe they are fighting for the future of their country.

Mr Yanukovich has insisted that he remains open to negotiation with the EU, but Ukraine's battered economy cannot afford the deal in its current form, particularly given the likely punitive trade and gas sanctions that would follow from Russia as an immediate consequence.

Mr Yanukovich left for China on Tuesday in pursuit of much-needed finance agreements, with aides denying it was a strategic mistake as the country descended deeper into political and financial turmoil.

His government survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, but the vast majority of pro-government deputies either abstained or did not vote, in an implicit warning of discontent in the ranks.

At least two members of Mr Yanukovich's Regions Party have already defected over the handling of the protests.

Outside, riot police squared up to protesters who continue to mass outside parliament and the presidential administration buildings.

They have already taken control of Kiev's City Hall, which they have re-named "Revolution HQ" and the capital's symbolically important Independence Square, heart of the 2004 Orange Revolution.

Protesters have been involved in clashes with police

Volunteers have built barricades and parked vans draped with the national flag across roads leading to the square, in an attempt to stop police advancing towards it.

Protesters have set up tents and are distributing donations of food, water and warm clothes, in a sign they are digging in for the long haul despite freezing December temperatures.

"The Orange Revolution laid the foundation for this," said self-employed businessman Yegor Kitov, 45.

"But this movement is stronger because, while then it was political parties that were organising the people, now we are organising ourselves."

Ukraine's Central Bank, meanwhile, has been forced to reassure people that their savings are safe, as the country's currency, bonds and share prices come under severe pressure.

Ukraine faces gas bills and debt repayments next year of more than £10bn. The cost of insuring its debt against default rose to its highest level since January 2010.

The finance minister issued a recorded message via state television insisting the country could continue to meet its debt repayments.

"Ukraine is a reliable borrower and is flawlessly fulfilling, and will fulfil, all of its obligations on time," Yuri Kolobov said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry declined a visit to Kiev for a ministerial conference this week, but urged Ukraine's government to "listen to the voices of its people".

These protests do not represent all of Ukraine - the view in the Russian-speaking industrial regions to the east is very different - but they have nevertheless exposed a faultline in a country still deeply divided between East and West.

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Sandy Hook Massacre: 911 Tapes To Be Released

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

Parents of 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting are braced for the release of recordings of emergency service calls made in its immediate aftermath.

The tapes will be released mid-afternoon after the town of Newtown lost a legal battle to block their publication.

"We have been preparing emotionally for this possibility," Newtown councillor Pat Llodra told Sky News.

"We know they will be played over and over again on television and radio and YouTube."

Lawyers for the town argued there was minimal public good to gain from releasing the tapes.

They record the harrowing moments after gunman Adam Lanza burst into the school and began shooting his victims, all aged six or seven as well as six adults, after shooting his mother dead at home.

Residents will mark the anniversary of the shootings this month

But a judge ruled there were no grounds for keeping them secret.

The 911 recordings are unlikely to reveal new details that have not emerged in subsequent investigations.

There is no controversy about the speed of the police response. The first officers were on the scene within minutes of shots being fired.

Their release is a second blow at this hugely difficult time of year. Last week an official investigation recorded in gruesome detail the event that became America's worst school shooting, but failed to find a motive to explain why it happened.

"Every time there's an event that drags us back to that day, it's incredibly painful for all of us and exponentially so for the families," Cllr Llodra said.

Newtown shooter Adam Lanza

The looming anniversary of the shooting on December 14 only makes matters worse.

"The pressure of these three things at the same time is difficult, and especially at a time of year when the atmosphere is meant to be celebratory," she added.

Newtown will be marking the anniversary of the shooting in a deliberately low-key manner. 

There will be no public community-wide events remembering the victims, just family and church-based commemorations, not least to avoid creating a magnet for the media to descend once again onto the small rural town.

Much of the news media has already agreed to stay away for that week to allow families to grieve in private.

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Hizbollah Leader 'Assassinated' In Lebanon

Hizbollah says one of its commanders has been assassinated outside his home in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

The militant Shi'ite group said Hussein al Laqis was killed as he returned from work at around midnight in the Hadath district of the city.

Gunmen opened fire with an assault rifle while he was sat in his vehicle in a car park, Lebanese security officials said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, but died from his injuries.

Hussein al Laqis was killed outside his home in the Lebanese capital

Hizbollah said: "Direct accusation is aimed of course against the Israeli enemy, which had tried to eliminate our martyred brother again and again, in several places, but had failed until yesterday evening.

"This enemy must bear full responsibility for ... all the consequences of this heinous crime."

However, Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, denied his country was involved.

"Israel has nothing to do with this incident," he said.

"These automatic accusations are an innate reflex with Hizbollah. They don't need evidence, they don't need facts, they just blame anything on Israel."

Mr al Laqis was close to Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a source within the group told the AFP news agency.

His son died fighting Israel in the month-long war of 2006, in which more than 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and more than 150 Israelis, mainly soldiers, were killed.

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Paul Walker Crash 'Not Part Of Street Race'

Paul Walker and his friend were not taking part in an illegal street race when their Porsche crashed into a lamp post at high speed killing them both, police said.

While the neighbourhood where the Fast And Furious star was killed is known to attract street racers, police said they had no indication of a second car being involved in the crash.

Accident investigators "have received eyewitness statements that the car involved was travelling alone at a high rate of speed", the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

"No eyewitness has contacted the (department) to say there was a second vehicle."

Officers have acknowledged the crash happened in a "hot spot" for street racers, where the street forms a loop through commercial buildings and has very little traffic, especially on weekends.

Fans and fellow actors have paid tribute at the crash site

At least one witness suggested that Walker and Mr Rodas, who was driving, may have been drag-style racing at the time, according to CNN, although others rejected such accounts.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the collision, but has already said speed was a factor.

The statement came after police warned fans not to perform stunts on the stretch of road where Walker, 40, and Mr Rodas, 38, were killed on Saturday.

One person was apparently seen drifting, an illegal technique in which the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the rear wheels to skid and making the car slide sideways.

Vin Diesel addresses the crowd at the memorial site. Pic: KTLA

"We sent deputies to the accident location this morning after we started getting reports of drivers burning rubber and spinning tyres at the site," said Santa Clarita sheriff's office spokesman Richard Cohen.

"So far I haven't had any reports of any drivers being cited or arrested ... but we have deputies there to stop that behaviour if it happens again."

A makeshift shrine has been created at the scene, and on Monday night a private memorial for survivors and the cast and crew of the Fast And Furious movies was held inside a white tent erected at the site.

When it was over, Walker's co-star Vin Diesel emerged to thank fans for paying their respect to the actor.

Paul Walker with his co-stars from Fast & Furious 6

Diesel praised the fans for "turning up to show my brother love".

"It's going to stay with me forever," Diesel told the crowd.

"Thank you for coming and showing that angel up in heaven how much you appreciated him."

The first Fast And The Furious movie was released in 2001. The series, with its focus on fast cars driven by tough guys, is one of Hollywood's most lucrative global franchises.

Walker starred in all but one of the movies and had been on a break from shooting the latest instalment.

Firefighters at the scene of the crash on Saturday

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film remains on course to be released despite the actor's death.

The report said Walker had shot a majority of his scenes, though the movie's release, originally scheduled for July 2014, might be delayed.

Meanwhile, a video has been released of an interview Walker gave in November as one of his final films hits the screens this month.

The Associated Press talked to him on November 14 about his role in Hours, a drama set in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

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Thailand: Protesters Enter Govt Headquarters

Violence Blights Thailand's Image

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

By Jonathan Samuels, Sky Correspondent, Bangkok

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jang Song Thaek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jang Song Thaek has fallen out of favour before.

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

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Ukraine: Protesters Block Government Offices

Protesters in Ukraine have blocked streets leading to government offices in their ongoing bid to topple the administration of President Viktor Yanukovich.

In response to an opposition call for a nationwide strike over Mr Yanukovich's U-turn on Europe, protesters gathered outside the cabinet building in the capital Kiev.

They lined the street with obstacles, including flower pots and rubbish bins, to prevent government workers from getting inside.

"We have to block entire street, the streets behind us also, to be sure that not even one official will get to the Cabinet of Ministers office," said one protester, as he gave directions to a group.

"We were told to go back home and await further instructions. We simply could not get to work. All the doors are blocked," said a government employee who tried to enter the building.

A flare is thrown near the Interior Ministry

Witnesses said a pro-Europe rally in Kiev on Sunday attracted about 350,000 people, the biggest protest in the capital since the "Orange Revolution" of nine years ago.

The protesters have vowed to stage round the clock protests in capital Kiev, demanding the resignation of the government and the president.

They are seeking early elections over Mr Yankovych's failure to sign a deal with the European Union.

Thousands of supporters of the ex-Soviet state's closer alliance with Brussels and opposed to closer links with Russia camped out overnight in the capital's Independence Square.

The energetic crowd had first defied a ban on protests on Sunday by driving lines of helmeted police off the expansive square in scenes reminiscent of the 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution.

Protesters try to break through lines of riot police in Kiev

Some of the protesters also steered a yellow bulldozer within striking distance of barricades protecting the nearby office of the president.

Security forces outside the president's office fired dozens of stun grenades and smoke bombs at masked demonstrators who were pelting police with stones and Molotov cocktails.

Kiev police spokeswoman Olga Bilyk said that around 100 officers were injured in Sunday's clashes.

A mayor's office official said nearly 50 demonstrators had also been treated by doctors for various injuries.

The nation of 46 million people, which is struggling economically, was thrown into its deepest crisis in nearly a decade when Mr Yanukovych snubbed EU leaders at a summit on Friday.

A demonstrator waves a flag at riot police protecting presidential offices

EU leaders primarily blame the decision on the stinging economic punishments Russia had threatened should Ukraine move towards closer links with the West.

The move now threatens to backfire on Mr Yanukovych as his political foes try to build momentum amid existing discontent with state corruption and disappearing jobs.

About 50,000 protesters also rallied on Sunday in the western city of Lviv, while another 250 EU supporters ignored a court ban in the president's native region of Donetsk.

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Thailand: Police Fire Rubber Bullets At Protesters

Thai police have fired rubber bullets at protesters trying to get into the compound housing the prime minister's office in Bangkok.

It happened after Yingluck Shinawatra said in a televised address that officers would not use force against the demonstrators.

She said her immediate aim was to restore "peace" to the capital's streets and vowed police would "not use force against the people."

However, shortly afterwards, Thailand's security chief revealed police were "alternating between the use of water cannons, teargas and rubber bullets" to contain the protesters.

A bus that was set on fire during the protests

Paradorn Pattanathabutr added: "Rubber bullets are being used in one area only and that is the bridge near Government House."

Protesters are attempting to remove the government, which they claim is corrupt, and replace it with a 'People's Council'.

Ms Yingluck rejected their demands in her TV address.

"Anything I can do to make people happy, I am willing to do ... but as prime minister what I can do must be under the constitution," she said.

Demonstrators flee from riot police

Ms Yingluck was speaking for the first time since violence broke out on Saturday after weeks of peaceful protest.

On Sunday, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban gave her two days to stand down.

Speaking after the pair met for talks, he said: "I told Yingluck that if police put down their weapons, we will welcome them as they are also Thai.

"I told Yingluck that this will be our only meeting and we will not meet again until the people win."

Protesters near the police HQ in Bangkok are sprayed with water

The meeting, he said, was arranged by the military, which has appeared reluctant to intervene in the current standoff.

Ms Yingluck said the military has "positioned itself as neutral and it wants to see a peaceful way out".

The protests are the latest twist in a conflict between Bangkok's middle class and royalist elite and the mostly poor, rural supporters of Ms Yingluck and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.

The billionaire businessman was prime minister until he was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and now lives in self-imposed exile.

In 2008, he was convicted in absentia of corruption, charges he dismissed as politically motivated.

Thailand has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since 1932.

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New York City Train Crash: Four Victims Named

Victims of a New York City train crash that killed four people and injured 63 have been named, as investigators probe the cause of the derailment.

Commuters were thrown from the train as all seven carriages careered off the rails on a riverside bend at 7.20am on Sunday, stopping feet from the mouth of the Harlem River where it flows into the Hudson.

Accident investigators, who have recovered the train's black box recorder, are believed to be looking at speed and brake failure as possible causes of the crash.

Authorities identified the victims as legal professional Donna Smith, 54, sound and light technician James Lovell, 58, nurse Ahn Kisook, 35, and James Ferrari, 59.

Three of the dead were found outside the train and one was found inside, authorities said.

The New York City medical examiner's office said autopsies are scheduled for Monday.

The train stopped feet from the mouth of the Harlem River

Mr Lovell, a cancer and heart disease survivor, was on his way to Manhattan to work on New York's famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, according to friend Janet Barton.

He had worked on NBC TV shows, including Today, for more than 20 years and had three sons, Hudson, Jack and Finn, and a daughter, Brooke.

Don Nash, executive of the Today show, said: "He was not only a skilled technician but also one of the nicest guys you ever met.

"You may have seen him working at many of our outdoor concerts. He always had a smile on his face and was quick to share a friendly greeting."

His son Finn wrote on Instagram: "Words can't express how much my father meant to me. It's safe to say he moulded me into the man I am today.

Bill Rockefeller reportedly said the train's brakes may have failed

"I love you and I miss you. I can't believe you're gone. This feels like an awful nightmare that I can't wake up from. Rest easy dad. I love you."

Rescuers at the scene shattered windows, searched nearby woods and waters and used pneumatic jacks and air bags to peer under wreckage.

Officials were due to bring in cranes during the night to right the overturned cars on the slight chance anyone might still be underneath, National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said.

As the investigation into the cause of the crash begins, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said there did not appear to be any fault with the track.

In a telephone interview with CNN, he said the scene "looked like a toy train set that was mangled by some super-powerful force".

The train crashed on a curve with a 30mph speed limit

Mr Weener said the speed limit on the curve is 30mph (48kmph), compared with 70mph (113kmph) in the area approaching.

One passenger, Frank Tatulli, told WABC-TV that the train appeared to be going "a lot faster" than usual as it approached the sharp curve near the Spuyten Duyvil station.

Local residents awoke to a loud boom, as the force of the crash shook nearby buildings.

Angel Gonzalez was in bed in his high-rise apartment overlooking the rail curve when he heard the roar.

"I thought it was a plane that crashed," he said.

An injured passenger is helped from the scene by rescuers

According to local media, train engineer William Rockefeller Jr told supervisors he had tried to apply the brakes but the train did not slow down as it entered the bend.

As deadly as the derailment was, the number of people killed could have been far greater had it happened on a busy weekday, or had the lead car plunged into the water.

The Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Station train, which had about 150 people on board, was half-full at the time of the crash, rail officials said.

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Sacred Shrines Become 'Ticking Time Bomb'

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent in Jerusalem

The supreme leader of the Palestinian Muslims and guardian of Islam's most sacred shrine in the Old City of Jerusalem has warned of an uprising and regional war if Jews attempt to take greater control of the al Aqsa Mosque complex.

The warning came amid advancing efforts in the Israeli parliament to try to take administrative control of the sacred Islamic site which Jews also lay claim to as it sits on the remains of their Second Temple.

For now "sovereignty" of the Haram al Sharif, as the complex is traditionally known, lies with Jordan.

But several Knesset members, led by deputy speaker Moshe Feiglin, a member of the Likud Party, are pressing for greater access to Jews for prayer on the site and administrative control of it.

"It is the hard core of our identity ... those places that represent the basis for our existence here altogether. Should we insist on [access to] these places or not?" Mr Feiglin told Sky News.

"Because if we cannot insist on our legitimacy on our basic rights to pray in the most holiest place for the Jews in the land of Israel -  under Israeli sovereignty in the middle of Jerusalem - then we're losing our legitimacy not just in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, but everywhere else."

The Dome of the Rock is part of the al Aqsa complex under Muslim control

The Knesset member is a forceful rejectionist of talks with the Palestinians aimed at establishing an independent state on the West Bank and in Gaza.

He believes that Israel is a threat to itself by ceding territory it captured in 1967 and has occupied since then. On the issue of what Jews call the Temple Mount, he is equally unbending.

"I don't need to prove anything, history says it all. Any honest person who learned a bit of history knows the truth - Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and to the Jews only, that's a fact. And by the way the Temple Mount never really interested Muslims before the Israelis came back."

The Mohammed Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, issued a stark warning against any attempts to replace the Muslim administration of the Haram al Shari/Temple Mount in an exclusive interview with Sky News.

The Grand Mufti says if Israelis push the issue the region will be at war

"If the Israelis come here it will be more than an intifada," he said.

What do you mean more than an intifada?

"The whole region will be engulfed by war," the Grand Mufti insisted.

Such threats are not idle.

In 2000, Ariel Sharon triggered the Second or "al Aqsa" Intifada which led to the deaths of 4,000 people and many more wounded over the next half decade by insisting on his right to visit the shrine.

He did so at a time of heightened tension when 10 years of talks aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza appeared to Palestinians to be going nowhere - and when they were also frustrated at the ineptitude and corruption of their own leadership.

In 2000, 4,000 people died in the Second or 'al Aqsa' Intifada

Today, peace talks are going nowhere. The Palestinians have been letting Jewish settlements chew into their lands on the West Bank. Their leadership remains corrupt and incompetent - and are increasingly being seen as collaborators.

The tinder box that Mr Sharon, then leader of the Israeli opposition, lit in 2000 is just as dry now.

"It's a huge and dangerous issue - taking the place from Muslims where they believe they have the right to pray is very dangerous," Grand Mufti Hussein said.

Jews are banned from praying on the holy site by the Israeli police, although the courts have found that they should be able to exercise this right.

They are also forbidden, when they do visit, from removing so much as a leaf or a grain of soil.

Sky News joined a small group who were escorted by an Israeli policeman, who monitored their progress on a pre-set route around the outer edge of the 35-acre complex.

Religious tensions are high

They prayed by talking to themselves as they walked, or by pretending to be in conversations and instead reciting invocations.

They were led by Rabbi Yitzchak Reuven, assistant director of The Temple Institute which is dedicated to restoring the temple to its third incarnation and is collecting the sacred vessels that one day it hopes will be used there.

A model of the Third Temple has pride of place in the Temple Institute Museum just 100 yards from the Western Wall - all that remains of the Second Temple since its destruction by Rome in 70AD.

Rabbi Reuven said: "It's not a fantasy at all because we have the instructions of what needs to be done, we have the information, we have the technology to achieve all these things.

"In terms of arriving at the moment that's a historical process, we don't expect a metaphysical change in the world, we don't expect a divine intervention that's going to set things right."

His ambition may have a purely theological intent, but it also poses an explosive political reality.

He is sanguine.

"We're hoping by increasing awareness we will be closer to achieving the dream of the Jewish people and one that we have for the entire world because as Isaiah says this shall be a house of prayer for all nations."

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Thai PM Flees Building During Violent Protests

Thailand's Prime Minister has been moved to a secret location after protesters forced their way into a police sports club in Bangkok where she was staying.

The anti-government mob broke into the building where Yingluck Shinawatra had been during the morning, but she was able to leave the premises and go to an undisclosed location, an aide said.

In another area of the city, police have fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters near Government House, where Ms Yingluck's office is located.

It is the first time police have used force against protesters who have occupied government offices for the past week in an attempt to topple the PM.

The violence flared near Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium which was hosting a rally by thousands of Red Shirts, who support the embattled premier.

A Red Shirt is attacked by anti-government protesters

The Red Shirts - who also back Ms Yingluck's brother, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - had gathered en masse to ward off any coup attempt against the government.

Police said a 21-year-old had been shot dead. At least five other people were also wounded by gunshots and five more were injured by knives or rocks, officials at the nearby Dr Panya General Hospital said.

It was not immediately known who fired the shots or whether the victims were supporters or opponents of the government.

Those seeking to topple the government also attacked several people they believed were going to the rally.

Yingluck Shinawatra is accused of being a puppet for her brother

Two people were badly beaten and two buses attacked, their windows smashed.

One protester used an iron rod with a Thai flag wrapped around it to smash the driver's side window of one bus.

The buses and one taxi appeared to have been targeted because they carried people wearing red shirts.

Police claimed soon afterwards they had the situation under control, but attacks continued overnight on individual Red Shirts, and the crowds on both sides grew.

Police called for military backup to protect parliament and Ms Yingluck's office.

Protesters tear down barricades outside Government House

Protesters there tore down stone and razor-wire barriers ahead of a planned move to occupy it.

Demonstrators briefly occupied the headquarters of the army on Friday, urging it to join them in a complex power struggle centred on the enduring political influence of Ms Yingluck's billionaire brother.

The tension heightens a nearly decade-long conflict that broadly pits Thailand's traditional establishment of top generals, royalists and the urban middle class against the mostly rural, northern supporters of Mr Thaksin.

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China: Cameron Leads Major Trade Delegation

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

The Prime Minister will head to China later today on one of the biggest ever British trade trips to the world's second-largest economy.

David Cameron is leading a delegation of six ministers and more than 100 business people on the three-day visit to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

The visit is the first for Mr Cameron in three years, and is being seen as marking the end of a diplomatic spat between the UK and China.

The British Government has failed to secure an invitation for Mr Cameron since his meeting with the Dalai Lama in May 2012. A photograph of them together infuriated the Chinese government.

Mr Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama infuriated the Chinese government

Sky Sources understand that there will be a concerted effort on the part of the British delegation to put sensitive disagreements to one side and focus on economic cooperation.

"This visit is forward-looking, and about moving the UK-China relationship up a gear. We have turned a page on the Dalai Lama issue.

"The Prime Minister has said he's got no plans to meet the Dalai Lama," a Number 10 source said.

However, Mr Cameron will be forced to walk a fine line between the obvious need to engage economically with China, while at the same time not being seen to jettison British values on issues like human rights, and China's international responsibilities on issues like Syria.

Asked about human rights, the Number 10 source insisted a balance can be drawn: "We discuss a lot of issues, and nothing is off the table. Human rights is an issue we discuss."

British business is doing well in China despite the political disagreements.

Companies like Jaguar Land Rover now count China as being among their most important markets.

The positive knock-on from China sales for UK supply chains is significant.

Chinese consumers are growing increasingly wealthy. There is a love for luxury British items and the potential in many sectors is huge.

Jaguar Land Rover now counts China as among its most important markets

The inward and outward investment opportunities for the UK are significant as long as the governments cooperate.

"Senior ministerial level dialogues are obviously very helpful to UK business with China. We haven't had any of those really senior level visits for the last 12 to 18 months," Ralph Rogers from the China British Business Council told Sky News.

"I think the UK is ideally positioned to tap some of the growth potential here in China." he said.

"China is now focussing on domestic consumption. For the last 30 its been focussed on manufacturing for export but now the government are really promoting domestic consumption and so for British retailers and consumer products and for British service providers there is huge opportunity here."

But Mr Rogers concedes that dealing with China requires politicians to choose their words carefully.

"I think engagement is important and obviously we need to go about that in the right way and if we criticise over duly, if we are rude or discourteous then that doesn't help to build positive relations," he added.

George Osborne was in China on a smaller trade trip in October. Sky News travelled with his delegation and pressed him on Britain's position over China's human rights record. He refused to be drawn.

Human Rights Watch says Mr Cameron should reject this stance and stand up for British values.

"Given the deplorable state of rights in China, Cameron should pick up where he left off earlier this month in Sri Lanka, when he said he would 'shine a global spotlight' on abuses," the organisation said in a statement.

President Xi Jinping has made no secret of efforts to crack down on dissent

"The UK should have a consistent approach to human rights, which must include a forceful public condemnation of rights violations that can be heard by the people of China as well as the government."

Over the past six months, Sky News has seen evidence of widespread Human Rights abuses in China including an abortion forced upon a couple, houses forcibly demolished before owners could remove their belongings and individuals detained for expressing displeasure with their government.

Since President Xi Jinping took office in March, his government has made no secret of its widespread and concerted effort to crack down on dissent as it focuses on its overriding objective: Communist Party survival.

Activists, journalists, and well-established dissidents have been rounded up and detained in record numbers.

Mr Cameron will have meetings and separate dinners with President Xi and the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Among the business executives travelling with the Prime Minister are Ralf Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, George Weston, chief executive of Associated British Foods, Jorma Ollila, chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange and Peter Sands, head of Standard Chartered bank.

As well as human rights issues, Mr Cameron may be forced to comment on China's increasingly assertive foreign policy.

A growing row between Japan and China over a set of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea is the latest example of Beijing's muscle-flexing.

"China is increasing its footprint around the world its using its economic muscle to advance its national interests", said Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch.

He told Sky News: "There is a naivety about China's goals... We see China as increasingly aggressive in Asia, pushing claims in the East China Sea, trying to mute and censor international media groups' coverage of China. We see China trying to undermine action at the  Security Council at the UN.

"The Syria crisis is a good example. China has been a roadblock to any solution there. As China grows, one of its objectives will be to make the world safe for dictatorships."

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