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 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.

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Merrill Newman: North Korea Frees War Veteran

North Korea has released an American war veteran detained for more than a month for "hostile acts" against the country.

Merrill Newman, 85, was freed because he had apologised for his crimes during the Korean War and because of his age and medical condition, the country's official KCNA news agency said.

He has not yet spoken publicly and it was unclear from the report where he had been deported to.

The US State Department said it welcomed North Korea's decision, but called for the release of another American, Kenneth Bae, who has been held for over a year.

A four-page apology said to have been written by Mr Newman

The move came as US Vice President Joe Biden visited South Korea, the last stop on a three-country Asia tour that has already taken him to Japan and China.

Pyongyang admitted last week that it was holding Mr Newman, saying he was detained after entering the country "under the guise of a tourist".

Mr Newman, from California, was detained on October 26 shortly before take-off from Pyongyang following a 10-day tour.

KCNA said he had committed crimes both as a tourist and during his participation in the Korean War six decades ago, and published an apology running to nearly 600 words in which he allegedly confessed to his crimes.

Mr Newman is seen signing his apology with a thumbprint

There was speculation his alleged confession shown on state TV was coerced.

Pyongyang has been accused of previously coercing statements from detainees, and it was riddled with stilted English and grammatical errors, such as "I want not punish me".

North Korea has detained at least six Americans since 2009 and five of them have either been released or deported after prominent Americans like former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter travelled to Pyongyang.

It is still holding Mr Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator, who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour on charges of seeking to topple the government.     

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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 Dies: Obituary Of An Icon

Nelson Mandela's long but ultimately successful struggle to liberate South Africa's oppressed black majority made him a figure of hope and inspiration for millions of people around the world.

Feisty young lawyer, determined founder of the ANC's youth movement, militant commander, prisoner, president - his role in the fight for freedom was constantly evolving throughout his life.

Alongside mentor Walter Sisulu and great friend Oliver Tambo, he brought focus to the anti-apartheid campaign where it was needed, but became an enemy of the state in the process.

Nelson Mandela with Oliver Tambo

In 1963, already behind bars and facing the death penalty during a sabotage trial, Mr Mandela gave his famous "speech from the dock".

The words - combative, but measured and full of hope - signalled the emergence of the statesman who would become an icon of the 20th century.

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He said: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

The apartheid government jailed Mr Mandela and his comrades for life in 1964 but they could not lock away the ideas he embodied and the righteousness of his cause.

To allies of South Africa's racist regime - including some in Britain - Mr Mandela remained for many years a "terrorist".

But for campaigners Mr Mandela's 27-year ordeal behind bars, often in a cramped cell on Robben Island or in solitary confinement, represented all that was wrong with apartheid.

Pressure to free "prisoner 46664" went hand-in-hand with diplomacy and sanctions as the world set its sights on ending the injustice of South Africa's racial rule.

The beaming smile and joyful raised fist as he walked free from Paarl's Victor-Verster Prison with his wife Winnie on February 11, 1990, proved beyond doubt to most South Africans that a dark chapter in the country's history was coming to a close.

As President from 1994, Mr Mandela sought to build his "Rainbow Nation" - feted by world leaders as he crossed the globe outlining his vision of a non-racial democracy.

His campaign to unite the nation - black and white - behind the victorious Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa made many believe that vision could really be achieved.

An often troubled and traumatic personal life - including the split from Winnie following her kidnapping and assault trial - was never allowed to eclipse the greater goal of guiding South Africa into a new era.

Mr Mandela in 1961

After retiring in 1999, Mr Mandela - fondly known by his tribal name "Madiba" - settled into the role of "Father of the Nation".

Passing on the presidency to Thabo Mbeki, he was happy taking a step back from the political frontline, but always there to reassure his people  - a symbol of hope until the end.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 into the Madiba tribal clan, part of the Thembu people, in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, he was given his English name by a teacher, Miss Mdingane, at his first school. It was customary for all children to be given English names.

His father, a counsellor to the Thembu royal family, died when Mr Mandela was a child, and he was placed in the care of the acting regent of the Thembu people, chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, first as an activist, then president of the ANC Youth League.

Mr Mandela married his first wife, Walter Sisulu's cousin Evelyn Mase, in 1944 and the couple went on to have four children during a 14-year marriage.

In 1952, he and friend Oliver Tambo opened South Africa's first black law firm, using their offices to take on many civil rights cases and mount challenges to the apartheid system.

Mr Mandela was first charged with high treason in 1956 following the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Soweto - a document with demands including multi-racial, democratic government and equal rights for blacks - but was cleared when the prosecution failed to prove he was using violence.

In 1958 he divorced Evelyn and married Winnie Madikizela, who later became prominent in the ANC and the campaign to free her husband.

Mr Mandela with his second wife Winnie

He was convinced to take up arms against the government following the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre - when police shot dead 69 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the segregationist Pass Law, which limited the freedom of the black population.

The government followed the massacre by banning the ANC, cracking down on strikers and protesters and applying apartheid restrictions even more severely as a state of emergency was declared.

As commander-in-chief of the ANC's armed wing from 1961, Mr Mandela secretly left the country to raise money and undergo military training in Morocco, Algeria and Ethiopia.

He returned in July 1962, but was arrested at a road block after briefing the ANC leadership on his trip.

Mr Mandela stood trial for incitement and leaving the country without a passport and this time there was no chance of an acquittal as he was jailed for five years and sent to Robben Island Prison for the first time.

He was behind bars when a group of his comrades were arrested in 1963. They were charged with sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial - named after the farm raided by police.

In June 1964 - following a lengthy trial condemned by the UN Security Council - Mr Mandela and seven other activists were sentenced to life in prison.

Mandela spent 18 years in Robben Island Prison

He remained imprisoned on the infamous Robben Island for 18 years before being transferred to Pollsmoor jail on the mainland in 1982.

In the space of 12 months between 1968 and 1969, his mother died and his eldest son was killed in a car crash, but he was not allowed to attend their funerals.

In 1980, Oliver Tambo, who was in exile in London, launched an international campaign to win Mr Mandela's release. International resolutions and rock concerts alike were harnessed to highlight the cause.

As the world community upped the pressure against South Africa, with the US approving tough economic sanctions in 1986, secret talks began between Mr Mandela and PW Botha's government.

In 1990, President FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC - paving the way for Mr Mandela's release on February 11.

The ANC and ruling National Party began talks about forming a new non-racial democracy for South Africa.

Relations between Mr Mandela and Mr de Klerk grew tense against a backdrop of violence between ANC supporters and Chief Buthelezi's Inkatha movement.

But the two leaders continued to meet and in December 1993 they were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mr Mandela casts his first-ever vote

Five months later, for the first time in South Africa's history, all races voted in democratic elections and Mr Mandela became president - having himself voted in an election for the first time in his life.

As president, Mr Mandela entrusted much day-to-day government business to his deputy Thabo Mbeki.

While his time in office was hailed as a triumph in terms of building the new South Africa, there was criticism for a failure to tackle the Aids epidemic and conditions in the country's slum townships.

Mr Mandela at the closing ceremony of the 2010 World Cup

Mr Mandela divorced Winnie in 1996 and married 52-year-old Graca Machel two years later, on his 80th birthday.

Mr Mandela stepped down as president after the ANC's landslide victory in the national elections in the summer of 1999, in favour of Mr Mbeki.

After his retirement he continued travelling the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and raising money for good causes.

With thousands of requests every year, his problem was fitting everything in and not exhausting himself.

In June 2004, aged 85, Mr Mandela announced he would be retiring from public life as he wanted to enjoy more time with his family.

But he did make an exception to speak out about his son Makgatho's death from Aids in 2005 - challenging the taboo that surrounds the disease in Africa.

The 2010 World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg was the world's last glimpse of the iconic leader in a public role.

He may have been looking frail, wrapped up against the cold and not speaking, but the famous smile as he basked in South Africa's success underlined how far his country had come.

In recent years he battled bouts of ill health, with South Africans struggling to come to terms with the reality that he could not go on forever.

Mr Mandela had hospital treatment in early 2012 for abdominal pain and then endured another 18-day stay at the end of the year suffering from gallstones and a chest infection.

A picture taken on February 2 at his Johannesburg home - showing him holding great-grandson Zen Manaway on his lap - proved to be the last time Nelson Mandela's millions of admirers saw the world's most famous smile.

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Mandela: The World Celebrates The Life Of Icon

Nelson Mandela: Obituary Of An Icon

Updated: 6:30am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

Nelson Mandela's long but ultimately successful struggle to liberate South Africa's oppressed black majority made him a figure of hope and inspiration for millions of people around the world.

Feisty young lawyer, determined founder of the ANC's youth movement, militant commander, prisoner, president - his role in the fight for freedom was constantly evolving throughout his life.

Alongside mentor Walter Sisulu and great friend Oliver Tambo, he brought focus to the anti-apartheid campaign where it was needed, but became an enemy of the state in the process.

In 1963, already behind bars and facing the death penalty during a sabotage trial, Mr Mandela gave his famous "speech from the dock".

The words - combative, but measured and full of hope - signalled the emergence of the statesman who would become an icon of the 20th century.

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

He said: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

The apartheid government jailed Mr Mandela and his comrades for life in 1964 but they could not lock away the ideas he embodied and the righteousness of his cause.

To allies of South Africa's racist regime - including some in Britain - Mr Mandela remained for many years a "terrorist".

But for campaigners Mr Mandela's 27-year ordeal behind bars, often in a cramped cell on Robben Island or in solitary confinement, represented all that was wrong with apartheid.

Pressure to free "prisoner 46664" went hand-in-hand with diplomacy and sanctions as the world set its sights on ending the injustice of South Africa's racial rule.

The beaming smile and joyful raised fist as he walked free from Paarl's Victor-Verster Prison with his wife Winnie on February 11, 1990, proved beyond doubt to most South Africans that a dark chapter in the country's history was coming to a close.

As President from 1994, Mr Mandela sought to build his "Rainbow Nation" - feted by world leaders as he crossed the globe outlining his vision of a non-racial democracy.

His campaign to unite the nation - black and white - behind the victorious Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa made many believe that vision could really be achieved.

An often troubled and traumatic personal life - including the split from Winnie following her kidnapping and assault trial - was never allowed to eclipse the greater goal of guiding South Africa into a new era.

After retiring in 1999, Mr Mandela - fondly known by his tribal name "Madiba" - settled into the role of "Father of the Nation".

Passing on the presidency to Thabo Mbeki, he was happy taking a step back from the political frontline, but always there to reassure his people  - a symbol of hope until the end.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 into the Madiba tribal clan, part of the Thembu people, in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, he was given his English name by a teacher, Miss Mdingane, at his first school. It was customary for all children to be given English names.

His father, a counsellor to the Thembu royal family, died when Mr Mandela was a child, and he was placed in the care of the acting regent of the Thembu people, chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, first as an activist, then president of the ANC Youth League.

Mr Mandela married his first wife, Walter Sisulu's cousin Evelyn Mase, in 1944 and the couple went on to have four children during a 14-year marriage.

In 1952, he and friend Oliver Tambo opened South Africa's first black law firm, using their offices to take on many civil rights cases and mount challenges to the apartheid system.

Mr Mandela was first charged with high treason in 1956 following the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Soweto - a document with demands including multi-racial, democratic government and equal rights for blacks - but was cleared when the prosecution failed to prove he was using violence.

In 1958 he divorced Evelyn and married Winnie Madikizela, who later became prominent in the ANC and the campaign to free her husband.

He was convinced to take up arms against the government following the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre - when police shot dead 69 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the segregationist Pass Law, which limited the freedom of the black population.

The government followed the massacre by banning the ANC, cracking down on strikers and protesters and applying apartheid restrictions even more severely as a state of emergency was declared.

As commander-in-chief of the ANC's armed wing from 1961, Mr Mandela secretly left the country to raise money and undergo military training in Morocco, Algeria and Ethiopia.

He returned in July 1962, but was arrested at a road block after briefing the ANC leadership on his trip.

Mr Mandela stood trial for incitement and leaving the country without a passport and this time there was no chance of an acquittal as he was jailed for five years and sent to Robben Island Prison for the first time.

He was behind bars when a group of his comrades were arrested in 1963. They were charged with sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial - named after the farm raided by police.

In June 1964 - following a lengthy trial condemned by the UN Security Council - Mr Mandela and seven other activists were sentenced to life in prison.

He remained imprisoned on the infamous Robben Island for 18 years before being transferred to Pollsmoor jail on the mainland in 1982.

In the space of 12 months between 1968 and 1969, his mother died and his eldest son was killed in a car crash, but he was not allowed to attend their funerals.

In 1980, Oliver Tambo, who was in exile in London, launched an international campaign to win Mr Mandela's release. International resolutions and rock concerts alike were harnessed to highlight the cause.

As the world community upped the pressure against South Africa, with the US approving tough economic sanctions in 1986, secret talks began between Mr Mandela and PW Botha's government.

In 1990, President FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC - paving the way for Mr Mandela's release on February 11.

The ANC and ruling National Party began talks about forming a new non-racial democracy for South Africa.

Relations between Mr Mandela and Mr de Klerk grew tense against a backdrop of violence between ANC supporters and Chief Buthelezi's Inkatha movement.

But the two leaders continued to meet and in December 1993 they were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Five months later, for the first time in South Africa's history, all races voted in democratic elections and Mr Mandela became president - having himself voted in an election for the first time in his life.

As president, Mr Mandela entrusted much day-to-day government business to his deputy Thabo Mbeki.

While his time in office was hailed as a triumph in terms of building the new South Africa, there was criticism for a failure to tackle the Aids epidemic and conditions in the country's slum townships.

Mr Mandela divorced Winnie in 1996 and married 52-year-old Graca Machel two years later, on his 80th birthday.

Mr Mandela stepped down as president after the ANC's landslide victory in the national elections in the summer of 1999, in favour of Mr Mbeki.

After his retirement he continued travelling the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and raising money for good causes.

With thousands of requests every year, his problem was fitting everything in and not exhausting himself.

In June 2004, aged 85, Mr Mandela announced he would be retiring from public life as he wanted to enjoy more time with his family.

But he did make an exception to speak out about his son Makgatho's death from Aids in 2005 - challenging the taboo that surrounds the disease in Africa.

The 2010 World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg was the world's last glimpse of the iconic leader in a public role.

He may have been looking frail, wrapped up against the cold and not speaking, but the famous smile as he basked in South Africa's success underlined how far his country had come.

In recent years he battled bouts of ill health, with South Africans struggling to come to terms with the reality that he could not go on forever.

Mr Mandela had hospital treatment in early 2012 for abdominal pain and then endured another 18-day stay at the end of the year suffering from gallstones and a chest infection.

A picture taken on February 2 at his Johannesburg home - showing him holding great-grandson Zen Manaway on his lap - proved to be the last time Nelson Mandela's millions of admirers saw the world's most famous smile.

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UK Flies Military Kit To Central African Republic

Britain is flying military equipment to the Central African Republic to help with France's armed intervention there.

Foreign Secretary William Hague says the UK agreed to provide a C-17 transport aircraft for the French military effort, which began overnight with patrols and a helicopter detachment arriving to quell violence in the streets of the capital, Bangui.

Hague said in a statement Friday the aircraft will make three flights this month - with the first due to land in Central African Republic "shortly." The Foreign Office has said sending combat troops to the Central African Republic is "not on the table."

Previously, Britain provided two C-17 transport aircraft to carry foreign troops and military equipment to Mali.

More follows...

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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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Qantas To Cut 1,000 Jobs Amid Profits Warning

Shares in Australian airline Qantas lost almost a fifth of their value after it issued a shock profits warning, flagging a half-year loss of up to A$300m (£165m).

Chief executive Alan Joyce said conditions had seen a "marked" deterioration and the airline was battling "extraordinary circumstances" including record fuel costs, a strong Australian dollar and fierce competition from subsidised rivals.

He confirmed at least 1,000 jobs would be shed though it was not clear where the axe would fall.

The profits warning sent Qantas shares into freefall, with the stock plunging as much as 17% before regaining ground to close 10.8% lower.

"The challenges we now face are immense," Mr Joyce said in an update to the Australian stock exchange.

Alan Joyce claims Qantas faces unfair competition

"Since the global financial crisis, Qantas has confronted a fiercely difficult operating environment - including the strong Australian dollar and record jet fuel costs, which have exacerbated Qantas' high cost base," he added.

"The Australian international market is the toughest anywhere in the world."

Qantas was optimistic it had turned a corner after signing a major partnership with Dubai-based Emirates and reversing its 2012 annual loss - the first since privatisation - with a modest full-year profit in August.

But Thursday's announcement showed it is still facing significant headwinds.

Mr Joyce said Qantas expected to report a loss before tax in the six months to December 31 of A$250m-$300m, with passenger loads slipping significantly in November as increased competition drove down the carrier's market share.

He added that "urgent" action was needed to salvage the Flying Kangaroo's profitability, including the sacking of "at least 1,000" staff.

Mr Joyce also confirmed a 38% cut in his own pay and that of the Qantas board, a review of spending with top suppliers and a salary and bonus freeze.

The airline will undertake a structural review, to report back in February, prompting speculation a sell-off of its Jetstar assets in Asia could be on the cards.

"All options are on the table in terms of the structural review, we're not ruling anything in or anything out," Mr Joyce said when asked about potential divestments.

He added that Qantas was "in dialogue with the government on a number of different options" as he continues lobbying for the easing of foreign investment restrictions or state intervention to shore up the carrier.

Under the Qantas Sale Act, dating from 1995 when the airline was privatised, foreign ownership in the national carrier is limited to 49%, and Mr Joyce wants that revisited in the face of what he described as "unprecedented distortion" by foreign backers of the Australian market.

"Our competitors in the international market, almost all owned or generously supported by their governments, have increased capacity to pursue Australian dollar profits, changing the shape of the market permanently," the Qantas chief said.

He again took aim at domestic rival Virgin Australia, which is now majority owned by state-backed Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Etihad, accusing it of a deliberate "strategy to weaken Qantas in the domestic market" with cheap seats underwritten by foreign cash injections.

Mr Joyce has been locked in a bitter war of words with Virgin in recent weeks over what he has described as "predatory" behaviour by his rivals.

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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

Heavy gunfire has rocked several districts of the capital of the Central African Republic, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens others, ahead of a UN vote on dispatching reinforcements to restore order in the country.

Some 250 French troops deployed to deal with the fighting when the violence 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

He said the French deployment to the Central African Republic - one of the poorest nations in the world - would total around 1,200, with 600 troops already in place.

It follows a warning from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that the former French colony was "on the verge of genocide".

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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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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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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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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Mexico: 'Dangerous' Radioactive Waste Stolen

A lorry carrying "extremely dangerous" radioactive waste has been stolen in Mexico.

The truck was carrying nuclear waste from a hospital to a storage centre when it was taken in Tepojaco, north of Mexico City.

The UN's nuclear watchdog said the material, cobalt-60, which is used to treat cancer patients, could be harmful if removed from its protective casing.

"At the time the truck was stolen, the source was properly shielded," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.

"However, the source could be extremely dangerous to a person if removed from the shielding, or if it was damaged.

The truck was stolen in Tepojaco, around 30 miles north of Mexico City

"The Mexican authorities are currently conducting a search for the source and have issued a press release to alert the public."

In theory, the haul could be used in a so-called "dirty bomb" - an explosive device capable of spreading radiation over a vast area.

Experts have previously warned of the dangers posed by large amounts of radioactive material stored in places like hospitals, universities and factories.

In 2012, the IAEA received 24 reports of theft or loss and warned the figure was only the "tip of the iceberg".

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Venezuela Blackout Blamed On Opposition

A power blackout across Venezuela has been blamed on sabotage by right-wing opponents by President Nicolas Maduro.

The outage began as Mr Maduro was addressing the nation about his plan to reduce inflation crippling the automotive industry.

Within minutes, people in downtown Caracas could be heard banging on pots in an act of protest.

Mr Maduro then took to Twitter to say that he and his aides were monitoring the "strange blackout that occurred in the same place as the last act of sabotage".

He ordered armed forces on maximum alert to prevent attacks after power was restored, and said opponents were planning to target the electric grid and the nation's oil facilities.

Blackouts have become more frequent in Venezuela in recent years

In the last few days, Mr Maduro has warned that opponents might try to sabotage the electric grid to gain advantage in nationwide elections for mayors.

The late president, Hugo Chavez, used to make the same accusations as the number of blackouts increased in recent years.

Mr Maduro added: "These sectors of fascism are getting desperate, because they know a defeat is coming."

The blackout originated in central Venezuela, the same place where a power failure in September knocked out electricity to 70% of the country, according to Electricity Minister Jesse Chacon.

Although Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, it has been plagued by power outages in recent years.

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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 - 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 Korean 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, General 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 Gen Jang, 67, had since "disappeared".

The husband of Kim Jong-Il's powerful sister, Kim Kyong Hui, Gen 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. 

Gen 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 Gen 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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China's 'UK Is No Big Power' Snub To Cameron

UK 'Just An Old European Country'

Updated: 9:04am UK, Tuesday 03 December 2013

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

The editorial in China's Global Times on Tuesday gives a clear hint about how David Cameron has been received in the country so far.

To a significant extent, editorials in the Chinese (state run) papers reflect the broad thinking of the communist leadership.

Under the headline "China won't fall for Cameron's 'sincerity'", the Global Times' article is less than complimentary.

It reminds Mr Cameron that "the UK is not a big power in the eyes of the Chinese. It is just an old European country ..."

It also points out that on the very day that Mr Cameron was praising the Chinese, his Navy Chief of Staff was meeting the Japanese military and apparently supporting Japan's stance in a bitter territorial dispute.

In short, the editorial paints a picture of a China that is less than impressed.

:: Full transcript of the Global Times editorial:

"The UK Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in China Monday, starting his three-day tour in the country.

"The once halted Sino-British relations, due to Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama last year, may see an ice-breaking.

"This year, China has been actively engaged in relations with Germany and France, which propels the urgency of the Cameron administration to end the chilliness of bilateral relations.

"Some analysts say that the UK, France and Germany have reached an unwritten understanding on the issue of the Dalai Lama to provoke China. When the leadership of one country meets with the Dalai Lama, the other two countries develop ties with China.

"Such an argument does echo the real situation of China's relations with Europe, especially when, yesterday, the British Royal Navy's Chief of Staff, Admiral George Zambellas met with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and supported Japan's stance toward China's recently declared Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea.

"This has added doubts over Cameron's sincerity in improving ties with China.

"Perhaps there is no need to talk about 'sincerity' in terms of Sino-British relations.

"What Cameron does is out of his own political interest and the UK's national interest. His visit this time can hardly be the end of the conflict between China and the UK.

"Beijing needs to speed up the pace of turning its strength into diplomatic resources and make London pay the price for when it intrudes into the interests of China.

"China has gained some achievement in countering European leaders' moves of meeting with the Dalai Lama.

"China's strategic initiatives in its relations with Europe have been increasing.

"The UK, France and Germany dare not make joint provocations toward China over the Dalai Lama issue.

"The Chinese government will surely show courtesy to Cameron. But the public does not forget his stance on certain issues.

"We know that the British government has been making carping comments on Hong Kong implementing universal suffrage for the chief executive's election in 2017.

"It also gives ulterior support for those who advocate opposition between Hong Kong and the central government. This has added to the negative impression the Chinese public holds toward the UK.

"Chinese people believe that if London interferes in Hong Kong's transition process of implementing universal suffrage, Sino-British ties can be halted again.

"The Cameron administration should acknowledge that the UK is not a big power in the eyes of the Chinese. It is just an old European country apt for travel and study. This has gradually become the habitual thought of the Chinese people.

"China has believed in 'diplomacy is no small matter', while after years of ups and downs, we have acquired the strategic confidence that 'diplomacy is no big matter'. China will act accordingly given how it is treated.

"Finally, let us show courtesy to Cameron and wish him a pleasant trip."

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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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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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Cameron Arrives In Beijing For Trade Talks

The Prime Minister will champion a free trade agreement between the EU and China today which could be worth £1.8bn to the UK alone.

David Cameron arrived in Beijing at the head of the largest British trade delegation ever to visit the country, which has become the world's second biggest economy in recent years.

He said he wanted to use the three-day visit to "take the British/Chinese diplomatic and political relationship to a new level".

Speaking to reporters on board his flight to Beijing, Mr Cameron left no doubt that the main purpose of the trip is to put Britain in pole position to expand trade with China.

Mr Cameron visited a Jaguar Land Rover training facility

The European Commission is due to begin investment treaty negotiations with China early next year to reduce some of the barriers to trade.

Mr Cameron will hold talks with premier Li Keqiang and has promised to throw his full political weight behind the agreement which could face stiff resistance from some EU states who fear their markets would be flooded with cheap Chinese imports.

One of the first things on the itinerary was a visit to the Jaguar Land Rover academy in Beijing, where Chinese staff are trained to service and sell the British-designed luxury cars.

Speaking to TV cameras at the plant, Mr Cameron denied he was steering clear of speaking about human rights in order to avoid offending his Chinese hosts.

"Not at all," said Mr Cameron. "We have a very strong and full relationship between Britain and China and that includes a human rights dialogue.

Mr Cameron with the delegation at Heathrow Airport

"We are one of the few countries to have that relationship with China."

Writing in Chinese magazine Caixin, Mr Cameron declared his ambition to use this week's visit to help forge "a partnership for growth and reform that can help to deliver the Chinese dream and long-term prosperity for Britain too."

He welcomed signals from last month's crucial Third Plenum of the ruling Communist Party that China is ready to open up further to the rest of the world under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, who took up office a year ago.

He added that he wanted to send the message that "an open Britain is the ideal partner for an opening China".

"Britain is uniquely placed to make the case for deepening the European Union's trade and investment relationship with China," said Mr Cameron.

"Building on the recent launch of EU-China negotiations on investment, and on China's continued commitment to economic reform, I now want to set a new long-term goal of an ambitious and comprehensive EU-China Free Trade Agreement.

"And as I have on the EU-US deal, so I will put my full political weight behind such a deal which could be worth tens of billions of dollars every year."

The PM, who raised the possibility of a free-trade deal at talks with EU partners in Lithuania last week, believes that eliminating tariffs in the 20 sectors where they are highest - such as vehicles, pharmaceuticals and electrical goods - could save UK exporters £600m a year.

Mr Cameron wants to improve his relationship with Mr Keqiang

Jaguar Land Rover is signing a £4.5bn agreement to provide 100,000 cars to the National Sales Company in China over the next year.

The company's chief executive Ralf Speth was among the 120-strong business delegation accompanying Mr Cameron, along with executives from major exporters like Rolls-Royce, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Barclays, HSBC, GlaxoSmithKline, Arup and Virgin.

But the bulk of the delegation was made up of smaller businesses, such as Westaway Sausages of Devon, Moulton bicycles and the Cambridge Satchel Company, which Mr Cameron believes have considerable opportunities in the fast-expanding consumer markets of China.

Also travelling with the Prime Minister were representatives of British football, including Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, former England and Chelsea star Graeme Le Saux and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady.

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France: Police Arrest 45 In Arms Traffic Sweep

French police say they have arrested 45 people in a vast sweep against international arms traffickers.

Detectives said some 300 officers were involved in the operation, which focused on hundreds of military-grade arms, pieces of ammunition and weapons parts trafficked from the Balkans since 2009.

2010: A Kalashnikov rifle found during a security operation in Marseille

The arrests were carried out across France and in French overseas territories. So far 38 people had been placed under formal detention.

The investigation was launched after several military handguns and rifles were seized during an arrest in the Haute-Marne region in February 2012.

Oct 2013: A cache of weapons seized from a network of burglars in Creteil

The investigation initially pointed to a Slovak arms trafficking ring and expanded to include another ring based in the Balkans.

An influx of military-style weapons, in particular Kalashnikov assault rifles, has been blamed for a wave of gang-related shootings in the southern city of Marseille in recent years.

There has been recent concern among European countries about the increasing problem of arms trafficking. In 2010 member states adopted an action plan to combat the smuggling of so-called "heavy" firearms including increasing security at shipping ports.

More follows...

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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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