Philippines Typhoon: UN Launches Aid Appeal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Egypt: Morsi Orders Army In Ahead Of Protests

President Mohamed Morsi has ordered the Egyptian army to "preserve security" and help police tackle protesters ahead of a mass demonstration over the new constitution.

A new decree compels the army to "co-operate" with police, orders it to "protect vital institutions" and gives it powers to make arrests until after a controversial referendum on the constitution on Saturday.

The order, which comes into force today, says: "Armed forces officers participating in missions to preserve security and protect vital state institutions ... all have powers of legal arrest."

The opposition to Mr Morsi has called for another day of protest on Tuesday over the new constitution and further outbreaks of violence are widely anticipated.

Tanks and armed troops have surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo since Thursday following running street battles between Mr Morsi's supporters and his opponents, which left seven dead and 700 injured.

Despite their presence they have not confronted the thousands of protesters who remain gathered there.

The army took control of the country following the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime but has since sought to remain a neutral force.

Tanks have been deployed outside the presidential palace

Mr Morsi attempted to quell the violence in the country on Saturday by surrendering the decree which gave him sweeping new powers and which triggered the recent unrest in the country.

Instead he said there would be a referendum on the new constitution, which opponents claim does not guarantee basic rights to Egyptians with its emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

Opponents rejected the referendum. They view the draft constitution, largely drafted by Mr Morsi's Islamist allies, as undermining human rights, the rights of women, religious minorities, and curtailing the independence of the judiciary.

Mr Morsi has pushed on with the new charter, saying it is necessary to secure democratic reform.

The spokesman for the National Salvation Front opposition, Sameh Ashour, said: "We do not recognise the draft constitution because it does not represent the Egyptian people."

Hundreds have been injured and seven killed in running battles

He said that going ahead with the referendum "in this explosive situation with the threat of the Brothers' militias amounts to the regime abandoning its responsibilities".

The Muslim Brotherhood, Mr Morsi's party, has responded to the call for the new day of protest by organising a rally of support.                  

If the new charter is rejected, Mr Morsi has promised to have a new one drawn up by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

However, analysts say it is unlikely that the new constitution will not win support in a referendum.

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Apple Maps 'Life-Threatening' To Drivers

Police in Australia have warned drivers not to use Apple's map software after a number of people ended up lost in the wilderness in scorching temperatures.

Motorists trying to find the south-eastern town of Mildura became lost after following the map system, which locates it about 43 miles (70km) from its actual position.

One man was stranded for 24 hours in temperatures of up to 46C, and at least three more have had to be rescued, police said.

Tests on the mapping system show that Mildura is incorrectly listed as being in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park.

Mildura police have now issued a warning on their website.

"Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life-threatening issue," it says.

"Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception."

Parts of the park have no water supply or telephone reception

Inspector Simon Clemence told Australia's ABC News that he is concerned people using the Apple Maps app could find themselves in trouble.

"If it was a 45-degree day, someone could actually die," he said.

"It's quite a dangerous situation, so we would be calling for people not to use the new Apple iPhone mapping system if they're travelling from south Australia to Mildura."

Police have contacted Apple in relation to the issue.

Apple dropped Google as its map provider in September with the launch of its iOS 6 software for the iPhone and iPad.

It was panned by users for putting towns and cities in the wrong place and misspelling locations.

Well-known areas such as Westminster and Shepherd's Bush in London were misspelt "Westminister" and "Shepard's Bush".

And search for Chessington in Surrey initially brought up Chessington Tyres Ltd in Plymouth, then Chessington House.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to apologise for the glitches, and the manager who oversaw the software update has also left the company.

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Nelson Mandela Faces More Medical Tests

Nelson Mandela is to undergo more medical tests today, the South African government has announced.

A statement from President Jacob Zuma's office said: "Mandela had a good night's rest. The doctors will still conduct further tests today. He is in good hands."

The 94-year-old has been in hospital in Pretoria for three days - and has been receiving military medical care since 2011. The exact nature of his illness has not been revealed.

Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula spoke to journalists after visiting Mr Mandela.

"He's doing very, very well," she said.

"And it is important to keep him in our prayers and also to be as calm as possible and not cause a state of panic because I think that is not what all of us need."

An earlier statement from Mr Zuma's office had said Mr Mandela was receiving care that was "consistent for his age".

Mr Mandela has suffered a series of health problems in the past and underwent seven weeks of radiation therapy for prostate cancer in 2001.

After spending 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule, he became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and served one five-year term.

The Nobel laureate later retired from public life to live in his remote village of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape area, and last made a public appearance when his country hosted the football World Cup in 2010. He has grown increasingly frail in recent years.

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Italy's Silvio Berlusconi Says He Will Run For PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Venezuela: Chavez To Have Surgery In Cuba

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he will have surgery in Cuba after his cancer returned.

The recently re-elected president has also revealed for the first time that if his health worsens, his successor would be Vice President Nicolas Maduro.

"We should guarantee the advance of the Bolivarian Revolution," Mr Chavez said on television, seated at the presidential palace with Mr Maduro and other aides.

The president said that tests had shown a return of "some malignant cells" in the same area where tumours were previously removed.

Referring to his "new battle," he said he would return to Cuba to undergo surgery in the coming days.

The planned surgery will be Mr Chavez's third operation to remove cancerous tissue in about a year and a half.

Mr Chavez celebrated his re-election as president in October 2012

The 58-year-old first underwent cancer surgery for an unspecified type of pelvic cancer in Cuba in June 2011, after an operation for a pelvic abscess earlier in the month found the cancer.

He had another cancer surgery after a tumour appeared in the same area in February 2012. He has also undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Mr Chavez arrived back in Caracas on December 7 after 10 days of medical treatment in Cuba, but until Saturday night had not referred to his health.

His unexplained decision to skip a summit of regional leaders in Brazil on Friday had raised suspicions among many Venezuelans that his health had taken a turn for the worse.

Mr Chavez said that he was requesting permission from lawmakers to travel to Havana and that he hoped to have good news after the surgery.

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Egypt: President Morsi Backs Down On Powers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mohamed Morsi is abolishing an unpopular decree

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mandela 'Comfortable' In Hospital, Says President

Former South African president Nelson Mandela is "comfortable" in hospital, the country's leader Jacob Zuma has said.

President Zuma visited Mr Mandela at the hospital in Pretoria after the 94-year-old was airlifted to hospital on Saturday.

Mr Mandela is "comfortable and in good care," presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

On Sunday morning worshippers gathered at the Regina Mundi Catholic church in the Soweto area of Johannesburg to pray for him.

The church was a centre of anti-apartheid protests and funerals.

"Yes, it really worries us because he is a great person," churchgoer Shainet Mnkomo said as she left an early morning service.

"He did so many things to the country, he's one of those persons who we remember most."

Mr Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule, became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and served one five-year term.

He later retired from public life to live in his remote village of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape area, and last made a public appearance when his country hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.

US Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton visited Nelson Mandela in August

Many in this country of 50 million people view Mr Mandela, who led the African National Congress to power, as a father figure and an icon of integrity and magnanimity amid the nation's increasingly messy politics.

Inside the church, a stained glass window depicts him, in a grey suit and blue tie, raising his hands to wave at a crowd.

His image stands next to another portraying a man carrying the corpse 13-year-old, Hector Pieterson, who was gunned down by police in the black township of Soweto in June, 1976, as students protested peacefully against the white government.

A statement from Mr Zuma's office announced that Mr Mandela had been admited to hospital for tests and was receiving medical care "which is consistent for his age".

In February, Mr Mandela spent a night in a hospital for a minor diagnostic surgery to determine the cause of an abdominal complaint.

In January 2011 he was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests but what turned out to be an acute respiratory infection. He was discharged days later.

Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his years in prison. He also had surgery for an enlarged prostate gland in 1985.

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Egyptian Protesters Keep Up Pressure

Tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated overnight outside Egypt's presidential palace, calling on President Mohamed Morsi to step down.

The peaceful night-time demonstration followed a tense day in which Mr Morsi's opponents broke through a barbed-wire security barricade outside the palace, climbing on army tanks and waving flags.

The country's powerful military has urged political forces to solve the crisis through dialogue, saying in its first statement since the protests erupted that it would prevent violence.

"The armed forces affirm that dialogue is the best and only way to reach consensus," it said on Saturday. "The opposite of that will bring us to a dark tunnel ... which we will not allow."

The protesters say a new decree gives Mr Morsi pharaoh-like powers

Some protesters overnight chanted "Leave! Leave!" to Mr Morsi, who is backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, while others daubed walls with graffiti and cartoons.

One caricature portrayed Mr Morsi with blood on his mouth, another depicted him as a pharaoh – a reference to a recent decree that expanded his powers and barred court challenges to his decisions.

After the night of protests, the streets of Cairo were calm.

A referendum on a new draft constitution opposed by liberals is set for December 15, and Mr Morsi has called for talks with the opposition to discuss how Egypt should move forward after the vote.

Amid the protests, Mr Morsi's deputy has raised the possibility that the referendum might be delayed.

But major opposition leaders have rejected Mr Morsi's call dialogue.

Mohammed El Baradei, a Nobel peace laureate and opposition figure, dismissed the offer as "arm-twisting and imposition of a fait accompli".

Soldiers guard the presidential palace after the overnight protest

The unrest is the worst since last year's revolution, which toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, and the subsequent vote that made Mr Morsi the country's first freely elected leader.

At least six people have been killed and almost 700 injured in clashes around the palace.

"We will stay here for as long as it takes and will continue to organise protests elsewhere until President Morsi cancels his constitutional decree and postpones the referendum," said Ahmed Essam, 28, a computer engineer who took part in the overnight protest.

The upheaval in the most populous Arab nation worries the West, in particular the United States, which has given it billions of dollars in military and other aid since Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979.

US President Barack Obama called Mr Morsi on Thursday to express his "deep concern" over the deaths and injuries.

He welcomed the offer of talks but warned they should be entered into "without preconditions", a White House spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Egypt's election committee has postponed to Wednesday the start of expatriate voting in the constitutional referendum, originally planned for Saturday.

The committee did not say whether the delay would affect the date of the referendum.

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Thailand: Two English Teachers Found Dead

Two English teachers have been found dead sitting side-by-side in the living room of an apartment on the outskirts of Bangkok, according to Thai police.

The men - an American aged 40 and a 35-year-old from Britain - were discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Lieutenant Colonel Chamnong Kongtapan, chief investigator at the local police station in Pathum Thani province.

Detectives investigating the cause of death found an empty medicine bottle in the room from a government-run drug rehabilitation centre.

"The name of the British man was on the bottle but we don't know yet what kind of drug (was) inside," he said.

He added that there was no sign of injuries on the men's bodies, or that a struggle had taken place.

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