Thailand king urges mutual support

5 December 2013 Last updated at 02:35 ET

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The BBC's Jonathan Head said it was unlikely anyone believed the king "could resolve the very deep conflict"

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has urged people to support each other for the sake of the country, in his address to the nation on his birthday.

Thailand is marking the 86th birthday of the revered king amid a truce after days of violent protests in Bangkok.

Speaking at his palace in the coastal resort of Hua Hin, the king said that Thailand had been peaceful because of the unity of the people.

There were violent clashes earlier in the week between police and protesters.

The demonstrators, who are demanding that the current government resign, began protesting on 24 November.

They agreed to stop their attacks on government buildings for the birthday celebrations, but have said they will be back right after them.

Pause in unrest

On Thursday, thousands of people had headed to the town of Hua Hin, near the king's Klai Kangwon palace, in the hope of seeing him, the Bangkok Post reports.

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His name means "strength of the land, incomparable power", his title, "Lord Above Our Heads". The elevated position of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, above the political fray, at the apex of an intensely hierarchical society, makes him in the minds of millions of Thais a repository of virtue and calm when all around they see greed and chaos. So it is essential for the monarchy that his birthday, his biggest public appearance of the year, passes smoothly, without the slightest disruption.

That is why so much effort went into negotiating an end to the protests which have turned parts of Bangkok into a battleground over the past two weeks.

The main ceremony, though, had to be held for the first time outside the capital, in Hua Hin, the seaside resort where King Bhumibol moved from hospital in August.

The highlight for the thousands lining his processional route was a glimpse of the man they simply call "Father" as his motorcade moved slowly past. They were on their knees, waving yellow royal flags, some in tears.

In the past they have looked to his speech for guiding wisdom. But at 86 years old, and very frail, he struggled to get through a short address, which urged Thais to do their duty, and support each other. It sounded like a plea, to end the country's deep political conflict. And the protesters, who are largely ultra-royalists, will say they have taken his words to heart. But once this celebration is over, they have promised to be back on the streets.

Special bus and train services had been laid on by the transport ministry to bring people to the town, the paper says.

The king traditionally delivers a speech to the nation on his birthday - an audience keenly anticipated for any hints of his thinking on events in Thailand.

He called on people to do their duty to support each other for the sake of the country.

"All Thais should realise this point a lot and behave and perform our duties accordingly, our duty for the sake of the public, for stability, security for our nation of Thailand," the king said.

The current wave of protests began in Bangkok relatively peacefully, but things took a violent turn over the weekend and on Monday.

Protesters tried to topple police barricades and storm the prime minister's office, Government House. Clashes broke as police used tear gas and water cannon to repel them.

The situation calmed down on Tuesday after security forces stepped back from protesters.

Some anti-government protesters headed to the police headquarters in Bangkok on Wednesday. A few hundred of the protesters were allowed inside the compound by the police and then withdrew.

The protesters say there is more to come. "After the king's birthday, we will start fighting again until we achieve our goal," former deputy prime minister and protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban told AFP on Tuesday.

The protesters want the current government under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down and be replaced by an unelected "People's Council".

They allege that her government is controlled by her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military army coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.

At least four people have died since Saturday, in what has been Thailand's worst political turmoil since the 2010 rallies that ended in violence.

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Biden in 'direct' China zone talks

5 December 2013 Last updated at 04:48 ET

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US Vice-President Joe Biden: "There is nothing inevitable about a conflict with China"

The US and China have had "very direct" talks about concerns over China's new air defence identification zone, US Vice-President Joe Biden said.

Speaking after meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Mr Biden said the zone had caused "apprehension" in Asia.

Talks in Mr Biden's Asia trip have been dominated by a new air zone declared by China, which covers islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea.

China says its move is consistent with "international law and practice".

China announced a new Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) last month, and said aircraft flying through the zone must follow its rules, including filing flight plans.

The ADIZ covers islands claimed and controlled by Japan, and a submerged rock claimed by South Korea.

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Explained: Why a small chain of islands has caused a diplomatic row

The US, Japan and South Korea have rejected China's zone, and flown undeclared military aircraft through the ADIZ.

'World not tranquil'

Mr Xi and Mr Biden met for around five hours on Wednesday.

Neither mentioned the air zone dispute when they spoke to reporters after the talks.

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While tensions over China's air zone featured prominently, the situation inside North Korea was also a major topic of discussion when Xi Jinping met the man he calls his "old friend", Joe Biden.

The two spoke about news that had surfaced from North Korea in recent days, confirmed a senior US official. This week, reports emerged from South Korea that a top North Korean official, the uncle of leader Kim Jong-un, had been ousted, and his aides executed for corruption.

Lengthy talks between Mr Xi and Mr Biden centred around "creating conditions for negotiations that could actually be fruitful and not just a repeat of the same old North Korean game", a senior US administration official said.

"The credibility of our argument about the impact of pressure on diplomatic solutions has been enhanced in the eyes of a number of countries, including China, by what's happened with Iran."

After years of imposing tough sanctions on Iran, Washington recently reached an agreement with Tehran to curb its uranium enrichment programme. The Obama administration has touted the deal as a historic agreement that makes the Middle East a safer place.

However, Mr Biden told US businessmen on Thursday: "I was very direct about our firm position and our expectations in my conversations with President Xi."

China's declaration of the new zone had "caused significant apprehension in the region," he said, adding that China had "increasing responsibility to contribute positively to peace and security".

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "During the talks the Chinese side repeated its principled position, stressing that the Chinese move accorded with international law and practice."

"The US side ought to take an objective and fair attitude and respect [China's move]," Mr Hong added.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Xi had said that "profound and complex changes" were under way in Asia, and "the world, as a whole, is not tranquil".

"Enhancing dialogue and co-operation" was the "only correct choice" for the US and China, Mr Xi added.

A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mr Xi and Mr Biden also spent "a substantial amount of time" discussing North Korea, including the country's internal situation and ways to push Pyongyang towards denuclearisation.

'Profound disagreements'

In his speech to US businessmen, Mr Biden also said that the two sides had "profound disagreements" over the treatment of US journalists in China.

"Innovation will thrive where people breathe freely, speak freely, are able to challenge orthodoxy, where newspapers can report the truth without fear of consequences," he said.

Earlier this week, a reporter from Bloomberg was denied access to a media event attended by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

The websites of Bloomberg and the New York Times have been blocked in China after they reported on the alleged wealth of the families of Mr Xi and former Premier Wen Jiabao.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a press briefing on Thursday that China "provided an extremely convenient atmosphere for foreign reporters reporting in China".

He added that China managed foreign journalists in accordance with its law.

Both Bloomberg and the New York Times have not received new journalist visas for more than a year, the BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing reports.

Foreign journalists working in China are frequently denied access to government officials, are often barred from sensitive areas of the country and have on occasions been attacked by government-hired thugs while reporting stories, our correspondent adds.

Mr Biden will fly to South Korea later on Thursday.

Earlier this week, he met Japanese President Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, where he reaffirmed the US' alliance with Japan.

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Rob Ford 'tried to buy crack video'

5 December 2013 Last updated at 05:34 ET

Rob Ford, the mayor of Canada's largest city Toronto, is alleged to have attempted to buy a video that appears to show him smoking crack cocaine.

A police recording shows two suspected gang members apparently discussing an offer by Mr Ford of C$5,000 (£2,900) and a car for the video, weeks before its existence was made public.

Documents detailing the police wiretaps were released on Wednesday by a judge.

Mr Ford has not commented on the latest allegations.

Rumours of the crack video first surfaced in May. Mr Ford initially denied its existence but in October police announced they had recovered the recording.

The 44-year-old mayor admitted early last month that he had smoked crack cocaine "in a drunken stupor" but denied he was an addict.

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: In his own words

He has refused to step down, but has been stripped of most of his powers.

Healthy lifestyle

Police had been carrying out an investigation on an alleged drugs gang when the mayor's name was mentioned on wiretaps in March and April.

According to the newly released police documents, two alleged gang members are caught discussing, mainly in Somali, Mr Ford and the video.

When asked to recall what Mr Ford had said to him, one of them replies: "He said I'll give you 5,000 and a car."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It's very dangerous to put any weight into any of this. There's nothing to address"

End Quote Dennis Morris Rob Ford's lawyer

The other suggests he should "ask for 150", which police in their analysis conclude the men mean $150,000.

Police have not commented directly on the disclosures, saying only that their job is to gather the evidence and present it to the courts.

Dennis Morris, Mr Ford's lawyer, said the wiretaps are snippets of talk between alleged gangsters.

"It's very dangerous to put any weight into any of this," he told the Associated Press news agency. "There's nothing to address."

Mr Ford has faced a barrage of allegations of conduct unbecoming to someone in public office, including buying illegal drugs, and drink driving - while mayor - and used lewd language on television.

He has apologised and says he has stopped drinking and adopted a healthier lifestyle.

Rob Ford's troubled mayoralty

• May 2013: Media report they have seen a video apparently showing him smoking crack cocaine
• May / June: Mayor denies such footage exists, but multiple Ford staffers resign
• August: He is apparently intoxicated in an official appearance at a street festival. Later, he tells media he has smoked "a lot of marijuana"
• October: Alexander Lisi, a former driver for Ford, is arrested on drug charges; police say they have the drug video
• 5 Nov: "I have smoked crack cocaine," the mayor admits, saying he did so "in a drunken stupor"
• 7 Nov: A second video surfaces showing Ford drunkenly threatening to kill an unspecified person
• 13 Nov: He admits to buying drugs in the past two years; allegations emerge linking him to cocaine and prostitution
• 14 Nov: Ford makes lewd comments about oral sex and says he might have driven while drunk

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Double attack on key Yemen ministry

5 December 2013 Last updated at 05:45 ET

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The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil describes hearing "continuous gunfire" throughout the morning

A series of attacks at Yemen's defence ministry have left at least 20 people dead and 37 injured, officials say.

A suicide car bomb blew up at the gates of the complex in Sanaa's Bab al-Yaman district, at the entrance to the old city, and a gunbattle followed at a hospital inside.

At least two foreign medical staff are among the dead, medical sources say.

Yemeni security forces are fighting regional rebels and al-Qaeda, while combating lawlessness and army splits.

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At the scene

We heard the huge explosions this morning as people were heading off to work. After that, I heard sporadic gunfire in what sounded like a continuous gunbattle.

A large plume of smoke was coming out of the area of old Sanaa amid wails of sirens as ambulances and military vehicles headed down to the city centre.

There's a girls school near where we are - the explosion happened after morning assembly there. The students had just gone into classes when one of the teachers made an announcement by loudspeaker telling the pupils where to go and for the supervisors to stick to their groups.

At midday I could hear gunfire and a small series of explosions as the call to prayer sounded through the city. A local journalist told me his cameraman tried to get to the scene and was stopped on the way.

Defence Minister Mohammed Nasser is currently on a visit to Washington.

No group has said it carried out Thursday's attack.

Correspondents say it bears the hallmarks of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

However, one government minister has blamed people linked to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Officials said the situation was under control and most of the gunmen had been killed.

"The attack took place shortly after working hours started at the ministry when a suicide bomber drove a car into the gate," a ministry source said, quoted by Reuters.

The blast was heard hundreds of metres away.

"The explosion was very violent, the whole place shook because of it and plumes of smoke rose from the building," an eyewitness told the agency.

Continuous shooting

Officials said a second car followed whose occupants opened fire at the complex, and a battle ensued involving gunmen in military uniforms.

The gunmen occupied a hospital at the complex, they added, but security forces later regained control of the building, which was badly damaged.

"The assailants took advantage of some construction work that is taking place to carry out this criminal act," the defence ministry said.

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Yemen transition

• January 2011 - Start of mass anti-government protests
• March 2011 - Police open fire on pro-reform demonstrators, killing 52
• November 2011 - President Ali Abdallah Saleh agrees to hand power to deputy
• February 2012 - Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi inaugurated as president after uncontested elections
• June 2012 - Army recaptures three al-Qaeda strongholds in the south
• September 2012 - Defence Minister survives car bomb in Sanaa that kills 11
• March 2013 - Delayed national dialogue conference begins with aim of drafting new constitution
• August 2013 - Several foreign embassies shut temporarily over fears of attacks by al-Qaeda

They were said to be armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades.

"Most" of the gunmen were killed, officials said, but it was not clear how many were involved.

However, the BBC's Shaimaa Khalil in Sanaa says there was continuous shooting throughout the morning and some gunfire is continuing.

She describes Bab al-Yaman as a busy, bustling area with many shops.

The incident comes aid tight security in the last few weeks following a series of hit-and-run attacks on officials by militants on motorbikes, blamed on AQAP.

There were a large number of checkpoints and armoured vehicles on the streets even before the attacks, our correspondent says.

The country has been going through a painful transition since Mr Saleh was forced from office in 2011.

Presidential elections are due to be held in February 2014.

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Biden bid to ease China tensions

4 December 2013 Last updated at 03:30 ET

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China's new air defence identification zone is likely to dominate talks

Joe Biden should not repeat "erroneous remarks" on China's new air zone, Chinese state media warned, as the US vice-president arrived in Beijing.

Mr Biden is in Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

His visit to Asia has been dominated by a row over China's newly-declared air zone, which covers islands controlled by Japan.

Mr Biden arrived from Tokyo, where he reaffirmed the US alliance with Japan.

Mr Biden attended an official welcome ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People where he met China's Vice-President Li Yuanchao, and said China and the US should expand practical co-operation and deliver results.

On Thursday he will visit China's leadership compound, known as Zhongnanhai.

While in Tokyo, Mr Biden said he would raise concerns over China's new air zone "in great specificity" during meetings with China's leaders.

Mr Biden and Mr Xi are said to enjoy a relatively close relationship.

China announced a new Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) last month, and said aircraft flying through the zone must follow its rules, including filing flight plans.

The ADIZ covers islands claimed and controlled by Japan, and a submerged rock claimed by South Korea.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Joe Biden's diplomatic skills will be tested in Beijing, as he attempts to quell regional tensions over China's new Air Defence Identification Zone.

So far, he appears to be giving China room to explain its intentions behind Beijing's seemingly sudden announcement of the new zone.

When meeting Washington's allies in Tokyo, Mr Biden stopped short of calling on China to reverse its declaration. Instead, the US vice president said he was deeply concerned by China's actions, leaving his senior aides to proclaim that Beijing's move was a provocative act.

The US, Japan and South Korea have rejected China's zone, and flown undeclared military aircraft through the ADIZ.

On Friday, China scrambled fighter jets to monitor US and Japanese planes flying in the area.

Tokyo has told its national carriers not to file flight plans with the Chinese side when transiting the zone, but on Friday the US said it expected its carriers to "operate consistent with Notams [Notices to Airmen] issued by foreign countries".

This did not indicate "US government acceptance of China's requirements for operating in the newly-declared ADIZ", the state department said.

Speaking in Tokyo on Tuesday, Mr Biden said the US was "deeply concerned by the attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea."

'Taking sides'

Continue reading the main story

Chinese media reaction

Chinese state media have been calling on the US to refrain from supporting Japan over the ADIZ row.

Several papers picked up on the fact that Mr Biden did not issue a joint statement with Japan calling on China to revoke the zone.

"Biden's statement [on the zone] was relatively vague on the whole," said the Global Times.

China Daily said Mr Biden must be told that "it is Japan that has unilaterally changed the status quo... China is just responding to Japanese provocations".

Meanwhile, Xinhua news agency urged the US to "stop indulging Japan's recklessness" and restrain Tokyo.

On Wednesday, Chinese state media criticised Mr Biden's comments.

"Washington has obviously taken Japan's side," state-run newspaper China Daily said in an editorial.

"If the US is truly committed to lowering tensions in the region, it must first stop acquiescing to Tokyo's dangerous brinkmanship," it said, adding that Mr Biden should not simply repeat the US's "previous erroneous and one-sided remarks.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said this week that the zone "is not aimed at any specific country or target, and it certainly does not constitute a threat towards any country or region."

China's military is "fully capable of exercising effective control" over the zone, Mr Geng added.

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Hezbollah senior commander killed

4 December 2013 Last updated at 05:12 ET

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Lebanese security officials said assailants lying in wait had opened fire on Lakkis, according to AP

A senior commander of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah has been killed near Beirut, the group says.

Hassan Lakkis was "assassinated" near his home in Hadath - 7km (4.3 miles) south-east of the Lebanese capital, Hezbollah TV channel Al-Manar said.

Hezbollah blamed Israel for his death but Israel has denied the accusation.

Little is known publicly about Lakkis, but he was reputedly close to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an expert in weapons manufacturing.

The news comes a day after Hassan Nasrallah said Saudi Arabia was behind last month's bombings outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut.

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Analysis

It is often the case with Hezbollah figures that their significance and even their identity only begins to become apparent after their deaths, and Hassan Lakkis was no exception.

Hezbollah-watchers believe he was a member of a unit within Hezbollah which co-ordinates with Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as being a weapons and explosives expert.

One of his colleagues, Ghaleb Awali, was killed by a car bomb in southern Beirut in 2004, an incident which Hezbollah also blamed on Israel.

Lakkis's death comes in the context of repeated attacks on Hezbollah's heartland in Beirut's southern suburbs which are seen as connected to the movement's involvement alongside Syrian government forces in their struggle with mainly Sunni rebels.

But Lakkis might be an unlikely target for Sunni militants angered by Hezbollah's role in Syria.

Israel usually does not comment on assassinations in which it is believed to have had a hand, such as the killing of another senior Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in a bomb explosion in Damascus in 2008. But on this occasion it adamantly denied killing Hassan Lakkis, in what appears to have been a fairly clumsy operation by whoever did it.

Iran is a major backer of Hezbollah, which has sent fighters to Syria to back the government of Bashar al-Assad.

The conflict in Syria has increased sectarian tensions in its smaller neighbour.

However, the BBC's Jim Muir, in Beirut, says Lakkis might be an unlikely target for Sunni militants angered by Hezbollah's role in Syria.

Gunmen 'lying in wait'

A statement issued by Hezbollah on Wednesday said Lakkis was killed as he returned home from work around midnight.

The group said Israel had tried to kill him several times previously.

Lebanese security officials said assailants lying in wait had opened fire on Lakkis with an assault rifle while he was in his car, according to the Associated Press news agency.

He was attacked in the car park of the building where he lived and was taken to a nearby hospital but died early Wednesday, the unnamed officials were quoted as saying.

But an unnamed source close to Hezbollah told Reuters news agency that Lakkis had been shot in the head with a silenced gun, and described the killing as a professional operation.

Israel denied any involvement in the death.

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Who was Hezbollah's Hassan Lakkis?

• A commander in the militant group, said to have been close to leader Hassan Nasrallah
• Reported to have trained in Iran in warfare and the manufacture of weapons, explosives and booby traps
• Possibly a member of a unit within Hezbollah which coordinates with Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza
• Thought to be in his mid-40s
• One of his sons was killed fighting Israel in 2006 conflict

"These automatic accusations are an innate reflex with Hezbollah," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said. "They don't need evidence, they don't need facts. They just blame anything on Israel."

Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a powerful political and military organisation in Lebanon made up mainly of Shia Muslims.

It emerged with financial backing from Iran in the early 1980s and began a struggle to drive Israeli troops from Lebanon.

Hezbollah fought a destructive 34-day war with Israel in 2006. The group said that one of Lakkis's sons had been killed in that conflict.

Dr Ronen Bergman, a writer on military intelligence affairs for Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, said Lakkis "became known in Hezbollah as the guy in charge of manufacturing sophisticated weaponry, explosives, booby traps, he was a technical guy".

He added: "Hassan was the leading figure who received Iranian guidance, he studied in Iran the issues of microwarfare, terrorism, counterterrorism, and he brought this knowledge with him to Hezbollah, so he was one of these channels through which the Iranians gave Hezbollah their assistance."

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Ukraine PM urges end to protests

4 December 2013 Last updated at 05:55 ET

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The BBC's Daniel Sandford: Government building "is ringed by riot police"

Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has called on the opposition to stop escalating "political tensions".

He warned protesters that anybody found guilty of violating the constitution and laws would be punished.

Mr Azarov was speaking in a live broadcast from the first cabinet meeting since mass street protests began just over a week ago.

The demonstrations were sparked by the government's decision not to sign an association deal with the EU.

The protests are the largest since the pro-democracy Orange Revolution in 2004.

'Dangerous situation'

With the help of police, government ministers managed to bypass a blockade of protesters outside government buildings to hold their regular cabinet meeting.

In his address, Mr Azarov called on opposition parties to end the "escalation of political tensions" following his government's survival of a no-confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday.

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Protesters have crowded into Kiev's Independence Square

He told protesters: "Your leaders are putting you up to a crime. They will try to hide behind lawmaker immunity. But you will have no-one to hide behind."

He said "the reasons for the street protests have been exhausted".

Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara accused "mostly" right-wing European politicians of "inspiring their political partners in Ukraine" to continue the protests.

"I would call those top politicians - some of them are members of the European Parliament - to call their political partners to sit together with the government to look for ways out of this extremely dangerous situation," he said.

Mr Azarov said earlier this week he would send a delegation to Brussels on Wednesday to renew talks on the deal Ukraine had been expected to sign with the EU.

The office of the EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, could not on Tuesday confirm the visit. In a statement, it said it was "ready" to discuss various aspects of the agreement with Ukrainian officials but would not "reopen negotiations on the text".

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• Born into family of a metalworker and a nurse in July 1950
• Began career as transport executive in coal-mining industry in Soviet era.
• Later served as governor of Donetsk region - country's economic powerhouse and home to more than three million people
• Appointed prime minister in November 2002
• Ousted from power by the 2004 Orange Revolution, but returned as PM in 2006-07 and won presidential election in 2010

Ukraine is also reportedly sending a delegation to Moscow, whose customs union it has agreed to join instead.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian energy firms have reportedly agreed to defer until next spring Kiev's payments for Russian gas imported from October to December.

Russia has in the past cut Ukrainian gas supplies in mid-winter.

Leaving behind his troubles at home, Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych has begun a three-day official visit to China in what is reported to be a bid to forge closer economic ties.

Both he and Mr Azarov are facing calls for their resignation from the protesters.

Mr Yanukovych has called for peaceful protests and both sides to observe the law after violence broke out over the weekend. "Any bad peace is better than a good war," he said.

Before Tuesday's emergency session of parliament Mr Azarov apologised for the use of police force against protesters at the weekend.

The main opposition leaders have alleged the violence was the work of "provocateurs". The newspaper Ukrainska Pravda published a series of videos and photographs which appeared to back up the claims.

Nato also condemned the violence and urged "the government and the opposition to engage in dialogue and launch a reform process".

Thousands of demonstrators remain in Independence Square and outside the government buildings in Kiev.

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Mandela in fight from 'deathbed'

4 December 2013 Last updated at 06:06 ET

South Africa's ailing first black President Nelson Mandela is putting up a courageous fight from his "deathbed", his daughter Makaziwe Mandela says.

She told national broadcaster SABC that the anti-apartheid icon was "still with us, strong, courageous".

"Even for a lack of a better word... on his deathbed he is teaching us lessons - lessons in patience, in love, lessons of tolerance," she added.

Mr Mandela, 95, is receiving home-based medical care.

He was discharged from hospital in September after being treated for nearly three months for a recurring lung infection.

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Fire ravages Oscar Niemeyer building

30 November 2013 Last updated at 00:13 ET

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Firefighters tackle the blaze at the main auditorium of the complex

Authorities in Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, have fought a major blaze at a landmark building designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer.

A large plume of smoke billowed from the Latin America Memorial, a cultural centre which hosts an art gallery, an auditorium and other facilities.

At least 15 firefighters were injured as dozens of crews went to the scene.

Niemeyer, who was behind some of the 20th Century's best known modernist buildings, died a year ago aged 104.

He designed the main government buildings in the futuristic capital, Brasilia, developing a style defined by sweeping curves and stark concrete.

The Latin America Memorial, built in the west of Sao Paulo in 1989, was empty at the time of the fire and authorities say no members of the public were hurt. The cause of the fire is unclear.

Fire first swept through the 1,600-seat Simon Bolivar auditorium at the complex at around 15:00 local time (17:00 GMT).

While the extent of the damage was unclear, there were fears for some of the art works at the complex.

A spokesperson told reporters that a giant tapestry by Brazilian artist Tomie Ohtake may have been partially destroyed.

Another building in the complex hosted the Latin American Parliament from 1992 to 2007. The parliament is now based in Panama.

The Latin America Memorial comprises several buildings in an area of more than 84,480 sq m (101,376 sq yards) and was designed by the famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and conceived by the anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro.

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US carriers 'to observe China rules'

30 November 2013 Last updated at 02:26 ET

The US says it expects its civilian aircraft to observe China's rules in an air defence zone in the East China Sea.

A US statement said this did not mean the US accepted China's requirements in the zone covering territory claimed by China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

China wants all aircraft there to file flight plans and identify themselves.

The US, Japan and South Korea say they have flown military aircraft in the area unannounced. But China said it scrambled fighter jets on Friday.

The move was to monitor US and Japanese aircraft in the zone.

'Firm but calm'

The air defence identification zone (ADIZ) covers a vast area of the East China Sea, including a group of islands claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

South Korea claims a submerged rock, known as Ieodo, also within the zone.

The establishment of the ADIZ has caused widespread anger, with the US state department calling it "an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea" which will "raise regional tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and accidents".

But on Friday, the state department said the US government "generally expects that US carriers operating internationally will operate consistent with Notams [Notices to Airmen] issued by foreign countries".

Continue reading the main story

• Zones do not necessarily overlap with airspace, sovereign territory or territorial claims
• States define zones, and stipulate rules that aircraft must obey; legal basis is unclear
• During WW2, US established an air perimeter and now maintains four separate zones - Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, and a contiguous mainland zone
• UK, Norway, Japan and Canada also maintain zones

Source: aviationdevelopment.org

It added: "Our expectation of operations by US carriers consistent with NOTAMs does not indicate U.S. government acceptance of China's requirements for operating in the newly declared ADIZ."

Japan has instructed its aircraft not to observe China's rules. But a number of regional commercial airlines - including Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Korean Air - have said they will comply.

China announced on Thursday it was deploying warplanes in the area for surveillance and defence.

Then on Friday, Air Force spokesman Col Shen Jinke said warplanes had been scrambled that morning to monitor two US surveillance aircraft and 10 Japanese planes - including early warning aircraft, surveillance aircraft and fighter jets - crossing through the ADIZ.

Col Shen said the jets had tracked the flights and identified the planes, state media reports.

Japanese officials gave no details of the flights, but said they were continuing to conduct routine operations in the region and had encountered no "abnormal instances so far".

Earlier, China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China had a right to patrol the region and that the ADIZ was not aimed at any specific country.

"If some worry has emerged about the situation, it's agitated by some individual countries," he told a regular briefing.

If disputes existed, China wanted to solve them through "peaceful means via friendly negotiation," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that Japan would respond "firmly but in a calm manner" to China's move, the Kyodo news agency reports.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kushida said the issue would be discussed with US Vice-President Joe Biden, who is due to begin a three-day visit to Japan on Monday.

The disputed group of uninhabited islands in the zone are known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in Chinese.

They are controlled by Japan, but have been the subject of rising tensions in recent years because of their proximity to important shipping lanes, fishing grounds and potential fossil fuel reserves.

South Korea has complained to China that the ADIZ also overlaps its own similar defence zone, and encompasses the Ieodo rock.

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