beetroot recipes: Morning Brief: Nelson Mandela Remembered at State Funeral

Morning Brief: Nelson Mandela Remembered at State Funeral

Monday, December 16, 2013

Nelson Mandela Remembered at State Funeral

Top News: Nelson Mandela was buried on Sunday at his ancestral home in Qunu, Eastern Cape, where three of his children are also buried. The ceremony was the culmination of weeks of memorials and celebrations of the country's first black president, who is credited with leading the struggle to end apartheid.

"Whilst your long walk to freedom has ended in the physical sense, our own journey continues," said South African President Jacob Zuma in his eulogy for Mandela. "As you take your final steps, South Africa will continue to rise."

The state funeral for South Africa's former president, who died on Dec. 5 at the age of 95, included fighter jets and a 21-gun salute, and was attended by some 5,000 mourners. Millions watched from home. Over 100,000 people gathered last week in Pretoria for a public viewing of Mandela's coffin, with still more turned away.

A private, traditional burial was held separately, attended by his widow, Graca Machel, Winnie-Madikizela Mandela, and President Zuma.

Jerusalem: Israeli troops shot two Lebanese soldiers on Sunday, killing one, hours after a Lebanese sniper killed an IDF soldier. The exchange of hostilities began when an Israeli master sergeant was driving a military vehicle near the border crossing of Rosh Hanikra and was fired upon, causing the vehicle to overturn -- he died after being taken to a nearby hospital. Israeli troops were placed on "heightened alert," and a patrol shot at two suspects "due to the perceived threat" they posed.

Israeli officials are demanding an explanation for the shooting, but the incident appears to have reached its peak. "It is in nobody's interest for things to escalate but it is our right to defend our border," said an Israeli Army spokesperson. Liaisons from both countries are expected to meet with the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon on Monday.

Asia

China's unmanned Chang'e 3 lander executed the first soft moon landing since 1976 on Saturday, settling in a region known as the Bay of Rainbows. The lander carried the six-wheeled lander "Jade Rabbit," which will execute a three-month scientific mission.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the American threat of full troop withdrawal "brinksmanship," and said he hoped the U.S. would reconsider its position on a proposed security agreement. Karzai has said that he would not sign an agreement that did not end U.S. airstrikes and raids on Afghan homes.
At least 16 people were killed in clashes with police in Xinjiang, in Western China, as tensions with the regions Muslim Uighurs and the government boiled over on Monday. The police were pursuing a suspect, according to regional news reports, and were attacked by a group with knives and explosives -- two police officers were killed along with 14 civilians.

Middle East

The United Nations has asked for $6.5 billion in 2014 to provide aid to victims of Syria's 33-month-old civil war. The figure represents more than half of the $12.9 billion the U.N. plans to spend on emergency relief next year, a sharp uptick from the $1.4 for aid it requested in 2013, and will be spent in Syria and five neighboring countries.
Iran claims to have captured a spy working with Britain's MI6. The head of the revolutionary court in the south-eastern city of Kerman said that the alleged spy had confessed to being in contact with members of the British intelligence service, and was is now on trial.
At least 54 people were killed in Iraq on Monday in a spree of shootings and suicide bombings in the lead up to a Shi'ite religious festival next week.

Europe

Amazon workers in Germany have gone on strike, demanding higher wages and a collective bargaining agreement. German workers have also planned a protest Monday at Amazon's headquarters in Seattle, and further strikes are planned for Tuesday.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters surged to Independence Square in Kiev on Sunday in a new round of protests as the European Union announced that it had suspended talks for a proposed trade agreement that has roiled the country. The suspension was sharply criticized on Monday by Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, who said "the best signal we can give Ukraine is simply that the door is still open."
A French court is investigating whether spying by the Swedish furniture company Ikea broke the law. After it was revealed last month that the company had investigated its workers using private detectives, it has come to light that spying was not limited to employees, but extended to dissatisfied customers.

Americas

Former left-wing Chilean President Michelle Bachelet regained the presidency after winning a run-off election over the weekend. Bachelet, who first held the office from 2006 to 2010, was constitutionally barred for running for a consecutive term -- she won 62 percent of the vote.
Two workers died at the site of Brazil's 2014 World Cup stadium in Manaus, prompting the site's closure and an investigation. One man fell to his death and the other died from a heart attack, which his family claimed was caused by overwork.
The NSA would consider extending amnesty to Edward Snowden in exchange for the return of the stolen documents, according to the official charged with assessing the damage caused by the leaks. The State Department does not support the plan, but NSA official Richard Ledgett told CBS, 'My personal view is, yes, it's worth having a conversation about."

Africa

Non-payment of tuition is threatening the viability of some South African universities. Despite an increase of government financial aid, some universities are seeing as much as a fifth of their billings go unpaid.
Central African Republic interim-President Michel Djotodia has entered into talks with militias, and is considering a possible amnesty in exchange for disarmament. France, which has deployed 1,600 troops to stop the ongoing Muslim-Christian violence, announced Sunday it will ask for help from its European partners.
After a night of gunfire in Juba, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir claims to have put down a coup attempt led by members of the military still loyal to his former deputy Riek Machar.