North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, who ruled since 1994, has died, it is understood he has died of a heart attack due to physical and mental over-work, on Saturday 17th December. North Koreans poured into the streets on Monday to mourn the death of their leader, where state media hailed his untested son as the 'Great Successor' of the reclusive state whose atomic weapons ambitions are a major threat to the region. Experts say Kim Jong-un has the intelligence and leadership skills to make him suited to succeed his father. He is reported to have a ruthless streak that analysts say he would need to rule North Korea.

Doctors said the Duke of Edinburgh was likely to have suffered a heart attack which was halted by emergency surgery to unblock a blood vessel. On reaching Papworth Hospital by helicopter, the Duke would have been subjected to an electrocardiogram test by doctors to measure the activity of his heart. Blood samples would have been taken to measure the level of enzymes, with a heightened presence a tell-tale sign of a heart attack as they leak into the bloodstream when heart tissue is damaged.

Russell Brand announced he has filed for divorce from wife, singer Katy Perry after 14 months of marriage, due to irreconciable differences. The couple met in 2008 and married in 2010.

Four bodies were found in a house on Sunday in the Pudsey area of Leeds, as the road was sealed off in order to check for gas or chemical leaks. Police were called to the house as well as forensic teams who led the investigation. Online rumourss spread, suggesting the victims of the tragedy were a family of four including two young sons, later confirmed by police. Detectives investigating the deaths said Clair Smith, 36, and her two sons had been stabbed in the chest. Mrs Smith's husband Richard, 37, died as a result of smoke inhalation. The bodies, including those of Ben, nine, and Aron, one, were found in a bedroom in the house in Sheridan Way. West Yorkshire Police are not looking for anyone else over the deaths.

After months of phone hacking revelations there are still many questions which remain unanswered such as who deleted murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's voicemails, who at the News of the World was involved in hacking, and how much did James Murdoch know and were other newspapers also engaged in such practices. On Wednesday further investigations were held where News Of The World lawyer Tom Crone, held up a copy of the 'For Neville' email which indicated hacking went beyond a 'rogue reporter' during a meeting with James Murdoch, he told the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.


Refernces: The Sun
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BBC news bulletin

A Crown Prosecution Service lawyer is to face disciplinary action for alleged failings over a case involving undercover police officer Mark Kennedy, who had spent seven years underground infiltrating green groups.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has warned that there is a risk of Europe 'disintegrating' if a solution is not found to the eurozone debt crisis at a crucial summit in Brussels tonight. The key proposal on the agenda of the gathering is how to enforce budgetary discipline with automatic penalties for those eurozone nations that overspend. Germany and France are pushing for new European Union treaties, saying stricter fiscal rules should be enshrined there, but Prime Minister David Cameron has come under increased pressure from his own party to promise a referendum on any new EU Treaty designed to save the euro. The prime minister said he would fight for the UK national interest has said that he will block a new European Union treaty if it does not protect UK interests.

References: www.bbcnews.co.uk
The Sun
ITV News Bulletin

Chancellor George Osborne has said public sector pay rises will be capped at 1% for two years, as he lowered growth forecasts for the UK economy. The number of public sector jobs set to be lost by 2017 has also been revised up from 400,000 to 710,000. Borrowing and unemployment are set to be higher than forecast and spending cuts to carry on to 2017, he admitted.

The main story which were covered by many TV broadcasts as well as Radio and the newspapers were the Public sector strikes. Many newspapers and TV reports, reported live from the strikes. Public sector strikes took place on Wedensday across the UK. Tens of thousands of people joined rallies around the UK as a public sector strike over pensions disrupted schools, hospitals and other services. About two-thirds of state schools shut, and thousands of hospital operations were postponed, as unions estimated up to two million people went on strike.

References: www.telegraph.co.uk
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ITV & BBC news bulletins

Thirty-three people are reported to have been killed in the violence over the last week according to morgue officials. The ministry of health said more than 1 500 have been injured in the latest clashes in and around Tahrir Square, the worst bout of violence in Egypt since the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak.Crowds in Tahrir Square have been growing and clashes continuing as night has fallen in the Egyptian capital. Riot police are continuing to fire teargas and casualties continue to be taken to the field hospital Chants have called for the trial or execution of Scaf head Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.

American president, Barack Obama gives two turkeys, named Peace and Liberty in an annual Thanksgiving service at the White House. However, the official national Thanksgiving turkey will be spared the fate of other turkeys across the U.S. who are destined to become the main course of the traditional Thanksgiving meal in millions of American homes.

References: http://www.ntn24.com/news/news/
www.bbcnews.co.uk

To follow on from the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi, the new Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti rings the silver bell to signify the start of his first cabinet meeting, next to predecessor Silvio Berlusconi at the Chigi palace in Rome on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, Mary Wollstonecraft's image was beamed onto the side of the Houses of Parliment as a part of campaign which wants a statue of her to be erected in honor of her contribution to equality and human rights. Campaigners are aiming to raise £240,000 to pay for the statuary on Newington Green, in north London, near the site of Wollstonecraft's former home and the school where the radical 18th-century campaigner taught. They also spent two hours handing out leaflets and promoting the fact that 77 supportive MPs have already signed a petition, including Jeremy Corbyn MP, who masterminded the turning out of the lights overlooking the Thames.

Also this week, American President, Barack Obama announced his country's top priorities in foreign policy now lie in the Asia-Pacific region.


References: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/story
www.bbcnews.co.uk
www.guardian.co.uk
The Sun
ITV News Bulletin

It has been revealed this week  UK Border Agency had been downgrading immigration and visa checks.  The UK government is facing strong criticism following this and the Head of the Border Force, Brodie Clark, resigned over claims that staff were told to relax the checks made on non-EU nationals arriving in the UK. In July 2011, the UKBA began a minister-approved pilot program which resulted in fewer mandatory checks. Allegedly, border officials were then authorised to stop verifying fingerprints in visas given to non-EU nationals and abandon watch lists. Home Office Secretary, Theresa May admitted relaxing border controls on EU passengers.

Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi finally agreed to resign on Tuesday evening, after the country's lower house of parliament approved, by a margin of 380 votes to 26, an urgently-needed package of economic reforms designed to tackle the country's €1.9 trillion debt and revive its sluggish economy . Berlusconi was Italy's longest-serving post-war prime minister, bringing to an end a tumultuous, 17-year political career which was marred by sex scandals, corruption allegations and gaffes on the international stage. There are now fears, however, that Italy will join Greece, Portugal and Ireland in needing a bailout, which would inevitably lead to catastrophe for the eurozone.

Boxing legend and champion, Joe Frazier died earlier this week, 67, of liver cancer. Frazier, also known as Smokin' Joe - had been receiving hospice care in Philadelphia after being diagnosed with cancer several weeks ago. The legendary fighter will be best remembered for being the first man to beat Muhammad Ali in New York in 1971.

Many memorials and services will be held today, as they have been throughout the week to honour the fallen. England captain Frank Lampard spoke about his immense pride of the Three Lions in wearing a poppy to honour the nation's war dead. Millions honoured Britain's fallen on Friday as the nation fell silent on 11.11.2011 at 11am, 93 years after the Armistice ended World War One.


References: www.bbcnews.co.uk
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The Sun
Daily Mirror
BBC & ITV News Bulletin