Egypt Constitution In Effect After 'Yes' Vote

Egyptian voters overwhelmingly approved a constitution drafted by allies of President Mohamed Morsi, despite opposition from liberals, leftists and Christians.

The constitution was adopted with 63.8% of the vote after the referendum held over two days earlier in the month, according to results announced by the elections commission.

However, the final turnout was just 32.9% of Egypt's nearly 52 million voters.

Opposition groups staged mass protests against the draft, complaining that the new constitution could allow Muslim clerics to intervene in the making of legislation, while leaving other religions and women with few protections.

But Mr Morsi and the dominant Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement have insisted that the document provides adequate protection for minorities while providing stability following the uprising that forced former President Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011.

The President signed a decree putting the constitution into affect shortly after the official results.

Murad Ali, a senior official in Mr Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party, said: "I hope all national powers will now start working together now to build a new Egypt.  

"I see this as the best constitution in Egypt's history."

Female protesters cut their hair off to demonstrate their opposition

Immediately after the announcement, a small group of protesters set tyres on fire and blocked traffic near the central Tahrir square, the hub of the uprising against Mubarak.

New parliamentary elections are expected to take place in the coming months with the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies again expected to dominate.

Meanwhile, in a possible sign of the impact that weeks of unrest have taken on the economy, the government ordered new restrictions on foreign currency apparently designed to prevent capital flight. Leaving or entering with more than $10,000 cash is now banned.

The government has criticised the opposition for prolonging the country's economic problems with the weeks of demonstrations against them.

"The main goals that the government is working towards now is plugging the budget deficit, and working on increasing growth to boost employment rates, curb inflation, and increase the competitiveness of Egyptian exports," prime minister Hisham Kandil said.

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Firefighter Ambush Shooting: Killer Left Note

The gunman who ambushed two firefighters as they approached his burning house left a note saying he wanted to torch the neighbourhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people".

Gerald Pickering, police chief in Webster, New York state, said 62-year-old William Spengler armed himself with three weapons and set his house on fire to lure emergency services into a death trap.

Spengler killed two volunteer firefighters - Mike Chiapperini, 43, and 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka - and shot two others before taking his own life in the small town on Monday morning.

Police believe human remains found in the burnt-out home are those of the gunman's 67-year-old sister, Cheryl, who has been missing since the blaze. The remains will be examined before identity is confirmed.

The full contents of the two-page, typed note - which police said does not reveal a motive - have not been published, but Mr Pickering said it clearly shows the killer's "intent".

Victims: Michael Chapperini (left) and Tomasz Kaczowka

One of the guns used was a semi-automatic Bushmaster rifle, the same type of gun used in the December 14 school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. Mr Pickering said Spengler was "equipped to go to war".

Mr Chiapperini's full-time job was as a public information officer with the Webster police department. He was named firefighter of the year for 2012.

Mr Kaczowka worked as an emergency call dispatcher and Mr Pickering described him as "a tremendous young man".

The two injured volunteer firefighters, Joseph Hofstetter and Theodore Scardino, remain in hospital. They are said to be awake and alert and are expected to recover despite suffering "significant" injuries.

Webster is northwest of New York City

Spengler was released from prison in 1998 after serving 17 years for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980.

Authorities have said he lived a quiet life and had done nothing to bring himself to police attention since his parole.

Spengler's mother Arline, who had lived with her two children, died in October, leaving Spengler on his own with his sister whom he "couldn't stand", according to neighbour Roger Vercruysse.

Spengler "stayed on one side of the house and [Cheryl] stayed on the other," Mr Vercruysse said.

Dozens of people turned out on Monday night for an impromptu vigil to mourn the firefighters, leaving bouquets and messages of condolence at the local fire station.

One man left a crate of beer, the local newspaper told Sky News.

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Ben Affleck Quashes Senate Bid Rumours

Hollywood star Ben Affleck has ended rumours he is planning to run for the US Senate, saying he will not stand for John Kerry's seat.

Speculation rose when the actor and director testified before Congress last week about atrocities in Congo.

The appearance at the House Armed Services Committee coincided with the news that Barack Obama had named Massachusetts Senator Mr Kerry as the frontrunner to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

This would have opened up a potential opportunity for Mr Affleck if Mr Kerry was confirmed.

In a CBS interview he refused to deny a potential run for office saying: "One never knows. I'm not one to get into conjecture."

But the Good Will Hunting actor has now quashed the speculation he had any plans to enter politics immediately in a post on his Facebook page.

He said: "I love Massachusetts and our political process, but I am not running for office.

"Right now it's a privilege to spend my time working with Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), supporting our veterans, drawing attention to the great many who go hungry in the US every day and using filmmaking to entertain and foster discussion about issues like our relationship to Iran."

He added that Mr Kerry would make a "great Secretary of State".

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China Opens World's Longest High-Speed Railway

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, in Beijing

The world's longest high speed rail route has opened in China, covering a distance of 1,427 miles (2,298km).

The first passenger train departed from Beijing in the north for Guangzhou on the country's southern coast at 9am local time, with another leaving an hour later.

The line carries new bullet-style trains at speeds of up to 220mph (350kph) and reduces the travel time from 22 hours to just eight hours.

There are 35 stops along the route in major cities spanning the length of the country including Shijiazhuang, capital of the northern Hebei Province; Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan; Wuhan, the capital of the central Hubei Province; and Changsha, in Hunan Province.

The high-speed passenger service is under way

The building cost has not been revealed, but it was built in a fraction of the time it has taken to build the Crossrail system in London, which spans a distance - through new tunnels - of 13 miles (21km) and is not due for completion until 2017, and the new UK High Speed Two (HS2), which is still awaiting the construction green light.

But China does not have the planning regulations required for UK projects and there is not as much concern about the environmental considerations.

China currently has 5,350 miles (8,600km) of operating high-speed railway, more than any other nation in the world.

The plan is to extend the rail network to a staggering 9,950 miles (16,000km) of track by 2015.

The improved and expanded services have lured people away from the growing number of domestic airlines in China.

The line runs from Beijing in the north to Guangzhou in the south

With the Chinese airline industry increasingly suffering from chronic delays because of congested airspace and bad weather, the train is seen by many as a more reliable and cheaper alternative.

In a statement, China's ministry of railways said: "This service marks a significant milestone of our high-speed rail construction.

"It will ease pressure on the rail transport between Beijing and Guangzhou, especially during the peak Chinese New Year holiday."

The new line will compete with the first domestic route used by the Airbus superjumbo, the A380.

China Southern Airlines has operated the double decker A380 between Beijing and Guangzhou for the past year.

The cost of a ticket is higher, but the journey time is just three hours.

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Government Bombing In Northern Syria Kills 20

Shelling in Syria's northern Raqqa Province has killed some 20 people, with at least eight children among the dead, activists say.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has published a video of the aftermath of the bombing.

The video shows rows of blood-stained bodies laid out on blankets, and the sound of crying relatives can be heard in the background.

The shelling hit the village of al Qahtania in Raqqa Province.

"At least 20 people, among them eight children and three women, were killed in shelling by regime forces of farmlands in al Qahtania village, west of the city of Raqqa," the Britain-based watchdog said.

Raqqa Province has seen an escalation of violence in recent months as rebels have launched an assault to seize several areas located on the Turkish border.

It remains unclear when the attack happened.

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Uefa Appeals Own Sanctions For Serbia Game

Uefa is set to appeal against the sanctions its own disciplinary body handed out after the Serbia versus England Under 21 game in October.

The appeal includes the punishments imposed for racist abuse by Serbian supporters.

Serbia was fined £65,000 and their Under 21 team was ordered to play a game behind closed doors.

The punishment for the incidents at the Mladost Stadium in Krusevac on October 16 were criticised for being too lenient.

England player Danny Rose complained he was racially abused by Serbia supporters before, during and after the game.

England scored with the last kick of the match, and fighting broke out between players and officials immediately after the final whistle.

There were also punishments for Steven Caulker and Tom Ince, who received two and one-match bans respectively for their involvement in the brawl.

The FA criticised Uefa for not sending a "strong enough message" after the punishments were handed out.

Uefa said in a statement on its website: "Uefa, via the Uefa disciplinary inspector appointed to the case, has decided to appeal all the sanctions."

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Kickboxer Lee Aldhouse Charged With Murder

A British kickboxer could face the death penalty in Thailand after being charged with murdering an ex-US Marine at a popular holiday resort.

Lee Aldhouse, originally from Birmingham, told media crews he was being mistreated as he was taken to court in Phuket in the south of the country.

Prosecutor Chiengsan Panya said Aldhouse could be facing execution or a lengthy jail sentence.

He told the court: "The prosecutor has decided to proceed with charges against the suspect.

Lee Aldhouse competed in kickboxing fights in Phuket

"According to the law article 288, the suspect can be executed, or serve life in prison, or be imprisoned for 15 years and 20 years."

The 29-year-old is accused of stabbing to death 23-year old Dashawn Longfellow after an argument in a bar on August 14, 2010.

Police launched a manhunt for Aldhouse following the murder and he was arrested four days later at London's Heathrow Airport.

He was flown to Thailand from the UK earlier this month in the first-ever extradition of a criminal suspect from Britain to Thailand.

Victim Dashawn Longfellow had served in Iraq and Afghanistan

Local media said Aldhouse had been living for several years in Phuket and was a semi-professional kickboxer who fought under the nickname 'Pitbull', while Mr Longfellow had also been studying the sport

The victim's mother said her son served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was injured when a roadside bomb exploded under his truck.

He was awarded the Purple Heart for his injury.

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Burma: British Family Of Four Survived Crash

A British family of four was aboard an aircraft packed with tourists which crash-landed in Burma on Christmas Day.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it provided assistance to the family and that they have now left hospital following treatment for minor injuries.

Two people died and 11 were injured when the Air Bagan plane, carrying more than 60 passengers, crashed two miles short of the runway at Heho Airport.

Details of the crash remain unclear, however the airline and officials have blamed heavy fog for the aircraft's crash into a rice paddy field.

The ageing Fokker 100 jet was carrying Christmas tourists from Rangoon to Heho Airport, via Mandalay. The airport is the main gateway to the popular tourist destination Inle Lake.

Survivors of the Christmas Day crash-landing have told of their terror as the plane struck the ground.

The plane crashed in thick fog about two miles short of the runway

"We felt the first bump, then a few big bumps and then (started) sliding very fast," said Anna Bartsch, a 31-year-old Australian advertising executive.

"In my window I saw the flames, and it was hot and we knew straight away we didn't have much time to get out. We didn't know then that the wings had come off," she said.

Air Bagan says the plane's black box will be sent to Singapore for analysis.

The airline has said "the plane hit electrical cables about a mile from Heho Airport as it descended and landed in rice fields".

All fatalities were Burmese citizens, including a man riding a motorcycle where the plane came down, and a tour guide aboard the plane.

The accident has raised concerns about the safety standards of Burma's overburdened airlines, as foreign visitors flock to the country as it emerges from a half-century of military rule.

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Japan: PM Shinzo Abe Lays Out His Priorities

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been laying out his priorities after his election victory was rubber-stamped by parliament.

The veteran named the cabinet he hopes will help him push through the economic revitalization of the country's depressed economy.

His appointment marks an end to three years of liberal administrations and restores power to the conservative, pro-business party that has run Japan for most of the post-World War II era.

Abe, who was PM in 2006-7 before resigning for health reasons, has promised to restore growth to an economy that has struggled for 20 years.

His administration also faces souring relations with China and a debate over whether Japan should wean itself off nuclear energy after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown at the Fukushima atomic power plant.

Abe posed for pictures with his new cabinet

Abe, 58, told reporters before Wednesday's parliamentary vote: "I feel as fresh as the clear sky today."

His new Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declared the country's new leaders a "crisis breakthrough cabinet".

He said: "Disaster reconstructon and economic recovery are our first and foremost tasks."

Abe is expected to push for a 2% inflation target to combat dropping prices and a boost of as much as 10tn yen (£74bn) to public works spending.

In foreign policy, Abe has stressed his desire to make Japan a bigger player on the world stage, a stance that has resonated with many voters who are concerned that their nation is taking a back seat economically and diplomatically to China.

The new PM looked relaxed as he arrived at his official residence

He has said he will support a reinterpretation of Japan's pacifist post-war constitution to loosen the reins on the military, stand up to Beijing over an ongoing territorial dispute and strengthen Tokyo's security alliance with Washington.

His new Cabinet will feature another former prime minister, Taro Aso, as finance minister.

Heading the foreign ministry is Fumio Kishida, an expert on the southern island of Okinawa, where many residents angry over crime and overcrowding want a big reduction in the number of US troops they host - now at about 20,000.

The new defence minister is Itsunori Onodera, who was in Abe's previous administration.

Abe has already named a roster of top party executives that includes two women - more than in previous Liberal Democratic Party administrations - and is younger than earlier ones, with three of the four in their fifties.

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Tornadoes Hit US As Christmas Storms Kill Six

At least six people have died after a major winter storm system swept through the southern US, triggering tornadoes and heavy snowfall.

A driver was killed when a high winds knocked down a tree, crushing his pickup truck and a 53-year-old Louisiana man died after a tree fell on his house.

A 28-year-old woman died after crashing her car on a snowy highway.

Two passengers in Arkansas highway died Wednesday when their car crossed the centre line and struck an SUV head-on; and a 76-year-old Wisconsin woman died Tuesday in Oklahoma in a similar car crash. 

The National Weather Service said a tornado struck Mobile, Alabama, a city with a population of about 200,000. Homes were damaged and power lines and trees were toppled.

Storm clouds head towards the East Coast

Firefighters carried out door-to-door checks in the affected areas but did not find any serious casualties.

A large section of a church roof was missing and the front wall of the parish wall was gone, said Scott Rye, a senior warden at the church in the Midtown section of the city.

Another apparent tornado caused damage in the west Alabama town of Grove Hill, about 80 miles (130km) north of Mobile.

Near McNeill, Mississippi, a likely tornado damaged a dozen homes and sent eight people to the hospital, none with life-threatening injuries, said Pearl River County emergency management agency director Danny Manley.

At least three tornadoes were reported in Texas, although only one building was damaged, according to the National Weather Service.

A man is put in an ambulance after a tornado in Mobile

The storms also contributed to a 21-vehicle pile-up that shut down a major highway in Oklahoma and caused thousands of power cuts.

More than 400 flights nationwide were cancelled by Tuesday evening, according to the flight tracker FlightAware.com. More than half of those were either in or out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which saw several inches of snow.

The snowstorm pushed out of Oklahoma as Christmas Day ended, carrying with it blizzard warnings for parts of northeast Arkansas, where 10 inches (25cm) of snow was forecast.

Freezing rain clung to trees and utility lines in Arkansas and winds gusts up to 30 mph (48kph) whipped them around, causing about 71,000 customers to lose electricity.

Blizzard conditions were also possible for parts of Illinois, Indiana and western Kentucky with predictions of four to seven inches (10 to 17.5cm) of snow.

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