UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has issued a call for all sides in South Sudan to stop attacks on civilians and UN Peace Keepers.

The comment comes as tens of thousands of people have fled their homes, as forces loyal to sacked former vice-president Riek Machar seize major towns.

The Chinese government is also calling for calm, saying it wants to see peace talks take place.

So far, around 45-thousand people are seeking protection at UN compounds in South Sudan.

Both President Salva Kirr and Reik Machar say they're ready to sit down for talks.

 

China reviews bill to ease one-child policy among other key moves

Chinese lawmakers are now deliberating the bill that will allow couples to have two children if either parent is an only child.

The review is part of the NPC Standing Committee's bi-monthly meeting.

It's still unclear when the legislation will be adopted and put into effect.

At the same time, Chinese lawmakers are also reviewing plans to abolish the controversial "re-education through labor system."

 

China "chunyun" train tickets available

Chinese travellers are now able buy train tickets online or by telephone for the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush.

The travel period, known as Chunyun, officially begins on January 16th.

The Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year, is considered the country's most important traditional holiday for family reunions.

It's the busiest time of the year for this country's transportation system. 

This year's Spring Festival begins on January 31st.

 

AK-47 inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov dies at 94

The man who invented the famed AK-47 has died. 

Mikhail Kalashnikov died on Monday in his home city of Izhevsk, an industrial town around 13-hundred kilometers east of Moscow.

He had been struggling with heart problems.

Kalashnikov was 94.

The Soviet-built combat weapon was first constructed in 1947.

It is the world's most widely-used gun in combat situations.

The AK-47 is an amalgamation of plywood and steel which has proved to be the most reliable weapon in the world.

His death comes just hours after the company founded in his name announced plans to upgrade the rifle for a planned increase in exports.

 

Ukrainian president grants amnesty to detained protesters

Ukraine's President has signed off on legislation, granting amnesty to protesters detained amid the pro-European rallies taking place in Kiev.

All protesters detained since the anti-government rallies have broke out on November 21st will be released.

None of them will have the detention on their permanent records.

The legislation was passed by the Ukranian parliament this past week.

Dozens were arrested after security forces launched a wide-spread crackdown on protesters occupying Kiev's Independence Square in late November.

Despite the crackdown, mass demonstrations have continued in Kiev, with protesters demanding the Ukrainian government ally itself with the EU, rather than Russia.

 

27 killed in attacks across Iraq

A series of sectarian attacks have left over 2-dozen dead in Iraq.

Monday's attacks have taken place across the country.

The deadliest incident took place when gunmen broke into the local headqarters of Iraqia Television in Saddam Hussein's former home-town of Tikrit, killing 5 staffers and wounding 3 others.

4 suicide bombers killed themselves in the assault.

Other attacks have also taken place in the restive Sunni-dominated areas in the west of Iraq.

Iraq this year has been embroiled in some of the worst sectarian violence since the height of the anti-US insurgency in 2007.

Over 81-hundred have been killed in the sectarian violence so far this year.

 

Flood kills 20, leaves 40,000 homeless in SE Brazil

Wide-spread flooding in eastern Brazil has left at least 20-dead.

Heavy rains have caused landslides in the eastern states of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais.

Flooding in Espirito Santo has left at least 40-thousand homeless.

Some 6-thousand homes have been wiped out in that state.

A State of Emergency has been declared in a majority of the towns in the state.

Federal officials in Brazil are sending in troops and relief supplies to try to help those affected.

 

Israeli PM says U.S. spying "unacceptable"

Israel's Prime Minister is reportedly set to call an inquiry into reports the NSA has been spying on the country's top leaders.

Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be among those the US National Security Agency is eavesdropping on.

Speaking to MP's in his Likud Party, Netanyahu has described the revelations as "unacceptable."

Word of the spying came amid new revelations by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who last week released new documents showing the NSA and British Intelligence have been intercepting the phone calls of Netanyahu and former Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak.

The Israeli Prime Minister has also made mention of Jonathan Pollard in his talk with his lawmakers.

Pollard is a US citizen who's been incarcerated for the past 35-years for spying for Israel.

 

U.S. consumer sentiment surges to five-month high

U.S. consumer sentiment has surged to a 5-month high this month on better economic assessments and future economic prospects.

A joint survey by Reuters and the University of Michigan shows the final reading of the consumer sentiment index in December rose to 82.5 from 75.1 in November.

At the same time, the US Commerce Department is reporting spending has risen 0.5-percent in November.

This follows a 0.4 percent gain in October. 

The rise is in-line with economists' expectations, and represents the 7th consecutive monthly increase.

Meanwhile, U.S. stocks touched all-time highs as investors gravitated to Apple shares following its tie-up with China Mobile.