Music School Helping Soweto Children At Risk

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent

A South African music school set up by a British woman to help the poorest children in Soweto is in danger of closing down because of lack of funds.

Buskaid, a charity, has helped thousands of poor children discover classically focused music in the former township.

Some have gone on to win scholarships at some of Britain's finest music institutions, such as the Royal Academy of Music.

A British viola player named Rosemary Nalden started Buskaid in the 90s. Its aim was to give disadvantaged young people in Soweto a better life through music.

Cecilia Manyama is now one of their leading lights. She has been at the school for 12 years and is now one of their leading violin players and singers.

For Cecilia, it meant a way out of poverty and a glimpse of a life she could only dream of before. She played to international audiences and now has a solid job playing in the Buskaid Ensemble and teaching other young students.

Life is still tough for many in the former South Africa township

Ms Nalden said: "I want to show them they can actually have a life through music, that they can earn a living as well as enjoy it."

Soweto has come a long way from the apartheid years when racial segregation meant the township was a by-word for poverty and crime.

But life is still tough for youngsters in a country where one in four South Africans is out of work. Pule Lekarapa was headed for a life of crime before Buskaid took him on.

He said: "I have no idea where I would be without Buskaid. I would be doing something terrible, that's for certain."

Instead though, at the relatively old age of 16 he turned up on the doorstep of Buskaid wanting to learn a musical instrument.

He now plays and teaches the double bass.

He added: "I love it, I really do and I am so grateful to Rosemary for giving me this chance to do this and have this life."

It gives the young people a purpose, a focus and a direction which they would not otherwise have.

The charity gives people a chance of a better life through music

We followed 10-year-old Solly home to his house around the corner from the Academy, which is in Deipkloof.

"He's here day in and day out," said Ms Nalden. "[He's] absolutely fanatical about his playing and determined to do something with his life."

Solly walks past groups of children skipping on the street or sitting on doorsteps, his violin case firmly in his hand.

He is going home to practise after spending most of the day at the Academy. His grandmother looks on proudly as he puts the violin through its paces.

But Solly's future and that of Buskaid is seriously under threat  because of lack of funds.

Ms Nalden said: "In a nutshell, we risk going under before the end of next year unless someone or people come forward to help us."

The charity not only pays for the children to receive lessons and the upkeep of the music school but it also funds two or three students to travel to England every year to study music.

And that involves even paying the £18,000 tuition fees if they feel the student is talented enough.

In a country with startling statistics like more than 70% of black South African children live in low-income households, Buskaid has been their hope, a chance of a future.

And that, Ms Nalden, insists, has got to be worth fighting for.

:: Find out more about Buskaid and make a donation

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School Shooting: Tributes To British Victim

The family of a six-year-old British boy killed in the Sandy Hook shootings have paid tribute to their "joyous" son at his funeral.

Dylan Hockley was one of 20 children shot dead by gunman Adam Lanza at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, last Friday.

The little boy died in the arms of his favourite teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who was also killed in the shooting.

Mother Nicole Hockley told the congregation at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, Connecticut, that Dylan - who had a form of autism that hindered his language development - would flap his arms when he got excited.

When she asked him why, he replied: "Because I am a beautiful butterfly."

Hundreds of family and friends filled the church to commemorate Dylan's life.

Purple and white balloons were released at the end of the funeral to symbolise the 20 children and six adults killed at Sandy Hook school. Purple was Dylan's favourite colour.

He was born in Hampshire to a British father and American mother - Ian and Nicole Hockley - and the family moved to Newtown two years ago.

They praised staff at the school including headteacher Dawn Hochsprung and teacher Vicki Soto, who have been hailed as heroes as they tried to protect pupils from the gunman. Both women died in the attack.

A statement from the family after his death read: "Everyone who met Dylan fell in love with him. His beaming smile would light up any room and his laugh was the sweetest music.

"There are no words that can express our feeling of loss. We will always be a family of four, as though Dylan is no longer physically with us, he is forever in our hearts and minds.

"We love you Mister D, our special gorgeous angel."

It comes after America's leading gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, called for armed guards to be placed in schools to prevent shootings.

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Gun Control: Celebrities 'Demand A Plan'

Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and other celebrities are asking American leaders to stop gun violence in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Among the entertainers making an appearance in the minute-and-a-half-long Public Service Announcement are Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Reese Witherspoon, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Will Ferrell and Julianne Moore.

The black-and-white video begins with the celebrities recalling shootings including Columbine in 1999, Virginia Tech in 2007 and Aurora this year.

"How many more? How many more colleges? How many more classrooms? How many more movie theatres?" they ask, saying a few words each.

"Enough."

"Demand a Plan," they urge their fellow citizens. "As An American, as a human being, for the children of Sandy Hook.

"It's time for our leaders to act."

The celebrities' video was released just hours after the National Rifle Association called for armed security officers at every school in the US.

President Barack Obama has vowed to press for tighter gun laws early next year.

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India: Tear Gas Fired At Gang Rape Protesters

Indian police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters who were demanding justice and safety for women following the brutal gang rape of a student on a bus.

Thousands of demonstrators in New Delhi surged towards the president's palace chanting "we want justice" and carrying banners reading "hang them now".

Clashes between the protesters and riot police erupted when a group tried to break through barricades and some started throwing stones.

The police responded by opening fire on the crowds with gas and water, and using batons to try to control the masses.

It is the sixth day of protests in the wake of the attack on the 23-year-old physiotherapy student and her 28-year-old male companion by six drunk men on a bus.

They took it in turns to rape her and attack her with an iron rod, causing serious intestinal injuries, before throwing her off the bus.

The men claimed it was her punishment for being out in the evening with a man.

The woman is still battling for her life in a New Delhi hospital but her story has sparked massive demonstrations in a country where rape is the fastest rising crime.

There have been six days of protests since the brutal rape of a student

The number of rape cases in New Delhi alone has risen 17% from 2011 to 661 this year, according to government figures.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesman for the main national opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said New Delhi "is becoming the rape capital" of India.

He urged the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, "to please respond to the deep sense of pain, agony and concern of the young people".

Experts say a combination of abusive sexual behaviour and a scant fear of the law because of the woefully low conviction rate, encourage such attacks in the city, which has a population of 19 million.

The government has appealed for calm and has said it will press for life sentences for the woman's six attackers, pay her medical bills and improve policing.

Junior home minister R.P.N. Singh told India's CNN-IBN television network: "The government is trying to do whatever it can to take measures and make sure that women are safe in the country."

Doctors at the hospital where the woman is being treated said in a statement she is in a critical but stable condition and had been removed from a ventilator.

Five suspects were arrested soon after the attack, which happened on Sunday, and a sixth was taken into custody on Friday.

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British Boy Dies Hiking In Australian Bush

A 14-year-old Scottish boy has reportedly died from heat exhaustion after collapsing during a hike with his father in Western Australia.

Local news reports have quoted police as saying the two were hiking in the Cape Range National Park, south of Exmouth, on Friday when the boy collapsed to the ground.

Police say the father and son were not carrying a great deal of water, according to Australian TV ABC.

Temperatures in the region were well above 40C (104 degrees Fahrenheit) at the time, police said, urging tourists to carry plenty of water when hiking in such conditions.

The boy's father called emergency services, and police located the pair around 700 metres down a gully and not far from a car park, according to the reports.

The boy was treated on the track before being transferred to Exmouth Hospital, where he later died.

The boy's father is a 49-year-old man from Geraldton, in Western Australia's mid-west, the reports said.

A police spokeswoman told The West Australian: "It is a known path and bush track.

"They were not lost. It is not suspicious. It is just a tragic accident."

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Gavin Mooney: British Economist Beaten To Death

An eminent British economist and his wife have been murdered at their home in Australia.

Professor Gavin Mooney, 69, and Dr Delys Weston, 62, were found at the property in Tasmania on Wednesday and are thought to have been bludgeoned to death.

The retired Briton was previously the director of the Social and Public Health Economics Research Group in Australia and held a number of senior positions at universities in the country.

He was born in Glasgow in 1943 and graduated from the University of Edinburgh before embarking on a career that saw him hold academic positions in the UK, Denmark and Australia.

He moved to Australia permanently in 1993.

Australian health minister Tanya Plibersek said the deaths were a "tragic loss for the health community, both in Australia and internationally".

She said: "Professor Mooney was a fearless advocate for social justice, and in particular the role of citizen juries, leading debates on the importance of consumers in determining how their health resources are allocated.

"Described as 'one of the founding fathers of health economics', his research was driven by real world challenge and geared towards identifying practical solutions.

"He was an inspiring teacher and supervisor, which when coupled with his extensive publication record, will ensure his legacy persists."

Australian media reports claimed Dr Weston's son has been charged in connection with the deaths and is expected to appear in court in the New Year.

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Pennsylvania Shootings: Gunman Kills Three

Police in Pennsylvania are investigating why a man shot dead three people, including a woman decorating a church hall for a children's Christmas party.

The gunman opened fire on a rural road in Frankstown Township on Friday and was killed in a shoot-out with state troopers after crashing his car into one of their vehicles.

Three officers were injured, including one who was shot in the wrist and chest.

Investigators examined five crime scenes within a 1.5-mile radius as they searched for a motive for the attacks.

The suspect was shot dead after firing at police in Frankstown Township

Trooper David McGarvey, a state police spokesman, said: "We don't believe it was a domestic dispute but we also don't know a motive, because the shooter was not related to any of the victims."

Shortly after shooting a woman at Juniata Valley Gospel Church, the gunman killed two men at their respective homes before leaving the area in his pick-up truck.

He was shot dead after opening fire at two police cars heading to the scene of one of the shootings and crashing his vehicle head-on into a third patrol cruiser.

The violence unfolded as many Americans observed a moment of silence for the 20 children and six adults shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

The victims of the Pennsylvania shootings, which are not thought to be connected to events in Connecticut a week ago, have not yet been identified.

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Vatican Leaks: Pope Pardons Jailed Butler

Pope Benedict XVI has granted a Christmas pardon to his former butler, who was convicted and jailed in the VatiLeaks scandal.

The Pope visited Paolo Gabriele in the Vatican police barracks to tell him personally of the pardon, the Vatican said.

Gabriele, a 46-year-old father of three, was subsequently freed and has returned to his family.

The Holy See said it "intends to offer him the possibility to serenely restart his life together with his family", but added the man would no longer live or work at the Vatican.

The Vatican spokesman described the Pontiff's meeting with his former butler as "intense" and "personal".

Gabriele was at the centre of one of the gravest Vatican security breaches in recent times.

The scandal bore all the hallmarks of a Dan Brown novel, exposing intrigue, power struggle and allegations of corruption inside the frescoed Vatican walls.

Gabriele was at the Pope's service for years

Gabriele was arrested on May 23 after Vatican police found heaps of papal documents in his Vatican City apartment.

On October 6 he was convicted by a Vatican tribunal of stealing the Pope's private papers and leaking sensitive documents that alleged corruption in the Holy See.

He had been serving his 18-month sentence in the Vatican police barracks.

Gabriele told investigators he had given the documents to a journalist because he thought that exposing the "evil and corruption" in the Vatican would put the Roman Catholic Church back on the right track.

The start of the trial in a Vatican courtroom in September

The scandal turned into a major embarrassment for Benedict's pontificate and came to be known in the media as "VatiLeaks".

The Pope also pardoned a second Vatican employee, Claudio Sciarpelletti, who was convicted of aiding Gabriele.

The papal pardon had been expected.

In 1981, the late Pope John Paul II famously pardoned Turkish hitman Ali Agca, who tried to kill him in St Peter's Square. The Pope later met Agca in prison.

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Egypt: Polls Open In Vote On New Constitution

Egyptians have begun voting in the second and final phase of a referendum on an Islamist-backed constitution.

Supporters of President Mohamed Morsi say the constitution is vital to restoring stability and moving the country towards democracy two years after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in a popular uprising.

Critics say the document is divisive as it favours Mr Morsi's Islamist allies and ignores the rights of Christians and women.

Egypt has been in turmoil for about four weeks, with protests over the president's powers and the draft constitution.

The latest street violence took place on Friday, when supporters and opponents of the president clashed in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.

Dozens were hurt.

The vote is taking place in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces with about 25 million eligible voters.

Cars and buses were set ablaze in the clashes in Alexandria

The first phase on December 15 produced a "yes" majority of about 56% with a turnout of some 32%, according to unofficial results.

The opposition has alleged abuses, and called for a re-vote of the first stage.

But the committee overseeing the referendum said their investigation had turned up no major irregularities.

Polling stations close at 7 pm (1700 GMT) but, with long queues forming at some stations, voting could be extended, as it was last week.

Unofficial tallies are likely to emerge within hours of the close, but the referendum committee may not declare an official result for the two rounds until Monday, after hearing appeals.

If the constitution is adopted, a parliamentary election will be held in about two months.

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Winter Storm Kills Eight And Disrupts Travel

A winter storm has killed eight people and caused travel misery as it sweeps across the United States.

The powerful weather system, which dumped more than half a metre of snow in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri earlier this week, has been moving steadily eastwards towards New England, where it is expected to arrive on Saturday.

More than 30cm of rain are likely in northeastern states, with several feet of snow set to fall over higher ground.

Driving conditions were so dangerous, the National Weather Service urged people to travel only in an emergency.

"Strong winds will cause blowing and drifting, causing near blizzard conditions," it warned.

A woman shovels snow from a sidewalk in Baraboo, Wisconsin

Earlier this week in Iowa, a 25-vehicle crash on a major highway left two people dead and seven injured. Emergency crews brought food and water to motorists left stranded in the cars.

In neighbouring Wisconsin, two people died when their car slid into a lorry, while an ambulance transporting a woman in labour became stranded in snow. A second ambulance sent to help was also caught out by the weather, so a third was dispatched behind a snowplough to get the woman to hospital.

Further west in Utah, a woman whose car got stuck on an isolated road died of exposure after walking to find help, while in Nebraska and Kansas, three people were killed in separate crashes.

On Friday - the busiest travel day of the year - skies were clear in Chicago, where 270,000 people were expected to pass through airports.

However, high winds in New York and San Francisco grounded nearly 500 flights.

Meanwhile, another storm is raging in northern California and Oregon. The National Weather Service said heavy snow is possible as far west as Montana, Wyoming and Colorado by Christmas Eve.

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