1. South Africans pray for Mandela

    South Africans are praying for the health of former President Nelson Mandela and anxiously awaiting further information about the anti-apartheid* leader after he was admitted to a military hospital on December 9.

    Worshipers gathered at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in the Soweto area of Johannesburg to pray for the 94-year-old icon. The church was a center of anti-apartheid protests and funerals.

    Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 and served one five-year term. He last made a public appearance when his country hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.

    2. Morsi scraps decree after protests

    Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has canceled a decree that gave him sweeping powers and sparked deadly violence, but did not delay this month’s referendum* on a new constitution as his opponents had demanded.

    The announcement that Morsi had scrapped* his November 22 decree followed hours of talks on December 8 at his presidential palace, billed as a “national dialogue” but which was boycotted* by his main opponents and had little credibility among protesters.

    3. Italian PM quiting

    Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president on December 8 he was resigning, saying he could no longer govern after Silvio Berlusconi’s party withdrew crucial* support. It paves the way for early elections a year after the unelected economist helped pull the country back from the brink of financial disaster.

    Only hours earlier, Berlusconi announced he would run for a fourth term as premier, aiming for a dramatic comeback, considering the billionaire media baron quit in disgrace in November 2011.

    4. Rare tornado kills 3 in New Zealand

    An unusually destructive tornado swept through neighborhoods around New Zealand’s largest city on December 6, killing three people and forcing 250 more to evacuate damaged and powerless homes.

    The small tornado hit Hobsonville and Whenuapai, western suburbs of Auckland, during a midday storm that also uprooted trees, damaged buildings and caused flooding that closed roads. The tornado was the country’s deadliest in more than 60 years.

    5. Vienna regarded the ‘best city’

    Austria’s capital offers the best quality of life of any city in the world and Baghdad the worst, according to a survey by consultant group Mercer.

    Vienna, a city of 1.7 million residents, came top of the survey for the fourth year in a row, boasting a vibrant cultural scene alongside comprehensive health care and moderate but rising housing costs. Its opulent* architecture from the time of the Habsburg empire also makes it a magnet for tourists.

    6. U.S. to launch bond buying

    The U.S. Federal Reserve is set to announce a fresh round of Treasury bond purchases when it meets this week, avoiding monetary policy tightening to maintain support for the weak U.S. economy amid uncertainty over the looming* year-end “fiscal cliff.”

    Many economists think the U.S. central bank will announce monthly bond purchases of US$45 billion after its policy gathering on December 4 and 5, signaling it will continue to pump money into the U.S. economy during 2013 in a bid to bring down unemployment.

    7. U.N. aid call for Philippines

    The United Nations sets to launch a global appeal on December 10 for aid for millions of Philippine typhoon victims as the death toll surged past 600, with nearly 800 people still missing.

    U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Luiza Carvalho will outline plans for an immediate aid package as well as long-term support for the southern region of Mindanao, hardest hit by Typhoon Bopha, U.N. spokeswoman Imogen Wall said.(SD-Agencies)