With a mix of joyful, mournful and soulful music tens of thousands of South Africans and dozens of world leaders gathered in a huge soccer stadium to celebrate the country's emancipator. Nelson Mandela was remembered as an "incomparable force of leadership."

The heist of the "extremely dangerous" radioactive material, which was later recovered, occurred earlier this week.

Merrill Newman, an 85-year-old veteran of the Korean War who was arrested by authorities in Pyongyang after a tour of the North, reportedly issued an apology for his "hostile acts."

The U.S. and Afghanistan have been at odds over a security agreement that allows U.S. troops to remain in the country past 2014. Hagel also met with leaders of Gulf nations to assure them the U.S. is not abandoning those ties in favor of a nuclear deal with Iran.

The U.S. State Department unveiled a tribute poem written by Dr. Maya Angelou for Mandela "on behalf of the American people."

The cold killed four people in California and an ice storm turned North Texas into a skating rink. More of the same is expected during a second round of storms this weekend.

François Hollande said 1,600 troops would be deployed by the end of the day and they would remain in the country until tensions between Muslim and Christian militias cool.

Newman was deported by North Korea on Friday, days after he appeared on state TV reading an apology for alleged war crimes.

In an in-depth talk at the Saban Forum, President Obama explained his calculations when it came to negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program.

The United States Air Force Band surprised visitors of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington with a joyous performance of holiday classics.