Trump election: Obama urges Trump to stand up to Russia

US President Barack Obama has urged his successor Donald Trump to stand up to Russia if it deviates from US "values and international norms".

Speaking in Berlin, Mr Obama said he hoped the US president-elect would "not simply take a realpolitik approach" to dealing with Russia.

He also warned against a cyber arms race, saying there was clear proof Russia had engaged in cyber attacks.

Mr Obama was speaking after talks with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The two close allies stressed the need for continued close co-operation between their countries, as well as between the US and EU as a whole.

Mrs Merkel acknowledged that the US had "shouldered most of the burden" of the Nato alliance - a disparity criticised by Donald Trump - and said European countries "must in future... engage more, so that in the long term the imbalance in defence spending is eradicated".

Russian 'meddling'

Mr Obama said he hoped Mr Trump would seek a constructive relationship with Russia, "finding areas... where our values and interests collide".

But he added that he hoped Mr Trump was "willing to stand up to Russia when they deviate from our values and international norms".

This meant, he said, refraining from taking a "realpolitik approach" and cutting deals that could "hurt people or... violate international norms... leave smaller countries vulnerable, or create long-term problems in regions like Syria".

On the issue of cyber attacks, Mr Obama said there was a difference between "Russian intelligence-gathering" and "meddling with elections or going after private organisations or commercial entities".

He said he had "delivered a clear and forceful message that.... we're monitoring it carefully and we will respond appropriately if and when we see this happening".

He also had this warning for young people: "Do not take for granted our systems of government and our way of life... Democracy is hard work."

When Barack Obama came to Berlin in 2008 he was greeted like a rock star.

Hundreds of thousands of cheering Germans turned out for the then presidential candidate and roared their approval of his vision of a new America - one which would be open to, and co-operate with, the rest of the world. His liberal and diplomatic tone struck a chord with many in the excited crowd.

Few here are cheering now.

Mr Obama and Mrs Merkel have had a close working partnership over the last eight years and had warm words for each other. She told reporters "the parting is hard for me", while he called her an "outstanding partner".

Germans are due to go to the polls in the autumn of next year after three consecutive terms in office for Mrs Merkel.

While she has not yet decided whether to stand again, Mr Obama told voters he had appreciated her "integrity, her truthfulness, her thoughtfulness."

During Thursday's talks, the two leaders also discussed the crises in Ukraine and Syria and the fight against so-called Islamic State.

Mr Obama is expected to hold talks with UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the leaders of France, Italy and Spain on Friday, before flying to Peru.

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'Love is flying out of a window': German media reaction

German media have adopted an elegiac tone in their coverage of Mr Obama's visit, noting that the close relationship between the outgoing US president and the German chancellor is unlikely to be repeated with Mr Obama's successor.

Focus Online says these are "gloomy days" for Mrs Merkel, as this is "the last time that she will have Barack Obama at her side as president of the United States. It is doubtful that the chancellor will be able to forge a similarly close relationship with Obama's successor Donald Trump".

Several outlets describe the visit as the final flowering of a political love affair that was at first slow to get going.

Typical of these is Zeit Online, which carries the headline "Merkel and Obama: Late Love" and says: "This is the story of a rapprochement between two opposing politicians. And of how they were finally able to get together. The crucial factor was their shared liberal view of the world."

And in the tabloid Bild, columnist Franz Josef Wagner addresses an open letter to Mr Obama in which he writes: "Saying goodbye is difficult for me. It's as if love is flying out of a window, like a butterfly. After Obama we have Trump, and I am closing the window."

SpaceX aims to launch internet from space

Private rocket firm SpaceX has applied for government permission to launch satellites that will provide global broadband internet access.

In a filing to the US Federal Communications Commission (FFC), it laid out details about its plans for a 4,425-strong satellite network.

It is one of several companies aiming to deploy satellite-based internet services over the next few years.

SpaceX suffered a setback in September when a rocket exploded.

In a statement, the firm said: "Once fully deployed, the SpaceX system will pass over virtually all parts of the Earth's surface and therefore, in principle, have the ability to provide ubiquitous global service."

The satellites would orbit the planet at altitudes ranging from 714 to 823 miles (1,150 to 1,325 km). That is above the International Space Station but below geostationary satellites.

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Analysis - Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent

SpaceX has talked about its telecoms ambitions for a while.

Now, under a deadline to file interest with the FFC, the company has given a moretechnical glimpse of its proposal.

Some 4,425 satellites (plus spares), operating in 83 orbital planes, at altitudes ranging from 689 miles to 823 miles (1,110 km to 1,325 km).

It is understood SpaceX has some prototype satellites it will launch next year, but the actual constellation will not see the light of day until the turn of the decade.

SpaceX is by no means the only group looking to make a pitch in this market. Established satellite communcations big-hitters such as Intelsat (OneWeb), SES (O3B), Telesat and Boeing are at various stages in their own development plans.

It used to be that "constellation" was a dirty word after the initial attempts at building sat phone networks in the 1990s filed for bankruptcy, unable to pay back huge loans. But the wind has changed.

Connectivity drives the global economy and with the coming "internet of things", there is a feeling that these mega-networks in the sky will prove profitable. Not for all, but perhaps for those able to move quick enough and get their constellations launched. And SpaceX's main business is launching satellites.

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Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, announced last year that the service would be "larger than anything that has been talked about to date" adding that it would take about $10bn (£8bn) to get it off the ground.

The latest documents did not include costs.

It suggested that the first 800 satellites would be used to expand internet access in the US, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin islands.

Each satellite, about the size of an average car, not including solar panels, would weigh 850 pounds (386kg), the firm said.

SpaceX rocket launches have been on hold since September following an accident that destroyed a $62m Falcon 9 booster and a $200m Israeli communication satellite. The firm hopes to resume flights next month.

Shakespeare's Tempest gets mixed reality makeover

"Oh brave new world that has such people in it," says Miranda at the end of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

She is referring to the humans but magic is at the heart of the play and at the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre in the bard's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon, technology is playing a big role in bringing that to life.

Hovering above the stage is a blue figure - nicknamed Mushy by the crew - a virtual version of Ariel, Shakespeare's shape-changing sprite.

Lurking in the shadows is cyber-thespian Mark Quartley, speaking the words of Ariel and also controlling the movements of Mushy.                   

He is wearing a motion-capture suit that allows him to dictate the movements of the avatar in real time.

Robert Vaughn, Man from UNCLE actor, dies aged 83

Actor Robert Vaughn, best known as the secret agent Napoleon Solo in The Man from UNCLE, has died aged 83.

Vaughn was also famous for his role as Lee in the Magnificent Seven, and television roles in Hustle and Coronation Street.

The iconic actor died after a battle with acute leukaemia, his manager, Matthew Sullivan, told the BBC.

Vaughn died in New York on Friday morning surrounded by his family, he said.

• The suave, debonair and impeccably dressed star

David McCallum, from the hit TV show NCIS, who as Illya Kuryakin starred alongside Vaughn in The Man From UNCLE, told TVLine.com he was "utterly devastated" by the news.

"Robert and I worked together for many years and losing him is like losing a part of me. My deepest sympathies go out to Linda and the Vaughn family," he said.

Vaughn, who was "a few months shy of 84" had been seeking treatment for his leukaemia, Mr Sullivan said.

"He was a great human being. I enjoyed every day of working with him," he said.

Vaughn had only recently finished two projects - an appearance on Law and Order: SVU, and a starring role in the upcoming film Gold Star, about a young woman caring for her dying father.

Famous films Vaughn worked on included Bullitt and Towering Inferno, both with Steve McQueen, and he took the role of the villain in Superman III.

He was also well-known in Britain for his 1970s appearance as Harry Rule in the ITV series, The Protectors.

The plot featured three wealthy individuals getting together each week, usually in exotic locations, to solve crimes and protect the innocent.

Though extremely popular, it was later described by Vaughn in his autobiography as "tasteless junk".

Decades later, he would have another hit UK series with Hustle, a BBC series in which he played elderly con man Albert Stroller, responsible for setting up potential targets for a younger generation of grifters.

He is survived by his wife Linda and two children, Cassidy and Caitlin Vaughn.

On social media, fans paid tribute to his work.

"Robert Vaughn, such a fine actor, one of the best Columbo villains (no higher praise than that) and an utterly charming man," tweeted Stephen Fry.

Actor Jon Donahue said: "As an 80s kid, I grew up with Superman III... Robert Vaughn was a badass!" referencing Vaughn's role as Superman's nemesis.

Gavin Free, creator of the YouTube series The Slow Mo Guys paid tribute to Vaughn's work ethic. "I got to work with him on Hustle five years ago. He did his own slow mo stunts that day while in his late 70s," he wrote.

Fellow fictional secret agent, Sir Roger Moore, whose incarnation of James Bond came several years after The Man From UNCLE, said he was sorry to hear the news.

'Crazy' to say Facebook helped Trump win - Zuckerberg

Facing criticism that fake news on Facebook aided the rise of Donald Trump, founder Mark Zuckerberg has strongly defended his network.

Speaking on stage at Techonomy, a technology conference in California, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook should not be held responsible.

"The idea that fake news on Facebook influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea," he said.

"If you believe that then I don't think you have internalised the message Trump supporters are trying to send in this election."

Some data has shown that fake stories were being far more widely shared on the platform than follow up stories debunking the claims.

Can social media predict election results?

For an increasing number of people, particularly Americans, Facebook is becoming the primary source of news coverage.

The site's News Feed is specifically designed to show users content it thinks will be of most interest, creating what some describe as a "filter bubble" that reinforces a person's view without injecting differences in opinion.

'Work to do'

Earlier this year, Facebook was accused of being anti-Trump after it was alleged its human moderators were favouring liberal stories appearing in people's "trending stories" box.

While denying that claim, the site did sack its human team, instead relying solely on an algorithm to determine which stories were shown to be most popular.

As a consequence, stories which were later proved entirely false appeared on the timelines of a large number of users.

When asked about checks and balances needed to keep a company like Facebook in line, Mr Zuckerberg said it was about "listening to what people want".

"My goal, and what I care about, is giving people the power to share so we can make the world more open and connected. That requires building a good version of News Feed. We still have work to do on that. We’re going to keep improving it.

"On the community guidelines, I think as norms change and people want to see more news, I think we'll have to continue to evolve the guidelines to reflect the value that the community holds."

At the same event, Mr Zuckerberg offered an optimistic view of Mr Trump's presidency, saying that his goals of improving global healthcare and connectivity did not necessarily require the co-operation of government.