AirAsia bodies returned to airport

31 December 2014 Last updated at 10:57

The first two bodies from the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crash have arrived back in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, where relatives are waiting.

Next of kin have been asked for DNA samples to help identify the victims.

The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people from Surabaya to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday and remains were located in the sea on Tuesday.

The authorities say seven bodies have been retrieved, but bad weather is hampering further salvage efforts.

A public memorial will be held in Surabaya on Wednesday evening local time, and the governor of East Java province has told the BBC that all New Year's Eve celebrations have been cancelled.

On board the plane were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew.

It is not yet clear what happened to the plane but its last communication was a request from air traffic control to climb to avoid bad weather. The pilot did not respond when given permission.

A three-day search culminated on Tuesday with the discovery of remains including aircraft parts, luggage and the bodies in the Karimata Strait, south-west of the town of Pangkalan Bun in the Indonesian part of Borneo.

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said it had now been narrowed, with all assets involved in the search being moved to two areas where the aircraft could be.

Wind and rain

The bodies were flown to Surabaya's Juanda airport on Wednesday afternoon from a hospital in Pangkalan Bun, where they had been sent from the crash site.

Another five bodies are reported to be on board a ship on their way to a harbour near Pangkalan Bun.

Four of the seven bodies are male and three female, one of them a flight attendant.

One search and rescue agency official, Tatang Zaenudin, said one of the bodies was wearing a life jacket but this has not been confirmed.

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Pilot's friend: "He was very professional and experienced and a humble man"

But strong winds and 2m waves have slowed down the recovery of bodies and debris, with helicopters mostly grounded and divers prevented from searching the waters.

Ships already in place are continuing the search. Mr Fernandes said they were expecting to operate round the clock.

The weather is forecast to deteriorate further, with heavy rains until Friday.

Next of kin of passengers and crew have been asked for DNA samples to help identify the bodies when they come in.

The BBC's Alice Budisatrijo in Surabaya says concerns are growing that the remains will be too difficult to identify after more than three days in the water.

Officials in Surabaya said a public announcement would be made as soon as any remains were identified.

On Tuesday Indonesian President Joko Widodo promised a "massive search by the ships and helicopters" with the focus on recovering the bodies.

The call came hours after the first debris was spotted in the sea, along with a shadow under the water.

However, Mr Fernandes described reports that a large object had been detected by sonar as speculation.

"[The searchers] feel more comfortable that they are beginning to know where it is, but there is no confirmation... no sonar... some visual identification, but nothing confirmed," he said.

The Associated Press news agency quoted one official as saying the bodies of victims could end up being washed up on beaches.

"It seems all the wreckage found has drifted more than 50km from yesterday's location," Vice Air Marshal Sunarbowo Sandi said.

Pictures of debris and bodies were shown on Indonesian TV to distraught relatives waiting at Surabaya's Juanda international airport.

Those watching the pictures were visibly shocked, with some collapsing.

The search is being led by Indonesia but is a multinational effort. Singapore has sent ships equipped with sensors to detect pings that may be emitted from the plane's black boxes.

Malaysia, Australia and Thailand are also involved, while the US destroyer USS Sampson has been sent to the zone.

AirAsia previously had an excellent safety record and there were no fatal accidents involving its aircraft.

Are you, or is someone you know, affected by this story? Do you know any of the passengers on the AirAsia flight? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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Eight dead in Canadian 'mass murder'

31 December 2014 Last updated at 05:15

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As Ben Bland reports, police say the handgun was legally owned, but reported stolen

Seven adults and two children have been found dead in the Canadian city of Edmonton after a man carried out what police called a "senseless mass murder" linked to "extreme domestic violence".

The gunman is believed to have killed himself after the murders. Police are not looking for any other suspects.

The incident unfolded in three different locations in Edmonton, in the western province of Alberta.

Seven bodies were found in the same house, police chief Rod Knecht said.

Two "very young" children are among the dead, Mr Knecht said.

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Edmonton City Police Chief Rod Knecht: "It is a tragic day for Edmonton... as we all come to terms with the senseless mass murder of eight people''

He said it was the worst mass killing in Edmonton since six people were killed in 1956.

"It appears to be an extreme case of domestic violence gone awry," he told a press conference, describing the killings as "planned and deliberate".

"This series of events are not believed to be random acts, and there is no risk to the broader public. These events do not appear to be gang-related, but rather tragic incidents of domestic violence."

Police say that the gunman used a stolen 9mm handgun and later killed himself at a restaurant north of Edmonton. They have only released the names of one of the victims and have not detailed the relationship between the shooter and his victims.

Mr Knecht said that the man who committed suicide had a criminal record going back to 1987.

'Depressed man'

Police discovered the body of a woman, Cyndi Duong, 37, at a house in south Edmonton at 18:00 local time on Monday (01:00 GMT Tuesday), he said.

They later responded to reports of a despondent and depressed man at an address in north Edmonton at around 20:30 but were unable to find him.

But when they returned at about midnight after receiving new information they found seven bodies - three women, two men and two children.

Mr Knecht said that the house where the seven bodies were discovered presented his officers with a "horrific and chaotic" scene - the worst crime he had dealt with in 39 years of policing.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, they found a body matching the description of the suicidal male at a restaurant 25 miles (40km) north-east of Edmonton.

He said police would not be releasing the names of all the victims or the killer yet.

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Migrant freighter docks in Italy

31 December 2014 Last updated at 06:09

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James Reynolds reports from Brindisi: "Still don't know where the crew is"

A cargo ship said to be carrying 700 clandestine migrants which was taken under Italian control at sea has docked in the Italian port of Gallipoli.

The Blue Sky M had apparently been abandoned by its crew and at one point seemed to be heading directly towards the Italian coast on autopilot.

Reports suggest Syrians and Kurds are among those aboard the ship.

Photos posted by the local Italian Red Cross show the ship in port with people crowding a deck.

Ambulance crews stood waiting as the ship docked in the early hours of New Year's Eve amid unconfirmed reports that people on the ship were suffering frostbite.

An eyewitness in Gallipoli, local man Gilberto Busti, told the BBC World Service he had seen hundreds of people - who he thought could be Syrian and Kurdish refugees - disembarking from the vessel.

Mr Busti said he had heard reports that some of those on board might be dead.

"I saw the ship arrive and the coaches that carried off the migrants," he said.

"I saw the police and the Red Cross that set up the tents. I have a friend in civil protection who told me that there were about 800 to 900 people inside the ship. We can't confirm that there are dead people inside but my friend told me that there were about four or five dead people."

Italy has had to deal with a massive surge in migrants - many of them from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa - setting off on boats with hopes of reaching Europe.

The most common sea route for the clandestine voyages has been from Libya but this ship is said to have started in Turkey. It is also unusual to find a vessel of this size carrying migrants.

People traffickers who organise the crossings often abandon the vessels at sea to avoid arrest.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, has warned that his agency will face enormous shortages in 2015 as it struggles to deal with what he called a staggering escalation of humanitarian needs across the globe.

Mr Guterres said his organisation might not be able to deliver even the minimum level of assistance needed for many refugees to survive.

'Disaster averted'

The Blue Sky is listed as a general cargo ship, flying under a Moldovan flag.

Italian coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini was quoted by AP news agency as saying the Italians had averted a disaster by interrupting the programmed route that would have had the ship crash into the shore.

Greek officials were first alerted to the ship when it was near Corfu.

A man aboard is reported to have asked for food, water and blankets. The distress call to Greek emergency services prompted the navy to send a helicopter and a warship.

The Greek authorities said no-one aboard the vessel was in danger.

The Blue Sky M was reportedly heading for the port of Rijeka in Croatia from Turkey.

According to tracking website MarineTraffic, the ship abruptly changed direction south of Othonoi on Tuesday morning, heading west towards Italy.

Weather conditions in the Ionian sea have been poor for several days, hampering the rescue of those on board the Norman Atlantic ferry which caught fire in the area, killing at least 10 people.

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World starts new year celebrations

31 December 2014 Last updated at 11:00

Revellers across the globe have gathered to welcome in the new year, with New Zealand and Australia leading the celebrations.

A giant clock in Auckland's Sky Tower counted down the minutes until midnight (11:00 GMT), when fireworks erupted.

Up to 1.5m people have lined the shores of Sydney harbour in preparation for the city's famous firework display.

Celebration plans have been muted in Indonesia, however, in the wake of the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crash.

In Brazil, more than one million people will join the crowds on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, while New Yorkers will watch the city lower its trademark crystal ball over Times Square.

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Putin critic gets suspended sentence

30 December 2014 Last updated at 11:10

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Steve Rosenberg reports from the court on the unexpected verdict

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has avoided jail after being convicted in a high-profile fraud case.

Navalny was given a suspended prison sentence of three-and-a-half years for defrauding two firms.

But his brother Oleg is facing a three-and-a-half year custodial sentence.

Navalny has consistently said the charges were politically motivated. He accused President Vladimir Putin's government of targeting the relatives of his opponents.

The brothers were convicted of stealing 30m roubles (£334,600; $518,100) from the firms, one of which is an affiliate of French cosmetics giant Yves Rocher.

They have also been fined 500,000 roubles (£5,460; $9,030) each and have been ordered to pay some 4m roubles in damages.

In court - Steve Rosenberg, Moscow correspondent

Alexei Navalny is the opposition figure the Kremlin fears most. A charismatic anti-corruption campaigner turned political activist and a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin.

The case against him was widely seen as politically motivated. And because his brother was also on trial he had accused the authorities of trying to take his family members hostage to get at him.

Both men were found guilty of embezzling money, but while Alexei was given a suspended sentence his brother was sent to jail.

Alexei Navalny was visibly shocked: "Why are you jailing him?" he shouted at the judge. "Just to punish me even harder?"

On leaving the courthouse, Navalny accused the authorities of torturing and destroying the relatives of their political opponents. The regime, he said, must be destroyed.

'Political pressure'

Prosecutors had demanded 10 years in prison for Alexei Navalny and eight years for his brother Oleg.

Navalny denounced the verdict as political "pressure". He tweeted in Russian: "Of all of the possible types of sentence, this is the meanest."

His lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, said that the sentence was the "worst moral torment" that could have been given.

Navalny led mass protests against Mr Putin's government in 2011 and 2012.

Some of his opponents criticised the brothers' sentences as too light and said prosecutors should launch an appeal.

Mikhail Markelov, a prominent MP from Putin's United Russia party, told Tass news agency: "Everything should be done to achieve reconsideration of this sentence."

Tuesday's verdict is the latest in a series of criminal cases against Navalny, which he says are fabricated to neutralise his influence.

In 2013 he came second in Moscow's mayoral election, supported by 27% of voters.

Mr Navalny is already under house arrest, serving a five-year suspended sentence for the alleged theft of 16m roubles from a timber firm in 2009.

The latest verdict was due to have been announced next month, but the court session was moved forward to Tuesday after thousands of his supporters announced plans for a big protest rally on 15 January.

After sentencing Navalny called on his supporters to "take to the streets today". Navalny himself is not allowed to attend the protest as he remains under house arrest.

Thousands have already said on Facebook that they plan to attend a rally in Moscow's Manezh Square, near the Kremlin, at 19:00 (16:00 GMT).

Media silence - by Stephen Ennis, BBC Monitoring

Kremlin-controlled TV channels have almost completely ignored the verdict in their main news bulletins, largely confining mentions of the anti-corruption campaigner and his co-defendant and brother to their specialist crime shows.

On Tuesday morning there was an almost complete TV news blackout on the sentences, with only the small liberal channel Dozhd and business channel RBK giving them prominence.

On social media, though, there has been a flood of anger and outrage, with many users accusing the authorities of taking Oleg Navalny "hostage". One user likened his sentencing to the reprisals taken against the family of terror suspects in Chechnya.

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Albania seamen die in ferry recovery

30 December 2014 Last updated at 10:43

Two Albanian seamen have been killed on a tugboat while towing the fire-stricken Norman Atlantic ferry.

Both men died after a connecting cable between the vessels snapped on Tuesday morning after it became entangled in a propeller, Albanian officials say.

Ten people were killed and more than 400 rescued, after a fire broke out on the ferry in stormy seas on Sunday.

It is unclear how many passengers are still missing. The cause of the fire on the car deck is unknown.

The Italian authorities said they could not verify the actual number of people originally on board and rescuers are still searching the vessel.

The operator said 478 people had been on the ferry when it left the Greek port of Patras for Ancona in Italy, but Italy's final tally following the rescue comes to only 437, including those who died.

The BBC's James Reynolds in the Italian port of Brindisi says that Tuesday's tugboat accident underlines the many difficulties faced in this recovery operation.

An Albanian port authority official in Vlore told Reuters news agency that the two seamen had been hit by the broken cable.

"One man died on the spot when one cable broke after it got stuck in the propeller," the official said. "The other died on board a few minutes ago when being assisted by a helicopter medical team."

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Heavy shooting in Gambian capital

30 December 2014 Last updated at 10:49

Heavy gunfire has erupted near the presidential palace in The Gambia's capital, Banjul, reports say.

Details are sketchy but witnesses say soldiers from the presidential guard were behind the attack, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reports.

The fighting was reported while President Yahya Jammeh is on a visit to France.

Mr Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 and his critics accuse him of ruling with an iron-hand.

The deputy of The Gambia's National Intelligence Agency, Louis Gomez refused to comment on the shooting, AP reports.

The tiny West African state, with its sandy beaches, is a popular tourist destination.

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Forty bodies found in plane search

30 December 2014 Last updated at 11:17

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Searchers think they have found the debris site from flight QZ8501

At least 40 bodies have been recovered from the sea in the search for missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501, the Indonesian navy says.

The bodies were spotted along with debris floating in the Java Sea off the Indonesian part of Borneo, in one of the search zones for the plane.

There has been no official confirmation that the remains come from the plane.

The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday.

The search operation is now in its third day, with the area widened to cover 13 zones over land and sea.

In a separate development, there were reports of a second incident involving an AirAsia plane at Kalibo in the central Philippines. The reports said the plane overshot the runway.

Rescuers 'busy'

During a news conference by the head of the search operation, shown live on Indonesian TV, pictures of the debris were shown including a body floating on the water.

Relatives of passengers on the plane watching the pictures were visibly shocked.

Later, the Indonesian navy reported that 40 bodies had been retrieved by one warship.

Its spokesman said the rescuers were continuing to recover bodies and were "very busy now".

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted to the families: "My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ 8501. On behalf of AirAsia my condolences."

At the scene: Alice Budisatrijo, BBC News, Surabaya

They had been hoping for a miracle, but in the end they had to watch the worst possible news.

Relatives of the passengers screamed and wailed as local television networks showed pictures of what was clearly a human body floating in the water.

Grown men put their hands to their faces. At least two people collapsed and were taken out of the room on stretchers.

The mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini, went from one crying relative to another, and at one point walked out with a grieving man, while telling him: "We don't have a choice. Today this happens to you, tomorrow it may happen to me. Nobody knows. So you have to be strong. Our lives belong to God."

It's been a trying and exhausting wait for the more than 100 relatives who have been gathering in that room, but no-one could have been prepared for this ending.

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Alice Budisatrijo witnessed relatives screaming and crying as they watched a news conference on screens in Surabaya

Search operation head Bambang Soelistyo said he was 95% certain the objects shown were from the plane, adding that a shadow was spotted under water which appeared to be in the shape of a plane.

All resources were now being sent to the area where the debris was found, he said.

Mr Soelistyo added that ships with more sophisticated technology were being deployed to check whether larger parts of the plane were submerged beneath the debris.

Indonesian civil aviation chief Djoko Murjatmodjo, quoted by AFP news agency, said "significant things" such as a passenger door and cargo door had been found.

He added that the objects had been found 160km (100 miles) south-west of Pangkalan Bun in Borneo's Central Kalimantan province.

At least 30 ships, 15 aircraft and seven helicopters joined the operation when it resumed at 06:00 local time on Tuesday (23:00 GMT Monday).

The operation, led by Indonesia, includes assistance from Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, with other offers of help from South Korea, Thailand, China and France. The US destroyer USS Sampson is on its way to the zone.

Communication lost

On board the plane were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew.

Most were Indonesian but the passengers included one UK national, a Malaysian, a Singaporean and three South Koreans.

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Editor Geoffrey Thomas: AirAsia flight QZ8501 may "have have been caught in a severe thunderstorm updraft"

The plane left Surabaya at 05:35 Jakarta time on Sunday and had been due to arrive in Singapore two hours later.

Safety officials say the captain had asked for permission to take the plane higher but, by the time permission was granted, communication with the plane was lost.

It was officially declared missing at 07:55.

AirAsia previously had an excellent safety record and there were no fatal accidents involving its aircraft.

Are you, or is someone you know, affected by this story? Do you know any of the passengers on the AirAsia flight? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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Scores await rescue from Italy ferry

29 December 2014 Last updated at 09:57

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Strong winds and smoke hampered the rescue, as James Reynolds reports

More than 120 people are still awaiting rescue on the deck of a blazing Italian ferry amid freezing temperatures off the Greek island of Corfu.

Helicopter crews have been winching small groups of people to safety despite gale-force winds.

The Italian coast guard said 356 of the 478 people on board had been evacuated by early Monday after a fire broke out on a car deck on Sunday.

One person is confirmed dead but a passenger has said he saw more bodies.

The Italian navy said that the body of a Greek man and his injured wife had been removed from the ship, Norman Atlantic which had been travelling from Patras in Greece to Ancona in Italy.

It is unclear how the man died but the Greek coastguard told AP that both passengers had been found trapped in a lifeboat escape chute.

The first rescue ship carrying 49 people arrived at the Italian port of Bari early on Monday morning.

A Turkish man who was on board told local reporters that he was sure that he had seen more bodies.

"I saw four people dead, with my own eyes," he said.

Hypothermia

Helicopters crews fitted with night vision equipment worked through the night to rescue passengers despite difficult conditions. One hundred people were taken off the ferry during the night, the Italian coast guard said.

Italian Air Force helicopter pilot, Maj Antonio Laneve told Italian state TV that "acrid smoke" had filled his helicopter cabin, making the rescue even more challenging.

Most of the rescued passengers have been transferred to nearby ships, although some have been taken directly to hospital.

Three children and a pregnant woman are among those being treated in hospital for hypothermia, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Passengers described panicking as the heat rose, then freezing as they stood on decks awaiting rescue.

The wife of one of the cooks told journalists she had had a call from her husband saying: "I cannot breathe, we are all going to burn like rats - God save us."

Another passenger told Greek TV station Mega: "We are outside, we are very cold, the ship is full of smoke, the boat is still burning, the floors are boiling, underneath the cabins it must be burning since 5 o'clock, the boats that came (to rescue us) are gone, and we are here. They cannot take us."

The BBC's James Reynolds says that emergency workers in the port of Brindisi had waited late into the night for rescued passengers to arrive but strong winds had forced rescue vessels to try to dock elsewhere on the Italian coast.

Coast Guard Adm Giovanni Pettorino said that a member of the Italian military had been injured during the rescue.

Nearby merchant vessels aligned themselves in formation to protect the ship from waves and facilitate the rescue.

"This is a complicated rescue mission. The visibility is poor and the weather conditions are difficult, but we are confident because there are a good number of ships in the area," Greece Merchant Marine Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said.

Mr Varvitsiotis later told reporters the fire had been brought partly under control.

Most of those on board were Greek. Greek maritime official Nikos Lagadianos told AP that 234 passengers and 34 crew members were from Greece.

Others came from Italy, Turkey, Albania, Germany and several other countries. Four British nationals have been rescued from the stricken ferry, according to the UK Foreign Office.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire.

The chief executive of the Visentini group that owns the vessel, Carlo Visentini, said the ferry had passed a recent technical inspection despite a "slight malfunction" in one of the fire doors, Italy's Ansa news agency reports.

"The tests confirmed that the boat was in full working order," he said, adding that the fire door had been repaired "to the satisfaction of the inspectors".

Ferries are an important mode of transport between Greece's hundreds of islands as well as neighbouring countries.

Are you, or is someone you know, affected by this story? Do you know any of the passengers on the ferry? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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AirAsia plane 'at bottom of sea'

29 December 2014 Last updated at 10:33

The missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 is likely to be at the bottom of the sea, the head of Indonesia's search-and-rescue agency has said.

Bambang Soelistyo said the hypothesis was based on the co-ordinates of the plane when contact with it was lost.

The search is continuing for the aircraft, a day after it disappeared with 162 people on board, but no trace has been found so far.

The Airbus A320-200 was on a flight to Singapore.

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Distraught relatives have been waiting for news at the Surabaya international airport in Indonesia, as Clive Myrie reports

The pilots had requested a course change because of bad weather but did not send any distress call before the plane disappeared from radar screens.

"Based on the co-ordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea," Bambang Soelistyo, the head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, told a news conference in Jakarta.

Regional media reaction

The front page of the Beijing Times says: "Only three days before the New Year - where is the road to home?"

The reactions are similar in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. Many on board were travelling to see their families for the year-end holiday season.

Media reports say the families are united in their prayers, hoping against hope for a miracle.

Many newspapers have published personal stories. One that has moved many people is about the Facebook post from the daughter of one of the pilots. It simply reads: "Papa come home."

Some are also calling 2014 a "year of tragedies" for the aviation industry, linking it with the flight MH370 that disappeared in March and hasn't been found yet.

Beyond the emotional coverage, commentators have been asking questions about aviation safety in the region.

South-East Asia has a fast-developing aviation sector with many carriers fighting for space, observers say. Most welcome the competition, but say safety norms have to be strengthened.

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Indonesia's vice president Jusuf Kalla said it was too early to confirm any sightings of possible debris

As the search continued on Monday, Indonesia air force spokesman Hadi Tjahnanto said it was being focused on an area where an oil spill had been spotted but it was not clear if it had been caused by the plane.

Meanwhile the Associated Press news agency quoted an Indonesian official as saying that objects had been spotted in the sea near Nangka island by an Australian search plane.

Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said later there was "no sufficient evidence" to link this to the missing plane.

He said that 30 ships and 15 aircraft were taking part in the search, and that "even fishermen" were being asked to join in.

AirAsia's share price fell 7% in morning trading on Monday in Kuala Lumpur.

Flight QZ8501 had left Surabaya in eastern Java at 05:35 on Sunday (22:35 GMT Saturday) and was due to arrive in Singapore at 08:30 (00:30 GMT).

The pilot radioed at 06:24 local time asking permission to climb to 38,000ft (11,000m) to avoid the dense storm clouds.

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Suwarto, the father of one of the pilots, says he is trusting in "God's will"

Indonesian officials said the request could not be immediately approved due to traffic, but the plane disappeared from the radar screens before the pilots gave any further response.

AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes said this was his "worst nightmare".

Mr Fernandes flew to Surabaya and later said: "We are very devastated by what's happened, it's unbelievable."

Oceanographer Simon Boxall told the BBC the plane should not be too difficult to find if it went into the water.

The sea floor is within diver depth, he says, and it would be "likely that they'll get answers within a few days".

Difficult year

The AirAsia Indonesia plane was delivered in 2008, has flown 13,600 times, completing 23,000 hours, and underwent its last maintenance in November.

The captain, Iriyanto, had more than 20,500 flight hours, almost 7,000 of them with AirAsia, Mr Fernandes said. The co-pilot is French national Remi Emmanuel Plesel.

The AirAsia group has previously had no fatal accidents involving its aircraft. The airline has set up an emergency line for family or friends of those who may be on board. The number is +622 129 850 801.

Special centres were set up at both Singapore's Changi airport and Juanda international airport in Surabaya.

There were 155 passengers on board, the company said in a statement:

• 137 adults, 17 children and one infant
• Most were Indonesian but also one UK national, a Malaysian, a Singaporean and three South Koreans
• The BBC understands that the British national is Chi-Man Choi
• Two pilots and five crew were also on board - one French, the others Indonesian

This has been a difficult year for aviation in Asia - Malaysia's national carrier Malaysia Airlines has suffered two losses - flights MH370 and MH17.

Flight MH370 disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew. The wreckage, thought to be in the southern Indian Ocean, has still not been located.

MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July, killing all 298 on board.

Are you, or is someone you know, affected by this story? Do you know any of the passengers on the AirAsia flight? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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Schumacher faces fight for recovery

29 December 2014 Last updated at 11:03

Michael Schumacher faces a "long fight" on the road to full recovery, his manager has said, one year after the F1 champion suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident.

"It's going to be a long time," Sabine Kehm was quoted as saying.

Her comments came after a former racing driver said Schumacher was beginning to communicate with his eyes.

The claim, made by Phillipe Streiff, was dismissed by Ms Kehm and Schumacher's doctor.

Speaking to Le Parisien newspaper, Mr Streiff said he understood that Schumacher was now recognising his close family and communicating with them using his eyes.

The retired French F1 driver said he had obtained his information after being in contact with Schumacher's wife and the surgeon who is treating him.

But Professor Gerard Saillant, the surgeon denied giving any information to Mr Streiff.

"For a year, I have never had any contact, verbal, written or physical with Phillipe Streiff," he said via a spokesman, according to the AFP news agency.

Meanwhile Sabine Kehm said Mr Streiff was not a close friend of Schumacher and had not been in contact with either her or Mr Saillant.

Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion, suffered his head injury while skiing near the French resort of Meribel on 29 December last year.

After spending nine months being treated in French and Swiss hospitals he was transferred in September to his family home on the shores of Lake Geneva.

The German driver, who won a record 91 F1 races, had retired from the sport in 2012 after an attempted comeback ended in disappointment.

Michael Schumacher

• Born: 3 January 1969
• First GP win: Belgium 1992
• Last GP win: China 2006
• Races started: 303
• Wins: 91 (155 podium finishes)
• Championships: 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

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Greek MPs' vote triggers snap poll

29 December 2014 Last updated at 11:05

Greek MPs have rejected the presidential candidate nominated by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, triggering a snap general election.

Stavros Dimas failed to reach the necessary 180 votes, which means that parliament will have to be dissolved.

Greece's economy has begun to recover after six years of recession.

But Greeks have endured years of austerity and the left-wing Syriza party leading the polls wants the terms of a huge EU-IMF bailout renegotiated.

The Greek stock market fell almost 10% as MPs voted for a third and final time on Monday.

Mr Dimas, a former European commissioner, secured the votes of only 168 MPs, the same number he had won during the second vote last week.

The final vote is regarded as a major setback for the prime minister, as well as for eurozone countries that worked hard to bring Greece back from the brink in 2010.

Since then €240bn (£188bn; $290bn) has been spent helping Greece pay off its debts. In return for two major bailouts, the EU and IMF demanded stringent austerity measures.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, in an interview on Saturday, praised Greece's progress in tackling its debt crisis. But he warned: "Every new government needs to fulfil the contractual agreements of its predecessors."

Although Syriza's lead in the opinion polls has been narrowing in recent weeks, there is concern in the markets and among EU officials that a new Greek government could throw out many of the fiscal reforms implemented by Mr Samaras's coalition with the left-of-centre Pasok party.

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Abducted Mexican priest found dead

27 December 2014 Last updated at 02:25

A priest who was kidnapped in Mexico's south-western state of Guerrero on Monday has been found shot dead, officials say.

The body of Father Gregorio Lopez was discovered near the city of Ciudad Altamirano.

A group of priests later rallied in the city to condemn the murder.

Father Lopez was seized by gunmen from Ciudad Altamirano's seminary, where he taught. The motive for the killing remains unclear.

A friend of the priest told local media that Father Lopez was kidnapped after he accused drug gang Guerreros Unidos of the abduction and alleged murder of 43 students in September.

He is the third priest to be killed this year in Guerrero state, which has been at the centre of drug-related violence in Mexico.

Last month, forensic experts identified the body of a Ugandan Catholic priest among the remains found in a mass grave. Father John Ssenyondo had been missing since being kidnapped in April.

The grave was located by federal police looking for the missing students.

On Friday, demonstrators in several Mexican cities commemorated the disappearance of the students on 26 September - exactly three months ago.

Police in the town of Iguala allegedly detained them following a clash that left six people dead.

Authorities say the police turned the students over to members of a drug gang who killed them and burned their bodies.

So far, the authorities have only identified the remains of one of the students.

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Ukraine awaits fresh prisoner swaps

27 December 2014 Last updated at 02:54

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The swap was watched by independent monitors, as Ben Bland reports

More prisoner exchanges are expected between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels in the east - a day after the two sides swapped hundreds of captives.

Ukrainian officials say they are hoping that four soldiers will be freed. The number of militants due to be released has not been confirmed.

On Friday, Ukraine said 146 of its soldiers had been freed for 222 rebels.

Meanwhile, Ukraine froze vital bus and rail links with Crimea, its southern peninsula annexed by Russia in March.

Crimea has no land corridor to Russia, and relies on a ferry in the Azov Sea and flights from Russia.

The peninsula - which is also heavily dependent on Ukraine's power supplies - has also seen blackouts in recent days.

Kiev says it has to limit supplies, because Ukraine itself is experiencing power shortages.

In a separate development, the world's two largest credit and debit card companies, Visa and Mastercard, said on Friday they could no longer support bank cards being used in Crimea, following fresh US sanctions imposed this month.

The moves come ahead of the traditional holiday season in the region, when people travel to be with their families for New Year.

Russian media reported that a number of people in Crimea on Friday were unable to withdraw cash or pay for goods bought in local supermarkets.

Inconclusive talks

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's spokesman said on Friday that Kiev expected four more of its soldiers to be released on Saturday.

Spokesman Vyacheslav Tsegolko wrote in a Facebook post that the soldiers "would be able to celebrate New Year and Christmas with their families".

Ukraine - a predominantly Orthodox Christian country - celebrates Christmas on 7 January.

Friday's prisoner exchange - the biggest since the conflict began in April - took place near the town of Avdiyivka, about 35km (22 miles) north of Donetsk.

Ukrainian and Russian media showed rows of men in civilian clothes standing on a road, supervised by armed men.

"They only just told us that this would happen," freed Ukrainian soldier Artem Syurik was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

"I am looking forward to seeing my parents and wife. They do not know I am coming."

Freed rebel fighter Denis Balbukov said: "I want to eat fried potatoes and talk to my relatives."

But he added: "I will go back to fighting. It was all right once we were moved to the detention centre, but to begin with, they really tormented and roughed us up."

Inconclusive talks were held this week in Minsk, Belarus, on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed 4,700 lives.

Although fighting has lessened considerably, the conflict continues and more than 1,300 people have died since a truce was announced in September.

Ukraine accuses Russia of actively supporting the militants with Russian soldiers and heavy artillery.

The Kremlin denies this but says its regular forces are fighting in eastern Ukraine as volunteers.

Ukraine: the human cost

• 5,200,000 affected by conflict
• 4,707 people killed including 36 children
• 10,322 wounded including 102 children
• 542,080 people displaced inside Ukraine
• 597,956 refugees and asylum seekers outside Ukraine

Source: United Nations 16 December

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Severe flooding hits Malaysia's east

27 December 2014 Last updated at 08:47

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Malaysians are angry that during the worst flooding in decades, their leader has been filmed playing golf with President Obama, reports Jennifer Pak

Malaysia is battling some of the worst floods in decades along its east coast, which have killed at least five people.

More than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes, and Prime Minister Najib Razak has returned early from holiday in the US.

He is due to visit the worst-hit areas of northern Kelantan state.

Eastern states are often flooded during the monsoon season, but this time officials say heavier rain and stronger winds have made things worse.

In some areas, entire towns have been submerged.

Darius Dramburg, an eyewitness in the flooded region, told the BBC World Service that his entire village was under water and there was no electricity running in some parts.

"Because there is no electricity there's no water either. The shops have all closed down so we don't know how much food we could get.

"I decided to leave the place now and go down to Kuala Lumpur."

Rescue workers are struggling to bring in enough food and supplies for families sleeping in relief centres.

BBC Malaysia correspondent Jennifer Pak, in Kuala Lumpur, says Mr Najib cut short his holiday after the media published pictures of him golfing with US President Barack Obama in Hawaii.

The images reinforce the belief of some Malaysians that the government has not been doing enough to prevent these annual floods, our correspondent says.

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North Korea berates Obama over film

27 December 2014 Last updated at 10:13

North Korea has condemned US President Barack Obama over the release of the film The Interview, about a fictional plot to kill its leader Kim Jong-un.

The country's National Defence Commission (NDC) also accused the US of shutting down the country's internet - and used a racial slur to describe the "reckless" Mr Obama.

Sony Pictures had originally pulled the title after a cyber-attack and threats.

But the company later reconsidered, releasing the comedy on Christmas Day.

A number of critics - including the US president - had warned that freedom of expression was under threat if the movie was shelved.

The controversial film was shown in some US cinemas and is available online, with several hundred independent theatres coming forward and offering to screen it.

However, larger cinemas decided not to show the film.

'Righteous deed'

In a statement issued on Saturday, an NDC spokesman denounced the US for screening the "dishonest and reactionary movie hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK [North Korea] and agitating terrorism".

President Obama, the statement said, "is the chief culprit who forced the Sony Pictures Entertainment to indiscriminately distribute the movie", blackmailing cinemas in the US.

It added: "Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest."

The NDC also accused also Washington of "groundlessly linking the unheard of hacking at the Sony Pictures Entertainment to the DPRK".

Analysis: Stephen Evans, BBC News, Seoul

The Interview is a classic Hollywood romp involving two lads who go to a strange place and get seduced (in several senses).

And it is very funny. That's partly because it is also a very good political satire.

It is powerful because it depicts Kim Jong-un as a vain, buffoonish despot, alternating between threats and weeping that he's been misunderstood. The people around him have all the signs of fear you might expect with a despot - they second-guess his likes and dislikes.

Maybe he - and they - were right to fear the film. North Korean defectors sometimes smuggle USB sticks with films and soaps into the closed-off country, and there is a view in the south that these are a particularly powerful means of undermining the regime in Pyongyang. If that's so, The Interview might be a good candidate for inclusion.

That fear may explain the North Korean leadership's intemperate, deeply racist language. It's not the first time, it has called President Obama a monkey.

Crude insult or satire. Which is more effective?

FBI accusation

Sony Pictures had initially pulled the film after suffering an unprecedented hacking attack at the hands of a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace.

The hackers also threatened to carry out a terrorist attack on cinemas showing the film on its scheduled release date of Christmas Day.

Last week, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said its analysis pointed the finger at North Korea.

However, many cyber-security experts have come forward to dispute this assertion.

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The Interview screened at small US cinemas

At the time, North Korea denied being behind the attack but described it as a "righteous deed".

The country subsequently suffered a severe internet outage.

The Interview saga

The Interview features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Mr Kim. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him.

• 22 November: Sony computer systems hacked, exposing embarrassing emails and personal details about stars
• 7 December: North Korea denies accusations that it is behind the cyber-attack, but praises it as a "righteous deed"
• 16 December: "Guardians of Peace" hacker group threatens 9/11-type attack on cinemas showing film; New York premiere cancelled
• 17 December: Leading US cinema groups say they will not screen film; Sony cancels Christmas Day release
• 19 December: FBI concludes North Korea orchestrated hack; President Obama calls Sony cancellation "a mistake"
• 20 December: North Korea proposes joint inquiry with US into hacks, rejected by the US
• 22 December: North Korea suffers a severe internet outage; US authorities decline to comment
• 23 December: Sony bosses appear to change their minds, saying they will now give The Interview a limited Christmas Day release
• 25 December: The Interview is shown in some US cinemas and released online

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Thai tourist murder case continues

26 December 2014 Last updated at 10:00

Court proceedings have begun against two Burmese men charged with the murder of two British tourists in September on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand.

Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, are accused of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey.

Thai prosecutors say they have compiled a strong case against the defendants, who both deny killing the tourists.

The suspects, both migrant workers, could be executed if found guilty.

The bodies of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller were found on a beach in the popular tourist destination on 15 September. Mr Miller died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge died from head wounds.

According to previous court documents, both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, rape, criminal cover-up, illegally entering Thailand and staying in the country without permission.

Brought forward

The investigation has been marred by allegations of both police incompetence and of confessions extracted by torture, he said.

In October, the two men retracted the confessions they made following their arrest three months ago.

They claimed they only confessed after being beaten and threatened by police.

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Tsunami-hit nations mark anniversary

26 December 2014 Last updated at 09:19

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WATCH: Thai PM attends official 10-year remembrance ceremony

Memorial services are being held in Indonesia and other nations for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami on the 10th anniversary of the disaster.

In Indonesia's province of Aceh - the worst hit area - Vice-President Jusuf Kalla led tributes to the dead at the Siron mass grave.

Memorial ceremonies will also take place in Thailand and Sri Lanka.

More than 200,000 people died when an underwater earthquake set off massive waves on 26 December 2004.

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Laura Westbrook reports on a region remembering those lost a decade ago

In Aceh's capital, Banda Aceh, Mr Kalla thanked local volunteers and the outside world for helping Aceh recover from the tragedy. He also presented awards to ambassadors from the donor nations.

"Thousands of corpses were sprawled in this field" he said. "Tears that fell at that time... there were feelings of confusion, shock, sorrow, fear and suffering. We prayed."

Earlier, thousands of people earlier gathered at the city's Great Mosque - a 19th Century building that was one of the few structures in the town to survive the tsunami.

The mosque's imam, Asman Ismail, said the tsunami had taught a "valuable lesson" to Aceh, which had been the scene of an armed conflict for nearly 30 years.

"After the tsunami, no-one fights against each other, people live in harmony and peace till this day," he said.

Efforts to end the conflict resumed after the tsunami, culminating in a peace deal between the government and the rebels in August 2005.

Continue reading the main story

More: Images of the devastation then and now

In Thailand, people are marking the anniversary with a series of solemn events and religious rites throughout the day.

In the small fishing village of Ban Nam Khem, Phang Nga province, people have been laying flowers at a memorial wall displaying names of the victims.

The village was devastated by the massive waves.

Nearly 5,500 people died in Thailand, half of whom were foreign tourists.

In Sri Lanka, the Ocean Queen Express train - which has become a symbol of the tragedy for the nation - is at the centre of commemorative events.

The overcrowded train was hit by the tsunami south of the capital Colombo. More than 1,700 people died, in what was the world's biggest rail disaster.

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In Aceh, some family members were reunited, against the odds

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Tsunami pictures from then and now

Survivors and relatives of those who died boarded the restored train carriage and headed to Peraliya, where the train was struck.

Sweden, which lost over 500 of its citizens in the disaster, will hold a memorial service in the Uppsala Cathedral later on Friday.

The strength of the quake off Indonesia's coast - the biggest tremor in the world since 1964 - unleashed giant waves that rushed across the Indian Ocean.

The tsunami also hit Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Maldives and later reached the east African nations' of Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

Tsunami warning systems and emergency procedures have been implemented since the disaster to try to minimise casualties in the future.

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Ukraine peace talks called off

26 December 2014 Last updated at 10:29

A key round of peace talks between Ukraine's government and pro-Russian rebels, due to take place in Minsk on Friday, has been called off, Belarusian officials say.

No immediate reason was given by the Belarusian foreign ministry.

The talks had begun on Wednesday to try to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine which has left 4,700 dead.

A ceasefire and framework peace deal were announced in Minsk in September but neither has been properly observed.

Talks agenda

The latest talks also included Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Friday's round had been expected to tackle issues including the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line, the exchange of prisoners and ending Ukraine's economic blockade of rebel-held areas.

Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman Dmitry Mironchik told Agence France-Presse: "There will be no contact group meeting today," but he added that "Belarus is always ready to offer [Minsk] as a negotiations venue."

Wednesday's talks focused on troop withdrawals and aid, although no details of any progress emerged.

A day earlier, Ukraine's parliament had voted to work towards membership of Nato, a move heavily criticised by Russia.

Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov accused Nato members of "trying to turn Ukraine into a front line of confrontation with Russia".

Since the conflict began in eastern Ukraine in April, 4,707 people have lost their lives, according to the UN. Of that number 1,357 have died since the 5 September ceasefire was agreed.

Pro-Russian separatists took over the two eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after Moscow annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in March, in a move not recognised by Ukraine and its allies.

Ukrainian forces and volunteers then mounted a military operation to recover the areas.

The latest attempt at a ceasefire began on 9 December but sporadic violence has continued in both regions.

Ukraine: the human cost

• 5,200,000 affected by conflict
• 4,707 people killed including 36 children
• 10,322 wounded including 102 children
• 542,080 people displaced inside Ukraine
• 597,956 refugees and asylum seekers outside Ukraine

Source: United Nations 16 December

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Turkey 'insult' teenager released

26 December 2014 Last updated at 11:15

A Turkish teenager who was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly insulting the president has been released.

A court in Ankara freed the 16-year-old, listed by his initials as MEA, but he still faces trial and a possible four-year sentence if found guilty.

He was arrested after criticising the ruling Islamic-rooted AK Party during a speech at a student protest in the central Anatolian city of Konya.

PM Ahmet Davutoglu had defended the arrest, saying respect had to be shown.

"Everyone must respect the office of president whoever he is," Mr Davutoglu said.

Turkey's penal code makes it a crime to insult the president.

As he left the courthouse, the boy said: "There is no question of taking a step back from our path, we will continue along this road."

There has been growing concern amid rights groups in Turkey at what they see as a clampdown on freedom of speech.

'Thieving owner'

The boy was arrested at school on Wednesday and taken for questioning.

His speech, given to commemorate the killing of a Turkish soldier by Islamists in the 1920s, was recorded on video and broadcast by Dogan News Agency.

In it, he defended secularism and the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.

He reportedly called Mr Erdogan the "thieving owner of the illegal palace", referring to a controversial 1,150-room palace inaugurated by the president in October.

Speaking to prosecutors, the boy said: "I've made the statement in question. I have no intent to insult."

He denied being linked to any political movement.

His release came after dozens of lawyers had signed a petition on his behalf. He was met by his parents at the courthouse.

The arrest sparked fierce criticism of Mr Erdogan, with Attila Kart, a member of opposition party CHP, saying the president was creating "an environment of fear, oppression and threat".

Mr Erdogan, who was elected president in August after serving as prime minister for 11 years, has faced several corruption allegations in recent years.

He insists they are baseless and part of a "dark plot" to oust him from power by influential cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is in self-imposed exile in the US.

Earlier this month, police arrested more than 20 journalists working for media outlets thought to be sympathetic to the Gulen movement.

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Sierra Leone declares Ebola lockdown

25 December 2014 Last updated at 09:02

Sierra Leone has declared lockdown of at least three days in the north of the country to try to contain the Ebola epidemic.

Shops, markets and non-Ebola related travel services will be shut down, officials said.

Sierra Leone has already banned many public Christmas celebrations.

More than 7,500 people have died from the outbreak in West Africa so far, the Word Health Organization (WHO) says, with Sierra Leone the worst hit.

Sierra Leone has the highest number of Ebola cases in West Africa, with more than 9,000 cases and more than 2,400 deaths since the start of the outbreak.

The other countries at the centre of the outbreak are Liberia and Guinea.

State of emergency

Alie Kamara, resident minister for the Northern Region, told AFP news agency that most public gatherings would be cancelled.

"Muslims and Christians are not allowed to hold services in mosques and churches throughout the lockdown except for Christians on Christmas Day", he said.

No unauthorised vehicles would be allowed to operate "except those officially assigned to Ebola-related assignments" he added.

The lockdown would operate for at least three days but this could be extended if deemed necessary, officials said.

Sierra Leone has been in a state of emergency since July.

The outbreak began a year ago in the West African country of Guinea, but only gained international attention in early 2014.

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Christians hold Mass in Bethlehem

25 December 2014 Last updated at 07:37

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The Church of the Nativity is said to be the birthplace of Jesus

Christian pilgrims from across the world have celebrated midnight Mass in Bethlehem to mark Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

In a homily, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal called on Jews, Muslims and Christians to "live together as equals".

Referring to violence in Gaza and Jerusalem, he said he hoped 2015 "would be better than this difficult year".

Thousands of pilgrims earlier crowded into Manger Square to watch a procession led by Patriarch Twal.

The midnight Mass took place in the Church of the Nativity which marks the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born in the West Bank town.

Patriarch Twal, the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, said the region had become "a land of conflict".

"I hope next year there will be no separation wall and I hope we will have bridges of peace instead," he said, referring to the barrier Israel is building in and around the West Bank, which separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Israel says the barrier is necessary to prevent attacks by militants.

"Peace comes from justice and we have a cause which we hope will be solved soon," the Patriarch added.

His sentiment was echoed by Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Maayah.

"Our message this Christmas is a message of peace like every year, but what we added this year is that all we want from Christmas is justice," the minister said.

"Justice for our people, justice for our case and the right to live like all other people in the world in our independent state without the occupation."

Patriarch Twal urged Christians not to forget the residents of Gaza, where up to 19,600 families displaced by the 50-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants are still in need of medium- and long-term shelter, and the people of Syria and Iraq, who are struggling to cope with a civil war and the advance of jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS).

At the scene: Quentin Sommerville, BBC News, Bethlehem

These are Bethlehem's biggest two days of the year - the one occasion when, for Christians, it displaces Jerusalem. The Holy Land is the cradle of Christianity, a point Pope Francis made when he visited earlier this year.

The Pope's Christmas message to Christians - do not be afraid or ashamed of your faith - comes at a time when Christianity is under threat in the Middle East like never before.

Islamic State has pushed some of the world's oldest Christian communities out of their homes in northern Iraq. For some, the choice was convert to Islam, or die. So instead, tens of thousands fled to Kurdistan. There they remain, sheltering in churches and schools with few possessions.

Here in Manger Square there is song, and celebration, but as the Pope himself said, there will be tears and sighs alongside the hymns, as the faithful look towards 2015 with fear for the future of communities that have existed here for 2,000 years.

On Tuesday, Pope Francis - who prayed at the West Bank barrier and called for an end to the "increasingly unacceptable" Palestinian-Israeli conflict when he visited the region in May - sent a message of solidarity to Christians in the Middle East.

In a letter, the Pope wrote that for them, "the music of your Christmas hymns will also be accompanied by tears and sighs".

Without mentioning IS by name, he spoke about "the work of a newer and disturbing terrorist organisation, of previously unimaginable dimensions, which has perpetrated all kinds of abuses and inhuman acts".

But the Pope said the presence of Christians in the Middle East was precious and he urged them to work with their neighbours to reiterate that Islam is a religion of peace.

In Baghdad, Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako said about 150,000 Christians had been displaced since IS launched an offensive in northern Iraq in June and told members of religious minorities that they would have to convert to Islam, pay a special tax or leave.

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Hack threat comedy released in US

25 December 2014 Last updated at 09:22

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Sony made The Interview available online on Wednesday but only in the US

The controversial comedy The Interview has opened in some US cinemas and online, after a cyber-attack and threats to moviegoers over its release.

Sony Pictures had originally pulled the film, about a fictional plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

But it reconsidered after critics - including the US president - said freedom of expression was under threat.

Some cinemas organised midnight showings for Americans determined to see The Interview on the big screen.

Several hundred independent cinemas across the US have come forward offering to show the title after larger cinemas decided not to screen it following threats.

Lee Peterson, manager of Cinema Village in New York, told Reuters news agency it was a matter of principle to show the film.

"Obviously we would like to make money from the movie, as we would with any movie, but it's important to take a stand about freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to see movies."

The film is also being offered through a dedicated website and via Google services YouTube and Play, and Microsoft's Xbox Video platform, but only in the US.

A spokesman for Sony told the BBC the release was US-only "at this point".

Sony Pictures initially pulled the film after suffering an unprecedented hacking attack at the hands of a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace.

Last week, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said its analysis pointed the finger at North Korea. However, many cybersecurity experts have come forward to dispute this assertion.

North Korea denied being behind the attack but described it as a "righteous deed".

The hackers threatened to carry out a terrorist attack on cinemas showed the film on its scheduled release date of Christmas Day. After many cinemas pulled out, Sony cancelled the release.

That move was described by President Obama as a mistake.

Reaction in tweets

Maximus Clean - I loved #TheInterview and thought it was @Sethrogen and @JamesFrancoTV's finest movie yet. Good job!

Kira Craig - Just watched #TheInterview - pretty hilarious movie. Would expect nothing more from Seth Rogan and crew

Aimee Sanchez - Exercising my right as an American by watching #TheInterview @JamesFrancoTV @Sethrogen #MerryChristmas

DeAnna Sealtiel - #TheInterview was NOT worth the hype. Funny, but not worth the stress and aggravation that came along with it

Dan Field - Sony shouldn't have ever released #TheInterview, not because of the threat, but because the movie is terrible.

Aditya Basrur - Just watched #TheInterview. What a waste of money. Expected the movie to be much better.

Sony Chairman Michael Lynton said digital distribution had now been chosen to reverse some of that damage.

"It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech.

"We chose the path of digital distribution first so as to reach as many people as possible on opening day, and we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release."

In a blog post announcing its involvement, Google's top lawyer David Drummond said the firm had weighed up the potential fallout.

"Last Wednesday Sony began contacting a number of companies, including Google, to ask if we'd be able to make their movie The Interview available online," Mr Drummond wrote.

"After discussing all the issues, Sony and Google agreed that we could not sit on the sidelines and allow a handful of people to determine the limits of free speech in another country (however silly the content might be)."

The Interview saga

The Interview features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists granted an audience with Mr Kim. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him.

• 22 November: Sony computer systems hacked, exposing embarrassing emails and personal details about stars
• 7 December: North Korea denies accusations that it is behind the cyber-attack, but praises it as a "righteous deed"
• 16 December: "Guardians of Peace" hacker group threatens 9/11-type attack on cinemas showing film; New York premiere cancelled
• 17 December: Leading US cinema groups say they will not screen film; Sony cancels Christmas Day release
• 19 December: FBI concludes North Korea orchestrated hack; President Obama calls Sony cancellation "a mistake"
• 20 December: North Korea proposes joint inquiry with US into hacks, rejected by the US
• 22 December: North Korea suffers a severe internet outage; US authorities decline to comment
• 23 December: Sony bosses appear to change their minds, saying they will now give The Interview a limited Christmas Day release
• 25 December: The Interview is shown in some US cinemas and released online

Have you seen the film? What do you think about the row over its release? You can share your views by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.

Have your say

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