Russia marks Stalingrad anniversary

1 February 2013 Last updated at 22:13 ET

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Up to a million soldiers died in the six months of intense warfare

Russian President Vladimir Putin will lead tributes to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad.

The city of Stalingrad, which was renamed Volgograd in 1961, will regain its wartime name for the event, following a council decision.

Around one million people are thought to have died in the battle, as Soviet troops defeated the Germans.

It is considered one of the major turning points of World War II.

The vast death toll is not the only reason why the battle has huge significance in Russia, the BBC's Moscow correspondent Daniel Sandford reports.

It is seen as the moment when the tide was turned against the Nazis.

From Stalingrad some Soviet soldiers fought all the way to Berlin, he adds.

The defeat threw Hitler's offensive in the Soviet Union into disarray.

The victory in World War II is one of the things that unites all Russians, our correspondent adds.

'Hero city'

President Putin will lead the solemn commemorations at the battle site, which will include a military parade and a wreath-laying ceremony at the eternal flame in the Hall of Heroes.

There will also be an 18-gun salute with World War II-era Soviet artillery.

"At the heart of all Russia's victories and achievements are patriotism, faith and strength of spirit," Mr Putin said in a televised speech on Friday.

"In Word War II, these true values inspired our people and our army."

Some German veterans have also been invited to the tribute, along with senior military commanders from Russia's allies in the war - Britain and the US.

On Wednesday, the council of Volgograd passed a decision to restore the city's wartime name of Stalingrad on six specific days a year.

The dates, all associated with military commemorations, are 2 February, 9 May, 22 June, 23 August, 2 September and 19 November.

Under the decision, the title "Hero City Stalingrad" will be used during commemorations as "a symbol of Volgograd", the council said.

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• 2 February - the defeat of the Nazi German forces at Stalingrad
• 9 May - Victory (in Europe) Day
• 22 June - anniversary of Nazi invasion of USSR
• 23 August - commemoration of civilians killed by mass German air raid on Stalingrad
• 2 September - end of World War II (Japanese surrender)
• 19 November - launch of Operation Uranus to trap Germans and their allies at Stalingrad

"We may use this symbol officially in our speeches, reports and while conducting public events," the council ruling states.

The decision was taken after "numerous requests" from World War II veterans, officials said.

The city has had three names during the past century. It was originally known as Tsaritsyn before being renamed in 1925 in honour of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who led Bolshevik forces there during the Russian Civil War.

The German attack on Stalingrad began on 19 August 1942.

Stalingrad was a strategically important city in their campaign to occupy the south of Russia and take control of the Caucasus oilfields.

It was also of symbolic importance because of its name.

After six months of ferocious fighting, Soviets troops eventually smashed the German siege.

It is one of the bloodiest battles in modern history.

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Timbuktu hails French president

2 February 2013 Last updated at 05:58 ET

France's president is visiting Mali, three weeks after French-led troops launched an offensive to oust Islamist rebels from the country's north.

Francois Hollande was welcomed by dignitaries and residents in Timbuktu, six days after the city was recaptured.

He is expected to thank the French soldiers and stress the need for an African force to replace them swiftly.

Meanwhile, the UN has warned of the risk of reprisal attacks against Tuareg and Arab communities in northern Mali.

The UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, said there had been serious allegations of human rights violations committed by the Malian army, including summary executions and disappearances.

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"Start Quote

We must tell [President Hollande] that he has cut down the tree but still has to tear up its roots"

End Quote Fanta Diarra Toure Timbuktu resident

There had also been reports of incidents of mob lynching and looting of properties belonging to Arab and Tuareg communities, which had been accused of supporting armed Islamist groups, Mr Dieng added.

"I call on the Malian army to discharge its responsibility to protect all populations, irrespective of their race or ethnicity," he said.

The allegations came as heavily-armoured columns of French and Malian troops continued their advance in northern Mali.

They are attempting to secure the north-eastern city of Kidal, the militants' last stronghold, having captured the airport on Wednesday.

'International force'

Mr Hollande flew into the central town of Sevare on Saturday morning, accompanied by his ministers of defence, foreign affairs and development. Mali's interim President, Dioncounda Traore, met them at the airport.

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Mali crisis timeline

• October 2011: Ethnic Tuaregs launch new rebellion after returning with weapons from Libya, where they had fought for Gaddafi
• March 2012: Military officers depose President Amadou Toumani Toure over handling of rebellion
• April 2012: Tuareg and Islamist fighters seize control of northern Mali, declare independence
• June 2012: Islamist groups capture Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao from Tuaregs, start to destroy Muslim shrines that offend their puritan views
• September 2012: Islamist rebels seize town of Douentza, crossing into central Mali and threatening government-held south
• January 2013: Islamist fighters capture central town of Konna, raising fears they could march on capital. President Dioncounda Traore asks France for help. French intervention begins.

They then flew to Timbuktu's airport before being driven to the 700-year-old mud mosque of Djingareyber and the Ahmed Baba Institute, where fleeing militants set fire to about 2,000 priceless manuscripts.

Thousands of locals gathered in the city's main square to welcome Mr Hollande. Many changed "Vive la France" and praised the president for ordering the military intervention in France's former colony.

"The women of Timbuktu will thank Francois Hollande forever," 53-year-old Fanta Diarra Toure told the AFP news agency.

"We must tell him that he has cut down the tree but still has to tear up its roots," she added, referring to the Islamist militants.

Speaking on Friday before he flew to Mali, Mr Hollande said he wanted "to express to our soldiers all our support, encouragement and pride".

"I'm also going to ensure that African forces come and join us as quickly as possible and to tell them we need them for this international force," he added.

He said he wanted Mali's transitional government to restore democracy soon and begin a political dialogue with opposition groups in the north.

The BBC's Andrew Harding in Timbuktu says Timbuktu is still half empty, but the sense of relief among those who endured months of brutal occupation is overwhelming.

However, this is not quite a "mission accomplished" moment for Mr Hollande, because the Islamist militants remain a threat, our correspondent adds.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday that the French-led forces had recaptured the major population centres "must faster" than he had expected, but warned that they now had to ensure long-term security.

"They have made tremendous progress, I give them a lot of credit," he told the AFP news agency.

"But the challenge now is to make sure that you can maintain that security and that you are not overstretched and that, ultimately, as you begin to pull back, that the other African nations are prepared to move in and fill the gap of providing security."

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Twitter is latest hacking victim

2 February 2013 Last updated at 06:03 ET

A quarter of a million Twitter users have had their accounts hacked in the latest of a string of high-profile internet security breaches.

Twitter's information security director Bob Lord said about 250,000 users' passwords had been stolen, as well as usernames, emails and other data.

Affected users have had passwords invalidated and have been sent emails informing them.

Mr Lord said the attack "was not the work of amateurs".

He said it appeared similar to recent attacks on the New York Times and others.

The US newspaper reported this week that their computer systems had been breached by China-based hackers

'Not isolated'

Mr Lord said in a blog post Twitter had discovered unauthorised attempts to access data held by the website, including one attack that was identified and stopped moments after it was detected.

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Philip Hampsheir Business reporter

---

The biggest worry for most of Twitter's 200 million active users is not this attack per se, but the additional new "phishing" scams the attack has already inspired.

Since Twitter users now know to be on the lookout for emails asking them to change their passwords, criminals are sending out very similar messages.

If users click on the links in those they risk - once again - having their account hacked.

Don't click on links in emails asking you to change your password.

Go directly to the web site, log in normally, and change it using the instructions without clicking on email links.

"This attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not believe it was an isolated incident," he wrote.

Mr Lord did not say who had carried out the attack, but added: "The attackers were extremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organisations have also been recently similarly attacked."

"For that reason we felt that it was important to publicise this attack while we still gather information, and we are helping government and federal law enforcement in their effort to find and prosecute these attackers to make the internet safer for all users."

Internet security specialist Graham Cluley warned Twitter's announcement that emails would be sent to users may prompt a spate of spam emails "phishing" for sensitive information.

He says people should be cautious about opening emails which appear to be from Twitter.

"You have to be careful if you get hold of one of these emails because, of course, it could equally be a phishing attack - it could be someone pretending to be Twitter.

"So, log into the Twitter site as normal and try and log in to your account and, if there's a problem, that's when you actually have to try and reset your password."

On Thursday the New York Times linked the attack to a story it published alleging relatives of former Premier Wen Jiabao controlled assets worth billions of dollars.

China's foreign ministry dismissed the New York Times' accusations as "groundless" and "totally irresponsible".

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Pakistan Taliban attack kills 23

2 February 2013 Last updated at 06:05 ET

The Pakistan Taliban have attacked an army checkpoint, killing 13 soldiers and 10 civilians, officials say.

The raid took place in the town of Serai Naurang in north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province early on Saturday, and lasted several hours.

Twelve militants were killed in the attack, some of them suicide bombers, the officials said.

Pakistan Taliban say the attack was in response to the death of two commanders in a drone strike last month.

"Pakistan has been co-operating with the US in its drone strikes that killed our two senior commanders, Faisal Khan and Toofani, and the attack on military camp was the revenge of their killing," a Taliban spokesman said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

Pakistani officials have often been critical of drone strikes, but analysts say that on some occasions it has privately sanctioned such actions.

Police officer Arif Khan told the BBC between 25 to 30 militants were involved in the attack.

The Taliban said four of the attackers were suicide bombers.

Security sources said the militants were armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, and said they included suicide bombers.

At least eight soldiers were wounded, the sources said.

The 10 civilians, including three women and three children, were killed in a nearby house.

There are conflicting reports about whether the house was hit by a rocket or the militants broke into it.

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China highway falls after blast

1 February 2013 Last updated at 04:33 ET

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TV footage shows the dusty aftermath on and underneath the bridge

A truck carrying fireworks has exploded on an elevated highway in central China, killing at least five people and causing part of the road to collapse, state media report.

The blast, which destroyed an 80m (262ft) section of road, took place on the G30 expressway in Henan province.

China National Radio had put the number of dead at 26 but the report appeared to have been removed from websites.

Several vehicles were reported to have fallen to the ground 30m below.

Witnesses said some cars were thrown over the edge by the force of the blast, the cause of which was not immediately clear.

Six vehicles were retrieved from the wreckage, Xinhua said, while search and rescue efforts were continuing at the site. Eight people had been injured, the agency said.

Longest road

Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers digging through rubble. The channel said 10 trucks had been found under the bridge.

Images posted on microblogging sites showed wrecked trucks and debris, as well as a collapsed section of highway.

One photo showed a truck perched precariously at the broken edge of the carriageway.

The G30 is the longest road in China, running for 4,400km (2,700 miles) from the coast of eastern Jiangsu province to Urumqi, close to the Kazakhstan border.

Fireworks are traditionally set off in China to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is just over a week away. There are frequently reports of accidents as they are being made, stored or transported.

The BBC's Jon Sudworth in Beijing says there has been much debate over whether the use of fireworks should be reduced, in part to help curb pollution.

Official statistics show that in 2011, more than 60,000 people were killed on roads in China. The deaths are often blamed on inadequate training, poor quality vehicles or on drivers ignoring safety instructions.

Earlier this month, China halted plans to introduce tougher penalties for traffic offences, following a public outcry.

The rules imposed penalty points for motorists who drove through amber traffic lights, with a driving ban after two offences, as well as increasing penalties for speeding, drinking and driving and using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.

But there were widespread complaints that drivers stopping abruptly at lights were ultimately causing more accidents.

The government said it was reconsidering its traffic policies.

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India actor faces homicide charge

1 February 2013 Last updated at 04:36 ET

An Indian court has ruled that Bollywood superstar Salman Khan should face a charge of culpable homicide for a hit-and-run incident 10 years ago.

In September 2002, he allegedly drove his car into a bakery in Mumbai city, killing a street sleeper.

The actor is currently being tried for the lesser offence of "death caused by negligence". He could face 10 years in prison for the more serious charge.

He denies the charges and has said he will challenge the latest order.

Khan is one of Bollywood's biggest stars and has starred in more than 80 Hindi films, including Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger, Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun.

Late on the night of 28 September 2002, Khan's Toyota Land Cruiser rammed into the American Express bakery in the Bandra area of Mumbai, authorities say.

The vehicle ran over five people sleeping on the streets, killing one of them.

Trial delays

Khan was initially charged with culpable homicide. But he successfully challenged that charge in court and it was reduced to "causing death by negligence".

The trial finally began before the Bandra Magistrate Court in 2006. As it was a lesser charge, Khan has not had to appear before the court.

The court heard several witnesses between 2006 and 2011 but in March 2011 the prosecution asked for the more serious charge to be reinstated. This latest order is a response to that application.

"There is enough evidence to show that the act was not incidental and hence the case should be tried under a more serious section," Magistrate Vasant Patil said in his order.

Khan will now have to appear in court on 11 March, his lawyer Dipesh Mehta said. The actor would challenge the order in the high court, he added.

There have been several complaints about delays to the trial - the case has stretched on for the best part of a decade. Mumbai police deny causing deliberate delays.

Correspondents say it is not unusual for cases to go on for many years, even decades, and there have long been complaints about the laborious nature and slow pace of India's judicial system.

Khan is a hugely popular and successful actor. He has often been described as a "bad boy" heart-throb.

In 2006, he was sentenced to five years in prison for hunting a protected deer, but he was released on bail after spending less than a week in jail.

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France's Hollande to visit Mali

1 February 2013 Last updated at 05:59 ET

France's President Francois Hollande is to visit Mali, where three weeks of targeted French air strikes have forced Islamist militants to retreat.

Mr Hollande will fly into Bamako to meet interim President Dioncounda Traore, his office says.

He is set to visit Timbuktu, recently seized from Islamist rebels by French and Malian troops, on Saturday.

The French military intervention has recaptured large parts of northern Mali from Islamist groups.

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Search for Mexico blast survivors

1 February 2013 Last updated at 06:05 ET

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The BBC's Will Grant said the blast happened "at the worst possible moment"

Rescuers have been working overnight to find survivors trapped after a deadly blast at the Mexico City headquarters of the state oil company, Pemex.

Some 500 rescuers helped by dogs are searching the building for a number of people thought to be trapped by a blast that killed 25 people and injured 100.

Relatives of employees have gathered in search of information - some trying to reach loved ones via mobile phone.

The cause of the blast is under investigation, Pemex says.

'Full weight of the law'

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At the scene

Will Grant BBC News, Mexico City

---

The Pemex building in the north of Mexico City is surrounded by large numbers of federal police and paramedics. Sniffer dogs are being used to look for people trapped under the rubble.

Mexico City is used to earthquakes, and the emergency services seem well prepared for this type of disaster.

The skyscraper withstood the blast too, with most of the damage confined to the ground and first floors. But night has set in now in the Mexican capital, further complicating the search.

Some family members of missing workers are gathered outside the Pemex building for news of their loved ones, while others have travelled directly to the hospitals.

The authorities and paramedic teams are releasing information at regular intervals but the exact cause of the blast may still take some time to be confirmed. This is now by far the worst explosion in Mexico City for almost 30 years.

Thursday afternoon's explosion in the lower floors of a building adjoining the 54-storey Pemex skyscraper happened as shifts were changing, making the area particularly crowded.

Debris from the blast spread out on to the street in front of the building.

Red Cross ambulances and helicopters were shuttling the injured to hospital, while firefighters and soldiers dug through chunks of concrete with a crane to reach trapped survivors.

One distraught relative, Ana Vargas Palacio, told Associated Press she had spoken to her husband, who works in the building, two hours before the blast.

"I called his phone many times, but a young man answered and told me he found the phone in the debris," Ms Vargas said.

Police cordoned off the streets around the building, which is located in a busy commercial area of Mexico City.

Rescuer German Vazquez Garcia told AP there was "a lot of risk" involved in the search.

President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera, who visited the scene of the blast, said Pemex rescue and security teams were working alongside city authorities to help the injured.

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Pemex

• Pemex was created in 1938 when the oil industry was nationalised
• Employs some 150,000 people and accounts for around 37% of Mexico's income
• Pemexgate - when money from Pemex's union was diverted to the presidential campaign of the ruling party, the PRI - resulted in the party being fined around $90m (£60m)
• Pemex is responsible for the largest peacetime oil spill in history in the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 1979

Mr Pena Nieto said: "We have no conclusive report on the reason [for the blast]. We will work to get to the bottom of the investigation to find out, first, what happened, and if there are people responsible in this case, that we apply the full weight of the law against them."

The BBC's Will Grant, at the scene, says this is the biggest explosion to hit Mexico City for 30 years.

Pemex says its operations will continue to run normally - and commercial and financial obligations will continue to be met - despite the blast.

The company has experienced a number of fatal accidents in recent years.

Last September, 30 people died in an explosion at a Pemex gas plant in northern Mexico, thought to have been caused by a build-up of gas.

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Russia concern at Israeli 'strike'

31 January 2013 Last updated at 03:21 ET

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Israel has not commented on reports of an attack on Wednesday

Russia has expressed concern at an alleged Israeli attack on Syria, saying such a strike would be an unacceptable violation of the UN Charter.

Syria's army said Israeli jets had targeted a military research centre north-west of Damascus on Wednesday.

It denied reports that lorries carrying weapons bound for Lebanon were hit.

Russia has steadfastly refused to denounce Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the 22-month conflict that has killed more than 60,000 people.

The Syrian army statement, carried on state media, said Israeli fighter jets had carried out a direct strike on a scientific research centre in Jamraya, killing two people and injuring five.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said: "If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it."

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• Jamraya Centre: Reported scientific research centre responsible for developing chemical weapons
• Weapons convoy: Lorries carrying Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah bases in Lebanon

Relations between Russia and Israel have been improving in recent years as trade and economic ties have grown stronger, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.

But Moscow is a close ally of President Assad, which would explains its concern at the reports, our correspondent adds.

Missiles heading for border?

The attack came as Israel voiced fears that Syrian missiles and chemical weapons could fall into the hands of militants such as the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah.

Israel and the US have declined to comment on the reported incident.

Lebanese security sources, Western diplomats and Syrian rebels say the target was an arms convoy near Lebanon's border. The Associated Press quoted a US official as saying the lorries were carrying Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles.

The Lebanese military and internal security forces have not confirmed the reports, but say there has been increased activity by Israeli warplanes over Lebanon in the past week, and particularly in recent hours.

Correspondents say Israel fears Hezbollah could obtain anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, thus strengthening its ability to respond to Israeli air strikes.

Israel believes Syria received a battery of SA-17s from Russia after an alleged Israeli air strike in 2007 that destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor near Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, analysts say.

The US government said in 2008 that the reactor was "not intended for peaceful purposes".

Hezbollah said Wednesday's target was the Jamraya centre, condemning it as "an attempt to thwart Arab military capabilities" and pledging to stand by its ally Mr Assad.

Iron Dome move

BBC Middle East correspondent Wyre Davies says that while none of the reports can be verified, some well-placed diplomats and military sources say they would not be surprised if Israel had acted, given the recent instability in Syria.

The Syrian army statement said the Jamraya centre - which was focused on "raising our level of resistance and self-defence" - was damaged in the attack, and specifically denied reports that an arms convoy had been hit.

It said "armed terrorist gangs", a term the government uses to describe rebel groups, had tried and failed repeatedly to capture the same facility in recent months.

Some reports suggest the facility could be Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre, believed to be the state organisation responsible for developing biological and chemical weapons.

Any Israeli attack on Syria side could cause a major diplomatic incident, analysts say, as Iran has said it will treat any Israeli attack on Syria as an attack on itself.

The reported attack came days after Israel moved its Iron Dome defence system to the north of the country.

Israel has also joined the US in expressing concern that Syria's presumed chemical weapons stockpile could be taken over by militant groups.

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French forces take key Mali town

31 January 2013 Last updated at 03:57 ET

French forces have secured the northern Malian town of Kidal, the last main stronghold of Islamist rebels in the region, military officials say.

Militant Islamist fighters had already left the town, near the Algerian border, and are believed to be hiding in the surrounding mountains.

The capture of Kidal came days after French and Malian forces retook the provincial capitals Gao and Timbuktu.

Kidal official Haminy Maiga said the French troops had met no resistance.

"The French arrived aboard four planes," said, Mr Maiga, who heads the regional assembly.

"They took the airport and then entered the town, and there was no combat. The French are patrolling the town and two helicopters are patrolling overhead."

Earlier, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said a sandstorm had delayed the troops from leaving the airport and entering the town.

Islamist militants extended their control of the vast north of Mali in April 2012, taking advantage of a military coup.

France - the former colonial power in Mali - launched a military operation this month after the militants appeared to be threatening the south.

The BBC's Thomas Fessy in Timbuktu says the capture of Kidal marks the end of the first phase of the military operation to oust militants from northern Mali.

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Mali crisis timeline

• October 2011: Ethnic Tuaregs launch new rebellion after returning with weapons from Libya, where they had fought for Gaddafi
• March 2012: Military officers depose President Amadou Toumani Toure over handling of rebellion
• April 2012: Tuareg and Islamist fighters seize control of northern Mali, declare independence
• June 2012: Islamist groups capture Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao from Tuaregs, start to destroy Muslim shrines that offend their puritan views
• September 2012: Islamist rebels seize town of Douentza, crossing into central Mali and threatening government-held south
• January 2013: Islamist fighters capture central town of Konna, raising fears they could march on capital. President Dioncounda Traore asks France for help. French intervention begins.

France is now expecting the deployment of thousands of African forces to support the second phase - driving the al-Qaeda-linked fighters from their desert hideouts.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Wednesday that France intended to leave Mali "quickly", and it was up to African countries to take over.

Several hundred soldiers from West African countries - including Niger and Chad - are already in Mali.

Our correspondent says French forces who entered Kidal found members of the secular National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) there.

The Tuareg rebels launched the insurgency last year before breaking away from the militants.

Their presence in Kidal explains why government troops have not yet been sent to the town, our correspondent adds.

The MNLA says it will support the French but will not allow the return of the Malian army, which it accused of "crimes against the civilian population".

Human rights groups have accused the Malian army of targeting ethnic Tuareg and Arab civilians.

An MNLA spokesman told the BBC its fighters had entered Kidal on Saturday and found no Islamist militants there.

Kidal was until recently under the control of the Ansar Dine Islamist group, which has strong ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The Islamic Movement of Azawad (IMA), which recently split from Ansar Dine, recently said that it was in control of Kidal.

The IMA has also said it rejects "extremism and terrorism" and wants a peaceful solution.

Continue reading the main story

Enigmatic leader

The radical Islamist group Ansar Dine was founded by Tuareg rebel Iyad Ag Ghaly

Some reports say Ansar Dine leader Iyad Ag Ghaly and Abou Zeid of AQIM have now moved to the mountainous region north of Kidal.

Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday are expected to reaffirm support for the French intervention in Mali and discuss practical details of an EU military training mission which is due to begin there next month.

On Tuesday, international donors meeting in Ethiopia pledged $455.53m (£289m) for the African Union-backed force (Afisma) and for other projects.

African leaders say the overall budget could be around $950m.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has also said credible elections in Mali would be vital to achieving peace in the country.

Mali's interim President Dioncounda Traore said on Tuesday he wanted to hold "transparent and credible" elections by 31 July.

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