Strauss-Kahn pimping trial to begin

2 February 2015 Last updated at 05:27

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is set to go on trial in France to face pimping charges.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, 65, is accused of helping to procure sex workers for an alleged prostitution ring based at a hotel in Lille.

The former presidential hopeful has admitted attending sex parties there, but says he did not know that some of the women were prostitutes.

The case is the latest sex-related allegation to trouble Mr Strauss-Kahn.

He stepped down as International Monetary Fund leader after being accused of attempted rape by a hotel maid in New York in 2011.

The charges were eventually dropped, and Mr Strauss-Kahn reached a settlement with the maid, Nafissatou Diallo.

Two other cases against him, concerning allegations of sexual assault and gang rape, have already been dropped.

On Monday, he will appear in court along with 13 others, including the owner of a brothel known as "Dodo the Pimp".

Mr Strauss-Khan is facing a charge of "aggravated pimping" and is accused of using his business contacts to hire women for sex parties in Paris, Lille and Washington.

His lawyers argue that although he has admitted attending these parties, that he was completely unaware that many of the women involved were paid prostitutes.

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Paris says the case has been described as a litmus test for changing attitudes in France with the private lives of public figures now facing more scrutiny than in the past.

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Greste to pursue colleagues' release

2 February 2015 Last updated at 08:11

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Peter Greste's family spoke of their happiness at the journalist's release from a Cairo prison

Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste will not rest until his colleagues are released from prison in Egypt, his family says.

After 400 days behind bars, Mr Greste was freed and deported on Sunday. He landed safely in Cyprus, on his way to his native Australia.

He was arrested in 2013 and tried on charges that included spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood.

Two al-Jazeera colleagues, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, remain jailed.

Mr Fahmy, who holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, could be freed if he renounces his Egyptian nationality, presidential sources said.

But there are still concerns about Mr Mohamed, an Egyptian who holds no dual nationality.

Mr Greste spoke about his concerns for his colleagues to his family after his release.

'Small cogs'

Speaking at a press conference in the Australian city of Brisbane, brother Andrew Greste said: "We want to acknowledge that Peter's two other colleagues are still there."

His father Juris Greste said that they felt very deeply for those left behind.

Andrew Greste also thanked all those who had supported his brother and worked for his release.

"We are small cogs in this massive campaign," he said.

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Peter Greste had told her in a telephone conversation that he was eager to return to his family in Brisbane.

"He was immensely relieved and he was desperate to come home to Australia and reunite with his family," said Ms Bishop.

"From my discussion with him, he was very keen to be back on a beach and lying in the sun in Australia."

Timeline: Journalists' detention

• 29 December 2013: Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy arrested in police raid on Cairo's Marriott Hotel. Baher Mohamed later arrested at home
• 29 January 2014: 20 people including the three journalists referred to trial, charged with spreading false news, belonging to a terrorist organisation and operating without a permit
• 22 February: First court appearance of the three journalists
• 23 June: Defendants sentenced to seven years, with Baher Mohamed receiving an additional three years
• 12 November: President Sisi signs decree allowing repatriation of foreign prisoners
• 1 January 2015: Highest court orders retrial, but the three journalists not allowed bail

How journalists were jailed in Egypt

Who are the jailed journalists?

The three journalists had been accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013.

All the defendants denied the charges against them and said their trial was a sham.

Mr Fahmy and Mr Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison and Mr Mohamed to 10. Their convictions were overturned on 1 January, but the men remained in custody pending a retrial.

'Overjoyed'

Mr Greste's release on Sunday came after a long international campaign.

His family said that he would return to Australia when he felt ready.

His mother, Lois Greste, said she had been quietly dreaming about this moment.

"I think he will recover well," she added.

Andrew Greste told BBC Breakfast that "to know that Peter's out of Egypt and in a safe place is just indescribable".

His brother was "in good mental and physical shape", and was "overjoyed" to be released, he added.

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Orla Guerin: "Peter Greste and his colleagues insist that the only thing they are guilty of is doing their jobs"

The first hints of Mr Greste's release came in November, when President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he was considering granting pardons to the two foreign al-Jazeera journalists.

He had earlier signed a decree on repatriating foreign prisoners.

Mr Greste's release was eventually confirmed by a statement issued by the Egyptian interior ministry.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond welcomed the decision to release Mr Greste.

However, he expressed concerns that Mr Greste's two colleagues remained in jail, adding: "It also appears that charges remain against the other journalists convicted in absentia, including British nationals Dominic Kane and Sue Turton."

Mr Hammond said he called on the Egyptian authorities to review their sentences "as a matter of urgency".

"I call on the Egyptian government to take further action to ensure the release of other journalists from prison, to release political detainees and to relax restrictions on civil society," Mr Hammond added.

According to campaign group Reporters Without Borders, there are currently 165 journalists imprisoned around the world, in countries including China, Iran, Eritrea, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Russia.

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Ukraine rebels 'to raise 100,000 men'

2 February 2015 Last updated at 11:02

Pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko has announced plans to recruit 100,000 men, as fighting with Ukrainian forces intensifies.

The separatists are trying to capture the key town of Debaltseve, while central areas of rebel-held Donetsk have been hit by artillery fire.

Dozens of civilians were killed on both sides of the front line at the weekend.

"Mobilisation will start in 11 days' time," Mr Zakharchenko told Donetsk news agency.

Hundreds of civilians have been moved out of Debaltseve amid reports that the separatists have reached the outskirts of the town.

A fragile ceasefire agreed in Minsk in September collapsed in eastern Ukraine last month as rebels stepped up their offensive on several Ukrainian positions and seized Donetsk airport. Thirty civilians were killed when shells were fired on the south-eastern city of Mariupol and international observers said the firing had come from rebel areas.

Ukrainian forces have been blamed for deadly artillery attacks on Donetsk city and other rebel-held areas.

Attempts to negotiate a new halt to violence failed on Saturday in the Belarusian capital Minsk when some of the rebel representatives did not turn up.

'Reserve force'

Mr Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, emphasised that recruits to separatist forces would be voluntary, Donetsk news agency said.

"It is a reserve force which will definitely be able to resist any attack," he was quoted as saying.

They would have a month's combat training with the aim of providing three motorised brigades for counter-attack, Interfax news agency reported.

Ukraine's government has also announced plans to boost its forces in the east. Tanks and other heavy military vehicles were seen heading to towards Debaltseve on Sunday in an attempt to bolster defences in the town.

The rebels' ability to raise large numbers of forces is unclear, although Ukraine has alleged they are being helped by as many as 9,000 Russian servicemen, a claim the government in Moscow denies.

A Canadian journalist who is in the conflict zone said the rebels had been involved in a tough battle as they tried to encircle Debaltseve.

"It's been quite surprising to hear how many have said they are experiencing significant losses and many of their fellow fighters have been killed. That's not something that you often hear," Kristina Jovanovski told the BBC World Service Newsday programme.

Military officials in Kiev said on Monday that five soldiers had been killed in the past 24 hours, although separatists said the number was more than 20. Thirteen civilians were killed in separatist-held areas during the same period, rebel sources said.

The latest fatalities bring to at least 60 the number killed during a weekend of heavy violence in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Are you in eastern Ukraine? Have you been affected by events? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

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Egypt court upholds death sentences

2 February 2015 Last updated at 11:10

A court in Egypt has upheld the death sentences of 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters over a 2013 attack on a police station near Cairo.

The men were convicted in the killings of 16 policemen in the town of Kardas.

The attack took place after Egyptian military forces cracked down on protests over the ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July.

Hundreds of death sentences have been passed on Mr Morsi's supporters since but none have been carried out.

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Key Nigerian city under fresh attack

1 February 2015 Last updated at 09:46

Boko Haram Islamist militants have launched a fresh assault on the strategically important Nigerian city of Maiduguri, eyewitnesses say.

Gunfire was reported on the streets of the northern city after an attack that began in the early hours of Sunday.

It comes a week after Boko Haram's last attempt to capture the capital of Borno state was repelled by the Nigerian army with heavy loss of life.

Boko Haram began guerrilla operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state.

It has taken control of many towns and villages in north-eastern Nigeria in the last year.

The conflict has displaced at least 1.5 million people, while more than 2,000 were killed last year.

'In fear'

Residents in Maiduguri told the AFP news agency that the attack began at 03:00 (02:00 GMT) and that heavy fighting is taking place on the southern edge of the city between insurgents and troops supported by vigilantes who recently have taken a central role in fighting the militants.

The security forces have not so far commented on the latest fighting. Their handling of the six-year insurgency has often been criticised and the loss of Maiduguri would be another major setback.

"The whole city is in fear," resident Adam Krenuwa was quoted as saying. "People are afraid of what will happen if Boko Haram defeats the security forces."

The Nigerian Premium Times newspaper reported that heavy artillery could be heard in Maiduguri as the militants attacked the city from four directions.

Boko Haram at a glance

• Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
• Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - has also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
• Has abducted hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirls
• Controls several north-eastern towns
• Has launched attacks on Cameroon

Soldiers without weapons

Who are Boko Haram?

Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram

Boko Haram's last attempt to take over Maiduguri a week ago was stopped by the military.

But the militants did succeed in capturing the town of Monguno - 125km (80 miles) outside the city and took over a military base.

With the insurgents gaining more and more territory Maiduguri - home to tens of thousands of people who have fled their homes because of the conflict - has been increasingly vulnerable.

Aid agencies have warned that the fall of the city would trigger a humanitarian disaster.

Analysts say that the rebels are stepping up their attacks ahead of elections in Nigeria on 14 February.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno and two neighbouring states in 2013, vowing to defeat the militants.

However, Boko Haram has stepped up attacks since then and there are fears that many people in the north-east will not be able to vote in the election because of the conflict.

The African Union (AU) has this week backed plans for a West African task force of 7,500 troops to fight Boko Haram.

Four of Nigeria's neighbours - Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger - have agreed to contribute troops.

Are you in the area? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co with your experiences.

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Greek PM offers olive branch on debt

31 January 2015 Last updated at 22:20

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said he is confident that agreement can be reached with creditors over repayment of Greece's debts.

Mr Tsipras said in a statement issued to Bloomberg news agency that he had never intended to act unilaterally.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out debt cancellation, saying creditors had already made concessions.

Mr Tsipras' Syriza party won last weekend's election with a pledge to have half the debt written off.

Its new Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has refused to work with the "troika" of global institutions overseeing Greek debt, which had agreed a €240bn (£179bn; $270bn) bailout with the previous Greek government.

The troika is made up of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Greece still has a debt of €315bn - about 175% of gross domestic product - despite some creditors writing down debts in a renegotiation in 2012.

'Confident of deal'

Mr Tsipras said Greece would repay its debts to the ECB and IMF, and reach a deal with the eurozone nations that funded most of the bailout package.

"The deliberation with our European partners has just begun," he said.

"Despite the fact that there are differences in perspective, I am absolutely confident that we will soon manage to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, both for Greece and for Europe as a whole."

Greek economy in numbers

• Average wage is €600 (£450: $690) a month
• Unemployment is at 25%, with youth unemployment almost 50%
• Economy has shrunk by 25% since the start of the eurozone crisis
• Country's debt is 175% of GDP
• Borrowed €240bn (£188bn) from the EU, the ECB and the IMF

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, chairman of the eurozone finance ministers' group, said he welcomed Mr Tsipras' comments.

"It is now up to the Greek government to determine its position on how to move forward," he said.

"Further decisions will be taken jointly in the Eurogroup in the coming weeks."

In interviews in the German media published on Saturday, Mrs Merkel said she still wanted Greece to stay in the eurozone but did not "envisage fresh debt cancellation".

"There has already been voluntary debt forgiveness by private creditors, banks have already slashed billions from Greece's debt," she told Hamburger Abendblatt.

Meanwhile, EU economic and financial affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici told the BBC's Hardtalk programme that the Greek government had to respect previous commitments.

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Pierre Moscovici: Greece's place is in the eurozone

But he added: "We believe that the place of Greece is in the eurozone, the euro needs Greece and that Greece needs and wants to be in the eurozone.

Greece's current programme of loans ends on 28 February. A final bailout tranche of €7.2bn still has to be negotiated but the new government has already begun to roll back austerity measures.

Mr Tsipras will visit Cyprus, Italy and France next week but has no plans to visit Germany as yet.

The full interview with Mr Moscovici can be seen on BBC World News on Monday 2 February at 0430, 0930, 1630 and 2130 GMT.

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Jordan vow after hostage beheading

1 February 2015 Last updated at 10:29

Jordan has vowed to do all it can to secure the release of a pilot captured by Islamic State, after a video was released appearing to show the beheading of a Japanese hostage.

Jordan echoed Japan in strongly condemning the murder of Kenji Goto.

The pilot, Lt Moaz al-Kasasbeh, was captured when his plane came down in December on a mission to support the US-led, anti-IS military coalition.

Jordan says it is willing to exchange an Iraqi prisoner for his safe return.

Government spokesman Mohammed al-Momeni told the official Petra news agency the administration was doing "everything it can to save the life and secure the release of its pilot".

He said: "All state organisations have been mobilised to secure the proof of life that we require so that he can be freed and returned to his home."

Analysis: Kevin Connolly, BBC News, Amman, Jordan

Very little has been heard of Lt Kasasbeh since he fell into the hands of the militants - his family continue to hope and pray for his safety and want their government to do more and to share more of whatever information it may have with them.

They cling to the hope that the killing of Kenji Goto doesn't necessarily have direct immediate implications for the safety of the young pilot.

The danger for the Jordanian government is that Islamic State may see Lt Kasasbeh as a hostage of particularly high value because of his role in the air campaign and may demand a very high political price for his freedom - if they can prove that he is still alive.

Japan wakes up to bad news

Profile: Islamic State

Profile: Lt Moaz al-Kasasbeh

Mr Momeni also said that Jordan had "spared no effort, in coordination with the Japanese government" to save the life of Mr Goto.

Relatives of Lt Kasasbeh urged the government to do more for him and provide more information.

Yassin Rawashda, an uncle of the pilot, said: "We want the government to tell us the truth."

The latest video made no mention of Lt Kasasbeh.

His father, Safi, told Associated Press: "This is my son. I'm always concerned about him and any development makes me more concerned."

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Kenji Goto's friend Mark Tchelistcheff: "Our hearts are very heavy with this news"

Lt Kasasbeh's F-16 crashed in IS-held territory in Syria in December. The US-led coalition has been targeting IS with air strikes since September.

The first IS demand, last week, had been for $200m (£130m) in return for two Japanese hostages - Mr Goto and Haruna Yukawa.

After a 72-hour deadline passed, IS said it had beheaded Mr Yukawa.

IS then demanded the release of Sajida al-Rishawi, on death row in Jordan for her role in hotel bombings in Amman in 2005 that killed 60.

It gave a deadline of sunset on Thursday for a deal under which Mr Goto would be freed in return for Rishawi.

However, Jordan demanded that Lt Kasasbeh also be released and called for proof he was still alive.

The video showing the apparent beheading of Mr Goto brought the renewed offer from Jordan on Sunday of an exchange for Rishawi.

Mr Goto, 47, a respected journalist known for his work covering the suffering of civilians in war zones, went to Syria in October, reportedly to try to secure Mr Yukawa's release.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday he "would not give in to terrorism" and that he would expand his support to countries fighting IS.

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Prime Minister Abe said Japan would work with the international community to bring those responsible for Mr Goto's apparent murder to justice

The latest video, which has all the hallmarks of previous IS propaganda videos, has not been authenticated, but Japanese officials believe it is genuine.

In the video, Mr Goto is seen kneeling in an orange jumpsuit.

A militant speaking with an English accent who is believed to have appeared in previous videos and is known as "Jihadi John", addresses Mr Abe, accusing him of a "reckless decision to take part in an unwinnable war".

Mr Abe called the killing a "heinous act", adding that Japan would work with the international community to bring those responsible for Mr Goto's apparent murder to justice.

Mr Goto's mother Junko Ishido said she was speechless at his death, saying he had gone to Syria out of "kindness and courage".

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Protesters back on Hong Kong streets

1 February 2015 Last updated at 10:51

Thousands of pro-democracy activists have returned to the streets of Hong Kong for their first big rally since mass protests last year.

A large police presence was in force to deter demonstrators from taking over key areas of Hong Kong.

But protesters did not carry out a repeat of the occupations that shut down parts of the city.

Last year's Occupy demonstrations called for fully democratic elections for the territory's chief executive.

China has promised the semi-autonomous territory direct elections in 2017, but ruled that candidates had to be vetted by Beijing.

Pro-democracy legislators - who hold about 40% of the seats in the Legislative Council - strongly oppose the move.

Protester Julia Choi told the AP news agency that pro-democracy candidates "would not even be nominated, so this is pseudo-universal suffrage, we do not have the rights to elect who we want".

March organisers say that 13,000 people took part in the rally, but police say that it was just over half that figure.

The protesters were watched by about 2,000 police officers as soon as they began their march through the city's upmarket shopping and financial districts.

Analysis: Carrie Gracie, BBC China editor

How many marchers can Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement muster on the streets? Two months after police cleared the encampment from the heart of the city, today is an important test of strength for a movement which caught the world's attention last September with its youthful energy and idealism but which has since struggled to maintain a united voice and popular support.

From the point of view of the demonstrators, the fundamental question is whether Hong Kong's political destiny will be defined by its own citizens or by authoritarian rule from China.

The guarantees of a high degree of autonomy under the "one country, two systems" formula are being put to the test as political controls on the mainland tighten and Hong Kong's economic leverage diminishes.

Many demonstrators carried yellow umbrellas - the symbol of the political campaign. A large banner caricaturing Hong Kong's Chief Executive CY Leung read: "Reject fake democracy, we want real universal suffrage."

'Wake-up call'

Tens of thousands of demonstrators had taken to the streets in September last year, demanding political change.

There were violent clashes with police, and the final protest camp was dismantled in December.

One organiser of the latest march, Daisy Chan, told the AFP news agency it would show that last year's demonstrations were a watershed for Hong Kong and people had now woken up.

However, Lam Woon-kwong of the Executive Council, Hong Kong's top policy-making body, told local radio on Sunday: "You can't threaten the central authorities."

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IS 'chemical weapons expert killed'

30 January 2015 Last updated at 23:50

A chemical weapons expert with the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Iraq has been killed in a coalition airstrike, the US military has said.

Abu Malik's training provided IS with "expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability", a statement said.

He served as a chemical weapons engineer under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, before joining al-Qaeda in Iraq and then IS, the US said.

The US-led coalition has carried out nearly 2,000 strikes against IS.

Mr Malik was killed in a raid near Mosul on 24 January, according to the US.

His death is expected to "degrade and disrupt" IS and weaken their ability to produce and use chemical weapons, the US military said.

There have been frequent reports of IS using chlorine gas, but no evidence the group has accumulated a significant chemical weapons cache.

Last year, Iraqi police officers suffered from dizziness and vomiting after clashing with jihadist fighters north of Baghdad. It was thought chlorine gas may have been to blame.

Chlorine gas is classified as a "choking agent", burning the lungs when inhaled in large quantities. But it is nowhere near as dangerous as nerve gases.

Islamic State controls large areas of Syria, where the government has been destroying its chemical weapons, but not all the stockpiles have been accounted for.

The US and its allies has been targeting IS positions in Iraq and Syria since last August, destroying military equipment and killing the group's fighters.

Military chiefs are hoping they can re-take the key city of Mosul with the help of Iraqi forces this spring.

But there are concerns that Iraqi troops are not yet ready to do the fighting needed on the ground.

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DNA tests for babies in Mexico blast

31 January 2015 Last updated at 01:08

Nine babies found alive in the rubble of a Mexican children's hospital after a gas blast have undergone DNA tests to help reunite them with their parents.

The testing was necessary as the babies were not wearing identity bracelets, Mexico City Mayor Angel Mancera said.

The explosion on Thursday killed a nurse and two infants and injured more than 70 others.

It is believed to have been caused by a leak in a hose from a gas lorry fuelling the hospital's tanks.

"There are parents who have identified their children, but as the babies did not have bracelets on, we have to follow a protocol to identify them," Mr Mancera was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Tank workers struggled for about 15 minutes to repair the hose while a large gas cloud formed, witnesses said.

The explosion shot a fireball into the sky, and was so powerful that much of the building collapsed.

Mothers inside shielded their infants to protect them for the blast. Many of those injured suffered burns or cuts from broken glass.

Rescuers searched under rubble and twisted metal but by late on Thursday said no one was still trapped.

Mr Mancera said a bigger tragedy was avoided as the hospital was able to evacuate many of the people inside before the leak turned into an explosion.

The three operators of the gas lorry have been detained.

There have been a number of other fatal gas explosions in Mexico over recent years.

In February 2013, 37 people died in a blast at the headquarters of the state energy firm Pemex.

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