US: French tapping claims 'false'

23 October 2013 Last updated at 04:39 ET

US intelligence chief James Clapper has denied reports that US spies recorded data from 70 million phone calls in France in a single 30-day period.

The director of national intelligence said the report in Le Monde newspaper contained "misleading information".

In a separate story, the newspaper said the US bugged French diplomats and used the information to sway a key UN vote.

Both reports were based on leaks from fugitive ex-US intelligence worker Edward Snowden.

"Recent articles published in the French newspaper Le Monde contain inaccurate and misleading information regarding US foreign intelligence activities," Mr Clapper said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"The allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million 'recordings of French citizens' telephone data' is false."

Mr Clapper said he would not discuss details of surveillance activities, but acknowledged "the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations".

Iran sanctions

His statement did not mention the second set of allegations about the National Security Agency (NSA) programmes that allegedly monitored French diplomats in Washington and at the UN.

The paper laid out how US spies used computer bugs and phone-tapping techniques to monitor French diplomats at the UN and in Washington.

German magazine Der Spiegel had previously reported the monitoring of French diplomats, and the Washington Post had revealed the existence of a global cyber-spying programme called Genie.

But Le Monde's story gives details of how US agents used the intelligence, apparently gathered from French diplomats under the Genie programme.

It quotes a document issued by a directorate of the NSA as stating that the data helped the US sway a Security Council vote on a resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran on 9 June 2010.

The US had apparently feared losing the vote, and needed French support.

The document quotes America's former UN envoy Susan Rice as saying the NSA's information helped the US "keep one step ahead in the negotiations".

On Monday, Le Monde alleged that the NSA spied on 70.3 million phone calls in France between 10 December 2012 and 8 January 2013.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he had asked for a full explanation of those claims from US Secretary of State John Kerry.

'Unacceptable'

Mr Fabius told reporters he had reiterated the view of France that "this kind of spying conducted on a large scale by the Americans on its allies is something that is unacceptable".

Continue reading the main story

• Highlands: Spyware that implants cookies and monitors web use
• Vagrant: Bugging operation that captures information from screens
• PBX: Bug that allows agents to eavesdrop on phone calls

Source: Le Monde

However, French officials played down the possibility of any reprisals.

Government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said: "We have to have a respectful relationship between partners, between allies. Our confidence in that has been hit but it is after all a very close, individual relationship that we have."

She was speaking before Le Monde's allegations about the UN vote were published.

Information leaked by former NSA worker Edward Snowden has led to claims of systematic spying by the NSA and CIA on a global scale.

Targets included rivals like China and Russia, as well as allies like the EU and Brazil.

The NSA was also forced to admit it had captured email and phone data from millions of Americans.

Mr Snowden, who went public with his allegations in June, is currently in Russia, where he was granted a year-long visa after making an asylum application.

The US wants him extradited to face trial on criminal charges.

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China paper in journalist plea

23 October 2013 Last updated at 05:21 ET

A Chinese newspaper has published a rare front-page plea for the release of one of its journalists held by police.

The New Express, based in Guangzhou, called for Chen Yongzhou, who was detained last week, to be freed.

The paper said Mr Chen's detention was linked to reports he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company based in Hunan.

Police in Hunan have confirmed the journalist has been detained for "damage to business reputation''.

Earlier this year, Mr Chen wrote several reports about Zoomlion, which is partly owned by the Hunan provincial government.

Zoomlion issued a statement after one New Express article, which alleged it had improperly accounted for sales, caused its share price to drop.

In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange in late May, the company called the claims "false, groundless and misleading".

'Too naive'

The New Express led its article with a large three-character headline that read "Please Release Him".

It said it had remained quiet so far because it feared Mr Chen, who was detained on 19 October, might be mistreated.

"We always thought that as long as we report responsibly then there would be no problem; and even in the event of a problem, we can publish corrections and apologise; if it is really serious, and we lose a court case, we will pay or shut down if we have to," the editorial said.

"But the fact is, we are too naive. Chen Yongzhou had spent three days and three nights [in custody] before he saw a lawyer," it added.

Like all Chinese newspapers, the New Express comes under strict state control, but it has nonetheless gained a reputation for investigative journalism, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai.

"We are a small newspaper, but we have the backbone no matter how poor we are," the paper said in its piece.

Recent years have seen sporadic clashes between Chinese media outlets and the authorities.

In January, journalists at the Guangdong-based Southern Weekly newspaper called for a propaganda chief to quit, after he changed an editorial into a Communist Party tribute.

The row sparked small protests and displays of solidarity from other media outlets before the issue was resolved.

'Safeguard rights'

There have been strong reactions to the news of Chen Yongzhou's detention from users of weibo, China's version of Twitter.

Around 30 lawyers have put forward their names to rally support for Mr Chen and organised a virtual body - "Observation Group on the Detention of New Express Reporter Chen Yongzhou". But the group have not said what they plan to do.

Media professionals, including journalists, are also using weibo to join the call for police to release Mr Chen.

An editor from Dongfang Jinbao, a Henan-based newspaper, wrote: "Support New Express to safeguard the rights of its journalists. The bottom line of consensus in today's society is rule of law. Why did the police arrest Mr Chen? On what legal basis? Is it detention or arrest?"

Weibo users have also commented on the censorship of the news of Mr Chen's detention.

Another journalist from Henan province added: Within 10 minutes, all major internet portals like Sina, Sohu, Tencent and others have withdrawn the story from their home pages. This is a moment of shame for all (except a few) journalists in China.

Other users, however, are urging restraint, saying that it is not good to jump to any conclusions now.

The appeal by the New Express comes as the administration led by President Xi Jinping takes a tough approach to press and internet freedom.

China's 250,000 journalists and reporters are currently undertaking compulsory on-the-job training. Critics say its apparent aim is to make sure that journalists toe the party line.

Some internet bloggers with large numbers of followers on weibo have been arrested for allegedly "spreading rumours". Other high-profile bloggers have stopped posting comments on sensitive issues, apparently fearing reprisals by the government.

Rights group Reporters Without Borders has added Xi Jinping to a list of 39 leaders and groups identified as Predators of Freedom of Information in 2013.

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Vatican suspends 'bishop of bling'

23 October 2013 Last updated at 07:07 ET

The Vatican has suspended a senior German Church leader dubbed the "bishop of bling" by the media over his alleged lavish spending.

Calls were made for the Bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, to resign after he was accused of lying under oath about his spending.

The Vatican said it deemed "appropriate... a period of leave from the diocese" for the bishop.

Pope Francis has preached frugality since taking office in March.

The Bishop of Limburg is reported to have spent 31m euros (£26m; $42m) on his residence in the city - a project costed at about 5.5m euros in 2010. He was also criticised for a first-class flight to India to visit the poor.

The allegations have stoked controversy among Catholics in Germany, where five centuries ago Martin Luther launched the Reformation in Europe in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church.

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Australia fire threat 'averted'

23 October 2013 Last updated at 07:10 ET

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The BBC's Jon Donnison: "Wind has been the biggest problem for fire crews today"

Australian fire officials say the threat to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney "has been averted" for the day, but warn the crisis is far from over.

New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said residents would be able to return to their homes.

But he warned that fresh challenges lay ahead in the coming days amid unfavourable conditions.

In total, 73 fires are burning across the state, 29 of which are uncontained.

Meanwhile, a fire service investigation has concluded the largest of the fires in the Blue Mountains - State Mine near Lithgow - was caused by explosives training at an army range at Marrangaroo last Wednesday.

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Catherine Hubbard (pictured centre) was sleeping after a night shift as flames closed in on her home in Winmalee, 45 miles (70km) west of Sydney.

Her daughter Amy (also pictured) told the BBC of the frantic hours she and her brother had trying to contact Catherine by phone to warn her to leave.

The calls woke Catherine, who realised "there were fireballs falling all around her".

"She basically ran, grabbing the pets," said Amy.

They returned to the burnt-out remains of their home a few days ago. "We were crying. We are still in a lot of shock."

Mr Fitzsimmons confirmed the cause of the fire was "on a live firing range as a result of the detonation of some ordnance", but he said: "Any suggestion that this practice would be on par with someone deliberately lighting fires, reckless or criminal, is outrageous".

The defence department has not yet commented on the findings, but acknowledged at the weekend that it could have been the cause.

The findings have angered Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill who said the army "should not have been firing" on such a hot, dry day.

Hundreds of homes have already been destroyed as more than 3,000 firefighters battle to contain the bushfires in Australia's most populous state.

'Stay vigilant'

Fire officials had warned that Wednesday's combination of high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds could lead to more devastation.

But fire chiefs confirmed by the end of the day that not one home had been lost.

"If you have been someone that has chosen to depart the Blue Mountains today, to be out of harm's way, then it would be safe to head back home tonight because the risk has been averted," Mr Fitzsimmons said.

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Resident: "We're trying to save what we've got"

Fire chiefs say a combination of back-burning - the controlled burning of areas with the aim of depriving a fire of fuel - building lines of containment and strategic planning had paid off.

In particular, firefighters on Tuesday merged the State Mine fire with one at Mount Victoria to prevent them linking up with the third. "It is absolutely wonderful it did not run," Mr Fitzsimmons said.

But he warned people to remain extremely vigilant.

"There are still fires flaring up," he said. "There's every prospect we're going to see some more."

Many schools in the Blue Mountains are expected to remain closed on Thursday. A major highway through the region is also closed.

Emergency alerts remain in place near the city of Newcastle, north of Sydney. An emergency alert in Springwood, to the west, has been downgraded to a watch-and-act alert.

Earlier, new Prime Minister Tony Abbott hit back at comments by UN climate chief Christiana Figueres linking bushfires to global warming and criticising his decision to repeal a tax on carbon emissions introduced by the previous government.

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Australian PM says bushfires are "not climate change"

"The official in question is talking through her hat," Mr Abbott told local media.

"Climate change is real, as I've often said, and we should take strong action against it. But these fires are certainly not a function of climate change - they're just a function of life in Australia."

Mr Abbott, who took office in September, has drafted legislation to repeal the carbon tax, which imposed a levy on the country's 300 biggest polluters.

The new prime minister, who says the tax cost jobs and forced energy prices up, wants to introduce a Direct Action plan under which farmers and industry will be paid to act to reduce emissions.

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Australia merges bushfire blazes

22 October 2013 Last updated at 06:25 ET

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NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says Tuesday will be "a difficult day"

Firefighters in Australia have deliberately joined up two large fires as part of efforts to control bushfires across New South Wales.

The fires near the Blue Mountains had been "tactically joined" to stop them merging with a third, officials say.

Teams are engaged in extensive back-burning operations across the state ahead of worsening conditions expected on Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning more than 60 blazes were still alight, with 13 uncontained.

The region experienced light rain but firefighters say this will not be enough to quench the fires.

New South Wales declared a state of emergency on Sunday amid some of the region's worst fires in years.

Continue reading the main story

Bushfires (22 October)

• There are still 60 fires burning in New South Wales (NSW), with 13 uncontained
• A total of 117,400 hectares (290,102 acres) have been razed by the fires so far
• More than 2,000 fire fighters are tackling the blazes
• The NSW Rural Fire Service says 208 houses have been destroyed and 122 have been damaged
• Linksview, Springwood has 109 houses damaged and 193 destroyed
• There are 89 aircraft being utilised and 259 fire trucks used to fight the fires

Sources: NSW fire service, ABC, agencies

On Monday fire officials feared that three blazes in the Blue Mountains area near Lithgow - at State Mine, Mount Victoria and Springwood - could link up, creating a massive fire.

But NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said that joining two of the fires had prevented them linking up with the third.

"We are seeing positive results of these very deliberate, very targeted, very decisive strategies being deployed particularly in relation to back-burning operations... particularly in light of [Wednesday's] weather conditions," he said.

Back-burning is controlled burning of key areas aimed at depriving a fire of fuel and prevent it travelling in a certain direction.

'Difficult day'

The fire at State Mine has been downgraded to "watch and act" - from "emergency" - after some light rain at the fire zone.

However, Mr Fitzsimmons added that "there's still a way to go" and that firefighters would be braced for higher temperatures and stronger winds expected on Wednesday.

"We have got now probably 24 hours before we see the worst of the weather starting to develop and build across all these fire ground areas," he said. The conditions on Wednesday would be "about as bad as it gets".

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell told the BBC: "Tomorrow Wednesday in Sydney is expected to be the critical day when weather conditions return to what they were like last Thursday when these fires first started."

"Whilst we've lost more than 200 properties [and] another 100 or so damaged, many thousands have been saved by the efforts of our volunteer and other fire fighters who've done a tremendous job for almost a week."

Many families have their bags packed and are watching anxiously in case they are forced to flee, the BBC's Jon Donnison in the Blue Mountains reports.

Continue reading the main story

Bushfires in Australia

Australia is often hit by bushfires during summer months from December to February. Causes can be lightning, arson, power-line arcing, dropped cigarettes or controlled burns that go wrong.

On 7 February 2009 a prolonged heat-wave and dry spell led to the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. The fires became Australia's worst natural disaster, killing 173 people and burning thousands of houses.

On 16 February 1983 almost 200 fires caused devastation across parts of Victoria and South Australia. Seventy-five people died in what became known as the Ash Wednesday fires.

In January 2013, parts of NSW and Tasmania were hit by fires as temperatures soared to record levels, with average national temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius. One person died in Tasmania and several hundred buildings were destroyed.

In parts of Sydney that has been shrouded in a smoky haze for much of the week air quality levels are reported to have been up to 50 times worse than normal, our correspondent adds.

All schools in the Blue Mountains will be closed on Wednesday.

One man has died - possibly of a heart attack - while trying to protect his home. Hundreds of people have been left homeless by the bushfires.

On Monday, an 11-year-old boy in the Port Stephens area was charged with deliberately lighting two fires on 13 October. Another boy, 15, was also arrested over the fires, reports said.

Amid debate over the causes of the fires in Australia, United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres told US broadcaster CNN bushfires were "absolutely" linked to global warming, hitting out at Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's decision to repeal the carbon tax.

"We are really already paying the price of carbon," she said. "We are paying the price with wildfires, we are paying the price with droughts."

Mr Abbott has drafted legislation to repeal the carbon tax, introduced under the previous Labor government, which imposed a levy on the country's 300 biggest polluters.

The new prime minister, who says the tax cost jobs and forced energy prices up, wants to introduce a Direct Action plan under which farmers and industry will be paid to act to reduce emissions.

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Bolshoi dancer set to go on trial

22 October 2013 Last updated at 04:50 ET

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The case has put the spotlight on tensions at the Bolshoi

A Bolshoi Ballet soloist is due to go on trial over an acid attack on the company's artistic director in January.

Dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko is accused of organising of the attack on Sergei Filin, whose eyesight was badly damaged when sulphuric acid was thrown at him outside his Moscow flat.

Mr Dmitrichenko denies arranging the attack. If convicted, the dancer could face 12 years in jail.

The attack revealed bitter infighting and rivalries inside the Bolshoi.

Also on trial are the man accused of throwing the acid, Yuri Zarutsky, and Andrei Lipatov, who allegedly drove the getaway car.

After initially admitting to masterminding the attack, Mr Dmitrichenko later said he had discussed an assault on Mr Filin but not the use of acid.

Continue reading the main story

• 1970 - born in Moscow
• 1988 - began dancing at Bolshoi
• Winner of Russian and international awards
• Performs abroad, including at Covent Garden, London
• 2008 - dancing career ends
• March 2011 - takes over as Bolshoi artistic director

Following a pre-trial hearing, Mr Dmitrichenko's lawyer alleged that the defendant had been beaten by masked police - a claim that the Russian interior ministry has denied.

On Monday, ahead of the trial in Moscow, lawyer Sergei Kadyrov said: "Dmitrichenko does not consider himself guilty of causing grave harm to Filin's health."

"I hope the court will be able to distance itself from the public resonance of this case and deliver a well-grounded and just verdict."

Mr Filin has had more than 20 operations to try to save his eyesight.

Following treatment in Germany, he returned to Moscow for the inauguration of the Bolshoi's season last month, wearing dark glasses.

In March, more than 300 members of the Bolshoi Ballet wrote to President Vladimir Putin, saying that the idea that Mr Dmitrichenko was behind the crime was "absurd".

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Syria talks 'must bolster moderates'

22 October 2013 Last updated at 06:56 ET

Bolstering Syria's moderate opposition is crucial to excluding extremists from power in the war-gripped country, the UK's foreign secretary has said.

William Hague was speaking as Arab and Western foreign ministers gathered for talks with Syrian opposition officials.

The London talks are trying to lay the groundwork for planned peace negotiations in Geneva next month.

But a key group in Syria's main opposition alliance is threatening to boycott the meeting dubbed Geneva II.

The Syrian National Council (SNC) has been unwilling to talk to representatives of Bashar al-Assad's government.

Ministers will say unity is vital among the fractured groups of Syria's armed and political opposition if peace talks are to have any chance of success.

Rebel rivalries

In London, foreign ministers from 11 countries - the so-called Friends of Syria group - are trying to encourage opposition groups "to have a united position" ahead of Geneva II, Mr Hague told the BBC's Today programme.

Continue reading the main story

I don't see any obstacles to being nominated to run in the next presidential elections"

End Quote Bashar al-Assad Syrian President

Mr Hague admitted that an increasingly prominent role was being played in Syria by Islamist rebels linked to al-Qaeda, who are engaged in no kind of peace process and who have been involved in bitter struggles with more moderate forces.

"The reason we have to make sure we are supporting and dealing with the moderate opposition committed to a democratic, pluralistic, non-sectarian future for Syria is precisely because if they don't have a role, then all the Syrian people have got left is a choice between Assad and extremists," Mr Hague said.

"The longer this conflict goes on, the more sectarian it becomes. That's why we're making a renewed effort" with Geneva II, Mr Hague said.

At Tuesday's talks, Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are expected to reaffirm their view that Geneva II must be about a political transition in Syria away from the Assad regime.

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The BBC's Lina Sinjab reports on the different warring factions in Syria

Iran as yet has no role in Geneva II, but Mr Hague said he was trying to use new positive diplomatic relations with Iran to encourage it to play a "more constructive role" - but that required Iran to back a "transitional government in Syria made up of regime and opposition, by mutual consent".

Earlier, the US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed that Syria's opposition would never agree to President Assad staying in power.

"He has bombed and gassed people in his country. How can that man claim to rule under any legitimacy in the future?" he said, dismissing suggestions that Mr Assad could stand for re-election in 2014.

But President Assad reportedly told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television that he saw no reason why he could not run.

"Personally, I don't see any obstacles to being nominated to run in the next presidential elections," he was quoted as saying by the channel.

Mr Assad told the channel that his government would take part in the conference without preconditions, but suggested the prospects that it would reach a settlement were, at present, dim.

"No time has been set, and the factors are not yet in place if we want to succeed," he told al-Mayadeen in comments reported by AFP news agency.

"Which forces are taking part? What relation do these forces have with the Syrian people? Do these forces represent the Syrian people, or do they represent the states that invented them?" he asked.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are key funders of opposition forces in Syria, including, it is believed, hardline Islamist groups.

Geneva positions

On Monday, the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, said it was postponing until early November meetings to decide whether to attend the Geneva II conference.

The opposition has been further weakened by fighting between the moderate Free Syrian Army and Islamist rebel groups.

Western officials have been buoyed by the initial results of the chemical disarmament effort in Syria, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.

But he adds that they are painfully aware that the recent chemical deal has done nothing to alter the course of the civil war or to reduce the burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe in and around Syria.

Participants at the first round of talks in June 2012 (Geneva I) had sought to end the civil war by getting Damascus and the opposition to choose a transitional government.

The National Coalition has insisted that President Assad play no role in a transitional authority - something the Syrian government has rejected.

More than 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011.

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Spain orders Eta convict's release

22 October 2013 Last updated at 07:13 ET

Spanish judges have ordered the release of a convicted Basque militant, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled against her continued detention.

Ines del Rio, of the separatist group Eta, has been serving a 30-year sentence for bomb attacks in the 1980s.

The High Court backed the ruling of a Strasbourg court on Monday against Spanish laws that denied her right to earn remission through prison work.

Spain says dozens of Eta prisoners could now be eligible for release.

Monday's Strasbourg ruling "gives us no choice", concluded a prosecutors' report at the High Court requesting Del Rio's immediate release, reported El Pais newspaper.

Parot doctrine

Del Rio was arrested in 1987 for her part in 23 murders and car bombings carried out by Eta.

She was later sentenced to more than 3,800 years in jail, but the criminal code in force at the time reduced this to a maximum stay of 30 years.

Del Rio earned sentence reductions through prison work, making her eligible for release in July 2008 - but the High Court applied what is known as the "Parot doctrine" to extend her detention.

Under this doctrine, sentence reductions are applied to the sentences for individual crimes - collectively amounting to more than 3,800 years - rather than the overall 30-year maximum stay.

But on Monday the European Court of Human Rights condemned Spain for this practice and ordered Spain to ensure her immediate release and to pay her 30,000 euros (£25,400; $41,000) in compensation.

Although the Strasbourg court's ruling only applied to Del Rio, the Spanish government has said dozens of other convicted Eta members could be eligible for release.

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French outrage over US spying claims

21 October 2013 Last updated at 06:22 ET

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has summoned the US ambassador over newspaper claims that the US spied on millions of phone calls in France.

France has labelled such activity between allies as "unacceptable".

Le Monde says the data, based on leaks from ex-intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, suggest the US NSA agency monitored businesses and officials as well as terrorism suspects.

The intercepts were apparently triggered by certain key words.

The paper says the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on 70.3 million phone calls in France in just 30 days between December 10 last year and January 8, 2013.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

This is not the first time the US has been accused of spying on the French. Last year the Elysee Palace confirmed it had discovered a "powerful worm" in the computers of the Elysee network that had the ability to collect files on a machine, take screenshots, even activate the microphone on a computer to record conversations.

The US embassy in Paris categorically denied the US had been involved in any cyber attack on the French government. Nonetheless the finger was pointed by the French media.

On Monday morning Laurent Fabius summoned the US ambassador to an urgent meeting to request an explanation of these latest allegations from Le Monde. But then, the French already know the power of these surveillance programmes - because according to Le Monde they've been running a similar surveillance programme themselves; though perhaps only focused on its own nationals.

The agency also apparently captured millions of text messages.

It was unclear whether the content of the calls and messages was stored, or just the metadata - the details of who is speaking to whom.

And the paper did not say whether the operation, codenamed US-985D, was still in progress.

Mr Fabius announced that he had summoned the US ambassador to discuss the claims "immediately".

Interior Minister Manuel Valls had earlier said the allegations were "shocking", and added: "If an allied country spies on France, this is totally unacceptable."

The BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says the outrage is largely for public consumption, because the French government has been accused of running its own snooping operation similar to the US.

Le Monde reported in July that the French government stores vast amounts of personal data of its citizens on a supercomputer at the headquarters of the DGSE intelligence service.

Connections inside France and between France and other countries were all monitored, Le Monde reported. Emails, text messages, telephone and internet browsing records are stored for years, it said.

The latest revelations follow claims in the German media that US agents hacked into the email account of former Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Continue reading the main story

US allies on spying claims

• US agencies accused of spying on leaders of Brazil and Mexico; Brazil's Dilma Rousseff cancels state visit, Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto says US has promised an inquiry
• US allegedly runs bugging operations on EU mission in Washington and other European embassies; France objects, Germany cancels surveillance agreement with US and UK
• Le Monde claims NSA snooped on millions of phone calls in France; US ambassador in Paris summoned to explain

Edward Snowden, a former NSA worker, went public with revelations about US spying operations in June.

The information he leaked led to claims of systematic spying by the NSA and CIA on a global scale.

Targets included rivals like China and Russia, as well as allies like the EU and Brazil.

The NSA was also forced to admit it captured email and phone data from millions of Americans.

Mr Snowden is currently in Russia, where he was granted a year-long visa after making an asylum application.

The US wants him extradited to face trial on criminal charges.

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Kenya CCTV 'shows soldiers looting'

21 October 2013 Last updated at 06:56 ET

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In the footage, some Kenyan soldiers can be seen carrying white shopping bags, as Rebecca Donovan reports

Security camera footage has emerged which appears to show Kenyan security forces looting goods during last month's siege of the Westgate mall.

In the footage, some Kenyan soldiers can be seen carrying white shopping bags, while others appear to take white boxes from a mobile phone store.

At least 67 people died when suspected al-Shabab militants stormed the Nairobi shopping centre on 21 September.

The Kenyan military says it is investigating the looting allegations.

News agencies say the CCTV footage is taken inside the entrance to the Westgate mall's Nakumatt supermarket, which sells everything from food to televisions.

In one section of footage, several soldiers are seen walking out of the supermarket, past a blood-spattered floor, carrying plastic carrier bags.

In another clip, Kenyan soldiers can be seen next to a mobile phone outlet.

One reaches over the counter, and apparently removes a white item.

Then more soldiers remove white items, which the Reuters news agency describes as mobile phone boxes.

The Westgate attack sparked a four-day siege in which large parts of the shopping centre were destroyed.

Fourth body found

The Kenyan military says it has launched an investigation into the looting allegations, which correspondents say will have angered many Kenyans.

At the weekend, Kenya's biggest-selling newspaper, The Nation, ran an article entitled "Shame of soldiers looting Westgate".

The footage of the alleged looting emerged as the Kenyan authorities announced they had recovered the body of what they consider to be a fourth attacker.

"Today, Sunday 20 October 2013, we recovered a fourth body, which we know from CCTV footage to be that of a terrorist," said the Kenyan interior minister, Joseph Ole Lenku.

"DNA and other investigations will confirm their identities. We have also recovered four AK47 assault rifles which we know were used by the terrorists in the assault. We also recovered 11 magazines of AK47 assault rifles."

Officials had initially said 10 to 15 gunmen were involved, but CCTV footage appears to show only four militants.

It is still not clear whether some of the attackers might have escaped.

The Somali militant group al-Shabab said its members staged the attack in response to Kenya's army carrying out operations on Somali territory.

Last week, the BBC's Newsnight programme revealed that one of the suspected attackers was believed to be a 23-year-old Somalia-born Norwegian national, Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow.

His family fled to Norway in the 1990s, but he returned to Somalia in 2009 and allegedly joined the Somali militant group.

Sources in al-Shabab have told the BBC Somali Service that Dhuhulow attended a training camp in El Bur in central Somalia, one of the militants' main bases.

The sources said Dhuhulow took part in many al-Shabab operations in Mogadishu and Kismayo and was well-known in jihadist circles.

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