North Korea to put US men on trial

30 June 2014 Last updated at 08:18

North Korea says it will put two detained US men on trial, accusing them of "committing hostile acts".

Matthew Miller and Jeffrey Fowle had been investigated and would be brought before a court, the state news agency KCNA reported.

It said that suspicions about the two men had been confirmed by evidence and the pair's own statements, but gave no further details.

A US-Korean missionary, Kenneth Bae, is currently serving a 15-year sentence.

He was arrested in November 2012 and later convicted of trying to overthrow the North Korean government.

US attempts to secure his release have so far proved unsuccessful, despite fears over his health.

Bargaining chips?

Both of the US nationals to be put on trial entered North Korea on tourist visas.

Jeffrey Fowle entered North Korea on 29 April and was detained in early June as he was leaving the country, according to North Korean reports.

Japanese agency Kyodo said Mr Fowle was arrested because he left a Bible at a hotel.

Matthew Todd Miller was detained on 10 April, KCNA reported.

The agency said he had torn up his tourist visa, shouting that he had "come to the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] after choosing it as a shelter".

North Korea has in the past been accused of using arrested Americans as diplomatic bargaining chips.

The US wants Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for economic and diplomatic incentives, but talks on a deal agreed in 2007 have been stalled for several years.

Last year, North Korea carried out its third nuclear test and launched a three-stage rocket that Washington called a banned test of long-range missile technology.

The US has no formal diplomatic ties with North Korea. But in the past, senior US figures including former President Bill Clinton have travelled to the country to ensure the release of American detainees.

Other US detainees in North Korea

• Eddie Jun Yong-su: Businessman detained for six months in 2011, freed after a visit led by US envoy Robert King
• Aijalon Mahli Gomes: Teacher and Christian jailed in 2010 for eight years over illegal entry via China - freed after ex-US President Jimmy Carter visited Pyongyang
• Robert Park: US activist crossed into North Korea via China in late 2009 - freed in 2010 by North Korea
• Laura Ling and Euna Lee: Journalists jailed in 2009 for 12 years over illegal entry via the Chinese border - freed after ex-US President Bill Clinton met former NK leader Kim Jong-il

US citizens held by N Korea

Religious activity is severely restricted in the North and missionaries have been arrested on many previous occasions.

Kenneth Bae, the highest-profile of the currently detained Americans, was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in May 2013.

North Korea says he used his tourism business to form groups to overthrow the government.

The US has tried on at least two occasions to arrange a visit by a senior human rights envoy, Robert King, to discuss his case, but Pyongyang has cancelled both these visits.

Detainees from other nations can be treated differently - earlier this year, Pyongyang deported Australian missionary John Short, who was detained after apparently leaving Christian pamphlets at a tourist site.

Slander

Also on Monday, North Korea proposed a suspension in hostilities and slander between the two Koreas.

The proposal comes after a volley of short-range missile launches by the North, and just days ahead of a visit to Seoul by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China is North Korea's political and economic lifeline, but Mr Xi has pointedly chosen to prioritise a visit to the South, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson.

In January, North Korea published an open letter to South Korea calling for an end to all hostile military acts and slander.

But this reconciliation drive ended a few months later with sexual slurs and racist abuse directed at the presidents of South Korea and the US.

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EU steps in to help Bulgarian banks

30 June 2014 Last updated at 08:53

The European Commission has approved a request from Bulgaria to provide funding for some of the country's biggest banks.

The Commission extended a credit line of 3.3bn levs ($2.3bn; £1.4bn) to help banks that Bulgarian authorities believe have been victims of a plot to undermine the banking system.

Five people were arrested over the weekend in connection with the plot.

In the past week, there have been runs on two of Bulgaria's big banks.

"The Commission concluded that the state aid implied by the provision of the credit line is proportionate and commensurate with the need to ensure sufficient liquidity in the banking system in particular circumstances," the Commission said in a statement.

It stressed, however, that Bulgaria's banking system was fundamentally sound.

"[It is] well capitalised and has high levels of liquidity compared to its peers in other member states," the Commission said.

"For precautionary reasons, Bulgaria has taken this measure to further increase the liquidity and safeguard its financial system."

Last week, the country's central bank took over Corporate Commercial Bank, Bulgaria's fourth-largest lender, following a run on deposits. Following speculation that other banks would follow, depositors rushed to withdraw savings from First Investment Bank, the country's third-largest bank, on Friday.

This prompted the central bank to urge all state institutions to work together to protect financial stability and take legal action against those spreading "untrue and ill-intentioned rumours" about the health of Bulgaria's banks.

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More Ukraine talks amid clashes

30 June 2014 Last updated at 09:26

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France are to hold more talks to resolve the conflict in east Ukraine.

Germany and France have urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to extend a ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists - due to end on Monday evening - for a second time.

The truce remains under strain, with five Ukrainian soldiers killed in clashes in the east.

A Russian state TV cameraman was also shot dead while reporting in Donetsk.

Russia's Channel One TV said that Anatoly Klyan, 68, was fatally wounded in the stomach when shots were fired by Ukrainian troops near a military base. He was reporting on pro-Russian separatists in the area.

He is the third Russian TV journalist to be killed in Ukraine this month.

In a statement on its website, Russia's foreign ministry said the cameraman's death showed that Ukraine's "security structures" clearly did not want a de-escalation of the conflict.

The ministry demanded that Ukraine carry out an objective investigation.

Deadline looms

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande held their second talks in a week with Mr Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

The leaders discussed the importance of the ceasefire and the implementation of Mr Poroshenko's peace plan, a statement (in French) from President Hollande's office said.

According to the AFP news agency, President Putin used the call to urge Mr Poroshenko to extend the ceasefire "for a longer period".

However, protesters angered by the ceasefire gathered outside President Poroshenko's offices in Kiev on Sunday.

The BBC's David Stern in Kiev says Mr Poroshenko is coming under increased pressure to resume military operations against the rebels.

One demonstrator told Reuters news agency that the temporary truce "didn't bring any results, except deaths of our soldiers".

The ceasefire was extended on Friday for three days and is due to end on Monday at 22:00 local time (19:00 GMT).

Some rebel leaders refused to observe the truce and low-level attacks have continued over the weekend.

Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy said five Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and at least 17 wounded in clashes in the east of Ukraine.

He also said pro-Russian rebels had seized an air defence unit in Donetsk and captured six soldiers, although this has not been independently verified.

Elsewhere, there were renewed clashes in the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk with government troops and armed separatists accusing one another firing shells in the city.

Photographs showed a badly damaged apartment block and there were reports of civilian casualties, but this has not been confirmed.

EU pressure

President Poroshenko's 15-point peace plan involves decentralising power and holding early local and parliamentary elections.

The European Union has threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia unless Mr Putin puts pressure on pro-Russia rebels to lay down their arms.

Chancellor Merkel warned Russia on Friday the EU was prepared for "drastic measures" if no progress was made on the peace plan.

Her warning came as Mr Poroshenko signed a landmark EU trade pact - an agreement that triggered the recent crisis.

The refusal of Mr Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, to sign the EU deal - under pressure from Russia - led to protests in Kiev and his eventual overthrow this year.

Russia then annexed Ukraine's Crimea region, and separatists in the east declared independence from Ukraine.

More than 420 people have been killed in fighting between pro-Russia rebels and government forces in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, the UN estimates.

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Isis rebels declare 'Islamic state'

30 June 2014 Last updated at 10:35

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Footage aired on Iraqi state TV apparently shows troops undertaking a flash operation to weed out insurgents, as the BBC's Paul Adams reports

Jihadist militant group Isis has said it is establishing a caliphate, or Islamic state, on the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria.

It also proclaimed the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as caliph and "leader for Muslims everywhere".

Setting up a state governed under strict Islamic law has long been a goal of many jihadists.

Meanwhile, Iraq's army continued an offensive to retake the northern city of Tikrit from the Isis-led rebels.

The city was seized by the insurgents on 11 June as they swept across large parts of northern-western Iraq.

In a separate development, Israel called for the creation of an independent Kurdish state in response to the gain made by the Sunni rebels in Iraq.

Allegiance demand

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) announced the establishment of the caliphate in an audio recording posted on the internet on Sunday.

Isis also said that from now on it would be known simply as "the Islamic State".

The BBC's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, says the declaration harks back to the rise of Islam, when the Prophet Muhammad's followers conquered vast territories in the Middle Ages.

The Sunni-Shia split has its origins in a dispute over the succession to Muhammad.

Analysis: The BBC's Paul Adams in Baghdad

It's easy to dismiss the latest crop of Isis videos and statements as mere propaganda (however well produced), but the announcement of the establishment of a caliphate is rich with religious, cultural and historic significance.

Generations of Sunni radicals have dreamt of a moment when, in the words of Isis spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, Muslims "shake off the dust of humiliation and disgrace" and a new caliphate rises out of the chaos, confusion and despair of the modern Middle East.

Many Sunnis, and all Shia, will recoil in horror from the barbarism that has accompanied this moment, but the sight of old colonial-era boundaries being erased is a powerful statement, designed to attract new recruits to this whirlwind jihad.

In one of the Isis videos uploaded on Sunday, a bearded fighter called Abu Safiyya guides the viewer around a newly demolished border post. The video, with its arresting imagery and impressive production values, is designed to electrify the group's followers.

The fact that Abu Safiyya is described as being from Chile merely adds to what the authors hope is now the organisation's global appeal.

Isis said the Islamic state would extend from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala province in eastern Iraq.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group said, would become the leader of the state and would be known as "Caliph Ibrahim".

In the recording, the rebels also demanded that all Muslims "pledge allegiance" to the new ruler and "reject democracy and other garbage from the West".

What is a caliphate?

• An Islamic state ruled by a single political and religious leader, or Caliph

• Caliphs are regarded by their followers as successors to Muhammad and sovereign over all Muslims

• First caliphate came into being after Prophet Muhammad's death in 632

• In the centuries which followed, caliphates had dominion in the Middle East and North Africa

• The last widely accepted caliphate was abolished in 1924 by Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire

• The Ahmadiyya sect of Islam has recognised a caliphate for the last century, but it is only this group that does so

On Sunday, Iraqi government jets struck at rebel positions and clashes broke out in various parts of Tikrit, witnesses and officials said.

"The security forces are advancing from different areas", Lt-Gen Qassem Atta told journalists. "There are ongoing clashes."

Troops had reportedly pulled back to the nearby town of Dijla as Saturday's initial offensive met stiff resistance.

The heavy fighting over the two days caused many casualties on both sides, eyewitnesses and journalists told the BBC.

Insurgents were reported to have shot down a helicopter and captured the pilot.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the creation of an independent Kurdish state in response to gains made by Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

In a speech in Tel Aviv, he said the Kurds were "a nation of fighters and have proved political commitment and are worthy of independence".

The Kurds have long striven for an independent state but they remain divided between Syria and Turkey, Iran and Iraq.

The international community, including neighbouring Turkey and the US, remains opposed to the breakup of Iraq.

Are you in the area? What is your reaction to the current situation? Email your views to haveyoursay@bbc.o.uk with the word 'Iraq' in the subject heading.

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Indonesia sees massive deforestation

30 June 2014 Last updated at 10:58

A new study has shown that Indonesia lost about 60,000 sq km of virgin forest - an area close to the size of Ireland - over a period of 12 years.

The rate of deforestation has increased so much that Indonesia has for the first time surpassed Brazil in the rate of its clearance of tropical forests.

The study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Scientists monitored the growth of deforested land in Indonesia between 2000 and 2012 using satellites.

They say the land was cleared to make way for palm oil plantations and other farms.

By 2012, the loss of primary forest every year in Indonesia was estimated to be higher than that in Brazil, said scientists.

In that year, Indonesia lost 8,400 sq km of forest compared to Brazil which lost 4,600 sq km.

The researchers, from the University of Maryland, said that deforestation had led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and a loss of biodiversity.

Indonesia has 10% of the world's plants and 12% of the world's mammals. It is known for its diverse wildlife which includes orangutans and Sumatran tigers.

A government moratorium on deforestation was signed in 2011 and was intended to slow down the pace of deforestation.

But environmental activists say corrupt politicians are quick to sell off huge swathes of rainforests for profit, and they point to the need for more monitoring and sanctions to stop the rate at which Indonesia is losing its forests, says the BBC's Karishma Vaswani.

Massive forest fires in Indonesia to clear land last year caused a heavy smog to blanket neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, triggering health concerns in those countries.

Norway has pledged a billion dollars to Indonesia if it can prove it is serious about stopping deforestation.

Agencies report that Norway has paid almost $50 million to Indonesia to help set up new institutions to reduce deforestation.

But Indonesia will only start to get large amounts of money if deforestation is slowed down.

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Pistorius 'had no mental disorder'

30 June 2014 Last updated at 11:55

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LIVE: Watch coverage of the murder trial of athlete Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius did not have a mental disorder when he killed his girlfriend, a psychological report said as his murder trial resumed.

This means the Olympic athlete was criminally responsible for his actions when he shot her, the prosecution said.

The defence team argued Mr Pistorius was suffering from an anxiety disorder.

The athlete denies deliberately killing Reeva Steenkamp. He says he shot her accidentally in a state of panic after mistaking her for an intruder.

The prosecution says Mr Pistorius deliberately killed Ms Steenkamp following an argument.

Both prosecution and defence have accepted the results of the psychological report.

Continue reading the main story

The defence has called acoustic expert Ivan Lin to give evidence in the hope of discrediting prosecution witnesses who said they heard the scream of a woman on the night Ms Steenkamp was killed.

Earlier, the court heard from Dr Gerry Versfeld, who amputated Mr Pistorius' legs when he was just 11 months old. He was born without the fibulas in both of his legs but went on to become an Olympic athlete.

Dr Versfeld testified about the impact of the disability on Mr Pistorius, 27, and to what extent he can walk without his prosthetic legs.

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State prosecutor Gerrie Nel: Oscar Pistorius ''did not suffer from a mental illness or defect'' at the time of the shooting

The defence is expected to finish presenting its evidence in the next few days.

Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, was shot through a toilet door at Mr Pistorius' house in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year.

The couple had been dating for three months.

"Mr Pistorius did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged," said state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, reading from the psychologist report.

The prosecution requested the evaluation after a defence witness said the double amputee was suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (Gad).

Mr Pistorius, 27, underwent a month of tests as an outpatient at Weskoppies psychiatric hospital in Pretoria.

He has often displayed his emotions during the trial, and has sobbed and vomited in court.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, so the athlete's fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

If found guilty of murder, Mr Pistorius, who went on trial on 3 March this year, could face life imprisonment. If he is acquitted of that charge, the court will consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive about 15 years in prison.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

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The BBC's Michelle Roberts explains Generalised Anxiety Disorder

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a medically-recognised, long-term condition
• People with Gad feel anxious on most days and worry about a wide range of issues
• It is thought to affect around one in 25 people at some point in their lives and is more common in women than in men
• Symptoms vary - making it tricky to diagnose
• People with Gad may have difficulty concentrating, feel tired and irritable, feel sick, dizzy or sweaty and experience aches and pains
• Gad tends to run in families, can follow stressful events, and may be linked to chemical imbalances in the brain
• The main treatments include using talking therapies, relaxation techniques and medication

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Top China military official accused

30 June 2014 Last updated at 12:25

One of China's most senior military officials has been accused of accepting bribes and expelled from the Communist Party, state media report.

Gen Xu Caihou was once a member of China's elite decision-making body, the Politburo. He will now be handed over to prosecutors for a court martial.

He is believed to have been held under house arrest for several months.

Analysts say this could be the biggest military scandal China has seen for many years.

Xinhua reported that President Xi Jinping had presided over a Politburo meeting about military discipline and approved the decision to expel Gen Xu and hand him over to military prosecutors.

Rumours about the investigation into Gen Xu had circulated for months. Many believed poor health - he is reported to have been treated for cancer - would save him from prosecution.

But this move is being presented in state media as part of the government's battle against corruption.

Two other high profile figures were also expelled from the Communist Party for corruption on Monday - Jiang Jiemin, the former head of the state asset regulator, and Wang Yongchun, the deputy head of the state energy giant China National Petroleum Company (CNPC).

Tens of thousands of officials have been arrested since Mr Xi began an anti-corruption campaign in 2012.

The president has warned that the Communist Party's very survival is threatened by corruption and has vowed to root out every corrupt official, whether "tigers" or "flies".

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Pakistan troops move against Taliban

30 June 2014 Last updated at 12:29

The Pakistani army says it has launched a ground offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan.

A statement said operations had begun around Miranshah, the main town in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The move follows air strikes which the army says have killed 370 militants. There is no confirmation of the figure.

North Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for militants. Correspondents say many are thought to have left the area before the offensive began.

The assault comes three weeks after militants attacked Pakistan's largest airport in Karachi, leaving more than 30 people dead.

For the past two weeks, Pakistani forces have been carrying out air strikes against what it says are militant hideouts in North Waziristan.

Among their targets, they say, have been Uzbek militants who claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack and their Pakistani Taliban (TTP) allies.

Monday's army statement said troops were now conducting a door-to-door search in Miranshah.

"Troops have recovered underground tunnels and IED [improvised explosive device] preparation factories," it said.

The town has been one of the main TTP bases during recent years when militants who had at times been tolerated by the military killed thousands of people in a bombing campaign across Pakistan.

Analysis: M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad

Pakistani troops have finally moved into the town of Miranshah in North Waziristan to clear what has long been seen as the last major sanctuary for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

But there are still questions over whether Pakistan intends to eliminate the militants completely.

The offensive, demanded by the international community but resisted by Pakistan for several years, comes after a daring militant attack on Karachi airport earlier this month. But many believe what actually tipped the balance is Pakistan's need to secure its borders ahead of the Nato withdrawal from Afghanistan.

It's not clear what the infantry will find in Miranshah. Most militants left the town weeks ago and have fanned out to areas not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also within the North Waziristani hinterland south and west of the town, where there is no looming threat of a ground offensive.

In public statements, Pakistani commanders have said they will not discriminate between so-called good and bad Taliban, reports the BBC's Andrew North in Islamabad.

But our correspondent says there are widespread reports from within North Waziristan that many militants were allowed to escape before the operations began.

Nearly half a million people have left North Waziristan since the offensive was announced following the Karachi airport attack.

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Japanese man sets himself on fire

29 June 2014 Last updated at 12:44

A man set himself on fire in central Tokyo in protest at a proposed law which could allow Japan to deploy its military overseas.

The man was taken to hospital after being hosed down but his condition was not immediately known, officials said.

Japan's government could make the change to its pacifist constitution as early as next Tuesday.

The US-drafted constitution bans war and "the threat or use of force" to settle international disputes.

Witnesses said the middle-aged man, wearing a suit and tie, climbed onto a pedestrian bridge at Tokyo's Shinjuku station.

"He was sitting cross-legged and was just talking, so I thought it would end without incident," one eyewitness told Reuters. "Then all of a sudden his body was enveloped in fire."

Reports said the man used a megaphone to shout for over an hour about the change to Japan's constitution.

Video shown on national television in Japan showed the flames being extinguished by officers.

'Double standard'

Japan has well-equipped and well-trained armed forces but there are severe restrictions on them being deployed abroad.

Under Article 9 of its post-war pacifist constitution, Japan is blocked from the use of force to resolve conflicts except in the case of self-defence.

But Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he wants a new interpretation of the constitution to be agreed on.

The move has split opinion inside the country. Critics of the move warn against what they see as increasing militarism, while conservatives argue that the restriction is a double standard forced upon Japan.

Mr Abe's plan has led to criticism from China, whose relations with the Japan have become strained over territorial disputes in East China Sea.

Correspondents say the move will likely please the US, with whom Japan has a long-standing security treaty.

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'Scores trapped' in India collapse

29 June 2014 Last updated at 10:08

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Most of those trapped under the rubble are thought to be workers from a neighbouring province

More than 100 people are still feared trapped after a building collapsed in southern India, an official has said.

At least nine people died and several were hurt when the 12-storey building under construction toppled in Chennai in heavy rain late on Saturday.

Hours earlier, a four-storey building came down in the capital Delhi killing 10 people including five children.

India has seen frequent building collapses, many blamed on lax safety and substandard materials.

Rescue teams with cutters and shovels are continuing to search for survivors in the rubble in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state.

"There are approximately 132 labourers who are under the debris and approximately 100 of them belong to southern Andhra Pradesh province," joint collector Rekha Rani told Reuters news agency.

At least 26 people have so far been rescued. It is not clear whether Mr Rani was speaking before the rescues took place.

A police investigation has also been launched.

By Yogita Limaye, BBC News, Mumbai

Building collapses have become an almost common occurrence in India, with numerous such accidents taking place across large cities over the past year. The latest incidents have once again put the spotlight on the need for better regulation of construction in the country.

While some collapses have occurred because poor quality material was used, others, have been because the buildings were simply too old and residents refused to leave despite them being labelled as dangerous to live in.

Corruption is also a factor, because in many cases, changes to the building's structure, such as adding extra floors, or breaking down walls, which might make it vulnerable are permitted by authorities that have been found to have accepted bribes.

Soaring property prices in Indian cities have also meant that finding a flat that fits your budget is so hard, that people very often tend to compromise on safety.

In pictures: India building collapses

Police said larger pieces of rubble would have to be moved before rescuers could search for more survivors, adding that access to the building was difficult because of a narrow lane leading to it.

Fire service official Vijay Shekar told the Times of India newspaper that it could take two days to reach the ground floor of the building, adding that it would be a "massive operation".

While the cause of the latest collapse is still under investigation, a lack of construction codes, leading to lax safety, is one reason for frequent collapses of buildings and other infrastructure projects in India.

There is also a high demand for housing, pushing up costs and forcing less affluent people to risk their lives in decrepit or badly constructed buildings.

In January, at least 14 people died when a building under construction came crashing down in the western state of Goa.

At least 42 people died after a four-storey building collapsed in Mumbai last September.

Are you in the area? Have you been affected? Please share your comments with us. You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'India Building Collapse'.

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Benghazi raid suspect in US court

28 June 2014 Last updated at 20:59

The suspected ringleader of the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi has appeared amid tight security at a US federal courthouse in Washington DC.

Ahmed Abu Khattala was captured by US forces in Benghazi on 18 June.

He denied a raft of terrorism-related charges. He says he was in Benghazi during the attack on the US consulate but that he did not take part.

The US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other people were killed in the September 2012 attack.

Mr Abu Khattala was charged with providing material support and resources to terrorists including himself; killing a person on a federal facility; and damaging property of the US by fire and explosives resulting in death.

Mr Abu Khattala, wearing a black, hooded top and black sweatpants, listened intently to the charges through an interpreter before pleading not guilty, the BBC's Beth McLeod in Washington reports.

The next hearing was set for 8 July.

'Key figure'

American media reported that Mr Abu Khattala was brought to court in Washington from a US Navy warship where he had been held since being captured two weeks ago.

The US has described him as "key figure" in the attack on the consulate.

President Obama praised the raid which led to his capture earlier this month.

"When Americans are attacked, no matter how long it takes, we will find those responsible and we will bring them to justice," he said.

President Obama and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faced fierce criticism for not doing enough to prevent the attack.

Several Republican congressmen have called for Mr Abu Khattala and other terror suspects to be held at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Ahmed Abu Khattala

• Native of Benghazi in eastern Libya

• Construction worker by trade

• Spent several years in Col Muammar Gaddafi's notorious Abu Salim prison in Tripoli

• Formed his own small militia during the anti-Gaddafi uprising

• Denies any links to al-Qaeda but has expressed admiration for it

• Also denies any role in the attack on the US embassy in 2012, but eyewitnesses report him being there

• US state department says he is a senior leader in Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia

Profile: Libyan Islamist Ahmed Abu Khattala

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Second OSCE Ukraine team freed

28 June 2014 Last updated at 22:05

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have released the four remaining European monitors they were holding.

The Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe observers were detained last month. Another OSCE team was released earlier this week.

The move comes amid a shaky ceasefire between government forces and rebels.

President Petro Poroshenko extended the week-long truce on Friday for three days, but fresh clashes have put it under increasing strain.

'A path of peace'

In all, two observer teams - a total of eight international monitors - were detained by gunmen in eastern Ukraine last month.

Four monitors - kidnapped in the Donetsk region on 26 May - were freed in the early hours on Friday.

Negotiations for the release of the other group, who were taken on 29 May in Luhansk, had intensified in recent days.

Footage on a Russian TV news channel showed the three men and a woman shaking hands with OSCE representatives and entering a hotel in Donetsk city.

In a statement, OSCE chairman Didier Burkhalter said he was relieved to hear of the group's release and said the OSCE was ready to help implement President Poroshenko's peace plan.

OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said: "They're in good health, they're in good spirits."

The release of all observers had been a key demand made by the EU in its policy statement on Ukraine on Friday.

Insurgent leader Alexander Borodai said: "We have fulfilled our obligations."

Russian President Vladimir Putin had publicly called for the release of all hostages under the terms of the temporary ceasefire.

He had also called for a long-term truce to allow for further negotiations, urging Mr Poroshenko to embark on a "path of peace".

The ceasefire came under increasing strain on Saturday amid reports of fresh clashes between government forces and rebels in the east.

Ukrainian military sources said at least one soldier had been killed near the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk.

Some rebel leaders have said they will observe the truce but others oppose it.

The Unian news agency quoted a Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council spokesman as saying the government reserved the right to cancel the truce if the breaches continued.

But it also quoted Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval as saying: "Everyone knows that a bad peace is better than a good war."

'Drastic measures'

Mr Poroshenko set out a 15-point peace plan on 20 June. It involves decentralising power and holding early local and parliamentary elections.

It also proposes the creation of a 10km (six-mile) buffer zone on the Ukrainian-Russian border, and a safe corridor for pro-Russian separatists to leave the conflict areas.

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President Poroshenko said the EU deal "marks a historic day for Ukraine"

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Russia on Friday the EU was prepared for "drastic measures" if there was no speedy progress on the plan.

Mr Poroshenko on Friday signed a landmark EU trade pact - the issue that has been the trigger of the recent crisis.

The refusal of Mr Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, to sign the EU deal - under pressure from Russia - led to protests in Kiev and his eventual overthrow this year.

Russia then annexed Ukraine's Crimea region, and separatists in the east declared independence from Ukraine.

More than 420 people have been killed in fighting between pro-Russia rebels and government forces in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, the UN estimates.

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North Korea 'test-fires missiles'

29 June 2014 Last updated at 04:09

North Korea has fired two missiles into the sea from its east coast, reports from South Korea say.

A defence ministry spokesman in Seoul declined to give further details, but Yonhap news agency said they were Scuds with the range of 500km (310 miles).

The apparent test comes just days after North Korea said it successfully fired new precision-guided missiles.

North Korea frequently test-fires missiles to refine its military capabilities.

Reports of a new test come days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due in South Korea to discuss the North's nuclear weapons programme.

China is North Korea's only major ally and provides an economic lifeline to the isolated nation.

The North is under UN sanctions over its weapons and nuclear programmes.

It has carried out nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013, and is thought to have enough nuclear material for a small number of bombs.

However, analysts say the North does not appear to have successfully manufactured a nuclear warhead small enough to be carried by its missiles.

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Final day of Hong Kong 'referendum'

29 June 2014 Last updated at 05:03

Hong Kong is voting on the final day of an unofficial referendum on universal suffrage in the Chinese territory.

The 10-day poll is organised by protest group Occupy Central, which says more than 700,000 have already voted online or in person.

A Hong Kong government spokesman has said the vote has no legal standing.

Campaigners want the former British colony to be able to elect their leader, or the chief executive. China has pledged direct elections by 2017.

However, voters will only have a choice from a list of candidates selected by a nominating committee, and China's communist authorities have said all candidates must be "patriotic".

The voting in polling stations or on popvote.hk website began on 20 June. The deadline was originally set at 22 June, but was later extended after what organised claimed were several cyber attacks on the website.

Popvote.hk was designed by the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University to measure support for Occupy Central's campaign.

Analysis: Juliana Liu, BBC News, Hong Kong

The organisers behind the unofficial referendum have added nine more polling stations on the last day of the exercise in the hope of reaching more voters, especially the elderly or those living in Hong Kong's outlying islands.

The University of Hong Kong polling firm that oversees the vote says nearly 760,000 votes have been received. But more than 50,000 seem to be repeat votes, and were eliminated as a result.

The vote is not legally binding. Still, the large turnout, in a city with just 3.5 million registered voters, sends a strong message that a significant part of the Hong Kong public is unhappy with the Chinese government's plans for reform.

Beijing has criticised the referendum. Official disapproval seems to have spurred more voters to take part.

In the referendum, voters have the choice of three proposals - all of which involve allowing citizens to directly nominate Hong Kong's chief executive - to present to the Beijing government.

Pro-democracy activists want the public to nominate the candidates.

But Chinese leaders believe this is illegal and would like to see a committee decide who is on that public ballot, effectively limiting the candidate field to those approved by the authorities in Beijing.

The vote is seen as a prelude to a campaign of dissent that could shut down Hong Kong's financial district, the BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong reports.

Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 following a 1984 agreement between China and Britain.

China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", where the city would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years.

As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected.

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BNP Paribas to be 'punished heavily'

29 June 2014 Last updated at 11:40

The boss of BNP Paribas has written to staff warning that the French banking giant will be fined heavily by US authorities.

"I want to be clear, we will be punished severely," Jean-Laurent Bonnafe said in the internal memo.

The bank could be fined $8.9bn (£5.2bn) for allegedly violating sanctions rules as early as Monday, reports suggest.

The Financial Times and New York Times also report that the bank will, unusually, admit guilt.

The bank is accused of breaking sanctions against Iran, Sudan and Cuba between 2002 and 2009.

'Future plans'

"This is good news for all staff and for our clients," Mr Bonnafe said.

"It will enable us to remove the current uncertainties that are weighing on our group. We will be able to put behind us these problems, which belong to the past.

"The difficulties that we are currently experiencing must not affect our future plans."

There have been months of speculation about the fine, which could force BNP to slash its dividends and issue billions of euros of bonds, reports say.

In April, BNP Paribas said it had set aside $1.1bn to cover the cost of US penalties, but warned that the "amount of the fines could be far in excess of the amount of the provision".

The bank's share price has fallen more than 15% since the beginning of April.

If the latest reports are correct, the fine could almost wipe out BNP's entire 2013 pre-tax income of about $11.2bn.

Political fallout

Earlier this month, one of the European Union's top officials intervened in the controversy.

Michel Barnier, the EU's internal markets commissioner, said any penalty on the giant French bank must be "fair and objective". Reports at the time suggested the fine would be in the region of $10bn.

France's President Francois Hollande has also raised the matter with US President Barack Obama.

As part of the deal with US authorities, BNP may be suspended from converting foreign currencies into dollars, reports suggest, which would hit its ability to operate in international wholesale banking markets.

Reports say US authorities are keen to make an announcement on the settlement on Monday afternoon.

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Fresh Iraq clashes over Tikrit

29 June 2014 Last updated at 13:13

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The BBC's Paul Adams: ''It's clearly a difficult fight for the Iraqi military''

Iraqi government forces are continuing an offensive to retake the northern city of Tikrit from Sunni rebels.

Aircraft have struck at rebel positions and clashes have broken out in various parts of the city, witnesses and officials have said.

Troops had reportedly pulled back to the nearby town of Dijla as Saturday's initial offensive met stiff resistance.

The city of Tikrit was captured by Sunni rebels on 11 June as they swept across large parts of northern Iraq.

"The security forces are advancing from different areas", Lt-Gen Qassem Atta told journalists. "There are ongoing clashes."

There was fighting in the northern Qadissiyah district, near the university where troops established a foothold in the city a few days ago, witnesses told the Associated Press.

An unnamed official also told the agency of clashes around an air base formerly used by the US military, Camp Speicher.

Improvised devices

Heavy fighting took place on Saturday between the Iraqi security forces and armed men from different factions controlling Tikrit, resulting in many casualties on both sides, eyewitnesses and journalists told the BBC.

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Foreign Secretary William Hague: "I don't think it would be wise to have a British military intervention"

Insurgents, led by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), were reported to have shot down a helicopter and captured the pilot.

The witnesses said the Iraqi forces had been hampered in their bid to retake the city by the large number of improvised explosive devices laid on the approaches to the city.

But Lt-Gen Atta said that during Sunday's offensive many of the devices had been detonated.

Fear inside Tikrit

"We cannot live here another day. The entire night we have only heard bombs bursting all around the hospital" - Marina Jose, one of 46 stranded Indian nurses at a Tikrit teaching hospital, tells BBC

'No-one wants to stay here'

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Iraq "receives Russian attack jets" to fight rebels

Meanwhile, Iraq said it had received the first batch of military jets ordered from Russia in order to help fight the militants.

The defence ministry said five Sukhoi aircraft would enter service in "three to four days".

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, British Secretary of State William Hague called for political unity in Iraq to help fight what he called the "mortal threat" to the state.

"Security operations will only work with strong political support from all elements in Iraq" he said.

Mr Hague's intervention will add to the pressure on Iraq's leaders to form a national unity government, correspondents say.

It follows a call from Iraq's most influential Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Sistani for a prime minister to be appointed by Tuesday - when the new parliament meets - to try to defuse the country's political crisis.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki wants a third term, though correspondents say he is seen by many as having precipitated the crisis through sectarian policies that have pushed Iraq's Sunni minority into the hands of Isis extremists.

Are you in the area? What is your reaction to the current situation? Email your views to haveyoursay@bbc.o.ukwith the word 'Iraq' in the subject heading.

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India gas pipeline blast kills 14

27 June 2014 Last updated at 07:30

At least 14 people have died after a pipeline carrying gas exploded in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, a senior minister has said.

Flames could be seen erupting from a pipeline of the Gas Authority of India Limited (Gail) in East Godavari district early on Friday.

At least 10 people were injured. It is not clear what caused the blast.

Gail is India's largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company.

The company chairman BC Tripathi told the Press Trust of India that the fire occurred in an 18-inch (46cm) pipeline of the company near a refinery run by the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Commission in Nagaram village.

"The reasons for the accident are not known yet. We are currently focused on rescue and relief operations," he said.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister N Chinna Rajappa told BBC Hindi that "at least 14 people are dead".

Neetu Kumari Prasad, a senior official of the East Godavari district, said the fire, which has also gutted scores of houses, had been brought under control and the death toll could rise.

Federal Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the BBC that a pipeline supplying gas to a local power plant had "ruptured" leading to the blast. The fire had affected one village, he added.

The government had ordered a "high-level probe" to find out the cause of the incident, he said.

Gail operates a 11,000km (6,840-mile) natural gas pipeline network and seven gas processing units across India. The company is also involved in petrochemicals, exploration, city gas distribution and wind and solar power.

Earlier this month, at least six people died from a poisonous gas leak following an explosion at one of India's largest steel plants in Chhattisgarh state.

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Summit set to snub UK over Juncker

27 June 2014 Last updated at 09:56

EU leaders meeting in Brussels are expected to confirm former Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission.

The move comes despite strong opposition from Britain.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said "the odds are stacked against me" over Mr Juncker, but stressed that he would stick to his principles.

He believes Mr Juncker is too much in favour of closer political union and might block EU reform.

He also objects to the way Mr Juncker, a 59-year-old veteran of Brussels deal-making, was put forward. He was lead candidate of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), which won last month's European elections.

The UK Conservatives - who pulled out of the EPP - suspect that the Commission is being politicised in a power grab by the European Parliament. But Mr Juncker's supporters value his record of consensus-building and commitment to EU integration.

Under new EU treaty rules the leaders have to take account of the European election result when nominating a Commission chief. The parliament will vote on the nominee next month.

Mr Cameron is seeking an unprecedented summit vote on the appointment, which is usually made by consensus.

But his bid to block Mr Juncker suffered a major setback this week when his allies changed tack.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had given Mr Cameron hope after agreeing to a vote on the issue if there was no consensus.

But both the Netherlands and Sweden - normally close to UK positions in Europe - have since said they will back Mr Juncker.

Jean-Claude Juncker: A man for Europe?

Arguments for and against Juncker

In the past such sensitive appointments have been decided through informal negotiations in the European Council.

With Hungary now Mr Cameron's only supporter, analysts say Mr Juncker is likely to be overwhelmingly backed, even if it does go to a vote.

The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says many European diplomats feel that Mr Cameron's approach in the EU is too confrontational, going against the grain of consensus decision-making in the union.

There is speculation that the UK may get a powerful seat on the Commission as a "consolation prize", he says - for example, commissioner for the internal market. But UK officials say they are not negotiating for something else as a trade-off.

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David Cameron: "Juncker not right person to take organisation forward"

Mr Cameron vowed to "insist" on a vote on Mr Juncker, so that EU leaders would have to justify their support for the veteran politician in public.

Mr Cameron says he is determined to press ahead with renegotiation of Britain's EU membership, followed by an in/out referendum in the UK in 2017, if his Conservative Party wins next year's general election.

"It is the opening step in a longer campaign to secure change in Europe, a better position for Britain in Europe, and a referendum that will be held before the end of 2017," he said.

The row comes a month after anti-EU parties made sweeping gains in European elections. They won nearly a third of the parliamentary seats.

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In 60 seconds: What does UK have against Jean-Claude Juncker?

In a landmark move on Friday the summit leaders signed far-reaching trade partnership deals with three former Soviet republics - Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

The "association agreements" commit the countries to EU standards, including new customs regulations, quality controls and free market competition.

Russia is suspicious of these agreements and is trying to draw ex-Soviet republics into its own customs union. A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin told the BBC the deal was in breach of the Ukrainian constitution.

"What [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko is doing is illegitimate thing," Sergei Glazyev said.

On the first day of the summit on Thursday, prime ministers and presidents of the 28 EU states set aside their differences to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One in a ceremony at Ypres, Belgium.

Next steps

27 June - European Council expected to nominate Mr Juncker

1-3 July - First post-election session of new European Parliament

14-17 July - European Parliament votes on nominee for Commission president - expected to back Mr Juncker

September - Parliament grills each nominee for 28-member Commission (one from each member state)

October - Parliament votes on new Commission team

November - New Commission should take office, as should new EU foreign policy chief and new European Council president.

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Afghans protest over poll 'fraud'

27 June 2014 Last updated at 11:18

Thousands of supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah have marched through Kabul to protest against alleged fraud.

The protesters, who were joined by Mr Abdullah, echoed his claims that the 14 June vote had been rigged against him.

Vote counting shows that Mr Abdullah is trailing his rival, Ashraf Ghani, who has also complained of fraud.

The dispute has revived fears for Afghanistan's stability after the withdrawal of US-led forces this year.

The head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, has warned that a contested election result could inflame ethnic tensions and lead to "a slide into violence".

US-led troops and Afghan forces have been battling Taliban insurgents across much of the country.

The Afghan government has yet to ratify a deal that would permit a smaller number of US troops to remain in the country beyond 2014.

'Ballot-box stuffing'

More than 10,000 people are estimated to have taken part in Friday's demonstration in support of Mr Abdullah.

The protesters chanted slogans against Mr Ghani and the election commission, whose officials have been accused of orchestrating mass fraud by stuffing ballot boxes.

For the first time, Mr Abdullah joined the protest, riding aboard a small truck and waving a flag. He has not taken part in previous, smaller protests over the alleged fraud.

His supporters recently released an audio recording which appeared to implicate a senior election official in ballot-box stuffing.

Mr Abdullah said he would no longer co-operate with the election commission because of the alleged fraud. He also urged the United Nations to intervene to salvage the election.

A preliminary result for the second round of the presidential election is due on 2 July. The final result, following the adjudication of complaints, is due on 22 July.

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Japan inflation rate at 32-year high

27 June 2014 Last updated at 01:52

Consumer prices in Japan rose at an annual rate of 3.4% in May, the fastest pace in 32 years, as the effect of the sales tax hike started to be felt.

Japan raised its sales tax rate from 5% to 8% on 1 April.

The price growth in May follows a 3.2% jump in April and is a big boost for Japan's attempt to trigger inflation.

Japan has been battling deflation, or falling prices, for best part of the past two decades and that has hurt domestic demand and stifled growth.

The Japanese government has taken various steps over the past few months to try and reverse this trend, and the country's central bank has set a target of a 2% inflation rate.

The measures, which include boosting the country's money supply, have started to have an impact and consumer prices in the country have now risen for 12 months in a row.

Continue reading the main story

Virtually the entire surge in the consumer price index (CPI) over the past two months can be attributed to April's consumption tax hike"

End Quote Marcel Thieliant Capital Economics

Policymakers have been hoping that once prices start to rise, consumers and business will be encouraged to start spending and not hold back on purchases, as they may have to pay more later on.

Multiple impact?

The tax hike in April was the first in 17 years.

The increase comes as Japan is facing rising social welfare costs due to an ageing population.

At the same time, the country is trying to rein in its public debt - which at nearly 230% of its gross domestic product (GDP) is the highest among industrialised nations.

The tax hike is expected to help ease some of the financial burden of the government.

At the same time, the increase may also help to trigger inflation as businesses pass on the hike to consumers, resulting in increased prices of goods.

Some analysts said that the inflation data of the past two months indicated that so far businesses had been doing that.

Marcel Thieliant, Japan economist with Capital Economics said that "virtually the entire surge in the consumer price index (CPI) over the past two months can be attributed to April's consumption tax hike".

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China 'denies food' to held academic

27 June 2014 Last updated at 05:01

The detained Uighur academic Ilham Tohti was denied food for more than a week and his legs have been shackled, his lawyer says.

Mr Tohti, an economics professor who has criticised China's ethnic policies, has been detained since January. He has been charged with separatism.

His lawyer Li Fangping met with him for the first time this week.

He said Mr Tohti was denied food for 10 days after an attack on a Kunming train station in March that killed 29 people.

The attack was blamed on Uighur separatists by the Chinese authorities.

Mr Tohti is a member of the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic group from China's far western Xinjiang region.

He has been critical of China's treatment of the Uighurs but there is no record of Mr Tohti ever having supported the cause of separatism, says the BBC's John Sudworth.

Mr Tohti maintains his innocence, said his lawyer.

"He believes that in his words and deeds, he has always sought to work for the country's national interests and the organic integration of the Han majority and Uighur minority's common benefits," said Mr Li.

He added that Mr Tohti went on a hunger strike in January for 10 days to protest against being served food that did not follow Islamic dietary laws.

Authorities force-fed him milk when his organs started bleeding, his lawyer was quoted by news agencies as saying.

China has blamed a number of violent attacks on civilian targets over the past year on Uighur separatists and launched a sweeping security crackdown.

Earlier this month it executed 13 people for what it said were terrorism-related offences.

It has recently carried out at least two mass-sentencing events in front of large crowds gathered in sports stadiums.

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Algeria celebrates World Cup success

27 June 2014 Last updated at 11:01

Tens of thousands of fans took part in celebrations across Algeria after their team qualified for the knock-out phase of the World Cup for the first time.

Algeria secured qualification in Brazil with a 1-1 draw against Russia, who were eliminated from the competition.

Fireworks lit up the night sky of the capital, Algiers, as crowds danced and waved flags and car horns blared.

A BBC reporter says the partying went on until dawn, with whole families taking part in the football euphoria.

Convoys of cars with honking horns drove through Algiers and many streets were transformed into dance floors, the BBC's Mohamed Areski Himeur reports from the city.

In many cities in France - which has a large Algerian population - supporters of The Foxes also took to the streets in celebration.

In the next round of the World Cup, Algeria face Germany on Monday.

In the 1982 tournament West Germany were accused of deliberately playing out a draw with Austria that ensured both teams progressed at Algeria's expense.

"We have not forgotten," Algerian coach Vahid Halilhodzic said.

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EU signs pacts with ex-USSR states

27 June 2014 Last updated at 11:23

Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova have signed partnership agreements with the European Union, in a move strongly opposed by Russia.

The pact - which would bind the three countries more closely to the West both economically and politically - is at the heart of the crisis in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said making Ukraine choose between Russia and the EU would split it in two.

A ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine is due to end on Friday.

Mr Putin called for a long-term ceasefire to allow talks between the government and separatists.

Meanwhile the United Nations refugee agency said there had been a sharp rise in the numbers of displaced people in eastern Ukraine in the past week, with 16,400 people fleeing the area.

The total number internally displaced has reached 54,400, while a further 110,000 people left Ukraine for Russia this year.

Analysis: Steve Rosenberg, BBC News Moscow

There is a general sense of irritation or perhaps even anger here that Moscow has failed to convince countries like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia not to sign this historic free trade deal today with the EU.

Moscow has economic concerns about these deals - it is worried that the Russian market could be flooded by cheap goods from the EU that would hit Russian producers.

More pressing for Moscow are the geopolitical concerns here - the whole idea of former Soviet states, countries that Moscow still views as being within its sphere of influence, drifting towards Europe and one day possibly becoming part of the EU - that really grates with Moscow, particularly in the case of Ukraine.

There's a lot of concern about what could happen in eastern Ukraine - the ceasefire announced a few days ago by Mr Poroshenko, and the ceasefire announced by armed separatist rebels, is due to expire today. It's unclear how things are going to develop later.

Ukraine crisis timeline

What happens after deal is signed?

Numbers behind the deal

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed the signing as Ukraine's most historic day since independence in 1991, describing it as a "symbol of faith and unbreakable will".

Mr Poroshenko also said he saw the signing as the start of preparations for joining the bloc.

"Ukraine is underlining its sovereign choice in favour of membership of the EU," he said.

Meanwhile European Council President Herman Van Rompuy described it as a "great day for Europe".

"The EU stands by your side, today more than ever before," he told leaders of the three countries, adding that there was nothing in the agreements that might harm Russia in any way.

'Nazi' jibe

But Mr Putin said that "efforts to force Ukraine into an artificial choice between Russia and the EU had pushed Ukraine towards a split, a painful internal conflict".

Peaceful citizens were the main victims of the conflict, he said, with thousands of people seeking refuge in Russia.

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David Eades describes the moment Ukraine signed EU deal

Earlier senior Kremlin adviser Sergei Glazyev described Mr Poroshenko as a "Nazi" and said his presidency was illegitimate because parts of Ukraine did not vote in the May elections.

In a BBC interview, he said that Mr Poroshenko had no constitutional right to sign the treaty, which would damage the Ukrainian economy.

However, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that Mr Glazyev's comments did not reflect the official Kremlin position.

Mr Poroshenko's predecessor Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the deal under pressure from Russia and protests led to his overthrow.

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Some worry about losing Russia as a market for Georgian wine again, as Rayhan Demytrie reports

After this Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region and pro-Russia separatists in eastern regions declared independence, claiming that extremists had taken power in Kiev.

Fighting is said to have continued in some areas of eastern Ukraine despite a temporary ceasefire this week.

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Adviser to Vladimir Putin Sergei Glazyev says Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is a Nazi

Talks on extending the truce in in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are also set to take place on Friday.

In another development, rebels released four international observers captured more than a month ago.

Alexander Borodai, head of the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic, said the members of the Vienna-based Organisation for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) had been freed as a goodwill gesture.

More than 420 people have been killed in fighting between pro-Russia rebels and government forces in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, the UN estimates.

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Suarez bite ban excessive - Chiellini

Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini says the four-month ban given to Luis Suarez for biting him is excessive.

Suarez, 27, bit the Juventus player during Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy and has been banned from all football-related activity until the end of October by world governing body Fifa.

Chiellini, said he has "no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez".

Suarez has also been backed by World Cup winner Diego Maradona, who labelled the extent of the ban as "shameful".

"At the moment my only thought is for Luis and his family, because they will face a very difficult period"

Giorgio Chiellini

Suarez, who flew back to the Uruguayan capital Montevideo in the early hours of Friday morning, denied the biting allegations in the wake of his clash with Chiellini, claiming the centre-half had bumped into him.

But Fifa decided he was guilty and handed him the longest ban in World Cup history.

As well as a four-month ban from any football-related activity, Suarez was also given a nine-match international suspension and a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (£65,680).

Writing on his personal website,   Chiellini, 29, said: "I have always considered unequivocal the disciplinary interventions by the competent bodies, but at the same time I believe that the proposed formula is excessive.

"Now inside me there's no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez for an incident that happened on the pitch and that's done. There only remains the anger and the disappointment about the match.

"At the moment my only thought is for Luis and his family, because they will face a very difficult period."

Suarez has also lost a sponsor - online gambling firm 888poker said it had "decided to terminate its relationship" with "immediate effect".

Former Argentina captain and manager Maradona declared his support for the Liverpool striker on his television show De Zurda on Thursday night.

"The Fifa sanction is shameful, they have no sensitivity towards the fans, they might as well handcuff him and throw him in Guantanamo," said Maradona, who was wearing a T-shirt bearing the message 'Luis, we are with you'.

"It hurts that they have cut short the career of a lad who is a winner. It's an excessive suspension, Fifa cannot talk about morals to anyone."

"Suarez didn't kill anyone. This is an unjust punishment, the act of an incredible mafia."

Maradona interviewed Uruguay's president Jose Mujica during the programme broadcast on Telesur TV.

"We Uruguayans are full of anger, those coming from below do not understand anything," said Mujica.

"We kicked Italy and Engand, no doubt they lost a lot of money.

Mujica claimed Fifa used "a different standard" to judge certain countries.

"That´s what hurts and angers us the most," he added.

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Abu Qatada not guilty of terror plot

26 June 2014 Last updated at 12:27

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Abu Qatada broke down in tears when he was acquitted, says Gordon Corera

Radical Muslim preacher Abu Qatada has been found not guilty of terrorism offences by a court in Jordan, over an alleged plot in 1998.

A panel of civilian judges sitting at the State Security Court in Amman cleared him of conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts.

Abu Qatada was deported from the UK in July 2013. A verdict on another alleged plot was adjourned until September.

The Home Office said Abu Qatada would not be able to return to Britain.

Torture evidence

This verdict comes after a near decade-long legal battle to force the radical cleric to face trial in his home country, and will raise concerns that he may use his influence to destabilise the Jordanian state at a time of increasing turmoil on its borders.

Abu Qatada, whose real name is Omar Othman, was granted asylum in the UK in 1994 but the security service MI5 increasingly saw him as a national security threat as his views on jihad hardened.

He was accused of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts following a series of bombings, including of a hotel, in Jordan in 1998 and a foiled plot to carry out attacks on civilians in Jordan to mark the millennium.

He was convicted in his absence but the convictions were eventually thrown out because they had been based on evidence which may have been acquired by torturing Abu Qatada's co-defendants.

A treaty signed last year by Jordan and the UK banned the use of such evidence from trials in Jordan, removing the final obstacle to deporting the man described by British judges as a "truly dangerous individual".

When he was deported from the UK in July 2013, Home Secretary Theresa May said she had been "as frustrated as the public" about the estimated £1.7m cost and length of time it had taken to remove him.

The cleric had fought his deportation since 2005.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire said: "Abu Qatada's re-trial in Jordan has been made possible thanks to this government's determination to successfully deport him from the UK.

"While the courts in Jordan have acquitted [Abu] Qatada of one of the two charges against him, it is right the due process of law is allowed to take place in his own country. We await a verdict on the remaining charge."

Mr Brokenshire also said Abu Qatada is subject to a deportation order which means he will be unable to return to the UK. He is also subject to a UN travel ban.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "He can't come back and he won't come back to the UK. He is a Jordanian, he does not have a UK passport and would not be granted permission to enter the UK.

"The outcome of the thorough work done by the home secretary led to his deportation. The process now is for the Jordanian judicial system."

Following the preacher's acquittal, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told LBC radio: "It was important that we sent Abu Qatada, after lengthy delay, back to Jordan to face trial".

Continue reading the main story

He's the star of the jihadist world so his writings, lectures and sermons are all taken very seriously"

End Quote Laith Alkhouri Extremist content analyst

"What is absolutely clear to me is that this man needed to face justice and needed to do so out of the UK."

Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, said he was surprised at the verdict.

"However, it is right that the Jordanian court has followed due process," he added. "There are still matters outstanding which need to be resolved."

"The British government was right to remove this man from the UK considering his extremist views and potential links to terrorism."

Agreement 'betrayal'

The trial was conducted at the controversial State Security Court which is housed in a military base in Marka, a suburb in the capital Amman.

At an appearance in December, Abu Qatada complained about the presence of a military judge on the panel as a "betrayal of the agreement" under which he was deported.

This had specified that he must be tried by civilian judges. The make up of the tribunal was subsequently changed.

During the trial Abu Qatada reportedly spoke out about the conflict in neighbouring Syria, urging the two main jihadist factions there, the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), to unite behind the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The BBC's Steve Swann, reporting from the trial in Amman, says that despite such outbursts, there was little to link Abu Qatada to the two terror plots in this case once the torture evidence was discounted.

A British judge had referred to this as "an extremely thin case" and this has now been proved, our correspondent added.

Smuggled writing

The BBC has seen evidence which suggests Abu Qatada has smuggled out messages and writings from his cell in the high security Muwaqqer prison to his supporters across the world.

Laith Alkhouri, senior analyst with Flashpoint Partners, monitors extremist content online from an office in New York. He has found numerous postings on the internet which claim to be in Abu Qatada's name.

In one, the cleric is alleged to have contacted al-Zawahiri to condemn Isis.

In a letter published by the al-Nusra Front in April the cleric denounced Isis as "the dogs of hellfire... because of their evil actions".

Elsewhere, he has written in praise of jihad as a tool for overthrowing tyrannical leaders of the Muslim world.

Mr Alkhouri told the BBC: "He's the star of the jihadist world so his writings, lectures and sermons are all taken very seriously. Every single word is taken very seriously by jihadists."

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Iraqi PM welcomes Syrian air strikes

26 June 2014 Last updated at 12:57

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Fergal Keane reports on a massacre by Isis in an Iraqi village

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki of Iraq has told the BBC he supports an air strike on Islamist militants at a border crossing between Iraq and Syria.

US and Iraqi military sources say the strike took place inside Iraq, at the Qaim crossing, although Mr Maliki said it was carried out on the Syrian side.

Isis and its Sunni Muslim allies seized large parts of Iraq this month.

The government has struggled to hold back the militants' advance from the north and west.

It has also been receiving support from Iran, with whom its Shia Muslim leaders have close links.

Analysis: Jim Muir, BBC News, Irbil, northern Iraq

The Syrian air strikes show how the conflicts in Syria and Iraq are merging together, with Isis as a common factor. Once-rival fighters on the Syrian side of the border at Qaim have now pledged allegiance to Isis, giving it control of both sides.

If US drones are not yet involved, they soon could be, illustrating how the threat posed by Isis is creating a convergence of interests between players who so far have been adversaries.

That goes for Iran, too, which is deeply concerned about the sudden upheavals in Iraq. It has reinforced its positions along its own western border, where guards have been killed in an attack. There are reports that Iran has been heavily shelling border areas in the Kurdish mountains, where an Iranian Kurdish opposition group called Pejak has bases.

The US, which also backs the government, has stressed that the militants can only be defeated by Iraq's own forces.

Mr Maliki is seeking to form a new government but has rejected calls to create an emergency coalition which would include all religious and ethnic groups.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has arrived in Baghdad to meet political and community leaders.

"As a friend of Iraq, the UK believes the urgent priority must be to form an inclusive government that can command the support of all Iraqi people and work to stop [Isis] in its tracks," he said.

Jet delivery

Speaking to the BBC's Arabic service in his first interview for an international broadcaster since the crisis started, Mr Maliki said: "Yes, Syrian jets did strike Qaim inside the Syrian side of the border.

"There was no co-ordination involved. But we welcome this action. We actually welcome any Syrian strike against Isis... But we didn't make any request to Syria. They carry out their strikes and we carry out ours and the final winners are our two countries."

Unnamed US and Iraqi military officials told the Associated Press earlier that Syrian warplanes had bombed militants' positions inside Iraq on Tuesday.

A Pentagon source told BBC News: "We are aware of the reports that the Syrian government has taken strikes against targets in Iraq. We have no reason to dispute these reports."

Mr Maliki also said that Iraq had bought a number of used Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia and Belarus.

He said the aircraft could be flying missions in Iraq "within a few days".

The US, he added, kept delaying the sale of F-16 jets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the crisis with Mr Maliki by phone last Friday, the Kremlin reported on its website at the time.

Mr Putin confirmed his "full support" for the government's efforts to rid Iraqi territory of "terrorists", it said, without giving details.

Mr Maliki said on Wednesday that forming a broad emergency government would go against the results of April's parliamentary elections, which were won by his alliance of Shia parties.

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Prominent Kurdish politician Barham Salih: "We need to empower the moderate Sunnis to take on Isis"

His political rival, Ayad Allawi, had proposed forming a national salvation government.

Reports say a unit of al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, pledged allegiance to Isis in the Syrian town of Albu Kamal, near the Iraqi border.

The Nusra Front, along with other rebel groups, has been fighting in Syria against Isis, which it sees as harming its cause with its brutality and extremism.

Are you in Iraq? What do you think of the current situation? If you are happy to talk to a BBC journalist please email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Please use the word 'Iraq' in the subject heading.

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