Funerals for Pakistan mosque victims

31 January 2015 Last updated at 10:41

Funerals have taken place in southern Pakistan for the victims of a suicide attack on a Shia mosque during Friday prayers which police say killed at least 60 people.

Dozens were also wounded in the attack in Sindh province's Shikarpur district, making it one of the worst sectarian attacks in Pakistan in recent years.

Sunni militants linked to the Taliban said they carried out the attack.

An official day of mourning has been declared across Sindh.

Some Shia groups burned tyres and blocked roads during protest rallies in Shikarpur town - where the attack took place.

Protests also took place in other cities.

Shias are demanding the arrest of those who orchestrated the attack and better protection for their places of worship.

Police say that the bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body in the centre of the mosque. Four children were reported to be among the dead.

"The bomber selected a place in the mosque that would cause huge destruction," Raja Umar Khitab, a police official in Sindh's counter-terror department, told the AFP news agency.

Mr Khitab said the bomb contained steel pellets, ball bearings and shrapnel to maximise the damage.

Pakistan has over the past decade experienced an increasing number of sectarian attacks, most carried out by hard line Sunni Muslim groups against the minority Shia community, who comprise about 20% of the population.

The Jundallah militant group said it had carried out the attack. The group has been linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and announced allegiance to Islamic State last year.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack and said that those responsible would be tried by a military court, where their cases would be dealt with more quickly.

The attack came as Mr Sharif visited the city of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province.

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that attacks on Shia targets have been fairly common in Karachi, on the coast, but are relatively new in the interior of Sindh province, where the influence of a more tolerant Sufi Islamic tradition is more widespread.

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Canadian PM seeks wider terror laws

30 January 2015 Last updated at 21:52

Encouraging terror attacks against Canada will become a crime under legislation proposed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The measure will also expand the powers of the country's spy agency, allowing it to take direct action to stop attacks.

Work began on the bill after two attacks days apart last year.

It is expected to be passed by Mr Harper's Conservative majority in Parliament.

Under current law it is a crime to make a specific threat. The new measure would make it crime to call for a terror attack against the country or Canadians generally, including online.

"We cannot tolerate this any more than we tolerate people that make jokes about bomb threats at airports," Mr Harper said.

"Anyone engaging in that kind of activity is going to face the full force of the law in the future."

The maximum prison sentence for those convicted under the new measure would be five years.

Among the critics of the bill are the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association which called the legislation "misguided" and said it would not make Canadians "any safer".

"We will be less free, less democratic and less likely to know who to keep an eye on," policy director Michael Vonn said, adding it was "likely unconstitutional".

Canada's two main opposition parties have said they have not decided whether to back the bill, the CBC reports.

The Canadian government promised the legislation after a gunman shot and killed a soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa in October and then attacked Canada's Parliament Buildings nearby.

Two days before, a man, said to be inspired by the Islamic State group, ran over two soldiers in a parking lot in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other before being shot to death.

Among the other changes in the bill

• anyone suspected of being involved in a terror plot may be detained without charge for up to seven days
• officials may remove material considered terrorist propaganda from any website
• Canada's spy agency may direct approach subjects and cancel travel reservations, with judicial approval

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IS 'chemical weapons expert killed'

30 January 2015 Last updated at 23:50

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ebola-hit Liberia delays schooling

31 January 2015 Last updated at 00:02

Liberia has delayed planned re-opening of schools, saying they are not not yet fully prepared to prevent the spread of Ebola.

The schools - closed in July - had been due to open on Monday, but teaching will now begin on 16 February.

The BBC's Mark Doyle says several schools he has seen are woefully unready to prevent Ebola infection.

He says they are lacking chlorinated water for hand-washing and thermometers to check pupils don't have fever.

Some schools were used as Ebola treatment offices or holding centres, our correspondent adds.

Liberia - alongside with its West African neighbours Sierra Leone and Guinea - has been hardest hit by the outbreak of the deadly virus.

In Liberia alone, more than 3,600 people have been killed.

However, Liberia appears to be beating Ebola, as there now only five confirmed cases across the country.

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DNA tests for babies in Mexico blast

31 January 2015 Last updated at 01:08

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The three operators of the gas lorry have been detained.

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

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

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Merkel rules out Greek debt relief

31 January 2015 Last updated at 10:22

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out cancelling any of Greece's debt, saying banks and creditors have already made substantial cuts.

But Mrs Merkel told the Die Welt newspaper she still wanted Greece to stay in the eurozone.

Greece's left-wing Syriza party won last weekend's election with a pledge to have half the debt written off.

Its finance minister said the "troika" of global institutions overseeing Greek debt was a "rotten committee".

The troika - the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund - had agreed a €240bn (£179bn; $270bn) bailout with the previous Greek government.

But new Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has refused to work with the troika to renegotiate the bailout terms and has already begun to roll back the austerity measures the creditors had demanded of the previous government.

Meanwhile, EU economic and financial affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici told the BBC's Hardtalk that Greece had to honour its previous commitments, although he said he wanted Greece to remain in the eurozone.

'Blackmail'

Mrs Merkel told the Hamburger Abendblatt: "I do not envisage fresh debt cancellation."

She said: "There has already been voluntary debt forgiveness by private creditors, banks have already slashed billions from Greece's debt."

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

Greek economy in numbers

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

Mr Merkel insisted she did not want Greece to leave the eurozone.

She said: "The aim of our policy was and is that Greece remains permanently part of the euro community. Europe will continue to show its solidarity with Greece, as with other countries hard hit by the crisis, if these countries carry out reforms and cost-saving measures."

On Friday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned Greece about its negotiation tactics on writing off debt.

"There's no arguing with us about this, and what's more we are difficult to blackmail," he said.

Finance Minister Varoufakis on Friday refused to work with the troika, saying he would instead talk to individual organisations and EU member states.

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Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis: "We are not prepared to carry on pretending and trying to enforce an unenforceable programme"

He has brought forward to Saturday his planned trip to Paris, where he will meet French counterpart Michel Sapin.

"We are not prepared to carry on pretending and extending, trying to enforce an unenforceable programme which for five years now has steadfastly refused to produce any tangible benefits," Mr Varoufakis told the BBC's Newsnight.

"The disease that we're facing in Greece at the moment is that a problem of insolvency for five years has been dealt with as a problem of liquidity."

Greece's current programme of loans ends on 28 February. A final bailout tranche of €7.2bn still has to be negotiated.

New Greek PM Alexis Tsipras will visit Cyprus, Italy and France next week but has no plans to visit Germany as yet.

Mr Moscovici meanwhile told the BBC the Greek government had to respect previous commitments.

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

"We feel that it's very important for the stability of the eurozone and for the credibility of the euro that there is no 'Grexit'. This is why we will do everything that is needed to avoid it."

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

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Left-wing party in Madrid mass rally

31 January 2015 Last updated at 11:36

The far-left Spanish party, Podemos, is holding a mass rally in the centre of Madrid looking to build on the recent victory of Syriza in Greece.

Tens of thousands are reported to be attending the "March for Change" - one of its first outdoor mass rallies.

Podemos has surged into the lead in recent opinion polls, and says it will seek to write off part of Spain's debt if it wins elections later this year.

Podemos says politicians should "serve the people, not private interests".

The BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid says that there has been an impressive turnout and a carnival atmosphere at the rally.

Protesters are parading in the same streets that have seen many other gatherings against financial crisis cutbacks imposed by successive governments over the last six years.

Uncompromising message

Many Spaniards are enraged over reports of political corruption and public spending cuts implemented by the governing People's Party and before that by the Socialists.

The two big traditional parties have described the party - less than a year old and whose names translates as "we can" - as populist.

Our correspondent says that since Podemos stormed onto the political scene in last May's European elections, it has moved from strength to strength with its uncompromising message against austerity and corruption.

Podemos is a close ally of Syriza and their policies are as radical.

By rallying its supporters today to Spain's famous Puerta del Sol square, the party hopes to send a signal to Spain's traditional parties - and the rest of Europe will be watching, our correspondent says.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned Spaniards not to "play Russian roulette" by supporting the newcomer, which he said "promises the moon and the sun" but cannot deliver them.

Left-wing and right-wing media have criticised Podemos, accusing it of having ties with Venezuela's left-wing leaders and alleging financial misconduct by some of its senior members.

The party's leaders have in response promised to publish their tax returns, with Mr Iglesias remaining defiant.

"In the face of their hatred, we smile," is one of his regular pronouncements, according to the AFP news agency. After the Syriza triumph in the Greek elections he said that "hope had been born".

Spain has now officially come out of recession but nearly one in four workers remains unemployed.

Last year was the first time there has been full-year economic growth in the country since 2008, when a property bubble burst, putting millions of people out of work and pushing the country to the brink of a bail-out.

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German ex-President Weizsaecker dies

31 January 2015 Last updated at 12:00

Germany's former President Richard von Weizsaecker has died at the age of 94, the president's office has announced.

Mr Weizsaecker's 10 years in office, from 1984 to 1994, spanned the period of German reunification.

A soldier in the German army in World War Two, Weizsaecker won widespread praise for his efforts to persuade Germans to confront their Nazi past.

A member of the Christian Democratic Union, he also served as the governing mayor of West Berlin in the 1980s.

Announcing Mr Weizsaecker's death, current President Joachim Gauck said: "Richard von Weizsaecker stood worldwide for a Germany that had found its way to centre of the democratic family of peoples.

"He stood for a federal republic that faces up to its past."

Mr Weizsaecker was first elected president in 1984 and his speech a year later on the 40th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany won him widespread respect.

He told the West German parliament: "All of us, whether guilty or not, whether young or old, must accept the past. We are all affected by its consequences and liable for it. Anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present.

"The 8th of May was a day of liberation. It freed us all from the system of National Socialist tyranny."

The same year he became the first West German head of state to visit Israel.

In 1986 he addressed a joint session of the UK parliament - the first German to do so.

Mr Weizsaecker was elected unopposed to a second term in 1989, overseeing in the largely ceremonial role the initial years of a reunited Germany.

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Sydney inquest hears of siege deaths

29 January 2015 Last updated at 08:25

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The inquest is upsetting for the victims' families, reports Jon Donnison from Sydney

The start of an inquest into the Sydney cafe siege has heard that hostage Katrina Dawson was killed by fragments from a police bullet or bullets.

Another hostage, cafe manager Tori Johnson, was killed by a bullet to the head from gunman Man Haron Monis. His death prompted police to storm the Lindt Chocolate Cafe and kill Monis.

The inquest aims to establish whether deaths were avoidable and if it should have been treated as a terrorist event.

Eighteen people were taken hostage.

The stand-off at the cafe in Martin Place in Sydney's business district on 15 December led to a massive police operation and the shutdown of a large part of the city centre.

At the opening of the coroner's inquest in Sydney, Jeremy Gormly, the lawyer assisting the state coroner, said Ms Dawson was "struck by six fragments of a police bullet or bullets which ricocheted from hard surfaces into her body".

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Lawyer Jeremy Gormly: "Ms Dawson was struck by six fragments of a police bullet or bullets"

"I will not detail the damage done to Ms Dawson other than to say that one fragment struck a major blood vessel. She lost consciousness quickly and died shortly afterwards."

Australian media reports earlier this month had indicated that Ms Dawson, a 38-year-old barrister and mother of three young children, had died after being hit in the heart and shoulder by fragments from a police bullet.

Bomb claim

The inquest heard that Monis entered the cafe on the morning of 15 December with a sawn-off shotgun hidden in a plastic bag.

He ordered chocolate cake and tea, and asked to speak to the manager, Mr Johnson. After ordering Mr Johnson to lock the cafe, he announced: "This is an attack. I have a bomb."

Later that morning, Monis ordered Mr Johnson to phone Australia's emergency number.

He ordered the cafe manager to say that Australia was under attack from Islamic State militants and that Monis had planted radio-controlled bombs around the busy Sydney tourist precinct, Circular Quay, and Martin Place - none of which was true.

What the inquest wants to know

• How Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson were killed
• How police managed the siege, and what protocols they used, and how they managed hostages and the families during and after the siege
• Details of Monis's political associations and public activity, his religious claims, his criminal history, his media profile and his personal relationships
• How Monis was out on bail, particularly over the charges concerning the murder of his ex-wife.

Siege inquest: Key transcript extracts

A number of hostages managed to escape as the siege went on, then at 02:00 local time on 16 December, special police stormed the cafe after a police marksman saw Monis shoot the kneeling Mr Johnson in the back of the head.

Earlier unconfirmed reports in the Australian press had said Mr Johnson was shot while trying to disarm Monis, but this was not mentioned by the coronial report.

The inquest heard that Monis was killed instantly when police entered the cafe. At least two police bullets hit him in the head and 11 other bullets or fragments struck his body. The police used stun grenades, known as flash bangs, as they went in.

Monis fired five shots during the entire siege, the inquest heard.

The first shot was directed at hostages as they fled the scene. He then shot Mr Johnson. The other bullets were fired when police stormed the cafe. Monis was later found to have had 21 more cartridges in his pocket.

'Horrifying events'

Monis, who came to Australia as a refugee from Iran, had a history of religious activism and was on bail at the time of the siege for dozens of sexual assault charges and for being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.

He claimed to be a cleric and asked his hostages to display an Islamic flag during the siege. However, questions remain about whether he had any links to international militant networks.

His partner Amirah Droudis, who is also facing murder charges over his ex-wife, will be represented at the inquest.

"Rarely have such horrifying events unfolded so publicly," New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes told the court. "These events have precipitated an outpouring of emotion, anguish, anger, resentment and despair."

Outside court, one of the surviving hostages, 82-year-old John O'Brien said: "It's been very upsetting for Tori Johnson's family."

Six of Mr Johnson's family members attended the session. None of Ms Dawson's family were present.

The inquest has now adjourned. A date has yet to be announced for the next hearing. All the surviving hostages are expected to give evidence.

Meanwhile other investigations into the siege are continuing, including a joint federal and New South Wales state government review of why Monis was given asylum and eventually citizenship in Australia and why he was granted bail in 2013.

How the 16-hour Sydney siege unfolded

• 1. At 09:45 on Monday local time (22:45 GMT Sunday) police are called to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney following reports of an armed robbery. It soon emerges a gunman is holding a number of people hostage.
• 2. Between 16:00-17:00, three men, then two women, sprint to safety from the cafe's side door - a fire exit.
• 3. Just after 02:00 on Tuesday, a loud bang is heard from the cafe and special operations officers advance towards the side door.
• 4. More hostages escape, running to safety on Elizabeth Street.
• 5. Moments later, commandos storm the cafe via a number of entrances. The remaining hostages escape.
• 6. Police officially confirm the end of the siege at 02:45 local time. They later report the deaths of three people, including the gunman.

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Ebola virus mutating, scientists say

29 January 2015 Last updated at 05:55 By Tulip Mazumdar Global health reporter

Scientists tracking the Ebola outbreak in Guinea say the virus has mutated.

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur in France, which first identified the outbreak last March, are investigating whether it could have become more contagious.

More than 22,000 people have been infected with Ebola and 8,795 have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Scientists are starting to analyse hundreds of blood samples from Ebola patients in Guinea.

They are tracking how the virus is changing and trying to establish whether it's able to jump more easily from person to person

"We know the virus is changing quite a lot," said human geneticist Dr Anavaj Sakuntabhai.

Continue reading the main story

A virus can change itself to less deadly, but more contagious and that's something we are afraid of"

End Quote Dr Anavaj Sakuntabhai Geneticist

"That's important for diagnosing (new cases) and for treatment. We need to know how the virus (is changing) to keep up with our enemy."

It's not unusual for viruses to change over a period time. Ebola is an RNA virus - like HIV and influenza - which have a high rate of mutation. That makes the virus more able to adapt and raises the potential for it to become more contagious.

"We've now seen several cases that don't have any symptoms at all, asymptomatic cases," said Anavaj Sakuntabhai.

"These people may be the people who can spread the virus better, but we still don't know that yet. A virus can change itself to less deadly, but more contagious and that's something we are afraid of."

But Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, says it's still unclear whether more people are actually not showing symptoms in this outbreak compared with previous ones.

"We know asymptomatic infections occur… but whether we are seeing more of it in the current outbreak is difficult to ascertain," he said.

"It could simply be a numbers game, that the more infection there is out in the wider population, then obviously the more asymptomatic infections we are going to see."

Another common concern is that while the virus has more time and more "hosts" to develop in, Ebola could mutate and eventually become airborne.

There is no evidence to suggest that is happening. The virus is still only passed through direct contact with infected people's body fluids.

Infectious disease expert Professor David Heyman said

"No blood borne virus, for example HIV or Hepatitis B, has ever shown any indication of becoming airborne. The mutation would need to be major"

Virologist Noel Tordo is in the process of setting up a new from the Institut Pasteur in the Guinea capital Conakry. He said,

"At the moment, not enough has been done in terms of the evolution of the virus both geographically and in the human body, so we have to learn more. But something has shown that there are mutations,"

"For the moment the way of transmission is still the same. You just have to avoid contact (with a sick person)"

"But as a scientist you can't predict it won't change. Maybe it will."

Researchers are using a method called genetic sequencing to track changes in the genetic make-up of the virus. So far they have analysed around 20 blood samples from Guinea. Another 600 samples are being sent to the labs in the coming months.

A previous similar study in Sierra Leone showed the Ebola virus mutated considerably in the first 24 days of the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.

It said: "This certainly does raise a lot of scientific questions about transmissibility, response to vaccines and drugs, use of convalescent plasma.

"However, many gene mutations may not have any impact on how the virus responds to drugs or behaves in human populations."

'Global problem'

The research in Paris will also help give scientists a clearer insight into why some people survive Ebola, and others don't. The survival rate of the current outbreak is around 40%.

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Prof James Di Santo explains the work being carried out to try to find an Ebola vaccine

It's hoped this will help scientists developing vaccines to protect people against the virus.

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur are currently developing two vaccines which they hope will be in human trials by the end of the year.

One is a modification of the widely used measles vaccine, where people are given a weakened and harmless form of the virus which in turn triggers an immune response. That response fights and defeats the disease if someone comes into contact with it.

The idea, if it proves successful, would be that the vaccine would protect against both measles and Ebola.

"We've seen now this is a threat that can be quite large and can extend on a global scale," said Professor James Di Santo, and immunologist at the Institut.

"We've learned this virus is not a problem of Africa, it's a problem for everyone."

He added: "This particular outbreak may wane and go away, but we're going to have another infectious outbreak at some point, because the places where the virus hides in nature, for example in small animals, is still a threat for humans in the future.

"The best type of response we can think of… is to have vaccination of global populations."

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Malaysia declares MH370 an accident

29 January 2015 Last updated at 11:19

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Azharuddin Abdul Rahman: "We have reviewed all available data"

The Malaysian government has officially declared the disappearance of Malaysian Airline flight MH370 an accident and has said that there were no survivors.

No trace of the Beijing-bound aircraft has been found since it disappeared on 8 March 2014.

Officials said that the recovery operation is ongoing but that the 239 people onboard are now presumed dead.

The plane's whereabouts are still unknown despite a massive international search in the southern Indian Ocean.

The declaration on Thursday should allow compensation payments to relatives of the victims.

Malaysian officials added that the recovery of the missing aircraft remained a priority and that they have pursued "every credible lead".

Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Director-General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said that it was "with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident.''

"All 239 of the passengers and crew onboard MH370 are presumed to have lost their lives," he said.

He added that Malaysia, China and Australia have spared no expense in the hunt for the plane.

Four vessels are currently searching the sea floor with specialised sonar technology in a remote stretch of ocean where the plane is believed to have ended its flight.

'No evidence'

Based on analysis of satellite and aircraft performance data, MH370 is thought to be in seas far west of the Australian city of Perth.

The vessels have so far searched an area of over 18,000 km sq (11,185 sq miles), according to officials.

The search area involved also has known depths of up to 6,000 m (19 685 ft).

Mr Azharuddin said that the progress of the safety investigation into the accident would be released soon, but that "at this juncture, there is no evidence to substantiate any speculations as to the cause of the accident".

The DCA said on Wednesday said that it planned to release an interim report on the investigation on 7 March, a day before the first anniversary of the disappearance.

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EU to debate fresh Russia sanctions

29 January 2015 Last updated at 05:16

EU foreign ministers are due to meet in Brussels to discuss imposing further sanctions on Russia following an upsurge in fighting in east Ukraine.

The meeting was called after pro-Russian rebels attacked the port of Mariupol at the weekend.

The EU and the US have already slapped asset freezes and travel bans on Russian individuals and businesses as well as Ukrainian separatist leaders.

Nato says hundreds of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are in east Ukraine.

Moscow denies direct involvement but says some Russian volunteers are fighting alongside the rebels.

BBC Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas says EU ministers will discuss fresh sanctions as well as extending the duration of existing measures.

EU leaders meeting on 12 February will have to confirm any new measures. They may also discuss possible new financial sanctions on Russia, co-ordinated with the US, our correspondent adds.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told the BBC that European values were under attack in Ukraine.

"If we see no signs of improvement we should proceed with further sanctions," he said. "How many people should be killed in order to realise that lines were crossed many times?"

The White House gave a strong signal on Wednesday that it was considering further sanctions against Russia over its support for the separatists.

US Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke on the phone after which the US condemned "Russian-backed separatists" and the "heavy toll that the Russian-backed offensive in the east was having on Ukraine's civilian population".

"As long as Russia continues its blatant disregard of its obligations... the costs for Russia will continue to rise," Mr Biden was reported to have told Mr Poroshenko.

EU leaders issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday instructing foreign ministers "to consider any appropriate action" after the violence in Mariupol.

Fighting continued on Wednesday with separatists accusing Ukrainian forces of shelling civilian areas.

Rebels have almost fully encircled government troops in the city of Debaltseve in the Donetsk region, which has a strategic railway hub.

Witnesses said the town appeared deserted on Wednesday with many buildings damaged. Shell fire could be heard in the background.

Also on Wednesday, the Russian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resumed its boycott in protest at Ukraine sanctions.

The Strasbourg-based Council, the oldest Europe-wide political body, is tasked with upholding rights, democracy and rule of law across the continent.

It suspended Russia's voting rights last year after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and renewed the ban on Wednesday.

In response, Russia said it would boycott sessions until the year's end.

More than 4,800 people have been killed and some 1.2 million have fled since rebels took control of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in April.

It followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.

Are you affected by issues in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

Have your say

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Argentina's Nisman 'feared guards'

29 January 2015 Last updated at 07:51

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Wyre Davies in Buenos Aires reports on a "case of espionage and international conspiracies"

Senior Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who died in unexplained circumstances, borrowed a gun because he did not trust the police protecting him, a colleague has said.

Diego Lagomarsino lent him a gun the day before he was found shot dead.

Mr Nisman was about to testify about alleged attempts to cover up Iranian involvement in a bombing in 1994.

Prosecutors have yet to establish if he committed suicide or was killed. He will be buried on Thursday.

Mr Nisman had been due to appear in Congress to publicly accuse President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of being behind an attempt to hide the alleged involvement of Iranian suspects in the Jewish centre bombing, which killed 85 people.

He was found dead in his apartment on 18 January.

On Wednesday, Mr Nisman was mourned at a private wake. He will be buried on Thursday at a Jewish cemetery in La Tablada, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

At the scene: Wyre Davies, BBC News, Argentina

After the body of Alberto Nisman was finally released to his family, it was taken to a funeral home where a steady stream of friends and former colleagues arrived to pay their last respects.

But when a courier delivered two huge wreaths, with messages of condolences from government departments, including the Ministry of Justice, angry campaigners tore at the flowers, ripping and stamping on the ribbons.

It was a clear example of the intrigue and anger provoked by this case. Many Argentines do not trust their much discredited institutions to ever solve the Nisman case or find the perpetrators of the 1994 bombing.

More than a week after his body was found in his luxury apartment, new details have emerged which, in some ways, shed new light on the case but, in other ways, confuse matters even further.

Old gun

Mr Lagomarsino, a computer specialist and long-time acquaintance of Mr Nisman, lent him the gun that killed him.

He told a news conference that Mr Nisman had told him he "feared for the safety of his daughters".

"I told him, 'Look this (gun) is old, it's an old weapon... I don't know if you will be able to protect yourself with it'.

"He said to me, 'Don't worry, it's to have in the glove box just in case a crazy person with a stick comes up and says I am a traitor'."

Mr Lagomarsino, the last person to see Mr Nisman alive, said he showed him how to load and unload the gun, but the prosecutor had assured him he would not use it.

But he added that Mr Nisman had told him: "I don't even trust my security detail."

Mr Lagomarsino has been charged with giving a firearm to someone who was not the registered owner - the only person to be charged in the case so far.

Guards suspended

Mr Nisman's security chief has been suspended and is under investigation along with two other members of his guard.

Ruben Benitez had co-ordinated a security team of 10 officers to protect Mr Nisman.

Police say the team broke with protocol by remaining out of contact with Mr Nisman for several hours on the day of his death and failing to report to their superiors.

In a national address on Monday and in two letters, President Fernandez accused former intelligence agents of manipulating Mr Nisman to bring charges against her.

She suggested he was killed to increase the damage to her.

On Monday she announced plans to disband Argentina's intelligence services and replace them with a new agency.

Investigators have said they believe Mr Nisman committed suicide, but have classified his death as suspicious because they could not rule out murder or an "induced suicide".

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Japan probes new 'hostage recording'

29 January 2015 Last updated at 07:57

Japan says it is investigating a purported new voice recording of hostage Kenji Goto, who is being held by Islamic State (IS) militants.

The person in the recording says a Jordanian pilot held by IS will be killed unless an Iraqi prisoner held by Jordan is freed by sunset on Thursday.

Jordan has offered to free Sajida al-Rishawi in exchange for the pilot.

But it has said it wants confirmation that Moaz al-Kasasbeh is safe, and has made no mention of Mr Goto's release.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says it appears from the latest message that IS is not ready to accept that offer.

The Japanese government appears to have become a spectator in this drama, as the life of its citizen hangs in the balance, our correspondent says.

Jordan is part of the US-led coalition which is carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq.

'Border by sunset'

On Sunday, IS said it had killed another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, after demanding a $200m (£130m).

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"My son... he's a pilot, they should put much more effort into freeing him" - Safi Al-Kasasbeh, father of Jordanian hostage being held by IS

Then on Tuesday, a video was released in which a voice claiming to be that of Mr Goto said Jordan had 24 hours to free Iraqi al-Qaeda militant Sajida al-Rishawi. There was no mention of a ransom.

She was sentenced to death in Jordan in relation to bomb attacks in the capital, Amman, in 2005, which killed 60 people.

Analysis by Yolande Knell, BBC News, Amman

The Jordanian king is facing a terrible dilemma. He is a staunch US ally - a key part of the US-led coalition against IS, with a need to face IS that controls large areas just across the border in Iraq and Syria. But he is under increasingly heavy pressure from relatives of Moaz al-Kasasbeh.

He is the first member of the international coalition forces to have fallen into IS hands. And this latest ordeal has hardened public opposition to the bombing campaign against IS which has affected military morale.

However, Jordan's priority remains their own pilot - amid mounting frustration among Lt Kasasbeh's family and society at large that IS appears to have shifted its demands, making no mention of the pilot's release.

Lengthy border

The new unverified recording, posted on YouTube, again claiming to be the voice of Mr Goto, appears to extend that deadline.

It said: "If Sajida al-Rishawi is not ready for exchange for my life at the Turkish border by Thursday sunset (14:30 GMT) 29th of January Mosul time, the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh will be killed immediately."

It was not clear whether either Mr Kasasbeh or Mr Goto would be released under the latest alleged threat.

There are no details of where the hostages are being held - or where along the lengthy border a possible release may occur.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the latest video was still being verified but that "with all of the information gathered we think that there is a high probability that the voice was indeed that of Mr Goto".

Jordan's government is reportedly holding indirect talks with the militants through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq to secure the release of the hostages, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reports.

Mr Goto, 47, is a well-known freelance journalist and documentary film-maker who went to Syria in October, reportedly to try to get Mr Yukawa - a private contractor - released.

His family have made emotional appeals to the Japanese government to secure his release.

Mr al-Kasasbeh was captured on 24 December after his plane crashed in northern Syria. His relatives and other supporters have staged protests in Amman calling for the government to help him.

His father, Safi al-Kasaesbeh, said he had been reassured in person by Jordan's King Abdullah on Wednesday.

"The king told me that Muath is like my son and God willing everything will be fine," AP quoted him as saying.

Who are Islamic State (IS)?

• Formed out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2013, IS first captured Raqqa in eastern Syria
• It then captured broad swathes of Iraq in June, including Mosul, and declared a "caliphate" in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq
• Pursuing an extreme form of Sunni Islam, IS has persecuted non-Muslims such as Yazidis and Christians, as well as Shia Muslims, whom it regards as heretics
• Known for its brutal tactics, including beheadings of captives and public executions
• The CIA says the group could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria

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AirAsia co-pilot 'was flying plane'

29 January 2015 Last updated at 09:01

The co-pilot of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, French national Remi Plesel, was controlling the plane before it crashed, say Indonesian investigators.

Authorities said this information came from the flight data recorder, which was retrieved along with the cockpit voice recorder earlier this month.

The plane was carrying 162 people from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore when it crashed into the Java Sea on 28 December.

Only 70 bodies have been recovered.

Mardjono Siswosuwarno, head investigator of Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSB), said the flight data recorder had provided a "pretty clear picture" of what happened in the flight's last moments.

Capt Plesel was in charge from take-off until the cockpit voice recording ends, he said, adding that this was common practice.

'Within limits'

Investigators said the plane ascended sharply before dropping, rising from 32,000ft (9,750m) to 37,400ft within 30 seconds, then dipping back to 32,000ft. The process took about three minutes.

Mr Mardjono said the plane was "flying before the incident within the limits of its weight and balance envelope" and that the flight crew all had correct licences and medical certificates.

A preliminary report has been submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization, but has not been made public. The the full report is likely to take about seven months, said the committee's chief Tatang Kurniadi.

Earlier this week, the military announced it was stopping attempts to retrieve the fuselage from the seabed. Authorities had believed earlier that most of the missing bodies were still in the wreckage but now believe it is empty and too fragile to move.

The civilian National Search and Rescue Agency said on Wednesday that it would continue search operations but their efforts could also end by next week if no more bodies are found.

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Italy leaders wrangle over president

29 January 2015 Last updated at 11:29

Italy's political leaders are holding talks to try to reach agreement on candidates as parliament prepares to vote for a new president.

Giorgio Napolitano, 89, stood down this month, citing "signs of fatigue".

The post is largely ceremonial, but the vote is seen as an important moment for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Mr Renzi is said to back constitutional court judge Sergio Mattarella, but any candidate needs a two-thirds majority in the first three rounds of voting.

Mr Mattarella once served as defence minister and is a member of Mr Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD).

More than 1,000 people are set to vote in the procedure, which will start at 15:00 (14:00 GMT) on Thursday and is expected to continue until a fourth round on Saturday.

Twelfth president

Under the constitution, any Italian citizen over 50 can be nominated by MPs, and then the Chamber of Deputies and Senate are joined by 58 regional representatives to vote on the list of candidates.

No candidate is likely to win before the fourth round, when only a simple majority of 505 votes is needed.

Until then, one report suggests there could be as many as 49 candidates for the job of 12th president of the Italian republic.

The role has the key power of appointing a prime minister, which in Italy is quite a frequent task, says BBC Rome correspondent James Reynolds. Mr Napolitano named five prime ministers during his eight-and-a-half years in office.

Mr Napolitano retired earlier this month, aged 89, saying poor health meant he was no longer able to do his job as he wished.

He had only agreed to serve a second term in an attempt to end political paralysis after inconclusive elections in 2013.

Flurry of meetings

Mr Renzi's party is thought to have the support of about 400 of the voters.

But he will need further backing from Nichi Vendola's Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) Party, former members of Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment Five Star Party, and possibly the centre-right Forza Italia Party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Matteo Renzi discussed the vote with Berlusconi on Wednesday but the ex-Prime Minister is said to support another former premier, Giuliano Amato.

Another potential candidate for Mr Renzi is the judge he appointed as head of Italy's anti-corruption authority, Raffaele Cantone. According to Ansa news agency, the prime minister met Mr Cantone on Thursday morning.

A further flurry of meetings is expected to take place before voting begins.

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AirAsia body search 'could end soon'

28 January 2015 Last updated at 09:14

The head of Indonesia's civilian search and rescue agency has said the search for victims of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 could be ended by the end of next week if no more bodies are found.

It comes a day after the military said it was suspending its operation to retrieve the fuselage from the seabed as they believe no bodies are inside.

The plane was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore on 28 December carrying 162 people when it crashed.

More than 90 people are still missing.

Bambang Soelistyo, the chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), told reporters on Wednesday that search teams were not affected by the military's pull-out.

They were taking a few days' rest but would resume their operation on Saturday at the latest.

"After seven days we will evaluate whether the operation will be extended or shut down. It will depend on the dynamics of what happens within the seven days," he said.

"If we can find one or two more bodies, that means we have the opportunity to prolong the operation," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Authorities had initially thought that most of the missing bodies would be inside the sunken fuselage, but now believe that is no longer the case.

Agency official S B Supriyadi told AFP news agency that the bodies "could be on the seabed, or have been swept away by waves and currents".

Basarnas are using helicopters, four ships and both professional and volunteer divers in their search.

The team identifying victims who have been found will still remain in operation and stationed in Surabaya, said Mr Soelistyo.

He added that victims' families had been informed of the possible deadline and understand the situation.

BBC Indonesian's Pinta Karana says that families have welcomed efforts to continue the search. But some have also expressed concern about the possible deadline.

Dwi Yanto, whose son Bima Adi Wicaksono was on the plane, said: "I plead for the search efforts to continue, that is my only hope."

"Why would they terminate it? The number of bodies not found is a lot more than the number of bodies recovered."

'Too fragile'

The military had announced on Tuesday that it was suspending its operation to retrieve the fuselage following three days of failed attempts.

Search and retrieval efforts have been hampered by bad weather, and the wreckage is said to be too fragile to be lifted.

Military chief Gen Moeldoko told the BBC he was convinced that the fuselage was empty, and the National Transportation Safety Committee had confirmed that the wreckage might not be needed for their investigation as it is heavily damaged.

A preliminary report on the crash is expected to be filed this week, although the full investigation will take months.

The plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found earlier this month.

Information from those devices showed the jet had climbed too fast, causing it to stall, according to Indonesia's Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan.

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US admits snow forecast errors

28 January 2015 Last updated at 09:35

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New Yorkers ask what happened to "snowmageddon"?

The US National Weather Service (NWS) has admitted its forecasts were wrong, after predicting a "potentially historic blizzard" would strike New York City.

The city was largely spared as the storm piled deep snow on Connecticut and Massachusetts.

City mayor Bill de Blasio denied he had overreacted to warnings, saying he could only go on information available.

Blizzard warnings remain in effect for Maine and eastern New Hampshire.

"Rapidly deepening winter storms are very challenging to predict," the NWS wrote on its Facebook page.

"The storm has moved further east and will be departing faster than our forecasts of the past two days.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio: "We had to take precautions to keep people safe"

"The result is much less snow than previously predicted for the western half of our region," it added.

On Monday, an emergency was declared in a swathe of north-eastern states, and meteorologists predicted up to 90cm (36in) of snow. Officials later downgraded the numbers.

The New York City authorities imposed a driving ban - since lifted - and took the unprecedented step of shutting the subway.

But on Tuesday, New Yorkers awoke to a blanket of snow less deep than feared, and since then city life has been getting back to normal.

"Would you rather be prepared or unprepared? Would you rather be safe or unsafe?" asked Mr de Blasio, defending the moves.

"My job as the leader is to make decisions and I will always err on the side of safety and caution."

Analysis: Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York

Shutting down the New York subway system, for the first time in its history because of snow, can easily be viewed in retrospect like overkill. So does bringing in a car curfew, which banned non-emergency vehicles from the streets from 23:00 on Monday night.

Walking the empty streets of Manhattan pre-dawn, and seeing the snow, we all found ourselves asking the same question: "Is that it?"

It reminded me of that scene from Crocodile Dundee, when Mick Dundee is confronted by muggers wielding a switchblade. "That's not a knife," he says, pulling out a much scarier weapon. "This is a knife."

That's not a storm, some New Yorkers told us, as they made their way to work muttering that Bill de Blasio had got it badly wrong.

New Yorkers ask 'Is that it?'

Other areas of New York state saw much heavier snowfall, with "blizzard conditions" across Long Island, according to the NSW.

A teenage boy was later killed in a sledging accident in the area.

Worst affected elsewhere were Connecticut and Massachusetts, with the heaviest snowfall recorded outside Boston - 91 cm (36 in) of snow in Lunenburg by Tuesday night.

In Connecticut, an elderly man collapsed while shovelling snow. He died later in hospital on Tuesday.

At the scene: Gary O'Donoghue, BBC, Scituate, Massachusetts

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Gary O'Donoghue reports from Scituate in Massachusetts

Flooding is a big threat here. The town of Scituate is bracing itself for a high tide in the coming hours and the neighbouring town of Marshfield has already had its sea wall breached.

Some along this coast have already been evacuated from their homes and the streets are largely empty of people.

The storm is expected to continue to whip the eastern part of the state until early Wednesday - and only after that can a true assessment be made of its impact.

The storm also caused coastal flooding in Massachusetts. High tides breached a sea wall and damaged 11 homes in Marshfield, 50km (30 miles) south of Boston.

The state's only nuclear power station shut down after the blizzard interrupted its power flow.

Thousands of people are still without power, more than 45,000 of them in Massachusetts.

But Governor Charlie Baker said the snow had been "fluffier and lighter" than anticipated, meaning there were less power outages.

Flights are set to resume early on Wednesday at Boston's Logan International Airport, along with trains to New York and Washington.

But air travel remains disrupted, with more than 800 flights cancelled, according to flightaware.com.

"The wind here is tremendous, it's difficult to see very far out the window," said Christie Craigheard in New Hampshire, another of the affected areas.

The NWS is still warning of potentially life-threatening conditions along the New England coast, as the storm heads north into Canada.

Meteorologists expect the snow to continue into early Wednesday in eastern New England.

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Japan condemns Goto hostage video

28 January 2015 Last updated at 10:21

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Abe: "We need to work together as one on securing the release of Kenji Goto"

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said a new Islamic State (IS) video threatening to kill hostage Kenji Goto within 24 hours is "despicable".

In the footage a voice believed to be Mr Goto says he and a Jordanian pilot will be killed unless Jordan frees an Iraqi woman held on death row.

Mr Abe said Japan was working with Jordan to secure their release.

IS said on Sunday it had killed another Japanese man, Haruna Yukawa. It had demanded a $200m (£130m) ransom.

In the latest footage, released around midday on Tuesday, the speaker says Mr Goto has "only 24 hours left to live" and Jordanian hostage Moaz al-Kasasbeh "even less" unless Jordan releases Sajida al-Rishawi.

Al-Rishawi is an al-Qaeda militant who has been sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 attack that killed 60 people.

'Ensure safety of Japanese'

Kenji Goto, 47, is a well-known freelance journalist and documentary film-maker who went to Syria in October, reportedly to try to secure the release of fellow Japanese national Haruna Yukawa.

A video appeared on Sunday apparently showing Mr Goto holding a picture of what appeared to be the body of Mr Yukawa.

Speaking to reporters at the start of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, Mr Abe said he was appalled by the "utterly despicable" videos, and that the government was asking for Jordanian co-operation.

He called on ministers to "take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals at home and abroad," the AFP news agency reports.

The mother of Mr Goto appealed publicly to the prime minister to help her son.

"Please save him," she said. "Kenji has only a little time left."

Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent

The deal being offered by IS, whether genuine or not, goes right to the heart of the universal dilemma over hostage-taking. Do you give in to demands to win the release of your loved ones?

The Jordanian authorities, who were given a final 24 hours on Tuesday to make this decision, find themselves in a dreadful position. IS want the release of a convicted al-Qaeda terrorist from Iraq. To release her could be seen as giving in to terrorism.

Yet at the same time many Jordanians don't support their country's role in US-led air strikes on IS positions. They want their captured pilot to come home alive and for Jordan to stay out of the fight against IS.

Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama is in Amman negotiating with the Jordanian authorities.

On Tuesday night, several hundred relatives and supporters of the Jordanian pilot held a protest outside the prime minister's office in Amman, demanding he meet the IS demands.

Mr Kasasbeh's father, Safi al-Kasasbeh, told the Associated Press news agency: "The safety of Moaz means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Moaz means chaos in Jordan."

Who are Islamic State (IS)?

• Formed out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2013, IS first captured Raqqa in eastern Syria
• It then captured broad swathes of Iraq in June, including Mosul, and declared a "caliphate" in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq
• Pursuing an extreme form of Sunni Islam, IS has persecuted non-Muslims such as Yazidis and Christians, as well as Shia Muslims, whom it regards as heretics
• Known for its brutal tactics, including beheadings of captives and public executions
• The CIA says the group could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria

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Apple profit 'biggest in history'

28 January 2015 Last updated at 11:22

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Apple's China sales are up 70% - and about to grow further, John Sudworth reports

US technology giant Apple has reported the biggest quarterly profit ever made by a public company.

Apple reported a net profit of $18bn (£11.8bn) in its fiscal first quarter, which tops the $15.9bn made by ExxonMobil in the second quarter of 2012, according to Standard and Poor's.

Record sales of iPhones were behind the surge in profits.

Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones in the three months to 27 December - well ahead of most analysts' expectations.

In a conference call with financial analysts Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said that demand for phones was "staggering".

However, sales of the iPad continued to disappoint, falling by 22% in 2014 from a year earlier.

Continue reading the main story

The demand for Apple's larger iPhone 6 Plus model appeared to help boost profits and increase the iPhone's gross profit margin - or how much Apple makes per product - by 2% to 39.9%.

However, Apple did not give a breakdown of sales for the iPhone 6 and other models.

Apple shares rose more than 5% in trading after the US markets had closed.

Buster Hein, who edits the "Cult of Mac" website, told the BBC that iPhone sales had surpassed expectations.

"Oh my gosh, it's unbelievable," he said. "I mean, a lot of us were expecting good iPhone sales during the holidays, but I don't think anybody really thought Apple was going to blow past 70 million units sold," he said.

"Apple became the number one smartphone company in China in the last quarter, which was just huge for them," he added.

Analysis: Richard Taylor, BBC North America Technology Correspondent

Apple's impressive results represent a significant shift towards the massive untapped potential of China.

With a strong line-up of devices entering the final quarter, it was able to reap the fruits of its deal with the world's biggest mobile network, China Mobile.

However, the success of its latest big-screen iPhones may have contributed to further cannibalising sales of the iPad.

The once unstoppable tablet is being further squeezed both by a resurgence in laptop sales, as well as by competition - both in an increasingly saturated US market and in emerging markets by lower-priced, rival machines.

All eyes now are on the Apple Watch - but with a relatively high base price it is not clear whether it will be able to woo more than the Apple faithful.

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said the iPhone had "transformed the mobile phone industry".

"Others have a bigger share of the market - Samsung, for instance, actually sells more phones than Apple - but Apple makes just an extraordinary amount of money from this one phone.

"A lot of this, at the moment, is about China, where this brand has got extraordinary cachet. They [Apple] sold more phones in China in the last quarter than they have in the United States."

He added that one possible shadow on Apple's future was the question of whether the firm could repeat the success of the iPhone.

"The next one [product] that's supposed to be coming along is the Apple Watch in April," he said. "I've got some doubts as to whether that will be the mass market success, beyond the geek population, that the iPhone has been."

Currency woes

Apple's revenue grew to $74.6bn in 2014 - a 30% increase from a year earlier.

However, on a conference call to discuss earnings, Mr Cook complained of "fierce foreign exchange volatility", which added Apple to a growing list of US firms who have been hurt by the strong dollar abroad.

Apple said that currency fluctuations shaved 4% from its first-quarter revenue.

Sales in greater China hit $16bn in 2014 - a 70% increase from a year earlier, and almost equalling the $17bn in sales the company recorded in Europe last year.

A report by research firm Canalys released on Tuesday said that Apple had overtaken competitors to become China's number one seller of smartphones by units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Apple also said that its newest product, the Apple Watch, was still on schedule and would begin shipping in April.

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Lebanon fire injures Israeli troops

28 January 2015 Last updated at 11:27

Four Israeli soldiers have been injured in an attack on an army patrol near the border with Lebanon, the Israeli military says.

A military vehicle was hit by an anti-tank missile in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. Hezbollah said it carried out the attack.

The Israeli army responded by firing shells into southern Lebanon.

The Israel Defence Forces said they were looking into reports of attempts to abduct soldiers.

"Initial reports suggest that an anti-tank missile was fired at a military vehicle near Mt Dov in northern Israel," the Israel Defence Forces said on Twitter.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: "At this moment the IDF responds to events in the North. We will not allow terrorists to disrupt the lives of our citizens and threaten their security. We will respond forcefully those who try to challenge us."

Residents in Metola have been ordered to remain in their houses while the search continues in the surrounding area.

Mortar bombs

At least 35 shells fired from Israel hit farmland in southern Lebanon close to the frontier, according to the Associated Press news agency.

In a separate incident, a mortar bomb attack targeted Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights on Wednesday.

The Israeli army did not report any casualties but said that it was evacuating civilians from the area.

Both incidents came just hours after Israel launched an air strike on Syrian army positions near the Golan Heights in retaliation for rockets that were fired into Israel on Monday.

Tension has been growing in the border region after an Israeli air strike killed an Iranian general and several Hezbollah fighters in Syria.

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Greece will not default - PM Tsipras

28 January 2015 Last updated at 11:34

New Greek PM Alexis Tsipras says his country will not default on its debts.

Addressing his first cabinet meeting since Sunday's victory, Mr Tsipras said he would negotiate with creditors over the €240bn (£179bn; $270bn) bailout.

"We won't get into a mutually destructive clash, but we will not continue a policy of subjection," said the left-wing Syriza party leader.

The EU has warned his government to stick to its commitments. A default could force Greece out of the euro.

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Mark Lowen looks at the issues around a possible debt "haircut"

As the newly elected leader of the radical left party made his inaugural cabinet speech, Greek government bond yields rose to near record levels - reflecting investors' concerns about short-term risks of a debt restructuring over the coming months. The Greek stock market fell 6.4%.

Greece has endured tough budget cuts in return for its 2010 bailout, negotiated with the so-called troika - the European Union, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB).

The economy has shrunk drastically since the 2008 global financial crisis, and increasing unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty.

Analysis: Mark Lowen, BBC News, Athens

Alexis Tsipras sought to strike a balance - defiant about negotiating debt relief from the eurozone, while reassuring his European partners.

Across the eurozone, governments oppose a debt write-off for Greece.

The Netherlands has added its voice to that of Germany and France in insisting that Greece stick to its previous commitments. The Dutch finance minister, who heads the group of those in the eurozone, will be in Athens later this week for discussions.

Both sides will try to stick to their positions - and it may come down to which will blink first.

Mr Tsipras's speech is, perhaps, an olive branch extended from Athens after hardline pre-election rhetoric, but there is no sign that the new government will back down on its opposition to austerity.

Five things Syriza wants to change

Tsipras faces great expectations

Unbowed? Continue reading the main story

Vowing to defend Greek dignity, Mr Tsipras said a renegotiation of the Greek debts would be in search of "a viable, fair, mutually beneficial solution". He did not give any details.

Mr Tsipras promised "realistic proposals" for an economic recovery and vowed to fight corruption and tax evasion.

His recovery plan was aimed at preventing deficits in the future.

Mr Tsipras's new coalition government - with the right-wing Greek Independents - was sworn into office on Tuesday, after sweeping to power on the pledge of ending years of austerity.

The Greek government's chief economics spokesman, Euclid Tsakalotos, has argued that it is unrealistic to expect Greece to repay its huge debt in full.

The current bailout programme of loans to Greece ends on 28 February. There are still 1.8bn euros of loans that could be disbursed to Greece if it meets the conditions imposed by the troika.

Economists estimate that Greece needs to raise about 4.3bn euros in the first quarter of 2015 to help pay its way, with Athens possibly having to ask the IMF and eurozone countries.

The new government, however, has announced that it is putting on hold major privatisation projects, including the port of Piraeus and the main power company, the Public Power Corporation of Greece.

Greek economy in numbers

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

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US warns of more sanctions on Russia

28 January 2015 Last updated at 11:41

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has said sanctions against Russia could be extended because of the escalation of violence in east Ukraine.

He was speaking on a visit to Kiev, after European Union leaders said they would consider "further restrictive measures" on Russia's government.

Pro-Russian separatists have pushed back Ukrainian forces in several areas in the past week.

But the number of casualties has steadily mounted.

Shelling by Ukrainian forces killed 16 civilians in the rebel-held region of Luhansk and four in Donetsk, according to officials quoted by Russian state news agency Tass on Wednesday. More than 100 others were reportedly wounded.

Ukrainian officials said the separatists had targeted 55 towns and villages in the past 24 hours. There were no details of civilian casualties but they said three soldiers had been killed.

A main focus of rebel attacks is the town of Debaltseve, a road and rail hub near Donetsk, which separatist leader Eduard Basurin has described as a "wedge" between rebel-held areas.

Mr Lew said Washington's first choice was a diplomatic resolution to lessen sanctions, but "we are prepared to do more if necessary".

His remarks came hours after President Barack Obama spoke on the phone to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and issued a statement saying the two leaders were concerned about "Russia's material support for the separatists".

They "agreed on the need to hold Russia accountable for its actions".

'Foreign legion'

Russia denies involvement in eastern Ukraine, saying if any Russians are fighting there they are doing in a voluntary capacity.

EU foreign ministers will hold a special meeting in Brussels on Thursday to consider how to respond to the current escalation, including the killing of 30 civilians in the south-east Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Saturday.

"We note evidence of continued and growing support given to the separatists by Russia, which underlines Russia's responsibility," EU leaders said.

The ministers could ask the European Commission to draw up further sanctions, which would then go before EU leaders, most likely at a summit scheduled for 12 February.

However, Greece's new government said on Tuesday that the statement issued by EU leaders did not have its approval.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias are known to be opposed to sanctions on Russia and could prevent the EU's 28 member states from reaching a unified position on further measures.

The US treasury secretary was in Kiev to sign a $2bn (£1.3bn; €1.75bn) loan agreement, which is conditional on the government making fiscal reforms and tackling corruption.

IMF officials are also in Kiev to discuss extending last year's $17bn bail-out package. The government is estimated to need a further $15bn in funding.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in fighting since the rebels seized swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions last April, according to UN estimates. More than a million people have been displaced.

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N Korea leader 'to visit Russia'

28 January 2015 Last updated at 11:57

Russia says North Korea's leader has accepted an invitation to travel to Moscow in May for World War Two anniversary celebrations.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his presence had been confirmed, and Russia was preparing for his visit.

However, Mr Peskov did not mention Kim Jong-un by name, sparking speculation that another official may attend.

Kim Jong-un has not made any overseas visits since taking power in North Korea in late 2011.

South Korea's Unification Ministry told Yonhap that the reference to the leader could be ambiguous, as Kim Yong-nam is the nominal head of state.

'Not finalised'

Earlier this month, reports emerged suggesting Russia could be the site of Mr Kim's first official visit.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on 21 January that Russia had invited Mr Kim to the 9 May celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2.

He said that the "first signal was positive" from the North Korean government.

Mr Peskov told Interfax news agency on Wednesday: "The participation of the North Korean leader has been confirmed, we are preparing for his arrival."

However, Yonhap reported earlier that the Kremlin had not finalised the list of guests, and there has been no statement from North Korea.

Kim Yong-nam, whose official title is president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, has more traditionally represented North Korea at overseas events.

Visits by Kim Jong-un's father Kim Jong-il, the former leader who died in December 2011, were never announced ahead of his departure.

Kim Jong-il visited Russia in August 2011, but he paid more regular visits to China. Under his leadership, China was seen as the North's closest ally.

If Kim Jong-un did choose to visit Moscow ahead of Beijing, the decision could be seen as a sign of growing distance between China and the North.

In recent years, China has come under pressure from Japan, South Korea and the US to exert more pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme.

Beijing has, on some occasions, expressed exasperation with its northern neighbour via official media channels.

It also backed UN resolutions strengthening sanctions on Pyongyang after its recent missile and nuclear tests in 2013.

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New York shuts down for blizzard

27 January 2015 Last updated at 10:58

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Nick Bryant: "You are not allowed on the roads with a car, only the emergency service"

New York City, Boston and other areas in the north-eastern US have shut down, with forecasters warning residents to expect "crippling" amounts of snow.

Winter Storm Juno could dump up to 60cm (25in) of snow near New York City, and in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Driving bans for all but emergency vehicles are in place in New York and Boston, with subway systems suspended.

Some 60 million people may be affected by the shutdown.

An emergency has been declared in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Meteorologists have downgraded their predictions, having initially predicted up to 90cm (36in) of snow.

Parts of eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey have been spared extreme snow, and at least one winter storm warning in New Jersey has been cancelled.

However, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the storm could still bring "crippling snowfall amounts and life-threatening blizzard conditions to much of the north-east".

In other developments:

• 6,500 flights in and out of airports along the East Coast have been cancelled
• Businesses and schools closed early on Monday
• Schools are not expected to reopen before Wednesday at the earliest
• Boston is expected to bear the brunt of the storm

'Matter of life and death'

The NWS had previously warned that a "potentially historic blizzard" was approaching the north-east.

However, the blizzard appeared less severe than expected on Tuesday morning, with snowfall levels ranging from 2.5cm (1in) in Washington DC to 38cm (15in) at New York State's Islip airport at 03:00 local time (08:00 GMT).

Meteorologists expect the snow and strong winds to continue throughout Tuesday, before weakening overnight.

"In areas close to the immediate coastline... hurricane force wind gusts to near 120km/h (75mph) will be possible," the NWS said.

At the scene: Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York

As the weather deteriorated, workers in New York left early and headed for the safety of home, heeding warnings from officials. The subway system has been shut down, for the first time because of snow.

Broadway shows were dark, the neon-lit avenues deserted. It gave a ghostly feel to a city that famously never sleeps.

The storm's effects are being felt way beyond Manhattan, from New Jersey to Maine. Coastal areas such as Cape Cod and Long Island could face flooding and power blackouts. Boston is also in its path.

The Governor of Massachusetts called it "a top five historic storm."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned residents against violating the driving ban in 13 southern counties of the state.

"If you are in your car and you are on any road, town, village, city, it doesn't matter, after 11 o'clock [23:00 local time; 04:00 GMT], you will technically be committing a crime.

"It could be a matter of life and death so caution is required," the governor said.

Echoing his words, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to stay out of the way of the 2,300 snowploughs clearing city streets.

"You can't underestimate this storm. What you are going to see in a few hours in something that is going to hit very hard and very fast."

Similar bans for non-emergency vehicles were enacted in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Are you in the north-east USA? What preparations are you making for the blizzard? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.

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