Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 19.15
Gen Prayuth could potentially have more powers under the new emergency measures
Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha says he has asked Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej for permission to bring an end to martial law.
Martial law was put in place shortly before the army seized power last May, ousting the elected government following months of unrest.
The law banned public gatherings and heavily restricted the media.
Gen Prayuth said he would introduce new measures, which correspondents say could be even more sweeping.
Gen Prayuth, who led last year's coup and has since been appointed prime minister, said the government was "waiting for the king to royally approve the disuse of martial law".
"We have prepared Article 44 and will use it soon," he told reporters.
Among other powers, article 44 of Thailand's new constitution allows the prime minister to issue executive orders to "disrupt or suppress" threats to national security or the monarchy.
Gen Prayuth said soldiers would be "able to apprehend people, if an incident occurs, without an arrest warrant".
The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says the new measures have the potential to be even more sweeping than martial law.
Thailand police have repeatedly arrested people for breaking the conditions of martial law, including gathering in groups of more than five people
Rights group Human Rights Watch said implementing article 44 would mean "ultimate power without accountability".
"This is something very unique and worrying and it is not going to improve the rights situation and ongoing repression," said spokesman Sunai Phasuk.
The Thai junta - officially known as the National Council for Peace and Order - has insisted that martial law is necessary to maintain stability after years of turbulent politics.
It has promised to restore democracy and hold elections in late 2015, but has repeatedly cracked down on dissent, jailing critics and censoring the media.
International players have voiced concern that the military is consolidating power, while the tourism industry - vital to Thailand's economy - had complained that martial law was stifling the sector.
Amos Yee's father apologised outside court to Lee Kuan Yew's son, the current PM Lee Hsien Loong
A Singapore teenager has been charged over an online video criticising Christianity and the country's recently deceased founding PM Lee Kuan Yew.
Sixteen-year-old Amos Yee, who was detained on Sunday shortly after Mr Lee's state funeral, has been given bail set at S$20,000 (£9,800; $14,500).
The video sparked a huge backlash from grieving Singaporeans and more than 20 police reports were lodged.
Singapore has strict hate speech laws strengthened under Mr Lee's leadership.
Lee Kuan Yew was deeply respected by Singaporeans and his death last week prompted unprecedented public mourning.
He was widely seen as the architect of Singapore's prosperity, but during his 31 years as prime minister he also clamped down on opponents, imposed strict social rules and tight political control.
In the expletive-laden eight-minute video which was uploaded last Friday, Amos Yee celebrated Mr Lee's death and criticised his strict control of Singapore, calling him "a horrible person".
Singaporeans observed a minute's silence and recited the national pledge during Mr Lee's funeral on Sunday
He said Singaporeans were scared to criticise Mr Lee and compared him disparagingly to Jesus Christ.
The video drew a visceral response from Singaporeans, who had turned up in large numbers to mourn Mr Lee last week as he lay in state.
Mr Yee subsequently took down the video, but copies have since been uploaded on YouTube.
On Tuesday, Mr Yee appeared in court to be charged on three counts: "deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person", distributing obscene material and harassment.
He faces a fine and up to three years in jail if convicted.
Mr Yee - who was originally reported to be 17 - will be tried as an adult. In addition to bail, he agreed not to post any material online while the case is in progress.
Speaking outside the courtroom, his father apologised to the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is Mr Lee's son.
Singapore's hate speech laws are intended to ensure harmony between its multi-ethnic population and prevent a recurrence of the racial violence of its early years.
In a statement Deputy Commissioner Tan Chye Hee said the police "take a stern view of acts that could threaten religious harmony in Singapore".
Mr Lee died last week and lay in state in the country's parliament house
Amos Yee was one of several people who went online to publicly criticise Mr Lee's legacy - others include human rights activists and a prominent poet - but he is the only one to have been arrested.
A petition started by a Christian Singaporean has been launched, calling for his release.
Media rights group the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the arrest "highlights the restrictive environment in which Singaporean journalists are forced to work".
"We call on authorities to release Amos Yee immediately and to undertake reform of Singapore's outdated laws restricting the media," said CPJ's Asia spokesman Bob Dietz.
Thein Sein would not put a timeframe on a reduction in the military's political role
Myanmar's President Thein Sein has witnessed the signing of a draft ceasefire agreement between the government and 16 rebel groups.
The agreement, which came after seven rounds of talks, is a significant step towards ending decades of conflict.
Negotiators from the armed rebel groups still have to consult with their leaders before giving final approval.
Rebels from the newest and most active conflict in Kokang did not attend the talks.
The United Nations said the move was a "historic and significant achievement" and provided a basis for "genuine and lasting peace in the country".
Myanmar has been engaged in armed conflict with various ethnic rebel groups seeking greater autonomy since independence from the British in 1948.
While many have come into the political fold for peace deals, sporadic outbreaks of violence have continued.
Rebels from the newest and most active conflict in Kokang did not attend the talks
All but two of the ethnic armed groups at the talks already have bilateral ceasefires in place.
"The people need peace, they desire peace and they expect peace," Thein Sein was reported by AFP as saying to negotiators on Tuesday.
He added that a full agreement could be signed in months. "After that is signed, the road is open for political dialogue. This action will ensure the peace-builders a place in Myanmar's history," he said.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher says one representative from the armed groups told him on Monday that the government had compromised significantly at the last moment to make a deal possible.
Our correspondent says the idea is to bring all the rebels into a process that will lead on to talks on greater devolution of power and resources - something that the Burmese government has always fiercely resisted.
At talks in Yangon the final four points of contention were resolved. There will be a halt to recruitment by the armed groups, their territory and status were confirmed, as was the nature and composition of the political dialogue that will follow.
The negotiators are now taking the text back to their groups for approval. There will then be a meeting which may lead to a signing.
Over the decades, thousands have fled their homes from armed conflicts with the latest flaring up in Kokang
Meanwhile there is still heavy fighting in the Kokang region and there are still regular clashes in other areas.
The government declared a state of emergency in February as tens of thousands of refugees have been forced to flee their homes, some of them crossing the border into China.
Naing Han Tha, who led the ethnic group negotiators for the ceasefire agreement, told AFP news agency that they planned to discuss the Kokang conflict in future dialogues.
Ana Jara was the sixth prime minister to serve under President Humala since he came to power in 2011
Peruvian Prime Minister Ana Jara was forced to step down after losing a vote of confidence in Congress on Monday.
Ms Jara was censured over allegations that Peru's intelligence agency had for years gathered information on leading figures in business and politics.
President Ollanta Humala must now select a new prime minister and cabinet.
It is considered the biggest crisis of his presidency since he took office in July 2011.
In Peru, the president is the head of the executive, but analysts say having his number two deposed by the opposition-dominated Congress is a sign of his waning influence.
A recent opinion poll by Ipsos suggested Mr Humala's popularity rating had dropped to 25%.
It is the first time in half a century that Peru's Congress has deposed a prime minister.
Censured
Congress voted 72 to 42 to censure Ms Jara, with two abstentions.
Seventy-two members of Congress voted to censure Ms Jara over the spy row
The move follows the publication on 19 March in the Correo Semanal weekly of a list of Peruvians who had allegedly been spied upon by the National Intelligence Directorate (Dini).
The list included opposition politicians, journalists, business people, members of the military and their families.
The spy agency reportedly accessed information from Peru's national registry of properties to gather intelligence on thousands of Peruvians.
The large number of people on the list angered opposition members of Congress.
Ms Jara sacked Dini's director as well as its counter-intelligence and national intelligence chiefs the day after the allegations emerged.
She also ordered a thorough investigation and denied she had ever ordered the surveillance or used the information gathered.
'Scapegoat'
But in a debate on Monday, opposition members of Congress argued she had failed to control the spy agency and should therefore be removed from her post.
Members of the governing Peru Wins party said she had been made a scapegoat and denounced the move as a "political ambush".
Ms Jara was approved by Congress less than a year ago by a majority of only one vote, the sixth prime minister to serve under President Humala in his four years in office.
Her predecessor resigned amidst a corruption scandal after less than five months in the post.
President Humala will now have to name a new prime minister, who will then have to be approved by Congress.
The representatives of world powers have been meeting for many months to secure a deal
Russia's foreign minister has said prospects of a preliminary agreement on Iran's nuclear programme are "very good" on the final day of negotiations.
Sergei Lavrov said he was rejoining the talks in Switzerland on Tuesday, suggesting they were close to a deal.
Marathon negotiations between Iran and foreign ministers from six world powers are nearing a self-imposed deadline.
Ministers want to restrict Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions.
Correspondents say difficulties remain, despite statements from officials saying definite progress had been made.
Mr Lavrov announcement that he was rejoining negotiations followed a statement, as he left the talks on Monday, that he would only return if there was a realistic chance of securing an agreement.
"I believe that the prospects are very good and promising," he told a news conference on Tuesday.
Mr Lavrov said on Monday that he would only return to the talks if a deal was likely
US Secretary of State John Kerry said talks on Monday had produced "a little more light".
But he said: "There are still some tricky issues. Everyone knows the meaning of tomorrow."
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but world powers are worried about the country developing nuclear weapons.
They want to keep Iran at least one year away from being able to produce enough fuel for a single weapon.
The final hours of negotiation in Lausanne are taking place between foreign ministers from the so-called P5+1 - comprising the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is also present.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he was "cautiously optimistic" about reaching a deal
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that the "marathon-like" negotiations had entered the final stage and that he was "cautiously optimistic".
The differences between the parties were narrowing, he said.
At the scene: Barbara Plett, BBC News, Lausanne
Negotiators worked late into the night and are continuing talks this morning in an all-out effort to meet the deadline.
The six global powers are closer than they have ever been to resolving the longstanding tensions over Iran's nuclear programme. Progress has been made on steps to curb and monitor Iran's production of enriched uranium, which can be used to make the core of a nuclear warhead.
But substantive differences remain. These include the pace of sanctions relief and the nature of restrictions on Iran's nuclear research and development.
If a broad framework agreement is reached by the end of the day, it would be used as the basis of a final accord. No-one here has given a clear answer as to what would happen if it is not.
Sense of history at Iran talks
Six key points in the nuclear crisis
How do Iranians see the nuclear talks?
Ministers are aiming to agree on a political framework agreement by Tuesday night that would lead to a final and comprehensive accord by 30 June.
Senior Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi told Iranian TV that he was "hopeful" about a deal, but that ministers were not in a position to say whether they were close to resolving all the issues.
Iranian and Western officials have said that a deal is possible, but after almost 18 months of negotiations several sticking points remain.
Three of the major outstanding issues are:
Length of restrictions - Iran's nuclear activities would be strictly limited for at least 10 years. After that, Iran wants all limits to be lifted. The P5+1 says they should be removed progressively over the following five years
Sanctions relief - Iran wants the UN sanctions suspended soon after an agreement. The P5+1 says they should be eased in a phased manner, with restrictions on imports of nuclear-related technology remaining for years
Non-compliance - The US and its European allies want a mechanism that would allow suspended UN sanctions to be put back into effect rapidly if Iran reneges on a deal. Russia reportedly accepts this, but wants to ensure its Security Council veto rights are protected
Another point of contention is Iran's desire to be able to develop advanced centrifuges, which could enrich uranium faster and in greater quantities. While enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, it can also be used to make nuclear bombs.
Adding to the list of issues to be resolved, Iran's lead negotiator has ruled out sending its existing stockpile of nuclear fuel abroad, one of the steps demanded by the P5+1.
Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to a deal, saying it would send the message "that Iran stands to gain by its aggression".
The power cut led to queues at some petrol stations in Istanbul
A massive power cut has hit dozens of provinces across Turkey, with officials saying a break in connections with mainland Europe could be to blame.
The cuts affected power stations and public transport, including Istanbul's tram and metro systems.
A crisis centre has been set up at the energy ministry.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said all possible causes are being examined, including terrorism. The cut hit at 10:36 (07:36 GMT) on Tuesday morning.
By early afternoon the Turkish Electricity Transmission company said only 15% of Istanbul and Ankara had power. Istanbul's transport company said all of its lines were back up and running.
Turkish TV reported that power had been re-established in the cities of Edirne, Tekirdag, Erzurum and Trabzon.
"Our main target right now is to restore the network. This is not an incident that we see frequently," Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Turkish media.
Turkey suffers from sporadic electricity cuts but locals say they cannot remember such a nationwide cut for a generation, reports the BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul.
One of the few cities unaffected by the power cut was Van in the east of the country, where electricity is supplied from Iran.
Are you in Istanbul? Have you been affected by the power cuts? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are available to talk to a BBC journalist please include a telephone number.
The prosecutor was reportedly being held on the sixth floor of the court building
Armed men have taken hostage the Turkish prosecutor heading the inquiry into the death of a boy during anti-government protests in 2013.
Dramatic images have emerged on social media of a gun being held to the head of Mehmet Selim Kiraz at a court house in Istanbul.
A Marxist revolutionary group is suspected of being behind the incident.
A statement posted online said the prosecutor would be killed if their demands were not met.
Berkin Elvan, who was then 14, was struck in the head by a police tear gas canister in June 2013 during mass demonstrations that began in Istanbul and spread across Turkey.
After nine months in a coma he eventually died in an Istanbul hospital.
Suspected members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) took the prosecutor hostage on the sixth floor of the Caglayan court house, reports said.
Demands then circulated in Turkish media, including an immediate confession from police officers responsible for the boy's death and an end to prosecutions of protesters charged in relation to the clashes.
Turkish special forces have entered the building, which has been evacuated.
Berkin Elvan's father appealed for the prosecutor to be freed: "My son is dead but let no-one else die."
"You can't wash blood with blood," he said in words quoted by Turkish MP Huseyin Aygun.
The announcement of the results was suspended late on Monday night
Partial results from Nigeria's election give ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari a substantial lead over the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.
With more than half of Nigeria's 36 states declared, Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) is ahead by some two million votes.
A victory for Gen Buhari would make President Jonathan the first incumbent to lose an election in Nigeria.
Correspondents say it is likely the loser will allege foul play.
More than 800 people were killed in protests after Mr Jonathan beat Gen Buhari in the previous election.
Results so far:
Gen Buhari: 10,384,899 votes;
Passed 25% threshold in 16 states
Mr Jonathan: 8,466,357 votes;
Passed 25% threshold in 18 states
Results from 24 states + Abuja
Candidates needs 25% in 24 states for first-round victory
Live election updates
The announcement of results was disrupted when an agent of Mr Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) launched a tirade against election commission (Inec) chairman Attahiru Jega in Abuja.
"We have lost confidence in what you're doing, we don't believe in you any more," Elder Orubebe said.
Rejecting the allegation, Mr Jega replied: "Let us be careful about what we say or do and let us not dispute a process that has begun peacefully."
Almost half of Nigeria's states have yet to declare their results
Gen Buhari has won the two biggest states, Lagos in the south and Kano in the north, while Mr Jonathan won a huge majority in his home state of Bayelsa.
The candidate with the most votes will only avoid a run-off if they gain at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states.
At the scene: Will Ross, BBC News, Abuja
In public the message from both sides is the same - we have won. But behind closed doors there are long faces in the PDP camp.
It looks like Muhammadu Buhari's lead may well prove too wide to be bridged.
Unofficial results from most of the remaining states - published by national newspapers against electoral law - show that even if there are eyebrow-raising turnouts from Mr Jonathan's strongholds in the Niger Delta, he is still in trouble.
But this is Nigeria and predictions are dangerous.
The biggest surprise would be if the result is not disputed by the losing side.
During the vote, the card readers experienced some technical glitches, but they could prove to be decisive in ensuring the numbers could not be cooked and the views of Nigerians could not be ignored.
International observers have broadly praised the conduct of the vote but there has been some concern over possible efforts to rig the outcome during the count.
The US and UK have expressed their concerns over potential "political interference" during the count.
A spokesman from Inec dismissed these fears, saying that "there is absolutely no basis" to talk of meddling.
Authorities in the undeclared Rivers State reportedly announced a curfew on Monday night after protests over alleged vote rigging.
Earlier, police in the state used teargas against female opposition protesters who were attempting to lodge complaints with election officials.
Voting spilled into Sunday in some parts of Nigeria after problems were encountered with new electronic card readers, which were introduced to prevent fraud.
President Jonathan, whose PDP has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999, was among those whose registration to vote was delayed by the technology.
Mr Jega said only a fraction of the 150,000 card readers being used nationwide had failed.
Nigeria at a glance:
Two main presidential candidates: Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC), Muslim northerner, ex-military ruler, fourth presidential bid; and Goodluck Jonathan, People's Democratic Party (PDP), Christian southerner, the incumbent
Years of military rule ended in 1999 and the PDP has been in power ever since
Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and leading oil producer
With a population of more than 170 million, it is also Africa's most populous nation
Profile: President Goodluck Jonathan
Profile: Muhammadu Buhari
Unpredictable poll
The UN gave an upbeat assessment of the vote on Sunday, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praising the "determination and resilience" of voters, despite the reports of attacks by Boko Haram militants and others.
The National Human Rights Commission said 50 people were killed during the balloting.
The presidential and parliamentary elections had been delayed by six weeks because of the insurgency by Boko Haram.
Police fired teargas at female protesters in Rivers State on Monday
The Islamists attacked polling stations in north-eastern states, with a curfew declared in Bauchi State after fighting between the security forces and the group.
As well as a president, voters are electing members of the house of representatives and the senate.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 30 Maret 2015 | 19.15
UMP leader Nicolas Sarkozy said voters had rejected the policies of President Hollande
France's opposition conservative UMP Party has made big gains in local elections, at the expense of the ruling Socialists.
The UMP, led by ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, boosted the number of councils it controls from 40 to 67 in the vote.
President Francois Hollande's Socialists and other leftists won 34 councils - down from 61 previously.
Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front (FN) won at least 60 seats but failed to get control of any council.
The elections are seen as a key test of public opinion ahead of the 2017 presidential election.
Paris and Lyon, France's two biggest cities, did not take part in Sunday's election.
Mr Sarkozy, who secured the UMP leadership last November, said "never... has our political family won so many councils".
He told his supporters that voters had "massively rejected the policies of Francois Hollande and his government".
Bastions of the Socialists like the Nord department around Lille swung to the right, as did President Hollande's own fiefdom of the Correze in central France.
More than 90% of the results have been counted for the 4,108 council seats. Local councillors have responsibility for schools, roads and social services in their areas.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the vote reflected economic hardship Marine Le Pen said the results were a "magnificent success" for her party
FN challenge
As ever in France's two-round elections, voters from left and right united in round two to keep the FN from power, the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris reports.
Ms Le Pen hailed a "historic" day for the FN, saying: "I thank all our voters for this magnificent success."
"The goal is near, reaching power and applying our ideas to redress France."
The FN made especially strong gains in Pas-de-Calais, in the far north, and Gard, in the south.
But the two-round system meant that the FN's strong showing in the first round - a quarter of the total vote - did not translate into seats.
The FN won the European elections in France last year, and surveys suggest that Ms Le Pen could reach the second round run-off in the 2017 presidential election.
Our correspondent says the FN's exclusion from mainstream politics is part of its attraction to disillusioned voters.
It had only one departmental council seat before these elections - but now it has 62. That is still only 1.55% of the total counted so far.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the French people "have declared... their anger at a daily life that is too difficult". He vowed to redouble efforts to boost the economy, and said his focus was "jobs, jobs, jobs".
He added that the rise in the FN's popularity was "a sign of a lasting upheaval of our political landscape and we will all need to draw lessons from it".
Half of the 40-million-strong French electorate abstained from voting - a figure that was, however, better than the 55.3% abstention rate in the last local elections in 2011.
The killing of Washiqur Rahman has shocked his family members - and provoked fresh fears for freedom of speech in Bangladesh
A blogger has been hacked to death in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, a month after a prominent atheist writer was killed in a similar attack.
Washiqur Rahman was attacked close to his home in Dhaka's Begunbari area, a police official told AFP news agency.
Two students at an Islamic seminary have reportedly been arrested.
Last month, Avijit Roy, a US-based writer who had criticised religious intolerance, was killed in a machete attack while he was visiting Dhaka.
His death sparked fresh concerns for freedom of speech in Bangladesh, where several secular-minded writers have been targeted by militants.
Mr Rahman was killed on a busy street in Dhaka. Two of the suspected attackers, armed with meat cleavers, were caught near the scene.
The suspects told police they had targeted Mr Rahman because of his anti-Islamic writing, a police official told the Associated Press news agency.
Mr Rahman blogged under a pen-name, Kucchit Hasher Channa, or Ugly Duckling. According to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, he had criticised irrational religious beliefs.
Imran Sarker, the head of a network of activists and bloggers in Bangladesh, told AFP news agency that Mr Rahman was "a progressive free thinker".
Last month's attack on Mr Roy prompted massive protests from students and social activists, who accused the authorities of failing to protect critics of religious bigotry.
A man accused of threatening to kill Mr Roy on social media was arrested in that case.
Farabi Shafiur Rahman, described as a "fundamentalist blogger", was said by police to be linked to Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Bangladesh.
Mr Roy's wife was also badly injured in the attack.
A route to enable all-terrain vehicles to reach the scene may open by the end of Monday
A top Lufthansa official has warned that the missing flight data recorder may have been too badly damaged when Germanwings flight 4U 9525 crashed in the French Alps.
Lufthansa Board Chairman Kay Kratky said it might not be sending signals.
So far only the cockpit voice recorder has been found at the crash scene, where 150 people lost their lives.
Bad weather has halted helicopter flights to the site, forcing investigators to get there on foot.
An access road to the remote site is being dug by a bulldozer to provide all-terrain vehicles with access to the area and could be completed by Monday evening.
An improved route will help investigators bring heavier recovery equipment to the scene.
French prosecutor Brice Robin has made recovery of the victims a priority. DNA of 80 of the victims has so far been found.
A support centre for victims' families has been opened at a hotel in Marseille, from where Germanwings plans to provide counselling and visits to the crash site.
Access to the crash site is very difficult for the recovery teams
Analysis of the voice recorder has suggested co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27, crashed the plane deliberately, after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.
A transcript leaked to German media on Sunday revealed how the pilot Patrick Sondenheimer banged on the door, screaming, "Open the damn door!"
While the voice recorder details the pilots' conversations as well as other sounds from the cockpit, the data recorder includes the plane's altitude, speed and direction, including the position of the plane's rudder and flaps.
Appearing on a talk show on German TV on Sunday night, Kay Kratky suggested that a full picture of the accident might never be known as the plane had flown at a speed of 800km/h (500mph) into a vertical rock face and had been pulverised. Mr Kratky's company Lufthansa fully owns Germanwings.
"It's possible that the impact was too great for the flight recorder and it doesn't send signals. However it would still be very helpful to fill out the picture of what happened," he told the Guenther Jauch show.
There has been criticism of the French prosecutor for releasing details from the voice recorder before a full investigation is complete.
The European Cockpit Association said the release of voice recorder data was a "serious breach" of globally accepted rules. It said many questions remained unanswered.
Andreas Lubitz was a keen runner who kept himself very fit Investigator searched the house of Mr Lubitz's parents as well as his flat in Duesseldorf
Revelations have emerged in recent days surrounding the co-pilot's physical and mental health.
Investigators found anti-depressants at Andreas Lubitz's house along with evidence of treatment by various doctors, including a torn-up sick note for the day he flew the plane.
There have also been reports that he had problems with his eyesight - possibly a detached retina.
German media reported on Monday that recent medical records had been handed over to investigators by the University hospital in Duesseldorf, relating to three visits made by the co-pilot in February and March. However, details of the visits have not been made public.
Doubs about his fitness to fly have prompted a leading politician from the ruling CDU party, Dirk Fischer, to call for a relaxation of data protection rules governing sensitive jobs such as pilots.
There has also been widespread speculation about Lubitz's romantic life.
While one unconfirmed report has suggested his long-term girlfriend was pregnant, an ex-girlfriend has revealed that he vowed last year to do something memorable.
"One day I'm going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember," she quoted him as saying.
An official memorial service for those onboard flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf will be held on 17 April in Germany's most famous church - Cologne Cathedral - in the presence of President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Local residents have protested at Camp Schwab, a US base, over the planned construction
Japan's fisheries minister has overruled an order by the Okinawa governor suspending work on a new US military base, in a growing stand-off.
Governor Takeshi Onaga ordered work to stop at the site in northern Okinawa last week pending a wildlife survey.
But the central government strongly backs the controversial project and has ordered preliminary work to continue.
Okinawa, Japan's southern-most prefecture, is home to about 26,000 US troops and several bases.
The row centres around the long-delayed plan to relocate Futenma airbase, which sits in a heavily populated area of central Okinawa.
Residents want the base closed and the Japanese government has proposed moving it to a more remote northern part of Okinawa's main island, on reclaimed land off a US military base called Camp Schwab.
The existing Futenma airbase is located in a densely-populated urban area in Okinawa
But many local residents reject this, highlighting the area's rich offshore environment. Opponents want the base moved off Okinawa altogether, arguing that the island hosts far more than its fair share of the US military presence in Japan.
Many residents also associate the US bases with accidents and crime, and the 1995 gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl by US troops hardened local attitudes on the issue.
Mr Onaga won the Okinawa gubernatorial election in November 2014 on an anti-base platform.
Both Tokyo and Washington, however, are pushing strongly for the relocation, which has been stalled for years, to go ahead. Preliminary site work began in August 2014.
Last week Mr Onaga ordered local defence ministry officials to stop underwater survey work - approved by his predecessor - over fears it was harming coral reefs outside the permitted work area.
The central government described his move as "very regrettable" and, on Monday, Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi suspended Mr Onaga's stop-work order.
He said delaying work on the base risked "great damage to diplomacy and defence policy by having a negative impact on the Japan-US relationship, as well as affecting residents near Futenma".
Mr Onaga said he would study the minister's position and then hold a press conference, Kyodo news agency reported.
The hotly contested election has been marred by problems with its voting system
Nigeria's election body says it expects to announce the first results of Saturday's keenly contested presidential poll on Tuesday.
Incumbent Goodluck Jonathan is facing a strong challenge from former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
The UN has praised the poll despite technical hitches, protests and violence linked to Boko Haram.
Voting spilled into a second day in some parts of Nigeria after problems with new electronic card readers.
Follow live updates here as the results are announced.
President Jonathan was among those whose registration to vote was delayed by the technology, which was introduced to prevent fraud.
Opposition protesters in Rivers State took to the streets, demanding a recount
His Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had opposed the card readers, called it a "huge national embarrassment".
Election commission chief Attahiru Jega said only a fraction of the 150,000 card readers being used nationwide had failed.
The presidential and parliamentary elections had been delayed by six weeks because of the insurgency by Boko Haram militants.
Two main presidential candidates: Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC), Muslim northerner, ex-military ruler, fourth presidential bid; and Goodluck Jonathan, People's Democratic Party (PDP), Christian southerner, the incumbent.
Years of military rule ended in 1999 and the PDP has been in power ever since
Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and leading oil producer
With a population of more than 170m, it is also Africa's most populous nation
Unpredictable poll
Nigeria decides 2015: Full coverage
The Islamists attacked polling stations in north-eastern states, with a curfew declared in Bauchi State after fighting between the security forces and the group.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised the "determination and resilience" of Nigerian voters, despite the reports of attacks by Boko Haram and others.
He said in a statement voting had been "largely peaceful and orderly".
His comments have been echoed by the regional bloc Ecowas, which urged Nigerians to accept the result.
Nigerian churchgoers on Sunday prayed for peace
But there has been tension in the southern Rivers State, where thousands protested against alleged killings of opposition workers and voting irregularities.
Inec said it was "concerned" by the complaints, adding that one of their offices was set on fire during the unrest.
Results of the voting were expected to arrive overnight but so far there is no official indication of which party is in the lead.
The PDP has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999, but Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress is viewed as a serious challenge.
Voters are also electing members of the house of representatives and the senate.
Raffaele Sollecito described his final acquittal as the "end of a nightmare"
Raffaele Sollecito has said being acquitted of the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher by Italy's highest court was like "being born again".
Speaking for the first time since a final ruling exonerated him and former girlfriend Amanda Knox, Mr Sollecito said he had been "branded a killer".
Ms Kercher, 21, was stabbed to death in 2008 in the Perugia flat she shared with Seattle native Ms Knox.
Mr Sollecito spent four years in prison in Italy after being convicted in 2009.
He was freed along with Ms Knox in 2011 after the convictions were overturned and Ms Knox returned to the US. But the pair were found guilty again by another court last year.
The Court of Appeal ruling on Friday will be the last in the case and so brings to a close a seven-and-a-half-year ordeal for the pair.
Speaking at a news conference in Rome, Mr Sollecito described the years since his arrest as a "dreadful kind of pain without an end".
"It is time I will never be able to recoup. My mind and my soul will be marked for life, and the wound will never stop bleeding, it will never heal."
He said he was informed of the decision over the phone late on Friday night, by his sister.
"The most beautiful moment without a doubt was the one that put an end to the nightmare, the call from my sister after the reading of the sentence and the total acquittal from the High Court," he said.
He added that his relationship with Ms Knox had been distorted by the press, describing it as "simply affection between two young adolescents".
"Neither of us could have envisaged this absurd and never-ending story."
Meredith Kercher, 21, was found dead in the flat that she shared with Ms Knox
Both Mr Sollecito and Ms Knox always denied being involved in the crime, with the American claiming that an early confession was obtained under duress.
Asked about the victim, Mr Sollecito said he "hardly knew" Ms Kercher.
"I am very sorry that Meredith's family is disappointed about this verdict. The verdict reflects the truth. It reflects what really happened. I have nothing to do with this crime. I hardly knew Meredith. I just said hello to her a few times and I had no reason to hate her or to be a part of this heinous crime."
Arline Kercher, Meredith's mother, said she was "shocked" by the decision.
Ms Knox said she was "full of joy" after being acquitted.
The reasoning behind the acquittal will be made public in 90 days.
Rudy Guede, from the Ivory Coast, was convicted of Ms Kercher's murder in 2008 and is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Italy.
