French and German leaders mark WW1

3 August 2014 Last updated at 11:28

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President Francois Hollande: "A mechanised madness was set in train... and a hellish exercise begun"

The French and German presidents have been commemorating the 100th anniversary of Germany's declaration of war on France on 3 August 1914.

Francois Hollande and his German counterpart, Joachim Gauck, made a joint tribute in Alsace to soldiers killed during World War One.

They were to lay the first stone for a memorial at Vieil Armand cemetery.

On Monday, events will be held in Belgium to mark the UK's declaration of war on Germany.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron will take part in that ceremony in recognition of the day that the UK went to war.

Some 30,000 men were killed in the mountains around Vieil Armand, known in German as Hartmannswillerkopf.

The cemetery there contains the remains of 12,000 unidentified soldiers.

Mr Hollande and Mr Gauck have been paying tribute to the sacrifice those men made and celebrated the importance of the modern Franco-German relationship in Europe.

They were to lay the foundation stone for a Great War memorial and exhibition centre on the site, which is due to open its doors to the public in 2017.

The two leaders will meet again on Monday in the Belgian city of Liege, where heads of state from across Europe will mark the escalation of the war after Germany invaded Belgium.

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Lethal flood hits Italy festival

3 August 2014 Last updated at 09:53

Four people have been killed and 20 others injured after a flash flood tore through a festival in northern Italy.

Reports from the scene talk of panic as a mud-filled torrent swept people away late on Saturday night at the festival at Refrontolo, north of Venice.

The event, by an old mill house beneath a waterfall, was meant to celebrate and promote the attractions of the area.

But during the festivities, there was a burst of very heavy rain and a wall of water suddenly ripped through the area.

According to the local media, some panic-stricken party-goers managed to cling to trees while the muddy torrent raged around them.

But others were swept to their death in the flood, which also carried away cars and tents.

The rescue operation went out throughout the night; divers are continuing to look for more victims.

Other villages in the area were also affected by landslides caused by the rain, reports say.

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Asylum group removed from Australia

2 August 2014 Last updated at 23:19

Australia has sent 157 Tamil asylum seekers to the Pacific island of Nauru for processing after they refused to meet Indian officials.

The group were held at sea for a month after their boat, which set sail from India, was intercepted in June.

They were moved to Australia's mainland to meet Indian officials but they refused to discuss their claims.

The Tamils set sail from Pondicherry in India in June but are thought to be from Sri Lanka.

After being landed in Australia, they have been held at the Curtin Immigration Detention Centre in a remote region of Western Australia.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the group, including 50 children, would either be resettled in Nauru or deported to Sri Lanka.

"If they are not found to be a refugee they will go back to Sri Lanka, not India. Going back to India, where they are likely to have family and friends, is no longer an option," he said.

Lawyers representing many of the group condemned the transfer as "a deliberate move to prevent legal scrutiny".

Hugh de Kretser, director of the Human Rights Law Centre, said he had "grave concerns for their mental health" after being held at sea "in windowless rooms for at least 21 hours a day".

He said lawyers had sought to talk to the group about their cases but had only been able to speak to four of them in brief telephone interviews.

'The safest thing to do'

Australia changed its policy on unauthorised boats in December to crack down on people-smuggling.

Under the new policy, all asylum-seekers arriving by boat are sent to Nauru and Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement, even if they are found to be refugees.

The Australian government says its aim is to save lives by preventing people getting on dangerous boats but rights groups have criticised conditions in detention camps.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott defended the transfer, saying he was confident it was safe to send people to Nauru.

"If we are interested in safety, and we must be, the safest thing to do for everyone is to stop the boats because as long as the boats keep coming, the drownings will keep happening," he said.

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Calls for clearer surrogacy rules

3 August 2014 Last updated at 01:54

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New footage shows Gammy in hospital, being cared for by his Thai surrogate mother

Surrogacy campaigners have called for clearer regulation after a Thai woman was left with a Down's syndrome baby when his parents refused to take him.

The boy, whose twin sister was taken to Australia by the unidentified couple, needs urgent medical care.

The surrogate mother in Thailand says she will raise the boy as her own and an online campaign has raised $185,000 (£110,000) for his treatment.

The case has raised fears Australia could ban international surrogacy.

The baby boy, named Gammy, has a congenital heart condition and a lung infection as well as Down's syndrome. He is currently receiving urgent treatment in a Thai hospital.

His mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, was paid $15,000 (£9,000) to be a surrogate for the Australian couple.

The couple asked Mrs Pattaramon to have an abortion after doctors informed her of the child's condition four months after becoming pregnant. She refused, saying it was against her Buddhist beliefs.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it was "an incredibly sad story" and illustrated "some of the pitfalls involved in this particular business".

It is illegal to pay for surrogacy in Australia so couples have to find a surrogate who is happy to carry the child for no payment beyond medical and other reasonable expenses.

Advocacy group Surrogacy Australia said this "red tape" means many couples choose to go abroad to find a surrogate, with 400 or 500 each year venturing to India, Thailand, the US and other places.

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The surrogate mother tells ABC News: "I love him, he's like my child now"

Rachel Kunde, the group's executive director, said she hoped the case would lead to better regulation by the Australian authorities of international surrogacy, rather than an outright ban.

"Our greatest fear is that Australia is going to ban international surrogacy altogether," she said. "We are hoping that the government will make accessing surrogates in Australia easier."

Nicola Scott, a British lawyer specialising in fertility issues, says a lack of regulation leaves the child vulnerable because issues such as termination are not discussed in advance.

She says the answer to the problem is an international treaty similar to the Hague Adoption Convention so that parents know what the situation is from the outset.

"Then each country would have its own rules and regulations and the parents, surrogates and children would be protected," she added.

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Troops killed in Lebanon border raid

3 August 2014 Last updated at 08:59

Eight Lebanese soldiers have been killed in clashes with Syrian rebels who raided the border town of Arsal in Lebanon on Saturday.

The fighting broke out on Saturday after Lebanese soldiers detained an alleged member of the Syrian Islamist group Nusra Front.

On Sunday morning, the fighting was continuing in the mainly Sunni town.

The area has been the scene of regular tension between the Lebanese army and Syrian militias.

Throughout the night, troops battled the gunmen who fired mortar shells at Arsal and the surrounding region, the Lebanese army said.

At least two Lebanese civilians were also reported to have been killed in the clashes.

On Saturday, the Syrian fighters briefly seized a police station in the town, which is home to thousands of refugees from the war in Syria.

A Nusra Front spokesman told Reuters news agency they were demanding the release of a leader, Emad Jumaa, after he was arrested at a checkpoint near the town.

The Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, has been fighting along with other rebel groups against the Syrian government.

Lebanon - with a population of about five million - now hosts more than a million Syrian refugees.

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China gives Xinjiang death toll

3 August 2014 Last updated at 10:01

Chinese state media say 37 civilians were killed by a gang in Xinjiang, with 59 attackers killed by security forces.

The incident happened on 28 July, but this is the first definitive death toll released by Xinhua news agency.

Xinhua says 215 attackers armed with knives and axes were arrested after they stormed a police station and government offices.

But a Uighur rights group says police opened fire on people protesting against a Ramadan crackdown on Muslims.

At the time, Xinhua reported the incident in the towns of Elixku and Huangdi in Shache county as a "terror attack" and said police had shot dead many attackers.

It said 30 police cars had been damaged or destroyed and "dozens" of Uighur and Han Chinese civilians had been killed or injured.

The BBC's John Sudworth, in Shanghai, says it is not clear why the Chinese authorities have waited so long to release the official figures.

But if they are correct, then it would make last Monday's incident one of the worst outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang in recent years, our correspondent adds.

'Ramadan crackdown'

"This was a serious terrorist attack incident which has links to domestic and overseas terrorist organisations and was organised, premeditated, carefully planned and evil," said a statement from the Xinjiang government, posted on its website on Sunday.

The US-based activist group Uyghur American Association (UAA), however, said sources in the region had told them that local Uighurs had been protesting at the time of the "attack".

The UAA said the protest was "against Chinese security forces' heavy-handed Ramadan crackdown and extrajudicial use of lethal force in recent weeks in the county".

Neither account of the violence could be independently confirmed.

Tensions between Uighurs and Han Chinese migrants have been growing for several years, with some Uighurs opposing Chinese rule in Xinjiang.

In recent months, there has been an upsurge in Xinjiang-linked violence that authorities have attributed to Uighur separatists and authorities have stepped up security operations in the region.

Last Wednesday, the imam of China's largest mosque, in the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang, died after reportedly being stabbed after morning prayers.

Jume Tahir, 74, had been appointed imam of the 600-year-old mosque by China's ruling Communist Party and he was a vocal public supporter of Chinese policies in the region.

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Deadly strike 'at UN school in Gaza'

3 August 2014 Last updated at 12:37

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Footage shows chaotic scenes in Rafah - the BBC's Martin Patience reports

At least 10 people have been killed in a strike near a UN-run school housing Palestinians displaced by the Gaza conflict, medics say.

The attack hit the entrance of the facility in Rafah, where thousands of Palestinians are said to be sheltering.

The Israeli military has not commented but has been carrying out renewed strikes in Gaza.

Gaza health officials say 30 people have died on Sunday, while militants continue to fire rockets into Israel.

The latest exchanges came after Israel's military said that an officer it feared had been captured had now been confirmed dead. Hadar Goldin went missing on Friday near Rafah.

Confirmation of 2nd Lt Goldin's death means 66 Israelis have now died in the fighting, all but two of them soldiers. A Thai worker in Israel also died.

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"On the brink of collapse": Chris Gunness of the UN talks to the BBC

The latest official figures from Gaza's health ministry say that 1,740 Palestinians have been killed and 9,080 injured since the conflict began more than three weeks ago.

The UN warned that a "health disaster of widespread proportions" is unfolding in Gaza, with medical services facing collapse.

Forces redeployed

The Israeli shelling of the Jabaliya UN shelter last week, which killed 16 people, drew widespread international condemnation.

In the latest attack, eyewitnesses said a missile struck as people queued for food.

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Israelis grieve for Hadar Goldin, who went missing in southern Gaza

At least 30 people were also hurt, Palestinian officials said. Images showed injured children being carried away.

Robert Turner, director of operations for the UN Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza, said: "The locations of all of these installations have been passed to the Israeli military multiple times. They know where these shelters are. How this continues to happen, I have no idea."

On Sunday, Israel said its forces were withdrawing from some areas of Gaza to a "temporary security strip" to reassess operations.

Reports said the military was close to completing its main aim of destroying tunnels used by militants to infiltrate Israel.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner told Agence France-Presse: "We are redeploying within the Gaza Strip and taking out other different positions... so it won't be the same type of ground operation... It's changing gear but it's still ongoing."

However, PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel would continue its offensive, saying it would "do whatever it must do to protect its people".

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group would "continue to resist until we achieve our goals".

Delegations from Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Islamic Jihad arrived in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian and US officials over a possible truce.

However, Israel has said it will not attend the talks.

Analysis: BBC's Mark Lowen in Cairo

What was originally planned as peace talks between the warring sides in Gaza has now become something far weaker. The Palestinians have sent a delegation but the US appears to have downgraded their representation. Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair has also apparently changed plans to attend.

But, most significantly, Israel has pulled out, calling ceasefire talks with the Palestinians meaningless while rocket attacks continue. That has raised the possibility that Israel will simply complete its stated goal of destroying Hamas tunnels and then withdraw from Gaza without a long-term agreement.

Funeral

Chris Gunness, from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), told the BBC that a "health disaster of widespread proportions is rapidly unfolding in Gaza, with medical services on the verge of collapse".

He said: "Critical supplies of medicines and disposables are almost depleted and the damage and destruction of power supplies has left hospitals dependent on unreliable generators."

Separately overnight, Israel said DNA evidence confirmed that Lt Goldin had died.

Israel's Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and the chief military rabbi met the soldier's family at their home in Kfar Saba on Saturday night.

It was revealed on Sunday that Mr Yaalon was a distant relative but that this had been concealed as it was feared it might have been used by Hamas if Lt Goldin were being held captive.

Mr Yaalon said: "Hadar Goldin... was a member of my family. I've known him since he was born."

The funeral is expected to take place in Kfar Saba on Sunday afternoon.

Are you in Gaza or Israel? Have you been affected by the violence? You can send us your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Gaza Israel". If you are willing to feature in an interview, please ensure you include your contact details and a photograph of yourself to help us illustrate the story.

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Quake 'kills 26' in south-west China

3 August 2014 Last updated at 13:08

At least 26 people have been killed and scores more injured after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck in south-west China, state media say.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck about 11km (7 miles) north-west of Wenping in Yunnan province at 16:30 local time (08:30 GMT).

One local official told Xinhua news agency that many houses had collapsed.

State broadcaster CCTV said the earthquake was the strongest to hit the province in 14 years.

Xinhua said at least 79 people had been injured.

All of the casualties reported so far are in Qiaojia County of the Zhaotong region, which appeared to be the hardest hit.

Chen Guoyong, the head of Longtoushan township, told Xinhua that many houses had fallen and rescuers had been sent to the epicentre.

The USGS said the quake struck at a depth of about 10km.

In 1970, a magnitude 7.7 quake in Yunnan killed at least 15,000 people.

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Australian pair abandon Down's baby

2 August 2014 Last updated at 03:59

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The surrogate mother tells ABC News: "I love him, he's like my child now"

A campaign for a baby with Down's Syndrome left with his surrogate Thai mother by an Australian couple has raised over $120,000 (£70,000).

The six-month-old boy, named Gammy, also has a congenital heart condition and needs urgent medical treatment.

Pattaramon Chanbua was left to care for him after his Australian parents only wanted his healthy twin sister.

She was paid $15,000 (£9,000) to be a surrogate for the couple, whose identities remain unknown.

Mrs Pattaramon was told of the child's condition four months after becoming pregnant and the couple asked her to have an abortion but she refused, saying it was against her Buddhist beliefs.

The 21-year-old, who already has two children, says she cannot afford to pay for the expensive treatment to deal with his life-threatening heart condition.

"The money that was offered was a lot for me. In my mind, with that money, one, we can educate my children, we can repay our debt," she told Australia's ABC broadcaster.

Thai newspaper Thairath published Gammy's story last week and an online campaign to raise money for his treatment was launched shortly afterwards.

So far hundreds of people have donated more than $120,000 (£70,000) towards the fund's $150,000 (£90,000) target.

'Horrible neglect!'

There were also dozens of messages of support for Gammy and her mother, and several expressing outrage at the Australian couple's actions.

"May this selfish and heartless couple be exposed and shamed for this horrible neglect!" one comment read.

A spokesman for Australia's foreign affairs department told the AFP news agency it was "concerned" by the reports and was in consultation with Thai authorities over surrogacy issues.

Tares Krassanairawiwong, a Thai health official, said it was illegal to pay for surrogacy in Thailand.

"Surrogacy can be done in Thailand but it has to comply with the laws. A surrogate has to be related to the intended parents and no money can be involved."

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China factory blast kills dozens

2 August 2014 Last updated at 05:53

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Amateur footage shows smoke billowing from the scene, as John Sudworth reports

An explosion at a factory in eastern China has killed at least 65 people, according to Chinese state media.

More than 100 people were injured in the blast in Kunshan, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu, China's official Xinhua news agency said.

Pictures posted online showed people with burns sitting on the ground outside a factory complex from which black smoke was billowing.

Rescue efforts are under way as officials investigate the explosion.

China Central Television (CCTV) identified the factory as belonging to Zhongrong Plating.

The company manufactures car parts and employs about 450 workers. Its clients include US giant General Motors, CCTV reported.

State media reports say that explosion took place inside a wheel hub polishing workshop and that more than 200 workers were at the site at the time of the explosion.

Industrial accidents are relatively common in China, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai, although figures show safety in some industries has been improving in recent years.

Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at using the subject line 'China'.

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