Kercher convict found near border

31 January 2014 Last updated at 15:55

Kercher murder: Sollecito found near Austria border

Lyle Kercher: "Losing someone close to you in horrific circumstances is horrendous"

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Italian police have found Raffaele Sollecito near the Austrian border after a court reinstated his guilty verdict for the murder of Briton Meredith Kercher in 2007.

Sollecito's passport was confiscated but his lawyer said his client had never thought of fleeing.

Sollecito was given 25 years and his US ex-girlfriend Amanda Knox 28 years and six months in Thursday's ruling.

The Kercher family lawyer said that justice had been done.

Miss Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon in south London, was stabbed to death in the flat she shared with Knox in the college city of Perugia.

'Flight danger'

The travel ban was part of the verdict handed down on Sollecito by the court in Florence on Thursday.

The court noted that there was a "real and actual the danger that Sollecito could escape Italian justice".

Sollecito is free to move within Italy until the verdict is confirmed, normally the task of the supreme Court of Cassation.

Lawyers for both Knox, who is in the United States, and Sollecito have said they will appeal to the Court of Cassation.

Sollecito had been in the courtroom in Florence earlier in the day on Thursday but was not there for the ruling.

His lawyer, Luca Maori, said his client had heard the verdict on TV and looked "annihilated".

Police reportedly found Sollecito with his girlfriend in a hotel in Venzone, about 40km (24 miles) from the border, in the early hours of Friday.

Sollecito was in the Florence courtroom early on Thursday but left before the verdict

Amanda Knox arrives for an interview with Good Morning America on ABC in New York on Friday

Miss Kercher's brother, Lyle, says he believes extradition is appropriate where there is a guilty verdict

Venzone is 322km from Florence.

A police statement read: "Raffaele Sollecito... was notified of the cautionary measures of the travel ban and the confiscation of his passport."

He was taken voluntarily to a police station in Udine.

Mr Maori told the Ansa news agency that his client had "never thought of fleeing and had given up his passport spontaneously".

Mr Maori said his client was "stressed" on Thursday and had travelled to the Friuli area because his girlfriend lived there.

Ansa reported that investigators were considering whether Sollecito had shown the intention of fleeing, and if so could keep him in protective custody.

'This is wrong'

Amanda Knox appeared on ABC's Good Morning America programme in New York on Friday.

She said: "This has really hit me like a train. I did not expect this to happen."

Appearing on TV, Amanda Knox said she would "never go willingly back"

Knox, her voice regularly breaking, said she had listened as the judge read the verdict.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing," she said, adding that her first reaction was: "No, this is wrong."

She added: "I will never go willingly back... I'm going to fight this to the very end."

Knox said Sollecito was "vulnerable", adding: "I don't know what I would do if they imprisoned him. It's maddening."

Knox and Sollecito were jailed for Miss Kercher's murder in 2009 but the verdicts were overturned in 2011 and the pair were freed.

However, the acquittals were themselves overturned last year by the Court of Cassation, which returned the case to the Florence court.

The court on Thursday made no requests for limits on Knox's movements.

Legal experts say it is unlikely Italy will request Knox's extradition until the verdict is confirmed.

They say that if Italy puts in a request, the US would have to decide whether the case fell under their mutual extradition treaty. Political considerations could also come into play, they say.

In a news conference on Friday, Miss Kercher's brother, Lyle, said he believed extradition would be appropriate "if someone has been found guilty and convicted of a murder, and if an extradition law exists between those two countries".

Meredith's sister, Stephanie, said: "I think we are still on a journey for the truth and it may be the fact that we don't ever really know what happened that night."

VIDEO: US teen 'proud' to snowboard for Ireland

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Teen US-born snowboarder to represent Ireland in Sochi

31 January 2014 Last updated at 00:56 GMT

American-born teenager Seamus O'Connor will become Ireland's first-ever Olympic competitor in the snowboard halfpipe and slopestyle events in Sochi.

Seamus, 16, was born into a diverse family - his mother is from Russia, his father grew up in England, and his grandparents are Irish.

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose Sochi for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Seamus' father Kevin made the following suggestion to his then nine-year old son, already a snowboard prodigy:

"He thought it'd be a great idea to represent Ireland, ride in Russia, be born in America - he thought it all came together perfectly," Seamus told the BBC.

Being only 16 years old, Seamus hopes to compete for Team USA one day, but for now he said he is proud and honoured to represent the country of his ancestors.

Produced by the BBC's Franz Strasser; additional production by Colm O'Molloy

Sochi Stories is a series of video features published during the 2014 Olympic Winter Games highlighting athletes in Canada and the US on their journey to Sochi.

Canada 'spied on airport travellers'

31 January 2014 Last updated at 11:25

Snowden leaks: Canada 'spied on airport travellers'

Canada's largest independent supplier of wi-fi in airports, along with two airports, deny any involvement

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Canada's electronic spy agency collected data from travellers passing through a major airport, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reports.

The CSEC collected information captured from unsuspecting passengers' wireless devices by the airport's free wi-fi system over two-weeks, the report says.

The revelations come from documents leaked by Edward Snowden, CBC says.

The CSEC is prohibited by law from targeting Canadians or anyone in Canada without an appropriate warrant.

Its primary mission is to collect foreign intelligence by intercepting overseas phone and internet traffic.

The CSEC (Communications Security Establishment Canada), in a statement to CBC, reiterated that it is "mandated to collect foreign signals to protect Canada and Canadians.

"And in order to fulfil that key foreign intelligence role for the country, CSEC is legally authorised to collect and analyse metadata."

Metadata is the information about a communication - such as the date and location of a call or email - rather than the details of what was actually said or written.

'Hot spots'

The leaked document indicates the 2012 passenger tracking operation was a trial run of a powerful new software programme being developed jointly with the US's National Security Agency (NSA), CBC reports.

It is now fully operational, CBC News quotes sources as saying.

Experts told the broadcaster that information captured from travellers' devices would have enabled the agency to track them for a week or more as they showed up in other wi-fi "hot spots" around Canada, such as other airports, hotels or restaurants.

Such was the volume of data that CSEC could even track the travellers' movements back to the days before they arrived at the airport, the experts say.

The document does not specify which airport was targeted or explain how CSEC was able to access the data.

Two airports - Vancouver and Toronto - and Boingo, an independent supplier of wi-fi services at other Canadian airports, have denied any involvement in supplying wi-fi information.

Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, is currently living in Russia having fled the US in May 2013 after leaking thousands of documents that revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by the US and other intelligence services.

VIDEO: Cameron policies 'will lead to deaths'

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National Health Action Party on Cameron NHS policies

31 January 2014 Last updated at 13:57 GMT

David Cameron is "presiding over a system which will lead to deaths", said a candidate standing in May's European elections.

The National Health Action Party's Dr Louise Irvine claimed the prime minister had been "reckless with our health service", but added that she did not think he was a killer.

On the Daily Politics, Andrew Neil asked her about candidate Rufus Hound, who said in a blog "David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt want your kids to die unless you are rich", and if she regretted the words.

Watch more from this interview

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Daily Politics and Sunday Politics highlights of 2014

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Daily Politics and Sunday Politics highlights of 2012

Rufus Hound in Euro elections NHS bid

31 January 2014 Last updated at 10:56

NHS Winter: Weekly A&E tracker Week 12

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Winter brings extra pressures for the NHS, particularly in Accident and Emergency departments, as cold weather, flu and other winter bugs lead to falls, chest infections or heart problems .

This winter we have been tracking the data so you can find out how your nearest major A&E in England is coping week by week.

Are they meeting the target of seeing 95% of patients in four hours? How many beds are closed? The same figures are not provided by Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but we aim to include detail about those nations when we can.

Find out how your nearest hospital is doing:

This week's figures for England:

• 94.1%

  patients seen in 4 hours at major A&E hospitals

• 96.1%

  patients seen in 4 hours at all A&E units

• 3,503

  Ambulances queuing

Get involved on:

• the BBC News #nhswinter Facebook page
• Using #nhswinter on Twitter
• Or by telling us your story

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for more figures on trolley waits, queuing ambulances and blocked beds

This week at

The figures relate to the trust as a whole rather than individual hospitals. Some trusts have more than one hospital with a major A&E department but NHS England does not break the figures down by hospital.

• 97.2%

  Patients seen in 4 hours

  The government target is that 95% of patients arriving at a major Accident and Emergency should be seen within four hours.

  major A&E trusts missing 95% target major A&E trusts meeting 95% target
• Attendance at A&E

  The number of people who visit the unit during the week

  1,889

  Down by three
• Emergency admissions

  These are when patients need to be admitted into the hospital for further treatment. The majority come via A&E, but some also arrive after GP referrals or after outpatient appointments. The figure shown only includes those patients who have been admitted by A&E.

  384

  Down by three

  Your hospital

  England average
• People who have to wait more than 4 hours to be admitted

  The number of people who have waited longer than the target of four-hours to be seen or admitted into hospital.

  0

  Down by two

  372

  Up by two

  People who waited more than 4 hours to be admitted, weeks compared
• Trolley wait between 4 and 12 hours

  This is an indication of a long wait for an emergency admission. It measures the time it takes after A&E staff have decided a patient needs to be admitted to hospital to the point at which they are given a bed.

  0

  372

  Trolley wait between 4 and 12 hours, weeks compared
• Ambulances queuing outside A&E

  Ambulances can only leave A&E when they have formally transferred a patient into the care of hospital staff. The NHS is meant to do this within 15 minutes of an ambulance arrival. A queuing ambulance is classed as one that has waited at least 30 minutes.

  0

  30

  Ambulances queuing outside A&E weeks compared
• Planned operations cancelled

  Pressure on A&E can affect other parts of the hospital. This measures the number of non-emergency operations cancelled, which includes treatments such as hip and knee replacements.

  0

  4

  Planned operations cancelled, weeks compared
• Beds blocked

  Some patients, particularly the frail elderly, can only be discharged when the hospital is satisfied there is the right care in the community, either from social care or the NHS, for them to be properly cared for. This is an indication of how many days have been lost due to patients being kept in hospital when they are ready for discharge because of insufficient services available out of hospital. The figures are calculated by adding together the number of beds blocked each day to create a weekly total.

  0

  100

  Beds blocked, weeks compared
• Bed days lost to norovirus

  Figure is calculated by adding the number of beds unavailable each day due to diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms over the week.

  0

  20

  Beds closed due to norovirus, weeks compared

Return to article

Analysis

BBC health correspondent Branwen Jeffreys:

This winter, the NHS has been trying harder than ever to get people to use services instead of A&E, like their local community pharmacist or GP.

Today's figures show the numbers turning up to big emergency departments and minor injuries units are up compared to the same time last year. So what's going on? There's less flu around than usual this winter, and although the rain has been relentless the temperatures have been mild. Somehow the message still isn't getting through.

Despite the extra numbers of patients emergency departments in England have managed to improve their performance, seeing most patients within four hours. More of the major A&E departments have managed that this week.

Hospitals are still coping with a heavy workload, more people are being brought in as emergency cases, which means a bed has to be found for them on a ward. This too is something the NHS was trying to bring down to help ease some of the winter pressure.

nhswinter

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Notes

Saint Bartholomew's Hospital is missing data for 8 January. This means that figures for the following categories may be revised upwards when all the data is available; ambulances queuing, cancelled operations, beds blocked and bed days lost due to norovirus.

During the holiday period, weeks seven and eight of the tracker, figures were compiled slightly differently by NHS England. This means that week seven is slightly longer than week eight as the data for the 24-26 December was recorded as a single entry, meaning week seven gained a day, and week eight lost a day for the following categories of information; ambulances queuing, cancelled operations, beds blocked and bed days lost due to norovirus.

In week six of the tracker, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was unable to provide the weekly figures for some of the data, so we have used an average from the last five weeks for: Patients seen in 4 hours, Attendance at A&E, Emergency admissions, People who waited more than 4 hours to be admitted and Trolley wait between 4 and 12 hours. We will update with the latest figures when they are available.

Chase Farm Hospital, part of the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, no longer has an Accident and Emergency department. The data for the trust now only relates to Barnet Hospital.

The Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH), Bromley, is now part of the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We will be adding the PRUH to the search, but to see data for the trust in the meantime please enter the postcode: SE5 9RS.

Produced by Dominic Bailey, Ransome Mpini, Charlotte Thornton, John Walton, Chris Ashton

31 January 2014 Last updated at 09:45

Did the English spread suit-wearing around the world?

Magazine Monitor A collection of cultural artefacts

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The Uruguayan president blames the English for imposing suits on the world. Is he right, asks Tom de Castella.

Britain's colonial past has a new villain. Step forward the lounge suit. At a regional summit this week Uruguayan President Jose Mujica aired a surprising grievance: "We have to dress like English gentlemen. That's the suit that industrialisation imposed on the world." Mujica, who donates about 90% of his monthly salary to charity and is sometimes called the world's poorest president, was rocking a crumpled striped shirt when he launched his broadside. He went on: "Even the Japanese had to abandon their kimonos to have prestige in the world."

But is he right? The suit has its roots in the French court's matching jacket and breeches. But it was Regency London where it evolved into what we wear today through dandies like Beau Brummell, says Tony Glenville, a creative director at the London College of Fashion. The look was neck tie or cravat with perfectly fitted shirt and crisp suit. Clothes were not thrown away but handed down from aristocracy to the less well-to-do. By the 1890s the suit was becoming common attire, according to the Victoria & Albert museum. How it was propagated around the world remains more sketchy. Empire was a big factor - few sartorial allowances were made for climate. Noel Coward sang in Mad Dogs and Englishmen: "In a jungle town where the sun beats down to the rage of man and beast, The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased." Local tailors soon got the idea of what a suit was, Glenville says. And then - perhaps for want of anything better - the suit became the uniform of international business. So Mujica is right mas o menos, although how much it was imposed is debatable. And the Japanese kept their courtly dress well into the 20th Century and changed to suits only for reasons of travel practicality, Glenville argues.

President Mujica making his fashion statement

The Uruguayan president never wears a tie. Ties are verboten in Iran, where they are associated with pre 1979 revolution decadence and as "symbols of the Cross". But forget symbolism for a moment, says Glenville. "When you're doing business you don't want to be distracted by what someone's wearing." The suit achieves anonymous elegance, whereas a crumpled shirt - a colonial governor might have suggested in clipped consonants - is the mark of a rabble-rouser.

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Blood-soaked papal relic found

31 January 2014 Last updated at 15:04

Pope John Paul ll blood-soaked relic found in Italy

The relic was stolen from the small mountain church of San Pietro della Ienca in the mountains of the central Abruzzo region

Italian police have recovered most of a piece of cloth stained with the blood of Pope John Paul ll after it was stolen from a church in Abruzzo.

The cloth - from a cassock John Paul was wearing in 1981 when a gunman tried to assassinate him - was taken in a burglary last weekend.

The cloth was found in separate pieces in a garage of one of the three men arrested in connection with the theft.

It has been put back together with only a few filaments of gold missing.

Police are still looking for the remaining fragments.

On Thursday officers had found the gold and glass case in which the relic was held but said the cloth was still missing.

The cloth is from a cassock John Paul was wearing in 1981 when a gunman tried to assassinate him

But on Friday, Bishop Giovanni D'Ercole told a press conference in L'Aquila that the cloth had now also been found and pieced together.

"I think John Paul has forgiven them. I think we have to do the same," Bishop D'Ercole said.

The relic was taken during a burglary of the San Pietro della Ienca church.

The three suspects apparently threw the cloth away, not realising its value.

A small crucifix that was stolen along with the reliquary has also been recovered.

Abruzzo was a place of special significance to the ski-loving Pope, who died in 2005.

VIDEO: Anni Dewani family 'happy' with ruling

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Anni Dewani family 'happy' with Shrien Dewani extradition ruling

31 January 2014 Last updated at 11:53 GMT

Shrien Dewani, who is accused of organising the murder of his wife Anni in South Africa, can be extradited to the country, the High Court has ruled.

Lawyers for Mr Dewani, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, argued he should not be sent there until he was fit to plead over the 2010 killing.

Anni Dewani was shot as the couple travelled in a taxi on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010.

Speaking outside the court, her cousin, Amit Karia, welcomed the ruling.

''Getting justice for our Anni..is all we ever wanted'', he said.

VIDEO: Teacher admits toilet voyeurism

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Cardiff deputy head teacher Gareth Williams admits toilet voyeurism

31 January 2014 Last updated at 13:58 GMT

The deputy head teacher of a Cardiff secondary school has admitted hiding a camera to film five children using a toilet.

Gareth Williams, 47, from the Welsh medium school Ysgol Glantaf, pleaded guilty to three charges of voyeurism, which did not take place at the school.

Cardiff Magistrates' Court heard police recovered the camera, memory sticks containing video files and found images had been stored.

Williams was remanded in custody.

Nick Palit reports.

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Cardiff teacher Gareth Williams admits toilet voyeurism

VIDEO: Knox: 'I will fight this to the end'

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Kercher murder: Amanda Knox insists innocence on TV

31 January 2014 Last updated at 06:13 GMT

The sister of Meredith Kercher has said the family are still "on a journey to the truth" following the reinstatement of guilty verdicts against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the student's murder.

An Italian court has ruled that Ms Knox should serve an increased sentence of 28 years and 6 months for the killing in Perugia in 2007, Sollecito was given 25 years.

Ms Knox, who refused to leave America to appear in court, can launch an appeal against the sentence.

She appeared on ABC's Good Morning America programme in New York the day after the verdicts and said she would "fight this to the very end".

Luisa Baldini reports.

Read more

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito guilty of Kercher Italy murder

Britain and France 'at odds, again'

31 January 2014 Last updated at 07:07

Article written by James Landale Deputy political editor

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Britain and France 'at odds with one another, again'

Francois Hollande has accused David Cameron of being "a little phoney"

It has not been news for several centuries to report that Britain and France are often at odds with one another and that tension hangs across la Manche like a stubborn mist on the sea's face.

But of late the relationship has been pretty dire.

Tory ministers openly mock Francois Hollande's high tax economic policies and mull using his image in anti-Labour election posters. The Tory chairman Grant Shapps says France's economy has been "run into the sand".

Mr Hollande himself has accused David Cameron of being "a little phoney" over a claim at a summit that the European Union might be looking to develop its own military drone.

The French president's diplomats publicly dismiss the NHS as "ailing" and boast how many more hospital beds there are in France.

So when British officials insist that the "entente is tres cordial", one must take it with a pinch of salt. Of course, both countries still do the business.

PM 'needs allies'

At today's summit in Oxfordshire, both leaders will sign a flurry of deals so that their respective countries can cooperate more on defence, energy and space.

But the tricky issue of Europe will hang over the unlikely summit venue that is RAF Brize Norton. Mr Cameron's dilemma is this: he wants to reform the UK's relationship with the EU.

He hopes to use potential treaty changes following further Eurozone integration as an opportunity to negotiate his reforms.

But to do all that, the prime minister needs to persuade the rest of Europe. And he needs to do this before a planned referendum on Britain's membership in 2017.

And that means he needs allies. He cannot rely wholly on Chancellor Merkel of Germany. He has upset the Poles over immigration. So he needs French support too. But the French have made it clear they want his agenda like a hole in the head.

The French do not oppose the principle of reform and are all for a little simplification and tidying up. But they reject any kind of wholesale unpicking of the EU framework and yet more unilateral opt-outs.

They fear this could lead to Britain's exit and a much weaker EU. Mr Hollande is also loath to allow treaty changes that could force him into an unwinnable referendum and a row just ahead of his own elections in 2017.

So when the two leaders discuss all this in a pub in Oxfordshire today, the stakes will be high. Mr Cameron will have to find a way of winning some support from the French without making compromises that he could not sell to his party.

Today's meeting will not resolve this dilemma, it will merely be yet another difficult conversation in a long negotiation that could last years.

But in the short term, the British hope is that a pint of ale, a little country air and a wet morning on a windy airbase might help melt away some of those cross channel mists.

VIDEO: Syrian refugees flock to Bulgaria

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Bulgaria's struggle to deal with Syria refugees

31 January 2014 Last updated at 06:19 GMT

More than 6,000 refugees from the war in Syria have arrived in Bulgaria over the past year, after crossing the border from Turkey.

The displaced men, women and children have found safety in an EU nation, but it a country which is struggling to cope with the influx, as Chris Morris reports.

VIDEO: Ukraine opposition activist 'tortured'

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Ukraine opposition activist says he was tortured

31 January 2014 Last updated at 10:13 GMT

A prominent Ukrainian opposition activist who disappeared more than a week ago says he was abducted and tortured.

Dmytro Bulatov is the leader of opposition movement Automaidan that organises protest convoys. He says he was kidnapped, repeatedly beaten and hung up by his wrists.

Mr Bulatov, who is being treated in hospital, said he was dumped on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, by men who spoke with Russian accents.

Duncan Crawford reports from Kiev.

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Ukraine activist says he was abducted and tortured

VIDEO: Sparks fly in New Year celebration

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Sparks fly in dazzling Lunar New Year celebration in China

31 January 2014 Last updated at 15:25 GMT

Celebrations are taking place across China as the country ushers in the Lunar New Year.

In Hebei province, a traditional folk event involving molten iron has left many visitors mesmerised.

Roopa Suchak reports.

Read more

China media: New Year greetings

US diocese in bankruptcy move

31 January 2014 Last updated at 16:24

Montana diocese in bankruptcy move amid abuse lawsuits

A Roman Catholic diocese in the US state of Montana has filed for bankruptcy protection, amid claims hundreds of children were abused.

Two 2011 lawsuits against the diocese in Helena, the state capital, allege that 362 children were abused between 1940-1980.

Plaintiffs claim the diocese protected the offenders or turned a blind eye.

The filing precedes proposed settlements reached during confidential mediation sessions, US media report.

A Montana bankruptcy court will be responsible for approving disbursement of a reported $15m (£9m) in compensation for identified victims, plus an undisclosed amount to be set aside for those plaintiffs who come forward at a later date.

The bankruptcy reorganisation will help resolve the abuse claims, diocese spokesman Dan Bartleson said on Friday.

He said that victims would have the opportunity to vote on the proposed settlement.

Several of the diocese's 16 insurers have filed lawsuits challenging the claims, however, saying they should not have to pay out for alleged abuse which occurred before the policies went into effect.

The diocese, which covers western Montana, employs an estimated 200 people across its parishes, social-service programmes and schools.

Sanctions on Congo militia poachers

31 January 2014 Last updated at 11:28

UN sanctions on DR Congo militias financed by poaching

DR Congo's elephant population has fallen sharply during two decades of conflict

Continue reading the main story

Armed groups that finance their operations by trafficking wildlife in the Democratic Republic of Congo are to be targeted by UN sanctions.

Individuals involved will be subject to travels bans and asset freezes.

The new UN Security Council resolution also renewed an arms embargo on various militia groups in the DR Congo.

The UN has been warning that ivory has become a major source of finance for armed groups and has led to the depletion of elephants in DR Congo.

"This is a huge step forward for reducing human suffering, improving peace and security and strengthening wildlife conservation," Wendy Elliott, species programme manager at the conservation group WWF, said in a statement.

According to a UN experts' report on DR Congo released last week, the killing of elephants in DR Congo "is one of the most tragic consequences of years of war and poor governance'', the Associated Press news agency reports.

In the Garamba National Park in north-eastern DR Congo, a census showed fewer than 2,000 elephants were left in 2012, compared to 22,000 in the 1970s.

Over the last few years, the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, which originated in Uganda, has had bases in Garamba as well as operating in South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).

A UN experts' report says M23 rebels have been recruiting in Rwanda

A similar resolution was passed earlier this week in relation to the CAR, where poachers have also taken advantage of more than a year of unrest to kill endangered forest elephants.

Next month, the UK is holding an international conference about the illegal trade in wildlife to be hosted by Prime Minister David Cameroon.

The new UN resolution provided "another avenue to protect vulnerable species and cut off support to criminal and armed groups,'' AP quotes UK government spokesperson Iona Thomas as saying.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) banned the trade in ivory in 1989.

But in recent years poaching has increased across sub-Saharan Africa with criminal gangs slaughtering elephants for ivory markets in Asia, where it is often used to make ornaments.

Eastern DR Congo is also rich in resources and minerals, like gold and coltan - essential for mobile phones, which many armed groups have looted over the years to finance their operations.

BBC DR Congo correspondent Maud Jullien says previous sanctions imposed on militia members accused of trafficking minerals have had little impact and that most of them are continuing their activities as usual.

The new Security Council resolution also expresses concern over reports that the M23 rebels are regrouping.

The recent experts' report found that the group, which was defeated by the Congolese army and UN peacekeepers last year, was forcibly recruiting troops in neighbouring Rwanda.

Rwanda has always denied accusations that it backed the M23.

Flood warning over high tides threat

31 January 2014 Last updated at 16:38

Flood warnings over high tides threat to Welsh coast

Work has been done to strengthen sea defences ahead of the expected bad weather

Continue reading the main story

Communities along the Welsh coast have been warned of the threat of more flooding as high tides and strong winds combine.

Conditions could be as bad as early January when sea defences were breached damaging homes and businesses, said Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Some 39 flood warnings and 17 flood alerts were in place on Friday night.

Amber warnings - meaning 'be prepared' for flooding - have been issued for 15 counties around the coast on Saturday.

NRW said high tides and very strong winds would create a high risk of coastal flooding later on Friday and on Saturday.

Milford Haven, Aberystwyth, Holyhead and Llandudno are all expected to experience the high tides.

Arriva Trains Wales said flooding had blocked lines between Porth and Pontypridd. Replacement buses are in place until further notice.

Meanwhile, up to 600 students based on Aberystwyth promenade were told to leave their rooms before Friday evening.

After new year storms battered the town causing severe damage, students have been told not to return to the seafront accommodation until Monday.

"Our priority is the safety of our students and staff," said pro vice-chancellor Rebecca Davies.

"The forecasted high winds combined with the high tides are likely to make the seafront at Aberystwyth a very hazardous place this weekend and it is paramount for us that everyone living in residences on the seafront have alternative accommodation, and are out of harm's way," she said.

High winds, a high tide and a sea surge caused huge damage on 3 January

Students have been offered alternative accommodation and meals at the university's Penglais campus or help with travel arrangements if they want to go home.

Ceredigion council has urged people living in seafront properties in Cardigan, Aberystwyth and Aberaeron to take care. The local authority said sandbags were being delivered on request.

The leisure centres in Cardigan and Aberystwyth will act as emergency evacuation support centres on Saturday if required.

A band of heavy rain is moving across Wales throughout Friday, prompting warnings of localised flooding.

Most of the Welsh coastline is likely to experience stormy conditions, but the worst affected areas are likely to be in the south and west where tidal surges and large waves could cause flooding and transport disruption.

Current forecasts show that the tides will peak on Saturday, both in the morning and evening.

Pembrokeshire council said it expects this weekend's severe weather and high tides to be similar to that seen just after new year.

It said people are "strongly advised" to keep away from coastal areas over the weekend.

High tides and strong winds will continue next week with Monday morning's high tide also likely to create a risk of flooding.

The 15 amber flood warns for Wales' coast on Saturday are part of a three-day flood risk forecast by the Environment Agency,

It said widespread heavy rain on Friday is likely to result in flooding from rivers with much of southern England and Wales at risk, particularly where rivers are already high from recent rain.

Aberystwyth was one of the towns hardest hit by heavy rain, strong winds, high tides and a sea surge that hit between 3 and 6 January.

A Grade II-listed shelter partly fell into a hole after its foundations were washed away as massive waves pounded the promenade.

Ceredigion council estimates the cost of repairing the promenade has topped £150,000 and fears the bill will increase if similar storms hit the town this weekend.

CAR clashes 'kill 43' in Bangui

31 January 2014 Last updated at 14:53

Central African Republic clashes 'kill 43' in Bangui

People mourn after a Christian man mistaken for a Muslim was killed by "anti-balaka" militiamen

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Fighting in the Central African Republic capital has left 43 people dead in four days, the country's Red Cross society says.

The violence in Bangui had also left 71 wounded, the country's Red Cross said.

There have been widespread reports of revenge attacks as mainly Muslim fighters withdraw from the city.

The violence has continued even though a new leader was inaugurated earlier this month as part of regional efforts to bring peace after months of anarchy.

France, the former colonial power, has 1,600 troops in CAR, working with some 4,000 from African countries to help end the violence which has seen about a million people - 20% of the population - flee their homes.

There has been widespread looting since the withdrawal of Seleka fighters from a military base in the city

Here a French soldier hold a machete confiscated from an "anti-balaka" combatant

But earlier this week, the UN said it believed at least 10,000 troops may be required in any force sent to end the unrest, which began when Seleka rebels overthrew the president last March.

What started out as a conflict fuelled by ethnic rivalries has become religious in nature, with the emergence of Christian "anti-balaka" militias taking on the former rebels. Both sides have been accused of targeting civilians.

'Unprecedented violence'

Antoine Mbao Bogo, head of the CAR's Red Cross, said that a total of 35 bodies had been recovered from the streets in many areas of the city over the last three days and eight more bodies had been found on Friday morning.

He said the victims were from both the Muslim and Christian communities.

"A few weeks ago people were dying more from gun wounds... but now it is mostly from things like knives. Sometimes they burn the corpses," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme.

His colleague, Georgios Georgantas, leader of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the CAR, told the AFP news agency that an "unprecedented level of violence" was being seen in the city.

Earlier this week, a human rights worker told the BBC how he had witnessed a mob of suspected "anti-balakas" mutilating the body of two Muslim men recently killed with machetes.

"It really was a scene of absolute horror. People were filming this on their cell phones and many were laughing," Peter Bouckaert, director of emergencies for Human Rights Watch, told Focus on Africa.

Mr Georgantas urged civilians to "to respect the emblem of the Red Cross", AFP reports.

"When we go through roadblocks to evacuate the wounded, each trip calls for long and difficult negotiations to move on. This endangers the lives of the wounded and causes a lot of stress to our personnel," he said.

Teacher admits toilet voyeurism

31 January 2014 Last updated at 11:44

Cardiff teacher Gareth Williams admits toilet voyeurism

Gareth Williams admitted three charges of voyeurism, which did not take place at the school

The deputy head teacher of a Cardiff secondary school has admitted hiding a camera to film five children using a toilet.

Gareth Williams, 47, from the Welsh medium school Ysgol Glantaf, pleaded guilty to three charges of voyeurism, which did not take place at the school.

Cardiff Magistrates' Court heard police recovered the camera, memory sticks containing video files and found images had been stored.

He was remanded in custody.

During the eight-minute hearing, Williams spoke only to confirm his name age, address and to enter guilty pleas.

The court was told police were still investigating and Williams, who was arrested last week, will be interviewed again.

District judge Bodfan Jenkins said the offences were so serious Williams would be remanded and sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on 21 February.

Williams was suspended after his arrest.

IRA man's inquest verdict quashed

31 January 2014 Last updated at 12:58

Pearse Jordan inquest findings quashed in IRA death case

Pearse Jordan, 21, was shot by police officers in west Belfast in November 1992

The findings of an inquest into the police shooting of an IRA man more than 20 years ago are to be quashed, the High Court in Belfast has ruled.

Pearse Jordan was killed in disputed circumstances in west Belfast in 1992.

In a verdict with potentially major implications for other cases, the judge indicated a new inquest examining his death should sit without a jury.

The judge also found the PSNI responsible for a delay of up to 11 years in holding the hearing.

The judge is due to make a future determination on whether the police are liable for any damages over the hold-up.

'Shoot-to-kill'

Witnesses in the case claimed the police shot Mr Jordan in the back on the Falls Road as he tried to flee, after the stolen car he was driving was rammed by officers.

His death was one of several high-profile cases in Northern Ireland involving allegations that the security forces had operated a 'shoot-to-kill' policy.

In October 2012, a long-delayed inquest failed to reach agreement on key aspects of the case.

The jury was split on whether reasonable force was used, the state of belief on the part of the officer who fired the fatal shots, and whether any alternative course of action was open to him.

The dead man's father, Hugh Jordan, then mounted a wide-ranging judicial review challenge to the outcome.

'Bias'

In Friday's 129-page judgment, the judge ruled that the inquest verdict should be quashed on a number of grounds.

These included:

• The non-disclosure of the Stalker/Sampson reports into other so-called 'shoot-to-kill' cases to the Jordan family
• A refusal to permit the family's lawyers to deploy these reports in cross-examination of key police witnesses who played key roles in Mr Jordan's shooting and other incidents in the Stalker/Sampson probes
• The decision to sit with a jury
• The refusal to discharge a juror who claimed the inquest was unfair
• The limited form of verdict returned by the inquest jury and the coroner's acceptance of it

Dealing with the failure to deploy parts of the Stalker/Sampson report, the judge said: "I also quash the verdict on this ground given that this evidence might have been admissible and that its potential impact could have been significant.

"It is a matter for the coroner at the inquest which will now have to be held."

Part of the Jordan family's challenge was to a jury sitting in such a controversial case of an alleged IRA man being killed by police.

The High Court judge said: "There cannot be an effective investigation where there is a real risk of a perverse verdict or bias.

"In circumstances where unanimity is required, if there is a real risk of a perverse conclusion or bias on behalf of a single juror then there can be no other outcome... but that the inquest should be conducted without a jury.

"Accordingly, if all legacy inquests fall within the category of cases where there is a real possibility of a perverse jury verdict, then discretion should be exercised in all of them for them to be conducted without a jury."

'Vindication'

Attributing delay to the PSNI, the judge pointed to the process around threat assessments and applications for witness anonymity.

"I consider that this was an obstacle or difficulty created by the PSNI which prevented progress of the inquest," he added.

Outside court, Hugh Jordan expressed delight at the outcome.

He said: "We have waited over 20 years for a proper inquest to be conducted fairly and thoroughly. Hopefully now it will be."

His lawyer, Fearghal Shiels of Madden & Finucane Solicitors, said: "This is an emphatic vindication of the Jordan family in bringing this application and the judgment will provide the framework for how future controversial inquests involving the use of lethal force by the British Army and RUC shall be conducted.

"The Jordan family are looking forward now to a new fair inquest heard solely before a coroner or judge, and free from the real risk of perverse verdicts from jurors who may be unable to set aside political or religious prejudices and to reach a verdict according to all of the evidence."