BBC News with David Austin
President Obama has told hundreds of thousands of people in Washington that a decade of war is now ending and economic recovery has begun. In his inaugural speech at the start of his second term, Mr Obama said America’s possibilities were limitless and urged Americans to seize the moment. More from Jane Little in Washington.
The crowds cheered as President Obama took the oath of office. His left hand placed on two Bibles-- one belonging to Abraham Lincoln, the other to Martin Luther King. He used his second inaugural address to remind Americans of their unique heritage and of the need to come together to seize this moment. He spoke of an end to a decade of war and an economic recovery that’s begun. And he outlined an ambitious agenda for his second term—climate change, immigration reform, gun control, even women’s rights and gay rights got a mention.
French forces in central Mali have captured two towns from Islamist militants following a week of heavy fighting and airstrikes. France says its forces have taken control of Diabaly, which had been seized by rebels earlier this month and Douentza, some 400km to the east. Mark Doyle has been to Diabaly and sent this report.
The main military base in Diabaly is a dreadful mess of smashed buildings and unexploded oddments. The base was targeted by French military aircraft before French ground troops moved in. Abandoned army uniforms testify to the fact that the Mali army fled Diabaly in a hurry dressed as civilians when hundreds of Islamists invaded the town a week ago. This is the first major defeat the Islamists have suffered since they seized the whole of northern Mali nearly a year ago. But Diabaly is just one small town. The French have a lot of work to do.
The Algerian prime minister has been giving more details of the attack by Islamist militants at a remote gas plant last week. Abdelmalek Sellal said the militants had planned the attack over the past two months, researching the layout of the plant with the intention of blowing it up. The group crossed the border from northern Mali, he said, and included 11 Tunisians and at least one Canadian.
Russia says it’s sending two planes to the Lebanese capital Beirut to evacuate any Russians who want to leave neighbouring Syria. Russia has been one of the Syrian president’s strongest backers. From Moscow, Steve Rosenberg has this report.
The aircrafts have been dispatched to evacuate around 100 Russian citizens. Medical teams will be on board the planes. This does not appear to be the start of a full-scale evacuation of Russian nationals. There are thought to be thousands of Russian citizens living and working in Syria. Moscow has made no secret of the fact it has made contingency plans for a possible future evacuation. Such an operation will almost certainly involve the Russian navy. Steve Rosenberg
World News from the BBC
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made his final appeal to undecided voters on the last day of campaigning before Tuesday’s general election. Mr Netanyahu once again laid out his campaign promises to keep Israel safe and resist international opposition to building more Jewish settlements. The latest polls show Mr Netanyahu remains likely to win.
Colombia’s Farc rebels have reportedly launched their first attacks since ending a two-month long unilateral ceasefire on Sunday. The state oil company said part of a pipeline in the south was blown up. Reports say two police stations were attacked too. The left-wing rebels declared their truce when peace negotiations began in Cuba, but the Colombian government refuses to halt military operations against them until a final peace accord is signed.
An ethnic Kurd in France has been formally investigated over his alleged involvement in the killing of three Kurdish women activists in Paris earlier this month. Kurds blame elements within the Turkish state for the killing, but Turkey says there may have been an internal feud in the PKK. Christian Fraser reports from Paris.
The 30-year-old man now in custody was one of two ethnic Kurds detained last week by a specialist anti-terrorist unit leading the investigation. “We believe he’s likely to have been the killer or one of the killers,” said the Paris prosecutor Francois Molins. The other man who was detained with him was freed without charge. The three women who were each shot in the head were Turkish-born activists within the PKK movement. The key figure was Sakine Cans?z, a co-founder of the group in the 1970s. The suspect was her occasional driver. Gunshot residue was reportedly found on his clothes.
Football at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa: an equaliser from Alain Traore late into injury time allowed Burkina Faso to draw 1:1 against Nigeria in Nelspruit. Earlier Ethiopia too held the defending champions Zambia to a 1:1 draw.
Those are the latest stories from BBC News.