BBC News with Jonathan Izard
French-led forces combating an Islamist insurgency in Mali say they’ve taken control of the historic desert city of Timbuktu. Journalists in the city said French and Malian troops were greeted by cheering crowds. A French military spokesman said troops moved in after seizing the airport without firing a single shot. Thomas Fessy reports from Timbuktu.
The French haven’t encountered any resistance to recapture Timbuktu, but they fear that some elements of Islamist rebels are still hiding in town. French-led forces have successfully conducted a rapid advance to free the population from Islamist rule, but the jihadists have melted away into desert and chasing them down in this vast region will be much more difficult.
The African Union has promised $50m for a multi-national military force to help the Malian government defeat Islamist rebels. The funds were announced at the end of a two-day summit of African heads of state in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
A group of Democrat and Republican US senators has announced details of a plan to reform what the senators call America’s broken immigration system. They want to offer a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants as long as border security is tightened especially with Mexico to the south. They are also demanding tougher measures to stop employers giving jobs to illegal immigrants and they want the principles to become law by March. Senator John McCain said something had to be done about people living in the United States illegally.
“What’s going on now is unacceptable. In reality, what’s been created is a de facto amnesty. We have been too content for too long to allow individuals to mow our lawn, serve our food, clean our homes and even watch our children while not affording them any of the benefits that make our country so great. I think everyone agrees that it’s not beneficial for our country to have these people here hidden in the shadows.”
Police in Mexico have found eight bodies in a well which they say are probably those of a group of musicians who went missing last week. Twenty members of Kombo Kolombia disappeared after performing on Thursday night in the northern state of Nuevo Leon. Will Grant reports.
It was the news the families had been dreading. But given the extent of Mexico’s drug violence, it was always the most likely outcome of the group’s disappearance. Eight bodies were found in a well in the municipality of Mina, some 30km away from where the men disappeared last week. A non-named member of the band managed to escape from the group which kidnapped them. The state authorities said he had been beaten but was out of danger.
A judge in Guatemala has ruled that the former military leader Efrain Rios Montt should be tried for genocide. He’ll face charges of crimes against humanity in connection with the killing of more than 1,700 indigenous Mayans while he was president. BBC News
Brazilian police have made four arrests in connection with the fire at a nightclub that killed 231 people in the southern city of Santa Maria on Sunday. Police said the two owners of the club, the singer of the band playing at the venue and one of the band’s security guards will be held for five days to assist with the investigation. The fire allegedly started when a musician lit a flare on stage.
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has announced that she will abdicate in favour of her eldest son Prince Willem-Alexander at the end of April, exactly 33 years after she took the throne. Prince Willem-Alexander will be the first Dutch king for more than a century after the reign of three queens. More from Anna Holligan in The Hague.
It took approximately three minutes for Queen Beatrix to announce the end of her 33-year reign. Dressed in royal blue and speaking in a pre-recorded address, the popular royal announced it was time to hand over responsibility to the next generation. Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke of his respect for the queen and her commitment and energy. Queen Beatrix will officially abdicate on the 30th of April, which is also Queen’s Day, the most colourful and chaotic celebration on the Dutch calendar.
One of Rome’s best-known monuments, the Trevi Fountain, is going to be restored with the Italian luxury fashion company Fendi picking up the bill. There’s been concern about the state of the 18th century fountain after chunks of stone fell away. The restoration project costing nearly $3m is one of a number being funded by fashion companies as the Italian government struggles to find money to preserve its cultural heritage.
The football teams of Ghana and Mali have become the latest to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations competition. In the last Group B matches, Ghana beat Niger 3:0 and Mali drew 1:1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and the hosts South Africa have already qualified.