BBC News with Julie Candler.
The United Nations says worsening violence in the Central African Republic is hampering efforts to help almost a million people who’ve been displaced. The country has been plagued by sectarian violence since a coup led by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels last year. Imogen Foulkes reports from Geneva.
The UN Refugee Agency says the number of people sheltering at Bangui airport has doubled in the last week to around 100,000,but that many more are hiding in the bush, fearful of attack. The ongoing violence is making any relief effort to extremely difficult. Civilians are being targeted, the UN says, armed groups are turning up at aid distribution points and looting is widespread. Despite the presence of French and African Union troops, who have secured the airport so that aid can be flown in, the violence and insecurity is making delivering supplies to surrounding areas almost impossible.
Ethiopia says direct talks between the government and rebels in South Sudan will begin in Addis Ababa on Saturday. The two sides have already met with regional mediators. Ethiopia said the talks had been fruitful. There are reports of heavy fighting on the outskirts of the rebel-held city of Bor. Toby Lanzer is the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan. He says the situation in the country is highly unpredictable.
“The situation continues to be very, very volatile in South Sudan and what we are seeing is, possibly in the state of Unity, and here in Juba and in the capital of Jonglei state, Bor, a continuation of to and fro between those engaged in this massive political struggle. And it’s making it increasingly difficult for civilians.”
There’s been another day of fighting between Iraqi forces backed by local tribesmen and militants linked to al-Qaeda in two cities in the west of the country. In Ramadi, forces supporting the government say they’ve inflicted numerous casualties on the Islamist militants. There’ve also been street battles in nearby Fallujah. Sebastian Usher reports.
The fighting in Anbar has developed into a major test of strength for the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He ordered security forces to break up a long running anti-government protest in Ramadi on Monday. The confrontation with Islamist militants quickly escalated under a flag of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Also fighting in neighbouring Syria—truckloads of Jihadists poured into Ramadi and Fallujah. Government forces are battling to win back control.
The Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has said Panama, Spain and Italy are ready to work together to make sure the expansion of the Panama Canal is completed. The project has gone over budget by more than $1.5bn. The group behind the project has threatened to halt work unless the extra money is paid by the Panamanian authorities.
World News from the BBC.
The Mexican army and federal police have taken control of a prison in south-western Mexico after a fight between guards and six gunmen left nine people dead. Three days ago a fight at the same prison in Guerrero state left one inmate dead. Nicholas Rocha has more.
State prosecutors say six gunmen entered the jail posing as public officials delivering a prisoner. Once inside, they opened fire on a group of inmates, killing four of them. They then took in a prison guard on a security tower, but five of the gang were cut down when the guards returned fire. Prisons in Mexico are notoriously violent, but even so this was an attack that could have been scripted in Hollywood. The authorities do not know yet what the motive of the slaying was, but rivalries between drug gangs have often been played out in prisons.
The authorities in Egypt say at least 11 people have been killed in violence. They are supporters of the ousted Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi clashed with security forces. The Brotherhood say 17 people have been killed.
A state of emergency is in force in New York and New Jersey after a big winter storm hit north-east of the United States. A number of deaths, many of them traffic-related, have already been reported. And forecasters say the conditions may get more difficult as temperatures continue to drop. The storm has also affected transport with more than 2,000 flights cancelled so far. In many parts of the northeast, residents have been asked to stay in their homes. This was the message from New York City mayor Bill de Blasio.
“The message is if you don’t need to be on the streets, get off the streets. If you don’t need to travel, please don’t travel. If you don’t need to use a car, don’t use a car. If you can use mass transit instead, use mass transit.”
Police in northern England received an emergency call on Friday from a concerned resident alerting them to a suspected axe attack in the town of Harrogate. Officers dispatched to the scene were relieved to find four children with the hefty supply of fake blood, making a zombie movie.