BBC News with Charles Carroll
The head of United Nations panel has said the crimes against humanity as it is uncovered in North Korea are strikingly similar to the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Second World War. The Commission of Inquiry said it'd heard evidence of murder, torture, starvation and enslavement on the scale unparalleled in the contemporary world. Its chairman, Michael Kirby, said they had identified hundreds of North Korean officials, including the supreme leader Kim Jong Un who should face international justice.
“I hope that the international community will be moved by the detail, the amount, the long duration, the great suffering that have existed in North Korea to act on the crimes against humanity which the Commission of Inquiry has found. And action will be taken too many times in this building. There are reports and no action. Well, this is a time for action. ”
African peacekeepers have managed to evacuate up to 2,000 Muslims fleeing the Central Africa Republic to Cameroon, fighting off attacks by Christian militia. Kassim Kayira was travelling with the Rwandan troops escorting the refugees.
It was just after dark when a convoy of more than 100 trucks, cars and motorcycles made its way into the border town of Garoua-Boulai. Anti-Balaka militia using guns, bows and arrows, swords, stones and machetes battled Rwandan peacekeepers as they tried to kill any fleeing refugee they caught. Within an hour, it was all over. Seven anti-Balaka died and two fleeing Muslims and a truck driver were also killed. The injured have been taken to a hospital across the border. Thousands of Muslims are still stuck across the country, many under a threat of an imminent attack by milita.
The man nominated to be Italy's youngest ever prime minister has said he needs a few days to put together a viable government. Matteo Renzi has promised radical reforms to revive Italy's fortunes. Here's our Europe editor, Gavin Hewitt.
In the view of many, Italy is embarking on a gamble. In amidst through economic crisis, a country is turning to a young, untried, untested politician. Matteo Renzi drove himself to the Quirinale, the presidential palace today and was asked with forming a new government. He is 39 years old. He is not even an MP and has no experience in national government. He is the mayor of Florence. Some are calling him Italy's Tony Blair, a center-left politician with little time for ideology.
The United States has rejected accusations by Venezuela that it's been helping to organize anti-government protests. On Sunday, Venezuela said it was expelling three United States diplomats for meeting students who have been leading the demonstrations. But the US said the allegation it was behind the unrest was baseless and false.
World News from the BBC
At least 8 South Korean college students are reported to have been killed and others missing after a roof collapsed at a resort building in the southern city of Gyeongju. Rescue workers are continuing to search for survivors and they fear the number of casualties could rise. Charles Scanlon reports.
About 500 newly enrolled students were attending a welcome event at a resort complex when the roof collapsed. The mountain at this area has received exceptionally heavy snowfall in recent days. And the authorities suspected it was the weight of the snow that caused the building to buckle. Survivors spoke of chaos and panic as students rushed for the exits. Rescue teams were hampered by ice-covered mountain roads. But heavy equiment was later brought to the scene to help lift the twisted metal from the roof that has crashed to the floor.
Russia says that it will release another portion of an aid package it'd promised to Ukraine but which it froze when anti-government protests escalated in Kiev last month. The Russian finance minister said $2bn of the $15bn in loans will be issued this week. Ukraine is the centre of a competition between Russia and the European Union over which will have more influence. Protests began in November.
The first woman to become the editor of a daily newspaper in Soudi Arabia has told the BBC of her surprise at getting the job that she didn't think for deeply conservative kingdom was yet ready. Somayya Jabarti said she believed her appointment had broken very important ground.
“I honestly didn't see it coming. I know things have been forward in kingdom and things are opening up for Saudi women in general. But, I really thought there was a lot yet to go until woman are treated the very much now dominated. That's anybody dream sheerest.”
She said that she wanted her newspaper, the English-language Saudi Gazette to reflect the views on the aspirations of the young who are the majority in the country and to draw on their enthusiastic use of social networks like Twitter.