BBC News with Jerry Smith
Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk have released one of the eight members of an international observer mission, they've been holding since Friday. Five Ukrainian observers all said have been held. Bethany Bell reports.
The Swedish military observer who's believed to be diabetic was seem driven away in an OSCE car, but the rest of the team remains in detention, intensive diplomacy continues to secure their release. Earlier the military monitors were showing to the media in Sloviansk. One of them, a German Col Axel Schneider, said his team was on a diplomatic mission and was unarmed. The OSCE has a large observe team in Ukraine, which was agreed to by Russia, but these monitors are not part of that, they are from individual OSCE countries invited to the Ukraine by the government in Kiev.
French and African peacekeepers have escorted a convoy of more than 1,200 Muslims out of the Central African Republic's capital, Bangui. The group, some of the last remaining Muslims in the city, left their belongings in 18 lorries. They've been trapped for months by Christian militias as communal violence raged. These Muslim men said they have no option but to leave.
With what the anti-Balaka are doing, they have killed a lot of Muslims. We can't stay in Central African Republic. We will leave to save ourselves, to save our skin, we'll go to Sido, Bongoro, Kabo.
As soon as they left, their neighborhood was ransacked.
The two remaining candidates in the presidential election in Afghanistan, both insist they will contest a second round. Preliminary results released on Saturday give the former Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah the most votes, but not enough to win outright. From Kabul, David Loyn.
Both Abdullah Abdullah and his closest rival, the ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani held events that felt like campaign launches for the next round. Dr. Adbullah is well ahead, winning almost 45% of the votes cast, there has been considerable speculation here they will make a deal instead of fighting again. I put the question to Dr. Ghani:
Are there are any circumstances, you would negotiate with Dr. Abdullah to avoid a second round?
No, it is imperative that the next President of Afghanistan has a clear mandate.
Dr. Abdullah is less emphatic he is watching and waiting to see how fraud complaints change the count and contemptuous of the clear stand taken by his opponent.
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has described the holocaust is the most heinous crime to have occurred against humanity in modern history. Mr.Abbas' rare acknowledgment of the killings of six million Jews during the World War II come shortly before Israel begins marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Palestinian president also reiterated that he's prepared to resume peace talks, which Israel suspended last week.
World News from the BBC
Serbia's parliament has approved a new center-right coalition government with Aleksandar Vucic as Prime Minister. On taking office he said his priorities would to achieve Serbian membership of the European Union, to reform the economy and fight corruption. His reform plans involved cutting the size and cost of the public sector, privatizing the state-run companies and controlling the budget deficit to secure international loans.
Police in South Africa have used water cannon and stun grenades to disperse rock-throwing protesters after an election rally in a shantytown near Johannesburg turned violent. The Sports Minister was whisked away under police protection. He and his supporters from the governing African National Congress have been campaigning for the May general election when they were confronted by the protesters. Local media said the minister had been targeted by striking platinum miners.
The South Sudanese leader released from jail early this week after the charges treason against him had dropped has told the BBC he feels no bitterness about his months in captivity. Civil war broke out after Pagan Amum and other leaders were arrested over an alleged coup plot against President Salva Kiir. Pagan Amum expressed concern about the conflict.
I'm saddened by the senseless killings of our people in this senseless war that has no meaning. Issues of the governance cannot be settled out through the battle of gun, but rather through building institutions and building a democratic state.
In an unprecedented ceremony of the Vatican, Pope Francis has declared two former Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II as saints. His predecessor Benedict attended the canonization. Pope Francis described the two canonized Popes as men of courage, who lived through the tragic events of the 20th century.