BBC News with David Austin
Pro-Russian militants have attacked official buildings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, seizing several of them. The protesters took control of the city's regional administration building and the prosecutor's office and later opened fire with automatic weapons at the police headquarters. Our correspondent Steve Rosenberg reports from eastern Ukraine.
With each day, Kiev seems to lose more and more control in eastern Ukraine. Pro-Russia activists smashed their way into the regional administration building in Luhansk. These supporters of Moscow, they reject Ukiraine's pro-EU government, which they say as illegitimate and they are demanding a referendum on breaking away from Kiev. The police did nothing to stop this.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow could reconsider the participation of the western companies in its economy including the energy sector. On Monday, the United States and the European Union imposed new sanctions against to a number of Russian individuals and companies over what they described as Moscow's destabilizing actions in the Ukraine. Mr. Putin, who was speaking in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, denied that there were any Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
Gunmen stormed the Libyan parliament in Tripoli and opened fired as MPs held a special session to elect the new Prime Minister. The previous holder of the office steps down earlier this month, saying that he and his family have been attacked. From Tripoli, here is Rana Jawad.
Witnesses say gunmen fired shots outside the building before storming it. This prompts a swift exit of all the legislators. Earlier today, members of Congress had a vote on seven candidates, the two top candidates in the running were supposed to move on to a second round of voting, but competing views within the congress stalled the process for hours, members say they have postponed to their meetings until next week.
The National Basketball Association of the United States has banned the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers for life in response to racist remarks he made. The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver said Donald Sterling was banned for many associations with the Clippers organization or the NBA. He also faces a fine of $2.5m. David Willis has this report from LA.
At the center of this wrong was a taped recorded telephone conversation which the National Basketball Association says the features the voice of Donald Sterling, in which the 80-year-old billionaire tells his 31-year-old former girlfriend V Stiviano that he doesn't want her associating with black people or bringing black friends to the LA Clippers games. More than 3/4 of players in the National Basketball Association league are black. And President Obama has led a chorus of condemnation branding Mr. Sterling's remarks racist and incredible offensive.
World News from the BBC
The former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, has fought back agsint rivals who suspended him from his party, the Movement for Democratic Change. He expelled the ex-Finance Minister Tendai Biti. At a news conference, Mr. Tsvangirai denied that the in fighting with strengthening Zimbabwe's 90-year-old president Robert Mugabe.
As far as I'm concerned, this is a week of our opponents. It doesn't not make Mguabe stronger, far from it. Mugabe's strength cannot be based on power, it has to be based on popularity, and I don't believe that President Mugabe has the popular support of the people of Zimbabwe.
The Iraqi writer Ahmed Saadawi has won the 2014 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel Frankenstein in Baghdad. The award was announced at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates. Our arts reporter Vincent Dowd reports.
Mary Shelley invented Victor Frankenstein and the creature he gives life too in her novel of 1818. Almost two centuries on in his third novel, Ahmed Saadawi has recycled to the basic idea in a highly original story said in Baghdad. The judges say, it's a significant addition to contemporary Arabic Fiction told in an inventive way, there is a hint of the fairy tale. A poor rubbish collector in Baghdad assembles a new body using parts from victims' bombings, the body then comes to life and risk revenge on those responsible for the killings.
The current European football champions Bayern Munich has been by thrashed by Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. Playing at home at Munich, Bayern were defeated by 4-0, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos scored two goals each.