BBC News with Julie Candler.
European leaders are under mounting pressure to change the way they patrol the Mediterranean, after the latest tragedy to strike migrants crossing from Africa. Hundreds of people are feared drowned after their boat capsized off the coast of Libya. The Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, said he would be demanding in an emergency summit of E.U. leaders this week. The Maltese Foreign Minister George William Vella.
“The most important part of the whole process is these human traffickers, who are making loads and loads of money out of people whom they put on these boats which are not seaworthy, and they just push them out to sea for, to be their fate. And this is the worst part of it. So one we have to look at the crux of the problem, which is how to control these human traffickers from not making more money out of these poor people who are looking for a better future, and instead of finding a better future, they ended up at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has spoken out against, what he called, atrocious pressure on Christians across North Africa and the Middle East. Archbishop Welby, who is the leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, described the Islamic State group as deeply evil. But he said military action alone was not the answer. He was speaking during a visit to Egypt to the BBC's Lyse Doucet.
“The Archbishop said every trip he makes to this region reinforces his fear that Christian communities, who've existed here for two thousand years, were now at risk of dying. Last year, he backed the air campaign against Islamic State in Iraq, but emphasised military action alone was not the answer. He thought as providing breathing space for governance in this region to deal with this violence. But he said political and religious leaders had to do whatever they could to confront these threats.”
The Islamic State group has released a video, showing the apparent murder of about 30 Ethiopian Christians by jihadists in Libya. Some are seen being beheaded on a beach. Others are shot in the head in a desert area. The video maks it clear they were killed because of their religion. The Ethiopian government says it's trying to verify the identities and nationalities of the victims through its Embassy in Cairo.
Police in Brazil say 8 men have been killed in a shooting at a football fan club in Sao Paolo. The supporters of Corinthians were preparing banners ahead of a match when gunmen burst in. They ordered 7 fans to lie down before shooting them. The eighth was hit as he tried to flee. Police say the killings were likely to be drug-related. Our America's editor, Candace Piette, says there are growing concerns about the level of violence connected to football in Brazil.
“Football is now becoming something which is too dangerous for ordinary Brazilian families to go to. Of the fear that they are very concerned about that, partly because the games are held very late at night, so people don't want to take their children or their wives there, but also because of the levels of violence as you've seen in and off the pitch.”
World news from the BBC.
The leader of Yemen's Houthis rebels has accused Saudi Arabia of trying to invade and occupy the country. In a televised speech, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said his people had the right to resist aggression by any means available. A Saudi-led coalition is now in its fourth week of airstrikes aimed at stopping the rebels gaining full control of Yemen. Hundreds of people have died in the bombing and in fighting between the Housthis and supporters of the ousted President, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Leaders of the Israeli Football Association are expected to travel to Switzerland this week in an attempt to fight off a Palestinian attempt to have them suspended from world's football's governing body, FIFA. The Head of the Palestinian FA has submitted a draft resolution, calling for Israel's suspension from FIFA, because it says it's inhibited the Palestinians' ability to develop the game.
Nigerian health officials say they believe contaminated alcohol was the cause of a recent rash of deaths in the southeast of the country. The local Health Commissioner, Dr. Anderliangor, told the BBC he had visited the region, where 18 people have died and discounted reports of the World Health Organisation that pesticides were to blame.
“Our conclusion wasn't that it was pesticide. Pesticides were done in our consideration. What is pretty clear is that they seem to have consumed the locally brewed alcohol or gin. That is what is very prominent on our list.”
The Prime Minister of Finland has lost the general election after a campaign dominated by the country's protracted recession. With almost half the votes counted, Alexander Stubb's Conservative 4-party coalition was well behind the opposition centre party led by Juha Sipila. Mr. Sipila had opposed Mr. Stubb's campaign pledge to cut spending to help lift Finland's economic fortunes. He'll now enter negotiations with other parties to form the next government.