The far right National Front Party in France has failed to win control of a single region after a second round of voting in elections. Exit polls indicate that the Front will finish in third place in contrast to its victory during the first round a week ago. From Paris, Hugh Schofield reports. The result is a big disappointment for Marine Le Pen after the Front National's triumphant first round score. She'd hoped to take power personally in the northern region around Calais and Ile. Her niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen was aiming for the Cote d'Azur. In the event, neither of the Front Nationale's two stars won. What the results show is that a certainly and insurrectionary mood in the country that favors the nationalist recipes of Marine Le Pen. But also there's a natural upper-limit to that support. Marine Le Pen's main rival in her region of northern France the former Health Minister Xavier Bertrand thanked everyone who had voted tactically. I thank the voters for protecting our beautiful region, all the ones who trusted me since the first round of these elections. I also thank the left voters who voted for me to block the National Front. I'm thanking them all because they have shown by this big gathering their love for a certain idea of our region, of France and the Republic.
The South African president Jacob Zuma has appointed Pravin Gordhan as his new finance minister, the third within a week. The decision followed short falls on financial markets in response to the unexplained sacking on Wednesday of Nhlanhla Nene and his replacement with the relatively unknown governing party figure David van Rooyen. Mathew Davis reports from Johannesburg. In the job for less than a week, Mr. Van Rooyen whose appointment as finance minister sent panic through the markets has been replaced by Pravin Gordhan. No stranger to the job, Mr. Gordhan was finance minister before Nhlanhla Nene and he is credited with seeing the country through the global economic crisis of 2009. Under fire from many quarters, not least from some of its own ruling African National Congress Party, president Zuma said he heard the voices of discontent and wanted to assure the public that he listens to them.
The leader of Nigeria's main Shia Muslim sect Ibraheem Zakzaky has been arrested by soldiers who besieged his home in the northern town of Zaria. His daughter told the BBC she had no idea where her father had been taken. More details from Chris Iveco. Reports were getting from Zaria indicates right now that the situation has deteriorated. Nigeria soldiers lead siege to the house of Sheik Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, leader of the Shia movement. We hear that Al-Zakzaky's house, as well as the center of the sect, has been demolished. But we also hearing that he has been arrested. World news from the BBC.
Foreign diplomats in Hungary have joined several hundred demonstrators in a protest as plans to erect a statue honoring a World War II politician who called for the expulsion of Jews. They gathered in the city where a life-size bronze of Balint Homan is due to be unveiled later this month.
Ecuador and Sweden have signed an agreement allowing the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to be questioned by the Swedish authorities at the Ecuador embassy in London. Candace Piette reports. Swedish prosecutors initially wanted to question Mr. Assange over allegations of sexual assault made by two women in 2010. He always denied the claims insisting sexual contact was consensual. Prosecutors have run out of time to file sexual misconduct charges against the WikiLeaks founder. But they're still investigating a claim of rape. Mr. Assange fears that if he is taken to Sweden for questioning, he could be extradited to the US.
A Colombian judge has ordered the arrest of a colonel in the army for his alleged role in the extrajudicial killing of civilians eight years ago. Colonel Nelson Velazquez Parrado is accused of ordering the death of 15 people who were then presented as rebels killed in action. The killings happened as the army came under pressure from the government of Alvaro Uribe to deliver results in Colombia's conflict with FARC rebels.
Thousands of people have marched through the Polish capital Warsaw in support of the governing Law and Justice Party. The demonstration which was led by the party's leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski came a day after tens of thousands of government opponents held protest accusing it of threatening democracy.
The British musician Ed Sheeran has announced that he is taking a break from social media. Writing on his Instagram account, the singer complained that he was seeing the world through a screen and not his eyes. Ed Sheeran has 16 million followers on Twitter. BBC news.