Scots police merger 'sets example'

30 March 2013 Last updated at 20:03 ET By James Cook Scotland Correspondent, BBC News

The chief constable of Scotland's new national police service has suggested that the merger of forces could be emulated in England and Wales.

Steve House told the BBC it was unsustainable to maintain 43 separate police forces south of the border.

Mr House said: "My personal view is that structural change is inevitable down south."

Eight forces are being combined to form Police Scotland which will take over the country's policing on 1 April.

In a wide ranging interview for BBC News, Mr House also revealed that only 100 voluntary redundancies had been processed in advance of Police Scotland becoming operational.

He had previously suggested that job cuts in the "low thousands" might be needed for the new force to make the efficiency savings demanded of it.

Backfilling jobs

The Scottish government has pledged there will be no compulsory job losses at Police Scotland, but Mr House said it was proving difficult to obtain volunteers whom the force could do without in the short-term.

Mr House, who will command more than 17,000 police officers, said: "The vast majority of people who volunteer, who perhaps come from the control room, we can't let go because we would have to find a police officer off the street to take their role."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

If we could reduce alcohol consumption across the board, you would reduce violence levels dramatically - that's something we're focused on"

End Quote Steve House Chief constable, Police Scotland

He said he agreed with a report from the public spending watchdog, Audit Scotland, that using police officers to perform administrative roles previously carried out by civilians was not sensible.

"We have no policy or strategy for backfilling civilian jobs with police officers from the street," he said.

"We're looking to have the right level of integrated workforce, with the right number of police officers working with civilian colleagues."

The chief constable set out his priorities for the force, second in size only to London's Metropolitan Police, which included:

• improving the investigation of rapes
• tackling domestic violence
• reducing violent crime

Mr House said that if any police officer in Scotland could "wave a magic wand" and be granted one wish, it would be to reduce alcohol consumption.

He said this was an enormous factor in the majority of violent crimes where people were taken in to custody.

"If we could reduce alcohol consumption across the board, you would reduce violence levels dramatically - that's something we're focused on."

He said he did not know whether the Scottish government's plan to introduce a minimum price for alcohol of 50p per unit would work.

He said he had supported it on the basis that it was worth a try.

"It won't be the only answer. It will have to work with other things, but I'm for giving it a try."

Asked what he personally brought to the role of Scotland's first national chief constable, Steve House, 55, who was short-listed for the post of London's Met Commissioner in August 2011, said that despite his English accent he had been born in Glasgow where he had spent the first 12 years of his life and considered himself a Scot.

He said: "I'm not at the Met, I'm here in Scotland. I'd rather being doing the job I'm doing right now.

"I went for the job, I wanted the job, I didn't get it. You move on."

Local plans

Mr House, who will lead a team of 11 senior officers which includes only one woman, said he wanted to help more female officers reach higher rank and suggested he would be delighted if he eventually handed over command of the service to a woman.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Making sure there is local policing by local consent is something we should cherish"

End Quote Willie Rennie Scottish Liberal Democrat leader

"It would be great for me if, when I pass the role on, a woman gets the job. That would be fantastic," he said.

He also rejected suggestions that the new national force would damage local law enforcement priorities, insisting that an individual policing plan had been drawn up for each one of Scotland's 353 local council wards.

"It's a hugely locally-focused service. There is no redeployment of officers across the country.

"All 14 divisional commanders are people who came up through the ranks in that part of the country.

"It's very local and it's tuned to the local needs and requirements of each community."

But the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Willie Rennie said he was not convinced.

He insisted that too much power in Scotland was being concentrated in the hands of three people: the chief constable; the lord advocate who heads the Crown Office, Scotland's prosecution service; and the justice secretary in the Scottish government.

He said: "The idea that centralisation, that pulling everything into the centre, to get economies of scale - it can't necessarily save money.

"In fact, what you lose is the local leadership and the local connection.

"Actually making sure there is local policing by local consent is something we should cherish, and we should not dismiss too lightly."

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Mitchell complains to IPCC over Met

30 March 2013 Last updated at 20:07 ET

Ex-cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell has launched a stinging attack on Scotland Yard over its inquiry into the 'plebgate' row.

In a letter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, he claims the force leaked contents of its own report.

His letter accuses the police of a "dishonest and illicit attempt to blacken my name and destroy my career".

The Metropolitan Police said inquiries into the matter were continuing.

Mr Mitchell has repeatedly denied claims, first reported in the Sun, that he swore and called police officers 'plebs' but he later resigned as chief whip.

He is suing the Sun over those claims.

A spokesman for the Sun newspaper said: "We stand by our story and will defend this claim vigorously."

Asked about Mr Mitchell's complaint to the IPCC, a Met Police spokesman said "our inquiries continue".

The spokesman added that the Met had "sent a report to the Crown Prosecution Service on Thursday as part of our investigation and a copy of this file was also sent to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, as they are supervising our investigation".

Continue reading the main story

• 19 September - Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell allegedly calls police officers "plebs" during argument in Downing Street
• 20 September - The story is revealed in the Sun
• 21 September - Mr Mitchell denies using word "plebs" but apologises for being disrespectful to police
• 17 October - Labour leader Ed Miliband says Mr Mitchell is "toast", as poor media coverage continues
• 19 October - Mr Mitchell resigns
• 15 December - Police officer arrested on suspicion of misconduct
• 18 December - CCTV coverage casts doubt on police officers' version of events
• 19 December - 23-year-old man arrested
• 31 January 2013 - 46-year-old male police officer arrested
• 1 February 2013 - 46-year-old female police officer arrested

So far four people - including three police officers - have been arrested as part of the investigation into the incident, which happened in September last year.

Initial reports had said that the former Conservative cabinet minister lost his temper and allegedly swore at police when they refused to open the gates for him as he cycled out.

Mr Mitchell admitted there was an exchange and resigned from the cabinet - but denied directly swearing at any officers and denied using the word "pleb".

CCTV footage of the incident later cast doubt on the police reports.

Those arrested in relation to the incident include:

• A 52-year-old from the Diplomatic Protection Group who was held on 15 December on suspicion of misconduct in public office and bailed until April
• Two 46-year-olds from the same command were held on 31 January and 1 February for allegedly passing information to the media and were bailed until May
• A 23-year-old man who does not work for the police was also arrested and bailed until May

All three police officers remain suspended.

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Police officer 'sues crime victim'

31 March 2013 Last updated at 09:21 ET

A police officer is suing a petrol station owner after apparently tripping on a kerb on his property when called to reports of a break-in.

PC Kelly Jones was called to Harvest filling station in Thetford, Norfolk, last summer.

She was not available for comment but claims she fell and injured her leg.

Norfolk Police said the force was "wholly unaware of this litigation", which it said appears to be "instigated privately" by the officer.

A spokesman added: "We have a duty of care to any officer injured whilst on duty, to support their continued health and well-being and fitness to return to work.

"Officers can, in addition, receive further support from their staff association, as well as pursuing private treatment."

Paul Ridgway, chairman of the Norfolk Police Federation, said it had been made aware of the incident soon after it happened in August.

He said regardless of the federation's view on any member's claim, a claim is forwarded to a solicitor to see whether there is any merit in it.

He added: "All members of the public, regardless of what profession, can claim litigation against people and against private firms - that's why everyone has insurance.

"It's not common, I appreciate that, but the claim has come in and we've honoured the officer's wishes by putting it through to the solicitor."

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France house fire kills children

31 March 2013 Last updated at 07:56 ET

Five children have died in a house fire in northern France, officials say.

The blaze in Saint-Quentin town, about 130km (80 miles) north-east of Paris was accidental, early reports say.

The children's father was also present but escaped with light burns, local officials said.

On Saturday, three people were killed and 13 injured in a fire in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. Officials suspect the fire was "of criminal origin" and an investigation has begun.

Officials said that the blaze, which began at around 22:30 local time (21:30 GMT) in Saint-Quentin was most likely accidental.

The father jumped from the first floor of the building and raised the alarm, local media reports say.

But by the time emergency services arrived, the building was not safe to enter and the children's bodies were discovered when the fire had been put out.

Four of those injured in the Aubervilliers fire were in a serious condition. Around 60 people were reported to be in the seven-storey building when the fire began.

"The fire was probably of criminal origin, it looks like it was a settling of scores," the mayor's Chief of Staff Michael Dahan told TF1 radio.

Aubervilliers' deputy mayor for housing Evelyne Yonnet told French media the building was "very badly managed, with a squatting problem".

Those who escaped from the building were being temporarily housed in a local gymnasium, reports say.

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Welfare cuts unjust, say churches

31 March 2013 Last updated at 07:59 ET

Four churches have joined forces to accuse the government of welfare payment cuts they say are unjust and target society's most vulnerable.

The Easter criticism has come from the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist and United Reformed Churches, and the Church of Scotland.

They also want to see a change to "a false picture" of the poor as "lazy".

The government said society suffered when people were paid more to be unemployed than to work.

A series of changes to benefits are being made in April - including capping rises on working-age benefits at 1% - which will affect hundreds of thousands of households across the UK.

Ministers say they are necessary to tackle the rising cost to the taxpayer.

Rising costs

But the churches accuse politicians and parts of the media of making the cuts easier to impose by misrepresenting poor people as lazy.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury has also challenged the government's proposals to cap increases in benefits

The Methodist Church's public policy adviser, Paul Morrison, said the British public had "come to believe things about the poorest in our society which are just straightforwardly not true.

"The public believes that the major cause of poverty is laziness, yet the majority of people in poverty work. How can that be the case?"

And the Reverend Jonathan Edwards, general secretary of the Baptist Union, said "The one interesting fact I find is that the majority, the rise in poverty over the last decade, has been more amongst those on low income than on those who are unemployed."

The government says it has always been clear that the system is failing people, not the other way around.

The Department for Work and Pensions said in a statement: "It's not fair that benefits claimants can receive higher incomes than families who are in work - in some cases more than double the average household income."

'Paying price'

Earlier this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury backed an open letter, signed by 43 of his bishops, criticising plans to limit rises in working-age benefits and some tax credits to 1% for three years.

He said the current system recognised rising costs of food, fuel and housing by giving benefit rises in line with inflation.

"These changes will mean it is children and families who will pay the price for high inflation, rather than the government," he said.

In response, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith told MPs he did not agree that "the way to get children out of poverty is to simply keep transferring more and more money to keep them out of work".

"The reality is what we're having to do is reform a system that became completely out of control under the last government, get people back in work, for being in work is how you get your children out of poverty."

He said the government was doing "the right thing" in bringing in the benefit caps because "people on low and average earnings will realise, at last, that those on benefits will not be able to be paid more in taxes than they themselves earn."

Archbishop Welby later wrote on his blog that he was questioning one aspect of the government's wide-ranging welfare changes, not condemning efforts to make work pay and improve people's livelihoods which he said were, in general, "incredibly brave".

He said Mr Duncan Smith had spent "hard years turning himself into a leading and principled expert on welfare, its effects and shortcomings".

"He is introducing one of the biggest and most thorough reforms of a system that most people admit is shot full of holes, wrong incentives, and incredible complexity."

'Radical redesign'

Other changes to benefits being made in April include:

• The introduction of a new benefit, the personal independence payment (PIP), to be rolled out across the UK from 8 April to replace disability living allowance (DLA) for people of working age.
• Less housing benefit from the beginning of April for UK families living in council or housing accommodation judged to be larger than they need. Only those of working age will see reduced payments.
• A cap from 15 April, in England, Scotland and Wales, on the total amount of benefit working-age people (16-64) can receive

Continue reading the main story

You ought to be able to go out to work and know you're better off without having to spend an hour-and-a-half in front of a Jobcentre Plus computer trying to do calculations"

End Quote Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps

Meanwhile, the government is scaling back some of its plans to test the new Universal Credit, which will gradually - by 2017 - replace five work-based benefits with one benefit, affecting millions of claimants across the UK.

Ministers planned to allow people to make the new claims in four areas of north-west England from April.

But it has emerged that three of the pilots will not start until July.

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps told BBC News the existing system had been "rather a cruel one" because "it costs you more, sometimes, to go to work".

"You ought to be able to go out to work and know you're better off without having to spend an hour-and-a-half in front of a Jobcentre Plus computer trying to do calculations as to whether you'll lose this benefit or that benefit.

"That's what we'll get with Universal Credit and and it means that money that is there can be focused on people who most need it."

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Coldest Easter on record for UK

31 March 2013 Last updated at 08:44 ET

Easter Sunday has been confirmed as the coldest Easter day on record, with the lowest temperature recorded as -12.5C in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands.

The previous coldest Easter day since modern records began in 1960 was Easter Monday in 1986, which dipped to -9.8C, the Met Office said.

Average temperatures for this time of year are between 10C and 13C.

The prolonged cold spell covering the UK could last until mid-April, forecasters say.

Easter Monday is expected to remain very cold.

Easter itself is a moveable celebration which falls on the Sunday after the spring full moon, and can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April.

Only about 22% of Easters fall in March, a Met Office spokesman said.

The Easter record comes after the entire month of March was provisionally declared the coldest since 1962 in the UK.

The Met Office said that from 1 March to 26 March the UK mean temperature was 2.5C, which is three degrees below the long-term average.

Looking at individual nations, March 2013 is likely to be the fourth coldest on record for England, joint third coldest for Wales, joint eighth coldest for Scotland and sixth coldest for Northern Ireland.

The unseasonably wintry weather has caused problems in parts of the UK, including with electricity, farming and agriculture, and the road network.

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Pope delivers Easter plea for peace

31 March 2013 Last updated at 09:18 ET

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Pope Francis: "We ask the risen Jesus... to change hatred into love"

Pope Francis has delivered a passionate plea for peace in his first Easter Sunday message since being elected.

Francis used his "Urbi et Orbi" address to call for peace in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and across the globe.

He singled out "dear Syria", saying: "How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution is found?"

Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar and pilgrims have attended church across the world.

• In Iraq, Catholics flocked to churches amid tight security. Some 200 worshippers celebrated Mass at St Joseph Chaldean Church in Baghdad
• In South Africa, many congregations included ailing former President Nelson Mandela in their prayers
• In a message for Easter, UK Prime Minister David Cameron praised the "incredible role" played by Christian churches and organisations in Britain and around the globe

'Divided by greed'

Pope Francis, formerly Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected on 13 March, becoming the first non-European pope for almost 1,300 years.

He replaced Benedict XVI, who held the office for eight years and became the first pontiff in more than 700 years to resign, saying he no longer had the physical strength to continue.

In his Urbi et Orbi (To the city and the world) speech, Pope Francis began with a simple "Happy Easter!"

Continue reading the main story

• Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936 (age 76) in Buenos Aires, of Italian descent
• Ordained as a Jesuit in 1969
• Studied in Argentina, Chile and Germany
• Became Cardinal of Buenos Aires in 1998
• Seen as orthodox on sexual matters but strong on social justice
• First Latin American and first Jesuit to become pope, the 266th to lead the Church

The 76-year-old Pope, who has begun his tenure by emphasising humility, went on: "Christ has risen! What a joy it is for me to announce this message... I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons."

Later in his speech, Pope Francis said: "We ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace."

The Pope then mentioned troubled regions of the world in turn.

"Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long.

"Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort."

For Africa, the Pope referred to Mali, Nigeria - "where attacks sadly continue" - the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

He added: "Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow."

Pope Francis concluded by saying: "Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this 21st Century."

BBC Rome correspondent, Alan Johnston, says the Pope has reinforced his image as a man of simple, down-to-earth tastes, not wearing the more ostentatious of papal costumes and, for the moment, not moving into the grandiose papal apartments.

One pilgrim in Rome on Sunday, Briton Tina Hughes, said that Francis represented a "new beginning".

"I think he brings something special. He connects with people. I feel good about him," she told Reuters.

In the days before Easter, the Pope had reached out to women and Muslims.

During a Holy Thursday Mass at a youth detention centre he washed and kissed the feet of 12 people, including two girls and two Muslims, and in a Good Friday procession referred to the "friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters" in the Middle East.

But our correspondent says that, after Easter, the Pope will have to begin tackling the key issues facing the Catholic Church, such as reforming a Vatican bureaucracy riven by infighting and allegations of corruption, and tackling the issue of clerical sexual abuse.

Vatican watchers will also be keeping a keen eye on new appointments to key positions.

In his Easter homily, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, invited the Pope to visit.

The patriarch, the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, also urged the international community to take "concrete and effective decisions to find a balanced and just solution for the Palestinian cause, which lies at the heart of all the Middle East's troubles".

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PM marginalising Christians - Carey

30 March 2013 Last updated at 05:22 ET

The former archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has accused David Cameron of making Christians feel marginalised.

He said it was a "bit rich" for the prime minister to tell religious leaders to oppose secularisation.

This follows comments made by the PM at a pre-Easter Downing Street reception for faith leaders.

A Downing Street spokesman rejected the criticism, saying Mr Cameron valued "the profound contribution" Christianity had made to UK life.

But Lord Carey wrote in the Daily Mail that the government seemed to be "aiding and abetting" aggressive secularisation.

He also said Mr Cameron had done more than any other recent political leader to increase Christian anxieties.

Many Christians doubted the sincerity of Mr Cameron's support of Christians' right to practise their faith, he said.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The danger I believe that the government is courting with its approach both to marriage and religious freedom is the alienation of a large minority of people who, only a few years ago, would have been considered pillars of society"

End Quote Lord Carey

Lord Carey said: "I like David Cameron and believe he is genuinely sincere in his desire to make Britain a generous nation where we care for one another and where people of faith may exercise their beliefs fully.

"But it was a bit rich to hear that the prime minister has told religious leaders that they should 'stand up and oppose aggressive secularisation' when it seems that his government is aiding and abetting this aggression every step of the way.

"At his pre-Easter Downing Street reception for faith leaders, he said that he supported Christians' right to practise their faith. Yet many Christians doubt his sincerity."

Lord Carey also that said a recent ComRes poll suggested "more than two-thirds of Christians feel that they are part of a 'persecuted minority'".

"Their fears may be exaggerated because few in the UK are actually persecuted, but the prime minister has done more than any other recent political leader to feed these anxieties."

He said that Mr Cameron "seems to have forgotten in spite of his oft-repeated support for the right of Christians to wear the cross, that lawyers acting for the coalition argued only months ago in the Strasbourg court that those sacked for wearing a cross against their employer's wishes should simply get another job".

'Profound contribution'

And Lord Carey spoke of being "very suspicious" that behind plans for gay marriage "there lurks an aggressive secularist and relativist approach towards an institution that has glued society".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Lord Carey has no right to insist that his discriminatory and intolerant views should prevail over those of the public and Parliament"

End Quote Keith Porteous Wood, National Secular Society

"The danger I believe that the government is courting with its approach both to marriage and religious freedom is the alienation of a large minority of people who, only a few years ago, would have been considered pillars of society."

However, a Downing Street spokesman rejected the criticism, saying: "Christianity plays a vital part in the Big Society, from the many brilliant church schools to the huge number of charitable causes based in churches across the country.

"The prime minister values the profound contribution that Christianity has made and continues to make to the country, which is why he strongly backs it."

The National Secular Society, meanwhile, urged the prime minister to "ignore Lord Carey's theocratic and anti-democratic blustering".

"Nothing in the proposed same-sex marriage laws require Christians to conduct or partake in same-sex marriage, and Lord Carey has no right to insist that his discriminatory and intolerant views should prevail over those of the public and Parliament," executive director Keith Porteous Wood said.

Christians were "far from being marginalised in this country", he added.

He said the UK was "the only country in the world to give bishops the right to sit in its Parliament" despite "precipitously declining support, as shown by the congregations declining and ageing for many decades".

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Climber dies in 100ft Snowdonia fall

30 March 2013 Last updated at 06:05 ET

An ice climber has died after falling 100ft (30m) from a snow-covered mountain in Snowdonia.

The man was flown by helicopter to hospital in Bangor following the fall 2,500ft (762m) up on Glyder Fawr above the Ogwen Valley.

But attempts to revive him en-route by the crew from RAF Valley failed and he was confirmed dead in hospital.

Crews later rescued a couple who who had become stuck in the snow on the other side of the valley.

The walkers, who were in their late twenties, were winched to safety from their position 2,000ft (610m) up Carnedd Dafydd.

Chris Lloyd of Ogwen mountain rescue team said someone had seen the ice climber fall a long distance, while the stranded pair had been "on a summer walking route".

He added: "Conditions are hazardous. There is a risk of powdered snow avalanche and there is also a hard crust."

Earlier this week, rescuers warned people not to go into the mountains of north Wales over Easter unless fully prepared.

Two separate rescues took place on Monday involving a total of six people and a further two rescues of walkers during during a 24 hour period happened in the last few days.

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N Korea in 'state of war' with South

30 March 2013 Last updated at 06:29 ET

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The BBC's Lucy Williamson: "North Korea and America are in a kind of 'who blinks first' game"

North Korea has said it is entering a "state of war" with South Korea in the latest escalation of rhetoric against its neighbour and the US.

A statement promised "stern physical actions" against "any provocative act".

North Korea has threatened attacks almost daily since it was sanctioned for a third nuclear test in February.

However, few think the North would risk full-blown conflict. It has technically been at war with the South since 1953 as no peace treaty has been signed.

An armistice at the end of the Korean War was never turned into a full treaty.

'Taking threats seriously'

The North carried out its third nuclear test on 12 February, which led to the imposition of fresh sanctions.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Over the past few weeks, there's been an ever-growing war of words between the two sides, and this latest statement in particular has made the Koreas' neighbours nervous.

Tensions have built quickly since the UN Security Council imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea. The fact that Pyongyang's only major ally, China, backed the sanctions - and even helped to frame them - has left the North's regime feeling more isolated than ever. Some believe its current hardline rhetoric is in part to send a warning to Beijing not to antagonise it.

Most analysts believe that Pyongyang is unlikely to start a full-blown war with South Korea or its key ally, the US, but that other kinds of provocations are much more likely. And with South Korea promising a strong response to any action by the North, many fear that a minor - or even accidental - incident could quickly escalate.

The annual US-South Korean military exercises have also taken place, angering Pyongyang further.

A North Korean statement released on Saturday said: "From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over."

In Washington, Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said the US had "seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea".

"We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," she said.

North Korea has made multiple threats against both the US and South Korea in recent weeks, including warning of a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on the US and the scrapping of the Korean War armistice.

On Thursday, North Korean state media reported leader Kim Jong-un "judged the time has come to settle accounts with the US imperialists".

He was said to have condemned US B-2 bomber sorties over South Korea during military exercises as a "reckless phase" that represented an "ultimatum that they will ignite a nuclear war at any cost on the Korean peninsula".

US mainland and bases in Hawaii, Guam and South Korea were all named as potential targets.

State media in the North showed thousands of soldiers and students at a mass rally in Pyongyang supporting Kim Jong-un's announcement.

North Korea's most advanced missiles are thought to be able to reach Alaska, but not the rest of the US mainland.

On Wednesday, Pyongyang cut a military hotline with the South - the last direct official link between the two nations.

Continue reading the main story

Timeline: Korean tensions

• 12 Dec: North Korea fires three-stage rocket, in move condemned by UN as banned test of long-range missile technology
• 12 Feb: North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test, its third after tests in 2006 and 2009
• 7 Mar: UN approves fresh sanctions on Pyongyang; North Korea says it has the right to a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on the US
• 11 Mar: US-South Korea annual joint military drills begin; North Korea says it has scrapped the Korean War armistice (the UN says the pact cannot be unilaterally scrapped)
• 19 Mar: US flies B-2 nuclear-capable bombers over Korean peninsula, following several North Korean threats to attack US and South Korean targets
• 20 Mar: Broadcasters and banks in South Korea hit by cyber attack, the origin of which remains unknown, days after North Korea says some of its sites were hacked
• 27 Mar: North Korea cuts military hotline with South, the last official direct link between the two
• 28 Mar: US flies stealth bombers over Korean peninsula; showcasing ability for precision strike "at will"
• 30 Mar: North Korea says it is entering a "state of war" with South Korea

A Red Cross hotline and another line used to communicate with the UN Command at Panmunjom have already been cut, although an inter-Korean air-traffic hotline still exists.

The jointly run Kaesong industrial park, just north of the border, is still in operation. However on Saturday, Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency said it would be closed if insults to the North's "dignity" continued.

On 16 March, North Korea warned of attacks against South Korea's border islands, and advised residents to leave the islands. In 2010, it shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong island, causing four deaths.

'Maximum restraint'

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the latest rhetoric only deepened North Korea's isolation.

China, North Korea's biggest trading partner, has reiterated its call for all sides to ease tensions.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news conference that "joint efforts" should be made to turn around a "tense situation".

On Saturday, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Grigory Logvinov told the Interfax news agency: "We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return."

He said: "Naturally, we cannot remain indifferent when an escalation of tensions is taking place at our eastern frontiers. We cannot but worry."

One South Korean resident, Lee Gae-hwa, told Reuters news agency she felt "very scared", adding: "I hope we can find a good solution since we're from the same nation."

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Hopes fade for Tibet buried miners

30 March 2013 Last updated at 06:30 ET

Hopes are fading for more than 80 miners buried in a landslide on Friday in Tibet.

Chinese media said the first body had been found - but only 36 hours after the landslip - and that the chances of finding survivors were slim.

The miners' camp, 70km (45 miles) east of Lhasa, was destroyed by thousands of tonnes of rock.

Rescuers have been hampered by freezing weather, altitude sickness and risks of further landslides.

Xinhua news agency said that as of 10:00 local time (02:00 GMT) no survivors had been found and later reported that the first body had been discovered at 17:35 local time.

"The miners' survival chances were slim due to the scale of the landslide," it quoted one rescue worker as saying.

The landslide took place at 06:00 local time on Friday at the mine, which lies at an altitude of 4,600m (15,000ft), burying 83 workers.

Some 2,000 police, firefighters and doctors have been sent to the disaster site, setting up temporary accommodation at a safe distance. About 200 bulldozers have been deployed to shift rock.

Xinhua said cracks on nearby mountains suggested there could be further land slips.

"Temperatures as low as -3C have affected the sniffer dogs' sense of smell," it added.

More than 300,000 cu m of debris had been removed by midday on Saturday.

Huge resources

The mine in Maizhokunggar county, which produces copper, as well as some silver and gold, is operated by a subsidiary of state-owned China National Gold Group, China's biggest gold producer.

President Xi Jinping is said to have ordered authorities to "spare no efforts" in the rescue operation.

Most of the workers were ethnic Han Chinese from Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, with two reported to be ethnic Tibetans.

Police said the area that collapsed was up to 4 sq km (1.5 sq miles).

Chinese officials believe the Tibetan plateau has huge resources, including millions of tonnes of copper, lead, zinc and iron ore.

Critics claim that Beijing's interests are driven by a desire to exploit the region's rich mineral wealth.

The government argues its investment brings modernisation and better living standards for local Tibetans.

The landslip came on the same day as a gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Jilin province.

Some 28 people were killed at the Babao mine in the city of Baishan.

Another 13 miners were rescued after the explosion.

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Post Office staff go on strike

30 March 2013 Last updated at 07:12 ET

More than 2,000 staff at Post Office Crown offices have gone on strike in a row over jobs, pay and closures.

Members of the Communication Workers Union have walked out at 370 sites in a dispute over proposals to close or franchise out 70 of the branches.

The union said the plans would affect hundreds of jobs and be a further blow for already struggling High Streets.

The Post Office said many of its Crown offices had opened for business and its 11,500 branch offices were unaffected.

A Post Office spokeswoman said they had been contacting their crown offices during the day and 101 of them were open.

Continue reading the main story

We cannot allow the Post Office to walk all over us, we do need to stand up for ourselves"

End Quote Andy Furey Communication Workers Union

She added the union was ignoring "harsh realities", with the offices losing £40m a year.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) claimed that staff had not had a pay rise for two years.

A CWU spokeswoman told the BBC the strike was "solidly supported" by its members.

She added: "We know that the larger offices are being kept open with only the manager present as they are not members of our union, but our members are on strike.

"What we need is a meeting where we can negotiate with the Post Office as we genuinely believe we can sort this out. If not then we are prepared for more strike action."

'Transforming network'

Crown offices are Post Office branches directly managed by the company - as opposed to locally-run by sub-post offices - mainly based in major High Streets.

CWU's assistant secretary Andy Furey told BBC News: "We cannot allow the Post Office to walk all over us, we do need to stand up for ourselves so this could be the first of many strikes.

"Hopefully it won't be. Hopefully the Post Office will come to the bargaining table."

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "The Post Office's plans are short-sighted and would rob the network of the most productive offices while simultaneously putting hundreds of jobs at risk and potentially damaging local economies."

'Regret disruption'

The union said the Post Office's Crown offices accounted for one-fifth of the business's total workload.

It also said a meeting at the conciliation service Acas failed to break the deadlock, adding that "our members are steadfast in their conviction that the Crown network is valuable for local communities".

Post Office network and sales director Kevin Gilliland said: "We regret any disruption to services the CWU's call for strike action may cause to customers.

"Crown branches are currently losing £40m per year and this is being subsidised by public money. This cannot continue.

"We are committed to the Post Office remaining a key part of UK high streets and our plans ensure this will happen."

He went on to say its reforms mean 70 of Crown branches will be looking to "partner with a suitable retailer", while at the same time the Post Office would invest £70 million in the remaining 300 Crown branches to "modernise and grow services to ensure their long-term viability".

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Mandela breathing without difficulty

30 March 2013 Last updated at 07:51 ET

Nelson Mandela is breathing without difficulty, South Africa's presidency has said, as he spends a third day in hospital with a lung infection.

Mr Mandela, 94, was comfortable and was continuing to respond to treatment, the statement from South African President Jacob Zuma's office said.

It said fluid had been drained from Mr Mandela's lungs - a pleural effusion - to enable him to breathe more easily.

There are no details yet on how long he will remain in hospital.

After Mr Mandela was admitted to hospital late on Wednesday, President Zuma said people "must not panic".

The former president first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained on windswept Robben Island.

His lungs are said to have been damaged while working in a prison quarry. This latest spell in hospital is his fourth in just over two years.

Mr Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is regarded by many as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid.

'Thoughts and prayers'

On Friday, Mr Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, told public broadcaster SABC on Friday that he was "doing well".

"He's responding very well to treatment," said Ms Madikizela-Mandela at a church service in Soweto.

Continue reading the main story

• 1918 Born in the Eastern Cape
• 1943 Joins African National Congress
• 1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped
• 1962 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison
• 1964 Charged again, sentenced to life
• 1990 Freed from prison
• 1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize
• 1994 Elected first black president
• 1999 Steps down as leader
• 2004 Retires from public life
• 2005 Announces his son has died of an HIV/Aids-related illness

The hospital Mr Mandela is attending has not been disclosed.

Last December Mr Mandela was treated for a lung infection and gallstones - his longest period in hospital since leaving prison in 1990. In February, he was treated for a stomach condition.

When asked whether people should prepare for the inevitable, Mr Zuma said: "In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has gone home. I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about."

But he stressed that Mr Mandela had been able to handle the situation "very well" so far.

BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says South Africans have been praying for the recovery of Mr Mandela, who remains a moral beacon in the country despite withdrawing from public life almost a decade ago.

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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela: "We are very grateful - the world is on our side"

Despite his long imprisonment, Mr Mandela forgave his former enemies and as president urged South Africans of all races to work together and seek reconciliation.

In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

His main home is in Qunu, a small rural village in Eastern Cape province, where he says he spent the happiest days of his childhood.

However, doctors said in December he should remain at his home in the Johannesburg neighbourhood of Houghton to be close to medical facilities.

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NUT calls for Ofsted chief to resign

30 March 2013 Last updated at 08:08 ET

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for the resignation of Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw over claims he is demoralising teachers.

The NASUWT union, meeting in Bournemouth, also called for changes to the schools inspection body or, if that fails, to campaign for its abolition.

The NUT's Liverpool conference is to debate a motion of no-confidence in Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Ofsted said its inspections were helping to raise educational standards.

Both teaching unions are in dispute with ministers over pay, pensions and workload. Fresh strikes are expected in the summer.

'Unnecessary change'

Teachers at the NUT conference

The NASUWT conference in Bournemouth heard complaints that England's inspectorate - Ofsted - and that of Wales (Estyn) had become "politicised and punitive"

One delegate told the conference Ofsted inspectors had "scorched earth policies".

The government plans to bring in performance-related pay, meaning teachers will no longer receive semi-automatic pay rises as they gain experience.

It says the change will drive up teaching standards by giving head teachers flexibility to reward the best teachers.

But Christine Blower, the general secretary of the NUT says the change is "unnecessary and unwanted" and "is really about keeping pay down".

"It's not just about performance-related pay - it's about changing teachers' pay structures," she told the Today programme on BBC Radio Four.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Most teachers like acknowledgement for their work. It will give heads autonomy"

End Quote Head teacher Dame Sally Coates

"At the moment they know they are on a pay scale. Teachers' pay is not fantastically high for a graduate profession - you start on £21,000 a year . It [the pay scale] has given teachers a trajectory about where they are going, which has made salaries more attractive."

Head teachers in academies already have the power to vary teachers' pay and conditions.

Dame Sally Coates, the head of Burlington Danes Academy in west London, told Today she supported the idea of performance-related pay and was already using it.

"Most teachers like acknowledgement for their work. It will give heads autonomy," she said.

Opposition to planned changes to pay and conditions for teachers are high on the agendas at the teachers' annual conferences and the NASUWT and the NUT are set to endorse plans for further strikes on these issues, plus workloads and pensions.

Local strikes will begin in late June, after the exam season, and a national strike is being planned for later in the year.

Teachers' rallies

The coalition has brought in widespread changes to education since it came to power three years ago and says these will help drive up standards in England's schools.

The two big classroom teachers' unions oppose many of the changes, particularly the move towards academy and free schools as well as performance-related pay.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Teachers recognise that public services have to be accountable. They are not afraid of inspections but they feel it has become an unproductive and punitive regime"

End Quote Chris Keates, NASUWT

They are planning to hold rallies on strike days to try to gather support from parents, who could face disruption if schools are closed.

Parents group Parents Aloud recently complained about the prospect of more strikes.

Both unions are critical of England's schools inspectors Ofsted.

The NASUWT has published a survey of nearly 3,000 of its members, which found nearly all (95%) said the school inspection system operated "in the interests of politicians rather than the public or pupils".

And 80% said they agreed that the current model of school inspection "unfairly undermines public confidence in the education system".

The survey was carried out online by the union last month.

The general secretary of the NASUWT Chris Keates said teachers understood the need for inspection, but believed it had become too "high stakes" because a bad Ofsted rating could lead to a school being taken over or turned in to an academy.

"Teachers recognise that public services have to be accountable. They are not afraid of inspections but they feel it has become an unproductive and punitive regime," she said."And they are deeply concerned about the politicisation of Ofsted. It's now holding schools to account and has become a hit squad for the implementation of government policy.

"It's creating a climate of fear in schools and doing nothing to raise school standards."

Ofsted has been built up by the government, which sees it as a key way of protecting and improving standards in schools, especially since many schools are becoming academies, which are independent from local authorities.

The chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has cut the categories schools are rated by, scrapping the "satisfactory" rating. He says all schools should that pass their inspection should be rated as "good" or "outstanding".

He has also called for a sharper focus on teaching, saying schools should only be given the highest rating - outstanding - if they are ranked outstanding for teaching. In the past, this did not have to be the case.

'Tough message'

Sir Michael was not available to be interviewed, but a spokeswoman for Ofsted said: "Sir Michael has said from the outset any provision that is less than good is not acceptable.

"That's a tough message, especially for those schools and colleges that have been coasting. It's inevitable that when you challenge the system to do better, you will get some pushback."

She said the inspectorate had a new regional structure which gave "support as well as challenge" for schools and promoted improvement.

It was working towards its ambition of "ensuring a good education for every child".

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We need an education system that is on a par with the world's best.

"Our academies programme is turning around hundreds of underperforming schools, we are introducing a world class curriculum and our reforms to exams will create qualifications that will keep pace with the demands of universities and employers."

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Cyprus 'will not leave the euro'

29 March 2013 Last updated at 06:00 ET

Cyprus has no intention of the leaving the European single currency, the country's president says.

President Nicos Anastasiades said: "In no way will we experiment with the future of our country."

He said the financial situation was "contained" following the 10bn euro bailout deal with the EU and IMF.

Banks opened on Thursday for the first time in nearly two weeks amid severe new rules imposed as part of the bailout deal.

Queues formed of people trying to access their money, but the mood was generally calm.

By Friday, banks had returned to their normal working hours and there were no longer reports of big queues.

Continue reading the main story

• Daily withdrawals limited to 300 euros
• Cashing of cheques banned
• Those travelling abroad can take no more than 1,000 euros out of the country
• Payments and/or transfers outside Cyprus via debit and or credit cards permitted up to 5,000 euros per month
• Businesses able to carry out transactions up to 5,000 euros per day
• Special committee to review commercial transactions between 5,000 and 200,000 euros and approve all those over 200,000 euros on a case-by-case basis
• No termination of fixed-term deposit accounts before maturity

"We have averted the risk of bankruptcy," Mr Anastasiades said on Friday. "The situation, despite the tragedy of it all, is contained."

He told a meeting of civil servants: "We have no intention of leaving the euro."

But he accused other members of the eurozone of making "unprecedented demands that forced Cyprus to become an experiment".

Cyprus needs to raise 5.8bn euros ($7.4bn; £4.9bn) to qualify for the bailout, and has become the first eurozone member country to bring in capital controls to prevent a torrent of money leaving the island and credit institutions collapsing.

As well as a daily withdrawal limit of 300 euros, Cypriots may not cash cheques and those leaving the country will only be allowed to take 1,000 euros with them.

Payments and/or transfers outside Cyprus via debit and or credit cards are allowed up to 5,000 euros per person per month.

Depositors with more than 100,000 euros will see some of their savings exchanged for bank shares.

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Thursday that such controls could gradually be lifted over the course of the month.

But many economists predict the controls could be in place for much longer.

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Tanzania collapse 'traps dozens'

29 March 2013 Last updated at 06:17 ET

At least three people have been killed and dozens more are trapped after a multi-storey building collapsed in the centre of the main Tanzanian city, Dar es Salaam, rescue workers say.

Thirteen people have been pulled out of the ruins alive, officials say.

Some 45 people, including construction workers, residents and children from a Koranic school, are missing.

The BBC's Hassan Mhelela says the 12-floor building under construction is now a "huge pile of chaos".

"I thought there was an earthquake and then I heard screaming. The whole building fell on itself," eyewitness Musa Mohamed told the AFP news agency.

Our reporter says a huge crane is pulling out a mass of iron bars to get access to the centre of the building, where some people are thought to be still alive.

Trapped victims are said to have been making phone calls to friends and relatives.

Bulldozers are also being used to move the rubble, our reporter says.

He says there are large crowds of onlookers, as well as rescue workers and armed police officers at the scene.

The collapsed building was near a mosque, as well as other residential and commercial properties in central Dar es Salaam.

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Potter actor Griffiths dies aged 65

29 March 2013 Last updated at 07:34 ET

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Actor Richard Griffiths, who starred in the Harry Potter movies and Withnail and I, has died at the age of 65 after complications following heart surgery.

Griffiths enjoyed a long career of success on film and on TV, but also on the stage where he was a Tony-winning character actor.

He was best known for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films and Uncle Monty in Withnail and I.

TV roles included playing a cookery-loving detective in Pie in the Sky.

And on stage, his most acclaimed performance was as the charismatic teacher Hector in Alan Bennett's The History Boys, a role he recreated in the 2006 film version.

He was appointed an OBE in the 2008 New Year Honours.

He was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, and left school at 15 but later returned to education to study drama, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He married Heather Gibson in 1980 after they met during a production of Lady Windermere's Fan in 1973.

His early TV career saw him land bit parts in series such as Minder, The Sweeney and Bergerac, while he also played small parts in major movies such as Chariots of Fire, Superman II and Gandhi

But it was his role as the predatory Uncle Monty in Withnail And I - which has become of one of the biggest cult classics in British cinema history - which made him a fan favourite.

His Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe - who also appeared on stage with him in Equus - was among the first to pay tribute, saying: "Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career. I was proud to know him."

Sir Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre, said Griffiths's unexpected death would devastate his "army of friends".

He said: "Richard Griffiths wasn't only one of the most loved and recognisable British actors - he was also one of the very greatest.

"His performance in The History Boys was quite overwhelming: a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously.

"His anecdotes were legendary. They were, literally, endless. They would go on for hours, apparently without destination, constantly side-splitting."

Actor Warwick Davis told BBC News he had the upmost respect for someone with such a great filmography behind them.

"You got a great deal of support (as an actor) for having Richard about.

"He was lovely, he would always make time for his fans, that's what makes a great actor, it's about having a good persona."

His agent Simon Beresford described him as a "remarkable man".

He said: "On stage he allowed us to share in our own humanity and constantly question our differences.

"Richard gave acting a good name. He was a remarkable man and one of our greatest and best-loved actors. He will be greatly missed."

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Russia warns of North Korea 'spiral'

29 March 2013 Last updated at 07:52 ET

Russia has warned of tensions in North Korea slipping out of control, after Pyongyang said it was placing its missile units on stand-by.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the situation could slip "toward the spiral of a vicious circle".

Kim Jong-un made the missile order after talks responding to US stealth bomber flights over the Korean peninsula, state news agency KCNA said.

The time had come to "settle accounts" with the US, KCNA quoted him as saying.

Annual military drills and fresh UN sanctions have angered North Korea.

After a late-night meeting with the army's strategic rocket force, Kim Jong-un "judged the time has come to settle accounts with the US imperialists", KCNA reported.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Charles Scanlon BBC News

---

Bluff has long played a fundamental role in North Korean strategy.

The regime in Pyongyang needs its much more powerful neighbours and antagonists to take its threats seriously.

By threatening potential chaos and war in the heart of the world's most dynamic economic region, it has in the past been able to transcend its own weakness and extract diplomatic concessions.

But the United States may be about to call North Korea's bluff.

The US treasury department is taking steps to squeeze North Korea financially, and the Pentagon has flown B-52 and B-2 bombers over the Korean peninsula - moves that are guaranteed to provoke a hostile reaction.

Washington's tough stance presents Kim Jong-un with a dilemma.

He wants to show his generals and the North Korean people that he can force concessions from the United States - in the same style as his father and grandfather.

He could now be tempted to take brinkmanship to a new level, to try to convince the US and the region that confrontation does not work and carries too many risks.

He was said to have condemned US B-2 bomber sorties over South Korea as a "reckless phase" that represented an "ultimatum that they will ignite a nuclear war at any cost on the Korean Peninsula".

US mainland and bases in Hawaii, Guam and South Korea were all named as potential targets.

The US - which flew two stealth bombers over the peninsula on Thursday as part of the ongoing annual US-South Korea military drills - has said it is ready for "any eventuality" on the peninsula.

Thousands of North Korean soldiers and students later took part in a mass rally in the centre of Pyongyang in support of Kim Jong-un's announcement, beneath large portraits of his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung.

A South Korean defence ministry spokesman described the North Korean decision as a "continuing measure", after its announcement to adopt "combat posture".

'Unacceptable'

China, North Korea's biggest trading partner, immediately reiterated its call for all sides to ease tensions.

But Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov went further, voicing concern that "we may simply let the situation slip out of our control and it will slide into a spiral of a vicious circle".

While condemning Pyongyang's actions as "unacceptable", he gave a more general warning that "unilateral steps being taken around North Korea that manifest themselves in a build-up of military activity".

Continue reading the main story

Timeline: Korean tensions

• 12 Dec: North Korea fires three-stage rocket, in move condemned by UN as banned test of long-range missile technology
• 12 Feb: North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test, its third after tests in 2006 and 2009
• 7 Mar: UN approves fresh sanctions on Pyongyang; North Korea says it has the right to a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on the US
• 11 Mar: US-South Korea annual joint military drills begin; North Korea says it has scrapped the Korean War armistice (the UN says the pact cannot be unilaterally scrapped)
• 19 Mar: US flies B-52 nuclear-capable bombers over Korean peninsula, following several North Korean threats to attack US and South Korean targets
• 20 Mar: Broadcasters and banks in South Korea hit by cyber attack, the origin of which remains unknown, days after North Korea says some of its sites were hacked
• 27 Mar: North Korea cuts military hotline with South, the last official direct link between the two
• 28 Mar: US flies stealth bombers over Korean peninsula; showcasing ability for precision strike "at will"

He added what was needed was not a build-up of military muscle and a pretext for using military means to achieve "geopolitical objectives", in remarks seen as an implicit criticism of US bomber flights.

'Joint efforts'

In a statement, the US military said that the B-2 planes demonstrated America's ability to "provide extended deterrence" to its allies and conduct "long-range, precision strikes quickly and at will".

"The North Koreans have to understand that what they're doing is very dangerous," US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters on Thursday. "We must make clear that these provocations by the North are taken by us very seriously and we'll respond to that."

The US had already flown nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea earlier this month, in what it called a response to escalating North Korean threats.

A Yonhap news agency report citing an unidentified military official said increased activity had been noted at North Korea's missile sites, but this remains unconfirmed.

"Intelligence personnel are closely monitoring North Korea's readiness with its short, middle and long range missiles such as Scud missile, Nodong missile and Musudan missile," South Korean defence ministry official Kim Min-seok said.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing that "joint efforts" should be made to turn around a "tense situation". He made similar remarks on Tuesday.

Unprecedented rhetoric

Tensions in the Korean peninsula have been high since North Korea's third nuclear test on 12 February, which led to the imposition of a fresh raft of sanctions.

North Korea has made multiple threats against both the US and South Korea in recent weeks, including warning of a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on the US and the scrapping of the Korean War armistice.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

When you look at occasions where something really did happen, such as the artillery attack on a South Korean island in 2010, you see there were very clear warnings"

End Quote Professor John Delury, Yonsei university

North Korea is not thought to have the technology to strike the US mainland with either a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile, but it is capable of targeting some US military bases in Asia with its mid-range missiles.

While North Korea has issued many threats against the US and South Korea in the past, this level of sustained rhetoric is rare, observers say.

On 16 March, North Korea warned of attacks against South Korea's border islands, and advised residents to leave the islands. In 2010 it shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong island, causing four deaths.

On Wednesday, Pyongyang also cut a military hotline with the South - the last direct official link between the two nations.

A Red Cross hotline and another line used to communicate with the UN Command at Panmunjom have already been cut, although an inter-Korean air-traffic hotline still exists.

The jointly-run Kaesong industrial park is still in operation, however, and over 160 South Korean commuters entered North Korea yesterday to work in its factories.

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Two men die during police car chase

29 March 2013 Last updated at 07:52 ET

Two men have died following a police chase in north London.

The pair were killed when their Audi jumped a red light, clipped a van and collided with a bridge in South Tottenham in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The car's 30-year-old driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

The dead men, aged in their late 20s or early 30s, have not been identified.

They died after officers on routine patrol became suspicious of the Audi, which appeared to make-off at speed when it was driven past police just before 02:00 GMT, officers said.

Dead at scene

After several minutes searching for the car, which had been travelling in the opposite direction, police spotted the vehicle several hundred yards away and sought to catch up.

"Officers gave CPR prior to the arrival of ambulances, but both were pronounced dead at the scene," a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

The driver of the Audi was taken to hospital but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

The driver of the white van was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.

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Mandela making 'steady progress'

29 March 2013 Last updated at 08:01 ET

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South African President Jacob Zuma: "We want Madiba (Mr Mandela) to be with us for a long time"

Nelson Mandela is making "steady progress" after spending a second day in hospital for treatment of a lung infection, the office of South African President Jacob Zuma says.

The 94-year-old is "in good spirits" and enjoyed a full breakfast, it said.

After Mr Mandela was admitted to hospital late on Wednesday, President Zuma said people "must not panic".

The former president first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained on windswept Robben Island.

His lungs are said to have been damaged while working in a prison quarry. This latest spell in hospital is his fourth in just over two years.

Mr Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is regarded by many as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid.

'Thoughts and prayers'

The statement issued by President Zuma's office on Friday said: "Former President Nelson Mandela is in good spirits and enjoyed a full breakfast this morning. The doctors report that he is making steady progress."

Mr Mandela remains under treatment in hospital.

Last December he was treated for a lung infection and gallstones - his longest period in hospital since leaving prison in 1990. In February, he was treated for a stomach condition.

Continue reading the main story

• 1918 Born in the Eastern Cape
• 1943 Joins African National Congress
• 1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped
• 1962 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison
• 1964 Charged again, sentenced to life
• 1990 Freed from prison
• 1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize
• 1994 Elected first black president
• 1999 Steps down as leader
• 2004 Retires from public life
• 2005 Announces his son has died of an HIV/Aids-related illness

On Thursday, US President Barack Obama said he was "deeply concerned with Nelson Mandela's health", adding that "we will be keeping him in our thoughts and prayers".

Earlier, when asked whether people should prepare for the inevitable, Mr Zuma said: "In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has gone home. I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about."

But he stressed that Mr Mandela had been able to handle the situation "very well" so far.

"Very few outstanding personalities in the world live to his level," he said.

Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen in public since.

Despite his long imprisonment, Mr Mandela forgave his former enemies and as president urged South Africans of all races to work together and seek reconciliation.

In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

His main home is in Qunu, a small rural village in Eastern Cape province, where he says he spent the happiest days of his childhood.

However, doctors said in December he should remain at his home in the Johannesburg neighbourhood of Houghton to be close to medical facilities.

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Leeds child heart ops 'had to stop'

29 March 2013 Last updated at 08:19 ET

The medical director of the NHS has defended the suspension of child heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary while a safety review is carried out.

Sir Bruce Keogh said the trust had no choice, after data suggested a death rate twice the national average, and surgeons had raised their concerns.

He conceded the timing, just 24 hours after a High Court ruling kept the unit open, was "embarrassing".

MP Stuart Andrew, who fought to keep the unit open, said it was "very odd".

The hospital is at the centre of a long-running dispute over the future of children's heart services, and an NHS review said surgery would be better focused at fewer, larger sites.

Sir Bruce said as well as the mortality rates, another area of concern among the "constellation of reasons" to suspend operations was the allegation that the hospital was not referring children to other specialist surgical units when appropriate.

"There have been rumblings in the cardiac surgical community for some time that all was not well in Leeds."

On Tuesday, two surgeons had called him to express concerns and on Wednesday there was another telephone call from an "agitated cardiologist".

All three doctors had connections with Leeds but were not staff there, he added.

Continue reading the main story

• Present in about six out of 1,000 babies
• Take form of holes between chambers, blockages in pathways from heart to lungs or body, or abnormal connections between chambers and vessels of heart

The cardiologist was worried about mortality rates for the last two years, which Sir Bruce said were "about twice the national average or more" and rising.

"As medical director I couldn't do nothing. I was really disturbed about the timing of this.

"I couldn't sit back just because the timing was inconvenient, awkward or would look suspicious, as it does."

He visited the hospital on Thursday to present the evidence and the trust decided to suspend operations.

Children who would have been treated in Leeds will be sent to other hospitals around England.

Affected families are being contacted directly by the trust and the review is expected to take three weeks.

Local MPs were enraged by the news. Greg Mulholland, a Liberal Democrat representing Leeds North West, said it was a "deliberate attempt" to undermine the heart unit.

Mr Andrew, Conservative MP for Pudsey, said it was a "very odd" decision coming after the jubilation that greeted the court ruling on Wednesday.

"We have always been told it's safe at Leeds, suddenly that's changed."

He added he had not received one complaint about care, only praise from parents of young patients.

Peter Jacques, from Bradford, said his son, now seven, had a heart operation at Leeds two years ago and the care he received was "outstanding".

He said: "In our opinion, given the initial campaign to reverse the closure of the unit, the timing of this decision is beyond suspicious."

The Children's Heart Federation first raised concerns about death rates at Leeds General Infirmary two years ago.

Chief executive Anne Keatley-Clarke says the charity wrote to the Care Quality Commission again in February about the difficulties parents were experiencing in getting referred elsewhere.

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NHS boss told of 111 line 'concerns'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 00:33 ET

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Dr John Hughes says the 111 service could put lives at risk

The organisation representing British doctors has written to NHS bosses to call for a delay in the launch of a new non-emergency telephone advice line.

The 111 service, replacing NHS Direct, is due to launch in England on Monday.

The British Medical Association's letter to Sir David Nicholson follows reported problems in trial areas.

Health Minister Lord Howe has said some areas will have more time to go live with 111 while "thorough testing" to ensure reliability is carried out.

Lord Howe has already admitted the new 111 telephone advice service - which the government has said will ease pressure on emergency 999 phone lines - had run into "teething problems".

But the BMA said that in several areas it seemed to have been completely unable to cope with call volumes or suffered severe IT failures.

It said patient safety was being put at risk.

'Effectively crashed'

Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the the BMA's GP committee, said: "There have been widespread reports of patients being unable to get through to an operator or waiting hours before getting a call back with the health information they have requested,

"In some areas, such as Greater Manchester, NHS 111 effectively crashed because it was unable to cope with the number of calls it was receiving. The quality of advice being given out has also been questionable in some instances."

He said the "chaotic mess" of 111 was "placing strain" on overstretched parts of the NHS, such as the ambulance service, and potentially placing patients at risk.

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• The free one-stop number is for patients with urgent, but not life-threatening symptoms
• This includes people needing fast medical help, but who are not a 999 emergency
• Trained advisers who answer the phones offer basic health advice and direct the caller to the most appropriate service for their needs - A&E or GP out-of-hours services, for example

"The BMA has been warning the government about the problems with NHS 111 for almost two years. They must finally act to ensure that patient safety is guaranteed," he added.

The BMA said it had written to NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson to call for a delay to the launch of 111 until it was "fully safe for the public".

Dr Buckman said: "We cannot sacrifice patient safety in order to meet a political deadline for the launch of a service that doesn't work properly."

The Department of Health has already sanctioned an extension of up to six months of the original 1 April 2013 deadline for regions struggling to set up the new service.

The NHS Direct 0845 4647 service will continue to be available to callers in areas where the NHS 111 service is not yet available, Lord Howe has said.

These include: North of Tyne and Tees, North Essex, Bedfordshire and Luton, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Leicestershire and Rutland, Berkshire, Cornwall and Devon.

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Boris Berezovsky 'had neck ligature'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 06:10 ET

An inquest into the death of Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has heard he was found lying on his bathroom floor with a "ligature around his neck".

Mr Berezovsky, 67, was discovered at his Berkshire home on Saturday.

A post-mortem examination found his death was consistent with hanging, but further tests are being carried out and are likely to take several weeks.

The inquest, which has been adjourned, comes after relatives of his second wife described him as "extraordinary".

Speaking at the opening of the inquest at Windsor Coroner's Court, Detective Inspector Mark Bissell, of Thames Valley Police, said Mr Berezovsky was found lying on his bathroom floor with a "ligature around his neck and a piece of similar material on the shower rail above him".

The inquest was opened and adjourned by Berkshire Coroner Peter Bedford.

Continue reading the main story

He has taught me to never stop fighting for what one believes in"

End Quote Anastasia Berezovsky Daughter

Janine Prunty, the coroner's officer, confirmed Mr Berezovsky's daughter, Elizaveta Berezovskaya, formally identified the body.

And police confirmed the ambulance crew found the Russian oligarch's body on the floor at his home in Ascot, Berkshire.

The BBC's world affairs correspondent Richard Galpin said the police search of Mr Berezovsky's house will continue for a few days more and other tests are under way.

Following her father's death, Mr Berezovsky's daughter Anastasia, 19, said: "My father was not the typical parent, nothing about him was ordinary... he has taught me many things about this world.

"He has taught me to never stop fighting for what one believes in no matter what the costs may be."

Anastasia and her brother Artem are Mr Berezovsky's children with his second wife Galina Besharova.

She added: "There aren't enough words in any language that can somehow express everything that he was and everything he will continue to be. The only word that comes close is extraordinary."

'No struggle'

Early reports suggested Mr Berezovsky's body was found by an employee, who called an ambulance at 15:18 GMT on Saturday. He had not been seen since around 22:30 GMT the previous evening.

Police have said the post-mortem examination found nothing to indicate a violent struggle.

They had earlier said there was no evidence so far that a "third party" was involved.

It will be several weeks before the results of further tests, including toxicology and histology examinations, are known.

Our correspondent says some friends of Mr Berezovsky had said he was depressed after the failure of his legal battle in London with fellow Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.

But others have insisted he was not a man who would have taken his own life, our correspondent adds.

Mr Berezovsky, an outspoken critic of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, amassed a fortune in the 1990s following the privatisation of state assets after the collapse of Soviet communism.

He survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur.

Mr Berezovsky had been living in the UK since 2000. He was granted political asylum in 2003 on the grounds that his life would be in danger in Russia.

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Pope to wash young offenders' feet

28 March 2013 Last updated at 07:15 ET

Pope Francis will wash the feet of prisoners in a youth detention centre near Rome on Maundy Thursday.

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists are arriving in Rome to attend ceremonies during the holy week ahead of Easter.

The washing of feet on the Thursday before Easter is a Christian tradition commemorating Christ's Last Supper.

In a homily, the Pope urged priests to engage more with parishioners, saying: "It is not in soul-searching... that we encounter the Lord."

Worshippers should "leave Mass looking as if they had heard good news", he told hundreds of cardinals, priests and bishops in St Peter's Basilica.

Easter is the most important festival in the calendar of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St Peter's Basilica, 28 March

On Easter Sunday morning, the new Pope will deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" message to the city of Rome and to the world.

During his inaugural general audience Wednesday, Francis called for an immediate political solution to the conflict in the Central African Republic after last weekend's coup.

Volunteers

The new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics has brought a new sense of simplicity to the Vatican, reports the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

He has broken with tradition for the foot-washing ceremony, which is normally performed on lay people in one of Rome's basilicas.

This time the Pope will visit the Casal del Marmo detention centre on the outskirts of Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the centre in 2007, but not for the Holy Thursday Mass. Only for the first two years of his pontificate did he perform the feet-washing himself, after which the task was delegated to priests.

During the service, the Pope washes and kisses the feet of 12 people to replicate the Bible's account of Jesus Christ's gesture of humility towards his 12 apostles on the night before he was crucified.

Some of the young detainees volunteered to have their feet washed, while others were given an invitation to help them overcome their embarrassment, the Catholic News Agency quoted the prison chaplain as saying.

On Good Friday evening the Pope will carry a wooden cross and pray at a ceremony at Rome's ancient amphitheatre, the Colosseum, commemorating Jesus' crucifixion.

And on Saturday evening Pope Francis will celebrate the main Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter's Basilica.

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Top officer rapped over Hillsborough

28 March 2013 Last updated at 07:29 ET

A police watchdog has said a former chief constable could have been sacked for his actions following the publication of a damning report into the Hillsborough disaster.

Sir Norman Bettison would have a "case to answer for gross misconduct" if he was a serving officer, the IPCC found.

It concluded he tried to influence public perception as West Yorkshire Police Authority was deciding whether to refer him to the IPCC.

His solicitor criticised the findings.

'Dismissal justified'

The Independent Police Complaint Commission's report concluded that Sir Norman, who resigned last year, had a case to answer for discreditable conduct and abuse of authority.

Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, said: "It was the IPCC's view at the start of the investigation, as it was the view of his Police Authority, that Sir Norman's actions, if proven, fell so far short of what is expected of a chief constable that dismissal would be justified. "The evidence uncovered during the investigation supports that view.

"While we cannot bring this case to misconduct proceedings, we can publish the evidence and our conclusions, so that the public can judge for themselves."

Continue reading the main story

We want to see him stripped of his honours - his knighthood and his Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University.""

End Quote Margaret Aspinall Hillsborough Family Support Group

Sir Norman's solicitor, John Harding, said the way in which the investigation had been handled "called into question the fairness of such a process."

He said: "The decision that there is a case to answer is not a finding of guilt. This point is accepted, explicitly, in the foreword of the IPCC report and it therefore sits, uncomfortably, with some of the comments in the investigator's report, made after an incomplete investigation.

"Sir Norman voluntarily attended interview, provided a written statement and invited the IPCC to interview witnesses. Since there can be no formal misconduct hearing my client is denied the opportunity to call those witnesses, which the IPCC declined to interview, and is denied the opportunity to put his case and challenge other evidence."

'Own self-interest'

Margaret Aspinall, of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said Sir Norman should be stripped of his knighthood.

She said: "In the IPCC's own words, this was gross misconduct and, in my mind, that is a very serious offence and the fact that he resigned should not mean that this report is the end of it.

"We want to see him stripped of his honours - his knighthood and his Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University."

Mrs Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died at Hillsborough, added: "I believe he resigned to protect his pension and his behaviour has shown he is not deserving of that pension."

The investigation related to the period following the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report, which laid bare police attempts to shift the blame for the tragedy to the victims.

While serving with the South Yorkshire force, Sir Norman was a key figure in compiling its report into how it handled the aftermath of the tragedy.

A separate IPCC investigation into his conduct at that time is ongoing but Sir Norman has always denied being involved in any cover-up.

Last autumn, following his resignation as chief constable, the West Yorkshire Police Authority asked the IPCC to investigate whether he had tried to interfere with its inquiries into his role at Hillsborough.

The IPCC report concluded while he had not tried to prevent the referral from happening he had "attempted to manipulate the public perception of the referral process for his own self-interest."

When he resigned last October Sir Norman said he would co-operate fully with the IPCC investigations.

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Nelson Mandela back in hospital

28 March 2013 Last updated at 07:46 ET

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The BBC's Milton Nkosi: "Last time check-up was routine. This time this hasn't been said"

Former South African President Nelson Mandela has been readmitted to hospital with the recurrence of a lung infection.

A statement from the South African presidency said Mr Mandela, 94, had been admitted just before midnight.

Mr Mandela spent 18 days in hospital in December undergoing treatment for a lung infection and gallstones.

He is widely regarded as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid.

Mr Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999. However, his health has caused concern for some time.

A presidential spokesman told the BBC that Mr Mandela was conscious and was receiving the best possible medical treatment.

"I think we need to be clear that the doctors are attending to Madiba [Mr Mandela] on a continuous basis," spokesman Mac Maharaj said.

"They prefer to act on the side of caution, and the moment they felt there was a recurrence of the lung infection, they felt that it warranted immediate hospitalisation given his age and given his history."

However, the BBC's Andrew Harding in South Africa says the abrupt nature of Mr Mandela's late-night admission is likely to raise concerns.

The presidency has not identified the hospital where he is being treated.

Appeal for prayers

The government statement said President Jacob Zuma wished Mr Mandela a speedy recovery.

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• 1918 Born in the Eastern Cape
• 1943 Joins African National Congress
• 1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped
• 1962 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison
• 1964 Charged again, sentenced to life
• 1990 Freed from prison
• 1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize
• 1994 Elected first black president
• 1999 Steps down as leader
• 2004 Retires from public life
• 2005 Announces his son has died of an HIV/Aids-related illness

"We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts. We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery," President Zuma said.

The former president is often fondly referred to by his clan name, Madiba.

It is the fourth time Mr Mandela has been admitted to hospital in just over two years.

He first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained on the windswept Robben Island where he served 18 of the 27 years he was imprisoned for sabotage.

His lungs are said to have been damaged when he worked in a prison quarry.

Despite his long imprisonment, Mr Mandela forgave his former enemies and as president urged South Africans of all races to work together and seek reconciliation.

In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The treatment he received in December 2012 was his longest spell in hospital since leaving prison in 1990.

Earlier this month he spent a night in hospital following a check-up.

Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen in public since.

His main home is in Qunu, a small rural village in Eastern Cape province, where he says he spent the happiest days of his childhood.

However, doctors said in December he should remain at his home in the Johannesburg neighbourhood of Houghton to be close to medical facilities.

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Cyprus banks reopen with tough curbs

28 March 2013 Last updated at 07:46 ET

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The BBC's Tim Willcox was in the city of Nicosia when the banks opened their doors to customers

Banks in Cyprus have reopened after a two-week closure sparked by discussions on an EU-IMF bailout, amid tension over possible large-scale withdrawals.

Branches were replenished with cash overnight and police were deployed amid fears of a run on the banks.

Some queues did form but customers face strict controls on daily withdrawals and the mood was generally calm.

The restrictions on the free movement of capital represent a profound breach of an EU principle, correspondents say.

However, the European Commission on Thursday justified the move, saying the "stability of financial markets and the banking system in Cyprus constitutes a matter of overriding public interest".

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

Yiannis Paraskevas Ioannau Cypriot resident, Larnaca

---

Across the street from my office is a branch of the Bank of Cyprus. It's now one hour before it's due to open and there's a small line of people arriving to queue. I would like to withdraw my money altogether. I don't have a huge amount and I lose with the "haircut", but I don't trust the banks or the government.

Money in a bank is supposed to be safe and that's not the case here. We are at the mercy of the EU and are trapped in the euro as it's too painful to get out. Everyone is furious because we feel that we are being robbed at gunpoint by the Europeans. It all started when Cyprus agreed to switch to the euro. As a nation we cannot compete with Germany economically. Germany is much more efficient than any other country in Europe.

The Europeans are not really interested in saving Cyprus. They are simply trying to save themselves. The answer is to drop the euro and return to the pound. This will be painful but at least there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Right now I see none.

Cyprus is the first eurozone member country to bring in capital controls.

Cyprus needs to raise 5.8bn euros ($7.4bn; £4.9bn) to qualify for a 10bn-euro bailout from the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the so-called troika.

As part of the bailout plan, depositors with more than 100,000 euros will see some of their savings exchanged for bank shares.

An earlier plan to tax small depositors was vetoed by the Cypriot parliament last week.

Loss of trust

Branches began to open at noon local time (10:00 GMT) and will close at 18:00 (16:00 GMT).

Some did not open on time, causing tension among customers. The longer queues were forming outside branches of Laiki, which is being wound up.

One customer in a queue in Nicosia told the BBC's Tim Willcox he was withdrawing the allowed daily amount of 300 euros ($383; £253) but would take out all of his money if he could.

Our correspondent says the predictions of a stampede did not materialise and in some places there were more journalists than depositors.

Another customer, jewellery shop owner, Roula Spyrou, told AFP news agency: "There's going to be queues so I'm not going to spend so many hours there to get 300 euros."

Continue reading the main story

Cyprus capital controls

• Daily withdrawals limited to 300 euros
• Cashing of cheques banned
• Those travelling abroad can take no more than 1,000 euros out of the country
• Payments and/or transfers outside Cyprus via debit and or credit cards permitted up to 5,000 euros per month
• Businesses able to carry out transactions up to 5,000 euros per day
• Special committee to review commercial transactions between 5,000 and 200,000 euros and approve all those over 200,000 euros on a case-by-case basis
• No termination of fixed-term deposit accounts before maturity

Some armed police have been deployed in cities and hundreds of staff from the private security firm G4S are guarding bank branches and helping to transport money.

The stock exchange, shut since 16 March, remains closed on Thursday and will not reopen until after Easter.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry of finance insisted the capital control measures were temporary and were needed to "safeguard the stability of the system".

It read: "The Central Bank of Cyprus and the government of Cyprus will review them each day, with a view to progressive lifting of the measures as soon as circumstances allow. "

The severe new rules have been imposed to prevent a torrent of money leaving the island and credit institutions collapsing.

As well as the daily withdrawal limit, Cypriots may not cash cheques.

Payments and/or transfers outside Cyprus via debit and or credit cards are allowed up to 5,000 euros per person per month.

Transactions of 5,000-200,000 euros will be reviewed by a specially established committee, with applications for those over 200,000 euros needing individual approval.

Travellers leaving the country will only be allowed to take 1,000 euros with them.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of protesters rallied outside the presidential palace, chanting: "I'll pay nothing; I owe nothing," the Reuters news agency reported.

Many economists predict the controls could be in place for months.

The unprecedented restrictions represent a profound breach of an important principle of the European Union that capital, as well as people and trade, should able be to move freely across internal borders, says the BBC's economics correspondent Andrew Walker.

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However, the European Commission said member states could introduce capital controls "in certain circumstances and under strict conditions on grounds of public policy or public security".

But it added that "the free movement of capital should be reinstated as soon as possible".

The vice-president of the Cypriot Employers Federation, Demetria Karatoki, told the BBC he believed the country could pull through.

"Although there is going to be hardship, at the end of the day we can start rebuilding our economy on a sound basis," he said.

But British Cypriot businessman, Costa Thomas, said he had lost faith in the system.

"No-one really trusts politicians. So why should we believe them that these controls are going to last only a few weeks and we're going to get shares and get the money back?" he asked.

One employee of the Bank of Cyprus told the BBC that everybody's jobs were at risk.

"If the Bank of Cyprus collapses, all the small business, the large businesses, everything collapses. They cannot buy anything, import anything, export anything. There is nothing," she said.

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