No evidence Polish hero murdered
| By Adam Easton BBC News, Warsaw |
 The general was the leader of Poland's government-in-exile |
Investigators in Poland say there is no evidence to back up theories that the country's wartime leader, General Wladyslaw Sikorski, was murdered.
The general died when his plane crashed off Gibraltar in 1943, but some of the details of the crash remain unclear.
This has fuelled some people's belief that he may have been killed by the Soviet Union or Britain.
Two months ago, the Polish authorities exhumed the general's body in a bid to clear up the mystery.
But the results of their medical tests have dealt a severe - if not quite fatal - blow to the theory that Gen Sikorski was murdered.
The investigation found that Poland's wartime hero, who led its government-in-exile, died as a result of multiple organ failure of the kind typically sustained in a plane crash.
It found no evidence that he was poisoned, shot or strangled.
But the institute which investigates World War II-era crimes said it would continue to probe whether sabotage caused the general's Liberator bomber to crash seconds after it took off from Gibraltar.
A British investigation at the time found that the plane crashed for unknown reasons, perhaps because its controls had jammed.
Over the years historians and even playwrights have speculated that Gen Sikorski was murdered on the orders of Joseph Stalin or British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to prevent a split between the allies.
Shortly before he died, Gen Sikorski had demanded an investigation into the discovery of the bodies of thousands of Polish officers in mass graves in forests near Katyn in the former Soviet Union.
Rhys killer's gang members jailed
Rhys killer's gang members jailed
 Quinn (left) and Kelly (centre) were jailed by a a judge |
More gang members convicted of helping Rhys Jones' killer cover his tracks after the 11-year-old's murder in Liverpool have been jailed.
James Yates, 20, Nathan Quinn, 18, Dean Kelly, 17, and Boy M, 16, were found guilty of helping killer Sean Mercer.
Rhys was shot dead by Mercer as he walked home from football practice in Croxteth on 22 August 2007.
At Liverpool Crown Court Yates was sentenced to seven years, Kelly, four years, and Quinn two years in jail.
Boy M is still awaiting sentence.
The 10-week trial heard the four, along with two other gang members, destroyed evidence and hid the murder weapon.
Mercer has already been sentenced to a minimum of 22 years after shooting Rhys dead in the car park of the Fir Tree pub.
Yates, of Dodman Road, Quinn, of Wickett Close, Kelly, of Sword Walk, and Boy M were found guilty of assisting an offender along with fellow Croxteth Crew members Gary Kays, 26, and Melvin Coy, 25.
After the killing Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, fled the scene by bike to the house of Boy M where a cover-up plan was hatched.
The other gang members then drove Mercer to an industrial site where his clothes were burnt and petrol poured over his body to remove gun residue.
Meanwhile, Kelly provided Mercer with a false alibi after the shooting.
Detectives had bugged the homes of Boy M and Yates. Evidence from the audio was used by the prosecution during the nine-week trial to secure their convictions.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Iranian leader demands US apology
Iranian leader demands US apology
 Mr Ahmadinejad's remarks were the first since Mr Obama took office |
Iran's president has responded to an overture by the new US president by demanding an apology for past US "crimes" committed against Iran.
The US "stood against the Iranian people in the past 60 years," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during an address in the western region of Khermenshah.
"Those who speak of change must apologise to the Iranian people and try to repair their past crimes," he said.
President Obama has offered to extend a hand if Iran "unclenched its fist".
President Barack Obama discussed the possibility of a softening of US policy towards Iran in an interview recorded with a Saudi-owned Arabic TV network on Monday.
'Strong tirade'
The Iranian president welcomed the possibility of US change, but said: "When they say 'we want to make changes', change can happen in two ways".
"First is a fundamental and effective change... The second ... is a change of tactics. It is very clear that, if the meaning of change is the second one, this will soon be revealed," he said.
 |  If you talk about change it must put an end to the US military presence in the world, withdraw your troops and take them back inside your borders  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  |
The remarks are the first Iranian comment on the US since Mr Obama took office eight days ago.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran describes it as one of Mr Ahmadinejad's strongest tirades against the US.
Our correspondent says we may see twists and turns out of Iran as its leaders work out whether Mr Obama is offering real changes and whether they are prepared to offer real changes in return.
While he was playing to the crowd, adds our correspondent, he could also be staking out his position ahead of Iran's presidential elections in June.
Nuclear issue
Mr Ahmadinejad also attacked US support for Israel and called on Mr Obama to withdraw US troops from their bases around the world.
"If you talk about change it must put an end to the US military presence in the world, withdraw your troops and take them back inside your borders."
The US should "stop interfering in other people's affairs," he said.
"If someone wants to talk with us in the language that [George W] Bush used... even if he uses new words, our response will be the same that we gave to Bush during the past years".
Relations between Washington and Tehran reached new lows in recent years over attempts by the US and its allies in the United Nations to curtail Iran's nuclear programme over fears it is trying to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran says its programme is to develop civilian nuclear power only.
The new US ambassador to the US, Susan Rice, said on Monday that she was looking forward to "vigorous diplomacy that includes direct diplomacy with Iran".
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
'Crisis unfolding' in Sri Lanka
'Crisis unfolding' in Sri Lanka
 Media were allowed to film the empty, ruined streets of Mullaitivu |
A major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Sri Lanka, with a quarter of a million people trapped by fighting, the Red Cross says.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) estimates that hundreds of people have been killed in fighting between troops and separatist rebels.
It called on both sides to allow immediate and free access to the combat zone for humanitarian workers.
The military say they are involved in a final push against retreating rebels.
Moving north from the captured rebel town of Mullaitivu, they are trying to secure the north-east coastline to encircle the rebels and say they hope to control the entire north within weeks.
The Tamil Tiger rebels could not be reached immediately for comment.
Access to the combat zone is tightly controlled, making it difficult to verify the actual situation.
'Fundamentally trapped'
Speaking in Geneva, the ICRC's head of operations for South Asia, Jacques de Maio, said the civilian population was paying the price for the conflict.
| INSURGENCY TIMELINE 1976: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam form in the north-east 1987: India deploys peace-keepers to Tamil areas but they leave in 1990 2002: Government and rebels agree ceasefire 2006: Heavy fighting resumes 2009: Army takes main rebel bases of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu |
"We talk about approximately a quarter of a million persons who are fundamentally trapped in a very small restricted perimeter - 250 sq km [96 sq m] - which is the theatre of very intense combat," he said.
"They find themselves simply under fire and highly vulnerable. Access to medical care is almost non-existent at this point. They are in need of food, they are in need of shelter and most of all they are in need of security."
The ICRC based its figure of hundreds dead on body counts by its staff in local hospitals.
Access for aid workers was so limited, it said, that the ICRC's own presence in the region was virtually meaningless.
The ICRC wanted to evacuate 200 critically wounded people on Tuesday but did not receive security clearance.
Those patients, it says, now face death.
The UN secretary general and the European Union have also expressed deep concern for civilians caught in the fighting.
Ghost town
The military did take a group of journalists, including the BBC's Chris Morris, to the region on Tuesday.
Brig Nandana Udawatte, who led the capture of Mullaitivu, said that "mortar fire, indirect fire and close-quarter battles" were going on 1.5 km from the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu.
Pro-rebel sources have previously accused the army of killing hundreds of civilians with shellfire - allegations the military denies.
Our correspondent says that apart from soldiers on every corner in Mullaitivu, it is a ghost town. Most of the buildings, houses and shops are damaged or destroyed.
He says its capture is a big victory for the army but that the Tigers also appear on the surface undaunted, with the sound of artillery fire not that far away echoing down the empty streets.
| MAP OF THE REGION  |
Israel launches attacks in Gaza
Israel launches attacks in Gaza
 Gazans are struggling to recover from the three-week conflict. |
Israel has carried out an air attack in the Gaza Strip and launched an incursion with tanks and bulldozers across the border.
There is heavy fighting near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with many people fleeing their homes.
The incursion follows a bomb attack which killed one Israeli soldier and wounded three near the Gaza border.
It is the worst violence since Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza ended with both sides declaring ceasefires.
No group has said it carried out Tuesday's bomb attack on an Israeli patrol near the border crossing of Kissufim.
One Israeli officer was badly wounded in the explosion and the other soldiers were lightly wounded, an army spokesman said.
 |
Medics in Gaza said a Palestinian farmer was killed by Israeli gunfire following the attack.
There is now heavy fighting going on in Khan Younis, south of the Kissufim crossing.
Palestinian sources say 20 Israeli tanks and seven army bulldozers have made an incursion.
Two people were also wounded in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis.
Hospital sources say one was a member of Hamas' Popular Resistance Committee who was on a motorbike at the time, and the other was a passer-by.
US visit
Israel has closed border crossings into Gaza because of the attack on the patrol, Israeli officials said, stopping the flow of aid supplies to Gaza's 1.5 million residents.
Aid agencies have been struggling to meet the urgent needs of tens of thousands of displaced, homeless and injured people in Gaza.
Last month Israel launched a 22-day offensive against Hamas, in a effort to stop rocket attacks on its territory.
There has been Israeli artillery and naval fire against Gaza targets since the ceasefires were announced earlier this month.
The fresh violence comes as US President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, arrives in the region to seek a more permanent truce.
He will hold talks with Egyptian officials, who have been mediating between Israel and Hamas, before travelling on to Jerusalem and Ramallah
Federer to face Roddick in semis
Federer to face Roddick in semis
 Federer was in sensational form |
Roger Federer returned to his majestic best as he thrashed world number six Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-0 6-0 in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The world number two needed only one hour and 20 minutes to clinch victory.
He will now face Andy Roddick in the semi-finals after the American went through when defending champion Novak Djokovic retired in the fourth set.
Roddick was leading 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-2 2-1 when Djokovic pulled out after struggling in the intense 40C heat.
Djokovic suffered physically throughout a desperately hot afternoon and took a medical timeout in the third set.
The match was dominated by heavy serving in the opening set, with a tie-break required after neither player forced a break point.
It was Djokovic who came through the breaker, backing up his serve with some heavy forehands to race 4-0 clear and eventually take it 7-3.
| I did request to play a night match but it didn't come up good for me Novak Djokovic |
The American, 26, then forced another break point two games later but his failure to convert made little difference as he served out the set in game 10.
As Roddick got stronger so Djokovic, 21, started to struggle physically, hitting two double faults and then setting up Roddick for a forehand pass to drop serve at the start of the third.
The Serb did well to break back immediately and then save another two break points in game three as suddenly both men looked vulnerable on serve.
| 606: DEBATE |
The champion duly dropped his next two service games as he made several listless errors to fall a break behind, and then double-faulted to give up the double break.
Roddick served out the set and, having saved four break points at the start of the fourth set, Djokovic consulted the doctor once again and brought the match to an end after he was broken to love in game three.
With temperatures on court soaring above 40C (104F), Djokovic felt he had not been helped by finishing his fourth-round match against Marcos Baghdatis in the early hours of Monday morning.
Djokovic philosophical after retirement
"I didn't really have time to recover," he said. "Conditions were extreme today.
"It did affect me more than him. I did request to play a night match but it didn't come up good for me.
"It's a really unfortunate way to end my Australian Open this way. I really tried my best but sometimes you can't fight against your own body."
Roddick, who will appear in his fourth Australian Open semi-final, said: "To be honest I didn't know (he was sick) until he called for help there.
"That's disappointing. I feel bad for Novak right now. He worked so hard for this last year. To not get a fair chance to defend his title, that's too bad."
Man City poised to fine Robinho
Man City poised to fine Robinho
 Hughes is keen to resolve any issues with star player Robinho |
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has confirmed the club will fine record signing Robinho following his training ground walk-out in Tenerife last week.
The
Obama reaches out to Muslim world
Obama reaches out to Muslim world
President Obama speaking to Al-Arabiya about Iran
US President Barack Obama has used his first formal TV interview since taking office to reach out to the Muslim world - saying Americans are not its enemy.
Speaking to the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya network, Mr Obama reiterated that the US would extend the hand of friendship to Iran if it "unclenched its fist".
It comes as his Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, travels to the region, heralding a new burst of diplomacy.
He will meet Egypt's leader to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and peace efforts.
Egypt has been mediating between Israel and the Palestinians, and between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
| This interview is a big deal... It will confuse some in the Middle East even further |
Mr Obama told Al-Arabiya that the US sometimes made mistakes and stressed that his administration would adopt a more open diplomatic approach.
"As I said in my inauguration speech, if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us," he said.
"It is very important for us to make sure that we are using all the tools of US power, including diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran."
The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says that for most of the interview, Mr Obama appeared determined to be emollient and - as he put it repeatedly - respectful, stressing that the US would begin by listening rather than dictating.
Diplomatic moves
As well as meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Mr Mitchell is to visit Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia during a week-long tour, as well as making stops in Europe, said state department spokesman Robert Wood.
| CONFLICT IN FIGURES More than 1,300 Palestinians killed Thirteen Israelis killed More than 4,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, more than 20,000 severely damaged 50,000 Gazans homeless and 400,000 without running water |
He said Mr Mitchell would meet "senior officials to discuss the peace process and the situation in Gaza".
Speaking earlier at the White House, Mr Obama said the new envoy would take an active approach.
"The charge that Senator Mitchell has is to engage vigorously and consistently in order for us to achieve genuine progress," he said.
"And when I say progress, not just photo ops but progress that is concrete."
It remained unclear whether Mr Mitchell would travel to the Gaza Strip.
Humanitarian crisis
Separately, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was heading to the Middle East to join efforts to cement a permanent ceasefire.
 Relief agencies urged an opening of crossings so more aid can reach Gaza |
He called the destruction left by Israel's offensive "abominable", but said Hamas bore "overwhelming responsibility".
About 1,300 Palestinians, including 400 children, were killed in Israel's 22-day assault, while 13 Israelis died, some as a result of Palestinian militant rocket fire.
Israeli and Palestinian faction representatives have visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials since a non-negotiated ceasefire came into effect on 18 January.
Hamas wants an end to Israel's punishing blockade of Gaza.
Israel, which will hold a general elections on 10 February, wants a long-term ceasefire and curbs on Hamas re-arming.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Congo warlord denies war crimes
Congo warlord denies war crimes
Prosecutor opens the case against Lubanga
Former Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga has pleaded not guilty to charges of using child soldiers, at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He faces six charges of recruiting and using hundreds of children aged under 15 to fight in DR Congo's brutal five-year conflict, which ended in 2003.
Opening the prosecution, Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Mr Lubanga had used the children to "kill, pillage and rape".
The case is the first to come to trial before the ICC in The Hague.
Its opening follows a seven-month delay, as judges and prosecutors at the world's first permanent war crimes court disputed confidential evidence.
Prosecutors say child soldiers enlisted for Mr Lubanga's ethnic Hema militia were used to kill members of the rival Lendu ethnic group, or as his bodyguards.
| THOMAS LUBANGA  Leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots, an ethnic Hema militia Accused of recruiting children under 15 as soldiers Says he was trying to bring peace to Congo's eastern Ituri region Arrested in Kinshasa in March 2005 Held by the ICC at The Hague since 2006 Born in 1960, has a degree in psychology |
He said: "Lubanga's militia recruited, trained and used hundreds of young children to kill, pillage and rape.
"The children still suffer the consequences of Lubanga's crimes. They cannot forget what they suffered, what they saw, what they did. They were nine, 11, 13 years old."
Mr Moreno-Ocampo said some of the children were now using drugs to survive and some had become prostitutes.
He showed the court video footage of Mr Lubanga at a training camp, apparently in the company of young men and children, some of them dressed in military uniform.
Children were abducted on their way to school or to sports fields, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said, and young girls were taken as "sexual slaves" by militia commanders as soon as they reached puberty.
Given the damage done to his victims, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said he would seek a "very severe" sentence for Mr Lubanga, of "close to the maximum" of 30 years.
The prosecution plans to call 34 witnesses - among them former child soldiers, ex-militia members and experts - in the course of the trial, which is expected to last several months.
The first witness, who is due to take the stand on Wednesday, will be a former child soldier. His testimony will be followed by that of his father.
 |
The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan at The Hague says 19 of the witnesses will testify anonymously behind a screen with their voices distorted.
She says the case is the first in history to focus exclusively on the use of child soldiers as a war crime and the first time victims will have been allowed to participate fully in an international trial.
Mr Lubanga insists he was trying to bring peace to Ituri, a region in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo wracked by years of conflict between rival groups seeking to control its vast mineral wealth.
He was the leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) and its armed wing at the time of the alleged crimes in 2002-2003, and still has strong support among his Hema community in Ituri.
The proceedings of the ICC trial are being given wide media coverage across the Ituri region.
The BBC's Karen Allen in eastern DR Congo says some 400 people, including former combatants, have gathered to watch proceedings on a giant screen in the regional capital, Bunia.
She says children are still being forced to fight in the separate conflict in the neighbouring North Kivu province.
'Marijuana and witchcraft'
A total of 93 alleged victims are being represented by eight lawyers at Mr Lubunga's trial.
The prosecution says children were snatched as they walked to school and suffered beatings and other abuses.
| ICC FACTS Permanent war crimes tribunal Founded in 2002 in The Hague Has issued 12 arrest warrants Supported by 108 states, not including the US or China |
Many were plied with marijuana and told they were protected by witchcraft, according to human rights groups.
More than 30,000 children were recruited during the fighting, which saw some 60,000 people lose their lives.
The ICC trial sends a clear signal to rebel leaders and army commanders around the world who have frequently been able to commit atrocities on the battlefield with impunity, says the BBC's Africa analyst Martin Plaut.
Separately, judges at the court are expected to decide soon whether to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is accused of genocide in Darfur.
Local communities await justice
Editorial row engulfs Wikipedia
Editorial row engulfs Wikipedia
 The call for flagged revisions came from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales |
The online user-generated encyclopaedia Wikipedia is considering a radical change to how it is run.
It is proposing a review of the rules, that would see revisions being approved before they were added to the site.
The proposal comes after edits of the pages of Senators Robert Byrd and Edward Kennedy gave the false impression both had died.
The editing change has proved controversial and sparked a row among the site's editors.
Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, is proposing a system of flagged revisions, which would mean any changes made by a new or unknown user would have to be approved by one of the site's editors, before the changes were published.
This would mean a radical shift from the site's philosophy that ostensibly allows anyone to make changes to almost any entry.
In a blog entry, Mr Wales said the "nonsense" of the false reports would have been "100% prevented by Flagged Revision" and said he wanted the changes to be implemented as soon as possible.
"To the Wikimedia Foundation: per the poll of the English Wikipedia community and upon my personal recommendation, please turn on the Flagged Revisions feature as approved in the poll," he said in a statement.
Flame war
However, this posting caused a storm of comments on his site, with many editors saying the proposal was unworkable.
One user posted that "Enabling Flagged Revisions will undoubtedly create backlogs that we will be unable to manage" while another said that there were "gaping holes in what you propose to do".
Mr Wales has now offered a compromise, asking those who were opposed to the changes to make "an alternative proposal within the next 7 days, to be voted upon for the next 14 days after that."
A system of flagged revisions has been used by the German Wikipedia site for almost a year. However critics say that the process is labour intensive and some changes can take days, if not weeks, to appear.
Chelsea star's drink-drive charge
Chelsea star's drink-drive charge
 Mikel will apear in court in April |
Chelsea star John Mikel Obi has been charged with drink-driving.
The midfielder was arrested at 0530 GMT on 24 January on Fulham Road in Chelsea, west London.
Mikel, who lives in Weybridge, Surrey, has been charged with driving while over the drink-drive limit and will appear in court in April.
He was not part of the team which beat Ipswich 3-1 at home in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday afternoon.
The Nigerian star is due to appear at West London Magistrates' Court on 3 April.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Nine dead in Congo rebel drive
Nine dead in Congo rebel drive
 Congo let thousands of Rwandan soldiers in to help fight Hutu rebels |
The Congolese military says nine Hutu rebels have been killed in eastern DR Congo, as a joint drive with Rwandan soldiers against rebels is stepped up.
A Congolese army commander reported fighting with Rwandan Hutu rebels in five villages in the Lubero area, over 200km (125 miles) north of Goma.
Meanwhile there is no word on the possible extradition to DR Congo of Tutsi rebel chief Laurent Nkunda.
He was was arrested in Rwanda on Thursday night.
Congolese soldiers are fighting alongside at least 3,500 Rwandan soldiers to disarm the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Members of this ethnic Hutu militia fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Some FDLR leaders are accused of involvement in the genocide.
General John Numbi, who is in charge of joint operations with Rwandan troops, reported fighting in five villages in Lubero on Friday and Saturday.
He said nine FDLR fighters had been killed and one Congolese soldier wounded.
Under pressure
The BBC's Thomas Fessy reports from Goma that people around there fear new fighting could lead to fresh flows of displaced people.
 The exact details of Gen Nkunda's capture are still unclear |
Our correspondent adds that other military operations are reported to be about to start west of Goma as well as in South Kivu, home to thousands of Hutu militiamen.
Laurent Nkunda, captured in Rwanda days ago, justified his rebellion because of the presence of Hutu militiamen.
Rwanda is under pressure to extradite him to Congo. However many analysts suspect it might hold onto the Tutsi rebel leader.
"We're still waiting for Rwanda to take the decision to extradite Nkunda," said Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende.
It is not clear where Mr Nkunda is being held.
Portsmouth 0-2 Swansea
Portsmouth 0-2 Swansea
Championship side Swansea City dumped FA Cup holders Portsmouth out of the competition thanks to first half goals from Nathan Dyer and Jason Scotland.
Dyer, on loan from Pompey's arch rivals Southampton, put the Swans in front on 26 minutes firing low past David James.
Scotland doubled the lead from the spot on the stroke of half time after Jordi Gomez was up-ended by Nadir Belhadj.
Swans keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos had to pull off a string of fine saves to keep out the Premier League side.
More follows.
Fatal storm hits France and Spain
Fatal storm hits France and Spain
Rescue workers at the sports hall in Sant Boi de Llobregat
High winds battering northern Spain have brought down the roof of a sports hall near Barcelona, killing four children, local officials say.
Four other people died in other incidents in Spain as the fiercest storm in a decade battered northern Spain and the south-west of France.
Torrential rains and winds of up to 172km/h (107mph) are being reported.
At least one million homes in France are without electricity, road and rail links are blocked and airports closed.
The impacts of the storm have been felt from the Channel Isles to Barcelona, but the strongest winds and heaviest rain has been concentrated around south-west France.
Although this type of active low pressure system is fairly common in winter, BBC meteorologist Alex Deakin says, Saturday's storm is being described as the most damaging since the devastating storm of December 1999 that killed 88 people.
Children killed
The sports hall partially collapsed in the town of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Catalonia, with between 20 and 30 youngsters inside, officials said.
 Public roads workers clear away trees in Bordeaux |
At least 15 people were injured.
A woman was killed by a collapsing wall in the Barcelona area and in Burela, Galicia, a policeman was killed by a falling tree as he directed traffic.
Two men were killed elsewhere, one by a falling tree and one by a wall.
Residents in affected areas in both countries have been warned to stay indoors.
French weather agencies forecast the storm but it has affected a wider area than expected. A state of "red alert" has been declared in nine departments.
In France, the storm has caused havoc from the Dordogne area to the Pyrenees.
As it moved east, the torrential rains caused flooding in some areas prompting thousands of calls to the emergency services.
The force of the storm also led to the closure of airports in Bordeaux, Pau and Biarritz, and Toulouse.
Train services have also ground to a halt, leaving several hundred passengers stranded in stations overnight.
Blocked roads
The storms are expected to spread eastwards on Saturday bringing the risk of further heavy rain, strong winds and disruption, BBC weather experts said.
 Blocked roads are hampering efforts to repair damaged power lines |
Although expected to weaken over the next 12-18 hours, parts of southern France could still see some damage, with the storm's strong winds funnelling through the Rhone valley overnight.
Hundreds of technicians had been deployed to try to restore power to residents by the end of the day, but blocked roads are hampering their efforts.
"The number of clients who are cut off from the grid is rising from minute to minute as the storm moves eastwards," Michel Francony, head of the regional electricity grid operator ERDF, told local radio.
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Bomb attack hits Somali capital
Bomb attack hits Somali capital
 |
A policeman and 13 civilians have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The city's governor said the bomb was detonated at a police checkpoint, close to a lookout post belonging to the African Union Peacekeeping Mission.
He said it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
AU troops, backing the interim government, are guarding Mogadishu's presidential palace, but most of the city is controlled by Islamist rebels.
Friday, January 23, 2009
UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction
UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction
The UN's humanitarian chief has told the BBC the situation in Gaza after a three-week Israeli offensive against Hamas was worse than he anticipated.
Sir John Holmes, who visited Gaza on Thursday, said he was shocked by "the systematic nature of the destruction".
He said that the territory's economic activity had been set back by years.
UN workers have been given access to Gaza. On Friday, Israel lifted a ban on international aid agencies entering the Palestinian territory.
The ban had been in place since early November when tensions mounted between Israel and Hamas.
Staff from a number of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were allowed to cross into Gaza on Friday morning.
| The nature of that destruction means that any kind of private economic activity in Gaza is set back by years or decades. That's very disturbing for the future of Gaza... [Gazans] are forced to fall back on the public sector and indeed on Hamas, who control the public sector Sir John Holmes |
Michael Bailey from Oxfam said: "We are extremely relieved to be able to join our local colleagues inside Gaza and to be able to provide them with some support and relief from the relentless work they have been doing."
He described the task ahead as "enormous", with vast amounts of building materials alone needed immediately to help rebuild hospitals, mosques, public buildings and homes.
A key problem facing them, he said, is that the main crossing for the aid is 40km from where most of the relief is needed and is too small for the number of trucks that need to go through.
He also urged Israel to end its policy of restricting the amount of cash Gazans can have access to, saying people in Gaza had run up "phenomenal debt" over the last few weeks, trying to buy goods that are in increasingly short supply.
Future of Gaza
Mr Holmes, the top UN official responsible for emergency relief and humanitarian affairs, said the scale of destruction would have "disturbing" repercussions for the people of Gaza.
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME |
In an interview with the BBC's Today Programme, he described an industrial area where every building within a square kilometre had been levelled, by bulldozers and shells.
He told of broken pipes pumping out raw sewage onto the streets.
"I'm sure the Israelis would say that's because there were people there firing shells and rockets from there, or perhaps manufacturing them.
"But the nature of that destruction means that any kind of private economic activity in Gaza is set back by years or decades," he said.
"That's very disturbing for the future of Gaza, for the future of the people of Gaza, who are forced to fall back on the public sector and indeed on Hamas, who control the public sector."
War crimes claims
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is reported to have placed his justice minister in charge of defending Israel against any accusations of war crimes.
| CONFLICT IN FIGURES More than 1,300 Palestinians killed Thirteen Israelis killed More than 4,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, more than 20,000 severely damaged 50,000 Gazans homeless and 400,000 without running water |
Daniel Friedman will lead an inter-ministerial team to co-ordinate a legal defence for Israeli civilians and the military, a government source was quoted by AFP as saying.
Richard Falk - the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories - has said there was "a prima facie case" that Israel gravely breached the Geneva Conventions during its 22-day campaign.
Israel responded by saying that Mr Falk's "bias against Israel was well known".
Israel said it launched its offensive to stop cross-border rocket attacks by militants in Gaza against its civilians.
The intense fighting ended on Sunday, with both sides declaring a ceasefire.
Palestinian medical officials said about 1,300 Palestinians were killed and thousands more were injured. Thirteen Israelis died during the conflict.