BBC news with Nick Kelly.
The government of Sierra Leone says it’s taking seriously at an official report which found that at least 14 million dollars meant to fight Ebola was unaccounted for. The spokesman told the BBC that anyone found guilty of corruption would face the full force of the law. Umaru Fofana in Freetown says a number of transactions are highlighted.
They include pockets of ambulances, burial vehicles and even the construction of Ebola treatment centers. Millions of dollars were also allegedly withdrawn from the Emergency Health Response and Miss Selina's account just set up to respond to the outbreak. And the auditory journal report says what follows that was done without a proper compliance procedure, no invoices or receipts, or even delivery notes. This kind of indictment reports on its auditor also talks about the Ebola Response Center itself that received about 8 million dollars and the auditors couldn’t find any receipts or payments, or how that was really disposed.
An Argentine prosecutor has asked the judge to investigate whether president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was involved in a plot to cover up Iran’s suspected role in the bombing a Jewish center more than 20 years ago. The prosecutor, Gerardo Pollicita, took on the case after a colleague was found shot dead. Wyre Davies reports.
As a sitting president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner cannot be arrested, but if the judge agrees and there’s a case to answer, it could lead her impeachment. The president has repeatedly denied accusations that she was a part of a plot to observe Iran of its suspected role in the bombing in return of lucrative trade agreements. Last month previous prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, was found shot dead in his Buenos Aires apartment, and in a report he had already accused the government of trying to broker a deal with Iran and had been due to testify in Congress.
President Obama has urged technology companies to give the government great help to improve cyber security. At a White House sponsored meeting at Stanford University, Mr. Obama said cyber threats posed a challenge to national security, public safety and the economy. Mr. Obama said improving security had to be a shared mission.
“So much of our computer networks and critical infrastructure are in the private sector, which means government can't do this alone. But the fact is that the private sector can't do it alone either, because it’s the government that often has the latest information on new threats. There’s only one way to defend America from these cyber threats and that is through government and industry working together, sharing appropriate information as true partners.”
Mr. Obama has condemned the killing of 3 Muslim students in North Carolina. He said no one should be targeted for whom they are, what they look like or how they worship. The president of Turkey was among those who had early criticized Mr. Obama for failing to speak out.
World news from the BBC.
Fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine in spite of a new ceasefire deal that’s due to come into force at the end of Saturday. The spokeswoman for the US State Department, Jen Psaki, said the US is very concerned about reports of tanks and missile systems moving across the border from Russia to eastern Ukraine.
“This is clearly not in the spirit of this week’s agreement. All parties must show complete restraint in the run up to the Sunday cease-fire, including an immediate halt to the Russian and separatist assault on the Debaltseve and other Ukrainian towns. Clearly the same options that had been on the table remain on the table, and obviously we’ll be watching closely to see what happen over the course of the coming days.”
Venezuela officials say a retired air force general has been arrested and more than 10 other people implicated in a plot to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. On Thursday President Maduro said the plan had been to attack the presidential palace. In a TV broadcast the president of the congress said soldiers, opposition politicians and business men were involved.
The Germany city of Dresden has been marking the 70th anniversary of allied bombing raid which killed estimated 25,000 people. Press were offered at the Church of Our Lady which is being rebuilt since the attacks. The German president Joachim Gauck told the congregation that it was the moment to remember all the victims of the Second World War. From Dresden Jenny Hill reports.
The atmosphere here in the square tonight is really very poignant as people light candles. They gathered here this afternoon to watch that special service of remembrance in the Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady. It means a great still for people here in Dresden. Not least of all the survivor, of course, their numbers dwindle with every passing year, but people here joined hands to form a human chain around this rebuilt city center.