BBC news with Nick Kelly
Fighting has continued unabatedly in eastern Ukraine as the planned ceasefire approaches. Russian-backed rebels have continued their ferocious shelling of the key town of Debaltseve. The Ukrainians say the separatists have also intensified their assault on another strategic town Mariupol. Ian Pannell reports.
It’s war not peace that dominates the final day before the ceasefire is due to begin. If the guns fall silent, then there’s at least a starting chance that this peace agreement could take hold and political process begin. But the mood on both sides is grim and optimism in short supply.
Adding to the general mood of pessimism, a rebel leader has now said that Debaltseve isn’t covered by the Minsk agreement and any ceasefire won't applied there. The Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned that the deal is now in grave danger and he will take severe measures if it fails.
The Danish prime minister says the whole country has reacted with anger and disgust that lethal attack on a café where a debate on blasphemy and freedom of expression was being held. Helle Thorning-Schmidt described it as a terror attack but said Denmark will continue to fight for democracy and freedom of speech.
“It feels us with anger and disgust that such a violent terror attack can take place here. This is not the Denmark we want. We will stay united, and we will always defend our democracy and our freedom of expression. That’s what we want to say loud and clear tonight.”
One man was killed and three police officials injured when the gunman opened fire on the venue. The event in the capital Copenhagen was attended by the Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who’s drawn cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as a dog. He wasn’t hurt. In audio recorded inside the café, a speaker is cut off midsentence by a volley of shots.
“why do we still say but, but when we…(shooting)…”
A human hunting is underway for the assailant. The attack comes 5 weeks after the attack by Islamist gunmen on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Officials in Canada have branded as murderous misfits a gang, they say, planned a Valentine’s Day massacre. The Canadian Justice Minister Peter MacKay said the alleged plot to attack a shopping center in the city of Halifax could well have resulted in the loss of many lives.
“Based on what we know so far, it would’ve been devastating. Mass casualties were real possibility. A day known to represented love affection could have taken a much different meaning today, had not been for the exceptional efforts of the combined law enforcement community.”
Police have charged a man and a woman with conspiracy to murder. A third suspect killed himself when officers tried to detain him.
World news form the BBC
Gulf foreign ministers have called on the UN Security Council to authorize the use of military force in Yemen in a bid to resolve the country’s political crisis. Last month the Shiite Houthi militia overthrew the government in Sanaa.
Women activists in Turkey have been protesting against the murder of a young woman after she reportedly resisted an attempt by a bus driver to rape her. Police discovered the burnt body of ?zgecan Aslan on Friday in a riverbed in southern Turkey. They arrested 3 men. Local media report that ?zgecan Aslan beat off the driver's attack with pepper spray but were then stabbed to death.
The South African President Jacob Zuma has been giving more details of his plans for radical land reform. He said foreigners will be banned from owing farmland. Farmers who own more than 12,000 hectares were forced to sell the excess to the government for redistribution.
“Land has become one of the most critical factors in achieving redress for the wrongs of the past. In terms of our new proposed laws, a ceiling of land ownership will be set at a maximum of 12 000 hectares. Foreign nationals will not be allowed to do own land in South Africa but will be eligible for long term lease.”
The South African President Jacob Zuma is speaking there.
Finally the dissident Iranian film director, Jafar Panahi, has won the top prize at the Berlin film festival. The prestigious Golden Bear for his film “Taxi”. The Iranian authority’s banned Mr. Panahi for making films or traveling abroad for what they called ‘propaganda against Iranian government’. However, Mr. Panahi has continued to pursue his art in this instance with a tale of a taxi driver who swaps stories about Tehran with his passengers. The best actor and actress awards went to two Britons, Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling.