Hello, I am Jerry Smit with the BBC news.
Investigators in France have begun examining a two meter section of a plane wing to see if it came from a missing Malaysian airliner. The wreckage, which washed ashore
on the Indian Ocean Island of Reunion last week, is now at a defense facility in the French city of Toulouse. An official said experts might not be able to determine
immediately whether the debris came from flight MH370. Chris Buckler is in Toulouse.
“The French side of this investigation into the disappearance of MH370 is now very much underway. A French judge is here with senior officials from the aerospace
industry, also some from Boeing, Malaysian officials and Chinese officials because a lot of Chinese citizens died on that aircraft too. Their key mission right now is
to work out whether that part of the plane they found really is from MH370.”
The United Nations says an increasing number of women and children have been hurt or killed in Afghanistan since NATO's combat mission ended in December. The UN urged
the Taliban to stop targeting civilians. From Geneva, Imogen Foulkes reports.
“The UN figures show that 1,592 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in the first 6 months of this year at a 1% increase in civilian casualties over the same period
last year. But more disturbing still the UN believes is the dramatic increase of 23% in casualties among women, and 13% among children. The deaths and injuries are
primarily due to ground fighting improvised explosive devices and suicide attacks.”
One of the most senior officials in world athletics Sebastian Coe says allegations of widespread doping are a declaration of war on the sports. Reports said European
media Last Sunday suggested 1/3 of athletes who won medals in major endurance event between 2001 and 2012 registered abnormal blood tests. Richard Colven reports.
“After reports of widespread doping and questions over the validity of 146 Olympic and World Championship medals, athletics is fighting back. Lord Coe believes it a
seminal moment for the sport. Speaking after the governing body issued a strongly worded rebuttal of the claims, he says there is nothing in our history of competence
and integrity in drug testing, a warrant of this kind of attack. He also believes that information has been selectively used in an attempt to destroy the reputation of
athletes, and the sport he wants to lead.”
The Italian coast guard has said that a fishing boat thought to be carrying hundreds of migrants has capsized off the Libyan coast. He said the vessel overturned as
the migrants rushed to one side when a rescuer vessel came in sight. A hundred people have been pulled from the water, but many others are feared to have drowned. The
coast guard said the search for survivors was continuing.
World news from the BBC.
Police in Britain have charged two people including a high profile radical preacher with inviting support for Islamic state group. The Islamist cleric Anjem Choudary
and another man are accused of using lectures published online to encourage support for the banned organization.
The supreme court in Pakistan has ruled the controversial new military courts set up to hear terror cases in secret are legal, and can pass death sentences on
civilians. The military courts were established in January as response to a Taliban attack on a school last year, in which 134 children died.
Prosecutors in Turkey have charged 18 journalists with spreading terrorist propaganda. They were asked for prison terms of up to 7.5 years for each journalist for
publishing photos of a prosecutor who was held gunpoint by militants in March. He died in a failed rescue attempt.
Israeli archeologists are examining a rare ancient message discovered at a dig in Jerusalem. It is made up of words in Hebrew writing and signs. Alan Johnston reports.
“This find was made when a room was unearthed that is believed to date back about 2000 years. It contained a Jewish ritual bath. Along its walls were letters in
Hebrew script, and series of symbols either smeared on with muds or cut into the plaster. Among the signs was an image of a boat, and palm trees. The archeologists say
the markings maybe no more than ancient graffiti, but it's also possible that they might have some deep religion significance.
Pope Francis has told priests to show greater compassion towards Catholics who have divorced and remarried. The pope says such people were still parts of the church.
Divorce Catholics cannot receive communion because their first marriage is still valid in the eyes of the church.