The authorities in Slovenia say they have prevented a large group of refugees from passing through the country by rail from Croatia. A police spokeswoman said a train, carrying about 200 people, was stopped at a railway station in Slovenian border town of Dobova. The government in Croatia had earlier said it would not be able to take any more migrants crossing from Serbia, as Guy De Launey reports from the capital Zagreb. “Croatia has now joined Hungary in closing its road borders with Serbia that cuts off the main land road from Northern Europe through to Greece and Turkey. The authorities in Zagreb say they have no choice. More than 10,000 refugees have entered the country since Wednesday, the day after Hungary criminalized unofficial border crossings. Croatia has attempted to take the newcomers to asylum centers, but the overwhelming numbers mean that many people have been left on the streets.”
Syrian government forces have launched a series of airstrikes on rebel held districts. At least 15 people were killed in the town of Bosra al-Sham in Daraa province.
In the north, activists say more than 40 people have been killed in the air raids on Aleppo over the past two days. Further released reports say the government
warplanes launched about a dozen airstrikes on Rakaa, the stronghold of the Islamic state group.
World football's governing body FIFA says its Secretary General Jerome Valcke has been released from his duty until further notice. Some newspapers have published
claims he was implicated in a scheme to sell World Cup tickets at considerably more than face value. Richard Colven has the details. “FIFA sources have told BBC that
with the organization urgently trying to demonstrate its reforming, Mr. Valcke's position was finally considered untenable. In part, the decision to suspend the
Frenchman was made due to the claims that had been made. But it's also due to a desire to demonstrate the FIFA now has a zero-tolerance attitude regarding allegations of corruption.” Mr. Valcke has denied the allegations.
The United States Federal Reserve has decided not to increase its main interest rate which has been close to zero since the financial crisis seven years ago. The
Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen said the unemployment had declined and US labor market had improved, but inflation remained lower than desired. The BBC's
Michelle Fleury in Washington says China's economic slowdown was also a factor in the decision. “You have to look back as far as the Asian crisis of 1998. I think it
was a time when global events have played a large role in the rate decision, at least certainly when you have seen the Fed so vocal about it. But this decision to
leave rate on hold actually may be welcomed by those in emerging market economies. Many of them would have faced higher bills because of the money they have borrowed in dollars.” World news from the BBC.
The United States car manufacturer General Motors has agreed to pay 900 million dollars to end a criminal inquiry into its failure to recall millions of vehicles with
fault ignition switches. GM admitted failing to disclose the problem which could shut down engines, disable power brakes, and prevent airbags from working.
German police have shot and killed a man they described as a known Islamic extremist after an officer was stabbed in Berlin. Damien McGuiness reports. “Police were
alerted by members of the public, who said a man was threatening people with a knife. When officers arrived on the scene, the man attacked and seriously injured one of the officers. She is in hospital in a stable condition. The attacker Rafik Yousef was shot dead. Yousef was convicted by a German court of being a member of a
terrorist organization, and being involved in a plot in 2004 to murder the then prime minister of Iraq.”
Benin says its president Thomas Boni Yayi and his Senagalese counterpart Macky Sall will travel to Burkino Faso on Friday to mediate after a coup there. The
presidential guards stormed a cabinet meeting on Wednesday detaining the Burkino Faso’s interim president and prime minister. State television said a close ally of
the former president Blaise Compaore has been named as Burkino Faso's new leader.
The president of Guinea Bissau has appointed a new prime minister, the third in a month to try to solve the country's political crisis.Carlos Correia has already
served as prime minister three times. The country has been a political turmoil since president Jose Mario Vaz sacked the government last month.
Six Mexican tourists who were injured in an attack by the Egyptian army after being mistaken for militants are on the way home. Eight other Mexicans were killed in the
attack when the group stopped for a picnic in the western desert. BBC news.