Politics

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has admitted he had a relationship with an escort but said he did not know her real occupation.

He said he ended the relationship as soon as he found out, in February 2014.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it raises questions about his role in press regulation, given some papers had the story but did not publish it.

Mr Whittingdale insisted it had not compromised his job as culture, media and sport secretary, from May 2015.

Downing Street said Mr Whittingdale "is a single man entitled to a private life" and had the full confidence of Prime Minister David Cameron.

'Bit embarrassing'

Mr Whittingdale told BBC Newsnight: "Between August 2013 and February 2014, I had a relationship with someone who I first met through Match.com.

"She was a similar age and lived close to me. At no time did she give me any indication of of her real occupation and I only discovered this when I was made aware that someone was trying to sell a story about me to tabloid newspapers. As soon as I discovered, I ended the relationship.

"This is an old story which was a bit embarrassing at the time. The events occurred long before I took up my present position and it has never had any influence on the decisions I have made as culture secretary."

Labour shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant, who was shadow culture secretary until September last year, said: "It seems the press were quite deliberately holding a sword of Damocles over John Whittingdale.

"He has a perfect right to a private life but as soon as he knew this he should have withdrawn from all regulation of the press.

Mr Bryant added that the prime minister had promised to fully implement the recommendation of the Leveson Inquiry into press standards, adding: "That's what he should deliver."

Public interest

Before taking up the cabinet post Mr Whittingdale served as chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee for a decade.

Earlier this month the journalism website Byline reported that Mr Whittingdale had had a relationship with a professional dominatrix and fetish escort.

BBC political correspondent Ben Wright says the fact the story stayed out of the press has raised questions about a potential conflict of interest involving the man in charge of media regulation and the motivation of newspapers and broadcasters not to report it.

A number of newspapers told Newsnight they did not run the story because it was not in the public interest.

However, Brian Cathcart, co-founder of campaign group Hacked Off which wants tougher press regulation, said Mr Whittingdale's credibility had been damaged.

Source: bbc.com

US House Speaker Paul Ryan has officially ruled out making a late attempt to become the Republican presidential nominee.

"I do not want, nor will I accept the Republican nomination," he said.

Mr Ryan's name was floated as a late contender if there is a contested convention in July, as doubts persist over the strength of the candidates.

If Donald Trump, John Kasich nor Ted Cruz is able to win 1,237 delegates, the convention will be contested.

The state-by-state primary contests, which come to New York next week, determine the number of delegates pledged to a particular candidate.

Mr Trump is still well ahead in the number of delegates accumulated but may fall short of the magic number required.

Only two men left - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

In 1886 former civil war general William Sherman set the gold standard for disavowing interest in serving as US president. "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected," he bluntly stated.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan may not reach Shermanesque levels of certainty with Tuesday's statement, but the move should put the latest round of rampant speculation and rumour-mongering to rest.

The Ryan presidential boomlet was largely a result of growing desperation among Republicans who see a presidential ticket headed by the epically unpopular Donald Trump as an unmitigated disaster and by absolutist Ted Cruz as only a slightly mitigated disaster.

Mr Ryan won't be their establishment-friendly "white knight", however, and there are few others out there with the stature to pull off such an unlikely convention coup.

Former candidate Mitt Romney? Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker? At this point, anyone other than Mr Cruz or Mr Trump - the two men who have slogged through the presidential season and won the votes and delegates - appears to be pure fantasy.

How does a contested convention work?

Five ways Republican bloodbath could end

Profile: House Speaker Paul Ryan

At a contested convention, the delegates are free after the first ballot to back whom they want, opening the door for Texas Senator Mr Cruz or even the third candidate in the race, Mr Kasich.

Some in the party had hoped Mr Ryan would emerge as a candidate at that stage, believing he would be a more effective and less divisive figure than Mr Trump or Mr Cruz.

Speaking at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, Mr Ryan - who ran as Mitt Romney's running mate in the 2012 presidential election - ruled himself out unequivocally.

But some commentators were quick to point out that he said he did not want to run for Speaker of the House last year before eventually accepting the job.

Source: bbc.com

US President Barack Obama has said failing to prepare for the aftermath of the ousting of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi was the worst mistake of his presidency.

Mr Obama was answering a series of questions on the highs and lows of his time in office on Fox News.

He said, however, that intervening in Libya had been "the right thing to do".

The US and other countries carried out strikes designed to protect civilians during the 2011 uprising.

But after the former Libyan leader was killed, Libya plunged into chaos with militias taking over and two rival parliaments and governments forming.

How Obama learned the limits of US power

So-called Islamic State (IS) gained a foothold, and Libya became a major departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe.

A UN-backed national unity government arrived in the capital Tripoli earlier this month but is waiting to take charge.

The leader of the faction ruling western Libya has threatened to prosecute any of his ministers who co-operate with the UN-backed administration, contradicting an earlier announcement the ministers would stand down.

President Obama gave the brief but revealing answer speaking to Chris Wallace:

CW: Worst mistake?

Obama: Probably failing to plan for the day after, what I think was the right thing to do, in intervening in Libya.

It is not the first time President Obama has expressed regret over Libya. He told the Atlantic magazine last month the operation went as well as he had hoped, but Libya was now "a mess".

In that interview, he also criticised France and the UK, in particular saying British Prime Minister David Cameron became "distracted" after the intervention.

It was a rare rebuke for a close ally and one which BBC correspondents at the time said angered Downing Street.

President Obama told Fox that his biggest accomplishment in office was "saving the economy from the great depression".

He said the best day of his presidency was when he passed the healthcare reforms. The worst, he said, was responding to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school.

Mr Obama discussed his legacy in a BBC interview last year, saying his failure to pass tighter gun control laws was the biggest frustration of his presidency.

Libya timeline

February 2011: Protests against Colonel Gaddafi's regime erupt in Libya

March 2011: UN Security Council authorises a no-fly zone over Libya and air strikes to protect civilians

October 2011: Gaddafi is captured and killed by rebel fighters

2012: Splits emerge as the transitional government struggle to rein in local militias

September 2012: The US ambassador and three other Americans are killed when Islamist militants storm the consulate in eastern Benghazi

June 2014: Disputed elections are held. Two governments are formed: one in the capital Tripoli, the other UN-backed administration in eastern Torbruk

January 2015: The UN announces a new interim government but it is yet to take charge

Source: bbc.com

Venezuela's Supreme Court has overturned an amnesty for jailed opposition leaders approved by the opposition-controlled parliament.

About 70 activists opposed to President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government had been due for release under the law approved last month.

But the court declared the amnesty law unconstitutional.

President Maduro had condemned the law as an attempt to destabilise his leadership of the country.

The Supreme Court has consistently backed the Venezuelan government since the opposition triumphed in congressional elections in December.

In a statement, the court said the amnesty law was unconstitutional because it covered offences "that are acts of organised crime, which are not related to crimes of a political nature".

Leopoldo Lopez: Venezuela's maverick opposition leader

Venezuela opposition pushed for Maduro's exit

What changes will the new Congress bring?

The opposition won parliamentary elections largely on a promise to work towards the release of dozens of what it considers political prisoners.

Among the detainees is Leopoldo Lopez, a prominent opposition leader who was sentenced to 13 years and nine months in prison last year for inciting violence during mass protests.

The prosecutor in the case later fled Venezuela and told media abroad that Mr Lopez's conviction had been a political show trial.

Government officials maintain that Mr Lopez is responsible for violence that erupted during protests in which 43 people were killed in 2014.

Other political leaders who were set to be freed include the former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, who is under house arrest, and the former mayor of San Cristobal, Daniel Ceballos.

Members of the governing PSUV party had said the amnesty was a carte blanche for "murderers".

President Maduro had the choice of signing the law, sending it back to the National Assembly or challenging it before the Supreme Court.

Last week, he told supporters that he had decided to ask the court to invalidate the "criminal" bill.

After the Supreme Court's ruling, he said he would set up a truth commission to deal with jailed opposition activists' cases and that opposition members would be invited to join.

Critics of the government say the top court is stacked with supporters of the president.

Venezuela is deeply divided into those who support the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro and those who oppose it.

In February, the opposition announced it would try to drive President Maduro from power by means of a recall referendum or a constitutional amendment to shorten his term.

The government denounced the plans as an attempted coup.

Source: bbc.com

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has suffered a blow to her hopes of staving off impeachment proceedings, after a committee voted they should go ahead.

The 65-member congressional committee voted 38 to 27 to recommend impeachment over claims she manipulated government accounts to hide a growing deficit.

All eyes will now be on a full vote in the lower house on 17 or 18 April.

The issue has divided Brazil, with police preparing for mass protests in the capital, Brasilia.

• Critical month for Rousseff

• What has gone wrong in Brazil?

• Rousseff faces a perfect storm

The vote took place amid chaotic scenes with supporters and opponents of President Rousseff shouting slogans and waving placards.

The committee's vote, while largely symbolic, was being watched as a measure of how much support there is for the impeachment process ahead of the crucial vote in the full lower house of Congress.

There, 342 votes in favour are needed to send the matter on to the Senate. The latest opinion poll by the Estadao daily suggests 292 are in favour, 115 against and 106 undecided.

Analysis by Wyre Davies, BBC South America Correspondent

President Rousseff, whose popularity has dived in recent months, has been hit by a faltering economy and a damaging corruption scandal focused on the state-controlled oil giant Petrobras which has implicated several senior politicians and business leaders.

Although opinion polls regularly indicate that a majority of Brazilians support the impeachment process, President Rousseff and her supporters in the ruling Workers Party say the proceedings in Congress amount to a parliamentary coup against a democratically elected government.

They point out that, unlike many of the Congressmen sitting in judgment against her, Ms Rousseff has not been formally accused in the Petrobras corruption probe but is being "tried" on lesser charges of manipulating government accounts to conceal a growing deficit.

During a bad-tempered debate leading up to the vote, Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cordozo, speaking for the president, said the impeachment process was "flawed".

"It is absurd to dismiss a president who has not committed crimes, nor stolen a penny. And such a process without crime or fraud, would be a coup," he said.

Opposition lawmaker Vanderlei Macris said an impeachment would be important to Brazilian society and would bring change.

Hillary Clinton has dismissed as "ridiculous" a charge by Bernie Sanders that she is "unqualified" to be president, as tensions rise in the Democratic race.

The Vermont senator stood by his comments, pointing to her Wall Street links and her vote for the war in Iraq.

He said she started the latest war of words by attacking him first.

The two candidates will do battle in a New York showdown in two weeks, a state where both have strong links.

There is much at stake, as the former secretary of state tries to stem the momentum of the self-described democratic socialist, who has a string of wins behind him.

Mr Sanders beat Mrs Clinton in the Wisconsin primary contest on Tuesday, and could pick up more delegates in Wyoming on Saturday before the greater prize of New York is up for grabs.

Analysis - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

Is it a sign of desperation from a losing campaign or a proportional response to an earlier unfair attack? Whatever the reason, Bernie Sanders's recent criticisms of Hillary Clinton as "unqualified" for the presidency represent a marked escalation in the war of words between the two candidates.

Mrs Clinton's supporters are bristling at the remarks, which they consider both sexist and patently untrue, given the former secretary of state's weighty political biography.

The Vermont senator's point, however, is that Mrs Clinton's lengthy experience within the establishment isn't a mark in her favour, it's a flaw that makes her beholden to the special interests he has spent his campaign denouncing.

With what could be a decisive New York primary less than two weeks away, the battle lines are clearly forming and the rhetoric is only just starting to heat up.

Democrats often boast of the substantiveness of their presidential nomination contest, particularly compared to the ongoing Republican slugfest.

This relatively genteel atmosphere may not persist through a rough-and-tumble contest in the Empire State, however, with its tabloid media culture that trumpets every squawk and squabble. In the political pressure cooker that is New York politics, things may be about to take an ugly turn.

The latest row began on Wednesday when Mrs Clinton was asked if Mr Sanders was qualified to be president, after he gave a newspaper interview in which he appeared to struggle to answer some questions.

"I think he hadn't done his homework and he'd been talking for more than a year about doing things that he obviously hasn't really studied or understood, and that does raise a lot of questions," she told MSNBC's Morning Joe.

On Wednesday night, Bernie Sanders told a crowd of supporters at Temple University that Mrs Clinton had accused him of being unqualified.

"Well let me, let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don't believe that she is qualified if she is, through her super PAC [fundraising committee], taking tens of millions of dollars in special interest funds," he said.

"I don't think you are qualified if you get $15 million from Wall Street through your super PAC."

He went on to list her backing of the Iraq War and her support of trade agreements as other disqualifications. On Thursday, he repeated his comments.

The Clinton campaign hit back, with spokesman Brian Fallon tweeting: "Hillary Clinton did not say Bernie Sanders was 'not qualified.' But he has now, absurdly, said it about her. This is a new low."

One of her senior aides, Christina Reynolds, said it was "a ridiculous and irresponsible attack for someone to make" against one of the most qualified candidates ever to run.

On the campaign trail, Mrs Clinton told Politico she explains things in a way more "open and truthful than my opponent," and said she explains what she would do as president rather than "lots of arm-waving and hot rhetoric".

In the Republican race, the two front-runners Ted Cruz and Donald Trump also traded insults on the campaign trail in New York.

Mr Trump, a businessman with no experience of elected office, accused the Texas senator of "hating" the city when he accused Mr Trump of having "New York values".

Source: bbc.com

Iceland's prime minister has resigned - the first major casualty of the leaked Panama Papers that have shone a spotlight on offshore finance.

The leaks, from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, showed Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson owned an offshore company with his wife but had not declared it when he entered parliament

He is accused of concealing millions of dollars' worth of family assets.

Mr Gunnlaugsson says he sold his shares to his wife, and denies any wrongdoing.

He is one of dozens of high-profile global figures mentioned in the 11.5 million leaked financial and legal records, which were first published on Sunday.

• Panama Papers: Latest developments
• Fifa chief contract among Panama Papers
• Voices from Iceland
• BBC reporters on global reaction
• Major banks' denials
• UK PM 'doesn't gain from offshore funds'=

Pressure on Mr Gunnlaugsson to quit had been building since then, with thousands of people protesting outside the parliament building in the capital Reykjavik on Monday and opposition parties tabling a confidence motion.

Earlier on Tuesday, the prime minister had asked President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson to dissolve parliament and call an early election.

But Mr Grimsson said he first wanted to consult leaders of the Independence Party, which has been in the ruling coalition with Mr Gunnlaugsson's Progressive Party since 2013.

Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, the chairman of the Independence Party, said the prime minister's request had come as a "total surprise" and was not "the rational thing to do".

Later, ahead of the proposed confidence vote, Mr Gunnlaugsson announced he was stepping down.

The Progressive Party's deputy leader, Agriculture Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, told reporters after a meeting that the party planned to name him as the new leader and propose that he become prime minister.

Despite the resignation, Katrín Jakobsdottir, head of the Left-Green Movement, told the Reuters news agency that opposition parties still wanted early elections.

Other Panama Papers reaction

• Fifa president Gianni Infantino signed off on a TV rights contract with businessmen subsequently accused of bribery, leaked documents show
• France returns Panama to a list of countries which fail to co-operate over tax evasion
• Panama says it is considering retaliatory measures against France, but reiterates that is ready to co-operate with any investigations stemming from the leaks
• Chile: the country head of the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, Gonzalo Delaveau, steps down after his name emerges in the documents
• US President Barack Obama says tax avoidance is a global problem and governments should not make it easy for illegal funds to move around the world
• Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif orders judicial investigation into allegations of family links with offshore companies

Panama Papers: Q&A

Watergate to Wikileaks: Leaks that shook the world

The documents leaked from Mossack Fonseca show that Mr Gunnlaugsson and his wife bought the company Wintris in 2007.

He did not declare an interest in the company when entering parliament in 2009. He sold his 50% of Wintris to his wife, Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir, for $1 (£0.70) eight months later.

Mr Gunnlaugsson maintains no rules were broken and his wife did not benefit financially.

The offshore company was used to invest millions of dollars of inherited money, according to a document signed by Mrs Palsdottir in 2015.

Court records show that Wintris had significant investments in the bonds of three major Icelandic banks that collapsed during the financial crisis which began in 2008.

Some of Icelanders' anger is believed to stem from the perceived conflict of interest.

The prime minister was involved in negotiations about the banks' future and had characterised foreign creditors who wanted their money back as "vultures", while Wintris itself was a creditor.

Mr Gunnlaugsson had kept his wife's interest in the outcome a secret.

In a resignation statement, Mr Gunnlaugsson said he had no wish to stand in the way of further government work, such as reform of the financial system.

Addressing the issue of his wife's assets, the statement says the couple have "never sought to hide these assets from Icelandic tax authorities and these holdings in Wintris have been reported as an asset on the prime minister's wife's income tax returns since 2008 and taxes have been paid accordingly in Iceland.

"No parliamentary rules on disclosure have been broken. Even the Guardian and other media covering the story have confirmed that they have not seen any evidence to suggest that the prime minister, his wife, or Wintris engaged in any actions involving tax avoidance, tax evasion, or any dishonest financial gain."

Panama Papers - tax havens of the rich and powerful exposed

• Eleven million documents held by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca have been passed to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which then shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. BBC Panorama is among 107 media organisations - including UK newspaper the Guardian - in 76 countries which have been analysing the documents. The BBC does not know the identity of the source
• They show how the company has helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax
• Mossack Fonseca says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and never been accused or charged with criminal wrong-doing
• Tricks of the trade: How assets are hidden and taxes evaded
• Panama Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #PanamaPapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Panama Papers"
• Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)

Source: bbc.com

Bernie Sanders can now boast four wins in a row and victories in six of the last seven contests for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Despite all the talk about the challenges he faces in trying to catch Hillary Clinton, it's still a remarkable achievement given how far back he started from the former secretary of state when the race began last year.

The Vermont senator wasn't in Wisconsin to relish the win, however. He chose to spend primary night instead at a rally in Wyoming, which holds its Democratic caucus on Saturday.

For Mr Sanders every delegate counts if he wants to catch Mrs Clinton - a formidable task given the sizable lead she built up by routing the Vermont senator in contests across the South last month.

But even if it doesn't give him much of a delegate boost, this Wisconsin result does offer Mr Sanders that most precious of political commodities - momentum.

He'll likely post another victory in Wyoming, and then all eyes turn to New York in two weeks - where Mr Sanders grew up and Mrs Clinton served as a senator for six years.

Mr Sanders, if his recent string of victories is to be anything more than a political footnote, will need to attract black and Hispanic votes in numbers he has yet achieve. If he can do that, then the narrative in this race stops being Mrs Clinton's inevitability and becomes a question of whether the front-runner can hang on.

If New York is the key, however, Mr Sanders's campaign there may be stumbling out of the gate. Today he received a raft of negative press for an interview he gave with the editorial board of the Daily News, a New York City newspaper, that critics say exposes his thin grasp on the issues - and foreign policy in particular.

When asked about Israeli-relations, the senator said he didn't know the answer to some questions and wasn't qualified to respond to others. He said he hasn't thought much about where so-called Islamic State leaders captured by the US should be held and didn't know whether President Barack Obama has the right policy to deal with IS.

He even demurred on questions about whether the US government has the authority to order the breakup of banks that the president determines are too powerful.

"If a bank is too big to fail, it is too big to exist," he said. "And then you have the secretary of treasury and some people who know a lot about this, making that determination."

Gloves come off for Clinton and Sanders - It's crunch time in the Democratic race and nerves are starting to fray

#BernieMadeMeWhite: Minority supporters of Sanders speak out - Supporters push back against "all-white" narrative

Trump, Clinton and the 'None of the Above' era - Rarely have those running for high office been held in such low esteem

Full US election coverage from the BBC

The headlines following the interview were scathing. "This New York Daily News interview was pretty close to a disaster for Bernie Sanders," read the Washington Post.

"Even on bread-and-butter matters like breaking up the big banks, the Democratic presidential hopeful came across as tentative, unprepared or unaware," wrote the Atlantic's David Graham.

It didn't take long for the Clinton camp to pounce, either.

"We've said for a long time that this primary is about who's really going to be able to get things done," the campaign said in a news release on Tuesday night. "And from reading this interview, you get the impression Senator Sanders hasn't thought very much about that."

New York politics can be rough and tumble. The tabloid culture in the New York City tends to reward politicians who are both aggressive and thick-skinned.

The Wisconsin win was sweet for Mr Sanders, but he is about to face the biggest test of his campaign. In two weeks he could be on his way back in the race - or left licking his wounds.

Source: bbc.com

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has decisively won the Wisconsin primary, complicating front-runner Donald Trump's path to the nomination.

In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders scored a strong victory over Hillary Clinton in the Midwestern state.

Mr Trump leads the Republican race, but there are concerns that he could fall short of the number of delegates needed to secure the party's nomination.

Mr Trump's rivals have pinned their hopes on a contested convention.

At a contested convention, party leaders, not voters, would choose the nominee.

"Tonight is a turning point, it is a rallying cry to the people of America," Mr Cruz told supporters in Milwaukee on Tuesday. "We are winning because we are uniting the Republican Party."

Mr Cruz is unlikely to earn enough delegates to win the nomination outright, but Republican Party leaders have rallied around the Texas senator in hopes of wounding Mr Trump.

Analysis: Jon Sopel, BBC News North America Editor

Who knew it? Newton was right; there is such a thing as gravity after all.

I'm not much of a scientist, but I had, well, started to doubt him. I thought maybe he hadn't got it right with the whole thing about the apple falling. After nine months of the most improbable act of levitation ever seen outside of a circus or a weightlessness laboratory, the blond sorcerer has come down to earth.

No, he didn't reach terminal velocity. And as falls go, it wasn't that serious. He's got a few scrapes, and maybe that over-inflated ego has had some of the air knocked out. You could hear the hissing sound from miles away. But a fall it has been.

And that is remarkable and worthy of note. Because for nine months now it has seemed that Donald Trump could say and do whatever he liked without there being consequences.

But then he took on women. And so Wisconsin is lost. And Mr Trump has shown he is mortal.

Read more from Jon

Mr Trump said on Tuesday he would prevail despite the loss and took aim at his rival.

"Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet - he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination," the Trump campaign said in a statement.

Party leaders are concerned that Mr Trump would be a weak candidate in the general election and could harm other Republicans lawmakers on the ballot.

Polls show that the real estate tycoon is extremely unpopular among key voting blocs including women, Latinos and young people.

New York will be a key test for the Sanders campaign

On the Democratic side, Wisconsin adds to a recent spate of wins by the Sanders campaign, giving the Vermont senator a boost before key races in New York and Pennsylvania.

Addressing supporters in Wyoming, Mr Sanders stressed momentum was on his side and that his outsider candidacy could change the status quo.

"Real change never takes place from the top down; it always takes place from the bottom up," Mr Sanders told supporters.

Mrs Clinton still holds a sizeable lead and most analysts say she will eventually become the Democratic nominee despite her recent losses.

While Tuesday's loss was a setback for Mr Trump, his campaign has time to rebound.

More on the 2016 campaign

US election 2016: Wisconsin Primary - Complete results as votes are counted

For Bernie Sanders, it's momentum versus math - The Sanders campaign is on a winning streak

Trump's disastrous women voter problem - This voting bloc could doom in chances in the general election

Full US election coverage from the BBC

The campaign now moves to large north-eastern states, where polls show Mr Trump holds significant leads.

Mr Trump's loss in Wisconsin comes after a rocky week for the campaign, particularly with female voters.

The New York businessman repeatedly struggled to articulate his position on abortion. At one point, he called for women to be punished for having abortions, then quickly changed his mind.

His campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was also arrested, accused of manhandling a female journalist. Mr Trump has vehemently defended Mr Lewandowski and rebuffed calls to fire him.

Meanwhile, outside groups opposed to Mr Trump's nomination stepped up their efforts in Wisconsin, running negative television adverts.

Popular state leaders such as Governor Scott Walker and influential talk radio programme hosts also opposed the Trump campaign and threw their support behind Mr Cruz.

Source: bbc.com

Republican front-runner Donald Trump has said he would easily win the Republican nomination if John Kasich drops out of the contest.

He said the Ohio governor should not stay in the contest because he cannot collect enough delegates to win.

His comments came just ahead of Tuesday's Wisconsin vote which could reshape the Republican race.

"If I didn't have Kasich, I automatically win," Mr Trump said at a rally in Wisconsin.

If Mr Trump loses the primary contest on Tuesday, as the polls suggest, it is far less likely he will have the all-important 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

Delegates represent their states at the party's convention and are accumulated by the votes in each state.

Currently, Mr Trump has 735 delegates, Texas Senator Ted Cruz 461 and Ohio Governor Mr Kasich 143.

If no-one hits 1,237 after all 50 states have voted, the Republican convention in July is contested, meaning the delegates vote for a nominee, and Mr Trump, who is unpopular among sections of the party, could lose the nomination.

The New York businessman has had a very difficult seven days, sparking outcry over comments he made about abortion, standing by his campaign manager after he was charged with assaulting a reporter and raising eyebrows with remarks about US foreign policy.

"Was this my best week? I guess not," Mr Trump told "Fox News Sunday".

More on the Trump campaign

Femme fatale- How Trump's women problem could doom his chances

Nukes in Asia - Is Trump's foreign policy so crazy it might just work?

What might happen - Five ways Republican bloodbath could end

None of the Above - Rarely have those running for high office been held in such low esteem

How it all works - It's complicated, but here's a handy guide

A loss in Wisconsin, which is the kind of state he has done well in up to now, then questions will be raised about whether his campaign is running out of steam.

He met the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Washington to review delegate and party rules, days after breaking a promise made to them that he would back the eventual nominee.

In response to Mr Trump's comments that Mr Kasich should follow former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Florida Senator Marco Rubio and quit the race, the Ohio Governor said he will stay because no-one will get the required number to win outright.

"Since he thinks it's such a good idea, we look forward to Trump dropping out before the convention," Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf said.

Mr Kasich has recognised that he will not be able to gain enough delegates before the convention.

Reince Priebus, president of the RNC, has said the nominee will be someone who is running, but acknowledged that a brokered convention is a possibility.

The Democrats are campaigning ahead of Wisconsin's primary as well, where Hillary Clinton is hoping to hold off a resurgent Bernie Sanders.

What is a brokered convention?

• no candidate has 1,237 delegates needed to secure nomination
• someone who was not previously running can be elected by delegates at the party convention
• delegates can decide not to back their original candidate
• there can be a "floor fight" in which delegates urge one another to come to their side, with multiple rounds of voting

Source: bbc.com

Leaders of Libya's new unity government have arrived in the capital, Tripoli, by boat in an attempt to take control.

Over recent days, Tripoli's airspace has been intermittently closed to stop the Presidency Council, which has been based in Tunisia, from arriving by air.

Libya's UN envoy called for "a peaceful and orderly handover".

But hardliners in the coalition that controls Tripoli are opposed to the UN-brokered deal aimed at reconciling a nation split by five years of conflict.

In a televised address, the head of the Tripoli authorities, Khalifa Ghweil, said he regarded the politicians as interlopers and said they were not welcome.

He urged "the illegitimate outsiders to surrender and be safe in our custody or to return to where they came from".

Late on Wednesday, journalists from a television channel supportive of authorities in Tripoli said it was taken off air after gunmen stormed its offices. It was not clear to whom the gunmen were affiliated.

Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 overthrow of long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi by Nato-backed forces.

From 2014 it has had two competing administrations, one in Tripoli backed by powerful militias and the other about 1,000km (620 miles) away in the port city of Tobruk.

• More on this and other Africa news stories
• Why is Libya so lawless?

Militias in charge, says BBC's North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad

In the first hours after the politicians' arrival at the navy base, militias on armed pick-up trucks were seen securing most parts of the capital. But by early evening, gunfire from rival groups started ringing out.

It is not clear what their plan is, but things are now tense.

Many of the brigades in western Libya have fallen in line behind the Presidency Council. However, the reality is that these are the very same militias who led and facilitated the existence of the rival authorities in Tripoli since 2014.

Their continued prominent role means their status will not change - it simply puts any new government at their mercy. Ultimately they are Libya's rulers.

Militia allegiances often shift out of convenience and with the need to survive.

Key to any progress and long-term transformation of Libya will be having a government that can control these brigades.

• Guide to Libya's militias

In December, some rival lawmakers signed up to the UN agreement to form a unity government, but the deal has not yet been backed by all the country's many militia brigades that formed after the uprising.

The deal saw the formation of a nine-member Presidency Council, which includes the unity Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj who arrived with some of his deputies at a naval base in Tripoli on Wednesday.

Mr Sarraj said it was time to turn a new page and reconcile, saying he intended to build state institutions and implement a ceasefire.

"Revenge, alienation, antipathy, and hatred don't build a state," the AP news agency quoted him as saying.

The BBC's North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad says the Presidency Council has faced numerous challenges since its formation, chief of which has been its inability to establish a presence in Tripoli.

UN envoy Martin Kobler said the politicians' arrival in Tripoli - after at least two failed attempts to fly in - marked "an important step in Libya's democratic transition and path to peace, security and prosperity".

In a statement, he "urged all public bodies, including official financial institutions, to facilitate an immediate, orderly and peaceful handover of power".

US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was "not the time for obstructionists to hold back progress".

But our reporter says it is not clear how Mr Sarraj and his colleagues will be able to take over state institutions in Tripoli, given the stiff rivalry they face and the fact that members of his proposed cabinet are based all over the country.

The political and security vacuum in Libya has helped the so-called Islamic State group to establish a foothold in the north African country, carrying out attacks on cities and against oil installations.

Source: bbc.com

Presidential candidate Donald Trump briefly called for "some form of punishment" for women who have abortions, if abortion became illegal.

His initial comments made during a town hall event with cable network MSNBC sparked a wave of criticism.

However, Mr Trump quickly reversed his position, saying only the person who performed the abortion should be punished.

But he maintained: "My position has not changed."

The front-runner supports a ban on abortions, with certain exceptions.

Abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973 after a landmark Supreme Court ruling.

Only the Supreme Court or a constitutional amendment has the power to overturn Roe v Wade and make abortion illegal.

Once a Democrat, Mr Trump has been criticised for supporting abortion rights in the past.

Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC News North America reporter

The Republican party's official position is that abortion should be illegal. Conservative politicians and anti-abortion activists who view abortion as akin to murder, however, tend to avoid outlining any criminal punishment for women who undergo the procedure, instead targeting the doctors responsible.

The reason for this is simple - to make abortion bans more acceptable to a general public that does not want to see possibly distraught women grappling with unwanted pregnancies sent to prison.

Donald Trump, as he is wont to do, just trampled through this carefully constructed conservative political dance with all the grace of a rhinoceros at a tea party. Thanks to his assertion, after prodding, that women should face "some form of punishment" for having an illegal abortion, the conservative pro-life movement is going to be forced to defend their beliefs on uncomfortable ground. Republican candidates will be asked, again and again, to defend or denounce Mr Trump's comments.

This is exactly the kind of scenario that terrifies Republican politicians about Mr Trump as their party's nominee. His ill-considered remarks and shoot-from-the-hip approach to media interviews could be a political minefield for their candidates in the autumn.

In all likelihood it's just a taste of things to come.

However, some anti-abortion groups criticised Mr Trump's initial comments as extreme.

"Mr Trump's comment today is completely out of touch with the pro-life movement and even more with women who have chosen such a sad thing as abortion," said Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.

"No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion."

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump's stance on women's issues.

"Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. Horrific and telling," said Mrs Clinton after his latest comments.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Mr Trump's closest rival in the Republican race, also condemned the billionaire.

"Once again Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn't seriously thought through the issues, and he'll say anything just to get attention," Mr Cruz said.

His spokesman Brian Phillips added on Twitter: "Don't overthink it: Trump doesn't understand the pro-life position because he's not pro-life."

More on the Trump campaign

The 40-year hurt - How Bruce Springsteen articulated the forces that underpin the rise of Trump

Trumpisms - 22 things that Trump believes

A civil war - Lifelong Republicans turned off by Trump

Republican leaders have expressed concern about Mr Trump's prospects in the general election because polls show that the New York businessman is extremely unpopular with female voters.

Mr Trump has come under fire for disparaging women including former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina and TV presenter Megyn Kelly.

"If Trump's words about women - calling us 'disgusting', 'slobs' and 'fat pigs' - didn't scare us, this should," said Kate Black of Emily's List, a group committed to electing female Democrats who support abortion rights.

His campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was arrested on Tuesday, accused of a minor assault on a female reporter. Mr Trump has vehemently defended Mr Lewandowski.

Anti-abortion activists traditionally have avoided placing blame on women who undergo abortions, but have focused on those who perform the procedure.

In recent years, conservatives have sought to tighten restrictions on abortion clinics and doctors rather than seek an outright ban.

Abortion rights advocates say these measures are meant to restrict women's access to abortion.

The new laws are particularly widespread in conservative southern states.

Source: bbc.com

Police in Mozambique say they have seized 47 weapons from the headquarters of the main opposition party, and the home of its leader, Afonso Dhlakama.

The weapons, which included AK-47 rifles, were used in violent crimes in the capital, Maputo, police alleged.

Mr Dhlakama's Renamo party condemned the raids as an "invasion".

Renamo fighters and government forces have been involved in clashes since disputed elections in 2014, raising fears that a civil war could resume.

The 17-year conflict ended in 1992 with a peace deal which led to the former rebel group turning into an opposition party.

Mr Dhlakama was not at his Maputo home during the police raid, reports the BBC's Jose Tembe from the city.

Some Renamo fighters remain armed, despite a peace deal

He is based in the remote Gorongosa mountains in central Mozambique, which was his headquarters when he was a rebel leader.

Police commander Julio Jane said military uniforms and communication equipment had also been seized during the raids.

"At Mr Dhlakama's house, we found 38 AK-47 rifles and seven pistols," he said.

For its part, Renamo accused police of "stealing" about $4,000 (£2,800) from its properties during the operation.

Mr Dhlakama would respond "politically" to the raids, it added.

Renamo has carried out a spate of attacks on civilians and government targets since the disputed election, as it insists on the right to govern six of Mozambique's 10 provinces.

Source: bbc.com

he feud between Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump is becoming increasingly personal, with Mr Cruz accusing "sleazy Donald" of spreading rumours.

Mr Cruz told reporters that Mr Trump was behind a story in the National Enquirer that alleged Mr Cruz has had extramarital affairs.

Mr Cruz called the story "garbage, complete and utter lies".

"It is a tabloid smear and it has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen."

As evidence that Mr Trump planted the story, Mr Cruz pointed out that the only person quoted by name in the Enquirer story was Roger Stone, a former top adviser to the Trump campaign.

He also noted that Mr Trump and National Enquirer CEO David Pecker are close friends.

Rats, dirty tricks and politics: Tim Swift, BBC News, Washington

Roger Stone is one of the more colourful characters in Republican politics

Ted Cruz came out swinging on Friday, condemning the Trump campaign in the strongest possible terms. Some of those terms may require additional explanation.

"He is a man for whom a term was coined for copulating with a rodent," Mr Cruz said of Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser. "Well let me be clear, Donald Trump may be a rat, but I have no desire to copulate with him."

What?

Mr Cruz is referring to an obscene rat-themed euphemism for political dirty tricks. Mr Stone is credited with coining the phrase.

Mr Stone got his start in politics working for President Richard Nixon. He later lost a position with Senator Bob Dole after a newspaper columnist named him as one of Nixon's "dirty tricksters". Such tricks included ordering hundreds of pizzas to be delivered to rival campaigns, cancelling opponents' rallies, and engaging in deplorable behaviour while pretending to represent other candidates.

Through the years, Mr Stone worked for various Republican politicians including Ronald Reagan. And he's never shed his reputation for hardball attacks.

In a 2007 profile in the Weekly Standard, Mr Stone was dubbed the "boastful black prince of Republican sleaze".

Asked whether he would still support Mr Trump, the current front-runner, if he won the Republican nomination, Mr Cruz did not answer directly.

But the Texas senator said: "I'm not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and my family."

"I had absolutely nothing to do with it," Mr Trump said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the candidates, who had been on good terms earlier in the campaign, began trading insults on Twitter.

Mistakenly believing the Cruz campaign had produced an attack advert about his wife Melania, Mr Trump on Twitter threatened to "spill the beans" on Mr Cruz's wife, Heidi.

Mr Cruz responded saying his campaign did not produce the advert, calling Mr Trump "classless" and a "coward".

The next day, Mr Trump continued, posting an unflattering photo of Mrs Cruz on Twitter.

Mr Cruz responded, calling Mr Trump a "snivelling coward" and told him to "leave Heidi the hell alone".

Source: bbc.com

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton rebuked Republicans and defended Nato in a counter-terrorism speech after deadly attacks in Brussels.

Her comments contrasted sharply with her Republican counterparts, namely Donald Trump, who has suggested scaling back US commitments to Nato.

Mrs Clinton said the US should consult more deeply with Arab partners and stand with Europe in its time of need.

"Our European allies stood with us on 9/11. It's time to return the favour."

America should not turn its back on its allies, she said during remarks at Stanford University in California, and insulting them is not a good way to fight terrorism.

She addressed Mr Trump's calls to reinstate the use of torture and water boarding to glean information from those accused of terrorism.

"I am proud to have been part of an administration that outlawed torture," the former secretary of state said.

The deadly attacks in Brussels that killed more than 30 people are the "latest brutal reminder" that more must be one to defeat to so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group, she said.

The US and Europe should take a "harder look" at airport security protocols, and other "soft targets" that IS may attack.

Mrs Clinton also said proposal in Congress to make a national commission on encryption could help fight online radicalisation.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz has suggested in the wake of the attacks that police patrol Muslim neighbourhoods to fight terrorism, and has also suggested "carpet-bombing" IS in Syria.

Mrs Clinton called his suggestion "wrong, counterproductive and dangerous," and that it would be similar to "treating American Muslims like criminals".

Mr Trump has said it is acceptable to kill terrorists' families and that the US should not admit any Muslims into its borders.

"If Mr Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin," she said of Mr Trump's foreign policy views.

Source: bbc.com

US presidential candidate Donald Trump has won over large blocs of religious voters, but one group of faithful conservatives has resisted - Mormons.

He lost contests in Idaho and Wyoming, which have large Mormon populations, and polls show him a distant second in Utah, where the church is based.

Tuesday's Republican caucuses in Utah could signal a weakness for Mr Trump.

Some early polls show that if Mr Trump advances to the general election, Utah voters would choose a Democrat.

The last time the state voted for a Democrat in a presidential election was 1964.

A win in Utah by Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders - the two battle in the state's Democratic caucuses on Tuesday - would represent a major shift in the typically static electoral map.

Also on Tuesday, Democrats will vote in Idaho while both parties are holding a primary races in Arizona.

One of the most prominent Mormons in the US, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, has recently led the charge against the Republican front-runner.

Mr Romney, who was the last Republican presidential nominee, has condemned the New York businessman, saying Mr Trump's campaign has become associated with "racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, vulgarity and, most recently, threats and violence".

Other religious groups have criticised Mr Trump's campaign rhetoric. This week a group of rabbis protested his speech to an American-Israeli lobbying group in Washington.

In February, Pope Francis expressed concerns about Mr Trump's plans to build a wall between the US and Mexico.

But these condemnations of have done little to halt the Trump campaign's momentum.

Election results and polling data have shown the candidate is extremely popular with working-class Catholics and evangelical Christians.

Founded in 1830, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest religious group in the US and has throughout much of its history been associated with the Republican Party.

In recent years the church's membership has grown globally with 8 million of its 15 million followers living outside US.

More on the US presidential race

Jorge Ramos on Donald Trump's rise - Meet the Republican front-runner's nemesis

Who is funding the US election? - Money is a big issue in the 2016 US presidential race

Could Hillary Clinton face jail time? - The case of David Petraeus may signal how she will fare

It has a growing presence in Mexico, which Mr Trump has accused of sending criminals into the US and encouraging illegal immigration.

Unlike Mr Trump, the church has generally been supportive of immigration and the rights of immigrants.

Also, Mormons, once persecuted as a religious minority, have been unsettled by his plan to ban Muslims from entering the US.

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neutral in regard to party politics and election campaigns," the church said in a statement after Mr Trump first proposed the ban in December. "However, it is not neutral in relation to religious freedom."

The statement went on to cite the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, who preached respect for other religions.

While other US governors sought to block Syrian refugees from their states in late 2015, Utah Governor Gary Herbert welcomed them.

McKay Coppins, a reporter for BuzzFeed who is Mormon, has written extensively about Mr Trump's problems with Mormon voters.

"His blatant religious illiteracy, his penchant for onstage cursing, his habit of flinging crude insults at women, his less-than-virtuous personal life and widely chronicled marital failures — all of this is anathema to the wholesome, family-first lifestyle that Mormonism promotes," Mr Coppins wrote.

Source: bbc.com

Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has died at the age of 46 after fighting cancer, his family has said.

Mr Ford, who battled drug and alcohol addiction, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2014.

He gained international notoriety after admitting smoking crack cocaine in 2013, but he was loved by supporters.

"A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto," his family said in a statement.

He could not run for re-election as mayor in 2014 due to his cancer diagnosis, but won a city council seat in a landslide result.

His image contrasted sharply with Canada's usual calm, buttoned-up politics.

Profile: Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

Toronto ex-mayor: Everyone makes mistakes

Reacting to his death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: "Rob Ford fought cancer with courage and determination. My condolences and best wishes to the Ford family today."

The current mayor of Toronto, John Tory, said in a statement that "the city is reeling with this news".

"He was a man who spoke his mind and who ran for office because of the deeply felt convictions that he had.

"I know there are many who were affected by his gregarious nature and approach to public service.''

Scandal

While serving as Toronto mayor, Mr Ford was videotaped and photographed intoxicated in public areas.

"Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine," Mr Ford told reporters. "But... do I? Am I addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago."

Despite the crack-smoking scandal, his popularity remained high with fans lining up to take photo with him.

He appealed to conservative, working-class people with his populist message. Many of his supporters in the 2010 Toronto mayoral election came from the outer suburbs of the city.

One of his key campaign promises was to "stop the gravy train" of government spending and he pledged to end "the war on the car".

During Canada's national election last year, Mr Ford threw his support behind former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who lost to Justin Trudeau, a liberal.

Mr Harper tweeted on Tuesday: "Rob was a fighter throughout life & dedicated public servant who will be remembered for his courage, love for Toronto & his family."

New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair tweeted also his condolences to Mr Ford's family, saying "46 is far too young to lose a loved one".

Mr Ford grew up in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, dropping out of university after one year to work in his family business.

He is survived by his wife Renata and his two children, Stephanie and Doug.

Source: bbc.com

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney will vote for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, saying he is "repulsed" by Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Mr Romney said in a Facebook post that the only way to nominate a Republican is to have an open convention, in which party officials choose the nominee.

He campaigned with Governor John Kasich in Ohio but said voting for Mr Cruz is the only way to stop "Trumpism".

He joins other Republican leaders coalescing around Mr Cruz.

Mr Trump has won the most state contests and holds 678 delegates - 1,237 are needed to win the nomination.

"Mitt Romney is a mixed up man who doesn't have a clue. No wonder he lost!" Mr Trump said on Twitter.

However Republican leaders are concerned that his controversial comments about immigrants, women and Muslims would make him a weak candidate in the general election in November.

Some also feel that the onetime Democrat cannot be trusted to implement conservative policies.

"Today, there is a contest between Trumpism and Republicanism," Mr Romney said. "Through the calculated statements of its leader, Trumpism has become associated with racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, vulgarity and, most recently, threats and violence. I am repulsed by each and every one of these."

Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America Reporter

It turns out Mitt Romney's speech roundly condemning Donald Trump two weeks ago was just an opening salvo in what could be a long war against the New York businessman.

With the Utah primary days away, the 2012 Republican nominee, still highly respected among the state's large Mormon population, is casting his lot with - and personal ballot for - Ted Cruz in a last-ditch attempt to stop "Trumpism" from taking over his party.

Mr Romney and the Texas senator are certainly strange political bedfellows. One is the face of the party's genteel establishment; the other a bomb-throwing backbencher who has spent more time condemning his party's leadership than courting it.

The goal for Mr Romney continues to be a political street fight at an open Republican convention. The former Massachusetts governor has apparently concluded that this necessitated sticking the knife in Mr Trump's other opponent, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and going all-in with Mr Cruz.

His efforts prior to the last round of voting did little to slow Mr Trump's momentum. It remains to be seen if his latest moves will be any different.

Earlier, he gave a speech outlining why he was against Donald Trump, a billionaire businessman with no political experience, calling him a "phoney" and a "fraud".

Mr Romney's home state of Utah holds its presidential contest on Tuesday.

A group of conservatives including well-known talk radio host Erick Erickson met on Thursday to discuss ways to defeat Donald Trump, including launching a third party campaign to challenge the New York businessman.

"We encourage all former Republican candidates not currently supporting Trump to unite against him and encourage all candidates to hold their delegates on the first ballot," he said in a statement, put out on behalf of the group.

"We believe that the issue of Donald Trump is greater than an issue of party. It is an issue of morals and character that all Americans, not just those of us in the conservative movement, must confront."

More on the US presidential race

Where did Marco Rubio go wrong? - Tuesday was a bruising night for the establishment hope, and other takeaways from our US correspondents

Jorge Ramos on Donald Trump's rise - Meet the Republican front-runner's nemesis

Who is funding the US election? - Money is a big issue in the 2016 US presidential race

Many party members have also misgiving about Mr Cruz because he has repeatedly and publicly denounced Republican leaders.

However, more prominent Republicans are throwing their support behind Mr Cruz in a last-ditch effort to stop Mr Trump.

Popular South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and senators Mike Lee of Utah and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have recently endorsed Mr Cruz.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who left the Republican race on Tuesday, said this week would not be endorsing any of his former rivals.

He also said he had no interest in becoming a vice-presidential nominee.

Mr Trump won four out five primaries on Tuesday, but the race in Missouri has not been called for the Republicans yet.

Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly won the state's Democratic primary after her opponent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders decline to pursue a recount.

Source: bbc.com

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea, South Korean and US officials say.

They say the missile, launched off the east coast, flew about 800km (500 miles) and fell into the water. North Korea has not commented on the report.

A US defence spokesperson later said a second missile was launched.

US President Barack Obama earlier imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang, after its recent "illicit" nuclear test and satellite launch.

His executive order freezes North Korean government property in the United States. It bans US exports to - or investment in - North Korea and also greatly expands powers to blacklist anyone, including non-Americans, dealing with North Korea.

The 6 January nuclear test and 7 February satellite launch were violations of existing UN sanctions.

'Pre-emptive nuclear strike'

South Korea's Yonhap news agency also cited unnamed sources saying a second missile was detected but it may have disintegrated in mid-air.

They appeared to be medium-range Rodong missiles fired from road-mobile launch vehicles.

With a maximum range of 1,300km, the Rodong would have the capability to reach all of South Korea and parts of Japan.

Lt Col Michelle Baldanza, from the US defence press office said after the latest launch: "We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region."

Amid the heightened tensions, the North sentenced a US student to 15 years hard labour on Wednesday for "severe crimes" against the state.

The US demanded North Korea immediately release Otto Warmbier, 21, who was arrested for trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel while on a visit in January.

The US and South Korea are also holding their biggest annual military drills this month, which routinely generate tension.

But this year North Korea threatened to launch a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" against the US and South Korea.

Source: bbc.com

A Brazilian judge has blocked the appointment of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as chief of staff to his successor, Dilma Rousseff, shortly after he was sworn in.

The judge's injunction said there was a risk a federal investigation could be derailed if Lula was a minister.

In Brazil, cabinet members can only be investigated by the Supreme Court, not by federal courts.

Lula is under investigation in connection with a corruption scandal.

The government has appealed against the decision.

Legal battle

Prosecutors filed charges against Lula last week accusing him of money laundering and fraud, which he has denied.

Brazilians get that sinking feeling as crisis deepens

Brazil tumbling like 'House of Cards'

Lula: Most hated and loved man in Brazil

Why is Lula caught up in scandal?

Lula's nomination as chief of staff has divided Brazilians.

Some said it was a move to shield him from prosecution while others welcomed his return to active politics.

Ahead of his swearing-in ceremony, groups of supporters and opponents of the government clashed outside the presidential palace.

The ceremony itself was interrupted by a protester who cried "Shame!".

The protester was drowned out by supporters of the governing Workers' Party, who shouted pro-government slogans and Lula's name.

During the ceremony, President Rousseff praised Lula, who she said was "not just a great politician, but a great friend and comrade of many battles".

"We've always stood side by side," she said.

A visibly angry Ms Rousseff then criticised federal Judge Sergio Moro, who is leading the investigation into a massive corruption scandal at state-oil giant Petrobras.

On Wednesday, Judge Moro made public a taped phone conversation between President Rousseff and Lula which has been interpreted by some to show that Lula was given the post of chief of staff to shield him from prosecution.

In the conversation, Ms Rousseff told Lula she would send him the official decree naming him as minister "just to use in case it's necessary".

President Rousseff said Judge Moro had violated the law and the constitution by releasing the tape and that she would order an investigation.

President under fire

President Rousseff herself is under considerable political pressure.

Rousseff facing a perfect storm

Her critics want to impeach her over allegations she manipulated Brazil's account books to hide a growing deficit.

On Thursday, members of the lower house of Congress approved the creation of a 65-member committee to look into the ongoing impeachment.

It will examine the issue over the next few weeks and make a recommendation on whether Ms Rousseff should or not be impeached.

The final decision on her political future will be taken by the Senate.

President Rousseff showed her support for her mentor at his swearing-in ceremony

Analysts say she named Lula chief of staff so he could use his influence with members of Congress to convince them to vote against her impeachment.

As more and more members of her Workers' Party are being investigated over corruption at Petrobras, she is also facing increased questions about what she may have known.

Ms Rousseff was head of the board at Petrobras from 2003 to 2010 and has always denied any wrongdoing.

On Sunday, a record number of people took part in anti-government marches across Brazil.

An estimated three million people called for an end to corruption and for Ms Rousseff's impeachment.

There have also been rallies in support of the government, but they have been smaller than those opposing the administration.

The political upheaval comes at a time of economic problems, with Brazil going through its worst recession in more than three decades.

Source: bbc.com