BBC News:七国集团峰会在布鲁塞尔开幕
Prosecutors in Germany are opening an investigation against persons unknown in connection with the alleged bugging of Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone by the US National Security Agency. The revelation came to light last year, damaging ties between Washington and Berlin. The allegations were made public by the former American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. A German Green MP Hans-Christian Stroebele said the investigation was unlikely to harm links between the two countries.
It's probable relations with the US will be strained by this, but not much beyond what they currently are. I don't believe it will come to a suffering of cooperation between the secret services or other German-US relationships. I assume that the true interests and relations, the good business, military and intelligence relations are so strong that neither side will want to damage them.
Leaders of the G7 group of rich nations are gathering in Brussels for their first meetings since Russia was thrown out, following its annexation of Crimea. The crisis in Ukraine is certain to dominate discussions of the opening dinner. From Brussels, Chris Morris.
The meeting was originally planned as a G8 to be held in Russia, but the other seven countries abandoned that idea after the annexation of Crimea. The G7 now wants Russia to engage with the new Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and to do more to rein in separatist fighters in the east of the country. For the moment, the emphasis is on diplomacy and politics, but the threat of moving to a higher level of sanctions against Russia remains on the table.
Earlier, President Obama warned Russia against what he called its dark tactics in Ukraine. The Russian President Vladimir Putin has told French Television he is ready to meet the President elect of Ukraine when the two men are in France later this week for ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day. Mr. Putin said he would not avoid any of the leaders at the event.
The authorities in Syria say Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected president with almost 89% of the vote. The election was held in the midst of the civil war, and only people in government-controlled areas were able to take part. Jeremy Bowen is watching the celebrations in Damascus.
The election was condemned and ridiculed by President al-Assad's enemies at home and abroad. But for the regime and all the supporters on the streets, this is a victory. All the international peace plans so far for this war have revolved around finding ways for President Assad to step down. His representatives have always said his future wasn't a matter for the negotiation; it was for the Syrian people to decide. Now as these celebrations continue in Damascus, the regime will say that the people have delivered their president a new seven-year mandate.
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Pakistan police have arrested two brothers over the mob killing of their pregnant sister outside a courthouse in the city of Lahore last week. Farzana Parveen was bludgeoned to death by members of her own family for marrying a man without their consent. A police spokesman said a third man has also been arrested for taking part.
A renegade general in Libya has vowed to strike back against Islamist militias after surviving in an assassination attempt which killed several of his guards. Speaking on Libyan Television, General Khalifa Haftar said he'd only been lightly wounded.
There are numerous rumors about a successful assassination attempt. On the contrary, nothing has befallen us from this operation except that insignificant simple things which do not alter matters. We feel that our health is good, our morale is high and our response to them will be twice as much as what they have committed. We are determined to continue, God willing.
In a further sign of growing violence and instability a Swiss Red Cross official was shot dead at point-blank range in the city of Sirte.
For the time, for the first time an English terrorism trial maybe heard entirely in secret. Media organizations have appealed against an order by a judge last month that the trial of two people accused of serious terrorism offences should be held behind closed doors and their identities withheld. Three quarter of appeal judges said they would give their decision in a few days time.
The Irish government is considering how it should respond to the discovery of the remains of nearly 800 children at a former home for unmarried mothers run by the Roman Catholic Church. The children, aged between two days and nine years, had died of illness or malnutrition when their home was under the care of nuns. The Catholic Church in Ireland has been at the center of a host of scandals in recent years.
That's the BBC News.
