BBC news with Nick Kelley.
The Turkish armed forces say the United States opened up Iraqi airspace to Turkish war planes giving tacit approval to air attacks against PKK fighters in Northern Iraq. A US embassy official in Iraq said the Americans did not approve the attacks but were informed of the Turkish operation beforehand. Turkish news reports said up to 50 planes were involved in the attacks on the PKK targets on Saturday night. Iraqi officials said the bombs hit ten villages killing one woman and wounding several others. Iraq has demanded a halt to the strikes. The Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq had a clear message for Turkey. "We have made the point to the Turkish ambassador that these acts are unacceptable by the government of Iraq and there has been previous understanding that any such action should be coordinated with the Iraqi government or with the multinational forces, from what we've learnt they gave a very late notice for their operation."
In a message to the conference of the governing African National Congress, the former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, says he is saddened by divisions within the party as it meets to select a new leader. "Whatever decisions you are to make at this conference including decisions about leadership positions in the organizations, let that noble history of the ANC guide you.
Supporters of the current leader, President Thabo Mbeki, were heckled by allies of his political rival Jacob Zuma in the conference hall. Mr. Zuma was sacked as deputy head of state in 2005 after his financial advisor was jailed for corruption. The BBC's southern Africa correspondent says that despite this, Mr. Zuma remains favorite to win the ANC leadership.
At least three hundred prisoners in central India have escaped from jail after overpowering their guards. Police in Chhattisgarh state said the prisoners most of whom are Maoist rebels seized the guards' weapons before fleeing. They said the incident seemed to be very well planned. Our South Asia editor Fehaner Haiider reports. "Police reinforcements have been sent to the area to help search for the escapees, the prisoners are said to be mainly Maoist rebels known as Naxalites and their supporters. For 40 years, they have been waging often violent campaigns against India's government. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described these guerrillas as the single biggest threat to India's national security, they live mostly in the jungles of the least developed states, the rebels say they are fighting for the rights of landless peasants and tribe's people. The Maoist insurgency has claimed the lives of around 6,000 people including hundreds of policemen. "
Rebels in the Darfur region of Sudan said they had inflicted a significant defeat on the Sudanese army. The rebel Justice and Equality Movement says it's captured 29 soldiers and 32 army vehicles.
World news from the BBC.
The aid organization Medecins Sans Frontieres, says its staff in Yemen have found the bodies of 56 African migrants who drowned as their boat approached the Yemeni coast. Survivors said the boat capsized during the panic among the Somalis and Ethiopians on board. A Somali official in Yemen told the BBC that a second vessel was involved, and as many as 180 migrants have been killed.
Opposition leaders in Kyrgyzstan have alleged that the snap parliamentary election on Sunday was marred by bribery and electoral fraud. Azimbek Beknazarov from the Asaba Party said there had been gross electoral violations.
It's awful, we've not seen anything like this, just gross violations, overwhelming use of government resources. The whole state machine is at work for one party in a blatant and brazen manner. It's shameful.
The election was brought on by constitutional changes that President Kurmanbek Bakiyev had pushed for. The first time voters chose parties rather than individuals.
Members of US congress say they will press ahead with their own probe into the destruction of interrogation tapes by the CIA despite a warning from the Bush administration that the agency will not cooperate. The Republican Peter Hoekstra called the CIA arrogant and incompetent, and said he was determined to hold it accountable for the destruction of the tapes. The tapes were thought of showing harsh treatment of terrorist suspects.
And a survey commissioned by the Israeli army says one in four soldiers who've served at checkpoints in the West Bank, has witnessed or taken part in abuse of Palestinians. The Israeli newspaper Yadiot Ahranot said Israeli soldiers quoted anonymously in the survey had admitted humiliating Palestinians, delaying them without good reason and taking bribes. An Israeli military official said the army was trying to improve soldiers' behavior.
BBC News.