China pledges $60bn to develop Africa

China has announced $60bn (£40bn) of assistance and loans for Africa to help with the development of the continent.

President Xi Jinping said the package would include zero-interest loans as well as scholarships and training for thousands of Africans.
The Chinese leader made the announcement at a major summit between China and Africa in Johannesburg.
The momentum of rapid growth in Africa was "unstoppable", Mr Xi told more than 35 African heads of state.

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South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, who is joint host at the summit, welcomed Africa and China's deepening partnership.

"China has become Africa's largest trade partner, and Africa is now one of China's major import sources and fourth largest investment destination. This partnership can only yield further positive results for Africa's development," Mr Zuma said.

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Analysis: Karen Allen, BBC News, Johannesburg
China's announcement of grants, loans and development funds was widely anticipated, although the figure exceeded expectations.
Much of this additional assistance is likely to be focused on infrastructure projects, to help boost economic development but more details on the deal are yet to emerge.
President Zuma said that China and the African continent each made up a third of the world's population, bringing the possibility of new markets and production possibilities.
But perhaps one of the biggest challenges African countries face is youth unemployment and leaders are under pressure to come up with development plans which create more jobs.
Despite a major slowdown at home, which has seen Chinese demand for African exports plummet - a vital source of foreign exchange earnings for the continent - the main message is that despite economic challenges, China's commitment to Africa is long term.
Is China a brake on Africa's progress?
Can Chinese migrants integrate in Africa?

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The two-day Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) is the second time China has brought together African leaders since the forum was launched in Beijing in 2000.
According to China's official Xinhua news agency, the assistance over three years will focus on 10 areas, including industrialisation, the modernisation of agricultural, financial services, green development and peace and security.
Mr Xi said this was his seventh visit to Africa and his second as Chinese president and on each trip he saw progress and change.
"The late Nelson Mandela of South Africa once said: 'We stand at the dawn of an African century, a century where Africa will take its rightful place among the nations of the world.'
"I couldn't agree more with this statement and I am convinced that African countries and people are embracing a new era that is truly theirs," the Chinese leader said.

Saudi Arabia carrying out 'unprecedented wave' of executions

An artist sentenced to death for apostasy. Three young Shia Muslims - arrested when they were minors - faced with beheading. And reports in the Saudi press of the imminent execution of more than 50 people.

Saudi Arabia's use of the death penalty has sparked international alarm.
The country's human rights record has been back in the news since January, when liberal blogger Raif Badawi was flogged after being convicted of insulting Islam.
That same month, disturbing video emerged of a Burmese woman accused of murder screaming: "I did not kill" until the moment her head was severed with a sword on a Saudi street.
So far this year, more than 150 people have been executed - the highest figure recorded by human rights groups for 20 years.

Dozens of them were convicted of non-violent crimes, including drug offences. Human rights activists say many of the trials were unfair.

Lack of transparency

Amnesty International has described "an unprecedented wave of executions marking a grim new milestone in the Saudi Arabian authorities' use of the death penalty".
So what is behind the rise of executions? A lack of transparency in the Saudi legal system makes it difficult to know.

"There's a lot of speculation," says Adam Coogle, who monitors Saudi Arabia's use of the death penalty, for Human Rights Watch. "But nobody knows the real answer because the Saudis haven't said, and they won't say."
This year has been an eventful one for Saudi Arabia. In January, King Salman succeeded his more liberal brother, King Abdullah, ushering in a new, more muscular foreign policy.
In March, the Saudis began a bombing campaign in Yemen against Houthi rebels in which thousands of civilians have been killed. And the Hajj stampede put the country under an uncomfortable spotlight.
Sunni extremism has remained a constant threat, with the Islamic State (IS) group or its affiliates killing at least 50 people in the Shia east and south of the country.
But the increase in the rate of executions actually began back in August 2014, according to human rights activists.
"Nearly all of those executed are sentenced on murder or drugs charges, and it's possible that the crime rate is going up, with more murders and more people bringing drugs into the country," says Mr Coogle.

Appearing tough

Another theory is linked to Saudi Arabia's restructuring, over the past few years, of its justice system.
"It could be that, with the increase in the number of courts and judges, the system has the capacity to address a backlog of cases," Mr Coogle says.
A third theory is that it is part of a trend in the whole region towards more executions, with a steep increase in the use of the death penalty in Pakistan, and Jordan ending a moratorium on executions last December.

"There's a sense in which regional instability is encouraging leaders to try to appear tough," says Mr Coogle.
Among those facing execution are al-Qaeda militants, as well as Shia dissidents involved in an uprising in the east of the country that began in 2011.
"The death sentences are retribution against Shia protesters, some of whom were peaceful and some of whom may not have been," says Mr Coogle.
"There's a clear message that if you take to the streets to challenge the house of Saud, you may pay the ultimate price."

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Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia

Beheading with a sword is the most common form of execution.
Executions are often carried out in public.
Crimes that carry the death penalty include murder, adultery, treason, gay sex, drug offences, sorcery and witchcraft, and apostasy.
Human rights activists say those accused often do not receive fair trials.
The families of prisoners facing the death penalty are not always informed in advance of executions.

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The case of the young Shia protester, Ali al-Nimr, who has become a poster boy for those facing execution, has drawn appeals from world leaders for King Salman to show mercy and refuse to sign his death warrant.
He was convicted of a string of offences, including attacking police with petrol bombs in anti-government protests in the east of the country when he was only 17 and still at school.
His family says the confession he made was coerced and he signed it after being told he would then be released.
The fate of Palestinian poet and artist Ashraf Fayadh, 35, has also attracted international condemnation.
He was sentenced to death last week for apostasy, based on a book of poetry he wrote several years ago.
UN human rights experts say the sentence is in violation of international human rights law.

'Vicious' crackdown

Hundreds of poets and writers from around the world have also called for his release.
"The death sentence against Fayadh is the latest example of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia's lack of tolerance for freedom of expression and ongoing persecution of free thinkers," they said.
Indeed, when a Twitter user described Mr Fayadh's sentence as "Isis-like", one newspaper quoted a justice ministry official threatening to sue.

"Executions are not the only serious human rights concern," says Sevag Kechichian, Saudi researcher for Amnesty International.
"There's been a vicious and systematic crackdown on human rights activists and on peaceful dissent in general - including bloggers and online activists.
"If you are on the UN Human Rights Council, then you are obliged to uphold the highest standards in promoting and protecting human rights."
Saudi Arabia, controversially, became a member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2013, for a three-year term.
Leaked diplomatic cables released earlier this year suggest British and Saudi diplomats agreed to support each other's election to the 47-member council.
The Saudi authorities reject international criticism over their human rights record, saying their legal system - based on Sharia principles - should be respected.

The 'North Korea ghost boats' washing up on Japan

Mysterious, crew-less "ghost ships" have been washing up on the western shores of Japan.

Over the past two months at least 13 wooden boats have turned up, with more than 20 decaying bodies on board. Very little is known about them but investigators have found some evidence that hint at their origins.

What are these 'ghost ships'?

They are so called because they have been found empty or with only corpses on board off Japan's western coast, stretching from Fukui prefecture to the southern tip of Hokkaido . All the bodies were either decomposing or partially skeletonised by the time they arrived, a clear indication they had been dead for a long time.

But this is not the first time boats have come ashore in Japan or on the coast of Russia's far east. Japan's coast guard told the BBC that 65 such boats washed up last year, but the latest influx appears to be coming at a slightly higher rate than usual.

Where are they from?

They are believed to be North Korean fishing boats, many of which will have been out searching for king crab, squid and sandfish at this time of year. Markings on at least one of the boats, in Korean, indicated that it belonged to the North's military.
In North Korea the military is heavily involved in the fishing industry, as it is in many others.
A scrap of what is thought to be part of the North Korean flag flying from one of the boats is also a clue. Unsurprisingly, there has been no mention of the missing vessels from North Korea

How did those on board die?

Not every boat has been found with corpses.

Japanese officials are investigating the causes of death but say some of the bodies are in such a bad state of decomposition that it may be impossible to identify cause of death.
It is now winter in the region and with little food on board, exposure and starvation are possible explanations too.
Japan normally bans North Korean ships from landing in the country, although it makes exceptions on humanitarian grounds, such as for ships sheltering from storms.

Are they defectors?

Some commentators have suggested that purges could be behind this, speculating that sailors could be trying to flee the regime. There have also been reports of tighter control of the North Korea-China border, the most common route for defectors.

But many remain unconvinced.
Dr John Nilsson-Wright, head of the Asia Programme at think-tank Chatham House told the BBC that aside from the cultural and linguistic ties, "it wouldn't make sense if you were a defector to go to Japan. South Korea is much closer by boat."

So what happened to these boats on the open sea?

The wooden boats arriving are old and heavy and have neither powerful modern engines nor GPS navigation systems. If they ventured too far out or were blown off course, they could lose their bearings or find it hard to beat the currents even if they knew which way to go, analysts say
The fact that it is relatively common for these boats to appear also suggests that this, not purges in Pyongyang, might be a more likely explanation.
Weather is unlikely to be a factor. While the Sea of Japan had rougher seas and stronger winds in November, the Japan Coast Guard told the BBC these were normal conditions.

Why would fishermen take this risk?

One hypothesis is that the leadership is demanding bigger catches, and they have been forced to take chances to meet their targets. State TV has shown Kim Jong-Un at fishing facilities, exhorting the country to boost production.

But the leader's media appearances have not convinced everyone.
"Agricultural yields seem to be up," Dr Nilsson-Wright says, suggesting that profit-seeking would be a more plausible incentive to take such risks.
It is common in North Korea for workers to keep some of the surplus they generate past the targets set by the state. This quasi-capitalist system has been credited with improving production, analysts say.
But, if you are especially poor, as many North Koreans are, "you will do anything you can to improve your own existence", says Dr Nilsson-Wright.
This could include taking desperate chances at sea: "It could simply be that they were just unlucky."

Scott Weiland: tributes paid to rock star following death at 48

Tributes have been paid to US singer Scott Weiland, former frontman with Stone Temple Pilots, following his death while on tour in Minnesota.

Slash, with whom Weiland performed in rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, wrote on Twitter that it was "a sad day".
"RIP Scott Weiland," said Dave Kushner, another Velvet Revolver member.
Tom Vitorino, Weiland's manager, confirmed the singer's death at the age of 48 on Thursday night, saying he had "passed away in his sleep".
A statement on Instagram said Weiland had died "while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his band The Wildabouts".

TMZ reported the singer's body was discovered on his tour bus outside a motel, near the venue where the band was due to play.
Actress Juliette Lewis was one of the first to pay tribute to the singer following news of his death: "Sad to hear about Scott Weiland passing. He was a once of a kind epic force onstage. Thoughts are w[ith] his family," she tweeted.
Rock band Wheatus, best known for the hit single Teenage Dirtbag, tweeted: "We opened for @STPBand in 2000. I watched them side stage and Scott Weiland destroyed me, he was the real thing. Seeing him changed me forever."
Grammy organisers the Recording Academy of America hailed Weiland as "a grunge icon" adding his "extraordinary talent and captivating performances will forever live on and inspire legions of rock fans worldwide".
Former Radio 1, now Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe tweeted he was "very sad", adding: "So many moments sent listening to him sing in my headphones."
Aerosmith's Joe Perry also praised Weiland as "such a gifted performer", while Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said he was "really sorry to hear" the news.
Additional tributes came from Travis Barker of Blink-182, who said it was "very sad news", and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, who expressed the hope that "it wasn't drugs" that caused his demise.

Analysis - Mark Savage, BBC Music reporter

Stone Temple Pilots had a messy origin - Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo met at a Black Flag concert, and realised they were both dating the same woman.
They put their differences aside to form a band - initially called Mighty Joe Young - and became so close they wrote their debut hit, Plush, while sharing a hot tub.
Powered by Weiland's distinctive lower register snarl, Stone Temple Pilots went on to sell 13.5 million albums in the US - but their stadium-ready anthems became a target for grunge purists, who accused them of being sell-outs.
Success set Weiland on a dangerous path. The musician, who struggled with bipolar disorder, turned to heroin, and addiction made it impossible for the band to continue.
Set adrift, he recorded a well-received solo album, 12 Bar Blues, and joined the rock supergroup Velvet Revolver - later admitting he did it for the money. "I can't call it the music of my soul," he told Spin magazine.
In later years, he rejoined Stone Temple Pilots, and claimed to have kicked his bad habits.
"I haven't had a needle in my arm in thirteen years," he told Blabbermouth earlier this year.
"Overcoming my addiction to heroin was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I'm damn proud of the fact that the time in my life when drugs were stronger than my commitment to my health is so far behind me, and always will be."

Born in California, Weiland formed the band Stone Temple Pilots with brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo in the late 1980s and went on to enjoy early critical and commercial success.
But the success of tracks such as Big Empty, Vasoline and Interstate Love Song, which propelled the 1994 album Purple to the top of the US charts, was marred by in-fighting among band members.
The band took a number of breaks, with Weiland eventually leaving and co-forming the supergroup Velvet Revolver - with former Guns N' Roses members Slash (guitars), Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums) - in 2002.
However, the singer's drug addiction issues were becoming increasingly problematic.

In 1995, the singer was convicted of buying crack cocaine and sentenced to probation.
He was jailed in 1999 for violating his probation after being convicted of heroin possession in 1998, and four years later, in 2003, sentenced to three years' probation for drug possession.
In 2008, he was sentenced to eight days in jail after pleading no contest to a drink driving charge.
Velvet Revolver frequently had alter its schedules to accommodate Weiland's court appearances and spells in rehab and the band's 2007 release, Libertad, was the last to feature Weiland on vocals.
They parted ways with Weiland the following year, blaming the singer's "erratic behaviour".
He later returned to the reformed Stone Temple Pilots - but in 2013 they, too, ejected him from the band, claiming he had been "misappropriating" their name to further his solo career.
Reports of Weiland's death began to circulate after musician Dave Navarro reportedly tweeted: "Just learned our friend Scott Weiland has died. So gutted, I am thinking of his family tonight." That tweet later appeared to have been removed.
No immediate cause of death was given in the official statement. The statement asked for "the privacy of Scott's family be respected".
Weiland's current band, Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts, were scheduled to play at a Medina, Minnesota, concert venue, on Thursday. The event was cancelled.

San Bernardino shooting: Policeman speaks of carnage at scene

One of the first police officers to respond to deadly shootings at a social service centre in California has spoken of scenes of "unspeakable" carnage.

Lt Mike Madden said he and officers who arrived later saw dead bodies and had to pass injured people as they tried to "engage the shooters" on Wednesday.
Officials say a husband and wife shot dead 14 people and wounded 21 in the city of San Bernardino.
Thousands attended a candlelit vigil in the city on Thursday evening.
Friends and relatives of the victims were among those present at the San Manuel stadium in downtown San Bernardino.
The lights were turned out as attendees waved candles and lights.
Suspects Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, were killed in a shootout with police.
Bomb equipment, weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were later found in the attackers' home.

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San Bernardino shooting - in depth

Who carried out shootings? - The couple police say were responsible
What makes this shooting different? - More than one shooter, a woman involved, a well-planned attack, explosives and a fleeing attempt
'It's crazy they lived next door' - Neighbours tell the BBC of their shock that the attackers lived nearby
Politicians 'shamed' for offering prayers - Does prayer do anything in the wake of a shooting?
Who were the victims? - Diverse backgrounds of the 14 people killed

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The authorities have still not found a motive for the attack, but the FBI has now taken over the investigation.
"It was unspeakable, the carnage that we were seeing," Lt Madden told a news conference.
"The number of people who were injured and unfortunately already dead and the pure panic on the face of those individuals that were still in need and needing to be safe."

He said he and other police officers led about 50 people out of the centre's conference room.
"Then we went further into the building and that was a difficult choice to have to make as well, passing people that we knew were injured and in need of assistance," Lt Madden said.

"But our goal at that time had to be trying to locate the shooters and deal with them."
Police said between 75-80 people were at the centre when the shooting began.
The names of the victims have now been released by San Bernardino's coroner.
The youngest victim was 26 and the oldest was 60.
Who are the victims?
Police said the attack indicated there had been "some degree of planning".
Local police chief Jarrod Burguan said it appeared that the duo was prepared to carry out another attack.
"There was obviously a mission here. We know that. We do not know why. We don't know if this was the intended target or if there was something that triggered him to do this immediately," said David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles office.
In the shootout with police hours after the attack, Farook and Malik fired 76 rounds of ammunition at the officers and the officers fired 380 rounds back.
Two police officers were injured during the pursuit.
Farook had been in contact with known Islamic radicals on social media, unnamed US intelligence officials said.
President Barack Obama said the FBI had taken over the investigation from local authorities.
"It is possible that this was terrorist-related, but we don't know. It's also possible that this was workplace-related," Mr Obama said.
The FBI cautioned that the authorities needed time to investigate.
San Bernardino is the deadliest mass shooting in the US since 26 people were killed at a school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.