Deadly attacks hit Egypt's Sinai

30 January 2015 Last updated at 08:26

At least 26 people, mostly soldiers, have been killed in a series of attacks by Islamist militants in the north of Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

Most of the casualties were in the provincial capital, El-Arish.

Militant group Sinai Province, which changed its named from Ansar Beit al-Maqdis when it pledged allegiance to Islamic State, said it carried out the "extensive, simultaneous" attacks.

Egypt's president cut short a visit to Ethiopia because of the attacks.

They represent some of the worst anti-government violence in Egypt for months, and indicate a previously unseen level of co-ordination, correspondents and analysts say.

The US condemned the attacks, saying it remained "steadfast in its support of the Egyptian government's efforts to combat the threat of terrorism".

Insurgents have intensified attacks since Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in 2013.

Tensions have also been raised across Egypt this week amid protests marking the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ousted then-leader Hosni Mubarak.

Security officials said rockets were first fired at police offices, a military base and a military hotel in El-Arish, before a car bomb exploded at the rear gate of the military base. Several army checkpoints in the city were also targeted.

Newspaper al-Ahram said its El-Arish office - which is opposite the hotel and base - had been completely destroyed.

Four soldiers were wounded in an attack at a checkpoint outside El-Arish and an army major was later shot dead at a checkpoint in Rafah, medical and security sources said.

More than 50 people were wounded in Thursday's attacks.

North Sinai has been under a state of emergency and a curfew since October, when an attack on a checkpoint killed dozens of soldiers.

The army has launched major operations to try to quell violence in the region, but has so far failed.

Sinai Province has become the biggest threat, staging many attacks on security targets.

The group, which was originally inspired by al-Qaeda but pledged allegiance to Islamic State in November 2014, has called on Egyptians to rebel against President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

President Sisi is the former military chief who led the crackdown on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood has said it rejects violence.

Egypt is creating a 1km (0.6-mile) buffer zone along the border with Gaza in a bid to stop militants smuggling weapons in from the Palestinian territory using tunnels.

The project has displaced more than 1,000 families in Rafah and severed an economic lifeline for many Palestinians.

Are you in the area? Have you been caught up in events? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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Child obesity rates 'levelling off'

30 January 2015 Last updated at 00:04

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Dominic Hughes reports: "It may be that finally the messages on healthy eating and lots of exercise are starting to take hold"

The rise in childhood obesity, which has left one in three children overweight, may be beginning to level off in the under-10s, a study suggests.

It found a steady rise in the proportion of overweight children in England in 1994-2003, but in the past decade it has remained at about 30%.

The King's College London researchers add obesity rates among 11- to 15-year-olds are still rising, however.

And Public Health England said there was no room for complacency.

Experts believe that being significantly overweight is responsible for a wide range of health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and infertility.

The number of obese people in the UK has more than trebled in the past 25 years.

Obesity levels among children have also been rising during this period. One in three children in the UK is now overweight, while one in five is obese.

But data from other sources had previously suggested that childhood obesity levels were now starting to plateau or even fall slightly.

Age-group trends

This study, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, used GPs' electronic health records in England to monitor trends over 20 years.

Weight, height and body mass index (BMI) measurements for more than 370,000 children from 1994 to 2013 were analysed.

The findings show that the rate of growth of overweight and obesity levels, which was 8% each year up to 2003, has slowed substantially in the past 10 years, to 0.4%.

Trends were similar for both boys and girls, but differed by age group.

Overweight and obesity levels among two- to five-year-olds stayed relatively stable at 25% for boys and 23% for girls between 2003 and 2013.

In six- to 10-year-old girls and boys, about 30% were overweight or obese during that time.

The highest figures were seen in 11- to 15-year-olds, where overweight and obesity levels ranged from about 26% in 1996 to 35% in 2003.

Among this group, overweight and obesity levels have continued to rise - to 37% - in the past decade.

The study defined overweight as equivalent to a BMI (body mass index) at or above the 85th centile and obesity as above the 95th centile.

'Vulnerable group'

Dr Cornelia van Jaarsveld, from the department of primary care and public health sciences at King's College London, said there were several possible reasons for the "recent stabilisation of childhood overweight and obesity rates".

She said public health campaigns and initiatives could be starting to work.

But another explanation could be that a ceiling or "saturation point" had been reached with obesity rates.

However, she said it was clear that the 11- to 15-year-olds were still a "vulnerable and difficult group".

Colin Michie, chair of the nutrition committee at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the good news was that things were not getting worse.

"But it still leaves us with lots of problems, particularly among teenagers, who are not easily directed, at a sensitive time in their lives," he said.

"It is a disappointment that even more children are overweight and obese at the end of primary school than at the beginning.

"Prevention works better in younger age groups, so we have to focus on cutting calories and encouraging a more active, healthy lifestyle in children."

Eustace de Sousa, national lead for children, young people and families at Public Health England, said that overall childhood obesity rates had remained stable since 2010.

"However for children from the poorest households levels have continued to worsen, so there is no room for complacency.

"Obese children are more likely to experience bullying, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease in later life."

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Balloonists surpass distance record

30 January 2015 Last updated at 04:46

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No-one has crossed the Pacific Ocean in a gas balloon since 1981, as Alistair Leithead reports

Two pilots have surpassed the world distance record for a flight in a helium balloon after crossing the Pacific Ocean.

American Troy Bradley and Russian Leonid Tiukhtyaev also hope to set a new duration record.

They left Japan in their "Two Eagles" balloon on Sunday and had aimed to land in Canada or the US.

However, weather has forced them to change course towards Mexico where they are due to land sometime on Saturday.

Their hi-tech balloon is fitted with monitors and other instruments that track their course and compile data to be submitted to record-keepers.

The specially-designed capsule sits beneath a huge helium-filled envelope and is designed to stay aloft for up to 10 days.

To set new distance and durations records the team needed to beat the existing records by 1%.

For distance that meant a journey of about 5,260 miles (8,465km) to beat the existing record of 5,208 miles set in 1981.

On Thursday, the Two Eagles team tweeted: "The pilots have just surpassed the distance needed to set a new record. 5,261 miles or 8,467km."

"We're not taking any time to celebrate,'' said head of mission control Steve Shope.

"We have a lot of work we have to do, and we're just taking this flight one hour at a time."

On its website, the team says Two Eagles will not have "broken the record" until documentation is approved by the US National Aeronautic Association followed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale - a process that could take several weeks or months.

The existing duration record they hope to beat was set in 1978 when three pilots made the first trans-Atlantic balloon flight, spending 137 hours, 5 minutes and 50 seconds in a gas balloon.

To set a new record, the Two Eagles team must stay aloft for about 138 hours and 45 minutes.

At the moment, it is not clear exactly where the Two Eagles balloon will land.

The team had been aiming for Canada but a ride of high-pressure ridge off the US West Coast forced the balloon into a sweeping right turn toward Mexico.

A network of balloon enthusiasts has been organised to act as chase crews, but correspondents says it remains unclear if the balloon will be able to land in a place where a ground crew can help them.

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Training cuts 'could harm patients'

30 January 2015 Last updated at 06:57 By Sarah Bloch BBC News

Proposals to shorten medical training for doctors in the UK could seriously compromise patient care and safety, leading doctors have warned.

Doctors' organisations say there is a lack of evidence for the plans, which could see the time it takes to reach consultant level cut by two years.

They have called on the government to "pause" the training review.

A Department of Health spokesman said changes would only take place if they were in the best interests of patients.

The Shape of Training review - an independent review into specialist doctor training chaired by Prof David Greenaway of the University of Nottingham - made 19 recommendations for changes in consultant training in its 2013 report.

One proposal was to shorten consultant training from between eight to 10 years to between six to eight years, while another was to allow doctors to be registered to practice when they left medical school, rather than waiting a year.

Patient safety 'compromised'

However, a spokesman for the British Medical Association said many doctors were "concerned" by the proposals because doctors "wouldn't be able to achieve the same necessary level of expertise for patients as at present".

The BMA has called for a "pause" in policy development while safety concerns are addressed and said any changes should be piloted in small studies before being rolled out more widely.

"Changes affecting the future medical workforce cannot and should not be rushed. The government need to listen to the concerns raised by the BMA and other stakeholders now that the report is out," the spokesman added.

Continue reading the main story

The review makes no attempt to explain how doctors can be trained to this skill level in a shorter training programme"

End Quote BMA spokesman

The Royal College of Physicians has also raised concerns, saying that shortening doctors' training would "compromise both quality of patient care and patient safety".

A Department of Health spokesman said no decision had been taken to shorten consultant training or change doctors' registration, adding that any changes would only take place if they were in the "best interests of patients and following appropriate consultation".

'Transparency'

Meanwhile, documents seen by the BBC have also raised questions about the transparency and political independence of the review.

An 18-month battle to reveal minutes of undocumented meetings between senior civil servants, politicians and the report's chair concluded in court last month.

The General Medical Council, which sponsored the review and provided administrative support, was forced to publish the details of numerous meetings with ministers and Department of Health officials.

Notes from one meeting between Prof Greenaway and a Department of Health representative said they were eager the report would provide "an opportunity for ministers to be radical".

Minutes from another meeting, which involved other senior civil servants from the department, noted that: "Ministers [are] setting strategic direction and feeling happy".

Neither of these meetings, which took place during the review's call for evidence in 2013, were referenced in the final report.

The GMC said that the notes were an informal record of the conversations, and that the issues were raised to help "inform our thinking".

But the tribunal ruled against the GMC, saying: "We are satisfied that it is strongly in the public interest that these proposals are made on the basis of sound criteria and any political influence or otherwise needs to be transparent.

"There should be transparency relating to the process that led to the conclusions."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "There was nothing other than routine engagement with Sir David Greenaway's independent report from anyone at the Department of Health."

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Abuse victims named on Commons site

30 January 2015 Last updated at 09:10

Four survivors of child sex abuse say they have received threats and online abuse after MPs inadvertently published their details online.

Their names were placed on the Home Affairs Committee website, but removed the next day after they complained.

The document appeared among papers the committee released as part of its probe into how the Home Office has handled the issue of historical child abuse.

It was supplied by a member of the government-appointed abuse probe panel.

But in a statement, the panel said the document was supplied "without permission or knowledge" of seven of the eight members or the inquiry secretariat.

In a letter to Home Secretary Theresa May, the victims said they had been left feeling vulnerable and exposed.

They added that views expressed in the documents by some of the panel members had added to their distress.

BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said the row is the latest confrontation in a split between the groups preparing to take part in the abuse inquiry.

The home secretary is preparing to announce a new chairman and the entire format of the inquiry could be reformatted.

The names and contact details of victims were released online last week.

Several of those named are active on social media but the material also included the name of a woman who had not spoken out before publicly.

The Home Affairs Committee said: "The material included directions to panel members about how they should answer questions from the committee, as well as email exchanges between panel members about the panel's external communications strategy.

"These emails included the names of third parties who were not members of the panel. At the request of the individuals concerned, and of the panel secretariat, the material has been redacted to remove references to these individuals."

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SA apartheid assassin given parole

30 January 2015 Last updated at 09:35

South African apartheid-era death squad commander Eugene de Kock has been granted parole after 20 years in jail.

He was nicknamed "Prime Evil" for his role in the killing and maiming of activists fighting white minority rule in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Justice Minister Michael Masutha said he would be released "in the interests of nation-building".

He was sentenced in 1996 to two life terms in prison and a further 212 years for the crimes he committed.

A former colonel, De Kock was head of the notorious Vlakplaas police unit.

He appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) which was established a year after South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994.

He confessed to more than 100 acts of murder, torture and fraud and was granted amnesty for most offences.

But the TRC only had the power to grant amnesty to human rights violators whose crimes were linked to a political motive and who made a full confession.

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Churchill's funeral anniversary marked

30 January 2015 Last updated at 09:41

A remembrance service marking the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's funeral is taking place at the Houses of Parliament at the start of a day of UK-wide events.

The Havengore, the boat which carried the wartime prime minister's coffin along the Thames, will make the journey again later.

Another service will be held at Westminster Abbey and wreaths laid.

David Cameron said the UK owed a "debt of gratitude" to Churchill.

He described the country's prime minister during World War Two as a "great Briton" who must "never be forgotten".

Tower Bridge will be raised at 12:45 GMT as the Havengore repeats its 1965 journey from the Tower of London to Westminster.

Once it reaches the waters opposite the Palace of Westminster, there will be special service and wreath laying in the waters.

Westminster Abbey will host a ceremony from 18:00 GMT, with flowers laid at the green marble stone placed there in memorial to Churchill.

Churchill's grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames MP, said the Westminster events were a "fitting tribute" to his grandfather and a "strong reminder of all he did for his country".

Emma Soames, Churchill's granddaughter, added: "To me growing up he was a grandfather, but I came to realise at his death that he was so much more than that.

"The family are absolutely delighted that his life is being celebrated and his legacy expanded."

Randolph Churchill, said it was a "proud day" and his great-grandfather would be "surprised but thrilled" at the commemorations. Along with Celia Sandys, Churchill's granddaughter, he laid a wreath at his statue in Parliament Square.

Mr Cameron said: "Winston Churchill was not only a great leader, but a great Briton and his contribution to this country must never be forgotten - we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

"His enduring legacy and influence on political life and British culture is testament to his formidable strength of character and remarkable achievements."

BBC Parliament will broadcast the BBC's original coverage of the funeral on Friday, starting at 09.15 GMT with timings to match those of the day itself.

The footage, narrated by Richard Dimbleby, has been re-mastered for broadcast.

From Friday, the National Railway Museum in York will display the locomotive - named Winston Churchill - which pulled his funeral train from London to Oxfordshire before his burial.

The carriages which carried the coffin and mourners will also be on show.

Churchill began his career in the Army and he also worked as a journalist during the Boer War in South Africa, where he was captured and made a prisoner-of-war but managed to escape.

He served as first lord of the Admiralty and held various senior government roles before taking over from Neville Chamberlain as prime minister in May 1940, and leading the country to eventual victory over Nazi Germany.

He lost power in the 1945 election but remained leader of the opposition, and in 1951 became prime minister again.

He resigned in 1955, but remained an MP until shortly before his death. He also wrote numerous books, and in 1953 won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Churchill's grave is in Bladon churchyard, near his birthplace of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

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Earthquake recorded in East Midlands

29 January 2015 Last updated at 08:59

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Yeshe Chodom in Rutland said the earthquake felt like "a massive explosion"

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.8 has been recorded in the East Midlands, the British Geological Survey has confirmed.

The epicentre was near the town of Oakham, in Rutland, at 22:25 GMT on Wednesday.

People reported feeling buildings shake and vibrations lasting as long as 10 seconds.

It comes after an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 was recorded in Hampshire on Tuesday.

The British Geological Survey (BGS), based in Edinburgh, said it had received 1,400 reports so far from people who felt the Oakham earthquake, including residents from as far away as Dudley and Huddersfield.

One person in Rutland told the survey it "sounded like a really large bomb had just gone off" and there was a "build up of rumbling and the house shook really violently".

Another said it was "like a loud explosion" and they looked for cracks in their house.

'Like Jurassic Park'

Other people reported books moving on shelves, dogs growling uneasily and "significant vibration" lasting for about 10 seconds.

One person in Grantham, Lincolnshire, reported: "I could see rings in my glass of wine! A bit like in Jurassic Park when the T Rex chases the car!"

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew was among those who tweeted about the tremor, saying: "The earth just moved in the Vale. I mean seriously. Anyone else feel it?"

The tremor comes after two earthquakes were recorded near Oakham in April last year.

The first, on 17 April, 2014, measured 3.2 in magnitude, followed by a second tremor the following day, which measured 3.5 in magnitude.

On Tuesday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 was recorded in Hampshire.

The British Geological Survey reported a tremor at a depth of 3km (1.9 miles) at Headbourne Worthy, just north east of Winchester.

Are you in the area? Did you feel the earthquake? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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Ebola virus mutating, scientists say

29 January 2015 Last updated at 05:55 By Tulip Mazumdar Global health reporter

Scientists tracking the Ebola outbreak in Guinea say the virus has mutated.

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur in France, which first identified the outbreak last March, are investigating whether it could have become more contagious.

More than 22,000 people have been infected with Ebola and 8,795 have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Scientists are starting to analyse hundreds of blood samples from Ebola patients in Guinea.

They are tracking how the virus is changing and trying to establish whether it's able to jump more easily from person to person

"We know the virus is changing quite a lot," said human geneticist Dr Anavaj Sakuntabhai.

Continue reading the main story

A virus can change itself to less deadly, but more contagious and that's something we are afraid of"

End Quote Dr Anavaj Sakuntabhai Geneticist

"That's important for diagnosing (new cases) and for treatment. We need to know how the virus (is changing) to keep up with our enemy."

It's not unusual for viruses to change over a period time. Ebola is an RNA virus - like HIV and influenza - which have a high rate of mutation. That makes the virus more able to adapt and raises the potential for it to become more contagious.

"We've now seen several cases that don't have any symptoms at all, asymptomatic cases," said Anavaj Sakuntabhai.

"These people may be the people who can spread the virus better, but we still don't know that yet. A virus can change itself to less deadly, but more contagious and that's something we are afraid of."

But Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, says it's still unclear whether more people are actually not showing symptoms in this outbreak compared with previous ones.

"We know asymptomatic infections occur… but whether we are seeing more of it in the current outbreak is difficult to ascertain," he said.

"It could simply be a numbers game, that the more infection there is out in the wider population, then obviously the more asymptomatic infections we are going to see."

Another common concern is that while the virus has more time and more "hosts" to develop in, Ebola could mutate and eventually become airborne.

There is no evidence to suggest that is happening, however. The virus is still only passed through direct contact with infected people's body fluids.

"At the moment, not enough has been done in terms of the evolution of the virus both geographically and in the human body, so we have to learn more. But something has shown that there are mutations," said Institut Pasteur virologist Noel Tordo.

"For the moment the way of transmission is still the same. You just have to avoid contact (with a sick person)"

"But as a scientist you can't predict it won't change. Maybe it will."

Researchers are using a method called genetic sequencing to track changes in the genetic make-up of the virus. So far they have analysed around 20 blood samples from Guinea. Another 600 samples are being sent to the labs in the coming months.

A previous similar study in Sierra Leone showed the Ebola virus mutated considerably in the first 24 days of the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.

It said: "This certainly does raise a lot of scientific questions about transmissibility, response to vaccines and drugs, use of convalescent plasma.

"However, many gene mutations may not have any impact on how the virus responds to drugs or behaves in human populations."

'Global problem'

The research in Paris will also help give scientists a clearer insight into why some people survive Ebola, and others don't. The survival rate of the current outbreak is around 40%.

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Prof James Di Santo explains the work being carried out to try to find an Ebola vaccine

It's hoped this will help scientists developing vaccines to protect people against the virus.

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur are currently developing two vaccines which they hope will be in human trials by the end of the year.

One is a modification of the widely used measles vaccine, where people are given a weakened and harmless form of the virus which in turn triggers an immune response. That response fights and defeats the disease if someone comes into contact with it.

The idea, if it proves successful, would be that the vaccine would protect against both measles and Ebola.

"We've seen now this is a threat that can be quite large and can extend on a global scale," said Professor James Di Santo, and immunologist at the Institut.

"We've learned this virus is not a problem of Africa, it's a problem for everyone."

He added: "This particular outbreak may wane and go away, but we're going to have another infectious outbreak at some point, because the places where the virus hides in nature, for example in small animals, is still a threat for humans in the future.

"The best type of response we can think of… is to have vaccination of global populations."

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'No interest' in care insurance

29 January 2015 Last updated at 06:00 By Nick Triggle and Sophie Woodcock BBC News

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Alex Adamou on his mother's care: "You have to make cold-hearted calculations"

There are no plans for any insurance products to help people plan ahead for their care needs in old age, leading companies have told the BBC.

Creating such a market was one of the key aims underpinning the government's decision to introduce a cap on care costs from next year.

Two years ago Prime Minister David Cameron said he hoped the plans would "open up an enormous market".

But 17 major companies said there was not enough interest in such policies.

Care experts said the revelation was a blow.

About 60% of people are expected to need care in their old age - with one in 10 facing costs in excess of £100,000.

From April 2016, the government is setting the cap on care at £72,000 from the age of 65. Currently people face unlimited costs - although those with little wealth get help towards their costs.

Under the change, once an individual has spent that sum, the state will pick up the bill for care - although people will still be liable for £230 weekly living costs if they are in a care home.

How does the care system for the over-65s work?

Care refers to everything from support provided in people's homes to round-the-clock help in care homes.

Unlike with the NHS, people have to pay towards these services.

Some get help from their local authorities, but others pay the full cost of their care. One in 10 people faces lifetime costs of more than £100,000.

About 420,000 people are currently living in care and nursing homes across the UK, while about one million receive help in their own home.

There are another 1.5 million people who rely on friends and family for support.

By covering the catastrophic costs, ministers hoped insurance policies would be offered to people so they could make small payments in the decades before they reached the age when they needed care.

The only products currently on the market are immediate needs annuities, which involve people paying a one-off lump sum - often about £100,000 - when they start needing care.

The idea is that they will then be paid an income over the rest of their life to cover the costs of care.

However, some people have reported the policies have failed to keep pace with the rising costs of care - and, because of the upfront money involved, they are out of the reach of many people.

Difficulties

The BBC approached 20 companies and received 17 responses as part of its Cost of Care project, which includes an online guide to how care works and what it costs.

The companies participated on the basis they would remain anonymous. One said a key problem was that people tended not to plan for retirement and the government's proposals had not "fundamentally changed that picture".

Another reported that few people were prepared to "defer consumption today to pay for an event which may not occur".

BBC Cost of Care project

Care Minister Norman Lamb said: "I do challenge the insurance industry - don't be conservative on this. Step up to the plate. They have a responsibility in my view too. We need to do this collaboratively.

"We've taken the steps that they wanted us to take to enable them to do these reforms. And I think they need to be ambitious and to recognise the importance of providing products so that people can plan for old age."

But Yvonne Braun, of the Association of British Insurers, said the industry was ultimately responding to the "law of supply and demand".

"If you wanted to sell to somebody in their 30s, 40s and 50s, or even 60s, I think you would find it very very difficult. Younger people... have other financial priorities - specifically paying off their mortgage and supporting their children."

She said it was more likely that other insurance products, such as critical illness cover and life insurance, would be adapted to cover care costs.

James Lloyd, director of the Strategic Society think tank, said there were always doubts the insurance industry would develop products.

"The government could lower the cap to try to encourage more interest, it could just accept that people will have to pay the £72,000 in costs or develop its own state insurance model - that has happened in Germany. But there really isn't an easy answer."

Do you have a question about insurance for elderly care provision? Are you confused about the workings of the current system or how to prepare financially for old age?

On Thursday at 1030am Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of charity Independent Age, will be answering your queries on the BBC News Channel. Please email your questions to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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Japan probes new 'hostage recording'

29 January 2015 Last updated at 07:57

Japan says it is investigating a purported new voice recording of hostage Kenji Goto, who is being held by Islamic State (IS) militants.

The person in the recording says a Jordanian pilot held by IS will be killed unless an Iraqi prisoner held by Jordan is freed by sunset on Thursday.

Jordan has offered to free Sajida al-Rishawi in exchange for the pilot.

But it has said it wants confirmation that Moaz al-Kasasbeh is safe, and has made no mention of Mr Goto's release.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says it appears from the latest message that IS is not ready to accept that offer.

The Japanese government appears to have become a spectator in this drama, as the life of its citizen hangs in the balance, our correspondent says.

Jordan is part of the US-led coalition which is carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq.

'Border by sunset'

On Sunday, IS said it had killed another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, after demanding a $200m (£130m).

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"My son... he's a pilot, they should put much more effort into freeing him" - Safi Al-Kasasbeh, father of Jordanian hostage being held by IS

Then on Tuesday, a video was released in which a voice claiming to be that of Mr Goto said Jordan had 24 hours to free Iraqi al-Qaeda militant Sajida al-Rishawi. There was no mention of a ransom.

She was sentenced to death in Jordan in relation to bomb attacks in the capital, Amman, in 2005, which killed 60 people.

Analysis by Yolande Knell, BBC News, Amman

The Jordanian king is facing a terrible dilemma. He is a staunch US ally - a key part of the US-led coalition against IS, with a need to face IS that controls large areas just across the border in Iraq and Syria. But he is under increasingly heavy pressure from relatives of Moaz al-Kasasbeh.

He is the first member of the international coalition forces to have fallen into IS hands. And this latest ordeal has hardened public opposition to the bombing campaign against IS which has affected military morale.

However, Jordan's priority remains their own pilot - amid mounting frustration among Lt Kasasbeh's family and society at large that IS appears to have shifted its demands, making no mention of the pilot's release.

Lengthy border

The new unverified recording, posted on YouTube, again claiming to be the voice of Mr Goto, appears to extend that deadline.

It said: "If Sajida al-Rishawi is not ready for exchange for my life at the Turkish border by Thursday sunset (14:30 GMT) 29th of January Mosul time, the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh will be killed immediately."

It was not clear whether either Mr Kasasbeh or Mr Goto would be released under the latest alleged threat.

There are no details of where the hostages are being held - or where along the lengthy border a possible release may occur.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the latest video was still being verified but that "with all of the information gathered we think that there is a high probability that the voice was indeed that of Mr Goto".

Jordan's government is reportedly holding indirect talks with the militants through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq to secure the release of the hostages, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reports.

Mr Goto, 47, is a well-known freelance journalist and documentary film-maker who went to Syria in October, reportedly to try to get Mr Yukawa - a private contractor - released.

His family have made emotional appeals to the Japanese government to secure his release.

Mr al-Kasasbeh was captured on 24 December after his plane crashed in northern Syria. His relatives and other supporters have staged protests in Amman calling for the government to help him.

His father, Safi al-Kasaesbeh, said he had been reassured in person by Jordan's King Abdullah on Wednesday.

"The king told me that Muath is like my son and God willing everything will be fine," AP quoted him as saying.

Who are Islamic State (IS)?

• Formed out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2013, IS first captured Raqqa in eastern Syria
• It then captured broad swathes of Iraq in June, including Mosul, and declared a "caliphate" in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq
• Pursuing an extreme form of Sunni Islam, IS has persecuted non-Muslims such as Yazidis and Christians, as well as Shia Muslims, whom it regards as heretics
• Known for its brutal tactics, including beheadings of captives and public executions
• The CIA says the group could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria

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Sydney inquest hears of siege deaths

29 January 2015 Last updated at 08:25

The start of an inquest into the Sydney cafe siege has heard that hostage Katrina Dawson was killed by fragments from a police bullet or bullets.

Another hostage, cafe manager Tori Johnson, was killed by a bullet to the head from gunman Man Haron Monis. His death prompted police to storm the Lindt Chocolate Cafe and kill Monis.

The inquest aims to establish whether deaths were avoidable and if it should have been treated as a terrorist event.

Eighteen people were taken hostage.

The stand-off at the cafe in Martin Place in Sydney's business district on 15 December led to a massive police operation and the shutdown of a large part of the city centre.

At the opening of the coroner's inquest in Sydney, Jeremy Gormly, the lawyer assisting the state coroner, said Ms Dawson was "struck by six fragments of a police bullet or bullets which ricocheted from hard surfaces into her body".

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Lawyer Jeremy Gormly: "Ms Dawson was struck by six fragments of a police bullet or bullets"

"I will not detail the damage done to Ms Dawson other than to say that one fragment struck a major blood vessel. She lost consciousness quickly and died shortly afterwards."

Australian media reports earlier this month had indicated that Ms Dawson, a 38-year-old barrister and mother of three young children, had died after being hit in the heart and shoulder by fragments from a police bullet.

Bomb claim

The inquest heard that Monis entered the cafe on the morning of 15 December with a sawn-off shotgun hidden in a plastic bag.

He ordered chocolate cake and tea, and asked to speak to the manager, Mr Johnson. After ordering Mr Johnson to lock the cafe, he announced: "This is an attack. I have a bomb."

Later that morning, Monis ordered Mr Johnson to phone Australia's emergency number.

He ordered the cafe manager to say that Australia was under attack from Islamic State militants and that Monis had planted radio-controlled bombs around the busy Sydney tourist precinct, Circular Quay, and Martin Place - none of which was true.

What the inquest wants to know

• How Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson were killed
• How police managed the siege, and what protocols they used, and how they managed hostages and the families during and after the siege
• Details of Monis's political associations and public activity, his religious claims, his criminal history, his media profile and his personal relationships
• How Monis was out on bail, particularly over the charges concerning the murder of his ex-wife.

A number of hostages managed to escape as the siege went on, then at 02:00 local time on 16 December, special police stormed the cafe after a police marksman saw Monis shoot the kneeling Mr Johnson in the back of the head.

Earlier unconfirmed reports in the Australian press had said Mr Johnson was shot while trying to disarm Monis, but this was not mentioned by the coronial report.

The inquest heard that Monis was killed instantly when police entered the cafe. At least two police bullets hit him in the head and 11 other bullets or fragments struck his body. The police used stun grenades, known as flash bangs, as they went in.

Monis fired five shots during the entire siege, the inquest heard.

The first shot was directed at hostages as they fled the scene. He then shot Mr Johnson. The other bullets were fired when police stormed the cafe. Monis was later found to have had 21 more cartridges in his pocket.

'Horrifying events'

Monis, who came to Australia as a refugee from Iran, had a history of religious activism and was on bail at the time of the siege for dozens of sexual assault charges and for being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.

He claimed to be a cleric and asked his hostages to display an Islamic flag during the siege. However, questions remain about whether he had any links to international militant networks.

His partner Amirah Droudis, who is also facing murder charges over his ex-wife, will be represented at the inquest.

"Rarely have such horrifying events unfolded so publicly," New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes told the court. "These events have precipitated an outpouring of emotion, anguish, anger, resentment and despair."

Outside court, one of the surviving hostages, 82-year-old John O'Brien said: "It's been very upsetting for Tori Johnson's family."

Six of Mr Johnson's family members attended the session. None of Ms Dawson's family were present.

The inquest has now adjourned. A date has yet to be announced for the next hearing. All the surviving hostages are expected to give evidence.

Meanwhile other investigations into the siege are continuing, including a joint federal and New South Wales state government review of why Monis was given asylum and eventually citizenship in Australia and why he was granted bail in 2013.

How the 16-hour Sydney siege unfolded

• 1. At 09:45 on Monday local time (22:45 GMT Sunday) police are called to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney following reports of an armed robbery. It soon emerges a gunman is holding a number of people hostage.
• 2. Between 16:00-17:00, three men, then two women, sprint to safety from the cafe's side door - a fire exit.
• 3. Just after 02:00 on Tuesday, a loud bang is heard from the cafe and special operations officers advance towards the side door.
• 4. More hostages escape, running to safety on Elizabeth Street.
• 5. Moments later, commandos storm the cafe via a number of entrances. The remaining hostages escape.
• 6. Police officially confirm the end of the siege at 02:45 local time. They later report the deaths of three people, including the gunman.

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Snow causing 'hazardous conditions'

29 January 2015 Last updated at 09:47

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BBC correspondents report on the situation in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England

Wintry weather is causing hazardous driving conditions across parts of Scotland and has led to more than 100 school closures.

Traffic Scotland said heavy snow was affecting routes in the Highlands, Glasgow and Edinburgh areas, as well as some parts of the M8, M80, M74 and M77.

Met Office amber "be prepared" warnings of heavy snow remain in place.

The warnings, which are due to expire at 11:00, cover much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.

More than 50 schools in Dumfries and Galloway have been closed because of the weather.

Almost 40 schools and nurseries in the Highlands are also shut, with the closures involving more than 5.000 children.

Scottish Borders Council said three of its schools were closed so far and a number of bus services were not running.

Eight schools have been shut in South Lanarkshire, along with two in South Ayrshire.

Flights at Inverness Airport were suspended until 09:00, but it has now reopened.

Drivers across the country woke to find their cars under several inches of snow.

Conditions on the M77 were said to be difficult in many places, with snow causing slow traffic in both directions.

Heavy snow also hit the M8 at Harthill, midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, areas around Airdrie and Coatbridge, and the M80.

Traffic Scotland issued warnings for motorists on the M80 and in the Edinburgh area.

Transport Minister Derek McKay told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There have been a few incidents overnight but they've been cleared and the traffic systems have still been working well.

"Even at the moment, during typical peak hour traffic, the road network is still flowing fairly well.

"There is one issue at the M8 plantation eastbound but it's still passable with care, and I think we've prepared very well for the weather and the snow.

"With 180-plus gritters out, we've worked very hard to prepare the roads for these conditions."

Ch Supt Iain Murray, from Police Scotland, urged motorists to carefully plan their journeys and said localised conditions could make driving difficult.

He said drivers should consider spreading out or staggering their journeys across the peak period.

"If you do decide to travel, ensure your vehicle is well prepared before setting off; make sure your windscreens are completely free of snow and ice, and your lights are working and clean," he said.

"Road policing crews will be patrolling the road network to keep people safe during this period - please follow our advice to travel with extra caution."

BBC weather forecaster Darren Bett said icy conditions were expected to follow the snow later on Thursday.

He said: "Tonight ice is going to be more of a concern.

"We have a band of wetter weather moving down from the north later in the evening. Overnight most of it will fall as rain, but snow on the highest ground.

"But there will be breaks in the cloud and skies will clear again, so tricky for the gritters tonight and tricky for anyone on the roads."

On Wednesday, a missing woman was found after a three-hour search in blizzard conditions in the Scottish Borders.

The Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team was called out at 17:00 on Wednesday to help in the search for the woman in the Innerleithen area.

Despite the atrocious conditions, a Royal Navy Seaking helicopter from HMS Gannet was also scrambled and used its infrared camera to assist in the search.

The woman, who was unconscious, was eventually found by a search and rescue dog about 10 metres off a forest track and airlifted to hospital.

More than 5cm (2in) of snow was expected at lower levels with 15cm (6in) over higher ground across much of Scotland, although the north east of the country is expected to escape the worst of the weather.

The Met Office said: "The public should be prepared for travel disruption and hazardous driving conditions."

Check out the latest travel news for Scotland

For the latest on the roads visit the BBC's travel news page and keep up to date with incidents and roadworks on the motorways here.

Around the country you can check for updates from:

Alternatively, for regular travel bulletins listen live to BBC Radio Scotland and follow @BBCTravelScot.

In times of severe disruption you can also follow the BBC Scotland severe weather Twitter list of key sources.

Below are a number of other traffic information sources.

Tell us how the snow and wintery conditions have affected you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international). Or you can upload here.

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More schools fail to make the grade

29 January 2015 Last updated at 09:30 By Hannah Richardson and Katherine Sellgren BBC News education reporters

The number of state secondary schools in England deemed to be underperforming has more than doubled in a year.

This year 330 - up from 154 - failed to both reach 40% of pupils attaining five good GCSEs including maths and English and make the expected progress.

This rise comes after ministers toughened exams and banned re-sits and some vocational qualifications from school performance tables.

Meanwhile scores of top private schools have ended up bottom of the tables.

These include renowned schools such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester and St Paul's Boys'.

This is due to the fact that, in some independent schools, pupils have continued to be entered for unregulated versions of qualifications, such as IGCSEs.

The changes have prompted claims from state and private school heads alike that the league tables are a "nonsense" and the results therein are not comparable with previous years.

School performance data released by the Department for Education - based on last summer's exam results - shows that on average 56.6% of pupils in state schools in England achieved the benchmark of five good GCSEs including maths and English.

This is a decline of four percentage points on 2013, when 60.6% of pupils in state schools reached this benchmark.

The dip in the overall performance of schools comes in the wake of government changes designed to make exams more academically rigorous.

From this year, only a pupil's first attempt at a qualification is included for league table purposes. This was aimed at ending the practice of schools entering pupils for re-sits to boost their ranking.

The list of qualifications included has also been restricted to those the government says are of the highest academic quality, and the number of non-GCSEs counting has been capped at two.

The school with the best GCSE results was Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "For too long pupils were offered courses of no value to them and schools felt pressured to enter young people for exams before they were ready.

"By stripping out thousands of poor quality qualifications and removing re-sits from tables, some schools have seen changes in their standings.

"But fundamentally young people's achievement matters more than being able to trumpet ever higher grades."

Continue reading the main story

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But for some schools, the confusion over which IGCSEs count towards the league tables has cast a cloud over this year's rankings.

The IGCSE - or international GCSE - is sat by candidates overseas, but has long been favoured by many private schools and some leading state schools as a more rigorous assessment.

They were once heavily promoted by the coalition government as a way of increasing rigour in the exams system, but now it wants pupils to take the new "more ambitious" GCSEs currently being phased into schools.

Many leading schools - such as Cheltenham Ladies' College, Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Oundle and Marlborough - are now reported as having 0% of pupils attaining the government's benchmark of five GCSEs at grades A*-C including maths and English.

Richard Harman, chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), which represents many leading independent schools, said the decision to drop IGCSEs made a "nonsense" of the tables.

"Several of the UK's most highly performing independent schools and others offering this excellent qualification will now appear to be bottom of the class in the government's rankings," he said.

"This obviously absurd situation creates further confusion for parents as they cannot compare schools' performance accurately and transparently.

"Many HMC schools will continue to offer the IGCSE, as experience tells us it is rigorous and offers a good basis for sixth-form study."

'Caught unawares'

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said "quite a few schools have fallen foul" of the various changes to school league tables "by continuing with exams that don't count".

"In spite of this, the children themselves have received a good set of qualifications," he added.

"This calls into question the validity of the performance tables.

"The government has promoted these qualifications [IGCSEs] heavily in the early years of the coalition, but now they have decided that they want everyone to do the new GCSEs.

"Lots of independent schools are carrying on with IGCSEs and have no intention of stopping - their reputation goes beyond the league tables."

He said some state schools had been "caught unawares", adding many were already unhappy with the way their results had been presented in government data.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "As part of our plan for education, we are making GCSEs more ambitious and putting them on a par with the best in the world, to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

"We have made important changes to a system that rewarded the wrong outcomes.

"We have stripped out qualifications that were of little value and are making sure pupils take exams when they are ready, not before."

The DfE added that in some independent schools, pupils had continued to be entered for unregulated qualifications that did not count in performance measures, such as IGCSEs, and not been moved across to the regulated certificate versions.

"The effect of this has been enhanced in 2013-14 by the final group of unregulated IGCSEs reaching the end of their grace period and not being included in results."

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Apple profit 'biggest in history'

28 January 2015 Last updated at 08:22

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Apple's China sales are up 70% - and about to grow further, John Sudworth reports

US technology giant Apple has reported the biggest quarterly profit ever made by a public company.

Apple reported a net profit of $18bn (£11.8bn) in its fiscal first quarter, which tops the $15.9bn made by ExxonMobil in the second quarter of 2012, according to Standard and Poor's.

Record sales of iPhones were behind the surge in profits.

Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones in the three months to 27 December - well ahead of most analysts' expectations.

In a conference call with financial analysts Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said that demand for phones was "staggering".

However, sales of the iPad continued to disappoint, falling by 18% in 2014 from a year earlier.

Continue reading the main story

I mean, a lot of us were expecting good iPhone sales during the holidays, but I don't think anybody really thought Apple was going to blow past 70 million units sold"

End Quote Buster Hein the Cult of Mac

The demand for Apple's larger iPhone 6 Plus model appeared to help boost profits and increase the iPhone's gross profit margin - or how much Apple makes per phone - by 2% to 39.9%.

However, Apple did not give a breakdown of sales for the iPhone 6 and other models.

Apple shares rose more than 5% in trading after the US markets had closed.

Buster Hein, who edits the "Cult of Mac" website, told the BBC that iPhone sales had surpassed expectations.

"Oh my gosh, it's unbelievable," he said. "I mean, a lot of us were expecting good iPhone sales during the holidays, but I don't think anybody really thought Apple was going to blow past 70 million units sold," he said.

"Apple became the number one smartphone company in China in the last quarter, which was just huge for them," he added.

Analysis: Richard Taylor, BBC North America Technology Correspondent

Apple's impressive results represent a significant shift towards the massive untapped potential of China.

With a strong line-up of devices entering the final quarter, it was able to reap the fruits of its deal with the world's biggest mobile network, China Mobile.

However, the success of its latest big-screen iPhones may have contributed to further cannibalising sales of the iPad.

The once unstoppable tablet is being further squeezed both by a resurgence in laptop sales, as well as by competition - both in an increasingly saturated US market and in emerging markets by lower-priced, rival machines.

All eyes now are on the Apple Watch - but with a relatively high base price it is not clear whether it will be able to woo more than the Apple faithful.

Currency woes

Apple's revenue grew to $74.6bn in 2014 - a 30% increase from a year earlier.

However, on a conference call to discuss earnings, Mr Cook complained of "fierce foreign exchange volatility", which added Apple to a growing list of US firms who have been hurt by the strong dollar abroad.

Apple said that currency fluctuations shaved 4% from its first-quarter revenue.

Sales in greater China hit $16bn in 2014 - a 70% increase from a year earlier, and almost equalling the $17bn in sales the company recorded in Europe last year.

A report by research firm Canalys released on Tuesday said that Apple had overtaken competitors to become China's number one seller of smartphones by units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Apple also said that its newest product, the Apple Watch, was still on schedule and would begin shipping in April.

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Many asthma diagnoses 'may be wrong'

28 January 2015 Last updated at 00:46 By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online

More than a million adults in the UK may be wrongly diagnosed as asthmatic and be receiving unnecessary medication as a result, warns an NHS watchdog.

NICE says a third of adults diagnosed with this common lung condition have no actual clinical signs of asthma.

Some may have had asthma in the past, but many have probably been given an incorrect diagnosis, says NICE, which has drafted new advice for doctors.

But people should not stop medication on their own, warn experts.

Anyone who is concerned should talk to their doctor, they stress.

And asthma charities say under-diagnosis and under-treatment is still a big problem.

Three people die every day because of asthma. Most of these deaths could have been avoided through better control of the disease, says Asthma UK.

Asthma

• 5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma: 1.1 million children (one in 11) and 4.3 million adults (one in 12)
• Diagnosis can be difficult as there is no absolute test
• Doctors often rely on their own expertise and the patient's symptoms to reach a diagnosis
• NICE says doctors should use clinical tests to back up their diagnoses

Source: Asthma UK and NICE

Doctors already follow guidelines to help them diagnose and treat asthma patients but, until now, these have been based largely on experience and expertise rather than clinical evidence.

The new NICE guidelines for England, which are now out for consultation before final approval, say doctors should use more clinical tests to back up their judgement and avoid the danger of wrongly labelling someone as having asthma.

Continue reading the main story

Accurate diagnosis of asthma has been a significant problem which means that people may be wrongly diagnosed or cases might be missed"

End Quote Prof Mark Baker, from NICE

The best test to start with is spirometry - a machine which measures how much and how fast a person breathes out. Further breath tests may also be needed, says the guidance.

Prof Mark Baker, director of clinical practice at NICE, said: "Accurate diagnosis of asthma has been a significant problem which means that people may be wrongly diagnosed or cases might be missed in others.

"Our aim with this guideline is to give clarity and set out the most clinical and cost-effective ways to diagnose and monitor asthma based on the best available evidence."

Over-treatment is a concern because some of the drugs used to manage asthma can have significant side-effects.

Asthma UK welcomes the new guidelines - but warns there is also evidence asthma is under-diagnosed too - and that eight out of 10 asthma sufferers are still not getting the correct basic care.

Kay Boycott, Chief Executive at Asthma UK says: "Asthma has many complex causes which is one of the reasons why it is sometimes difficult to get a definitive diagnosis.

"It is also a highly variable condition that can change throughout someone's life or even week by week, meaning treatment can change over time.

"For anyone with an asthma diagnosis, it is vital they have the right medication and a plan to better manage their condition and any asthma attacks."

Have you been diagnosed with asthma? How do you feel about the advice from NICE? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.

Have your say

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Bank chief warns of pandemic threat

28 January 2015 Last updated at 01:42

The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future deadly pandemics like the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the president of the World Bank has warned.

Jim Yong Kim, speaking in Washington, said it was vital that governments, corporations, aid agencies and insurance companies worked together to prepare for future outbreaks.

He said they needed to learn lessons from the Ebola crisis.

More than 8,500 people have died, most in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

"The Ebola outbreak has been devastating in terms of lives lost and the loss of economic growth," Mr Kim told an audience at Georgetown University.

"We need to make sure that we get to zero cases in this Ebola outbreak. At the same time, we need to prepare for future pandemics that could become far more deadly and infectious than what we have seen so far with Ebola. We must learn the lessons from the Ebola outbreak because there is no doubt we will be faced with other pandemics in the years to come."

'Insurance policy'

Mr Kim said the World Bank Group had been working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), other UN agencies, academics, insurance company officials and others to work on a concept of developing a financial "pandemic facility".

He said he expected a proposal for this to be presented to leaders of developed and developing countries in the coming months.

Mr Kim said the proposal would probably involve a combination of bonds and insurance plans but that, in some ways, the facility could be similar to a homeowner's insurance policy.

"This could work like insurance policies that people understand, like fire insurance," he said.

"The more that you are prepared for a fire, such as having several smoke detectors in your house, the lower the premium you pay.

"The more that countries, multi-lateral institutions, corporations and donors work together to prepare for future pandemics - by building stronger health systems, improved surveillance and chains of supply and transportation, and fast-acting medical response teams - the lower the premium as well.

"That would benefit donors and others who would pay the premium, but the greatest benefit would be that market mechanisms would help us to push improvements in our preparedness for epidemics."

He said that one possible outcome of a pandemic facility would be a stronger World Health Organisation. He said disease-control agencies in developing countries could also develop greater capacity.

Mr Kim said informal talks on the subject had also been held at last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Slow response

His talk, "Lessons from Ebola: Toward a post-2015 strategy for pandemic response", was the inaugural Global Futures Lecture at Georgetown.

Correspondents say there is general acknowledgement among governments and global health agencies that the international response to the Ebola crisis was belated and disorganised.

The WHO recently announced a series of reforms, admitting that it had been too slow to respond to the outbreak in West Africa.

At an emergency session in Geneva, director-general Margaret Chan said Ebola had taught the world and the WHO how they must act in the future.

She said the corner had been turned on infections but warned against complacency.

Reforms announced included a dedicated contingency fund "to support rapid responses to outbreaks and emergencies".

There would also be improvements in international co-ordination and greater support for countries that needed to respond quickly to emergencies.

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Japan condemns Goto hostage video

28 January 2015 Last updated at 06:16

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Abe: "We need to work together as one on securing the release of Kenji Goto"

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said a new Islamic State (IS) video threatening to kill hostage Kenji Goto within 24 hours is "despicable".

In the footage a voice believed to be Mr Goto says he and a Jordanian pilot will be killed unless Jordan frees an Iraqi woman held on death row.

Mr Abe said Japan was working with Jordan to secure their release.

IS said on Sunday it had killed another Japanese man, Haruna Yukawa. It had demanded a $200m (£130m) ransom.

In the latest footage, released around midday on Tuesday, the speaker says Mr Goto has "only 24 hours left to live" and Jordanian hostage Moaz al-Kasasbeh "even less" unless Jordan releases Sajida al-Rishawi.

Al-Rishawi is an al-Qaeda militant who has been sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 attack that killed 60 people.

'Ensure safety of Japanese'

Kenji Goto, 47, is a well-known freelance journalist and documentary film-maker who went to Syria in October, reportedly to try to secure the release of fellow Japanese national Haruna Yukawa.

A video appeared on Sunday apparently showing Mr Goto holding a picture of what appeared to be the body of Mr Yukawa.

Speaking to reporters at the start of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, Mr Abe said he was appalled by the "utterly despicable" videos, and that the government was asking for Jordanian co-operation.

He called on ministers to "take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals at home and abroad," the AFP news agency reports.

The mother of Mr Goto appealed publicly to the prime minister to help her son.

"Please save him," she said. "Kenji has only a little time left."

Analysis: Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, Tokyo

Despite Mr Abe promising an all-out effort to get Kenji Goto released, it's pretty clear that the power to do so now lies not in Tokyo but in Amman. The one potential bright spot for Japan is that Islamic State is now offering to spare Moaz al-Kasasbeh.

Mr Kasasbeh's F16 jet was shot down over northern Syria late last year, and the pilot caught by Islamic State fighters.

The additional offer appears to be a very deliberate attempt by Islamic State to increase the pressure on the Jordanian government.

In Japan public sentiment about what the government should do remains very ambivalent. There have been a number of street protests in support of Mr Goto, with people holding up signs saying "Free Kenji".

But on social media there are also many voices calling on the government not to do a deal, and not to spend tax-payers money to get Mr Goto out.

Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama is in Amman negotiating with the Jordanian authorities.

Our correspondent says there was some optimism on Tuesday that a deal could be reached, but that the latest threat makes it clear that time is short.

On Tuesday night, several hundred relatives and supporters of the Jordanian pilot held a protest outside the prime minister's office in Amman, demanding he meet the IS demands.

Mr Kasasbeh's father, Safi al-Kasasbeh, told the Associated Press news agency: "The safety of Moaz means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Moaz means chaos in Jordan."

Who are Islamic State (IS)?

• Formed out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2013, IS first captured Raqqa in eastern Syria
• It then captured broad swathes of Iraq in June, including Mosul, and declared a "caliphate" in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq
• Pursuing an extreme form of Sunni Islam, IS has persecuted non-Muslims such as Yazidis and Christians, as well as Shia Muslims, whom it regards as heretics
• Known for its brutal tactics, including beheadings of captives and public executions
• The CIA says the group could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria

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Foreigners dead in Tripoli attack

28 January 2015 Last updated at 06:35

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At least two men stormed the hotel, which is popular with tourists

Militants have attacked a hotel in the Libyan capital Tripoli, killing at least nine people including five foreigners, officials say.

Several gunmen stormed the Corinthia Hotel and opened fire in the reception area. A car bomb also exploded nearby.

Unconfirmed reports say some of the assailants have blown themselves up. The officials say the dead include one US and one French citizen.

The security forces say the stand-off has now been brought to an end.

The US state department has confirmed the death of a US citizen, without giving any further details. The dead American is believed to have been a security contractor.

The French national is reported to have been working for Libya's Buraq Air.

There are conflicting reports as to the total number of attackers.

A Twitter account linked to Islamic State said the militant group had carried out the attack.

There has been strong evidence to suggest an IS presence in the eastern city of Derna since October, with a group there publicly declaring allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

However, the command structure is still a mystery to most foreign observers.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says that in the past month there has been a string of incidents in western Libya, including abductions and bombings, that have been claimed by IS social media accounts.

However, our correspondent says that it has not been clearly established whether these groups are IS foot soldiers or people inspired by them.

Attack threat

A civilian who witnessed the attack told the BBC: "I suddenly heard shots and saw people running towards me, and we all escaped from the back [of the hotel] through the underground garage. The hotel did a lockdown after that."

Different sources at the scene said there were between three and five attackers - footage released later on Tuesday showed the body of a man reported to be one of the militants.

A security source told the BBC that one gunman had been arrested. Four security guards are among the dead and several people are reported to be injured.

A number of foreign companies have makeshift offices in the hotel, our correspondent says, and housing the few foreigners who remain in the Libyan capital has always been known to be risky.

One hotel employee told the Associated Press news agency that the hotel was mostly empty at the time of the attack.

Meanwhile, a hotel security source told the BBC that the hotel had received a threat "a few days ago" warning managers "to empty the building".

'Revenge attack'

The Corinthia Hotel is used by foreign diplomats and government officials. The UN Support Mission in Libya (Unsmil) has hosted several workshops at the hotel.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni condemned the attack and pledged that those responsible for it would be brought to justice.

Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign affairs chief, also condemned the attack which took place as a second round of peace talks between Libya's warring factions ended in Geneva in what the UN described as a "positive atmosphere".

The Twitter account linked to IS said the group had carried out the attack in revenge for the death of Abu Anas al-Liby, a Libyan jihadist who was suspected of involvement in the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa in 1998.

Liby died in a US hospital on 2 January, days before he was due to stand trial.

Libya has been hit by instability since the overthrow of long-time ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011.

Numerous militias govern their own patches of territory, with successive governments struggling to exercise control.

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