BBC news with Neil Nunes.

Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has described President Obama's new sanctions against the country as anti-Russian death roads. Washington has expelled 35 Russian diplomats after allegations that Moscow used cyber-attacks to interfere in the US presidential election. The Kremlin denies any involvement in hacking.

A nation-wide ceasefire that came into effect overnight between the Syrian government and rebel factions appears to be holding across most of the country although some clashes have been reported. A number of groups including Islamic state are excluded from the deal.

China has accused one of its former spy chiefs of corruption. Ma Jian is alleged to have taken bribes and helped businesses run by his relatives. He's the latest target of China's anti-corruption campaign.

At least seven workers in a coal mine in eastern India have been killed after a huge mound of earth caved in on them. Some 15 others are believed to be trapped.

The British government has distanced itself from highly critical remarks about Israel made by the US Secretary of State John Kerry. Earlier this week Mr.Kerry described Benjamin Netanyahu's government as the most right wing in Israel’s history and accused it of jeopardizing the peace process.

An appeals court in Argentina is to reopen an investigation into whether the former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was involved in covering up the bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center in 1994. Argentina's courts hold Iran responsible for the attack in which 85 people died.

The billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has warned that the world's health systems could not currently cope with a major epidemic of a deadly disease such as flu. Mr. Gates, whose charity provides vaccines to developing countries, told the BBC the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks had shown the world was vulnerable. BBC news.