BBC news with Mario Howget

South Africa's president Jacque Zuma has urged people not to be alarmed over Nelson Mandela's sudden admission to hospital. Mr. Mandela was taken to hospital on Thursday night on the advice of his doctors. He's said to be responding well to treatment for a recurring lung infection. In a BBC interview, President Zuma said people should not panic. I don't think people must be alarmed about it in what was seen. Let us low down the anxiety. He is responding very well. And he is in good hands of very good doctors. And I think all of that brings comfort to all of us. And I would like to very to say the country must not panic. Diva was fine. And we'd like to say to him, Diva, please get better quicker. We want to see you at all.

Three former Supreme Court judges in Cyprus have been asked to investigate possible criminal activity in the country's banking crisis. The Cypriot government said judges would examine decisions and actions at all levels. Constinos Petrides is the spokesman for the Cypriot government. The mandate of the investigative committee will be widespread. We will study all decisions, actions, or reactions at all levels from political decisions to decisions of governing boards of banks, supervising authorities and anyone else the committee deems needs to be investigated.

Earlier, banks had opened for the first time in almost two weeks. And queues outside were long but orderly. BBC's Nigel Cassidy reports from Nicosia. The country's president thanked people for what he called their maturity. But this doesn't mean people here have come to terms with events. It's not just the huge losses facing those with more than 100,000 Euros in their accounts. To trounce stop bank runs, Cyprus has imposed a string of restrictions on sending money abroad. It's not even possible to cash a check. It has to be paid in and cleared first. Such restrictions on the free movement of money have never been seen before in the European Union. The finance minister says they are temporary. But the history of similar capital controls in other countries suggests such safeguards are difficult to remove because of the renewed risk of another bank run.

More information has been released about the man who shot dead 20 children and 6 teachers at a school in Newtown Connecticut last year. The search of the home of 20-year-old Adam Lazar revealed a large arsenal suggesting he was obsessed with fire arms. Police said they found rifle assaults in more than thousand rounds of ammunition.

Syrian state television says 15 people were killed and 20 injured in a mortar attack on Damascus University. Shells struck the university's cafeteria. The rebel Free Syrian Army say they've stepped up their assault on the Syrian capital after receiving fresh supplies of weapons.

World news from the BBC

United Nations Security Council has approved the creation of special forces team to combat rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Security Council resolution calls the deployment of 2000-3000 soldiers whose mission is to disarm rebels. Diplomats said it was the first time that UN had given an offensive mandate to its troops which were normally deployed in peace-keeping operations. The task force will be part of the existing UN mission in Congo which currently has nearly 18,000 soldiers. 

Pope Francis has washed the feet of inmates of young offenders' prison in Rome. The ritual which Pope Francis celebrated for years as an archbishop is seen as part of his push for the Catholic Church to reach out to the needy. David Willey reports.

Pope Francis travelled to Roman suburb to carry out a traditional east ritual in a new setting, not a church, but a prison for young offenders. He washed feet of 10 young men and two women. One of them is a Muslim girl from Serbia, the other from Italy. It was an act of humility, Pope Francis explained in a short homily to show that he is at the service  of others, particularly the poor and the marginalized.

The leader of the center-left in Italy Pier Luigi Bersani says he has failed in his attempt to form a government. The Italian President Georgia Napolitano was holding a new round of talks with Italy's main political parties on Friday in an effort to break the deadlock. After last month's inconclusive elections, Italian political parties have been unable to reach an agreement on the new government.

Thousands of Chilean students demanding education reforms have fought with police on the streets of capital Santiago. They threw petrol bombs at the riot police who responded with tear gas and water cannons. The authority said 60 people were detained. Students in Chile have been protesting regularly for more than a year, calling for free, high quality education. 

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