BBC News with Jerry Smit.

The interim president of the Central African Republic which has been gripped by sectarian violence has declared that the period of anarchy in the country has ended. Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet said he was issuing a warning to militia men and looters, that in his words, the party was over. Paul Wood reports from Bangui.

Streets in the center of Bangui were thronged with people and scenes of near normality today. It's clear though that the capital remains anxious after the terrible violence of recent months. For the moment, it is French and African Union soldiers who must keep the peace here, but efforts have been made to recruit enough government troops to put hundreds more men on the streets, that doesn't mean the crisis is yet over. Violence can flare up without warning. A French diplomat summed up the situation. We have avoided genocide, he said, at least for the time being.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer has described the humanitarian situation in Syria as catastrophic. He said after a three-day visit that the scale of the crisis with millions of civilians affected was staggering and the humanitarian response insufficient. Meanwhile, an ICRC spokesman in Damascus repeated calls for aid organizations to be allowed in with medicines and food.

The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has told the BBC that the international agreement on his country's disputed nuclear program is the beginning of a long and difficult road. Mr. Zarif said it's also important to boost his people's confidence in the process.

There is a very serious confidence deficit vis-a-vis the West in Iran. Our people believe that our peaceful nuclear program has been dealt with in a totally unfounded way.

Iran has said that the United Nations experts will arrive in Tehran on Saturday to begin enforcing the agreements struck in the Swiss city of Geneva in November. Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in return for a limited easing of sanctions.

Detectives in the Brazilian city of Campinas say they are looking at a possibility that police officers may have been responsible for the deaths of twelve people shot in the space three hours overnight. From Sao Paulo, here is Gary Duffy.

The gunmen opened fire from passing cars, at individuals or groups of men. A source told the BBC the caliber of weapons used in the attacks was the same as that carried by military police. Hours earlier, a police officer trying to resist a robbery at a petrol station was shot dead. And it's thought the murders could have been an act of revenge. Several of those of who died had police records, according to local media reports. The killing sparked small scale violent protest in Campinas with three buses and a car set on fire.

Gary Duffy. World News from the BBC.

The Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has signed into law a draconian bill that criminalizes same-sex marriage, gay clubs and organizations and even indirect displace of affection. Gay sex is already illegal in Nigeria. Officials say Mr. Jonathan approved the law earlier this month but the news has only just emerged.

Two German diplomats have survived an attack while on a visit to a town in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A Saudi police spokesman said that the vehicle of the two diplomats was burnt after it came under attack in the town of Awamiya. The town has witnessed several anti-government protests by the Shiite minority over the past two years.

Fighting is continuing in and around the key South Sudanese city of Bor despite the resumption of peace talks between the warring parties. A BBC correspondent who's been near Bor says there has been shelling and that although the situation inside the city seemed calmer, civilians are continuing to flee. Peace talks in Ethiopia have hit a practical snag. The usual conference room has been booked by a visiting Japanese delegation and the talks have been displaced to a nightclub dance floor.

The Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has won Fifa's Ballon d'Or for 2013, one of the sport's most coveted prizes. Alex Capstick reports.

After four years of losing out to Lionel Messi, it's time for an emotional Cristiano Ronaldo to receive the coveted prize. It's hard to quibble with the decision. Sixty-six goals for club and country in 2013 was an incredible achievement by the Real Madrid star who was joined on stage at the award ceremony by his young son. But the outcome was not without controversy. The original deadline for the ballot on Nov. 15th was extended because organizers claimed an insufficient number of votes had been cast. Others have said the move was designed to help Ronaldo secure more support.

The Brazilian Great Pele received an honorary Ballon d'Or.

BBC News.