BBC News with Julie Candler

The French President Francois Hollande has refused to clarify whether his partner Valerie Trierweiler is still France's First Lady at his first news conference since a magazine accused him of having a secret affair with an actress. Mr.Hollande acknowledged he was facing difficulties in his private life. But he said such matter should be dealt with privately. From Paris Hugh Schofield reports.

Six hundred journalists went there, gathered at the Elysee on a S fad. But if they were hoping for more color about President Hollande's private life or clarification about the state and status of the First Lady Valerie Trierweiler , they were disappointed. All the president said was that “Yes, he was going through a painful period in his private life.”“No, there were no threats to his security on his nocturnal excursions from Elysee,and now to more important matters.” But the President then meant to focus on promises to rescue the French economy by easing the pressure on business and cutting public spending.

The United States has strongly criticized reported comments by the Israeli Defense Minister, accusing the US Secretary State of John Kerry of acting in a messianic and obsessive manner over his plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The White House spokesman Jay Carney said the comments were unwelcome.

“The remarks of the Israeli Defense Minister if accurate, are offensive and inappropriate especially in light of everything that United States is doing to support Israel's security needs. Secretary Kerry and his team have been working nonstop in their efforts to promote a secure peace for Israel because of the deep concern the United States has and the deep commitment the United States has for and to Israel's future and the Israeli people.”

He added that the comments were not what the US would expect from the Defense Minister of a close ally.

The Nigerian authorities say that 30 people have been killed by a bomb explosion in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri. The blast ripped through a packed market at early afternoon causing mayhem as people tried to flee. Some reports suggest the bomb was planted in a motor rickshaw and others said it was left in a sack abandoned near a store. The Islamist group Boko Haram has said it carried out the attack, the latest of many in northern Nigeria.

A senior Russian priest has called for a parliamentary debate on whether homosexuality should be criminalized. From Moscow Steve Rosenberg.

Archpriest Vsevolod Choplin is a senior figure in the Russian Orthodox Church. He told the BBC that in his view,most people in the world understood that they were eternal unchangeable ethical values, but should be reflected not only in public discourse but also in laws. For many people, he said, homosexual relations were totally unacceptable. And for that reason, more and more people, he claimed, expected the society and that state to regulate what is and isn't permissible in personal relations.

World News from the BBC

Italian police have begun excavating land near the city of Naples, hunting for dangerous toxic waste believed to have been dumped illegally by the mafia. Prompting serious public health concerns. Following tip-offs from two former mafia men. The police are searching for one particularly toxic cash of waste near the town of Casal di Principe. Some feared the underground water supply has been contaminated.

The Indian army general who is in charge of the raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar 1984 during which hundreds of people were killed has denied that Britain played any role in it. Kuldeep Singh Brar who's now retired, said he was dumbfounded by allegations that British Special Forces had advised on the operation to remove Sikh separatists from the Temple.

“This is the first time I'm hearing of it since this morning, it's on the media, it's in the newspapers, it's on television, but I've never heard of it before. But as far as we're concerned, as far as the Indian army is concerned,they will not mention of this ever.”

A British MP says he has seen recently declassified documents revealing British involvement. Lieutenant General Brar said he did not believe the documents could be authentic.

Colombia's largest rebel group,the Farc has announced its proposals to regulate drug production. The rebels called on the Colombian government to scrape its current anti-drugs policy, which includes plant fumigation and the use of military to stop illegal cultivation. A Farc spokesman said the government should encourage farmers to replace the cultivation of coca leaves,poppies and marijuana with legal crops. The proposal is part of Farc's peace talks with government.

The Archaeological Survey of India is sending two experts to Afghanistan to examine a bowl believed to have belonged to the Buddha with the aim of bringing it back to India. The huge stone vessel, weighing nearly 400 kg is currently on display in Kabul and is regarded as important in the Buddhist religion.

BBC News.