BBC News with Jonathan Izard

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has told the two sides in Syria's civil war that the time has come for earnest negotiations to end the conflict. Speaking after the first day of peace conference in Switzerland, Mr.Ban said Syrians must come together to save their country and protect their children. Earlier, Syrian government and opposition delegations traded accusations, highlighting sharp divisions over whether President Assad should have a role in any transitional government. The Syrian ambassador to the UN Bashar Jaafari said no one could dictate to Syrians.

“The Syrian people are the only party that will decide for the future of Syria, it's not up to this minister or that minister to decide for the future of our own country. The process endorsed by the Security Council, mediated by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, endorsed by Sergei Lavrov, speaks about a Syrian-led political process”.

Opposition leaders in Ukraine have warned demonstrators in Kiev to prepare for a new police offensive against them after a day of violence in the streets of the capital. Addressing thousands of protesters, the boxer-turned politician Vitaly Klischko said the opposition would go on the offensive if President Viktor Yanukovych did not agree to call earlier elections. Daniel Standford is in Kiev.

This was the worst violence so far this week, as night fell, the small square near parliament, that's the scene of the protests, was still dangerous and chaotic.

“This square in central Kiev is like a vision of hell with a line of piles of black tyres burning, producing yellow flames and towers of thick black acrid smoke”

The parliament is being targeted because it has passed new anti-protest laws that came into force today. These ban traditional ways of demonstrating in Ukraine, like blockading public buildings and putting up tents.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for a restraint on military expansion in Asia in his keynote address at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mr.Abe said Japan's relations with China were reminiscent of those between Britain and Germany on the eve of the first World War a century ago. He said their economies were independent, and continued peace will deliver prosperity to the whole region.

The pop star Elton John has offered to introduce President Vladimir Putin to members of Russia's gay community who he says has been threatened because of new laws on homosexuality. Artyom Liss had reports from Los Angeles.

Elton John visited Russia in December and said he met many people, from the lesbain gay by sexual and transgender community who said they've been attacked or threatened as the result of the new laws. The singer said what he heard reinforce to media report saying that vicious homophobia has been legitimised by the legislation and given extremists the cover to abuse people's basic human rights. President Putin has denied being homophobic and said he was happy to meet Mr. Elton John to discuss the policies.

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Violence has erupted at the trial of 11 Nigerians accused of being homosexual. The trial at the northern city of Bauchi was interrupted by angry youths who shouted and threw stones outside the court house. Police used teargas to disperse the crowd. All those defendants have been trialed under Sharia or Islamic law, Nigeria has also tightened anti-gay legislation under its penal code.

The South African government has ordered sculptors to remove a bronze rabbit they hid in the ear of the stature of Nelson Mandela as a signature of their work. A government spokesmen Mogomotsi Mogodiri said it should be taken away as soon as possible to restore dignity to the statue.

“We never could mention a statue which would have a rabbit hid on its ear. So we are really unhappy that somebody decided on their own to put some to which we'd met with respect,so it is not right, we'd want people to see that statue as a symbol of hope not about something like a rabbit”

The sculptors said they'd added the creature after the authorities refused to allow them to engrave their signatures. The nine-meter high bronze figure was unveiled in Pretoria a day after Mr.Mandela was buried.

Venezuela has announced reforms to its foreign currency exchange system in an effort to combat inflation and boost the economy. The low official exchange rate for the dollar will be maintained for essential imports such as medicines and food. But Venezuelans traveling abroad or buying luxuries will have to pay a much higher rate, determined by weekly currency auctions. Some economists say the changes amount to a devaluation by stealth, despite its oil wealth. Venezuela has faced a shortage of staple goods.

The controversial French comedian Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala has been questioned by police after bailiffs said they were shot at with rubble bullets when they went to his home. Dieudonne who's been accused of anti-Semitism owes thousands of dollars in unpaid fines for offences including discrimination. The bailiffs said they were fired on when they went to issue a demand for payment.

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