BBC News with Julie Candler

Reports from Iraq say the government has lost control of the western city of Fallujah to militants linked al-Qaeda. A M reports.

A security source told the BBC that a militant group linked to al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is controlling the southern part of the western city of Fallujah. Journalists in the city also gave the BBC a first-hand account saying that al-Qaeda militants were seen on pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns and black flags while a certain control over the main highway leading to Baghdad when journalists said that the Shia-led central government has now lost Fallujah to Sunni tribesmen and al-Qaeda militants.

The same al-Qaeda linked group is reported to have sustained heavy losses in fighting with other rebel fractions in Syria and they issued an ultimatum demanding a ceasefire. Islamic State in Iraq and Syria—ISIS said they'd lost control of the town of Takharim. Its stronghold, 35 km west of Aleppo,dozens of its fighters there reported to have been killed or captured. ISIS said that unless rival groups stop their attacks within 24 hours,it would stop defending Aleppo from government forces. Rami Ruhayem reports.

The spokesman called on rebel groups fighting ISIS to lift checkpoints that have been stopping ISIS fighters and to release all ISIS prisoners who have been detained during the battles. He said that ISIS had been stabbed in the back and their supply lines could collapse under pressure from the rival Islamist frigates. In that event,he added, ISIS would have no choice but to pull back from the front lines of Aleppo in northern Syria. And ISIS's pull back,he said would mean a swift take-over by government forces.

The Lebanese army says the top al-Qaeda commander in the country Majid al-Majid has died in custody after his health deteriorated sharply. He was receiving treatment in a military hospital and after reports said he had suffered kidney failure. A Saudi national Mr.al-Majid was the leader of an al-Qaeda affiliated group which is said it had carried out a number of bombings across the Middle East.

The warring parties in South Sudan have formally opened talks aimed to ending three weeks of violence. The meeting between the two sides in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa came after unexpected delays. Richard Hamilton reports.

This is a significant breakthrough as it's the first time delegations from the two warring sides have met in the same room and begun negotiations. A statement from the Ethiopian foreign ministry said both the government and opposition had committed to resolve their political differences through dialogue. But it added that full face-to-face talks will begin on Sunday. That seems to be a hope at last that South Sudan can emerge from three weeks of ethnic violence,but it's killed more than 1,000 people causing fears that the world's youngest country was sliding towards civil war.

World News from the BBC

The American Secretary of State John Kerry says progress has been made towards a framework for a peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians,but added that more needed to be done. Speaking in Ramallah after talks with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mr.Kerry said he was confident that some of the issues for a potential peace accord had been flashed out. He later held a third-round of discussions with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin has relaxed a controversial ban he'd imposed on all public protests of next month's Winter Olympics and Para Olympics in Sochi. Marches and rallies will now be allowed in officially approved areas at the Black Sea Resort during the Games. Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow.

The Russian authorities had banned all public protests in Sochi from next Tuesday, that's one month before the start of the Winter Games. Human rights groups had condemned the ban which was to a Romanian place until March 21st. Now President Putin has issued a decree changing the rules slightly. People will be able to hold protests after all but only if they can get permission from the local authorities from the police and from security officials. There's no guarantee of course that permission would be granted.

The authorities in Brazil say criminal gangs have set fire to four buses and attacked a police station in the northern city of Sao Luis. They say the order for the attack came from gang leaders arrested at the notorious Pedrinhas penitentiary where 60 inmates died last year.

Weather forecasters have issued warnings to people in the United States's mid-west about the near-record low temperatures from Sunday. They say temperatures could feel as low as -50℃ with the effective wind chill and say people should stay in doors if possible. Parts of Canada are already in the grip of very cold weather. At least 11 people died in the north-eastern US in the wake of heavy snow falls.

BBC News.