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BBC news with Marian Marshall.
The retrial is begun of Guatemala's former military ruler General Efrain Rios Montt, who's accused of genocide. In a dramatic start of the retrial, General Rios Montt's lawyers first said he couldn't attend on health grounds. But after the judge oredered that he attend within the hour, the 88-year-old is wheeled in in a stretcher. Our America's desk editor Candice Pieerd reports.
"General Rios Montt and General Rodriguez were trialed in 2013 on charges of ordering the army to carry out a series of massacres over three days in the early 1980s. Soldiers systematically killed hundreds of men, women and children, shooting or bludgeoning them to death, and throwing bodies down the well. General Rodriguez was quitted, but his boss was found guilty and sentenced to 80 years in prison. The conviction was later thrown out on procedure grounds, and a retrial ordered. The case is the first anywhere in the world that a former head of a state has faced genocide charges in a court in his own country. The general's former Intelligence Chief General Jose Mauricio Rodriguez is also on trial."
Two men have been charged in the United States with the involvement in an attempt last week to overthrow the Gambian government. The US Justice Department said they've been charged with conspiring against a friendly nation. Both men were of Gambian descent. Our Africa editor Mary Harper reports on the documents presented in court.
"The men had code names of 'Fox' and 'Dave'. They had bought substantial quantities of weapons in the United States, stuffed them into barrels, wrapped clothing around them, shipped them off to Gambia and various documents were found of its hand written “top secret” and all of their plans for the future of the Gambia once they've taken it over. And in fact these men ended up coming back to the United States and being arrested on arrival."
The euro has fallen sharply in trading had one point falling to a nine year low against the dollar. The BBC Brussels correspondent says the fall has been triggered by speculation that Greece may leave the euro zone single currency if the left wing Syriza Party wins the general election later this month. Speaking to reporters, the spokesperson of the European Commission Annika Breidthardt dismissed concerns over the long term viability of the euro.
"The euro's here to stay, the euro has proved its resilience, and further than that as xx to success, I will leave no further state from the commission we are waiting for the vote while the Greek voters on the 25th."
Two American skiers have been killed in an avalanche while skiing near the European Training Base in the Austrian Alps. 20-year-old Ronnie Berlack and 19-year-old Bryce Astle were junior members of the US ski team. They were part of a group of six skiers who were descending from a mount near Seldon. It's believed they triggered an avalanche and were buried under the snow.
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In the United States, the surviving suspect accused of carrying out the Boston marathon bombings has appeared in court at the beginning of his trial. Wearing a dark jumper and khaki trousers, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a US citizen of Chechnya origin, sued before the first batch of a potential jurist. Nata Tollphic reports.
"The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be one of the most closely watched in American history. The jury will decide whether Tsarnaev planned and planned two bombs that killed three and injured more than 260 at the 2013 Boston marathon finish line, the worst terrorist attack on American soil since September 11th, 2001. Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges against him. And faces the death penalty if convicted."
A juror in the Grand Jury that decided not to indict a white police officer in the US state of Missouri of the shooting dead of an unarmed black man has sued the prosecutor in the case. The unidentified juror is seeking court permission to speak publicly about the way the case was handled, something which is banned by state law.
The United States has decided to oppose a move by Israel to freeze a transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian authority. Israeli officials said on Saturday that the country had frozen the transfer about 125 million dollars in tax revenues, which collects on behalf of the Palestinians. Israel took the step in retaliation to the Palestinian bid to join the International Criminal Court.
A parliamentary commission in Turkey has ruled that four ex-ministers won't have to stand trial on corruption charges. They resigned their government posts in 2013 of the illegal wiretaps appeared to show that they were linked to the taking of bribes. All four are allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was Prime Minister at that time. The commission had exempted them from prosecution is dominated by Mr Erdogan's Act Party.
BBC news.