BBC News. Hello, I'm Jerry Smit.
After three days of sectarian violence in the Indian capital Delhi, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for calm. These were his first comments since clashes broke out on Sunday between protesters for and against a citizenship law which critics say is anti-Muslim. At least 23 people have been killed. Patiture Godio reports from Delhi. In an appeal to the residents of Delhi, the prime minister asked citizens to maintain harmony and said that the police and other agencies were working extensively to restore normality. This is the worst communal violence in the city for decades, for the majority Hindu and minority Muslim mobs engaging in pitched battles. There has been extensive damage to Muslim properties and businesses, many of whom were seen fleeing mixed neighborhoods. There has been growing criticism of the police and the government for not doing enough to stop the unrest.
A military funeral is being held in Cairo for the former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who died on Tuesday aged 91. Dozens of Mr. Mubarak's supporters have gathered around the morse-coding placard, sparing his photograph and slogans in his praise. The authorities have declared three days of national mourning. Mr. Mubarak was forced out of office by mass protests in 2011 after 30 years in power.
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The front-runner in the Democrats presidential race in the US Bernie Sanders, has come under concerted attack from his opponents in a bad temper television debate. They argued that choosing the left-wing Senator from Vermont to take on Donald Trump would cost the party the White House. Barbara Plett-Usher reports. Bernie Sanders walked onto center stage as the clear front-runner and the other candidates united against him in a raucous debate. His chief rivals, Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg, put in decent performances. Mr. Biden had his strongest debate so far, and Mr. Bloomberg recovered somewhat from his shaky debut last week. The intensity of the clash reflected that candidates are running out of time to alter the trajectory of the nomination fight before 14 states vote on Super Tuesday next week.
The security services in Russia have detained two teenage boys suspected of plotting to kill people at an educational institute in the city of Saratov, southeast of Moscow. The two were detained at an abandoned bomb shelter.
British scientists say they've discovered that babies brought up in bilingual homes are faster in switching between tasks. Researchers recorded the reactions of more than 100 babies when they were shown a succession of pictures. The scientists said the babies from bilingual homes were 33% quicker to notice when new pictures appeared on screens, suggesting the stimulus provided by regularly hearing more than one language help babies to adapt.
BBC news.
