Russia summons UK envoy over row

Two British Council offices defied a Russian closure order by re-opening

The Russian foreign ministry has summoned the UK ambassador amid an escalating row over the reopening of two British Council offices.

The Council's branches reopened on Monday despite a government ban.

Russia called the move a "provocation" and said it would not issue new visas to British Council staff.

The offices were ordered to shut last month in the latest clash over the fatal poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.

The branches which reopened are in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. The ban does not apply to the British Council's Moscow office.

'Inflaming tensions'

A statement on the Russian foreign ministry's website said: "Russia views such actions as an intentional provocation aimed at inflaming tensions in Russian-British relations.

UK-RUSSIA ROW Nov 2006: Alexander Litvinenko dies in London May 2007: UK accuses ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi of murder July: Russia refuses UK request to extradite Mr Lugovoi July: UK expels four Russian diplomats July: Russia expels four British embassy staff December: Russia tells British Council to shut two offices Jan 2008: British Council re-opens both offices

"The Russian side will not issue visas to new employees sent to work in the (British) consular offices of St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg to carry out British Council work."

The UK embassy in the Russian capital declined to comment on the schedule of the ambassador, Sir Tony Brenton.

But BBC Moscow correspondent Richard Galpin says the envoy will appear at the Russian foreign ministry on Monday afternoon.

He says the escalating diplomatic crisis between the two countries is now coming to a head and it is not clear if either side is willing to back down.

The British Council, which aims to promote cultural and educational ties, was accused of violating Russian tax rules.

A spokesman for the Council insisted on Monday that its activities were "fully compliant with Russian and international law".

"We believe we're caught up in a political matter," the spokesman told the BBC News website.

'Valuable work'

The British Council's chief executive, Martin Davidson, said they would continue talking to the Russians in the hope of continuing their work.

He told the BBC: "We have to understand the issues, the problems they have with our work, but we believe [our work] is enormously valuable.

Russia has linked its action to wider British-Russian tensions

"We know ordinary Russian people believe it is of real value to them, as well of course to us here in the UK, to have that relationship with Russia."

The offices in Yekaterinburg are on the premises of the UK consulate-general.

The row came on top of continuing tensions over the death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London in November 2006. He had been given a fatal dose of radioactive polonium 210.

The UK wants Russia to hand over businessman Andrei Lugovoi, whom UK investigators suspect of murdering Mr Litvinenko.

When Russia refused to extradite Mr Lugovoi, Britain expelled four Russian diplomats and Moscow followed suit.

Russian officials have described the action against the British Council as a retaliatory measure.

Violence in Kenya delays trading

There have been fresh clashes in Nairobi's slums

The opening of the foreign exchange market in Kenya has been delayed by two hours amid violent protests against the outcome of the presidential election.

Dealers said that currency trading would begin at 0800 GMT. It was scheduled to open at 0600 GMT.

When the markets do open, it is thought that the Kenyan shilling will decline against the US dollar as a humanitarian crisis blights the country.

The incumbent Mwai Kibaki was sworn in on Sunday, but accused of vote-rigging.

Opening of trade at Kenya's stock exchange was also delayed, while the country's weekly tea auction has been postponed until some "normality" resumes, one broker said.

Violence has broken out around Kenya with at least 250 people killed so far as political turmoil descends into an ethnic clash between Mr Kibaki's supporters and that of the opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Deadly bomb blast strikes Colombo

A Claymore landmine is said to have been used for the blast

A bomb targeting a bus in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo has killed at least four people and injured another 20, police and military officials say.

The blast took place as the military bus was passing a busy junction in a district that houses key military installations, reports said.

A hospital official told Reuters that two of those killed were soldiers.

Military officials said they suspected the separatist Tamil Tigers. The rebels denied involvement, Reuters reported.

The powerful explosion took place near Hotel Nippon in Colombo's commercial Slave Island area.

Victims were taken to the Colombo national hospital, where several people were reportedly in critical condition.

Damaged

"There was a Claymore (landmine) attack targeting an army bus carrying troops," a military official at the scene told Reuters.

The official said there were "about 11 soldiers" on board the bus.

Most of the victims were civilians while a few soldiers were also admitted with shrapnel injuries, news agency AFP quoted hospital director Hector Weerasinghe as saying.

Police and eyewitnesses said the low-budget Nippon hotel suffered extensive damage and staff members were also among those wounded.

Fighting between troops and the rebels, who want autonomy for minority Tamils in the north and east, has worsened in recent months.

A Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in 2002 broke down two years ago, resulting in renewed fighting that has killed more than 5,000 people.

At least 70,000 people have died since the war began in 1983.

Berbatov could leave, says agent

Berbatov joined Tottenham in summer 2006

Dimitar Berbatov's agent Emil Dantchev has told BBC Sport the striker is happy at Tottenham but would be interested in a move to "a big club".

The 26-year-old has been a huge hit since joining Spurs in 2006, but Dantchev said he had spoken to chairman Daniel Levy about his future.

"Dimitar wants to fulfil his potential and win trophies now," said Dantchev.

But Levy has repeatedly insisted he is building for the long term, rather than being interested in selling players.

Fans must understand Dimitar is 27 next month and time is running out for him to play for a club that can match his ambition Berbatov's agent Emil Dantchev

The Bulgarian has regularly been linked with Manchester United and his agent's comments came just before the mid-season transfer window opens.

He scored 22 goals in his first season at White Hart Lane, and so far this campaign he has netted another 11, including four in the 6-4 win over Reading.

"His performances for the club are a testament to his commitment to the fans and his team-mates," Dantchev told The Sun newspaper.

"Fans must understand Dimitar is 27 next month and time is running out for him to play for a club that can match his ambition.

"I would like to stress this is not about money. This is about sporting ambition.

"But after Tottenham's bad start to the season, it is unlikely they will have the chance to do something big this season."

Colombian hostage release halted

The negotiations have been punctuated by diplomatic spats

A Venezuelan-led mission to free three hostages held by Colombian left-wing Farc rebels has been suspended.

The rebels said the planned release was not possible because of government military operations, according to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

But the Colombian president Alvaro Uribe said no new operations were under way and that the rebels may not be in possession of one of the hostages.

The Farc had promised Mr Chavez that they would release two women and a boy.

Venezuelan military helicopters that were to have collected the hostages are now on their way back home.

Two of those slated to be freed were Clara Rojas, an aide to ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, with whom she was kidnapped in 2002, and Ms Rojas's son, Emmanuel, said to have been fathered by one of her captors.

The third was former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo, who was kidnapped in 2001.

Child 'in Bogota'

On Monday, the Venezuelan leader read out what he said was a letter from the Farc on television.

Several hundred hostages overall are being held by the Farc

Military operations "impede us for now from turning over" the three hostages, the Farc were quoted as saying.

But President Uribe accused the rebels of lying, and said the boy may actually be in a children's home in the Colombian capital, Bogota.

"The Farc can't keep the promise to free the hostages because they no longer have the child, Emmanuel, in their power," he said.

President Uribe has asked relatives of Ms Rojas for DNA samples to prove that a three-year-old boy in the Colombian capital is really the missing Emmanuel.

The planned handover operation had to be postponed on Sunday when Venezuelan officials said the Farc had not provided the co-ordinates for the handover and that there was not enough time to complete the mission.

Fifteen members of the hostages' families, who have not seen their loved ones for more than five years, have been waiting in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Mr Chavez has been trying to negotiate an exchange of other hostages for guerrillas imprisoned in Colombian jails but he has been accused by the Colombian authorities of overstepping his mandate as a mediator.

In response, he has threatened to freeze ties with the neighbouring state, which is a close trading partner.

It is believed that the Colombian government wants to regain the initiative with respect to the prisoner exchange and does not want Mr Chavez, perceived as being too friendly with the Farc, to hijack negotiations.