BBC News with Julie Candler

The African Union has called on the United Nations Security Council to give backing to an air and naval blockade of Somalia. The AU's commissioner for peace and security, Ramtane Lamamra, told the Security Council such action would prevent arms transportation and the movement of militants. From the UN headquarters in New York, Barbara Plett reports.

The AU envoy called on the council to authorize a much larger African peacekeeping force in Somalia, up to 20,000 troops and nearly 2,000 police. Crucially, he urged the UN to make sure they have enough money and resources. Fewer than 8,000 soldiers have been deployed so far, and they are badly paid and equipped. Mr Lamamra also asked the council to impose a naval blockade and no-fly zone over Somalia to prevent the entry of foreign fighters and weapons for armed groups. The current president of the Security Council, Ugandan ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda, said the requests were legitimate but would need to be studied further.

Peace activists in Israel say Jewish settlers are building new homes in the occupied West Bank at four times the rate they were before the government began its partial freeze at the end of last year. Peace Now group said work had begun on between 600 and 700 new housing units over the past month. A Palestinian spokesman said the new figures were alarming and showed Israel wasn't serious about the peace process, but the Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the building should not affect the final outcome of the talks.