World News from the BBC
Reports from Syria suggest the armed forces have surrounded an eastern town after defections from the army. Video images from Bukamal, near the Iraqi border, show protesters mounted on army tanks, chanting "the people and army are one." Meanwhile, the security forces were reported to have raided houses and arrested dozens of dissidents in western Syria.
The man who launched a legal battle that led to the unearthing of treasure worth billions of dollars in the Indian state of Kerala has died. The huge treasure trove lay undetected for centuries before it was brought to light earlier this month. Sanjay Dasgupta reports.
TP Sundar Rajan was a retired police officer from the elite Indian Police Service. He was 70. It was Mr Sundar Rajan who started the legal campaign that ultimately led to the vaults of the 16th Century Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple being opened.
Even in a society where
fabulously
rich religious trusts and temples aren't unheard of, the extent of the wealth surprised many. Gold, silver, jewellery and precious stones worth, according to some estimates, more than $20bn. The treasure
came to light
only after a prolonged court battle between the state government and a local aristocratic family. The former royal family of what was once the princely state of Travancore, who controlled the temple through a religious trust.
The former leader of Uruguay, Juan Maria Bordaberry, has died at his home where he was serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed when he was in power. Mr Bordaberry was elected president in 1971. Two years later with the backing of the military, he suspended the Uruguayan constitution,