And the military in Nigeria has denied allegations by government officials that it ignored warnings of ethnic attacks near the central city of Jos that left at least 100 people dead. The commander of the regional task force said the army was told of the violence only after it happened. He said it had been difficult for security forces to reach the affected villages because it was dark and roads were bad.
The United States has expressed concern about the way Muslims are treated in Europe. In its annual report on human rights, the US State Department highlighted a ban on the construction of minarets in Switzerland. From Washington, here is Kim Ghattas.
Iran, China, Burma, North Korea is the usual suspects on the State Department's list of countries with the poor record of human rights. What is new is the concern expressed by drawing anti-Muslim descrimination in Europe. The reports said such developments occurred in countries with generally strong records of respecting human rights. The State Department also denounced new forms of anti-semitism and the rise of anti-Jewish sentiments around the world. It added that governments like those of Iran and Egypt were fueling the trend rather than fighting it.
This is Zoe Diamond with the latest World News from the BBC.
Early results from the Iraqi parliamentary election on Sunday suggest a tight contest is developing between the incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his main challenger Ayad Allawi. Partial counts have Mr.al-Maliki leading in two predominantly Shiite provinces. But Mr.Allawi ahead in Sunni areas to the north of Baghdad.