The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said the destruction of Islamic
shrines
in the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu is a war crime. The sites are being attacked by Islamist rebels of Ansar Dine for a second day. Risto Pyykko reports.
The attacks on the Timbuktu shrines began on Saturday. So far, at least seven have been destroyed. The Malian government has called for international help and warned that if the hardline Islamists of Ansar Dine aren't stopped, their attacks could spread throughout the countries(country). The first response came from Fatou Bensouda of the International Criminal Court. In an interview with a French news agency, she called the destruction of the shrines a war crime, and said her office was collecting information on the attacks. Mrs Bensouda warned the
perpetrators
they would be held accountable and that justice would prevail.
A Japanese nuclear power plant is back in action in spite a widespread protest across the country. Japan has been without nuclear power since May when the last of its fifty reactors were shut down for safety checks following the Fukushima disaster. The re-acted Ohi on the west coast was declared safe after stress tests, and is now likely to be fully operational within a week. The government is assessing whether to
bring more plants back
online
in defiance of
the demonstrations.
World News from the BBC
The campaign for the presidential election in Venezuela has officially begun. President Hugo Chavez, who's running for a third term in office, rallied his supporters on the top of a lorry in Carabobo state. Mr Chavez, who's been receiving treatment for a cancerous growth in his groin, has a clear lead in the polls. But for the first time since he came to power 13 years ago, the left-wing populist is facing a serious