BBC News with Fiona MacDonald.

Britain, Italy and Greece said they believed that seven foreign hostages had been killed in Nigeria, as reported by the militant group that took them captive. The radical group, Ansaru, seized the seven men last month from a construction site in northern Nigeria. He said the hostages, British, Italian, Greek and Lebanese, were killed because of a rescue attempt by British and Nigerian forces. But Italy denied this. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, condemned the killing in the strongest terms. "This is an unforgivable act of pure cold blooded murder, for which there can be no excuse or justification. The responsibility for this tragic outcome rests solely with the terrorists who took these people hostage." Correspondents say Ansaru is a splinter group from the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, which has for years been staging attacks in Nigeria.

The Afghan president, Harmid Karzai, has accused the United States of working with the Taliban to keep foreign troops in the country beyond 2014, when most are due to leave. Mr. Karzai said both the US and militants wanted to frighten people into believing there would be more violence in Afghanistan unless international forces remained. The American Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, who's in Kabul, denied the charge. "I told the president that it was not true, that the United States is unilaterally working with the Taliban or trying to negotiate anything. The fact is, any prospect for peace, for political settlements, that has to be led by the Afghan."