Mass funeral for Italy bus victims

30 July 2013 Last updated at 11:05 GMT There were emotional scenes at the huge sports hall, as Nik Gowing reports

A funeral has been held near the southern Italian town of Pozzuoli for the 38 victims of Sunday's bus crash.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta was among about 4,000 people at the service, which was held in a sports hall.

Bishop of Pozzuoli, Gennaro Pascarella, urged the authorities to clarify the causes of the accident, saying: "We must ensure this never happens again."

The coach lost control on a viaduct near Monteforte Irpino, hitting several other cars and plunging into a ravine.

In his homily, Bishop Pascarella appealed for support for the bereaved families.

"Political and religious institutions should not leave our brothers alone, especially those who have found themselves without any economic support," he said.

Continue reading the main story Families and friends of those killed in the accident crowded around the flower-draped coffins, lined up in front of the altar.

"We feel terrible. We all know each other here. We are all a bit like brothers and sisters," said one man, Franco, who said he had lost a friend in the accident.

Before the ceremony, relatives of the dead wept and clutched the coffins, placing flowers, photographs and other memorabilia for their loved ones.

One coffin was adorned with a photo of the deceased's wedding day, and a scarf in the colours of the football team, Napoli.

Bodies identified

On Monday, hundreds of relatives had to identify the bodies of their loved ones at a school near the crash site which had been turned into a temporary morgue.

"They told me to look at all the bodies until I found my brother," said one man who gave his name as Ciro.

"It was like a mountain had fallen on my head."

Ten of the coach's passengers were hurt in the accident on Sunday. Nine people were also injured in cars hit by the bus before it careered off the road.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation into possible manslaughter.

One survivor said from her hospital bed that she believed a tyre had burst. Police have ordered a post-mortem examination on the body of the driver, who is among the dead.

Investigators will examine the driver's role as well as the condition of the coach and the crash barriers on the road.

The vehicle was carrying a local tour group from the birthplace of Padre Pio, an Italian priest canonised in 2002.

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Tunisia state funeral for murdered MP

27 July 2013 Last updated at 13:40 GMT Pro- and anti-government protests took place in Tunis following the funeral ceremony

A state funeral has been held for Tunisian opposition leader Mohamed Brahmi who was killed on Thursday by gunmen in the capital, Tunis.

His death has sparked widespread unrest. One protester died in overnight clashes in the southern town of Gafsa.

The interior minister said Mr Brahmi, 58, was killed with the same gun as a fellow left-wing politician, Chokri Belaid, who was shot dead in February.

A Salafist is one of the main suspects involved the murder, officials said.

Gunmen on a motorbike shot Mr Brahmi, who led the nationalist Movement of the People party, in his car on Thursday.

On Saturday thousands of people lined the streets of Tunis as the coffin wrapped in the national flag passed by under military escort.

Mr Brahmi was buried in the same cemetery as another leading opposition figure, Chokri Belaid, who was killed earlier this year.

Continue reading the main story 58-years-old MP for Sidi Bouzid, birthplace of Arab SpringLeader of a small left-wing party, the Popular MovementPromoted pan-Arabism and socialismFar lower profile then Chokri Belaid, who was assassinated in FebruaryPractising Muslim, unlike Mr BelaidCritic of government, but also had many friends in the main Islamist party, EnnahdaHis wife blames Ennahda for his killing; others disagree.After the ceremony, anti- and pro-government demonstrators gathered outside parliament buildings in central Tunis. Reports say police used tear gas to disperse them.

Supporters of Mr Brahmi have turned their grief and anger on governing Islamist party Ennahda, with relatives accusing it of complicity in the killing.

The government has rejected the allegations, instead naming a Salafist radical, Boubaker Hakim, as the main suspect.

Hours before the funeral, a policeman was injured when a bomb on a car exploded outside a police station in the capital's La Goulette district.

On Friday thousands of people took part in a protests after the the biggest trade union, UGTT, called a general strike to denounce general "terrorism, violence and murders".

In Gafsa, one demonstrator was killed in clashes with police. The circumstances of his death remain unclear.

Earlier, demonstrators attacked Ennahda's headquarters in Sidi Bouzid, Mr Brahmi's hometown and the birthplace of the Arab Spring revolutions which have swept the Middle East.

Chokri Belaid's murder in February sparked mass protests and forced then-Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali to resign.

Six opposition parties have now withdrawn from the national assembly and called for the Islamist-led government to be replaced by a national unity administration.

Mr Brahmi was a socialist and practising Muslim with a pan-Arab ideology, correspondents say.

He was less prominent than Chokri Belaid and not as critical of Ennahda, which came to power in elections following the January 2011 uprising.

The party has faced growing popular unrest over a faltering economy and a rising radical Islamist movement.

Correspondents say many Tunisians, particularly the young, complain that their quest for secular democracy has been hijacked by intolerant Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood which forms part of the current government.

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Tunisia state funeral for murdered MP

27 July 2013 Last updated at 08:17 GMT The government is being accused of being complicit in the killing - a charge it denies A state funeral is being held for Tunisian opposition leader Mohamed Brahmi who was killed on Thursday by gunmen in the capital, Tunis.

His death has sparked widespread unrest. One protester died in overnight clashes in the southern town of Gafsa.

The interior minister said Mr Brahmi, 58, was killed with the same gun as a fellow left-wing politician, Chokri Belaid, who was shot dead in February.

A Salafist is one of the main suspects involved the murder, officials said.

The governing Islamist Ennahda party has denied accusations from relatives that it was complicit in the killing.

'Violence and murders'

Gunmen on a motorbike shot Mr Brahmi, who led the nationalist Movement of the People party, in his car on Thursday morning.

Mr Brahmi's widow told the AFP news agency her slain husband would be buried next to Chokri Belaid at El Jallez cemetery in Tunis on Saturday.

Continue reading the main story 58-years-old MP for Sidi Bouzid, birthplace of Arab SpringLeader of a small left-wing party, the Popular MovementPromoted pan-Arabism and socialismFar lower profile then Chokri Belaid, who was assassinated in FebruaryPractising Muslim, unlike Mr BelaidCritic of government, but also had many friends in the main Islamist party, EnnahdaHis wife blames Ennahda for his killing; others disagree.She and her family have accused the Ennahda party of being behind by the killing.

The government has rejected the allegations, instead naming a Salafist radical, Boubaker Hakim, as the main suspect.

Hours before the funeral, a policeman was injured when a bomb on a car exploded outside a police station in the capital's La Goulette district.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Tunis on Friday after the the biggest trade union, UGTT, called a general strike to denounce general "terrorism, violence and murders".

Clashes erupted overnight in Gafsa, with police using tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

One person died during the violence. The circumstances of his death remain unclear.

Earlier in the week, demonstrators attacked Ennahda's headquarters in Sidi Bouzid, Mr Brahmi's hometown and the birthplace of the Arab Spring revolutions which have swept the Middle East.

In February, the murder of prominent secular figure Chokri Belaid sparked mass protests and forced then-Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali to resign.

Six opposition parties have now withdrawn from the national assembly and called for the Islamist-led government to be replaced by a national unity administration.

Mr Brahmi was a socialist and practising Muslim with a pan-Arab ideology, correspondents say.

He was less prominent than Chokri Belaid and not as critical of Ennahda, which came to power in elections following the January 2011 uprising.

The party has faced growing popular unrest over a faltering economy and a rising radical Islamist movement.

Correspondents say many Tunisians, particularly the young, complain that their quest for secular democracy has been hijacked by intolerant Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood which forms part of the current government.

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