Turkey enters Syria to evacuate tomb

22 February 2015 Last updated at 11:52

Hundreds of Turkish troops in armoured vehicles have entered northern Syria and evacuated a historic Ottoman tomb and the soldiers guarding it.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the remains of Suleyman Shah would be moved elsewhere in Syria.

He said troops had destroyed the tomb, apparently to prevent it from being used by Islamic State (IS) militants.

Turkey considers the shrine sovereign territory, but Syria condemned the incursion as "flagrant aggression".

In a statement read out on state TV, Syria said Turkey had informed its Istanbul consulate about the operation, but had not awaited Syria's agreement.

Suleyman Shah, who lived from about 1178 to 1236, was grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman empire, Osman I.

Speaking on television, Mr Davutoglu said the operation was carried out "to protect our spiritual values and the safety of our armed forces personnel".

Earlier, in a series of tweets (in Turkish), Mr Davutoglu hailed the armed forces for carrying out a "highly successful" operation amid the "inherent risks" of conflict in Syria.

Selin Girit, BBC News, on Turkish border with Syria

The tomb of Suleiman Shah was the one and only Turkish enclave abroad, in accordance with a treaty signed in 1921. This was the burial site of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the Ottoman Empire's founder Osman I - which meant it had historical significance too.

Turkey was concerned with the rising Islamic State threat in the area. In March 2014, IS threatened to attack the site unless Turkish troops guarding the tomb were withdrawn in three days; but such an attack did not take place. If the tomb had in fact come under attack, that would have provoked serious reaction from Turkey.

In August 2012, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - then PM - had warned that an act against the tomb would be considered "an attack on our territory, as well an attack on Nato land". Last year, the Turkish parliament authorized the use of force against IS militants. Commentators in Turkish media say the fact that the tomb is now moved and soldiers are evacuated is a relief for Turkey.

He said the remains had been moved to Turkey but would soon be rehoused in an area of Syria under Turkish military control, closer to the Turkish border.

The Turkish flag had already been raised over the site, the PM said.

There were no clashes with IS during the operation, but one soldier died in an accident, he added.

The operation began on Saturday at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) and ended on Sunday morning.

A large convoy, including 600 troops and about 100 tanks and armoured vehicles, passed through Kobane - the city which Syrian Kurdish fighters retook last month from IS - and travelled some 35km (20 miles) south to the tomb on the banks of the Euphrates river.

Suleyman Shah is believed to have drowned in the river.

The tomb has been permanently guarded by a contingent of about 40 soldiers, who rotate periodically.

The site is part of Turkish territory, according to a treaty signed in 1921 (in French) that gave Turkey the right to station guards and fly its flag there.

When the treaty was signed the tomb and legal enclave were some 80km south of their current location, but were moved after the original site was flooded by the creation of the reservoir Lake Assad in 1974.

The Turkish convoy was believed to be larger and more heavily armed than usual because of recent heavy fighting between the Kurdish militia and Syrian rebel groups against IS militants.

Since driving IS out of Kobane in January, the Kurdish Popular Protection Units and rebels have taken a number of surrounding villages.

They are now said to be only 25km from Tal Abyad - the strategically important border town east of Kobane that is used by IS militants to cross into Turkey.

IS has seized larges swathes in Syria and Iraq, proclaiming a caliphate.

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New tax evasion crime proposed

22 February 2015 Last updated at 11:44

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Danny Alexander: "Organisations who facilitate or encourage evasion should face the same financial penalty as evaders themselves"

Companies that fail to prevent tax evasion could face penalties as part of plans announced by Danny Alexander.

The Liberal Democrat chief secretary to the treasury aims to introduce a new offence for firms that fail to act to prevent economic crime.

Mr Alexander told the Andrew Marr show he wants organisations that encourage or facilitate tax evasion to face the same penalties as evaders themselves.

The proposed crackdown comes in the wake of HSBC tax-dodging allegations.

'Tough disincentive'

Continue reading the main story

This is taboo - this is something that absolutely mustn't happen in our society"

End Quote Danny Alexander Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Mr Alexander said: "We should create a new offence of corporate failure to avoid preventing an economic crime and also that organisations who facilitate or encourage evasion should face the same penalty as the evaders themselves."

He described it as a "Liberal Democrat idea" but intends to try to push the proposals through before May's general election.

If he cannot, they will form a key part of the Lib Dem manifesto.

"Organisations, be they accountants, banks or whatever, who help people evade tax will be liable for this new offence and crucially liable for financial penalties," he added.

Analysis by business correspondent Joe Lynam

There's been more comment about facilitating tax evasion in the fortnight since the Panorama programme on HSBC than in the five years before that.

Danny Alexander's new plan to make it a crime for banks and accountants to look the other way while their clients knowingly evade tax may appear to be a populist reaction - very late in the life of this coalition. The public may feel it's better late than never though.

They see benefit fraudsters (rightly) brought before the courts and small firms harangued by the tax man for modest VAT bills while giant firms and high net worth individuals know it's unlikely they'll be prosecuted for not paying all their taxes.

Making the professional advisers pay the same fine as their clients will also send a chill down the spine of many of the big four accountants and all of the banks.

Danny Alexander concedes it might be a big ask to get a new law through Parliament making inaction in the face of tax evasion a crime but the Lib Dems will try. He says there's a much better chance of bolting on the financial penalties side of his proposal to next month's Budget though. And he may even get cross-party support.

Mr Alexander continued: "So, for example, if their customers have to pay back hundreds of millions of pounds in tax then those organisations should have to match that with hundreds of millions of pounds of their own money and I think that's a very tough disincentive to them to get involved in this in the first place.

"This is taboo. This is something that absolutely mustn't happen in our society and we still have a problem with some people thinking they can get away without paying their fair share of tax."

The Lib Dems said they would make a commitment to see the "tax gap" - the difference between the total owed to the Exchequer and the amount collected - fall in each year of the next Parliament.

The party would also strengthen codes of practice which apply to tax-advising professions.

Mr Alexander said in a statement that "these cheats and their accomplices are effectively stealing from all of us", adding: "These new measures will build on the successful strategy that is making tax evasion as socially unacceptable as benefit fiddling or drinking and driving."

His comments come after it was alleged that HSBC had helped hundreds of people evade UK tax using hidden accounts in Switzerland.

The Financial Conduct Authority is among regulators probing the claims.

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Authorities 'failed' over Syria girls

22 February 2015 Last updated at 12:00

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One of the schoolgirls sent a message to 'jihadi bride' Aqsa Mahmood on social media last Sunday, as Keith Doyle reports

The family of a Glasgow woman who may have encouraged three London girls to join Islamic State say officials "failed" to stop them leaving the UK.

Aqsa Mahmood, 20, who went to Syria to be a "jihadi bride" in 2013, reportedly had online contact with one of the girls who flew to Turkey last week.

It is feared that Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, 15, may try to join extremists in Syria.

Scotland Yard said it would not discuss matters of surveillance and security.

'Evil distortion'

In a statement, Ms Mahmood's family said it was "full of horror and anger" that she "may have had a role to play" in recruiting the girls for Islamic State (IS).

"However, the security services have serious questions to answer," the family added.

"Aqsa's social media has been monitored since she disappeared over a year ago, yet despite alleged contact between the girls and Aqsa, they failed to stop them from leaving the UK to Turkey, a staging post for Syria."

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Lawyer for 'jihadi bride' family: "You would expect the authorities to knock on the door and say your child might need help"

The statement said despite UK government "rhetoric" about IS, authorities had not taken "basic steps to stop children leaving" to join the militants.

Addressing Ms Mahmood, who moved from Glasgow to Syria to marry an IS fighter, the family added: "You are a disgrace to your family and the people of Scotland, your actions are a perverted and evil distortion of Islam."

Their lawyer Aamer Anwar told BBC Breakfast that they wanted to know how the girls could have been allowed to travel to Turkey alone.

He added: "They are deeply distressed and angry. They are thinking: 'How many other families is this happening to?'"

Kadiza, Shamima and Amira, who all attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, flew from Gatwick to Turkey after telling their parents they were going out for the day.

Police said they had been interviewed after another girl from their school went to Syria in December, but nothing had indicated they were at risk.

Ms Mahmood uses a Twitter account to encourage British women to join her in Syria, and that last Sunday Shamima sent her a message via Twitter.

It is not clear whether the London girls - all "star GCSE pupils" - have crossed from Turkey into Syria.

The schoolgirls' families have all made public pleas for them to return home.

'Big responsibility'

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Leader of the House of Commons and ex-Foreign Secretary William Hague said that "more has to be done by all of us" to stop vulnerable youngsters from being radicalised.

When asked by Andrew Marr whether he thought that parents should take away the passports of children they are worried might be being radicalised, he said: "It's entirely open to parents to do that. Parents and families have a big responsibility.

"I think that the families who have spoken out have said that this is not what Islam is about and that it is a disgrace to their family."

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Daniel Sandford reports on the appeals from relatives for the girls to come home

He added: "There's been a lot of criticism over the last year of the government doing too much surveillance and it's been difficult to get agreement on powers to update the government's powers to intercept communications. This can be an example of why it is necessary to be able to do that in some cases."

Talking to Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News, Ex-Foreign Office minister Baroness Warsi, who resigned from the government over its policy on Gaza, said: "It's becoming more and more apparent that people are not being radicalised in places of worship but actually being radicalised in their own bedrooms by being on the internet.

"Much research has gone into making sure that websites are taken down but we are fighting an ever loosing battle with extremist groups. One thing IS has been extremely successful at has been using the internet and social network spaces for their propaganda."

'Religious aspect'

Sara Khan from Inspire, an organisation which works to counter extremism and gender inequality, said 50 to 60 other young women are thought to have left the UK to join IS extremists.

"I don't think we can underplay the religious aspect to it," she told BBC Breakfast.

She added that many see it as a "religious obligation" - whereas in reality, they were "being exploited" and "groomed".

Ms Khan said relatives, especially mothers, could help prevent others leaving in a similar way by "recognising early signs and differences" in their children's behaviour and by challenging extremism.

Jonathan Russell of counter-extremism think tank the Quilliam Foundation, also said "front-line workers", including teachers and university lecturers, needed to play more of a role in spotting when people were developing "potentially dangerous views".

He said while it was likely there would be an inquiry into what more could have been done, the focus should be on "radicalisation and the motivations of these young girls".

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Ukraine weapons withdrawal agreed

22 February 2015 Last updated at 12:07

The government and rebels in eastern Ukraine have agreed to start pulling back heavy weapons from the frontline.

A Russian general involved in the process said work would start on Sunday but actual withdrawal is not expected to get under way until Tuesday.

The agreement between pro-Russian rebel leaders and Ukrainian forces is part of the terms of the Minsk ceasefire deal.

The process will not be completed until at least 8 March, five days later than the deadline set in Minsk.

Another key element of the Minsk deal moved forward on Saturday when the Ukrainian government and the rebels exchanged 191 prisoners.

The BBC's David Stern in Kiev sad the exchange was the first positive news since the Minsk agreement.

The 12 February ceasefire signed in the Belarusian capital, and brokered by France and Germany, had looked in danger of collapsing during the week when the rebels captured the strategically important rail hub of Debaltseve.

Nearly 5,700 people have died and 1.5 million have fled their homes since fighting erupted last April in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to the UN.

In another development, an explosion at a march in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least one person.

At the scene: Paul Adams, BBC News, Donetsk

At the end of a week that has seen government forces experience their most humiliating setback in months, the exchange of prisoners and the stated willingness of both sides to withdraw heavy weapons do suggest a glimmer of hope that the Minsk agreement could yet be implemented.

But such are the depths of suspicion and bad faith that no-one should assume immediate results. The OSCE says it needs much more information - inventories, current locations, withdrawal details - before it can make a judgement.

There are still flashpoints, including Donetsk airport and the area east of Mariupol, and a rebel military spokesman we spoke to last night made it clear that fighting might continue in some areas, while the withdrawal of heavy weapons happens elsewhere. This is not an obvious recipe for success.

'From today'

Rebel spokesman Eduard Basurin confirmed the withdrawal agreement had been signed on Saturday night.

"Starting from today there are two weeks to withdraw heavy weapons," he said. He was quoted by Russian media as saying the actual pullout would begin on Tuesday as Monday was a public holiday (Defender of the Fatherland Day).

The agreement was reportedly signed by Luhansk rebel leader Igor Plotnitsky and by Donetsk rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko, the latter from his hospital bed, after he was wounded in the ankle during the recent fighting at Debaltseve.

Russia's Lt-Gen Alexander Lentsov, who sits on the Joint Centre for Control and Co-operation monitoring the ceasefire, said the withdrawal would begin on Sunday, but the Ukrainian signatory, Maj Gen Oleksandr Rozmaznin, told AFP news agency that it was too early to say when it would start.

Under the Minsk agreement, government forces are meant to withdraw heavy weapons from the current frontline while the rebels are to withdraw theirs from the line as it stood in September 2014.

Weapons are to be pulled back equal distances on both sides - up to 140km (87 miles) depending on the nature of the weapon.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe told BBC News it stood ready to monitor the withdrawal but needed the sides to provide details of weapon locations, withdrawal routes and eventual storage areas.

Ukrainian government and rebel forces have accused each other of multiple breaches of the truce since it came into force on 14 February.

There were reports of shelling near Donetsk airport on Sunday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington was considering "serious sanctions" against Russia following breaches of the truce, and that a decision would be made in the coming days.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said sanctions would not help solve Ukraine's crisis.

The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels in eastern Ukraine with heavy weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation.

Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers".

Meanwhile, thousands of Ukrainians - as well as a number of European leaders - are taking part in a "dignity march" in the capital Kiev, remembering the victims of sniper fire during protests last February.

Minsk agreement: Key points

• Ceasefire from 00:01 on 15 February (22:01 GMT 14 February)
• Heavy weapons to be withdrawn within two weeks
• All prisoners to be released; amnesty for fighters
• Withdrawal of all foreign troops and weapons from Ukrainian territory, disarmament of all illegal groups
• Lifting of government restrictions on rebel-held areas
• Constitutional reform to enable decentralisation for rebel regions by the end of 2015
• Ukraine to control border with Russia if conditions met by the end of 2015

Are you in Eastern Ukraine? Are you affected by the recent violence? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would be willing to speak further with a BBC journalist please include a contact telephone number.

Have your say

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Fans identified after Chelsea appeal

22 February 2015 Last updated at 12:11

Three men being sought in connection with an incident of alleged racism by Chelsea fans on the Paris Metro have been identified, Met Police have said.

Images of three men - captured on CCTV ahead of the club's 1-1 draw with Paris St-Germain - were released on Friday.

Met Police officers said they launched the appeal in support of French police.

Chelsea FC has barred five fans from attending Stamford Bridge following the release of a video showing a black man being pushed from a Paris train.

Amateur video shot at Paris' Richelieu-Drouot station showed a man being pushed from the Metro train while a group chanted: "We're racist, we're racist and that's the way we like it."

The alleged victim has since been identified as a 33-year-old man known only as Souleymane S.

Chelsea has said it will ban the five suspended fans from attending Stamford Bridge for life if there is sufficient evidence of their involvement.

A club spokesman said they were writing to Souleymane to "apologise unreservedly" and invite him to attend a game as their guest.

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Greece agrees deal with eurozone

21 February 2015 Last updated at 00:53

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Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis: ''We genuinely and faithfully targeted one objective, and that was the interests of the average European''

Greece and eurozone nations have agreed a deal to extend financial aid after bailout talks in Brussels.

Eurozone finance ministers reached an agreement to extend Greece's financial rescue programme by four months.

Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Eurogroup, said that Athens had pledged to honour all its debts.

"This is a very positive outcome," he told a news conference on Friday night.

"I think tonight was a first step in this process of rebuilding trust. As you know trust leaves quicker than it comes. Tonight was a very important, I think, step in that process," Mr Dijsselbloem said.

In return for the extension, Greece has agreed to present an initial list of reform measures by Monday, he added.

Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, said he would work night and day between now and Monday to devise the new list.

Eurozone officials will then review the reforms and see if they go far enough to appease creditors.

If finance chiefs are left unsatisfied, there is still a chance the deal will be scrapped.

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Mr Dijsselbloem described the talks as "intense"

Mr Varoufakis added that Greece had not used threats or bluff during the talks: "The four-month period will be a time to rebuild new relations with Europe and the IMF."

However, he said the deal would be "dead" if the list of Greek reforms was not agreed, reported the AFP news agency.

Friday's extension was sealed just days before Greece's bailout programme ends.

The BBC's chief business correspondent Linda Yueh says the Greeks have won some flexibility, but their reforms must be made within set fiscal parameters.

Analysis: Robert Peston, BBC economics editor

Greece and Germany have stepped back from the brink. And for now Greece remains in the eurozone.

But there will be months of fraught negotiations before it will be clear whether the economy and finances of this recession-battered nation have been put back on a stable footing.

In fact, what was agreed on Friday night guarantees there will be no fresh crisis - no fears of Greece quitting the eurozone - for a full two days.

Because by Monday night, the Syriza government has to submit a preliminary list of proposed economic reforms - which will form the basis of negotiations till the end of April on a new financial settlement for the country.

Saved from disaster - for two days

'Turned a page'

A Greek government official said Athens now had time to negotiate a "new deal".

"Greece has turned a page," the official said. "We have avoided recessionary measures."

Greece had been seeking a six-month extension of the bailout but the Eurogroup opted for four months.

The agreement removes the immediate risk of Greece running out of money next month.

Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, said: "We are pleased that work can actually begin."

She was involved in Friday afternoon talks between Mr Varoufakis and Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German finance minister, that helped pave the way for the deal.

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Greece bailout talks explained - in 60 seconds

The agreement helped send Wall Street to new record highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending up 154 points, or 0.9%, at 18,140.44 points, while the broader S&P 500 added 0.6% to 2,110.3 points.

The euro gained against the US dollar on Friday following the announcement, adding 0.3% to $1.1403.

Sebastien Galy, a foreign exchange analyst at Societe Generale, said: "It certainly looks like we're moving away from disaster. It should help a stress that has been building up in the market to be released."

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Fire rips through Dubai skyscraper

21 February 2015 Last updated at 07:57

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Kathryn Dickie, 13th floor resident: "People left in a panic". Footage courtesy Jaime Muller

A fire has swept through the Torch skyscraper in Dubai, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world.

Strong winds helped the blaze to spread across the 336.1m (1,105ft) high building in the marina district.

One eyewitness told the BBC "there was debris flying everywhere, falling into neighbouring buildings". The fire was later extinguished.

It is not known what caused the blaze. Hundreds of people were evacuated and there are no reports of any casualties.

'Very scared'

Footage posted on social media showed what looked like molten glass and pieces of masonry falling to the ground.

"In an hour-and-a-half the fire is almost out on about 60 floors, it looks like mostly the outer apartments that are damaged," eyewitness Rola told the BBC.

She said it looked like the blaze had started on the 50th floor.

"It's an iconic building, people were out on balconies all around it watching - even though it was 3am [23:00 GMT Saturday]," she said.

The Torch Skyscraper, Dubai

• The 79-storey skyscraper opened in 2011
• Was the world's tallest residential building at its opening, but has since been surpassed by six others
• Is thought to be the 32nd tallest building in the world, according to the Skyscraper Centre
• It has 676 apartments. A two-bedroom flat starts at more than $500,000 (£325,000)
• Residents have access to an eight-storey garage and a swimming pool overlooking Dubai's waterfront

"The civil defence came really quickly and they have said there were no casualties, everybody was told to evacuate in a timely manner and we think everybody is OK."

One of the tower's residents, Kathryn Dickie, said she had seen panels from the building tumble to the ground.

"Those panels were catching fire and then coming off the building and being picked up by the wind," she said.

"And I was watching them, they were falling down on to the street still in flames, they weren't going out and they were actually knocking into the buildings across the road."

US resident RJ Morlock told the Associated Press news agency: "I was really surprised they got it under control pretty quickly. It looked like it was going to go up."

In 2012, a fire swept through Dubai's 34-storey Tamweel Tower.

No-one was injured in that incident but hundreds of residents were left homeless after the blaze, started reportedly by a cigarette butt.

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Chelsea fans in London racism probe

21 February 2015 Last updated at 09:05

Police are investigating racist chanting at St Pancras station by men thought to be Chelsea fans returning from a Champions League match in Paris.

It comes after an incident of alleged racism by Chelsea supporters on the Paris Metro, when footage showed a black man being pushed from a train.

The chanting in London happened on Wednesday evening, the day after the club's 1-1 draw with Paris St-Germain.

British Transport Police say anyone with information should contact them.

Chelsea has already barred five fans from attending Stamford Bridge following the earlier incident.

It took place at Richelieu-Drouot station in the centre of the French capital on Tuesday ahead of the club's 1-1 draw with Paris St-Germain.

Manager Jose Mourinho has said he was "ashamed" by the alleged racism.

The Metropolitan Police has released CCTV images of three men they are looking for in connection with Tuesday's incident.

Superintendent Gill Murray of the BTP said of the new allegations: "The racist chanting was reported by a member of the public who was disgusted by the behaviour of the men who had travelled on the 18:40 service from Paris Gare du Nord.

"The men shouted as they walked through the station having alighted from the train a short time earlier.

"If you travelled on the train from Paris or were at the station and have information which can assist our investigation I would urge you to get in touch as a matter of urgency."

She said more needed to be done to "publicly condemn" such behaviour, adding that BTP is working with football clubs to tackle the issue.

"It's clear that unfortunately there is still a minority who think it is acceptable to behave in such an abhorrent manner," added Supt Murray.

'Humiliation'

The alleged victim of the Metro incident, who has since been identified as 33-year-old Souleymane S, said the fans "should be locked up".

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Drive on Friday he said: "I felt truly wounded to the bottom of my heart that I really couldn't believe it.

"We're in 2015, aren't we, and we're in France. We're in a civilised country and when you are in a civilised country there are certain things you can't do.

"For me, it's a humiliation. I was humiliated in my country. I was humiliated in front of my family, humiliated in front of my mother and father."

A group of people can be heard singing "we're racist, we're racist and that's the way we like it" in an amateur video taken at the Paris Metro.

Chelsea has said it will ban the five suspended fans from attending Stamford Bridge for life if there is sufficient evidence of their involvement in that incident.

A club spokesman said they were writing to Souleymane to "apologise unreservedly" and invite him to attend a game as their guest.

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Fears grow for 'Syria-bound' girls

21 February 2015 Last updated at 11:06

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CCTV captured the girls passing through security at Gatwick Airport, as Daniel Sandford reports

Fears are growing for the safety of three east London schoolgirls who police believe are trying to cross the Turkish-Syrian border to join Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16 and their unnamed 15-year-old friend flew from Gatwick to Turkey on Tuesday.

Police have issued an urgent appeal for help in finding them, suggesting they are "extremely vulnerable".

The trio are friends with a fourth girl who travelled to Syria in December.

Muslim leaders have said they are "extremely concerned" for the girls, who attend attend Bethnal Green Academy.

'Serious ramifications'

Worshippers at the East London Mosque were asked during Friday night prayers to come forward if they had any information to help the girls return home safely.

Mosque spokesman Salman Farsi said the trio, who have been described as "straight-A students", had been manipulated.

He said: "They have been misled. I do not know what was promised to them. It is just sad. We have not had anything like this before in our community.

"I do not know what was told to them but if they do go to Syria, it is a war zone and there are serious ramifications for going in to a war zone."

Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, said there was "deep concern" and shock in the close-knit community.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the possibility they were heading to Syria, she said: "We all of us hope that's not the case, but they left home without informing their families, left the country, which is extremely out of character so these are our worst fears."

She said advice and support was needed for schools and teachers concerned about any of their pupils.

"This is like grooming, this is child exploitation, and in the worst-case scenario they are potentially being used as weapons of war in those countries," the MP added.

'Grave danger'

Her concerns were echoed by Prime Minister David Cameron, who said the "fight against Islamist extremist terror is not just one that we can wage by the police and border control".

"It needs every school, every university, every college, every community to recognise they have a role to play.

"We all have a role to play in stopping people from having their minds poisoned by this appalling death cult."

Mussurut Zia, general secretary of the Muslim Women's Network, said the missing girls would not know what lay in store.

She told BBC Breakfast: "I don't think for one instant that these people, Isis [Islamic State] and their likes, are going to treat these girls in the right way.

"They won't have rights, they won't be equal to their male counterparts and I don't think that they know this at the moment and they're going to be in for a real shock."

She called for more training for airport staff to ask questions of those flying to border countries such as Turkey and raised the possibility of parental consent to be given when teenagers were travelling abroad alone.

Metropolitan Police Commander Richard Walton said he believed the girls would be "in grave danger" if they made it to Syria.

He said he hoped they would "hear our concerns for their safety and have the courage to return now, back to their families who are so worried about them".

Police hope the girls may still be in Turkey, as severe winter weather is currently affecting transport links in the country.

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Cmdr Richard Walton: "The girls will be in grave danger in Syria"

The three girls were last seen on Tuesday morning, when they told their parents they were going out for the day, police said.

CCTV at Gatwick airport captured the girls as they passed through security, before boarding a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.

Shamima is possibly travelling under the name of her 17-year-old sister Aklima Begum, police said.

The third girl is not being named at the request of her family.

Abdul Samid, a parent governor at Bethnal Green Academy, said there was "absolutely not" any radicalisation at the school.

"I'm 100% confident - with the head and the senior leadership team and the whole school - that we've done everything to put in measures that safeguard all the children that attend the school," he said.

He said he did not believe the girls were trying to get to Syria.

"I still don't believe that they are going anywhere other than a holiday - because this is how they were dressed and this is how they looked and this is how they packed," he added.

Police have issued a description of the three girls:

• Kadiza Sultana is 5ft 6in and slim build. She was wearing black-rimmed glasses, a long black jacket with a hood, a grey striped scarf, a grey jumper and dark red trousers and was carrying a black holdall. She speaks English with a London accent and Bengali
• Shamima Begum is 5ft 7in. She was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black hijab, a light brown and black leopard-print scarf, a dark red jumper, black trousers and a jacket, and was carrying a dark blue holdall with white straps. She speaks English with a London accent and Bengali
• The 15-year-old unnamed girl is 5ft 6in and slim build. She was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black headscarf, a long dark green jacket with a fur-lined hood, a light yellow long-sleeved top, black trousers and white trainers, and was carrying a black Nike holdall. She speaks English and Amharic

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The idea of 15-year-old British schoolgirls setting off to Syria is very disturbing, and shows that more action is urgently needed to stop young people being drawn into extremism and conflict, and to help families and communities who are trying to counteract extremist recruitment messages."

It is thought more than 50 British women have travelled to Syria via Turkey to join IS to become so-called "jihadi brides".

Those with information can call the free Anti-Terrorist Hotline number on 0800 789 321.

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Russians rally against Kiev 'coup'

21 February 2015 Last updated at 11:46

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Footage shows hundreds of people marching in Moscow, with banners bearing the slogan We Won't Forget!, referring to Ukraine's uprising

A rally is under way in Moscow to condemn the "coup" in neighbouring Ukraine, a year after the downfall of its pro-Russian president.

Russian state media heavily promoted the rally and march with the slogan "We won't forget! We won't forgive!".

Ukraine's protests ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Russia has since annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and is accused of backing rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels in eastern Ukraine with heavy weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation. Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers".

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The BBC's Paul Adams reports from inside Debaltseve, a town in "total shock"

Nearly 5,700 people have died since the fighting erupted last April and some 1.5 million people have fled their homes, according to the UN.

Shelling could be heard on Saturday morning in the city of Donetsk, the rebels' main stronghold, further fraying the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine agreed in Minsk earlier this month.

Meanwhile the rebels have announced that a prisoner exchange will take place on Saturday in the Luhansk region - another of the key points of the ceasefire plan.

One rebel official quoted by Russian media said between 35 and 39 Ukrainian soldiers, including officers, would be handed over in exchange for 37 men held by the Ukrainian government.

'Anti-Maidan'

The Moscow event is styled as an "anti-Maidan" march - a reference to Ukraine's pro-EU protests that started on Kiev's central Independence Square, widely known as the Maidan.

Groups of demonstrators gathered in central Moscow on Saturday under patriotic Russian banners.

One group of marchers in military fatigues could be seen with a placard which read "Maidan is an illness - we're going to cure it!"

Another placard read "Maidan benefits the enemies of Russia!"

At least 10,000 people are expected to turn out with more than 100 public organisations mustering support, Russia's NTV news channel reports.

The channel says it will air an interview with Mr Yanukovych later in the day.

The anti-Yanukovych revolt was triggered by a sudden U-turn that ditched a wide-ranging pact with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Since Mr Yanukovych fled Kiev, the new authorities in Ukraine have issued an arrest warrant for him over the "mass murder of peaceful citizens".

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Friday of direct involvement in the sniper fire that killed dozens of protesters in Kiev on 18-20 February last year.

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What happened in the Maidan?

Speaking at a commemorative gathering in Kiev, he said Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov had organised "groups of foreign snipers". The president cited information he had received from Ukraine's security services.

The Russian foreign ministry hit back at the claim, calling it "nonsense".

Rebel advance

Mr Poroshenko was speaking just two days after his army retreated from the key town of Debaltseve, now in rebel hands.

The rebels took the strategic transport hub, despite the ceasefire signed on 12 February, arguing that the truce did not apply to the flash-point town.

An intense rebel bombardment forced some 2,500 government troops to retreat from Debaltseve, and dozens of others surrendered.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a tough statement on Friday warning that he would not allow any foreign state to gain the military advantage over Russia.

"No-one should have the illusion that they can gain military superiority over Russia, put any kind of pressure on it," he said.

A day earlier, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon had warned of a "real and present danger" of the Kremlin trying to destabilise the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

All three former Soviet republics are members of the EU and Nato, unlike Ukraine.

Are you attending the rally in Moscow? Are you in Ukraine and affected by the recent unrest? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would be happy to speak to a BBC journalist please include a contact telephone number.

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