Maharashtra bans Beef

The Indian president has approved a bill which bans the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef in the western state of Maharashtra.

Anyone found breaking the law will face a fine and up to five years in prison. Hindus, who comprise 80% of India's 1.2 bn population, revere cows and the sale and consumption of beef is banned or restricted in many states.

Correspondents say most beef sold in India is actually from water buffaloes which are not considered sacred at all. But in Maharashtra, buffalo meat, generally seen to be of inferior quality, makes up only 25% of the market and the ban is likely to be felt more keenly there.

The state includes India's commercial capital and biggest city Mumbai. The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill took 19 years to become law - it was first passed by the state's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government in 1995 and was sent to the president for approval in January 1996.

Beef is more popular with the poor in India as it is typically cheaper than other meats such as chicken or mutton. But because of religious sentiments and bans in various states, most of India's beef is exported - with a 20% share of the global market and exports worth more than $4bn (£2.6bn) a year, it is now the country's top agricultural export, beating the more famous basmati rice.

Buffalo meat, however, accounts for 80% of the exports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has in the past complained about India's "pink revolution" of rising meat exports, and expressed hope of bringing in a national ban on cow slaughter.

Lib Dems to unveil Election Pledge

The Liberal Democrat's manifesto will include a pledge to hand drugs policy from the Home Office to the Department of Health, Nick Clegg is to say. His party would also shift resources away from prosecuting drug-users.

Mr Clegg's comments are expected at a joint appearance with Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, who has long called for reforms to the drug laws. The two men said the UK seemed "oblivious" to the "tectonic shift" in the West on drugs policy.

The Lib Dems have long argued for changes to Britain's drug laws. At his party conference in October, Mr Clegg described the current approach as "idiotic". The deputy prime minister will renew his attack in a speech in London alongside Sir Richard. He will pledge to end the "nonsense" of jailing people for possessing small amount of drugs for their personal use, and say young people should not be penalised in later life because of a criminal record.

Nemtsov murder: Russian society polarised

Thousands of Russians have bid farewell to murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov as his funeral took place in the capital Moscow. They queued patiently to view his coffin before it began its solemn journey to a city cemetery.

Several EU politicians and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were barred from attending the funeral. Hours later, Mr Navalny accused the Russian authorities of responsibility for the murder. In a statement (in Russian) from jail, where he is serving a 15-day sentence, he said: "I believe that Nemtsov was murdered by members of a government (special services) or pro-government organisation on the order of the country's political leadership (including Vladimir Putin)."

The question, he said, was whether the order had been given to kill Nemtsov or "stage an action that would have a high impact". Alternatively, he alleged that Nemtsov had been killed on the order of officials in Yaroslavl region, where he had been investigating corruption.

No arrests have been made and no motive has been established for the crime.

Obama trashes Bibi speech

US President Barack Obama has reacted scathingly to a speech by the Israeli prime minister that castigated his policy towards Iran.

 In a speech to the US Congress, Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a deal under discussion on Iran's nuclear programme could "pave Iran's path to the bomb" rather than block it. But Mr Obama said Mr Netanyahu had offered no viable alternative. Other senior Democrats - and Iran - also criticised Mr Netanyahu.

The Israeli leader's visit was controversial from the start, because the Republican speaker invited him without consulting the White House. The US president announced he would not meet Mr Netanyahu, who is fighting in a closely contested national election in just two weeks' time.