Colombia has suffered decades of civil conflict and has long been a major producer and exporter of illegal drugs such as cocaine.

Former President Alvaro Uribe, in office from 2006 to 2010, pursued a hard-line stance against left-wing guerrillas while making tentative peace overtures.
His successor, Juan Manuel Santos, took office in 2010 vowing to seek an end to the conflict. In October 2012, the government and the biggest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), launched peace talks.
Why has Colombia long suffered high levels of violence?
Colombia, in common with many Latin American nations, evolved as a highly segregated society, split between the traditionally rich families of Spanish descent and the vast majority of poor Colombians, many of whom are of mixed race.
This group provided a natural constituency for left-wing insurgents - with two main groups, the Farc and the ELN (National Liberation Army).
At the other end of the political spectrum were right-wing paramilitaries, with roots in vigilante groups set up decades ago by landowners for protection against rebels. The main group was the AUC - the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, which officially at least has demobilised.
In a country where the presence of the state has always been weak, the result was a grinding war on multiple fronts, with the civilian population caught in the crossfire and often deliberately targeted for "collaborating".
Human rights advocates blamed paramilitaries for massacres, "disappearances", and cases of torture and forced displacement. Rebel groups are behind assassinations, kidnapping and extortion.
What is the situation today?
The Farc, the country's largest rebel group, and the government are holding peace talks in the Cuban capital, Havana. After six months of talks, they reached agreement on land reform, one of six major issues on their agenda. Negotiations continue, but President Juan Manuel Santos has set a deadline of November 2013 for significant agreement to be reached.
The rebels, although much weakened, are still active. The Farc had called a unilateral two-month ceasefire when talks began in November as a sign of good will. But with the government refusing to cease military operations, the rebels restarted their attacks on military and civilian targets in January. The government insists that there will only be a ceasefire when a peace agreement is signed.
Another factor has been the emergence of what the government calls Bacrims, namely criminal bands, which are involved in drug-trafficking and extortion. These  groups emerged after the demobilisation of the AUC paramilitaries in 2006.
The cocaine trade has been the main motor of the armed conflict, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the illegal armed groups.
Who suffers?
It is difficult to find reliable statistics on the toll from the violence in Colombia. What is clear is that the scale of the suffering has been huge.
Especially at risk are those with high-profile roles in the community - including social leaders, political activists, human rights campaigners and trade unionists. Many indigenous communities have also suffered attacks.
Violent crime and kidnappings have, however, decreased in recent years. In May 2008, the government announced that kidnaps were at a 20-year low. Figures showed that from a high in 2000, when more than 3,500 people were seized, in 2007 just under 400 people were kidnapped. Of these, some 179 were freed.
But the fate of those taken hostage by rebels or seized by common criminals continues to resonate in Colombian society.
Over the decades, some three million people have been internally displaced by the fighting.
The UN says that many displaced people often end up living in shanty towns around the cities, where they have little access to health or educational services.
What are the prospects for peace?
There have been many attempts at negotiations over the course of the conflict, but to date these have always faltered.
The tough security policy pursued by former president Uribe and Mr Santos, then his defence minister, inflicted significant blows on the rebels. Several rebel leaders died and there has been a high number of desertions from guerrilla ranks.
However, the rebels do still operate across large rural areas, where the presence of the state is weak.
The latest round of peace talks has been described as more realistic than previous attempts. The talks between the Farc and government representatives centre on five key issues: rural development; guarantees for the exercise of political opposition and citizen participation; the end of armed conflict; drug trafficking; and the rights of the victims of the conflict.
So far, they have reached agreement on the first of the six issues: land reform. However, with negotiations taking more than half a year to reach a deal on one point, it is difficult to see how the two parties can stick to their original schedule unless they considerably speed up the pace.
Even if the government signs a peace deal with the Farc, it will still have to deal with Colombia's second largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The ELN, has expressed interest in entering peace negotiations but President Santos said he wanted to see "actions rather than words" and demanded the 3,000-strong rebel force release the hostages it still holds, including a Canadian citizen.
What about paramilitary fighters?
Since 2003, some 31,000 paramilitaries handed in their weapons under a peace deal.
A controversial justice and peace law passed in 2005 meant that paramilitary fighters were eligible for reduced jail terms - of no more than eight years - if they gave details of their involvement in torture, killings and other crimes.
Critics argued that paramilitaries guilty of serious human rights violations could end up serving only token jail terms.
The government points to figures which it says show a decreasing level of violence as evidence that its strategy is working.
The extent of the paramilitaries' influence over and involvement in local, regional and national politics came to the fore in 2007. In a scandal dubbed the "parapolitics", a dozen members of congress were jailed and dozens more politicians investigated for links to the AUC.
Why is the US involved in Colombia?
More than 90% of all cocaine on American streets comes from Colombia, so the US administration is keen to tackle the supply at source.
Since 2000, Washington has spent several billion dollars on training and  equipping Colombian forces, and providing intelligence to help tackle drug traffickers and eliminate coca crops.
Human rights groups say the line between the war on drugs and the war on rebels has been increasingly blurred.
They say Colombia's rebels have been disproportionately targeted in Plan Colombia, though it is the paramilitaries who have been most involved in drug-trafficking.
The US and Colombia signed a controversial deal in October 2009 to allow the US military use of several Colombian airbases.
The two countries said this was to counter drug-trafficking and terrorism. But some of Colombia's neighbours expressed concern at what they saw as an increased US military presence in South America.


France, Greece and Italy have been the "targets" of US spying operations, according to the latest files leaked to Britain's Guardian newspaper.

Citing a document by the National Security Agency, it says America's non-European allies were also targeted.
The claim follows a report by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine saying EU offices had been bugged. EU leaders have demanded an explanation from the US.
Fugitive ex-CIA analyst Edward Snowden is said to have leaked the documents.
Mr Snowden - a former contractor for the CIA and the NSA - has since requested asylum from Ecuador. He is currently in Russia, marooned at Moscow's airport after US authorities cancelled his passport.
In response to the allegations in Der Spiegel, senior EU officials, France and Germany have warned that relations with America could suffer.
The NSA said the US government would respond through diplomatic channels and discussions with the countries involved.
According to a 2010 secret document leaked to the Guardian, all in all 38 embassies and missions were described by the NSA as "targets".
The paper says the file provides details of "an extraordinary range" of spying methods, including bugs implanted in electronic communications gear, taps into cable and the usage of specialised antennae.
The report mentions codenames of alleged operations against the French and Greek missions to the UN, as well as the Italian embassy in Washington.
The paper adds that the list of targets also includes "a number of other American allies, including Japan, Mexico, South Korea, India and Turkey".
The Guardian also cites another leaked report from 2007, which said a bug was placed in an encrypted fax machine at the EU mission in Washington.
According to the document cited by Der Spiegel - which it says also comes from the NSA - the agency spied on EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the 27-member bloc's UN office in New York.
On Sunday French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that if confirmed, the activities would be "totally unacceptable".
German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said the alleged US behaviour "recalls the methods used by enemies during the Cold War".
The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, warned that any such spying could have a "severe impact" on ties between the EU and the US.
The European Commission, which plays a key role in trade talks, has officially asked Washington to investigate the allegations.


Unable to see the world around him, Amit Patel fitted his guide dog with a camera and set about recording evidence of the discrimination he faced but could not see.

"The city is a scary place. It's like someone put you in the middle of Trafalgar Square, turned you in a circle and said 'find your way home'."
That is Amit Patel's new reality after he lost his sight unexpectedly in 2012, six months after he got married.
He now relies on guide dog Kika to get him around the once familiar streets of London.
But the footage captured by his canine guide hasn't always shown a city willing to help him.
"The video came out of necessity," Patel says. "Kika was getting hit by peoples' bags and she was getting a lot of abuse. A woman stopped me one day and had a go at me for holding everyone up and said I should apologise, which was a real shock."
The former doctor found a solution - attach a GoPro to Kika's harness and film every journey. Patel's wife, Seema, can then review the footage if it is felt there was something amiss about that day.
And when alterations were made to a London train station the camera came into its own.
"I asked for help and no one came," Patel recounts. "The video shows lots of staff standing around me and this one guy looking over many times.
"Eventually when the staff member actually came to me the first thing he said was 'sorry I didn't see you' and that really bugged me. He wouldn't say that to someone who wasn't visually impaired.
"It really makes me angry. It's the fact that someone is fobbing me off."
The footage was sent to Network Rail giving Patel the "valuable evidence" needed to lodge a formal complaint about an incident he couldn't see.
"It made me feel vulnerable but having the footage was a godsend," he says.
"Having the camera, having the voice, having the actual scenario played out in real time it actually gives me something to go back to the company and say 'this is what happened to me and it needs to be sorted'."
The video had an impact and Network Rail investigated before giving further training to its staff.
"While in this instance the event and associated disruption was not organised by or held at the station itself, we do recognise that the station can be a complicated place to navigate," a spokesman says.
"That is why we have hired many extra staff to look after passengers."
For newly blind Patel, standing alone for several minutes can feel like hours.
"One of the things I noticed with losing my sight is how lonely it is. If I'm travelling by public transport I will be the scared little boy sat in the corner. You can't listen to music because you're listening out for dangers or to station announcements."
Patel says it is only since he lost his sight that he has become aware of the discrimination visually impaired people can face.
Patel learned he had keratoconus - a condition which changes the shape of the cornea - in the final year of medical school.
Lenses to push the corneas back into shape stopped working and six cornea transplants were rejected by his body until he was told "no more".
It was a series of burst blood vessels which caused the unexpected loss of sight within 48 hours.
Patel says: "I woke up every morning thinking I'd get my sight back. For about six months I was quite shut off, depressed and I would go to the bathroom and have a cry.
"The one thing that stayed in my mind was that I would never see my loved ones. It was holding on to the last memories I had."
"There are taxi drivers who will see you and won't stop. You phone the company and they say they didn't see you, but you look at the footage and see them having looked at you and driving right past."
Other incidents he says highlight a lack of thought  - especially on London's Underground.
"People assume, because I have a guide dog, I can walk around them but they make us walk near the tracks or I can say to Kika 'find me a seat' and I'll put my hand down on one and someone will sit on it and refuse to get up."
The loss of his sight led Patel to change his life dramatically. The former University College Hospital doctor moved to New Eltham in south London so his wife didn't have to travel so far for work and wouldn't spend so much time away from him.
Patel says he had assumed, as a doctor, he would know where to get support, but he found that wasn't the case and he became frustrated at the simple mistakes he made - miscalculations led to stair falls and fingers were burnt from trying to find out how full his coffee cup was.
Beyond the major life changes there were more subtle experiences too.
"Your balance goes awry. I felt like I walked on a cloud sometimes, and if I find a pair of shoes I'll buy three pairs because a change in grip makes a real difference.
"My hearing's increased and my sense of smell, and the way I touch things."
There have also been more unexpected side effects.
"I have small pixels of light coming into my eyes and my brain interprets that as images. It'll put four pixels together and build a photo -  so you may be sitting on the couch while thinking a car's coming towards you."
Patel now supports people who have lost their sight unexpectedly and gives talks to community organisations using the GoPro footage to demonstrate what Kika sees.
Despite all the challenges he has faced, including coming to terms with never seeing his baby son, Patel has accepted his new world.
"My life at the moment is so much more vivid, it's more colourful than it was when I had sight.
"It still fills me with dread leaving the house, because I have no control and am completely reliant on Kika, but we're out all of the time - any excuse."
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter


The Islamist-dominated assembly writing a new Egyptian constitution has adopted the first part of the draft, including a measure keeping sharia, or Islamic law, as the main source of legislation.

Voting began after the constitutional court said it would rule on Sunday whether to dissolve the assembly.
Egypt's judiciary is in a stand-off with President Mohammed Morsi after he granted himself sweeping new powers.
Mr Morsi said his decree should only apply for as short a time as possible.
In an interview on state TV, Mr Morsi said: "The declaration is to manage the situation in a transitional period, which is critical for all of us.
"It stipulates the period will come to an end as soon as people vote on the new constitution."
Once adopted by the constituent assembly, the draft must be ratified by the president and then put to a referendum.
Liberal, left-wing and Christian members have boycotted the assembly, accusing the Islamists of trying to impose their vision.
The opponents of the draft have voiced concern that some clauses - such as the importance of promoting families values - could be used to restrict freedom of speech.
They also do not like the fact that there is no specific article establishing equality between men and women.
Voting on the draft is continuing.
According to Egyptian state TV, the articles so far passed stipulate the Islam is the religion of the state, and the principles of sharia are the "main source of legislation".
This is unchanged from the previous constitution under Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled as president last year.
Salafists and some members of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood failed to have "principles" replaced by "rules".
The draft also says that Christianity and Judaism will be the "main source of legislation" for Egyptian Christians and Jews, state TV reported.
The assembly also adopted a new article that al-Azhar mosque and university, authorities on Sunni Muslim jurisprudence, must be consulted on "matters related to sharia".
The president will be limited to two four-year terms of office.
Officials at the assembly said on Wednesday they were finishing the draft constitution, even though Mr Morsi recently extended its deadline until February.
"May God bless us on this day," assembly speaker Hossam el-Gheriyani said at the start of Thursday's session.
The assembly is voting on each of 234 articles in the draft constitution. It will then be sent to Mr Morsi for approval. After that, he must put it to a popular referendum.
The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo, says issuing a constitution in these circumstances would be a deeply inflammatory move.
Opposition figure and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa told Reuters news agency: "This is nonsensical and one of the steps that shouldn't be taken, given the background of anger and resentment to the current constitutional assembly."
Egypt's state-run news agency Mena said on Thursday it had obtained details of the draft constitution.
Mena said it included a clause on press freedom, and stated that only courts could suspend or close newspapers.
The assembly also aimed to set up a national security council led by the president and consisting of key officials such as the prime minister, defence minister and intelligence chief, Mena said.
Egypt state TV struggles to shake off old habits
Egyptians on presidential powers
Thursday's vote appeared to be aimed at dodging a ruling by the constitutional court on Sunday on whether the assembly should be dissolved.
The constitutional court's deputy chairman, Maher Sami, said in a televised speech that the ruling would go ahead.
"The court is determined to rise above its pain and continue its sacred mission until the end, wherever that takes us," he said.
The court has already dissolved the lower house of Egypt's parliament, which was led by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The declaration that sparked protests gave Mr Morsi powers to take any measures to protect the revolution, and stated that no court could overturn his decisions. It is valid until a new constitution is in place.
Critics accuse Mr Morsi of trying to seize absolute power.
Supporters say the extra powers were needed to protect the gains of the revolution against a judiciary with deep ties to the overthrown President Mubarak.
On Wednesday, Mr Morsi told Time magazine that he would surrender his new powers once a new constitution was in place.
"If we had a constitution, then all of what I have said or done last week will stop," he said.
"I hope, when we have a constitution, what I have issued will stop immediately."
On Monday, Mr Morsi told senior judges that the decrees would be restricted to "sovereign matters" designed to protect institutions.
But judges said they were not satisfied and wanted the declaration completely withdrawn.
On Wednesday, judges called a strike, saying appeals courts and the court of cassation would halt work until it was revoked.
There have been running protests since the decrees were issued, often spilling over into violent clashes between protesters and riot police.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the more radical al-Nour party have called for a counter-protest in Cairo on Saturday.


Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has recreated the image of drowned Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi that provoked fierce debate last year about the plight of refugees.

Kurdi's body washed up in Turkey after the boat carrying his family capsized.
The photograph of Ai Wewei recreating the boy's lifeless pose was taken on the Greek island of Lesbos, where the artist has set up a studio.
It is for an exhibition at the India Art Fair, the Washington Post reports.
The black and white image, taken by Rohit Chawla, shows the artist lying on pebbles on the beach, with his palms upturned in the same manner as Kurdi.
Ai and his team "actively helped in staging this photograph for us," Mr Chawla, told the Post. "I am sure it wasn't very comfortable to lie down on the pebbles like that. But the soft evening light fell on his face when he lay down," he said.
As well as being exhibited at the India Art Fair, the image will appear alongside an interview with the artist in India Today.
The image has divided opinion on Twitter, with many praising it as as "powerful" but some suggesting it was a "weird" move from the artist.
Earlier this month, Mr Ai opened a studio on Lesbos, saying he wants to raise consciousness about the plight of refugees through art.
The studio, staffed by his students from China and Germany, will produce several projects with themes related to the refugee crisis.
The island is one of the main arrival points for migrants and refugees hoping to enter the EU.
Mr Ai last week announced that he has closed his exhibition in Denmark in protest at the country's plans to confiscate asylum seekers' valuables to pay for their upkeep.
The Danish parliament voted for a bill allowing authorities to seize valuables worth more than 10,000 kroner (1,340 euros; £1,000) from refugees to cover housing and food costs.


The pound's recent devaluation after June's Brexit vote has already led to some price rises, and model railways are one business feeling the effects.

Early in October, the leading manufacturer Hornby told retailers that wholesale prices for many of its trains would rise by an average of 10%.
The company has been making its models in China for more than 20 years.
"We have put prices up, but it's the first time in two and a half years," said a Hornby spokesman.
Thanks to manufacturing abroad, the firm's international trading is denominated in US dollars, so sterling's 17% devaluation against the US currency since 23 June means that UK prices must inevitably rise.
"It reflects higher input costs as we source in US dollars," the spokesman explained.
"But it's part of a package of changes to our trading terms with independent retailers, which will help them in other respects," he added.
Similarly, the small Welsh model train manufacturer Dapol has warned that the fall in the pound has affected the company "severely" and that the costs of all its imported products have risen between 10% and 20% since 23 June.
"We were hoping that the situation would stabilise and that the pound would regain some of its fallen value," said Dapol managing director Joel Bright.
"It is now clear that this is not going to be the case and perhaps a weaker pound is here for the longer term. As a consequence, we now need to recoup these increased costs from imported goods."
Another big model train manufacturer is Bachmann, now owned by a Chinese firm which makes the models in that country, and though it has not revealed its hand it will find it hard to resist the effect of the pound's devaluation.
Model trains are far more detailed and sophisticated than was once the case.
If you want your model engine to come with digital control and authentic sound effects, you can easily pay more than £300 per loco.
The hobby is especially popular in Germany, whose model firms generally export to the UK via wholesalers such as Golden Valley Hobbies in Herefordshire.
There, Fiona Mulhall says she has little control over the higher prices already being charged by manufacturers such as Busch and Kibri.
"You either put prices up or cut your margin - we have done a combination of both," she says.
"Customers are understanding [and] seem to be swallowing it for the moment".
Some smaller retailers are less confident.
Specialist continental model seller Neil Scoggins runs Scograil in Ipswich.
He points out that many customers have not yet noticed what is happening.
That is because the higher prices will only filter through next year, once newer and more expensive stock replaces older items still on the shelves.
"Model trains are not an essential item and people buy wisely and vote with their feet," he warns.
"If we sell at a model exhibition people already pick up items, say they are too expensive and put them down; we might take £500 in a day instead of £1,000 before.
"A wagon set for £80 may now sell for £105 which will be just too expensive, so I think people won't buy so much if prices go up further" he adds.
The days when every high street had a model shop are long gone, and much of the trade's sales now take place via post and the internet.
One of the biggest mail order retailers, known dismissively in some quarters as "box shifters", is Rails of Sheffield.
There, John Barber says the weakness of the pound means that sales to customers abroad are buoyant.
"The fall in the pound has been enough to tip the balance for foreign buyers, the UK for them looks very attractive, and they don't have to pay VAT either if they are from outside the EU" he says.
"We are doing a lot of overseas sales to America, Australia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland".
For better or worse, the rise in model train prices will not have any direct effect on the UK's general rate of inflation.
Toy trains are not included in the shopping basket of 800 goods and services which are sampled every month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to construct the consumer prices index.
But plenty of other imported items are expected to push up the prices index in the coming year.


The UK's competition watchdog says bank customers can save Â£70 a year by switching their current account provider.

Those who go into an overdraft on a regular basis could save as much as Â£260 a year by switching accounts.
There are 68 million active personal current accounts in the UK, but only 3% of customers switched last year.
So, what does the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) suggest to get those customers moving and, perhaps more importantly, what proposals does it rule out?
Boring, yes. A bit of a hassle, yes. But actually the process is a lot less painful than it used to be.
Customers need to choose a new bank and account. If the bank or building society is part of the current account switch guarantee (and most of them are) you choose a date for the switch to start.
The new bank will switch over the customer's balance and all direct debits and standing orders. The process should be complete within seven working days and, for the next 36 months, any payments made accidentally to the old account will be redirected automatically.
That is more difficult, almost impossible in fact, owing to the design of most current accounts in the UK retail banking sector. Customers generally do not pay an upfront charge or a subscription to have a bank account, unless it is a specific packaged account.
The idea that the account is free is actually a myth. Some interest that could be paid is foregone in order for the banks to make money from the account. There are also charges when a customer goes into the red with an overdraft.
So, whether customers are getting a good deal depends on their circumstances. Do they use the overdraft? Do they benefit from other services that come with the account? Is the interest rate any good?
All of that requires a bit of homework.
As for the banks, they love current accounts because all the data they offer about spending patterns is extremely valuable.
Small businesses, which are even more loyal to a bank that regular consumers, should have access to a price comparison website to allow them to shop around, the CMA says.
It adds that customers should be able to use personal data to get a decent deal on a bank account. The idea of the government-backed "Midata" project is that customers download data of previous transactions into a price comparison website and it crunches the numbers to suggest where they might get a better deal.
But the CMA says the scheme still has lots of shortcomings, not least that it does not work if customers are using one of the most popular smartphones in the UK - the iPhone.
Another suggestion is increased advertising of the switching guarantee.
Banks should also prompt customers to switch when customer service has deteriorated, if a bank branch closes, or overdraft charges change.
That is the view of the StepChange debt charity. It says those in financial difficulty just do not want to face "unreasonable" charges or the hassle of switching.
"Clients tell us that when they get into difficulty they do not want to switch, but to be treated better by their existing bank," says the charity's chief executive Mike O'Connor.
Meanwhile, Hannah Maundrell, of Money.co.uk, says the CMA missed a trick by not considering whether bank accounts could be switched instantly rather than a wait of seven working days.
It ruled out the nuclear decision of proposing a break-up of the big banks. It also ruled out remodelling the free banking system.
Some smaller banks have argued that statements should show how much the account costs, by showing interest foregone. Tesco Bank suggested a traffic light system marking the expense of accounts.
Following a review of nearly two years, the CMA has not suggested any major changes to statements.
Organisations such as the consumer group Which? says the CMA does not go far enough in its report.
Significantly, the CMA has not looked at the mis-selling of interest-rate hedging products which prevented many small businesses from switching banks.
The inquiry was not universally welcomed at launch by the big banks. Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group said that the review was "not appropriate" and "unnecessary". HSBC said the CMA had taken a "backward looking view" of current accounts.
The BBA, which represents the major banks, says the inquiry's recommendations built on work already being done, but called for a level playing field for established banks and newcomers.
Some of the smaller players are still very keen to highlight the dominance of the big four banking groups - Lloyds, RBS, Barclays and HSBC.
The retail banking industry is no stranger to competition reviews, such as:
All of them, in one way or another, have called for an encouragement for customers to switch.


Families of three million of Pakistan's poorest children will get cash sums if their child attends school, in a scheme announced ahead of a day of action for a schoolgirl shot by the Taliban.

Under the scheme, funded by the World Bank and UK, families would reportedly get $2 a month per child in school.
The news came as the UN held "Malala Day", in the name of  Malala Yousufzai, 15, a Pakistani education campaigner.
She is recovering in the UK after she and two others were shot in October.
Saturday has been declared a global day of action in Malala's name aimed at getting school places for 32 millions girls around the world who are not attending classes.
The Waseela-e-Taleem programme was announced in Islamabad by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and special UN envoy for global education, Gordon Brown.
"Malala's dreams represent what is best about Pakistan," said Mr Brown, the former UK prime minister.
The initiative aims to enrol three million of the poorest children in education in the next four years and, according to Reuters, will see poor families receive $2 a month per child in primary school.
In Pictures: Pakistan marks Malala Day
The cash will be distributed through the government's Benazir Income Support Programme, designed to give small cash payments to needy families.
Those in the programme already receive $10 a month for basic expenditure, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people around the world have signed an online petition calling for Malala to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The UK government has also been urged to back the campaign, with advocates saying she represents those denied an education.
Doctors in the UK city of Birmingham, where Malala is being treated, say she is making progress.
She and two other schoolgirls were attacked as they returned home from school in Mingora in the Swat Valley in north-west Pakistan on 9 October.
The gunman who boarded the van in which she was travelling asked for her by name before firing three shots at her.
In early 2009 she wrote an anonymous diary for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban, who had banned all girls in her area from attending school.


When Li Na announced her retirement from tennis last September, the two-time Grand Slam champion had banked as much as $24m (Â£16m) in the 12 months preceding her decision.

Former British Davis Cup player Jamie Baker, who'd once been ranked number two in the British game, made his decision to quit in June 2013.
However, his career earnings over nine years of competition totalled a more modest Â£360,000.
Both players had battled significant injury and fitness problems during their time on tour, but their future prospects were worlds apart.
Li Na, 32, one of the most recognised, inspirational figures - not merely in China but throughout Asia and beyond - commanded huge off-court commercial value.
In contrast, Mr Baker, 26, had achieved a career high ranking of 186 in 2012, but had nothing like the sponsorships and endorsements enjoyed by the Chinese player to show for his dedication.
So, looking for a new job took him completely out of his comfort zone, having previously given little thought to anything else except succeeding at tennis.
"I knew there would be a life [outside tennis]. But I definitely didn't know what that was going to be," he says.
We are sitting in the same London head office where he was interviewed last autumn for a role - one that he now holds - within the UK corporate division of bank Santander.
Unlike many players confronted by such a stark change in circumstances, Mr Baker had actually made moves in the months before he stopped playing.
"I knew who I was going to speak to, and how I was going to get in front of as many people as possible, to assess the options," he says of those job hunting days.
And, importantly, he sought advice from the British game's governing body - the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) - where he was introduced to its senior performance lifestyle advisor, Rachel Newnham.
She says: "Most tennis players have few qualifications. They left school early on. Education is looked on as if it's 'tennis or nothing'.
"They think they're going to stay in tennis. They think that coaching is the next thing they're going to move on to."
For Mr Baker, however, coaching was never the goal. With a brother already working as a trader in the City, he had an inkling of  another, off court, world.
But it was Ms Newnham's contact at a recruitment agency that properly set him on his way into banking.
"Part of the reason I wanted to stop [playing] was to give something else a go," he says.  "It was just a question of when."
He said he was made aware of the many different jobs in finance, not just City trading, and that such knowledge helped enable him to "give this a shot and get into the business world".
Mr Baker, now 28, has become a role model for Ms Newnham in her drive to make other UK players appreciate what is possible outside of the sport that has consumed them all their lives.
Making such a change involves a change in attitude and culture among players, says Ms Newnham.
She continues: "There is no shame in having a plan B - the smart ones have one. Usually it's the lower ranked players who are aware that they are going to have to do something else after tennis."
Ms Newnham says although players' CVs may be short of formal qualifications such as GCSEs, the skills they pick up as tennis competitors are transferable and hugely in demand in a lot of jobs.
"Motivation, leadership skills, teamwork, having the commitment, the drive, and focus are hugely thought of by employers these days," she says, referring to these attributes as "life skills that you can't teach".
These words offer encouragement to Tara Moore, 22, who's currently ranked number six in Britain. Her funding was among that cut under LTA reforms announced last December.
She's still keen to make her way in the sport she's played since she was six years old, but understands that her plans may have to change unless her fortunes improve on court.
"I'm finding ways to continue playing tennis but if you're not in the [world] top 100 or 200, you're not earning money. We're barely breaking even," she says.
"If I was to stop today then I would have nothing. I would have to start from zero. And that's incredibly tough, incredibly scary.
"But Rachel shows us that there other things besides tennis, there are so many other things we can do and skills we can use from tennis."
Ms Moore's house-mate in London is another who appreciates Newnham's expertise.
Oliver Golding, the 2011 US Open Boys' Champion, announced his retirement just before Christmas - at the age of just 21 - and has consulted her on what he might do next.
Currently he's working at his mother's tennis coaching company while working out his next move.
Around 80% of British players choose to stay in the game either coaching or working in administration.
Martin Lee is among them. Now 37, he runs his own coaching business in Buckinghamshire with another former player Paul Delgado.
Mr Lee, who reached a career best world ranking of 94, always knew he wanted to work in tennis, following his father who was a coach for 40 years.
Initially after retiring he tried his hand at sports management, but missed the court environment.
His company, Living Tennis, offers tuition from community to elite levels, including coaching a thousand children each week at its eight venues.
Three years after their launch, turnover has increased to Â£500,000. Their office is now at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, where they won the contract to run the tennis facility.
Mr Lee admits it's been a daunting venture. He says he's permanently tired, regularly working 12 hours per day, seven days a week.
"When you're a tennis player, you only think of one person and that's yourself," he says. "You have to be selfish because it's your career and it's your job.
"Now it's totally the opposite. The last person we think about is ourselves. We've got to get enough money in to pay everyone and we've got to make sure everybody gets the most out of their time."
The same commitment which qualified him to play in Grand Slam tournaments during his ten years on tour now earn him a living in a very different way.
Mr Lee and Mr Baker find it hard to replace the camaraderie and thrill of competition in their new roles.
Both make time to play the game when they can and enjoy the familiar, instant feedback of winning or losing.
But for Mr Baker, who's working as a commentator at the Australian Open, there is a strong connection between the past and the present which bodes well for the future.
"I feel like my tennis life has prepared me for what's happening now," he says.
"I hope that in 10 or 15 years I will feel I am making a big difference, and I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to go through that journey."


Clothes owned by singer Ed Sheeran have been sold for £7,500 to raise money for a children's hospice.

Sheeran, who is an ambassador for East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), donated 21 items for the £10m appeal to build a new hospice in Norfolk.
The highest-valued item was a camouflage hoodie which fetched £990.
Earlier this year, other items of Sheeran's clothing raised thousands of pounds for several charities in Suffolk.
Sheeran, from Framlingham, Suffolk, has just returned to the top of the UK singles chart with Thinking Out Loud, while his latest album X has sold over a million copies in the UK.
EACH began the Nook Appeal earlier this year to build a new centre at Framingham Earl to replace the one at Quidenham in Norfolk.
Sheeran posted a message about the latest auction to his millions of followers on Twitter on 28 November.
He wrote: "I donated all my favourite clothes to @EACH_hospices including all my hoodies."
Also sold on eBay, alongside four hoodies, were a "previously-owned" T-shirt featuring Boba Fett from Star Wars, which fetched £251, and a pair of Adidas trainers, which raised £275.
Simon Hempsall, marketing manager for EACH, said: "We're extremely grateful to Ed for this fairly unique fundraising opportunity for the Nook Appeal and have been blown away by the response to the auction - helped in no small way by him tweeting it to his 11.4 million followers."


The Netherlands have sacked head coach Danny Blind after two years in charge.

It follows a 2-0 defeat by Bulgaria on Saturday that leaves the Netherlands fourth in their World Cup qualifying group at the halfway stage.
Blind, 55, took over as coach from Guus Hiddink in 2015, but his side failed to qualify for the European Championships in France last summer.
The Dutch FA said recent results left the team "with difficulty qualifying for the World Cup in Russia".
Fred Grim will take charge as interim coach when the Netherlands face Italy on Tuesday.
This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser


Missing police files relating to investigations into child abuse claims at an orphanage in Bedfordshire are now thought to have been destroyed.

Ex-residents have alleged they were abused at St Francis Boys Home in Shefford, in the 1950s and 1960s.
An ex-resident complained to police about missing files relating to police inquiries in 1993 and 2002.
Bedfordshire Police said they believe the files were destroyed and has begun a new inquiry into abuse at the home.
The police investigations related to Father John Ryan, who ran the home in the 1960s on behalf of the Catholic Church, who was accused of physically and sexually abusing boys at the home.
He was arrested in 2003 but released without charge and died in 2008.
Police now investigating the home, which closed in 1974, said the force's safeguarding unit was keen to hear from anyone about any possible offences.
In July this year, former resident Damian Chittock, who says he was physically abused at the home, complained about the missing files.
At that time, a police spokeswoman told the BBC they were still trying to find the files, admitting "files have not been located... at this moment in time".
Now the police have revealed they "cannot be located and the assumption is that the paperwork has been destroyed securely and confidentially"
"At the time of the complaint being made, there was no requirement to keep paperwork indefinitely of this age where no further police action was required," the force said in a statement.
"However, there is no formal record of destruction, again in keeping with requirements at the time."
Mr Chittock said he found it very difficult to believe that if the files were destroyed, no record was kept of their destruction.
"If there was no system of monitoring the destruction of files, they are admitting they were not competent," said Mr Chittock.
He said he would be making a complaint to the Home Office and possibly the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), although he would prefer an independent investigation with no police involvement.
"I feel we have all been let down by the police," he said.
Mr Chittock is just one of a number of former residents the BBC has spoken to, who said they were physically and sexually abused at the home during the 1950s and 1960s.
Along with the new police investigation, a group of former residents at the home has contacted lawyer Tracey Emmott, a specialist in cases of childhood sexual abuse, to bring an action against the Catholic Church.
A spokesman for the Northamptonshire Diocese of the Catholic Church, which ran the home, said it "deeply regrets" any hurt caused, but stressed the "claims are not proven".


Europe's Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke said Lee Westwood will be his "general" as he confirmed the Englishman as one of his three wildcard picks for next month's tournament.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Germany's Martin Kaymer, 31, and Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters, 24, were also selected to face the US team.
The trio have been added to the nine players who qualified automatically based on their performances.
"Everything he says, everybody sits up and listens," Clarke said.
"I have selected him because he brings something that no-one else has," he added.
The biennial event against a United States team takes place from 30 September to 2 October at Hazeltine, Minnesota.
The US team have won just one Ryder Cup - the 2008 event at Valhalla, Kentucky - since 2006 and are looking to end a run of three straight defeats to the European team.
Scotland's Russell Knox is among those to miss out - he is 10th on the World Points list for Ryder Cup rankings, so was one place outside the automatic qualification spots.
Explaining his picks, Clarke said: "In Lee Westwood I have one of most experienced Ryder Cuppers of all time - it's his 10th appearance.
"Martin Kaymer is somewhat of a Ryder Cup stalwart and another man I have enormous trust in."
Pieters, meanwhile, played alongside Clarke as he claimed the Made in Denmark title on the European Tour on Sunday - his third European Tour title in 12 months.
"Last week I played with Thomas Pieters and Thomas knew why I was playing with him and played unbelievable and shot 62 and, on top of that, won the tournament," said Clarke.
The nine qualifiers include five rookies who will be making their Ryder Cup debuts alongside established players such as Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.
"It's going to be a very, very big task ahead of us. Those guys - the top nine - have earned their place as of right," Clarke said.
"The talent that they all possess, I have no worries at all about the strength of that team. I'll be very proud to take them."
Nine Ryder Cup appearances, world number 46, 42 professional tournament wins
Clarke on Westwood: "He is going to bring everything. Lee and I have had a great relationship, he's held my hand a few times and I've held his but that is not why he's been selected. This is his 10th Ryder Cup and there is no-one who has that experience on the team."
Three Ryder Cup appearances, world number 50, 22 professional tournament wins
Clarke on Kaymer: "Martin brings a wealth of experience along with Lee and all the first timers will look up to them both. He is held in high regard and he's a man that we all hugely respect. He brings his golf performances but he also brings his experience to the team room."
Ryder Cup rookie, world number 41, three professional tournament wins
Clarke on Pieters: "I've always been a huge Thomas Pieters fan. The manner he's played in the past few tournaments, fourth in the Olympics, I found it impossible to leave him off the team."
Along with Pieters, the European Ryder Cup team features five other rookies, including 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett.
Willett, who has just five professional tournament wins, is ranked world number 11 behind team-mates Justin Rose (10), Rory McIlroy (5) and Henrik Stenson (4).
English trio Chris Wood, 28, Andy Sullivan, 29, and 21-year-old Matt Fitzpatrick have considerably less experience with just nine professional wins between them.
Spain's 32-year-old Rafael Cabrera-Bello has not registered a professional tournament win since 2012 but the world number 27 will make his debut next month after a consistent level of golf to automatically qualify for the team.
US captain Davis Love III will pick three wildcards to add to his eight automatic qualifiers on 12 September, with a fourth selection five days before the competition starts.
Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson is one of the wildcard contenders, along with 2015 Scottish Open champion Rickie Fowler.
Fowler looked set to earn automatic selection before losing out to Patrick Reed in the final round at The Barclays last weekend.
World number 15 Matt Kuchar is also said to be in serious contention for one of Love's spots.
The 2016 Ryder Cup will be at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota from 30 September to 2 October as Europe try to win a fourth straight title.
Hazeltine will be one of only two golf clubs in America to have hosted every premier championship offered by the United States Golf Association and PGA.


The major broadcasters are offering additional programmes with just over a week left in the general election campaign.

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn will twice take part in 90-minute programmes, separately facing an audience of voters.
On Wednesday, the BBC is hosting a 90-minute debate fronted by Mishal Husain.
That will have SNP, Plaid, Green, UKIP and Lib Dem leaders, plus Conservative Amber Rudd and a Labour figure.
On Monday evening, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn will separately face Jeremy Paxman and an audience for 45 minutes each, in a joint programme between Channel Four and Sky News.
And for a Question Time leaders' special on Friday, the Conservative and Labour contenders for PM, will again be facing an audience - this time from York for BBC One.
That programme will be in addition to a traditional Question Time on Thursday evening from East Barnet at 22:45 BST.
And it will be followed by another QT special next Sunday teatime with the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron.
Andrew Neil is in the middle of a series of five interviews with party leaders.
Those with Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have already aired, but can still be viewed on iPlayer.
He will be speaking to Nicola Sturgeon on Sunday from 18:00, Paul Nuttall from 19:30 on Monday, and Tim Farron from 19:00 on Thursday.
And Jo Coburn will host Election Questions next Sunday evening with UKIP's Paul Nuttall and Jonathan Bartley for the Greens, followed by an interview with Leanne Wood.
Viewers in Wales will see the same programmes but in reverse order.
And the last major pre-election broadcast will be The Newsbeat Youth debate in Manchester on 6 June with an audience of 16 to 34-year-olds. That will air on BBC Radio 1, BBC News Channel and BBC One.
As well as these additional programmes, the Daily Politics returns after the bank holiday and will run every weekday at 12:00 on BBC2, Andrew Neil presents This Week on Thursday from 23:45 and Sunday Politics from 11:00 next weekend, with Newsnight on weeknights from 22:30, and Radio 4's Any Questions from 20:00 on Friday.
The latest line-up for extra election programmes:
Sun 28 May, 18:00: Andrew Neil interview with Nicola Sturgeon (BBC1)
Mon 29 May, 19:30: Andrew Neil interview with Paul Nuttall (BBC1)
Mon 29 May, 20:30: Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn (Sky News and Channel 4)
Wed 31 May, 1930: BBC debate with key figures from seven parties (BBC1)
Thu 1 June 19:00: Andrew Neil interview with Tim Farron (BBC1)
Fri 2 June, 20:30: Question Time with Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn (BBC1)
Sun 4 June, 18:00: Question Time with Nicola Sturgeon and Tim Farron (BBC1)
Sun 4 June, 22:35: Election Questions with Paul Nuttall and Jonathan Bartley (BBC1 England, 22:05 in Wales)
Sun 4 June, 23:35: Election Questions with Leanne Wood (BBC1 England, 22:35 in Wales)
Tue 6 June, 2030: BBC Newsbeat youth debate (Radio 1 and News Channel, later on BBC1)
Thu 8 June, 2155: Rolling coverage for results on BBC1 and News Channel through the evening and across Friday
Fri 9 June, 2100: Additional Question Time


David Cameron personally intervened to approve extra taxpayer funding for London's controversial Garden Bridge project, it has emerged.

The former prime minister did so against advice from officials, an investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) found.
The NAO said nearly £23m of taxpayer money was now at risk of being lost.
Transport Minister Lord Ahmad said the government remained supportive of the project.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered a full review of the proposals for the Thames river crossing.
The Whitehall spending watchdog said government ministers ignored the advice of civil servants on at least two occasions not to extend funding to the Garden Bridge Trust.
On the second occasion that they did so Conservative party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin, who was then transport secretary, issued a formal ministerial direction to civil servants requiring them to extend the taxpayers' exposure and underwrite liabilities of £15m if the project did not go ahead.
That ministerial direction was issued after cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood wrote to the Department for Transport (DfT) expressing the "frustration" of Mr Cameron and then chancellor George Osborne at perceived hold-ups to the funding.
The NAO said the initial commitment to provide £30m of taxpayers' money was made by Mr Osborne to Mr Khan's predecessor, Boris Johnson, without any involvement of the DfT.
Under the agreement in autumn 2013 the mayor would contribute a further £30m while the remainder - then estimated at £115m - was to come from private funding.
The DfT agreed to make that investment, despite an assessment of the business case finding there was a "significant risk" that the bridge could represent "poor value for money".
It did so by increasing its block grant to Transport for London (TfL).
The DfT also sought to protect taxpayers' money by capping the amount which could be spent by the trust before construction began at £8.2m.
But on three separate occasions - between June 2015 and May 2016 - this was relaxed by the DfT.
"Officials from the department advised ministers against increasing the department's exposure for the second and third increases," the NAO said.
The watchdog said there was now "significant risk" the project would not go ahead, pointing out the Garden Bridge Trust had still not secured the land for its southern landing.
The mayor has promised no more public money would be provided for the bridge's construction and tasked the former chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of MPs, Dame Margaret Hodge, with analysing the proposals to ensure taxpayers' money was not being wasted.
Meg Hillier MP, the current chair of the PAC, said: "It worries me that whenever the Garden Bridge Trust runs into financial trouble, the Department for Transport releases more taxpayers' money before construction has even started.
"If the project collapses, taxpayers stand to lose £22.5 million. If it goes ahead, who is going to pick up the bill to maintain it?"
The Garden Bridge Trust said it had raised nearly £70m of private money and was working on finalising the land deals required to build the south landing.
It pointed out that 78% of the project cost would be raised from private finance.
While £60m of taxpayers' money was being invested initially, this was being treated as money to kick start the project, with £20m being treated as a repayable loan and roughly the same amount to be repaid to the Treasury in VAT, leaving the taxpayer with a net contribution of £20m if construction of the bridge did go ahead.
Transport Minister Lord Ahmad said ministers had taken into account many factors before deciding whether to make funding available.
He added: "The taxpayer, however, must not be exposed to any further risks and it is now for the trust to find private-sector backers to invest in the delivery of this project. We will consider the NAO's findings carefully."


A woman who fell and broke her ankle in a remote Cornish village was rescued because a man, sat 200 miles away in Worcester, saw her on a live webcam.

Frankie Davies had gone to Boscastle to do some shopping when she fell "in a heap" on the street and had no mobile signal to call for help.
She said by "incredible luck" a man watching the webcam saw her and phoned his mother who lives in Boscastle.
She then helped Mrs Davies who was treated in hospital.
More on the rescue story, plus more Devon and Cornwall news
Mrs Davies, from St Teath, had gone into the seaside town to get a present for her son.
"I crossed over the road and my left foot shot out in front of me and I just went down," she said.
Minutes later Becky Galvin, who lives in Boscastle, got a call from her son in Worcester.
"I suddenly noticed this lady coming to me and we hobbled back to her place," said Mrs Davies.
"It was amazing that someone in Worcester saw me lying there and and phoned his mum to say 'Can you help her?'"
She said there was nobody around as the weather was bad.
"I was in a lot of pain, so just laid there getting my breath, unable to move hoping things would improve.
"It just shows you how lovely people are really at heart doesn't it?
"They are absolutely wonderful people."
And she did not know there was a webcam, at the Riverside Hotel.
Owner Ross said: "I love the webcam, it was installed for visitors and friends to keep in touch with Boscastle.
"It's used all round the world and it's great that it's been used to help this particular lady."
Mrs Galvin and her son were unavailable for immediate comment.


Mayor of London Boris Johnson says: "You cannot express the sovereignty of Parliament and accept the 1972 European Communities Act."

Is he right?
BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman has the answers.
It means Parliament is the big dog.  It can lumber around the constitution passing any law it likes.  None of the smaller dogs can challenge the big fella.
Or, if you want a less canine definition, Parliament's own website defines it as "a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution".
Like I said, the big dog.
Yes, some of it.  The big dog agreed to give up some kennel space.
Or if you want that in a less doggy way, in 1972 the UK Parliament passed the European Communities Act.  It gave direct effect to EU law and meant that if there was a conflict between an act of the British Parliament and EU law, Parliament lost out and EU law prevailed.  The European Court of Justice (ECJ) became a kind of Supreme Court of Europe, interpreting EU law with judgements that were binding on all member states.
Rhodri Thompson QC, a specialist in EU law, puts it this way:  "The basic relationship between UK and EU law has been clear since 1972 - Parliament remains sovereign but recognises the binding nature of EU law.  The only other mechanism, used by some other member states, is to entrust ultimate national sovereignty to their constitutional courts as guardians of a written constitution."
Germany and its constitutional court is the example often cited, giving the impression it has a muscular German shepherd guarding its constitutional independence, in comparison with the weaker British spaniel. However, that is not the case. Germany does not have parliamentary sovereignty. If the UK moved to a model based upon a written constitution guaranteed by a constitutional court, it would be passing sovereignty to a group of unelected judges and taking it away from Parliament.  No-one, including the prime minister, seems to think such a seismic constitutional shift is a good idea.
Down, Fido! Absolutely not. Parliament could repeal the 1972 Act and take back the part of its sovereignty that was lost to EU law. What Parliament gives, Parliament can take back.  On its website, Parliament says:  "Over the years, Parliament has passed laws that limit the application of parliamentary sovereignty. These laws reflect political developments both within and outside the UK. They include the UK's entry to the European Union in 1973.
"These developments do not fundamentally undermine the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, since, in theory at least, Parliament could repeal any of the laws implementing these changes."
Can we make the big British bulldog bark a bit louder at the EU?
Isn't that what the prime minister meant when he told the BBC's Andrew Marr on 21 February: "We're going to set out in the coming days proposalsâ€¦ to make clear thatâ€¦ the British Parliament is sovereign. We have chosen to join the EU, we could choose to leave the EU, and I think there's some important work to put that point beyond doubt."
Is there some additional power - bark and bite if you like - that can be given to Parliament that rebalances the power relationship between it and the EU? Not according to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
He told Andrew Marr on 6 March: "A huge intellectual effort went into creating this language by which we could somehow ensure that... our courts, our Supreme Court, our House of Commons, could overturn judgements of the European Court of Justice if we felt, if Britain felt, that they were in some way capricious or if they were going beyond the Treaty."
But he added that the government lawyers "just blew up. And they, you know, they said this basically voids our obligations under the 1972 European Communities Act, it doesn't work, we can't - and that is, I'm afraid, the reality. You cannot express the sovereignty of Parliament and accept the 1972 European Communities Act. There's no way of doing both at the same time."
There it is, that's the view of the big Labrador of British politics (that's Boris Johnson) of the way the big parliamentary dog is currently kennelled. Yes, I am persisting with this canine imagery.
Is he right? No. Parliamentary sovereignty has never gone away or lost its "expression", because Parliament can scrap the 1972 Act.
But, says Prof Takis Tridimas, chair of European law at King's College London, creating entirely new rules for the UK to ignore or sidestep EU law is not really a runner.
"What is not on offer is selective compliance with EU law, i.e. a situation where Parliament picks and chooses which provisions of EU law to follow and which not to follow on a case-by-case basis. This is not on offer under any international agreement."
In other words, the big dog can't be a member of the club and play by a different set of rules from all the other dogs.  It has to obey the rules or leave the club.
If the UK votes to stay in the EU it will have to let sleeping dogs lie, in the sense that it will have to continue to accept the primacy of EU law.  If it votes to leave, the big dog is back in charge.
READ MORE: The truth behind claims in the EU debate


Tens of thousands of elderly customers face a rise in their energy bills, after one of the UK's biggest suppliers withdrew a tariff for the over 60s.

E.on has announced that it will scrap its StayWarm scheme, which offered fixed-price bills.
The firm blamed new rules which limit the number of tariffs that energy companies can offer.
The changes are part of the government's plans to cut bills, and have been backed by the Prime Minister.
They are being implemented by the regulator, Ofgem, and will limit the total number of tariffs to four per fuel.
"Due to new Ofgem rules, which includes limiting the number of tariffs we can offer, the StayWarm tariff will close as current contracts come to an end from October 7th," an E.on spokesperson said.
The customers concerned will be written to, and advised to switch to another tariff.
However, if they cannot be contacted, they will be automatically moved to the company's more expensive standard tariff.
Ofgem said E.on could have continued with the StayWarm tariff if it had wanted to.
Advice from the Energy Saving Trust:
Make more energy savings
"We have never told suppliers which tariffs they have to close to comply with this rule, as that is a decision for them," said an Ofgem spokesperson.
"In fact we have been clear with all suppliers that they would have been allowed to keep social tariffs (which for example offer discounts to customers who have difficulty paying bills) under our rules.
But some experts warn that Ofgem's reforms could lead to more cheaper tariffs being withdrawn.
"Whilst Ofgem's reforms to simplify the market are well meaning, they will lead to the end of special deals such as StayWarm," said Mark Todd, the director of the price comparison site energyhelpline.
"In fact by restricting choice they are likely to make the issue worse not better," he said.
Under the new rules, which are due to be in place by the end of 2013, the customers affected will have to be given details of the next cheapest tariff offered by E.on.
E.on said that another tariff for customers over 60 remains open.
The Age UK 1 year fixed tariff protects consumers against price rises for 12 months.
Anyone who pays by direct debit can also save 3% compared to the company's standard tariff.


Housebuilder Redrow is to raise £80m in an issue of new shares to fund its expansion plans, in a sign of optimism for the sector.

Executive chairman Steve Morgan, who also owns Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, said there were significant growth opportunities in London and the regions.
Flintshire-based Redrow is offering the new shares at 130p each, an 11.1% premium to yesterday's close of 117p.
Mr Morgan founded Redrow in 1974.
Announcing the move, Mr Morgan said: "Redrow has made good progress under a strategy designed to return it to its roots, selling high-quality, differentiated family homes.
"We now believe the time is right to accelerate that strategy by taking advantage of the development opportunities we see."
The firm has secured planning on more than 3,000 plots and acquired new sites totalling £50m.
For the 16 weeks to 20 April, the average selling price of its properties was up 12% to £207,000 (excluding London) and up 20% to £223,000 (including London).
Mr Morgan must receive the backing of shareholders to waive his obligation to make a cash offer for the company if his stake exceeds 30%.


A necklace reportedly worth 1.9m euros (£1.6m) has been stolen during the Cannes film festival, in the second such theft to hit this year's event.

The expensive piece by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono vanished after a celebrity party at a five-star hotel in the resort town of Cap d'Antibes.
The theft occurred despite "large security measures", including 80 security guards, the jeweller said.
Last week, thieves ripped a safe with jewels from the wall of a hotel room.
The latest robbery happened after a gala held at the exclusive Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on Tuesday night.
The high-profile event celebrated De Grisogono's 20th anniversary, and was attended by international movie stars like Sharon Stone and Ornella Muti.
The jeweller house regularly loans its jewels to celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Cameron Diaz.
"It is actually the first time it has happened in our 20-year history," the company said in a statement.
It added that the theft occurred "despite the large security measures set in place: over 80 security guards plus police".
Last Friday, thieves stole jewels by Swiss jewellers Chopard from the Novotel hotel.
The precious goods were worth more than 770,000 euros.
Chopard is an official sponsor of the festival and also makes its top award, the Palme d'Or. But the trophy was not among the stolen items.
At least two apartments rented by film executives have also been burgled during the festival, according to the AFP news agency.


Ed Miliband has clashed with Nicola Sturgeon after she said she would only back him as PM if he rejected austerity and was "better than the Tories".

The SNP leader said she wanted a "progressive" alliance with Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood and Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.
Mr Miliband, Labour leader, said he intended to win a majority and would not form a coalition with the SNP.
UKIP's Nigel Farage also clashed with Mr Miliband in the BBC election debate.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg did not take part.
The debate finished with Mr Miliband issuing a direct challenge to Mr Cameron to take part in a debate with him, telling him: "If you believe this election is about leadership then debate me one-on-one."
The Labour leader came out on top in a snap poll.  In a survey of 1,013 viewers conducted by Survation for the Daily Mirror, 35% judged Mr Miliband to be the winner, against 31% for Ms Sturgeon, 27% for Mr Farage, 5% for Ms Bennett and 2% for Ms Wood. The Scottish part of the survey sample gave the debate to Ms Sturgeon, with 68%, to Mr Miliband's 17%.
During the 90-minute programme the Labour leader faced repeated calls from Nicola Sturgeon and Leanne Wood to reject austerity and form a "progressive" alliance with their parties and the Greens to keep the Conservatives out of government.
The two nationalist leaders and Ms Bennett said they would not prop up a Conservative government.
Ms Sturgeon claimed Mr Miliband was "so scared to be bold" that he was "not even doing the right thing by the NHS", telling the audience that "if Labour won't be bold enough on its own, I think people should vote for parties that will hold Labour to account and make them bolder".
As the debate reached its climax, Mr Miliband was asked whether he would "work together" with the SNP.
He told Ms Sturgeon he had "fundamental disagreements" with her over her support for Scottish independence and ruled out a "coalition with the SNP", adding: "It's a 'no', I'm afraid."
Ms Sturgeon said this election was about "seizing an alternative to austerity," adding: "I want Labour to be bolder and deliver the change we need.
"Don't turn your back on that, Ed, and let David Cameron back into Downing Street."
Mr Miliband hit back: "You want to gamble on getting rid of a Tory government; I can guarantee that we get rid of a Tory government if you vote Labour."
He added "the difference is I have fought Tories all my life", accusing the SNP of allowing the Tories to take power in 1979 by bringing down the Labour administration of James Callaghan.
Nigel Farage set his stall out early as being against the "politically correct" consensus - but he riled the audience at London's Methodist Central Hall, saying they were remarkable, "even by the left-wing standards of the BBC".
Amid boos from the hall, host David Dimbleby said the audience had been selected by a polling company, not the corporation.
The UKIP leader then clashed with Ms Sturgeon over immigration.
"Just astonishing," said Mr Farage in response to the SNP leader's assertion that not all problems in the UK were caused by immigration.
"Yes you are," replied Ms Sturgeon.
Mr Farage also repeated his claim that the NHS was spending too much on treating foreign nationals with HIV, saying the "vast majority" of people in Britain would agree with him that the NHS should not be an "international health service".
The UKIP leader was accused by Ms Bennett of "demonising" migrants and by Ms Sturgeon of "intolerance". Mr Miliband also accused him of "exploiting people's fears".
David Cameron's absence gave Mr Miliband the chance to taunt the absent prime minister for his lack of political courage.
It also allowed him to focus his fire on the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, trying to create a distance which he has, so far, struggled to create. He rejected her repeated invitations to work together to "get rid of the Tories".
On the other hand the debate confirmed that the battle for Scotland is the defining drama of this election campaign. The images of the night, the video clips and the memorable sound bites are all of Ed v Nicola.
Conservative HQ and the Tory press will take delight in using them to conjure up the spectre of a weak minority Labour government being forced to deal with and placate a rampant SNP.
Read more from Nick here.
Mr Miliband then claimed Mr Farage's real agenda was to get rid of the NHS and replace it with private health insurance - which sparked a furious reaction from the UKIP leader, who accused Mr Miliband of "lying ... in front of millions of people and you keep on doing it, and lying won't win you the election".
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood challenged Mr Miliband to hold an "emergency budget" to end austerity if he becomes prime minister, but Mr Miliband did not rise to the bait, insisting Labour had plans that would help working families.
Ms Bennett also attacked Labour over austerity.
"You want to cap child benefit for two years...  You want to, in a classic kind of Labour half-way house, cut university tuition fees by a third, which is better than what we've got now, but just a very modest improvement," she said.
"You also haven't committed to what extra money you're going to put into the NHS."
Earlier this month, the five party leaders - together with Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg - clashed in the first televised debate of the 2015 election. That followed a live question and answer programme in which the prime minister and Mr Miliband appeared separately.
There will also be a special Question Time on BBC One, a week before polling day, with Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg appearing separately on the programme to answer questions from a studio audience.
Mr Clegg said he had been "denied the opportunity" to speak in Friday's debate because David Cameron had not wanted to take part. Mr Cameron agreed to do one TV debate with six other party leaders, which took place last month.
It was decided that this debate would be for party leaders that were not in government, meaning Mr Clegg was not offered a place on the podium.
What are the top issues for each political party at the 2015 general election?
Policy guide: Where the parties stand
Mr Cameron said last night's debate was "part of the deal that was done to unblock the log-jam about TV debates" and he was "delighted that I played a role in unblocking that log-jam".
He said all participants in it were arguing to "abandon the plan that has turned this country around and has got us more jobs, more livelihoods and more business".
Responding to Mr Clegg's complaint, a BBC spokesman said broadcasters had worked hard to ensure "that their audiences were offered the best possible combination of programmes to help them engage with the election, to inform them about the issues and to scrutinise the politicians".
He added that the BBC was "satisfied" that its range of election programmes met the obligation to provide "due impartiality" and all relevant parties had the chance to put their case.
* Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon.


An inquiry is to be held into the death of a 43-year-old man in custody at Annan Police Station more than two years ago.

Kevin McGurty, from Gretna, died in November 2013. It is thought he had a heart condition.
A hearing at Dumfries Sheriff Court was told a fatal accident inquiry would take place between 7 and 11 March.
It heard that Mr McGurty had died shortly after midnight while he was in custody.


The biggest ever rise in public dissatisfaction with the NHS was recorded last year, according to a long-running survey.

The British Social Attitudes Survey has been tracking satisfaction since 1983.
The 2015 poll of nearly 2,200 people showed satisfaction with the NHS at 60% - down from a peak of 70% in 2010.
Some 23% said they were actively dissatisfied - a rise of eight percentage points on the year before and the biggest single jump in a year.
Waiting times were cited as the biggest reason for dissatisfaction - mentioned by over half of people - followed by there being not enough staff.
The findings come amid growing pressure on waiting times for cancer care, A&E and routine operations, such as knee and hip operations.
Patients reported highest satisfaction rates for GP services and lowest for social care, which is run by local authorities and covers home help for tasks such as washing and dressing, and care homes.
The survey - carried out by NatCen Social Research - covered Scotland, Wales and England. The differences between the three nations were not considered to be statistically significant.
Chris Ham, chief executive of the King's Fund think-tank, said that while overall satisfaction levels were still high by historical standards, the findings should act as a "real wake up call".
"What's gone wrong is the public's perception of the NHS under growing pressure. Money is tight, waiting times are getting longer, people are concerned that when they need the NHS it might not be there for them."
Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, agreed the public needed reassurance about the future of the NHS.
But he said the "most important set of results" were on social care. He said the satisfaction levels were "deeply concerning" and said the system needed greater funding.
A spokesman for the Department of Health in England said: "There is pressure on the NHS as our population ages, and that's why the government is investing record amounts to transform care."
A Welsh government spokesman said it too was increasing the budget, and ministers were working hard to "improve patient care", while the Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison said ministers were always "open to patient feedback".
Read more from Nick
Follow Nick on Twitter


People have been using Your Questions to tell us what they want to know about the West Midlands.

You asked us where the phrase "Yam Yam" to describe someone from the Black Country came from.
You wanted to know why the cooling towers at Ironbridge's power station are set to be demolished?
Another question was who has spray painted owls on walls in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and why?
And are there secret tunnels under Hereford?
The Urban Dictionary website said it derived from the Black Country dialect for "you are" - "yam".
Terry Price, a historian born in Great Bridge in West Bromwich, said the pronunciation in dialect was nearer to "y'owm" or "yo am" instead of "you are".
"I'd never heard of that expression in my youth," said 78-year-old Mr Price. "I think it's a relatively recent thing."
Birmingham historian Carl Chinn said he believed the phrase may have been introduced in the 1970s or 1980s but could not say so with certainty.
The editor of the Black Country Society's magazine, The Blackcountryman, Michael Pearson, said when he worked in the police in the 1980s they used the phrase to distinguish Black Country folk from Brummies, who they called Lardi's (as in la-di-dah).
He said it came from a take on the Black Country accent in phrases like "y'am alright".
The bridge isn't the only landmark in Ironbridge Gorge. The nearby power station's cooling towers have stood since 1969 but they are scheduled for demolition. Here's why.
The subject has generated a lot of debate on the BBC Shropshire Facebook page.
Tom Rochester is in favour of knocking them down, writing: "People are strange aren't they. Build anything like these now and people complain. Demolish them now and people complain. People just don't like change I suppose."
Sharon Jones said she wanted to keep them: "We can't let them be demolished. It's my all time high when I see them. It's a big part of Ironbridge."
Some readers described them as a "blot on the landscape" or an "eyesore", but others suggested they would look good if they were illuminated.
Hidden in plain sight the owls of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent stare back - but who created them and what inspired the pictures? Here is the answer.
Join others having their say about the owl graffiti on Radio Stoke's facebook page.
There are certainly urban rumours about a secret tunnel running from an archway under the old bridge across the Wye to the cathedral.
But a spokesman for Hereford Cathedral said: "If there is a secret tunnel then it's very secret, because we don't know about it."
Alfred Watkins, the Hereford-born author and photography pioneer, also investigated the legend that there was a tunnel connecting the Priory of St Guthlac with its vineyard on the banks of the River Wye.
He'd found traces of it on a map dating from 1865. Watkins was also an enthusiastic amateur archaeologist and he and a friend conducted a dig on the "tunnel".
He was disappointed to find it was "some kind of natural fault or crevice [and] not man made".
There are, however, plenty of plenty of interesting tunnels across this area, some secret, other not - here's a slideshow of some of them.
Have you got a question about the West Midlands?
Is there something you have seen or heard that you would like us to investigate?
It could be a burning issue or something you have always wondered about the area or its people.
Use the tool below to send us your questions.
We could be in touch and your question could make the news.


A woman from south Wales has been named as one of the 38 people killed in the Tunisia terrorist attack.

Trudy Jones, 52, from Blackwood, Caerphilly county, is understood to have been on the beach in Sousse when a gunman began firing on Friday.
"The reality of this horrific and brutal attack has now been brought home to our communities with the news that Trudy Jones of Blackwood is among those murdered," Islwyn MP Chris Evans said.
Ms Jones worked at a nursing home.
Staff at the home were notified on Saturday and it is understood her brother has flown out to Tunisia.
She had been due to fly home on Sunday and to go back to work at Highfields Nursing Home, where she was an activity coordinator, on Tuesday.
Manager of the home, Shawkat Ilahi, said: "All the staff and residents are all in terrible shock and, myself, I can't believe it... that this has happened.
"We were expecting her to come back to work on Tuesday."'
Mr Ilahi, who said Ms Jones's sister Jane also works at the home, added: "I even went to see the family and every single one of them [are] in shock."
He said of Trudy: "She was a very popular member of the team, always like a bottle of pop, always lively, always smiling."
First Minister Carwyn Jones had warned about the "possibility" Welsh tourists could be among the 38 people shot dead during the attack on the beach.
At least 15 are said to be British, but none have been officially identified by the Foreign Office.
Officials fear the UK death toll is likely to be in the mid to high 20s.
Tunisian student Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, who has reported links with Islamic State (IS), opened fire on tourists at noon on Friday.
More details have emerged of the attack, which saw Rezgui shoot at people on the beach near the Imperial Marhaba and Bellevue hotels.
He entered at least one of the hotel lobbies, where grenades were also detonated.
He then walked through the streets of Sousse where he was reportedly chased by local Tunisians, firing shots at them.
It has also been reported that local builders threw rubble down at him from rooftops as he passed by in the street. The attack eventually ended when he was shot dead by police.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered close to the scene a day after the attack for a rally against terrorism, with some holding candles and others carrying flags of the UK and Tunisia.
Many British tourists returned on Saturday on special flights while the two scheduled flights to Cardiff arrived on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the fiancee of a Welsh holidaymaker shot during the Tunisia terror attack has thanked well-wishers online.


The RAF has appointed a woman to the rank of air vice-marshal, the most senior position to be held by a regular serving female in the UK armed forces.

Elaine West, 51, joined the RAF straight from school and is married with a teenage son.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said it showed there was no "glass ceiling" for female officers.
The position is equivalent in rank to a major general in the Army or a rear admiral in the Royal Navy.
The new air vice marshal will be director of projects and programme delivery at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
She will lead on multi-million pound infrastructure projects to support military training, and oversee the drawdown of army units from Germany.
The Army has had a female brigadier, while the Royal Navy has appointed a female commodore, but both of those are one-star ranks, whereas air vice marshal is a more senior two-star role.
AVM West said she takes up her new appointment with "enormous pride".
"I am privileged to have served in the RAF and to have enjoyed so many challenging roles over the years."
She has served in 18 different roles on bases across the world, since joining the RAF as an aircraftswoman aged 17.
She managed the final stage of the RAF's downsizing across north-west Europe, and oversaw the delivery of military accommodation in the UK.
Married to a retired Tornado navigator, she has one son, who is 14 years old, the MoD said.
She said: "To now be the first female military two-star is a truly unexpected bonus.
"I know so many inspirational women across all three services who continue to make a substantial contribution to operations and our armed forces more widely.
"This is a terrific opportunity and one that I'm looking forward to immensely."
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford said her promotion was "thoroughly well deserved".
Wishing her "every success in her challenging role", he added: "The vast majority of roles in the armed forces are open to women and I would encourage everyone, regardless of gender, to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them within the military."
Mr Hammond said building the Future Force 2020 meant selecting the best and brightest talent from across the armed forces "irrespective of gender".
He added: "I am pleased that we are demonstrating in defence that there are no 'glass ceilings' for female officers who have the necessary abilities to rise to the senior ranks."
Women make up about 10% of armed forces personnel, or 14% of the air force, 9% of the navy and 8% of the army.


The main railway line connecting the South West to the rest of England has reopened after closing for a week due to flooding.

The line was blocked between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter St David's when the River Exe swamped Cowley Bridge Junction on Saturday.
Passengers endured severe disruption as buses replaced trains.
Network Rail reopened the line on Friday afternoon after repairs and said a normal service would resume.
The company said its engineers "worked tirelessly through the Christmas holiday period" to repair the track.
Plastic dams protected signalling at Cowley Bridge where workers have been replacing ballast, which was washed away, from under the tracks.
Some branch line services in Devon and Cornwall are still closed.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We have learned some lessons from the flooding in November and done some things differently.
"There's nothing that we could do to prevent the River Exe bursting its banks and causing the track damage - but we have done some things proactively to minimise damage to the signalling."
In Devon, the Barnstaple to Exeter branch line remains closed.
Ballast has been washed out in several locations and the line is not expected to open until after New Year's Day.
Network Rail said it did not have a date for the reopening of the Exeter to Exmouth branch line.
It closed after parts of the line were flushed out by heavy rain at Lympstone.
In Cornwall the Liskeard to Looe branch line remains closed but is under repair and Network Rail said it hoped to reopen the line within the next few days.
Services between Par and Newquay are operating on a reduced timetable.


The Philippines has ordered a ban on the deployment of its workers to 41 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq and India.

The government said it had issued the ban because the nations concerned failed to sign agreements protecting foreign workers from abuse.
The Philippines is one of the world's largest labour exporters: nine million Filipinos are currently working abroad.
The economy is heavily reliant on the remittances they send home.
Filipinos will soon be unable to apply for work in 41 countries blacklisted by the Department of Labour.
Some of these are nations with security concerns, like Afghanistan, Libya and Sudan.
Others, like India and Cambodia, have not provided what the government believes is an adequate guarantee that workers will be safe from abuse.
Most of the countries on the list do not actually hire many Philippine nationals, but the government has been under mounting pressure to do more to protect Filipinos who work abroad.
Critics of these new proposals say the ban could actually have the opposite effect - by driving Filipinos to work illegally, with even fewer safeguards than they had before.


An ash tree showing signs of being highly resistant to the ash dieback disease has been identified in Norfolk, the government has said.

The tree, found near Norwich and named Betty by researchers, is thought to be the first UK native ash tree showing "strong tolerance".
The find raises the possibility of using selective breeding to develop trees less susceptible to the fungus.
Scientists have called it a "large first step" in tackling ash dieback.
Ash dieback, also known as Chalara, was first discovered in Poland, came to the UK via diseased nursery stock in 2012 and is responsible for killing thousands of trees.
The resistant tree, in Ashwellthorpe Wood, was found by the Nornex research project, a team from the UK, Denmark and Norway and their findings have been published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) which funded the research along with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The team conducted a genetic analysis on 182 infected ash trees in Denmark and developed three genetic markers which enabled them to predict whether or not a tree is likely to be mildly or strongly tolerant.
Many trees in Ashwellthorpe Wood were infected but exceptions were found which showed low levels of infection. Betty, which is about 200 years old, is healthy despite being next to infected trees and showed "high tolerance".
Researchers hope if they can identify individual trees that are less susceptible they could breed a resistant variety more likely to survive the disease.
Professor Allan Downie, the coordinator of the Nornex consortium, said: "The identification of genetic markers for trees with low susceptibility to ash dieback is a large first step, one of many that will be needed in the fight to help ash trees survive this disease epidemic."
Chief plant health officer Professor Nicola Spence said it was an "exciting development in tree health" which would "help ensure that Britain's stock of ash trees, and its countryside, remains resilient against pests and disease in the future".
Source: Forestry Commission


Renewed fighting has broken out in South Sudan between forces loyal to the president and vice-president.

A reporter in the capital, Juba, told the BBC gunfire and large explosions could be heard all over the city. He said heavy artillery was being used.
More than 200 people are reported to have died in clashes since Friday.
The latest violence came hours after the UN Security Council called on the warring factions to immediately stop the fighting.
Latest fighting updates
'We want peace - and ice cream'
Five obstacles to peace
In a unanimous statement, the council condemned the violence "in the strongest terms" and expressed "particular shock and outrage" at attacks on UN sites. It also called for additional peacekeepers to be sent to South Sudan.
Residents of Juba have told the BBC they are staying indoors amid the sound of gunfire from the streets.
"Soldiers are now looting some property," charity worker Ladu David Morris said. "They pretend to be patrolling but once they notice that no people are inside they break in."
The peace deal signed last August brought the two rival military forces together in the capital Juba. Even at the time this looked risky.
Perhaps if political progress had been made since Riek Machar returned to Juba in April, tensions between the forces could have been smoothed over, but the implementation of the peace agreement stalled. Each side clearly regarded the other as an existential threat.
Riek Machar seems to be in a weaker position right now: he has 1,300 soldiers, and some police, but no air power, tanks or heavy weapons - unlike his rival. There must also be questions about how much ammunition Mr Machar's troops have.
Another key question: to what extent are Salva Kiir and Riek Machar in command? Both called for calm on Friday, but the fighting still continued. And will the fighting spread beyond the capital? The longer this lasts, and the further it spreads, the harder it will be to stop it.
Chinese media say two Chinese UN peacekeepers have now died in Juba. Several other peacekeepers have been injured, as well as a number of civilians who have been caught in crossfire.
The latest round of violence erupted when troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and first Vice-President Riek Machar began shooting at each other in the streets of Juba.
On Monday, there were reports of tanks on the streets of Juba and clashes close to the airport and UN camps sheltering civilians. The US embassy warned of "serious fighting" taking place.
A BBC correspondent in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, said it was not clear if Mr Kiir and Mr Machar remained in control of their forces.
On Monday afternoon, soldiers loyal to Mr Kiir were ordered back to barracks, a spokesman for the force told the BBC. However, he did not comment on whether this meant the fighting was over.
It seems a disagreement at a checkpoint between rival soldiers led to a shootout on Thursday night in which five soldiers died. This quickly escalated into serious fighting from Friday onwards. Tensions have been high since April, when Mr Machar returned to Juba under a peace deal following a two-year civil war. He took a 1,300-strong protection force with him and they were supposed to start joint patrols with forces loyal to President Kiir. But a lack of trust between the two sides means the patrols have not begun.
There are concerns that what we are seeing is a repeat of what happened in December 2013. The two-year civil war started then after clashes between rival soldiers in Juba and degenerated into nationwide conflict in which tens of thousands died. The war was fought broadly between South Sudan's biggest ethnic groups - the Dinka, led by Mr Kiir, and the Nuer, under Mr Machar. At present, Mr Kiir and Mr Machar are calling for calm.
The international community played a major role in the creation of South Sudan and has tried to exercise some influence since independence in 2011. The UN and US have called for an immediate end to fighting, a call echoed by the East African regional group which brokered the recent peace deal.
A  UN spokeswoman in Juba, Shantal Persaud, said fighting over the past few days had caused hundreds of internally displaced people to take refuge in UN premises.
She said both South Sudanese leaders were responsible for implementing last year's peace agreement, which included a permanent ceasefire and the deployment of forces away from Juba.
Information Minister Michael Makuei told the BBC that the situation in the city was "under full control" and civilians who had fled should return to their homes.
Mr Machar's military spokesman, Col William Gatjiath, accused officials loyal to the president of lying, and said there had been at least 10 hours of clashes on Sunday.
"The situation in South Sudan is uncontrollable because Salva Kiir and his followers are not ready to follow the peace agreement," he said.
The chairman of Igad, the East African regional bloc that has overseen peace talks in South Sudan, warned on Monday that the situation risked exposing millions of civilians "to senseless violence and the whole country to interminable chaos".
In a statement on Sunday, the US state department said it strongly condemned the latest outbreak of fighting in Juba.
Spokesman John Kirby said Washington had ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel from the US embassy in Juba.