Ukraine says body is identified

The prosecutor-general's office in Ukraine is reported to have ruled that a headless corpse found near Kiev last November was that of a missing journalist, Heoriy Gongadze.

The department had previously refused to acknowledge the identity, despite DNA tests which showed a ninety-nine-point-six percent probability that the body was that of the missing journalist.

Mr Gongadze was a strong critic of high-level corruption, and his disappearance led to widespread protests by opposition groups, which accused President Kuchma of being involved. The mother of Mr Gongadze has asked for a meeting with the President to try to find the truth. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian former MP, Valery Ivasiuk, has confirmed he's seeking asylum in Britain after becoming involved in the case. Mr Ivasiuk, who's also a surgeon, organised genetic tests to try to prove that the headless corpse was that of Mr Gongadze.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service