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US President Barack Obama has said that his country condemns the brutal murder of Russian politician Boris Nemtsov.

The White House National Security Council tweeted that the US will call upon Russian authorities to conduct a "prompt and impartial" investigation into the murder.

James Mates: Boris Nemtsov was known as a reformer in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and said it may have been a contract killing, according to his spokesman quoted by Russian news agencies.

Dmitry Peskov said the shooting on a street in Moscow could also be a "provocation" - the opposition is planning a big protest in Moscow on Sunday.

He said Mr Putin had been quickly informed of the killing and that the president had expressed his condolences and ordered the security agencies to investigate.

Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was shot four times in the back according to an Interior Ministry spokeswoman quoted by Reuters news agency.

Interfax reports that seven shots were fired in total at Nemtsov from a passing car and police have opened a criminal case into the shooting.

Jeb Bush is the third in line in what is perhaps modern America's greatest political dynasty and he has already announced his desire to run for US President on the Republican ticket.

But some of the party's activists are worried that Mr Bush is not conservative enough and they have spoken to ITV News' International Affairs Editor Rageh Omaar about their concerns:

ITV News' Europe Editor James Mates says Boris Nemtsov was a leading reformer under former President Boris Yeltsin and was not tainted by corruption.

Prime Minister David Cameron today defended the security services over their handling of Islamic State militant Jihadi John.

The fighter, now known to be Kuwait-born Londoner Mohammed Emwazi, had been on the radar of MI5 for some time before he left for Syria in 2013.

ITV News UK editor Rohit Kachroo reports:

Somali pirates have released four Thai hostages, who were captured while fishing in 2010, bringing to an end the longest-running international hostage drama in the Horn of Africa.

The four men were part of a Taiwanese flagged fishing vessel which was seized by pirates almost five years ago.

Of the original 24 person crew six died in captivity, 14 from Myanmar were released in 2011 and the remaining 4 were freed today.

Nicholas Kay, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Somalia said he was "grateful to see the longest-held hostages released from Somalia, and thank all those involved who made it happen,"

Somali pirates are still holding 26 crew from a vessel that was captured in 2012.

The incidents of piracy have been severely curtailed since 2010 following the creation of an international task force to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Russian opposition politician and former deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov has died after being shot four times on a street in Moscow, according to a statement from the Russian government reported by the Interfax news agency.

Fearne Cotton is quitting Radio 1 after telling her fans she is pregnant with her second child.

The DJ, who is married to Ronnie Wood's son Jesse, said leaving the station was the start of a "new chapter".

Writing on her website, she said she had had "the most incredible decade" working on the station.

Cotton's role presenting the station's Live Lounge will be taken over by Clara Amfo.