Iran nuclear talks intensify as key deadline nears

Talks have resumed in Switzerland ahead of Tuesday's deadline for a preliminary nuclear deal with Iran. Foreign ministers from six world powers are meeting their Iranian counterpart, amid hopes of a breakthrough after almost 18 months of negotiations. They want to impose limits that would prevent Iran from producing enough fuel for a nuclear weapon within a year. Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, wants to see crippling...

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Lead prosecutor in al-Shabaab bombing trial shot dead in Uganda

Uganda’s lead prosecutor in the ongoing trial of 13 men accused of participating in 2010 al-Shabaab bombings that killed 76 people was shot dead Monday, police said. Joan Kagezi, acting assistant director of public prosecution, was murdered by men on a motorbike as she drove home in a suburb of the capital, Kampala police spokesman Patrick Onyango said. “They were trailing her on a motorcycle ... They shot her dead.” Her current cases included...

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Germanwings crash: Who was co-pilot Andreas Lubitz

Andreas Lubitz, the young co-pilot believed to have caused the Germanwings plane crash, started flying as a teenager. He first took to the skies as a member of a gliding club in his hometown of Montabaur in west Germany, before fulfilling his ambition of becoming a professional pilot. Friends and neighbours have described him as a "quiet" but "fun" character, who was enjoying his job. A picture from his now defunct Facebook page shows him...

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The smart cup that knows exactly what you're drinking - and tells you how many calories it contains (and when you've had enough alcohol)

Health-related gadgets are all the rage these days, from smart wristbands to apps that track what you consume. But a new device from San Francisco-based Mark One, called Vessyl, claims to be able to streamline the process by putting all the technology you need in a cup. The product can accurately identify your drink, tell you how many calories you are consuming, let you know how hydrated you are, and alert you when it’s time to drink again. The...

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How low can interest rates go?

The Bank of England's website says that the "effective lower bound" for the interest rate it sets, Bank Rate, is the current rate of 0.5%. This is the level, according to the Bank, "below which it cannot be set" - the lowest practicable official interest rate. But on this important issue the website is behind the thinking of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, which sets Bank Rate as its main tool to keep inflation on target. Because...

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Alps plane crash: What we know

A German A320 Airbus carrying 150 people has crashed in the Alps in southern France, killing everyone on board. The Germanwings flight was travelling non-stop from Barcelona in Spain to Duesseldorf in Germany. The cause of the crash is not yet known, however, the first "black box" flight recorder has been found at the crash site. What happened? The Airbus came down in a remote, snow-covered mountainous region - reaching about 2,000m high...

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Germanwings plane 4U 9525 crashes in French Alps - no survivors

A Germanwings plane carrying 150 people has crashed in the French Alps on its way from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. The Airbus A320 - flight 4U 9525 - went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. There are no survivors, officials say. The "black box" flight recorder has been found, France's interior minister says. The cause of the crash is not known and the plane sent no distress signal during an eight-minute descent. Among the passengers were...

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BBC News switches PC users to responsive site

The desktop version of the BBC News website has been switched off, and all visitors are now being directed to a newer, responsive design. The new site adapts its layout depending on what type of device it is being used on, be it a desktop PC, tablet or mobile. The BBC said the move reflected the change in how the majority of visitors were consuming their news. However, some users said the design felt "empty" and "too bright". Desktop visitors...

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Ebola outbreak 'over by August', UN suggests

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa will be over by August, the head of the UN Ebola mission has told the BBC. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed admitted the UN had made mistakes in handling the crisis early on, sometimes acting "arrogantly". A year after the outbreak was officially declared, the virus has killed more than 10,000 people. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says a "global coalition of inaction" led to tragic consequences. Looking...

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Nigeria's Tony Elumelu funds 1,000 African entrepreneurs

Nigerian billionaire Tony Elumelu has decided to fund 1,000 budding African entrepreneurs as part of a $100m (£670,000) initiative to boost the continent's private sector. Mr Elumelu said the entrepreneurs were Africa's "hope for the future". The 1,000 come from 52 African states and territories and were chosen from some 20,000 applicants. Forbes magazine listed Mr Elumelu last year as the 26th richest African, worth $1bn. The BBC's Lerato...

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Rosetta's comet is spinning down - BBC

The comet being observed by Europe's Rosetta satellite is very gradually spinning down. The icy dirt-ball takes 12.4 hours to complete one rotation, but mission controllers have noticed that this is extending by about a second a day. And this rate of change is increasing as Comet 67P gets more active. "The gas jets coming out of the comet - they are acting like thrusters and are slowing down the comet," said flight director Andrea Accomazzo. The...

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Burning of Temple in Londonderry takes place - BBC

The burning of a 70-foot carved wooden tower called Temple has taken place in Londonderry. More than 15,000 people attended the event on Saturday night as the artwork was set alight in the Waterside area. The project was the work of US artist David Best, and his aim was to offer an alternative perspective on bonfires. He said the temple had given the people of Derry a neutral, cross-community space where they "celebrated and reflected on their...

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Yemen crisis US troops withdraw from air base - BBC

The United States has evacuated its remaining military personnel from Yemen because of the deteriorating security situation, US officials have confirmed. On Saturday, Yemeni officials said about 100 US troops were leaving an air base near a southern city that was stormed by al-Qaeda fighters on Friday. There has been mounting violence by rival armed groups in Yemen, including Houthi rebels, al-Qaeda and IS. The UN Security Council is holding...

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Tropical Cyclone Nathan hits Australia's Queensland coast - BBC

A tropical cyclone has hit north Queensland in Australia, bringing with it hurricane-force winds and a powerful storm tide. Cyclone Nathan crossed the coast near Cooktown as a category four storm, the second most severe rating. Winds of 170km/ph (105mph) were recorded on Friday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology told the BBC. The cyclone is expected to dissipate over land before intensifying again over the Gulf of Carpenteria. About 50 people...

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Julian Assange case Sweden U-turn on questioning - BBC

Swedish prosecutors have offered to travel to London to question Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over sex assault allegations. Prosecutors had previously insisted on questioning Mr Assange in Sweden, after seeking his arrest in 2010. Mr Assange denies the assault claims and has been living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012. He fears that if he is sent to Sweden he could then be extradited to the US to face charges over leaking...

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Egypt to build new administrative and business capital - BBC

Egypt's new administrative and business city, on the outskirts of Cairo, has been revealed on a new website. It says the city will house up to five million residents and be built in the corridor between Cairo and the Red Sea. There will be 1.1m housing units and 1.75m permanent jobs. The city is set to be officially unveiled at an Egyptian government conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, to global investors and politicians. Read...

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Global CO2 emissions 'stalled' in 2014 - BBC

The growth in global carbon emissions stalled last year, according to data from the International Energy Agency. It marks the first time in 40 years that annual CO2 emissions growth has remained stable, in the absence of a major economic crisis, the agency said. Annual global emissions remained at 32 gigatonnes in 2014, unchanged from the previous year. But the IEA warned that while the results were "encouraging", this was "no time for...

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Sarah Brightman to perform Lloyd Webber song in space - BBC

Sarah Brightman has been working with her former husband Andrew Lloyd Webber on a song she can perform in space. The British soprano, who is training at Star City near Moscow, is due to blast off on a Russian Soyuz craft on 1 September. The 54-year-old will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), 260 miles (420 km) above Earth. Brightman said singing in space was a "very different" proposition to performing on Earth. Speaking...

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Apple Watch prices and apps revealed - BBC

Apple's smartwatch collection will range in price from $349 to $17,000 (£299 to £13,500 in the UK) depending on the metals they are made from and the straps they are bought with. The larger 42mm (1.7in) models of the Watch will cost about $50 more than than the 38mm (1.5in) versions in the lower-priced ranges. Apple also revealed that the devices are due to go on sale on 24 April. Rivals' smartwatches have only seen limited sales to date. A...

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Anthony Ujah sorry for rough handling of goat mascot - BBC

Cologne's Anthony Ujah has apologised for grabbing the club mascot Hennes VIII the goat by the horns when the striker celebrated a goal on Sunday. The 24-year-old Nigeria international struck his side's fourth goal in their 4-2 win against Eintracht Frankfurt. He then ran to Hennes VIII, grabbed the animal by the horns and tried to drag it on to the pitch. "Sorry Hennes. I was a bit too rough on him," Ujah wrote on his Twitter page  next...

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New Zealand reveals milk formula 1080 poison threat - BBC

New Zealand authorities say a national farming body and dairy giant Fonterra have been sent letters threatening to poison milk formula. Federated Farmers and Fonterra received the anonymous letters in November, said officials, along with sachets of contaminated product. The letters appeared to be a protest over the use of the pesticide 1080 in agriculture. PM John Key said milk formula was still safe to be consumed. Officials said the person...

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Japan marks 70th anniversary of Tokyo firebombing - BBC

Japan has marked the 70th anniversary of the firebombing of Tokyo by US forces that killed more than 100,000 people during World War Two. On 10 March, 1945, American B-29 planes rained down bombs destroying large parts of Tokyo. The death toll was higher than the 70,000 people that died in the Nagasaki atomic bomb attack the same year. The incident receives relatively little attention in Japan, overshadowed by the atomic bombs in Hiroshima...

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P&G fined $1m in China over toothpaste advertisement - BBC

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble has been fined close to $1m (£662,876) in China for what Shanghai regulators said was false advertising of its Crest toothpaste brand. They said P&G overstated the effects of its toothpaste in a TV ad featuring a popular Taiwanese talk show host. Images in the ad were said to be digitally enhanced to show whiter teeth. Chinese media are reporting the fine as the biggest of its kind on record. Read...

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China's core inflation rises by 1.4% in February - BBC

China's core inflation rate rose by 1.4% in February from a year earlier, recovering from a more than five-year low and exceeding most expectations. The consumer price inflation (CPI) data compares with a rise of 0.8% in January, which was the weakest reading since November 2009. China's new consumer inflation target is about 3%, down from 3.5% in 2014. The rise in inflation for the period was attributed by officials to China's Lunar New Year...

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Solar Impulse Piccard crosses Arabian Sea to India - BBC

Solar Impulse, the fuel-free aeroplane, has successfully completed the second leg of its historic attempt to fly around the world. Project chairman, Bertrand Piccard, piloted the vehicle from Muscat in Oman to Ahmedabad in India, crossing the Arabian Sea in the process. Tuesday's journey took just over 15 hours. The distance covered - 1,468 km - set a new world record for a solar-powered plane. The vehicle has another 10 legs ahead of it...

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Ukraine conflict: US tanks in Baltics as Nato drills start - BBC

Hundreds of US military vehicles have arrived in the Baltic states and are to stay in Europe, in a mission to reassure Nato allies unsettled by Russia's actions in Ukraine. The shipment coincides with the deployment of a US infantry division and Nato navy drills in the Black Sea. Although a ceasefire is in place in Ukraine, the conflict has heightened distrust between Russia and the West. Russia said on Tuesday it was pulling out of a European...

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Stunned France probes deadly Argentina helicopter crash - BBC

Prosecutors in France have opened a manslaughter investigation after two helicopters crashed in Argentina, killing eight French nationals. Three well-known French sports personalities were among those killed in the collision, which also claimed the lives of the two Argentine pilots. French President Francois Hollande said it was "a cause of immense sadness". Both helicopters were involved in the filming of TV survival show Dropped, which airs...

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Pakistan ends death penalty suspension after seven years - BBC

Pakistan is to resume executions for all death penalty offences, months after a moratorium was partially lifted to allow executions of terror convicts. All condemned prisoners who have exhausted the appeals process and whose pleas for clemency are rejected now face execution, officials say. Executions were suspended for seven years until some resumed after the Peshawar school massacre in December. More than 8,000 people are on death row in...

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Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear host, suspended by BBC after 'fracas' - BBC

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended by the BBC after what it called a "fracas" with a producer. Sources said he was accused of hitting the producer in an incident last week, and the remaining three episodes of the current series might not be broadcast. The BBC confirmed one episode - due for broadcast on Sunday - would not be shown, but gave few further details. Clarkson, 54, has not commented, but has been joking on social media...

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The greatest year for books ever - BBC

The year 1925 was a golden moment in literary history.  Ernest Hemingway’s first book, In Our Times, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby were all published that year. As were Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans, John Dos Passos’ Manhattan Transfer, Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy and Sinclair Lewis’s Arrowsmith, among others. In fact, 1925 may well be literature’s greatest year. But how could...

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How Western art learned to stop fearing the East - BBC

On 29 May 1453, Constantinople, capital of the mighty Byzantine Empire, fell to an army of Ottoman Turks who had besieged the city for seven weeks. For three days, the victorious 21-year-old Sultan Mehmed II allowed his soldiers to rampage in the metropolis, pillaging whatever they could find. From the perspective of Europe’s rulers, it was a catastrophic blow for Christendom: the balance of power in the world had changed for good. Nearly three...

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Madonna Material girl - BBC

Scrapes with capes aside, Madonna – the long-reigning queen of reinvention and image-driven pop – has a well-documented history of stealing the limelight, as somebody who’s always had an innate understanding of the marketing power of character dressing. No-one who grew up in the ‘80s can have failed to observe the atomic impact each new incarnation had on youth culture, as the singer’s attire (and attitude) fearlessly challenged long-held conventions...

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Mercedes-AMG C63 scores one for drivers - BBC

Until recently, it would have been the last place on the Iberian Peninsula to spot a Mercedes-Benz sedan. But the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S, a 503-horsepower bully itching to punch rival sedans in the nose – including BMW’s vaunted M3 – feels right at home. Vital Stats 2016 Mercedes-AMG C63, C63 S, C450 AMG Sport Base price: TBA Price as tested: TBA EPA fuel economy: TBA Powertrain: 3-litre twin-turbo gasoline V6 engine (C450); 4-litre twin-turbo...

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DBX is Aston Martin’s shock SUV concept - BBC

The Aston Martin DBX is like no other SUV-crossover we've yet seen. There are shades of Spyker's D12 crossover, and perhaps the loopy Audi Nanuk concept of a couple of years ago. But on the whole, the DBX is a far more cohesive bit of design than we dared hope for. While it's a crossover in height, it's more sports car in shape, though Aston promises comfortable seating for four adults. The shape of the grille and the rear light design bear...

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Top 10 cars at the 2015 Geneva motor show - BBC

Koenigsegg looked to the Swedish word for “to reign” for its latest hyper-confection, as the company expects the Regera to dominate the market for what it calls “megacars”. Where Koenigseggs have traditionally been track-focused cars, the Regera aims to expand that remit by adding such creature comforts as sound deadening. Interestingly, the Regera saves weight by dispensing with the traditional multi-gear transmission. Instead, the 1,100-horsepower...

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Ford to price GT in Lamborghini Aventador territory - BBC

Speaking at the Geneva motor show, where the new carbon fibre twin-turbo GT made its European debut, Ford's performance bosses announced that GT prices would mirror Sant'Agata's hero. The Aventador starts around £260,000 (in US, around $400,000). Production of the supercar will begin in 2016, with production limited to just 250 cars each year. That means this new generation of GT is considerably more expensive and exclusive than the last Ford...

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FarmDogg blends robotics with rutabagas - BBC

There are, however, against-the-grainers such as Melissa Brandao, a technology veteran who took the proverbial road less travelled. The 46-year-old founder and chief executive of Ashland, Oregon-based Rogue Rovers is bent on using her business acumen – gleaned at Apple and a global data collection firm, among other stopover points – to develop a fully electric, semi-robotic all-terrain vehicle, or ATV. This machine would not be for joyriding,...

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Visions of Chagall: Seeing a new world - BBC

‘One grows into the works,’ says Meret Meyer, as we stand before her grandfather’s paintings, marvelling at the figures that seem to dance and shimmer on the wall. ‘Everywhere there are metaphors.’ But above all, there is beauty. A Russian Jew, Marc Chagall survived Tsarist pogroms, Soviet communism and the Nazi Holocaust. His long life was a mirror of the last century. I do not want to be like all the others, I want to see a new world Marc...

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Monet for nothing: How Paul Durand-Ruel risked it all for Impressionism - BBC

In 1870 the French art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel fled from Paris to London, to escape the chaos and carnage of the Franco-Prussian War. In London he met two fellow refugees, Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. It was the start of an unlikely partnership which opened the door to modern art. Durand-Ruel in his gallery around 1910 (Archives Durand-Ruel) Durand-Ruel was a conservative, a monarchist and a devout Catholic, but he fell in love with Monet...

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When we were Young... British Artists - BBC

Talented. Entrepreneurial. Ambitious. Happy to shock. Catnip to the tabloids. The Young British Artists, as coined by Michael Corris in ArtForum in 1992 (then acronymed in 1996) were all these things. They knew how to work. And party. Shapero Modern, a new gallery in Mayfair specialising in in modern and contemporary prints, captures both aspects of the YBAs in a new show entitled Rack 'em Up: British Contemporary Editions, 1990–2000. It features...

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'Boko Haram' kills dozens in raid on Nigerian village - BBC News

Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed at least 45 people in a village in Borno state, north-east Nigeria, witnesses have said. The gunmen who stormed Njaba targeted men and boys before setting the village on fire, survivors added. The raid happened early on Tuesday but was not reported immediately because of the remoteness of the area. Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in its drive to establish an Islamic state. Many survivors...

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Harrison Ford injured in plane crash - BBC News

US actor Harrison Ford has been injured in a small plane crash in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old, star of the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films, reported engine failure and crash-landed his vintage plane on a Venice golf course. He was breathing and alert when medics arrived and took him to hospital in a "fair to moderate" condition, a fire department spokesman said. His son Ben, a chef in Los Angeles, later tweeted from the hospital: "Dad is...

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US envoy attack: S Korea police seek attempted murder charge - BBC News

South Korean police say they are seeking charges of attempted murder against a man who slashed the US ambassador to Seoul. Ambassador Mark Lippert is recovering in hospital after Kim Ki-jong attacked him with a knife on Thursday. During the attack, Mr Kim called for reunification of the two Koreas. Police said they were also investigating Mr Kim's links with North Korea, after it was revealed he had made multiple visits. "We are investigating...

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Kenyan officials charged over Anglo Leasing scandal -BBC News

Seven ex-government officials in Kenya have been charged in connection with a multimillion-dollar corruption scam. The accused, including an ex-finance minister, all denied charges of abuse of office and conspiracy to commit economic crimes and were freed on bail. The Anglo Leasing affair, which involved contracts being awarded to phantom firms, shocked Kenyans when it was revealed in 2004. A previous legal case fell apart in 2005 because...

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Paris drones: New wave of alerts - BBC News

Ten more drones have been spotted flying over Paris and reports say police are searching for four men after a chase in the east of the city. The latest drones were seen hovering near the Eiffel Tower and several other areas further away from the centre. Some 60 drones have been sighted since October, over nuclear installations and central Paris, the government says. The most recent have all been over Paris, prompting security fears after the...

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Nemtsov murder: Putin urges end to political killings -BBC News

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has called for an end to "shameful" political killings in Russia, after the shooting of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov just outside the Kremlin walls. He said the most serious attention should be paid to high-profile crimes. The former deputy prime minister, 55, was murdered on Friday night and buried in Moscow on Tuesday. The motive is unknown, but Mr Putin's aides have rejected suggestions that he had...

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Ukraine gas blast 'kills 30' at Zasyadko coal mine - BBC News

A suspected methane gas blast at a coal mine in a rebel-held region of eastern Ukraine has killed at least 30 people, officials say. At least 14 miners were also injured at the Zasyadko nine in Donetsk, scene of the country's worst mine disaster nearly eight years ago. Rescuers have not yet reached the site of the blast, officials said. Donetsk saw heavy fighting between separatist rebels and government troops over the winter. But a mine...

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Ebola: Liberia's Johnson Sirleaf urges 'Marshall Plan' - BBC News

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called for a "Marshall Plan" for the Ebola-affected countries of West Africa. She was referring to the massive US aid programme for Europe launched after World War Two. Her comments came after Sierra Leone was immediately granted more than $80m (£52m) to help end the Ebola outbreak and recover from its effects. The IMF has pledged a $187m financial aid package for Sierra Leone. Nearly $5bn has...

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Cricket World Cup 2015: South Africa beat Ireland by 201 runs - BBC News

South Africa condemned Ireland to their first defeat of the World Cup as they cruised to a 201-run win in Canberra. Hashim Amla hit 159, Faf du Plessis 109 and Rilee Rossouw a rapid unbeaten 61 in South Africa's 411-4, the second time in two Pool B games they have passed 400. Ireland collapsed to 48-5 as they were bowled out for 210 in 45 overs despite Andrew Balbirnie's 58. Kyle Abbott claimed 4-21 and fellow pace bowler Morne Morkel 3-34. South...

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Dave Mackay: Scotland and Tottenham legend dies aged 80 - BBC News

Former Tottenham, Derby, Hearts and Scotland midfielder Dave Mackay has died, aged 80. He won 10 major honours as a player in British and European football. The Edinburgh-born player also won 22 caps for his country and was named 'Footballer of the Year' in both Scotland and England. Paying tribute, Spurs said: "He was one of our greatest ever players and a man who never failed to inspire those around him." After winning all three domestic...

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