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Russia offers help to remove Syrian Chemical Arms
Russia can send its military personnel to help in the proposed operation to eliminate Syria's chemical arms, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says.
Mr Lavrov told Russian TV that military observers could help Syria destroy its stockpiles under a US-Russian deal.
He also accused the US of using "blackmail" over a UN resolution.
The international chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, says Syria has met the deadline to submit details of its estimated 1,000-tonne chemical arsenal.
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Double suicide bombing kills 80 in Peshawar
Burials have been taking place in the Pakistani city of Peshawar after a double suicide bombing killed at least 80 people at a church on Sunday.
It is thought to be the deadliest ever attack on Pakistan's Christians.
Two Islamist militant groups with Taliban links said they ordered the attack to hit back at US drone strikes.
Political and religious leaders condemned the attack, but angry crowds took to the streets denouncing the state's failure to protect minorities.
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John Kerry says bigger risk not taking action over Syria conflict
US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that not responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces would be riskier than taking action.
He was speaking in London before returning to the US to urge Congress to back launching military strikes.
Russia has appealed to Washington to focus instead on peace talks.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has said if the US does attack militarily, it should "expect every action".
The US accuses Mr Assad's forces of killing 1,429 people in a poison-gas attack on 21 August on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.
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George Osborne says UK economy is turning corner
The UK economy is "turning a corner", Chancellor George Osborne has said in a speech in London.
Mr Osborne cited "tentative signs of a balanced, broad based and sustainable recovery", but stressed it was still the "early stages" and "plenty of risks" remained.
Mr Osborne said that recent months - which have seen more upbeat reports on the economy - had "decisively ended" questions about his economic policy.
Labour has dismissed the comments.
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Putin's ally Sergei Sobyanin wins Moscow mayor election
Kremlin-backed candidate Sergei Sobyanin has won the election for mayor of Moscow, Russian election officials have announced.
Mr Sobyanin secured 51.3% - just above the 50% threshold needed to avoid a second-round ballot.
His main rival, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, polled 27.2%.
Mr Navalny called for a run-off and refused to recognise the results, saying they had been "deliberately falsified".
Mr Navalny said he had won enough votes to force a second round and that the count had been marred by "many serious violations".
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UK closely aligned with US over Syrian Crisis says Hague
William Hague says the UK and US remain "closely aligned" on Syria, after talks with his US counterpart John Kerry.
The UK foreign secretary said the two were working together to save lives and revive peace talks as well as press for a strong response to the Assad government's use of chemical weapons.
Mr Kerry said the risks of doing nothing were greater than acting.
The two countries remained "true friends" despite the UK ruling out any military involvement, he insisted.
Their meeting in London comes as the US tries to gather support for military strikes.
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Kurdish PKK rebels halt Turkey pull-out
The rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) says it has halted its withdrawal from Turkey, a website linked to the armed militant group reports.
The PKK accused the Turkish government of failing to move towards "democratisation and the resolution of the Kurdish problem", the Firat news agency reported.
The PKK had started the withdrawal earlier this year, under a peace plan.
The 30-year Kurdish conflict has left more than 40,000 people dead.
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Brazilian protests disrupt Independence Day celebrations
Protesters in Brazil have disrupted Independence Day celebrations, demanding better public services and an end to corruption.
Riot police responded with tear gas and baton roundIn Rio de Janeiro, some 200 protesters interrupted the traditional Seventh of September military parade, shouting anti-government slogans.
They clashed with police, who threw tear gas and arrested dozens of people.
There were further clashes in the capital, Brasilia, where President Dilma Rousseff was giving a speech.
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Egyptian army launches offensive against Sinai militants
At least nine Islamist militants have been killed in a major offensive by the Egyptian army in Sinai, security officials have said.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that tanks and troops, backed by Apache helicopters, had struck the militants in towns along the Gaza Strip border.
The operation is said to be the biggest of its kind in recent years in Sinai.
Meanwhile, Egyptian soldiers defused mortars and other explosives found on a railway line near the Suez Canal.
There have been frequent attacks on pipelines and security forces since the uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
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MPs warn that Aircraft carrier fighter jet programme is a huge risk
MPs have raised fresh concerns about the cost of fighter jets for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, warning of "uncontrolled growth" in budgets.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee said billions of pounds had already gone "down the drain" during the carrier strike procurement programme.
An order for jump jets for the two new carriers was scrapped in 2010, only to be reversed 18 months later.
Ministers said they were negotiating to bring costs under control.
The Labour government signed a contract for two new aircraft carrier in 2007.
Aircraft switch
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