Iran says the sole purpose of its nuclear programme is civilian energy projects

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Rouhani's Iran

• Clock ticking
• Hardline anxiety
• Nuclear talks pessimism
• Economy afloat

Key sticking points remain as negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme enter their final stages in Vienna, Western negotiators have said.

Both Germany and the US said the sides were working to close "big gaps" ahead of Monday's deadline for a final deal.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is to hold fresh talks on Saturday with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif.

Six world powers want Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of United Nations sanctions.

The US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China - the so-called P5+1 group - are seeking reassurance that Iran is not trying to build nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely energy-related.

Potential deal-breakers

Uranium enrichment: Western states want to reduce Iran's capacity in order to prevent it acquiring weapons-grade material but Tehran is set on expanding it nearly 20-fold in the coming years

Sanctions reduction: Iran wants sanctions lifted immediately but Western states want to stagger their removal to ensure Tehran abides by its commitments

Bomb technology: Iran has failed to explain explosives tests and other activity that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme and has denied international nuclear inspectors access to its Parchin military site

'No new ideas'

On Saturday Mr Kerry said: "We're working hard. We hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps (...) which we're working to close."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the negotiations so far "constructive", but added: "That must not mask the fact that there is still a big gap between us in many aspects."

One European source told the AFP news agency that it was now "physically impossible" to reach a full deal in the remaining timeframe. Another anonymous official told Reuters: "Our feeling is that [Iran's negotiators] don't have a lot of flexibility."

However, an Iranian source told the BBC that they remained confident a complete deal was still possible, suggesting the deadline could be extended by a couple of days.

The P5+1 group and Iran reached an interim agreement a year ago. But the two sides failed to reach a lasting deal by July, as initially agreed, and extended the deadline until 24 November.

After meeting Mr Kerry on Friday evening, Mr Zarif said he heard "no new ideas" and had received "no remarkable proposals to take to Tehran".

Iran has been resisting efforts to scale back its nuclear programme for nearly a decade.

Separately, the international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is calling on Iran to address its concerns about suspicious military activities that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme.

On Friday, a senior Iranian official told the BBC the team was expecting to reach an outline of a deal by the deadline and then spend the following seven-to-10 days working on the implementation of it at expert level.

Former EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (left) is taking part in the talks alongside foreign ministers

Nuclear talks timeline

• January 2012: IAEA confirms Iran is enriching uranium to levels of up to 20%, an important step towards making it weapons-grade
• June 2013: Reformist-backed cleric Hassan Rouhani wins presidential election, raising hopes for deadlocked nuclear talks
• November 2013: Iran and world powers reach interim deal to curb programme; deadline for final agreement set for July 2014
• January 2014: Some Western sanctions eased as Iran uranium enrichment remains at 5%
• July 2014: Deadline extended until November 2014

Interim nuclear deal: Key points

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called on Iran to show "flexibility". At the same time, he warned: "We have a long way to go if we are to get to a deal before the deadline."

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "all the elements are already on the table" as long as there was "political will".

The deal being sought by the world powers is not directly linked to the IAEA's investigation of Iran.

However, the US has said in the past that Iran must address the watchdog's concerns if it expects a comprehensive agreement in the talks.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iran had not "provided any explanations that enable the agency to clarify the outstanding practical measures".

Ebola patients are taken to dedicated treatment centres across Guinea

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Ebola outbreak

• Orphans in pictures
• Cuban model
• Ebola's undertakers
• The basics

The Ebola outbreak is now "stable" in Guinea, where the latest crisis began, the World Health Organization says.

There were still some flare ups in the south-east, but things were improving in other prefectures, WHO co-ordinator Dr Guenael Rodier told the BBC.

More than 5,400 people have died in the latest outbreak, with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia the worst hit.

The outbreak can be ended by mid-2015 if the world speeds up its response, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said.

But he warned that although the rate of new cases was slowing in parts of West Africa, Mali - where six people have died and a seventh case has been reported - was now of deep concern.

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Dr Rodier: "Lessons have been learned"

And the head of the UN Ebola mission, Anthony Banbury, said the world was "far away" from beating the virus.

There have been more than 15,300 reported cases of Ebola since the outbreak began earlier this year, the WHO says.

More than 1,200 people have died of Ebola in Guinea alone.

However, Dr Rodier said that the situation in Guinea was now "relatively stable".

"When you look in more detail, you see that it's still quite active in the Guinea forest area [in] the south of the country," Dr Rodier said.

However, he added that the situation was "actually improving in a number of prefectures, especially Conakry", where there was a fairly good understanding of how the disease was spreading.

The WHO has faced criticism that it was too slow to respond during the start of the crisis.

However, Dr Rodier said it was the first time there had been such a serious outbreak in West Africa, adding: "Lessons have been learned."

Refused entry

Guinea has not been as badly hit by Ebola as neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Eight months since the outbreak was first declared, some still do not believe Ebola is a real disease, and health teams trying to trace new potential cases are still being refused entry to some villages, says the BBC's Tulip Mazumdar in the capital Conakry.

The latest Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,000 people

Meanwhile, a group of 30 health workers from the UK's National Health Service have flown to Sierra Leone to help treat Ebola patients.

They are also expected to train local staff at treatment centres across the country.

Ebola is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms, such as fever or vomiting.

People caring for the sick or handling the bodies of people infected Ebola are therefore especially vulnerable.

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Related Stories

• Who are Somalia's al-Shabab?
• Tackling the militants of Mombasa
• Al-Shabab's recruitment 'pipeline'

Gunmen from the Somali militant group al-Shabab say they have attacked a bus in northern Kenya, killing 28 people.

The bus was travelling to the capital, Nairobi, when it was stopped in Mandera county, not far from the Somali border.

Gunmen separated out non-Muslims by asking passengers to read from the Koran, officials and witnesses said. Those who failed were then shot in the head.

Al-Shabab has carried out a series of attacks in Kenya since 2011.

A statement on a website linked to the Islamist group carried a statement saying the attack was carried out in retaliation for security raids on mosques in the coastal city of Mombasa earlier this week.

Kenya's interior ministry said on its Twitter feed that a camp belonging to the attackers had been destroyed by Kenyan military helicopters and jets, with "many killed".

Analysis by Anne Soy, BBC News, Nairobi

Mandera shares a long and porous border with Somalia. The area - in fact the region - has been prone to insecurity since Kenya's independence in 1963.

It's a vast arid and semi-arid area that is sparsely populated and characterised by poor infrastructure and very few schools and hospitals. Communities in the north have felt marginalised by the national government for decades.

Guns are readily available due to its proximity to Somalia and the south of Ethiopia where the Oromo Liberation Front is active. Al-Shabab has a base on the Somali side of the border - Gadondhawe - which was recently bombarded by Kenyan warplanes.

It's a confluence of factors that makes it a fertile ground for recruitment by the militant group.

'Point blank'

One of the passengers on the bus, Ahmed Mahat, told the BBC that there were more than 60 passengers on board when it was attacked, before dawn on Saturday, about 30km (19 miles) from Mandera town.

The driver tried to accelerate away, but the vehicle became stuck in mud caused by recent heavy rains, he said.

About 10 heavily-armed men speaking Somali ordered the passengers off the bus.

"When we got down, passengers were separated according to Somali and non-Somalis," Mr Mahat said.

"The non-Somalis were ordered to read some verses of the holy Koran, and those who failed to read were ordered to lie down. One by one they were shot in the head at point blank range."

Some Somalis were shot after pleading with the gunmen to spare non-Somali passengers, Mr Mahat added.

Kenya's Red Cross said emergency workers were trying to retrieve bodies from the scene.

Security agencies were "in pursuit of the criminal gang" that carried out the attack, the interior ministry said. It described the assailants as "bandits".

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Police chief David Mwole Kimaiyo promised a "major security operation"

A local official quoted by Kenyan media said the government had failed to answer their pleas for extra security.

"This place has been prone to attacks," county official Abdullahi Abdirahman told The Daily Nation.

"This is not the first time the government has totally ignored us, and you can now see the how many innocent precious lives have been lost."

Mr Mahat, a teacher from Mandera, said police never came to rescue people from attacks for fear of being ambushed themselves.

Mombasa raids

The attack comes after a week of heightened tension in Mombasa, which has suffered a series of al-Shabab attacks.

Security forces raided mosques in the city, saying they were being used to store weapons. The raids triggered apparent revenge attacks by Muslim youths.

Kenya has experience a series of al-Shabab attacks since it sent troops to Somalia three years ago to help fight the militant group.

Mandera, a remote area in Kenya's north-east that shares a long and porous border with Somalia, has been one of the regions worst-affected by the violence.

On the Somali side of the border, al-Shabab is said to have a base that was recently bombed by Kenyan warplanes. It was not immediately clear whether this was the same base targeted by Kenya following Saturday's attack.

There was unrest in Mandera in June after two clerics accused of belonging to al-Shabab were shot dead. Residents protested that the clerics had no links to the group.

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Al-Shabab - a potent threat in East Africa

Analysts say Western sanctions are beginning to have an impact on Russ

Western sanctions against Russia over its role in Ukraine are aimed at forcing regime change in Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says.

Speaking to foreign policy advisers in Moscow, Mr Lavrov referred to calls for sanctions "that will destroy the economy and cause public protests".
On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said Moscow must guard against a "colour revolution".
Russia denies arming Ukrainian rebels or sending Russian troops there.
Western sanctions were first imposed when Russia annexed Ukraine's region of Crimea in March following a controversial referendum.
Further measures have been added since, targeting senior Russian officials as well as defence firms, banks and the country's oil industry.

Analysis: Sarah Rainsford, BBC News, Moscow Far from softening under sanctions, Russia has been toughening its stance over the crisis in Ukraine.
Mr Lavrov's statement fits Moscow's narrative, that what happened in Ukraine a year ago was not a popular uprising, but an illegal coup, plotted and co-ordinated from abroad.
Moscow argues the West's aim was to snatch Ukraine from Russia's sphere of influence.
It's another reminder of the huge gulf of understanding that now divides Russia and the West, whose relations are worse now than ever since the end of the Cold War.

On Thursday, referring to uprisings in former Soviet states including Ukraine and Georgia, Mr Putin said the world could see "what tragic consequences the wave of the so-called colour revolutions has led to".
Ukraine's 2004 pro-Western uprising became known as the Orange Revolution, while Georgia's Rose Revolution took place in 2003.
"We have to do all that is needed to ensure that similar things never happen in Russia," Mr Putin said.
Addressing the advisory Foreign and Defence Policy Council in Moscow on Saturday, his foreign minister said: "As for the concept behind to the use of coercive measures, the West is making clear it does not want to force Russia to change policy but wants to secure regime change."
"Public figures in Western countries say there is a need to impose sanctions that will destroy the economy and cause public protests," Mr Lavrov said without naming any Western officials.

Rebels have been trying to consolidate their positions in the east of the country

Troops accusations A ceasefire has been in place since the outlines of a peace deal were agreed in September, but it has been broken regularly.
Visiting Kiev on Friday on the anniversary of the uprising which ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, US Vice-President Joe Biden warned that Russia faced "rising costs and greater isolation" if it failed to respect the September peace deal.
Since the ousting of Mr Yanukovych in February, Russia has annexed Crimea from Ukraine after a disputed referendum. while a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine has cost at least 4,300 lives.
On the ground in eastern Ukraine, pro-Russia rebels continued firing against government troops in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk.
On Saturday, Ukraine's defence minister accused Russia of sending 7,500 troops inside Ukraine.
Russia says accusations of troops concentrations on the border with Ukraine or of Russian troops inside the neighbour's territory are "fake".
Figures released by the UN human rights office on Thursday show that an average of 13 people have been killed daily in eastern Ukraine since the 5 September ceasefire came into place.
A report by the UN described a total breakdown of law and order in the rebel-held Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It also highlighted allegations of abuses by government forces.

Human cost of conflict in east Ukraine

Mourners at the funeral on 7 November of two schoolboys killed by shelling in Donetsk, Andrei Yeliseyev (18) and Daniil Kuznetsov (14)

4,317 deaths since April, 957 of them since the 5 September ceasefire, and 9,921 people wounded
466,829 internally displaced persons within Ukraine
454,339 refugees living abroad, 387,355 of them in Russia
UN data from 18 November
Ukraine's year of chaotic events

 
The Portuguese coach doubts his side's chances of remaining unbeaten for the duration of the season but is confident they will bounce back immediately from any such setback Chelseamanager Jose Mourinho is resigned to the prospect of losing this season but insists defeat will not lead to crisis at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues can extend their unbeaten run to 18 games when they face West Brom on Saturday and victory would extend their lead over Southampton to seven points.

	CHELSEA LATEST
1/6	Chelsea are 1/6 with bet365 to win the Premier League this season

But Mourinho does not fear the prospect of picking up a first loss of the campaign and is confident his side are strong enough mentally to bounce back from any such setback and avoid falling into a rut.

"The thing that gives us confidence is the results we are getting are not occasional. They're because we're playing well," he told reporters.

"We believe that, when we lose points, the next game we are going to play well again.

"Against Maribor in the Champions League [earlier in November], we lost two points but in the next game we were not in crisis. We were at Liverpool to play well again.

"I don't believe there'll be a Chelsea crisis in the season. I believe Chelsea will lose points and matches, but not in a crisis of results. I truly believe in our ability.

"We don't have pressure to lead. The pressure is for the ones who are coming behind. I always felt the pressure when I was behind, not when I was on the top and I've always been competing for titles.

"To be first is easier than to be second. If you're first, you think just about yourself."

Chelsea’s form saw bookmakers Paddy Power pay out early to customers who backed the Blues for the title this season, but Mourinho dismissed suggestions his side were guaranteed to be champions.

He said: "I know we are playing very well. I know that clearly. But it's pure, simple mathematics. We have played 11 matches. We have 27 to play. We're not even halfway through the season, so it's too early."

 

The Premier League champions are without Kolarov, David Silva and Dzeko but the Swans boss feels they have the depth to cope with most injury crises

Garry Monk says Manchester City have the depth to cope with their significant list of absentees ahead of Saturday's clash with Swansea City .

The defending Premier League champions could be without four first-team regulars as they look to reverse a poor run of form at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

Manuel Pellegrini's men have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions and were held to a 2-2 draw at lowly QPR prior to the international break.

The hosts - who face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday - are likely to be without the injured Aleksandar Kolarov (ankle), David Silva (knee) and Edin Dzeko (calf) are also doubtful.

However, Swansea boss Monk insists City have the squad to deal with such problems.

"The players they have to come in would get in most sides," he said. "They probably look at this as a chance to get three points, but hopefully we can put on a performance to try and get points.

"They're a good side. It's a tough place to go, they are an extremely good squad, defending champions. It's a tough proposition for us but one we look forward to.

"The players relish playing them to see how far they've come as individuals and a group and we can see how far we have come."

Swansea have not had much luck at the site of their first Premier League fixture back in 2011.

That encounter set the tone for the two that have followed in Manchester, with Swansea losing all three meetings at the Etihad - conceding eight goals and scoring none.

But the Welsh outfit have given an excellent account of themselves in the top flight this season and would pull level on points with City should they pick up an unexpected win.

However, Monk says he has not altered his expectations for the campaign, despite a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Arsenal last time out.

"We just focus on the next game," he added. "If you look too far ahead, you lose track of what you're doing. We're just looking at Man City and giving that 100 per cent commitment.

"You obviously look at the table, but my focus is on attacking every game as best we can and getting the best performance that will hopefully get us enough points to stay in the top half.

"But we're realistic. Teams below us are very powerful financially, but we're competing so far."

While Manchester City struggle with injuries, Federico Fernandez (calf) looks set to be the only absentee for the visitors.

Opener smashes his fifth ODI century, Starc picks up four wickets to help hosts take 2-1 series lead over South Africa.

Australia's Aaron Finch hit his fifth ODI century to drive the hosts to a 73-run victory over South Africa in Canberra and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Finch put on 118 for the first wicket with David Warner (53) and went on to score 109 on a good Manuka Oval wicket before being bowled by Proteas skipper AB de Villiers. Shane Watson hit a bright 40 but it fell to Steve Smith to haul Australia out of a mid-innings slump with a sparkling unbeaten 73 from 55 balls that gave Australia an imposing total of 329 for five. South Africa are rarely daunted by any target and openers Hashim Amla (102) and Quinton de Kock (47) started at a brisk pace at the ground where they will play Ireland in a group match at the World Cup next year. Their opening stand ended with 108 on the board when De Kock got a top edge to a Josh Hazlewood delivery that was caught by Mitch Marsh but Amla dug in as a couple of wickets fell at the other end to reach his 17th ODI century. By now he had been joined by De Villiers and their partnership looked like it might give the tourists a series lead going into the final two matches, in Melbourne on Friday and Sydney on Sunday. The match turned, however, when they were dismissed in successive overs, Amla clean-bowled by Hazlewood (3-51) and De Villiers trapped leg before by Kane Richardson for 52. Australian left-arm paceman Mitch Starc took four for 32 in mopping up the South African tail, which was shortened with the tourists on 256-9 when spinner Imran Tahir failed to bat after picking up a knock in the field. Scorecard: Australia 329-5 in 50 overs (Finch 109, Morkel 2-84) South Africa 256 all out in 44.3 overs (Amla 102, Starc 4-32)

Lionel Messi has created a storm. The Argentine attacker hinted earlier this week that his future may not be at Barcelona after all, alluding to severe criticism and "difficult times" at the Catalan club. And as news spread of the forward's frustrations at Camp Nou, Europe's top teams were placed on red alert. 

Key figures such as Messi's father Jorge, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu and team-mate Javier Mascherano have been quick to play down the possibility of the 27-year-old seeking a move elsewhere, but the player himself has given serious thought to a future away from Barca.

As things stand, it still looks likely Leo will smooth things over at the club where he has spent over half his life since joining as a tiny but talented 13-year-old in 2000.

Nevertheless, Europe's elite will be watching with interest to see how the player's situation develops. But how many clubs could afford to sign the Argentine anyway? Several sides in Asia, such as rich Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, could probably meet Messi's massive €250m release clause, but the Argentine would want to remain in Europe at this point in his career. So here, Goal takes a look at the possible suitors if the four-time Ballon d'Or winner did decide to leave Camp Nou behind... 

BAYERN MUNICH

Messi's perfect partnership with Pep Guardiola brought the best out of both men, with 14 out of a possible 19 titles for the Catalan club between 2008 and 2012, as well as a host of records for the Argentine attacker and four consecutive Ballons d'Or.

Bayern have just paid off the Allianz Arena more than 15 years ahead of schedule and chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's magazine: "The revenues from the Allianz Arena can soon be invested in the team."

That's ominous news for everyone else, but Bayern's head of finances Jan-Christian Dreesen toldSport Bild 10 days ago: "We won't spend the amounts that clubs from southern Europe spend. We would rather invest in improving our collective strength than buying a megastar for €90 or €100 million."

Messi (who would probably cost more than that anyway, albeit much less than his current clause) is an Adidas athlete and a deal could potentially be struck with the sports manufacturer helping the German club to finance a transfer. However, spending such sums is against Bayern's principles in the transfer market and the Bundesliga champions would be unlikely to make a move - however much Guardiola would like to buy his former protege.  

CHELSEA

If you can't beat them, join them! Messi has traditionally found life tough against Chelsea and was famously called a diver by Jose Mourinho following the sides' Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge in early 2006.

The Argentine's style of football is also a million miles from the defensive tactics shown on occasions by the Blues on their visits to Camp Nou.

Nevertheless, this is a very different Chelsea team and Mourinho managed to convince Barcelona and Arsenal fan Cesc Fabregas to join the club last summer. So why not Messi?

Less of a big-spending side in recent years, Chelsea's income and the deep pockets of chairman Roman Abramovich mean a deal could be financed, while Messi's close friendship with Cesc (the players' partners are also very close and were together in London last week) could be another deciding factor. So perhaps the idea is less ludicrous than it first seems.

MANCHESTER CITY

One of the reasons Messi is less content at Camp Nou right now is the absence of a great friend in the dressing room following the summer departures of best Barca buddies Jose Pinto and Cesc Fabregas.

At City, he would link up with compatriots Sergio Aguero, Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta. The latter is one of Messi's best friends in football and the two have been close ever since they met at youth levels representing Argentina, while they also saw a lot of each other when the defender played in Barcelona for Espanyol.

City coach Manuel Pellegrini is a big admirer of Messi and the club would love to make a statement of intent by bringing in the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.

However, given their recent fine for infringing Financial Fair Play regulations, City would need to sell several star players or raise significant income in terms of sponsorship before a move for Messi would be possible.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Messi may have lost out to Cristiano Ronaldo in the popularity contest this week at Old Trafford, but that's because the Portuguese is a former Manchester United favourite and the Argentine is remembered for denying the club the Champions League title in 2009 and 2011.

Those fans would quickly change their tune if the possibility of signing Messi arose, but right now United are not even in the Champions League and a loss of revenue from Europe's premier club competition could hit them hard if they miss out on a top-four finish again this term under Louis van Gaal.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward believes the club - still one of the Europe's richest despite escalating debts - are still in good shape. "There is the feeling at the club that we have the start of something special," he said earlier this week.

However, United would need Champions League football to tempt Messi and also to pay for him. And with the club currently down in seventh place in the Premier League, there is no guarantee that will happen this season.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

Paris Saint-Germain missed out on the summer signing of Angel Di Maria due to the Financial Fair Play regulations which saw the club fined €60 million by Uefa earlier this year.

Nevertheless, PSG officials did make contact with Messi's camp earlier in 2014 to discuss an extraordinary move from Barcelona to Paris and the Argentine attacker contemplated a deal before deciding to stay with the Catalan club following a visit to his former coach Tito Vilanova.

Although it is unclear how PSG could fund a deal for Messi, the capital club could be tempted to part company with several of their star names if it meant they could bring in the Barcelona forward.

The club's current icon, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, may look to leave if PSG move for Messi. The two men enjoyed a positive relationship at Camp Nou, but Messi's move to a central role ultimately spelt the end for the Swedish striker at Camp Nou.

REAL MADRID

Asked if he would consider signing Messi from fierce rivals Barcelona, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday: "There is always space for quality players in my team."

Madrid could certainly afford to buy the Argentine in a deal which would eclipse in controversy even the move for Barca winger Luis Figo back in 2000.

President Florentino Perez would love to produce a repeat of that transfer and poach Barca's biggest star, but knows that current club icon Cristiano Ronaldo would not take well to a possible move for Messi.

And in any case, the Argentine would not contemplate turning out for another team in Spain after spending the last 14 years of his life at the Catalan club - least of all the side's eternal enemy.