The European Union and the International Monetary Fund said they have made good progress with Cyprus on a bailout deal about $20bn to help prop up its banks and pay its debts. They said preliminary results of an investigation into the finances needed were expected within the next few weeks. Cyprus said earlier that an agreement had already been reached. The country was badly hit by the Greek debt crisis.

Ernest Bai Koroma has been elected as president of Sierra Leone for a second term. He secured more than 58% of the votes. Mark Doyle reports from the capital Freetown.

Mr Koroma won on his record of building roads across the country, attracting foreign investment and improving, albeit, only slightly the main electricity supply. This election was certified by a large number of foreign observers, has taken place in an atmosphere of peace and transparency. This country is still associated for many people around the world with war and atrocities. But today nothing could be further from the truth. Sierra Leone is now peaceful and democratic and this election show it is growing away from the war years.

World News from the BBC

The United Nations aid agency is warning that the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis following this week's capture by rebels of the eastern city of Goma. Speaking in Geneva, the spokesman for the UN refugee agency Adrian Edward said thousands of displaced people were receiving no help because of the violence.