"It is important at this time that the whole international community, in accordance with the Security Council resolution, do all what we can in one voice to help this

cessation

of violence continue."

The conflict on the border between Sudan and South Sudan has deepened. The United Nations has confirmed that the Sudanese air force bombed a marketplace in the town of Bentiu in South Sudan, killing at least five people. Earlier, South Sudan said it had fought off an attack by the Sudanese army near the oil-producing region of Heglig.

Negotiators from the world's major powers have held talks with Iran over its nuclear programme, the first for more than a year. Speaking after the meeting in Turkey, the European Union's high representative Catherine Ashton described the talks as "constructive". James Reynolds reports from Istanbul.

Iran and the West face a fundamental problem: an almost complete lack of trust in one another. This lack of faith goes back many decades, and it's essentially the main issue at this new round of nuclear talks in Istanbul. The opening session lasted for two and a half hours. Western

diplomats

describe this session as "positive" and "constructive". No one expects an immediate breakthrough, but there appears to be a belief here that a second round of talks may be held in another four to six weeks.

World News from the BBC

The Belarus opposition leader and former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov has been