US, Iran end latest nuclear talks with deal in balance
A hard-fought nuclear deal hung in the balance as Iran and the United States ended talks on Monday in Oman, with signs the haggling will continue until a November 24 deadline.
Over the past two days US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sought to overcome deep differences, allay mutual suspicion and bring 12 months of diplomatic brinkmanship to the point of a breakthrough.
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Violent crime in US drops by 4.4 per cent: FBI report
Violent crimes in the United States decreased by 4.4 per cent last year, the FBI said on Monday, but warned "much more work" is needed to reduce murders, rapes and armed robberies.
Nearly 1.2 million violent crimes were committed across the country last year, including an estimated 14,196 murders, mostly by guns, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in its annual Crime in the United States report.
By comparison, the murder rate in 2012 was 14,827, according to the FBI.
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Google to boost Ebola donations with US$10m fund
Google launched a campaign Monday to raise money to fight Ebola, tossing US$10 million (S$13 million) into the pot and saying it will match donations to the fund two to one.
In addition, Google chief executive and co-founder Larry Page said his family's foundation is contributing US$15 million to the cause.
"Our hearts go out to everyone whose lives have been touched by this tragedy," Page said in a blog post announcing the campaign.
Google started collecting contributions at the website onetoday.google.com/fightebola, where a message indicated that the two-for-one dollar match would continue until US$7.5 million more in donations were collected.
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Tennis: Djokovic back in the old routine at Tour finals
Novak Djokovic started his bid for a third successive ATP Tour Finals title with a sublime 6-1, 6-1 victory over Marin Cilic at London's O2 Arena on Monday.
Djokovic took just 57 minutes to thrash US Open champion Cilic as the world number one extended his winning run at indoor events to 28 matches, a streak that includes 11 consecutive victories at the Tour Finals.
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Bono, One Direction, Ed Sheeran and more come together for new Band Aid single against Ebola
Bob Geldof on Monday announced a 30th anniversary version of the Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? with U2 frontman Bono, Coldplay's Christ Martin and One Direction joining to raise money to fight Ebola.
It will the fourth incarnation of the song, which became one of the world's biggest-selling singles ever after its release in 1984 to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.
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