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The United States is sending a team of experts to Nigeria to help find more than 200 schoolgirlskidnapped by an Islamist group. The US Secretary of State John Kerry said the Americanembassy in Abuja was providing US military personnel, law enforcement officers and hostagenegotiators. Mr. Kerry said he'd offered the assistance in a call to the Nigerian President.

President Goodluck Jonathan was very happy to receive this offer and ready to move on itimmediately. And we are immediately engaging in order to implement 1 this. We remain deeplyconcerned about the welfare of these young girls, and we want to provide whateverassistance as possible in order to help for their safe return to their families.

Washington has imposed sanctions on two military commanders in South Sudan, one maneach side of the conflict. As Barbara Plett Usher 2 reports.

The sanctions targeted a senior rebel General and a commander of South Sudan presidentialguards. Both are proved, the US said, led violent attacks against civilians 3 in fighting that killedthousands and displaced more than a million. On the recent tour to Africa, the Secretary ofState John Kerry had warned the possible sanctions against rebel leader, Riek Machar, if herefused to join peace talks later this week, but he has now apparently 4 signaled willingness toparticipate. Still the sanction showed deep US frustration 5 with South Sudan, a country it'dhelped to create and into which it has poured vast amounts of aid.

Peace talk is due to take place in South Sudan on Friday, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moonsays he's been given assurances by both President Salva Kiir and the rebel leader, Riek Macharthat they will attend.

The Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said there was on point to hold new talks withUkraine, unless poor Russian opposition 6 groups involved. Mr. Lavror also said it would beunusual if a presidential election planned for this month was held, while Ukraine's army wasbeing deployed 7 against part of the population. The Ukraine's Interim 8 Foreign Minister, AndriyDeshchytsia, said his government was not in favor of negotiating with pro-Russian groups.

We consider that these groups are terrorist and extremists. Because how you can call thepeople who are seizing the buildings and terrorized people. If these people will surrender andleave the buildings, these gunmen will know that I will offer amnesty for them.

Officials in Kenya say more than 60 people have died after consuming illicit 9 liquor. Dozens ofothers are said to have been blinded after drinking the alcohol, which was believed to be lacedwith industrial chemicals. A BBC correspondent says consumption of homemade liquors high inKenya as most people can't afford commercially brewed 10 alcohol.

BBC News

The authorities in Colombia say they raided an office that was illegally spying on rebel andgovernment communication to try to undermine peace talks. The Colombian AttorneyGeneral said that the emails have been intercepted 11 from a Farc rebel negotiator to journalistsand possibly from President Juan Manuel Santos. One person was arrested.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, says the leaders of the main political parties inparliament have agreed to hold an early election after plans to create a national army stoped. Aboycott by served minority MPs meant to vote in rival to introduce of 5,000 strong armycould not go ahead. Mr. Thaci said parliament would be dissolved this week with an electionplanned for June 8.

A growing number of Hollywood celebrities 13 have called for a boycott 12 of hotels owned by thegovernment of Brunei in a protest against the introduction of Sharia law in the Sultan in lastweek. Regan Morris reports from Los Angeles.

The iconic Beverly Hills Hotel has hosted Hollywood elites 14 since it opened over 100 years ago,but those days may be over. Some of Hollywood's most popular and powerful entertainers,Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Jeffery Katzenberg and others have called for the boycott of hotelbecause it's owned by the government of Brunei, which introduced harsh Islamic laws againstwomen and gay people. Richard Branson tweeted that no Virgin 15 employees would stay atDorchester Hotels until the Sultan abides 16 by basic human rights. But Christopher Cowdray, thechief executive of the Dorchester Hotels says the boycott has misguided and it will only hurtthe local workers and communities like Beverly Hills and Bel-Air.

The Jamaican sprinter 17, Usain Bolt has appealed for the return of a pair of his running shoes,they were stolen from an industrial state in south London. The orange Puma 18 shoes were underdisplay with the photo of the athlete after he set a world record in 2009. Police say their valueat around $20,000.