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Ukraine's deposed President Viktor Yanukoych hascalled Russia's annexation of Crimea a tragedy. Inhis first interview since fleeing to Russia, Mr.Yanukoych said he would try to persuade PresidentPutin to return the Crimea to Ukraine. David Stern reports from Kiev.

Mr. Yanukoych said he hoped to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to return Crimea toUkraine. Moscow annexed Crimea after the majority of the peninsula’s residents voted to joinRussia in a controversial referendum. Many members of the international community,including the United States and the European Union have called Russia's actions illegal. Mr.Yanukoych said he had remained in power, he would have tried to prevent the referendum,calling it a form of a protest against Ukraine's new pro-Western leaders.

The United States Supreme Court has issued the ruling, which potentially gives big politicaldonors more scope to fund Federal election campaigns. From Washington, Jane O'Brien.

The 2012 presidential election costed more than $2bn and it was the most expensive in UShistory. Individual donations to candidates are still capped, but there is no longer any limit tohow many candidates the same individual can support. That's has the potential to influencecongressional elections in which Republicans and Democrats are in a close battle for the senateand the House. For years, reformers have tried to limit how much individuals can spend, butthis is the latest ruling by the Supreme Court that says such restrictions are unconstitutional.

A top aide to Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has resigned following a leaked recording,in which he alleged the Miniter's influence to investigate against the extreme right-wing GoldenDawn party. Panayiotis Baltakos was secretly filmed telling a Golden Dawn spokesman that thereis no proof for criminal charges against the party. From Athens, Make Lowen reports.

In a video posted online, Panayiotis Baltakos, the prime minister's aide appears to rubbish thecriminal investigation against Golden Dawn. He tells a senior party MP that there was no prooffor criminal charges against Golden Dawn, but the two ministers called prosecutors to ensurethe MPs were detained. He suggests the Prime Minister influence the investigation to stopvotes going to the neo-Nazis. This is at the very least an embarrassment for the government,but will also be seen as a further evidence that Greece's judiciary is not independent and thatthe case against Golden Dawn is on shaky ground.

The France Prime Minister Manuel Valls has unveiled his new government bringing SegoleneRoyal, the former partner of President Francois Hollande, who also run for president. She willbe the new environment minister in a major shake-up after the governing Socialist partysuffered heavy losses in municipal elections. In the new small cabinet, eight out the 16ministers are women.

World News from the BBC

The United States has told Iran it has deepness givens about the diplomat Tehran's chosen asits next ambassador to the United Nations. The State Department said he was linked to takingof US hostages in Tehran in 1979. From Washington Rajini Vaidyanathan.

It's Hamid Aboutalebi's past which concerns many here in the US. At his time of a member of aMuslim student organization which remains controversial. The group was behind the seizer ofthe US embassy in Tehran in 1979. It's not known what Mr. Aboutalebi's involvement was, hesays he was nearly a translator. The US State Department says it has serious concern aboutTehran's decision to nominate him as UN ambassador and says it raised this with Iranianofficials.

A survey in South Africa has revealed that the use of condom is declining despite high levelsof HIV/AIDS. The Human Sciences Research Council said that South Africans under the age of50 were having more sexual partners and using condoms less. It warned of the dangers ofcomplacency. It said that three quarters of those surveyed believed they were at low risk ofcontracting HIV, but that when tested, some 10% of those people were actually found to bealready HIV positive.

Forty soldiers have appeared before a military tribunal in Sierra Leone to face charges ofattempting to kidnap the country's President Ernest Bai Koroma. They were arrested in Augustlast year in the president's hometown of Makeni. The Human rights organization havecomplained that the accused have been detained since then without charge.

A new prison to house pirates has opened in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland.The $6m state of the art complex has been founded by Norway and the European Union. Somecritics have described it as too luxurious for prisoners, saying it looks more like a hotel than aprison.