BBC news. Hello, I am Jerry Smit.

The Pentagon has described the Taliban seizure of thenorthern Afghan city of Konduz on Monday as a setback, but says it's confidentthat the Afghan military can retake it. The US defense spokesman Peter Cook saida counter offensive was under way.

“We strongly condemn the attacks in Konduzand stand with the Afghan people in our commitment to Afghan's peace andsecurity. The situation in Konduz remains fluid, and we are continuing tofollow the situation closely. We have confidence in the Afghan nationalsecurity forces.”

He said American forces had carried out an air strike on theoutskirts of Konduz, but a BBC correspondent says the Taliban are inresidential areas of the city center which the Afghan government is unwillingto bomb for fears of causing civilian casualties.

The interim authorities in Burkina Faso say the army has taken control of thebarracks of elite force behind a failed coup earlier this month. There is noword on any casualties. Thomas Fessy reports.

“Government troops fired artilleryand used tanks to dislodge members of the presidential guards who refused todisarm. They had earlier surrounded their camps giving them a last chance tosurrender. The interim authorities now consider it a job done, but the manbehind the recent coup general Diendere, who had earlier called on elitesoldiers to lay down their weapons, is nowhere to be found. It is suspecting,however, they sought refuge in a compound that belonged to the Vatican’sdiplomatic mission.”

The authorities in the Central Africa Republic say residents of the capital Banguiare observing a night time curfew following days of intense fighting betweenChristian and Muslim groups. The interior minister told the BBC that thegovernment was in control, but the situation remained volatile.

The Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed that he intends to remainin personal control of the oil ministry, as he pursues an anti-corruptioncampaign. He has previously said he would trace and recover the mind-bogglingsums of money that have been stolen from the oil sector.

The United States has announced sanctions against 35 people in groupsassociated with Islamic state movement to try to cut off their sources offunding.

From New York, Barbara Plett Usher has the details.

“The sanctions areaimed at disrupting how Islamic state operates. They target financial,logistical and recruiting operatives. And they demonstrate how widely the grouphas spread its influence. The list includes regional spinoffs from Egypt to theRussian Caucasus, and individuals from Indonesia to Pakistan, as well as anumber from Britain and France. Some of them including the Britons were amongthose added to the UN's al-Qaeda sanction list this week. The announcement inWashington coincided with the UN summit on expanding the fight againstterrorism chaired by President Barack Obama.”

Barbara Plett Usher reporting. Youare listening to world news from the BBC.

President Obama and the Cuban President Raul Castro have held talks on thesidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, their first meetingon US soil. The two men discussed some of the steps towards reconciliation thathad been made in recent months.

Doctors in Britain have secured the approval to carry out the country's firsttempted womb transplants as part of a clinical trial. Last year, a baby inSweden became the first in the world to be delivered following a successfulwomb transplant, Fergus Walsh reports.

“Around one in 5000 women is bornwithout uterus, and already more than 100 potential transplant recipients havebeen identified by the UK team. Unlike in Sweden where the womb was donated bya friend of the recipient, the British team will use organs from deceaseddonors. The woman will need to take immunosuppress drugs to prevent the wombbeing rejected. These carry long term health risks, so surgeons will remove thewomb either 6 months after birth or once they have tried for a second baby.

The Indian capital city Deli is suffering its worst outbreak of dengue feverfor years. Officials say about 25,000 people have been infected by the mosquitoborne disease which can be fatal. But a BBC correspondent in Deli says the realnumber is thought to be far higher. He says fights have broken out among thosewaiting for treatment at one hospital where 9/10 people have been turned awaybecause of a shortage of resources.

The fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has attracted morethan 700,000 followers within hours of opening an account on the social mediasite twitter. In one of his first twits, Mr. Snowden described himself as justa citizen with voice. The US government filed espionage charges against himafter he exposed details of its surveillance program.

BBC news.