Russia's decision to go ahead with the sale of the advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Iran has angered its critics in the West and alarmed the Israeli government in equal measure.

For some it has raised additional question-marks over the fate of any putative nuclear deal between Iran and the international community.
But more significantly it may also mark a renewed effort by Moscow to bolster its diplomatic profile in the Middle East.
The decision to sell the S-300 to Iran is not new, the contract goes back to at least the latter part of 2010.
But for a variety of reasons - concern about Iran's nuclear activities and with intense lobbying from Israel and the West - the Russians never went ahead and delivered the system.
It is not yet clear exactly which version of the S-300 will be sold to Iran.
It is no longer the most sophisticated of Russia's air defences, but it is nonetheless a highly capable system and much better than those the Israelis and Western air forces have faced in the region during recent campaigns.
Critics argue sophisticated air defences weaken the military threat against Iran, and thus weaken the pressure upon it to make and abide by a final nuclear deal.
Russia's view is this is solely a defensive system delivered to a country in a highly volatile region.
It has delayed delivery for some years, but Iranian concessions in the nuclear negotiations mean the sale can finally go ahead.
Once delivered the S-300 will give Iran an additional outer-tier to its air defences.
But the S-300 is by no means an entirely unknown quantity.
Greece (a Nato member) deploys an early version of the S-300 that was originally sold to Cyprus.
There have been persistent reports Israeli and Western air forces have trained against the system.
There has been much exaggerated commentary on the S-300.
It is no wonder-weapon, but it certainly makes attacking Iran's nuclear infrastructure from the air that much harder, perhaps ruling out a go-it-alone strike by the Israelis.
But what's really behind this S-300 deal?
Some see it as an embattled Russian president cocking a snook at the West, though in fairness tensions with Moscow over Ukraine have not damaged concerted efforts to make progress with Iran around the negotiating table.
Others see Vladimir Putin's decision to lift the ban on selling the S-300 to Tehran as signalling a new departure for Moscow's policy in the Middle East.
This is certainly the view of Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and a leading analyst of Russian foreign policy.
"As always, the motivation behind the deal is complex," he says.
"A billion dollars in revenue would help, of course, particularly in rough times, but furthering relations with Iran is more important in the long term.
"With its relations with the West badly broken, Russia seeks to consolidate and expand its ties to major non-Western players."
During the years of Washington's active engagement in Iraq, Russia's once-strong role in the Middle East seemed to have been eclipsed: the basic facilities of its naval base at Tartus in Syria almost emblematic of its post-Cold War decline.
But in many ways appearances are deceptive.
Russia had never really gone away and it has seized upon every opportunity in the wake of the failed "Arab spring" to maximise its influence.
No more so than with the government of its long-standing ally Syria, whose President, Bashar al-Assad, is anathema to the West, but not for the Kremlin.
It may not be hugely excited by Mr Assad's behaviour, but as Mr Trenin explains: "Russia's basic calculus regarding Syria and Mr Assad has so far been supported by the developments on the ground over the past four  years.
"President Assad is still standing; the secular opposition has not been able to do much.
"Islamic State, is a very powerful factor, but giving in to IS is not an option."
Mr Trenin says the Kremlin is convinced that "its understanding of the region is superior to that of the US and that sticking with one's allies, rather than ditching them, pays off".
Mr Putin, he argues, believes that Russia needs to return to the Middle East, albeit in a wholly different role to that of the Soviet Union.
And the transformation has been significant. "Four years ago," says Mr Trenin, "Russia was present in the Middle East mainly through its beach-going holidaymakers. Now it has an ally [President Assad in Syria] stubbornly and successfully resisting attempts to topple him.
"It is practising mediation on its own [two rounds of Syria reconciliation talks in Moscow], and in Iran it has a regional power as a partner."
In addition, its former ally Egypt is again cosying up to Moscow.
A major arms deal was signed last year; a sure indication of the military government's frustration at its dealings with Washington.
Moscow has also developed a highly pragmatic relationship with the region's other major power, Turkey.
The only blot on the landscape is the immediate tensions with Israel prompted by the S-300 deal.
Israel gave up arms deals with Georgia and has hesitated to sell lucrative drones to Ukraine in an effort to win favour with Moscow.
Closer ties with Iran will also frustrate the Saudis and others in the Gulf.
What Russia needs, says Mr Trenin, "is an integrated regional approach which would allow it to avoid dangerous liaisons and unnecessary entanglements".
These are indeed difficult diplomatic waters to navigate, given the many regional rivalries that have only come to the fore as significant parts of the region's political landscape have  descended into chaos and blood-letting.


Canada's Erica Wiebe beat London 2012 bronze medallist Guzel Manyurova to win Olympic -75kg freestyle wrestling gold.

Wiebe, 27, beat Kazakhstan's 38-year-old Manyurova 6-0 to add to her gold from the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
She is Canada's second female wrestling Olympic gold medallist, after Carol Huynh's -48kg win at Beijing 2008.
In the bronze-medal bouts, China's Zhang Fengliu beat Belarus' Vasilisa Marzaliuk, and Russia's Ekaterina Bukina saw off Cameroon's Annabel Ali.
The win for Wiebe gave Canada a first wrestling medal of any colour at Rio 2016.
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Scientists have uncovered the first evidence of live births in the group of animals that includes dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds.

All examples of this group, known as the Archosauromorpha, lay eggs.
This led some scientists to wonder whether there was something in their biology that prevented live births.
But examination of the fossil remains of a very long-necked, 245 million-year-old marine reptile from China revealed it was carrying an embryo.
Jun Liu, first author of the new study in Nature Communications, told BBC News that the animal would have measured between three and four metres long, with a neck that was about 1.7m long.
The embryo may have been around half a metre long and is positioned inside the rib cage of the adult Dinocephalosaurus fossil, which was discovered in 2008 in Luoping County, Yunnan Province in southern China.
Researchers had to consider whether the smaller animal might have been part of the adult's last meal. But it's facing forward, whereas swallowed prey generally face backwards because predators consume the animal head first to help it go down the throat.
Another line of evidence in favour of the live birth idea is that the small reptile inside the mother is clearly an example of the same species.
Co-author Prof Mike Benton, from the University of Bristol, told BBC News that the fossil was important because the Archosauromorpha form one of three large groupings of land-based vertebrates (backboned animals), each including about 10,000 species.
Since we now know that no fundamental biological barrier to live births exists in this group, palaeontologists would be "looking very closely" at other fossils. He suggested one target would be a group of aquatic crocodile relatives - whose mode of reproduction was not well known.
Prof Liu, from Hefei University of Technology in China, said the discovery pushes back evidence of reproductive biology in the archosauromorphs by 50 million years.
The mode of reproduction in Dinocephalosaurus also points to how the sex of its offspring was determined.
Co-author Prof Chris Organ, from Montana State University, added: "Some reptiles today, such as crocodiles, determine the sex of their offspring by the temperature inside the nest.
"We identified that Dinocephalosaurus, a distant ancestor of crocodiles, determined the sex of its babies genetically, like mammals and birds."
Prof Benton explained: "This combination of live birth and genotypic sex determination seems to have been necessary for animals such as Dinocephalosaurus to become aquatic.
"It's great to see such an important step forward in our understanding of the evolution of a major group coming from a chance fossil find in a Chinese field."
The possibility that an eggshell once surrounded the embryo but was not preserved in fossilisation could not be ruled out, said Prof Benton. But living Archosauromorphs all lay eggs very early in embryonic development, whereas this embryo is very advanced, with well developed bones.
Furthermore, the team says Dinocephalosaurus's long neck and other features of its anatomy suggest it could not have manoeuvred easily out of the water, meaning a reproductive strategy like that of turtles - which lay eggs on land before returning to the water - was probably not an option.
Follow Paul on Twitter.


Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta, whose works included The Joys of Motherhood, Second-Class Citizen and The Bride Price, has died at her home in London at the age of 72.

Emecheta's books were on the national curricula of several African countries.
She was known for championing women and girls in her writing, though famously rejected description as a feminist.
"I work toward the liberation of women but I'm not feminist. I'm just a woman," she said.
The topics she covered in her writing included child marriage, life as a single mother, abuse of women and racism in the UK and elsewhere.
"Black women all over the world should re-unite and re-examine the way history has portrayed us," she said.
The president of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Denja Abdullahi, said: "We have lost a rare gem in this field. Her works would forever live to speak for her.
"It is a sad loss to our circle. She was known for championing the female gender and we would forever miss her."
Lagos-born Emecheta had moved to the UK in 1960, working as a librarian and becoming a student at London University, where she read sociology. She later worked as a community worker in London for several years.
She left her husband when he refused to read her first novel and burnt the manuscript, a World Service series on women writers reported.
The book, In the Ditch, was eventually published in 1972. That and Second-Class Citizen, which followed in 1974, were fictionalised portraits of a young Nigerian woman struggling to bring up children in London.
Later, she wrote about civil conflict in Nigeria and the experience of motherhood in a changing Ibo society.
An assessment of her writing, published by the British Council, says: "The female protagonists of Emecheta's fiction challenge the masculinist assumption that they should be defined as domestic properties whose value resides in their ability to bear children and in their willingness to remain confined at home.
"Initiative and determination become the distinguishing marks of Emecheta's women. They are resourceful and turn adverse conditions into their triumph."


We are all used to the sight of cars and other vehicles on our roads - they are a vital part of everyday life.

But at what cost?
The fumes that come out of vehicle exhaust pipes play a big role in the rise of air pollution - a problem linked with thousands of deaths in Scotland and across the UK each year.
St John's Road in Edinburgh is like many streets throughout the country. People live here and it's home to many businesses.
It's also attracted the unwanted title of Scotland's most polluted street.
So what do those who live and work here make of that?
Lucy's Cafe is a popular spot for locals, and there's a mixed reaction here from customers.
Working behind the counter is Lucy herself, who tells me: "When I was quitting smoking, I was going for check-ups every week and because of the air pollution, I never got down to zero."
Another customer adds: "I go outside for a bit of fresh air, but you don't get fresh air, not with all the vans and lorries passing."
But not everyone is convinced.
Andy Atkinson, a bronchitis sufferer, says: "I blame the little machines not always giving the proper recording.
"You just need one bus to come along, a plume of black smoke and it probably gives false readings."
The annual average European legal limit for the pollutant nitrogen dioxide, which is linked to asthma and other respiratory problems, is set at 40 microgrammes per cubic metre.
But new research from Friends of the Earth Scotland, collected from official monitoring stations, says it was breached on streets across the country in 2015.
Here's the environmental group's list of shame:
Friends of the Earth Scotland also collected data on particulate matter - tiny particles which are pumped into the air by diesel vehicles.
And it said that streets in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Perth, Glasgow, Dundee, Falkirk and Rutherglen failed to meet Scottish air quality standards.
Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner Emilia Hanna said: "If you're breathing in air pollution day-in, day-out, you're more likely to have a stroke or heart attack.
"If you're asthmatic you might find that your symptoms are worsened."
Two months ago the Scottish government set a target to make Scotland's air the best in Europe.
Ministers say there have been "significant reductions" in air pollutants since 1990, but recognise more needs to be done.
The government says Â£3m has been earmarked for councils to help them improve air quality, as well as additional funding for schemes like the Green Bus Fund.
Ministers want councils to play their part - but councils say to do that, they need more cash.
Lesley Hinds, Edinburgh City Council's transport and environment convener, said 97% of streets in the Scottish capital actually pass air quality tests, adding that the authority was working on the rest.
She said the city was also trying to make busses greener and get more people on bikes, but in a time of cuts, warned: "There's no way we can introduce a low-emissions strategy in the city with the Scottish government unless we can get extra resources."
The Scottish government is facing the threat of court action if it fails to tackle illegal levels of air pollution in the country's biggest cities, from environmental law organisation ClientEarth.
It has already won a landmark ruling against the Westminster government, after the UK's highest court ruled must take immediate action to cut air pollution.
And there are moves afoot at European level.
The revelation the carmaker Volkswagen had emission-deceiving devices on its vehicles became an international scandal.
That prompted the European Parliament to consider imposing new car pollution limits - but a vote on the issue due to take place this week has now been postponed as politicians consider whether to make those limits even tougher.
For residents living in congested cities like Edinburgh, that means further delay.
Meanwhile, campaigners continue to argue air pollution is now at the heart of a major health crisis.


There is a "glimmer of hope" for an Isle of Wight ferry company which went bust after operating for five months, the official receiver has said.

Scoot Ferries, based in Cowes, cancelled all sailings over the weekend after buyout talks failed. Thirty-two workers lost their jobs.
David Meany, of Ashtons Recovery LLP, said discussions with "two or three" parties were progressing.
The company's three chartered vessels are being taken back by their owners.
Mr Meany said the termination of charter contracts "may be a benefit" as some of the parties had been considering bringing in their own vessels.
"There certainly is a glimmer of hope there - hopefully that will turn into something positive.
6 Aug Scoot 1 vessel officially named ahead of Cowes Week service
1 Sept Regular Lymington-Yarmouth passenger service begins
5 Nov Portsmouth-Cowes route starts earlier than planned
24 Nov Investors withdraw support
19 Dec Sailings cancelled and company stops trading
21 Dec 32 staff made redundant
"[Scoot] had a number of issues with the operations of the ferries - one vessel had a blown engine, another ended up impounded and another one had some damage.
"Their plans to take it forward were skewed by those issues cropping up at the same time," he said.
Scoot Ferries began operating a passenger service between Yarmouth and Lymington in September, with a Portsmouth-Cowes route was added in November.
On Saturday customers took to social media to complain about being stranded after it announced it was suspending operations.
On Monday, chief executive ZoÃ« Ombler said: "Running a ferry company is an expensive business and it's fair to say we were under capitalised from day one and desperately looking for additional investment.
"I'm devastated for the sake of all of my team and our loyal customers who were let down tremendously badly."


The world’s oldest water, which is locked deep within the Earth’s crust, just got even older.

The liquid was discovered deep down in a mine in Canada in 2013 and is about 1.5 billion years old.
But now, at the same site, University of Toronto scientists have found a deeper source of water that is at least 500 million years more ancient.
The work was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who led the team that made the discovery, told BBC News: “When people think about this water they assume it must be some tiny amount of water trapped within the rock.
“But in fact it’s very much bubbling right up out at you. These things are flowing at rates of litres per minute - the volume of the water is much larger than anyone anticipated.”
The first pool of ancient water was discovered 2.4km-down in a copper, zinc and silver mine.
“It really pushed back our understanding of how old flowing water could be and so it really drove us to explore further,” said Prof Sherwood Lollar.
“And we took advantage of the fact that the mine is continuing to explore deeper and deeper into the earth.”
This new investigation led by Dr Oliver Warr, from the University of Toronto, found water at a depth of nearly 3km.
And tests have revealed that it is at least two billion years old.
It provides scientists with a unique insight into the history of our planet, and gives a glimpse at the life that was present at this time.
The researchers have found chemical traces left behind by tiny single celled organisms that once lived in the fluid.
“By looking at the sulphate in the water, we were able to see a fingerprint that’s indicative of the presence of life,” said Prof Sherwood Lollar.
“And we were able to indicate that the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale.
“The microbes that produced this signature couldn’t have done it overnight. This isn’t just a signature of very modern microbiology.
“This has to be an indication that organisms have been present in these fluids on a geological timescale.”
The researchers say that studying watery sites like this on Earth could give them clues about where life might reside elsewhere in the Solar System, such as the oceans on the icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter.


A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a passenger died when a car crashed into a lamppost.

A Porsche Boxster hit a lamppost in Greenacres Road, Oldham, at about 14:10 GMT on Wednesday.
The passenger, a man aged 42, died in hospital a short time later.
Stephen Wilson, 46, of Brideoak Street, Oldham is charged with causing death by dangerous driving, drink driving, and driving while uninsured.
Greater Manchester Police are appealing for witnesses and any dashcam footage which may have been recorded.


A man says fumes from a farm's slurry pit have "split" his tongue.

Mike Hill, from Templeton, Devon, says a "horrendous" smell started coming from the farm last year, which it is claimed has made residents feel ill and caused them to leave their properties.
Authorities are testing air and water near the farm, which houses about 150 cows.
But farmer Winston Reed says he will take action against what he says are "false comments".
Mr Hill says that along with tongue fissures, he has suffered from irritated eyes, coughing and constant thirst.
"You get a really hot, peppery taste in your mouth and you just can't get rid of it, it's in the back of your throat," he said.
Other neighbours have complained of phlegm, high blood pressure, breathing difficulties and retching.
But Mr Reed, who runs Crossparks farm, says the allegations are simply not true.
"None of our cows or staff working at the unit display any of the symptoms alleged to have been caused to the complainants," Mr Reed said.
"I have asked for blood tests to be taken of our cows on site along with veterinary reports, samples to be taken of the slurry, additional odour monitoring  to see if indeed this unit is as the allegations portray."
Mr Reed says he has also asked for a breakdown of how much the complaints have "cost the public taxpayer".
Mid Devon District Council's environmental health department confirmed it was investigating the complaints.
"Environmental health are conducting an investigation into complaints of statutory nuisance concerning farm operations at Crossparks and Cleave Farm, Templeton, Tiverton, Devon made by persons living in the surrounding area," a spokesperson said.
"The specific public health concerns raised by residents should be referred to the director of public health for NHS Devon and Devon County Council, who we are continuing to liaise with during the course of our investigation."


Defending champion Novak Djokovic is out of the French Open following a straight-sets defeat by Dominic Thiem.

The Serbian second seed was second best throughout to powerful-hitting Thiem, losing 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-0 in Paris.
It is the Austrian sixth seed's first victory over Djokovic and he will now play Rafael Nadal in the last four.
Nadal reached the semis after fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta withdrew from their match with an abdominal injury while trailing 6-2 2-0.
Fourth seed Nadal is aiming to win a record 10th title at Roland Garros having become just the fifth man to reach 10 semi-finals at a single Grand Slam in the Open era.
Both matches were delayed from Tuesday because of rain.
In 2016, Djokovic won the French Open title to become the first man since 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.
Since then, the 30-year-old has lost in the third round at Wimbledon, suffered defeat in the US Open final, and lost in round two at the Australian Open. He has now failed to progress past the last eight in Paris for the first time since 2010.
"The last couple of tournaments I have had some great tournaments and it was unfortunate to finish Roland Garros in this way," said Djokovic.
"This is a whole new situation for me, not winning a big tournament for eight or nine months - this hasn't happened for a while.
"All the top players have gone through that and I have to learn lessons and figure how to get through. It is a big challenge and I'm up for it."
He was unable to cope with the power of 23-year-old Thiem, who hit 38 winners - 20 from his dominant forehand - in total to Djokovic's 18.
The match was a total reversal of the last time the two met, when Thiem managed to win just a single game three weeks ago in Rome.
Thiem demonstrated his appetite for the fight in a brutally physical first set lasting 73 minutes, which Djokovic led 4-2 but a double-fault handed a break back before three terrible backhands gave his opponent the tie-break.
Djokovic's mental and physical vulnerability was then ruthlessly exposed as Thiem took the second before emphatically sealing the third to love to take the match.
It was first time Djokovic has lost a set to love at a Grand Slam since the US Open in 2005.
"The third set, obviously, nothing was going my way and everything his way. It was a pretty bad set," added Djokovic. "I think it was decided in the first set, I tried but I lost a crucial break at the start of the second set.
"He deserved to win, he was definitely the better player on the court."
Tournament favourite Nadal, 31, has won the French Open title on each of the nine previous occasions he has advanced past the quarter-finals.
He has now recorded 100 best-of-five-sets victories on clay from just 102 matches, with his only defeats coming at Roland Garros, to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.
Nadal has also dropped just 22 games through five matches in Paris, bettering his previous low of 25 en route to the last four in 2008.
He broke Carreno Busta four times to take the first set, at the end of which the world number 21 needed a lengthy break to have treatment and bandaging applied to his stomach.
Carreno Busta lasted just two games of the second set before retiring to extend Nadal's French Open record to an incredible 77 wins and just two losses.
Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent:
"Thiem was magnificent throughout: showing patience when required in some gruelling first set rallies and using the drop shot and his single-handed backhand to great effect.
"He is the only man to beat Nadal on clay so far this year and may well be the best equipped to do so at Roland Garros.
"Djokovic looked punch drunk in the third set, in which he won only eight points. His backhand broke down regularly throughout, and his inability to make any inroads into Thiem's lead illustrated just how far he is from his best.
"As a result, Djokovic could drop to as low as number four in the world - and will definitely find himself outside the world's top two for the first time since March 2011."


Falkirk Council must "grasp the nettle" to tackle £61m worth of cuts over the next three years, according to a new report.

The Accounts Commission said it was "disappointed" at the council's progress since its last report on the authority in August 2015.
It said the council must "do things differently" to balance its budget while managing the impact on services.
Falkirk Council said it was "fully aware" of its responsibilities.
Its leader said many of the required improvements were "already being worked on".
The local authority watchdog's report said "limited progress" had been made by Falkirk Council to address the "underlying need for better coordinated and radical change".
It said the council "urgently needs to identify and agree" its key priorities supported by "a more robust approach" to financial planning.
The commission said it was encouraged by better collaboration between councillors and that scrutiny had improved, although this could be more "open and transparent".
The report stated: "The council has taken steps to address the issues raised in the last Best Value report in 2015, but the pace of change remains slow."
Commission chairman, Douglas Sinclair, said: "All councils need to get to grips with looming budget shortfalls over the next three years but Falkirk has been slow to realise the scale of what is required and make effective plans for it.
"It must now grasp this nettle and meet the challenges it faces through strong leadership both from councillors and its management team."
The council's leader, Labour councillor Craig Martin, said: "The report has stated where progress is being made across a number of areas.
"However, we recognise more can be done to improve.
"Falkirk Council is fully aware of its responsibilities and many of the improvements required are already being worked on.
"Despite having to find an unprecedented saving of £25m on our budget, members stepped up to the mark and took the difficult decisions to make sure we set a balanced budget.
"It now looks like we need to plan for further savings of £25m in 2017/18 and members are currently considering options on how this will be achieved."
SNP councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of the opposition on the council, said: "The inspection was thorough and the findings were clear - there is more to be done.
"We are determined to work constructively to ensure this happens and to deliver the best outcomes for our communities."


Some of the UK's biggest charities buy data lists to contact householders with "begging letters", the BBC has discovered.

This comes amid talks between ministers and charity regulators aiming to curb intrusive pleas for donations.
Twelve charities, including Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie, NSPCC, Save The Children and The British Red Cross say they have bought mailing lists.
Lists cost about Â£140 for 1,000 names, BBC Radio 4's You and Yours found.
Buyers can choose to spend more should they wish to target people of a certain age, gender or geography.
Names and addresses can be rented from marketing companies from files with headings such as "The Repeat Giving File", "Charity Mail Order Buyers" and "Donors to Alzheimer's Causes".
You and Yours has been contacted by several listeners concerned by the number of "begging letters" they are getting from charities.
For example, Louise Hartup told the programme she could not understand why her 95-year-old aunt got so many letters and gifts.
"She always gives cash without leaving her details, she is not on the open electoral register, and is always very careful about ticking the right boxes - but the letters keep coming," Ms Hartup said.
Andy Curry, from the Information Commissioner, which polices the system, said: "We have received a few hundred complaints about charity mailouts. We are looking into a number of charities and the way they use marketing messages."
The Institute of Fundraising told You and Yours that it would be reviewing its code of practice to make sure the right rules were in place.
The charities that said they bought data were Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie, NSPCC, Save The Children, the PDSA, Breast Cancer Care, the RSPB, the British Red Cross, the Alzheimer's Society, St John Ambulance, the Salvation Army, and the Royal British Legion, which said it bought details of six million names last year.
Marketing agency EDM Media said that as well as helping charities find lists suitable for their specific appeals, it checked that potential donors were not subscribed to the Telephone or Mail Preference Service - which blocks junk mail and calls - and that consent to be contacted had been obtained.
Suzanne Lewis, managing director of EDM Media, said that some people would find themselves on lists after responding to surveys, subscribing to magazines or giving to other charities.
None of the 30 charities that responded to questions from You and Yours said they sold supporters' data. However, our researchers found lists advertised as containing data of donors to the British Heart Foundation, while another contained names of people who responded to a World Cancer Research Fund survey.


A young Rangers fan who was injured in a bottle attack on his way to Sunday's League Cup match led his team onto the pitch at Ibrox on Wednesday evening.

Kraig Mackay, 11, suffered a large cut to his head after being hit by the bottle before the semi-final game against Celtic.
Police described it as an "abhorrent" attack.
He was made a guest of honour at Rangers' home game against St Johnstone. The teams drew 1-1.
Kraig was walking with his family and a number of other Rangers fans in Aikenhead Road, Glasgow, when the bottle was thrown at the group.
It struck the youngster on the head and he was taken by ambulance to the Royal Hospital for Children where he was treated for a large cut and later released.
Police said the youngster could be left permanently scarred by the attack.
Det Insp Colin Hailstones said: "This attack is totally unacceptable and although we don't believe that the young boy was specifically targeted, the bottle was deliberately thrown at the crowd of supporters who were simply making their way to the match to enjoy the game."
Officers have appealed for help to find the person responsible.
Eighteen people arrested for public disorder offences relating to the game on Sunday. The match was won 1-0 by Celtic.


A football used by a Gaelic Athletic Association team in Ireland has been found washed up on a Scottish beach in the Outer Hebrides.

The missing ball, which belongs to Dungloe Ladies GAA team in Donegal, was found by beach walker Arthur Heyes.
It was swept several hundred miles north by the Atlantic current, surviving its journey in good nick.
Mr Heyes has now emailed the club to try to reunite the team with the ball.
"Its been two or three hundred miles in the open Atlantic and yet it's in perfect condition," he told BBC Radio Foyle.
Mr Heyes and his brother were enjoying a walk along the western tip of North Uist when they noticed something white poking out of the sand.
"It's a beautiful island with lovely beaches and I noticed a ball which appeared to have been washed up.
"The thing I noticed first of all was the quality of the ball, it was perfectly inflated," said Mr Heyes.
"I had a look at it and I saw the words Dungloe Ladies GAA and that stuck in my mind because I remember going on holiday to Dungloe when I was a child.
"In the back of my mind I thought, GAA... I think that stands for Gaelic Athletic Association," he added.
Mr Heyes said it was his brother's idea to try to get in touch with the Donegal club.
"I sent them an email and they got back to me asking for a picture and I got my daughter to take it with me showing a map to demonstrate how far it came," he said.
"I've been in touch with the club and one way or another I will return this ball to the club because that's its home and that's where it belongs."
Dungloe Ladies GAA team told the BBC they were "delighted" to find their football, which has been missing since 5 May.
"It is quite a surreal and unique story. Once a ball ends up in the sea, you don't expect it to make a journey and for the writing to remain intact," the club said.
"We would welcome Arthur to come and visit us, as he is now an honorary member of Dungloe Ladies GAA.
"We are going to get the ball returned and hopefully we will play a game with it this summer."


Moise Kean became the first player born in 2000 to play in Europe's top four leagues after coming on in Juventus' win over Pescara.

The 16-year-old Italy Under-17 striker replaced goalscorer Mario Mandzukic with six minutes left.
Juventus' win took them seven points clear of second-placed Roma, who face Atalanta on Sunday.
Sami Khedira, Mandzukic and Hernanes scored the goals for Juve, who are chasing a sixth Serie A title in a row.
Vincent Thill became the first player born in 2000 to play in France's Ligue 1. The 16-year-old, who has already won seven caps and scored a goal for Luxembourg, played eight minutes for Metz against Bordeaux in September.
Jack Aitchison, also born in 2000, scored on his Celtic debut - with his first touch - on the final day of last season against Motherwell.
Last season, Callum Styles became the first player born in this millennium to feature in the Football League. Unfortunately for Bury, he was not registered properly and they were deducted three points.
Back in April, West Brom's Jonathan Leko was the first player to play in the Premier League born in 1999. Nobody born later has played in the division yet.
Match ends, Juventus 3, Pescara 0.
Second Half ends, Juventus 3, Pescara 0.
Corner,  Juventus. Conceded by Francesco Zampano.
Moise Kean (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alessandro Bruno (Pescara).
Corner,  Pescara. Conceded by Patrice Evra.
Attempt blocked. Dario Zuparic (Pescara) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Simone Pepe (Pescara) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Francesco Zampano (Pescara) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ledian Memushaj.
Alessandro Bruno (Pescara) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alessandro Bruno (Pescara).
Offside, Pescara. Cristiano Biraghi tries a through ball, but Simone Pepe is caught offside.
Substitution, Juventus. Moise Kean replaces Mario Mandzukic.
Attempt saved. Stefano Sturaro (Juventus) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Juan Cuadrado.
Substitution, Pescara. Alessandro Bruno replaces Bryan Cristante.
Corner,  Juventus. Conceded by Dario Zuparic.
Attempt blocked. Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Stefano Sturaro with a headed pass.
Substitution, Juventus. Stefano Sturaro replaces Sami Khedira.
Hand ball by Gastón Brugman (Pescara).
Goal!  Juventus 3, Pescara 0. Hernanes (Juventus) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Alex Sandro.
Attempt missed. Gastón Brugman (Pescara) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cristiano Biraghi.
Foul by Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus).
Gastón Brugman (Pescara) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Juan Cuadrado (Juventus).
Alessandro Crescenzi (Pescara) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Juan Cuadrado with a cross following a set piece situation.
Substitution, Pescara. Simone Pepe replaces Stefano Pettinari.
Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Gianluca Caprari (Pescara).
Goal!  Juventus 2, Pescara 0. Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sami Khedira.
Attempt missed. Sami Khedira (Juventus) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kwadwo Asamoah with a cross.
Foul by Patrice Evra (Juventus).
Gianluca Caprari (Pescara) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sami Khedira.
Foul by Sami Khedira (Juventus).
Alessandro Crescenzi (Pescara) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Hand ball by Davide Vitturini (Pescara).
Mario Mandzukic (Juventus).
Albano Bizzarri (Pescara) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


One of the knock-on effects of the snap election on 8 June is that the current session of Parliament is coming to an abrupt end.

The formal business will stop on Thursday, when the current Parliament is - to use its terminology - prorogued.
It will then be officially dissolved by the Queen on 3 May.
But before that happens, there will be a flurry of action as the fate of outstanding legislation is decided.
In what is known as the wash-up period, the Commons and Lords will decide what bills they want to let through and which they will effectively put out to grass.
Speaking on Monday, Commons Leader David Lidington said he hoped there would be a "swift and orderly conclusion" of parliamentary business.
One bill guaranteed to pass is the Northern Ireland Bill.
This is emergency legislation drafted to enable domestic rate bills to be calculated in Northern Ireland in the absence of a sitting assembly.
The bill, which will extend the period by which a functioning executive can be formed, in an attempt to resolve the current political deadlock, will be fast-tracked through Parliament on Monday.
Other bills that do not make the cut this time could be revived after the election should the Conservatives be re-elected.
Brexit looms
But with Brexit looming large on the horizon, the scope for other legislation in the next few years is expected to be substantially reduced.
Some of the bills may never see the light of day again.
Just as intriguing are the changes that MPs and peers may demand from the government's business managers in return for approving legislation.
In past years, these have often been quite substantial, with whole sections of bills removed or, in some cases, clauses added to salvage them as they "ping-pong" between the two Houses.
So which bills are still in the mix and what is likely to happen to them?
The bill, which enacts measures included in Philip Hammond's Budget last month, will be given priority and is expected to be rushed through its remaining stages in the Commons on Tuesday.
As well as enacting changes to duties, the legislation - whose approval by the Lords is a formality - includes provisions on tax avoidance and tackling childhood obesity.
This bill, which is designed to increase competition and choice in higher education and raise standards in research and innovation, has been agreed in principle by both the Commons and Lords.
But amendments have yet to be hammered out as part of the process of "ping pong".
Given ministers have been defeated in the Lords on issues such as the scope of degree-granting powers, it might require compromises to get on the statute book.
No date has so far been set for final consideration.
This bill is on its final lap, with MPs due to consider a single Lords amendment relating to the life sciences sectors on Tuesday.
The legislation is designed to bear down on the spiralling cost of NHS medicines and other medical supplies and secure "best value" for the health service and taxpayers.
This wide-ranging legislation will entitle consumers to minimum broadband speeds, increase protection for intellectual property online, restrict access to online pornography, provide more scope for data-sharing within the public sector and increase the powers of Ofcom with regard to BBC regulation.
It has commanded cross-party support throughout and is likely to become law, pending MPs' consideration of Lords amendments on Wednesday.
There is not much time for this big bill, which begins report stage in the Lords on Tuesday, to become law.
Peers have tabled 50 amendments, which could slow things down, but if the government and opposition can agree, possibly by setting aside the most controversial aspects, it still has a chance of making it through.
It includes new powers to oblige suspects to explain the origin of their assets and for the authorities to seize the proceeds of crime stored in bank accounts or used to purchase property or jewels.
It would also create a new offence enabling companies facilitating tax evasion to be prosecuted as well as measures on combating terrorist finance.
Peers are due to consider Commons amendments to this bill - which is designed to improve the quality of technical education and apprenticeships while addressing skill shortages - on Tuesday. If there is enough time, the bill is likely to pass.
Peers are due to consider Commons amendments to this bill - which aims to identify and free up more land for homebuilding and speed up the delivery of new homes - on Tuesday. If there is enough time, the bill is likely to pass.
Peers are due to consider Commons amendments to this bill - which will give new powers to English local transport authorities to introduce franchising and new partnership arrangements and to offer multi-operator ticketing services - on Tuesday.
The government has already admitted this bill, put forward by the former Justice Secretary Michael Gove before the EU referendum, will be shelved, at least temporarily.
This is after MPs and peers stated there was not enough time to scrutinise its contents - which included changes to prison inspections and the use of mobile phones by prisoners, a new online dispute resolution system for civil cases as well as changes to judicial appointments and compensation for whiplash injuries.
This bill, which would, among other things, change the motor insurance system to prepare for the arrival of driverless cars and incentivise the take-up of electric vehicles, has also come to a halt for now.
It hadn't progressed far enough in the Commons and has yet to be even considered by the Lords.
A motion has been passed carrying it over to the next Parliament.
The Local Government Finance Bill has also been parked for another day.
A host of bills tabled by backbenchers are currently working their way through the legislative system. Most are likely to run out of time, but a handful that have the support of the government could possibly become law if the Lords gets around to approving them.
The early election could also mean delays to changes in the following areas.


A woman who claimed Jehovah's Witness elders failed to protect her from sex abuse carried out by a paedophile has won a £275,000 payout.

The woman, now in her 20s, alleges she was abused as a child in Loughborough by ministerial servant Peter Stewart.
She had argued at London's High Court that he used his role to abuse her.
A judge ruled the organisation was liable for the abuse because it failed to take "safeguarding steps" after Stewart admitted abusing another child.
Mr Justice Globe said he was "satisfied" the defendants should be "held responsible" for the abuse, which took place between 1989 and 1994.
It is the first civil case in the UK of historical sexual abuse brought against the Christian-based religious movement.
The organisation - which accepted that Stewart, who died before facing justice, sexually abused the claimant - said it was "disappointed" with the decision and would appeal.
The victim said: "The procedures the Jehovah's Witnesses follow for dealing with child sexual abuse are the same as it was when I was abused.
"Even having a ministerial servant sent to prison was not enough of an incentive for them to implement change. This sends a clear message about the importance Jehovah's Witnesses place on child protection."
BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman
This is the first civil case for damages for historical sexual abuse in the UK brought against the Jehovah's Witness organisation, and is thought to be the first brought against any non-mainstream religion.
It illustrates how the law has expanded in recent years so that a person need not be employed by a religious body for it to be vicariously liable - ie responsible - for their actions.
The court firstly asks whether the relationship is "akin to employment".
It doesn't have to be an actual employment relationship (for example, priests are not "employed" but the Church can be liable for their actions), but the relationship has to share features which you might see between employer and employee (for example, where a Church exercises control upon what a priest can and cannot do).
Secondly, the court asks whether the abuse was "connected" to that relationship. For example, if someone uses their position of responsibility as a means to abuse children, then vicarious liability is likely to result.
Jehovah's Witness movement explained
The woman, known only as C during the case, says she was abused by Stewart between the ages of four and nine.
At the time he was a trusted ministerial servant, whose role was to assist elders with religious and administrative duties.
Shortly after C's abuse began, Stewart was found to have abused another child in the Jehovah's Witness community.
He was removed as a ministerial servant in 1990 but because he told elders he had repented, he was allowed to continue with many of the activities he had performed in that role.
C alleges he continued to abuse her for another four years.
The abuse took place at a number of locations, including Kingdom Hall, a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses, with Stewart forcing her to keep silent by telling her "she was sinning" and "she would not be saved".
In 1995, Stewart was convicted of separate child sex offences, including rape and indecent assault, and jailed for five years.
He died, aged 72, in 2001, shortly before police arrived at his home to arrest him for sexually abusing C.
The court had heard C had "suffered hugely" as a result of the abuse, which had affected her education, career and relationships.
She had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered from repeated nightmares. She also attempted suicide.
C had claimed the trustees of the Loughborough Blackbrook Congregation and of the Loughborough Southwood Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, the successors of the Loughborough Limehurst Congregation, were vicariously liable for the assaults, and for the actions of the Limehurst elders.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the verdict, she said the Jehovah's Witness organisation saw child abuse as a "sin that can be dealt with within their organisation - they don't see that they have to look outside themselves in any way".
"All they want to do is pray for you and promise you that God's going to wipe away all your pain. It's just unbelievable," she said.
She said the organisation needed to "admit to themselves that there is a massive problem".
"These [abuse victims] aren't apostates, these are people who have suffered from horrible, horrible crimes and had their lives completely wrecked," she said.
"They're not out to destroy the organisation. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with."
Kathleen Hallisey, lawyer at AO Advocates, said: "This should be a wake-up call to the Jehovah's Witness organisation that they need to implement better child safeguarding policies that are in line with modern day knowledge about child safeguarding and sexual abuse.
"And I also hope that it's a wake-up call to members of the organisation that child sexual abuse is a problem within the organisation - and it's something that they need to do something about."
Richard Cook, solicitor for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain, said: "We are disappointed with the decision, particularly since the court accepted expert evidence that Jehovah's Witnesses in the late 1980s and early 1990s were ahead of their time in addressing the issue of child sexual abuse.
"For decades we have warned congregants and parents of the dangers of child abuse and have published information to help parents safeguard their children. We will continue to do so."
The damages and an interim payment of £455,000 towards C's legal costs will be met by the society's trustees.


Kurdish forces taking part in the offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State militants are besieging a key town to the north-east.

Peshmerga fighters have surrounded Bashiqa, which lies on a crucial supply route 12km (8 miles) from Mosul, and are preparing to launch a full assault.
But the threat of suicide bomb attacks means they are advancing with caution.
A Counter-Terrorism Service commander also said its troops had gained ground around Bartella, 10km to the south.
Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi told the BBC they had stormed the villages of Khazna, Khazna Tabba and Tob Zawa.
The operation to retake Bashiqa is the second launched by the Peshmerga.
Last week, they had to pull back after fierce clashes with IS militants dug in there.
The second assault began on Sunday, and by Monday morning the Peshmerga had encircled the town and begun digging trenches in preparation to storm it, a commander told Kurdish news agency Rudaw.
The BBC's Richard Galpin in Irbil says that if they do succeed in retaking Bashiqa, it would give the Peshmerga a clear run to north-eastern Mosul, with no other towns or villages lying in between.
Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi meanwhile insisted that claims that Turkish troops had taken part in the battle for Bashiqa were "baseless and untrue".
Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday that soldiers stationed at a nearby base, where they have been training Peshmerga and Sunni Arab tribal fighters, had provided "support with artillery, tanks and howitzers".
Journalists on the front line have reported seeing artillery fire coming from the Turkish base and hitting IS positions on several occasions.
About 30,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, launched the long-awaited offensive to retake Mosul a week ago.
On Monday, US special presidential envoy to the coalition Brett McGurk declared that they had met all their objectives thus far, and that the coalition had carried out more air strikes than during any other seven-day period of the war against IS.
A senior intelligence officer told the BBC that IS had begun executing suspected informants as Iraqi forces pushed closer to Mosul.
The officer also said IS had positioned some civilians as human shields, describing this as a sign of weakness and desperation.
As the pressure increases on Mosul, IS has been carrying out more attacks in other parts of Iraq.
After a major assault on the northern city of Kirkuk last week in which up to 100 people were killed, militants attacked the western town of Rutba on Sunday and overran several districts.
On Monday, a police source reported continuing clashes between troops and IS militants inside Rutba despite the arrival of military reinforcements.
And a local official in Sinjar told Reuters news agency that at least 15 militants had been killed in two hours of fighting with Peshmerga fighters.
Our correspondent says these diversionary tactics seem to be working. According to a Kurdish intelligence source, he adds, some 2,000 Peshmerga troops had to be pulled away from the Mosul offensive to deal with the attack on Kirkuk.
The UN refugee agency also announced on Monday that it would soon have enough shelters for 150,000 people who might flee Mosul and its surrounding area during the offensive. Some 7,500 people had already left, it said.


Warwickshire finally claimed a first County Championship win of the season with a 190-run victory over defending champions Middlesex at Lord's.

The Bears reached 361 in their second innings after a 97-run stand from Keith Barker (62 not out) and Chris Wright (41), leaving the hosts 327 to win.
Chris Woakes and Barker then tore through Middlesex's top order with three wickets each to leave them 45-6.
Steven Finn hit an entertaining 31, but Middlesex were all out for 136.
Under the stewardship of new sport director Ashley Giles and first-team coach Jim Troughton, Warwickshire had previously endured a nightmare Division One campaign, including four defeats by an innings.
However, the return of Woakes, after two months out with a side strain, provided a welcome boost for the Bears as the 28-year-old England all-rounder hit a half-century to go with his five wickets in the match.
There were also fine performances from debutant paceman Ryan Sidebottom, who took 4-29 in the first innings, on his first-ever visit to Lord's, and a career-best knock of 71 from 21-year-old batsman Matthew Lamb.
Despite taking 19 points from the capital, Warwickshire still face an uphill battle to avoid relegation, sitting 31 points behind sixth-placed Middlesex.
The hosts' plight was not helped by opener Nick Gubbins batting at eight after suffering a hamstring injury in the warm-up, but it mattered little as five of their top six batsmen made single figures.
Their hopes of retaining the County Championship title now appear to be over, with leaders Essex holding a huge points advantage over the London side.
Warwickshire first-team coach Jim Troughton told BBC WM:
"The Great Escape tune was playing in the dressing-room after the game. We know we have a lot to do but we showed what we are capable of. It's a great win for us - but it's just one win and we need to follow it up.
"When we turned up and saw the pitch we knew it would be lively and far from a typical Lord's pitch, but to bowl them out in a session in their second innings was a brilliant effort. it really was the stuff of dreams for Ryan Sidebottom, who bowled very well and fully deserved his wickets.
"In the morning Barks and Wrighty batted really well to build our advantage and, with bad weather around and the forecast bad for tomorrow, we were even starting to think are we going to have to pull out here?
"But it worked out perfectly. Woakesy showed his class and Barks with the new ball was pretty much unplayable. And an hour after the game ended it was raining."


Two brothers have been charged with child sexual offences in the Rotherham area dating back to the 1990s.

Bannaras Hussain, 35, of Bridge Close, Goole, faces 22 offences against girls under 16 spanning four years between 1998 and 2002.
His brother Sageer Hussain, 29, of the same address, has been summoned to court in July for four counts of rape in 2003 of a girl under 16.
Bannaras Hussain is due before Rotherham magistrates on Wednesday.
South Yorkshire Police said the charges were the result of Operation Clover, a joint investigation in partnership with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Bannaras Hussain faces charges including three counts of rape, four counts of aiding and abetting rape, nine counts of indecent assault, two counts of assault and four counts of procuring a woman for prostitution.
Senior Investigating Officer Martin Tate said: "This is a complex and protracted investigation with a vast amount of work still to do.
"Eleven other men remain on bail in connection with this investigation.
"I want to continue to encourage victims of all sexual crime to come forward."


Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said the British government is on a "collision course" with the European Union as a result of the Brexit vote.

3 October 2016 Last updated at 13:52 BST
He told a press conference on Monday that Northern Ireland would be "collateral damage" in the time ahead.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Sunday that the UK would begin to formally leave the EU by the end of March 2017.
But Mr McGuinness said Northern Ireland would suffer economically and politically.


World powers have agreed to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to begin in a week's time, after talks in Munich, Germany.

The halt will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.
The 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) also agreed to accelerate and expand aid deliveries.
The announcement comes as the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, advances in Aleppo province.
The move threatens to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in rebel-held parts of the major city of Aleppo.
The Syrian government has not yet responded, though a key rebel coalition welcomed the announcement.
"If we see action and implementation on the ground, we will be soon in Geneva," Salim al-Muslat told reporters, referring to the Swiss city where the UN is trying to get peace talks between the Syrian government and rebels off the ground.
More than 250,000 people have been killed and 13.5 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria.
Both Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry admitted, repeatedly, this was only progress on paper. Some diplomats are already saying "it's not worth the paper it's printed on".
There are still major gaps. One of the biggest is that Russia's bombing of Aleppo and what it calls terrorist targets is not included in the possible truce even though its actions are seen by many as strengthening Syrian government forces.
On the issue of delivering desperately needed aid to besieged areas, UN officials say they are determined to seize this new opening.
The next week will confirm whether Syria's government and opposition forces are ready to provide access denied for so long.
It will be a week which tests the commitment of all outside players, as well as Syrians on all sides.
That, in itself, is some progress. But moving towards talks to end Syria's devastating war will still take far more than that.
US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted the ceasefire plan was "ambitious" and said the real test would be whether the various parties honoured the commitments.
"What we have here are words on paper, what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground," he said.
A task force chaired by the US and Russia will work to implement the truce through consultations with Syria's rival groups.
Aid deliveries for besieged Syrian communities are due to begin as early as Friday.
To try to immediately step up aid deliveries to besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria
For a US/Russia-led task force to work to achieve a "cessation of hostilities" across Syria beginning in one week's time
"Cessation of hostilities" will exclude action against so-called Islamic State group, jihadist group al-Nusra Front and other UN-designated terrorist groups
To work towards an eventual ceasefire and implementation of a UN-backed plan for political transition in Syria
Mr Kerry made the announcement alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
Mr Lavrov said there were "reasons to hope we have done a great job today". An earlier proposal from Russia envisaged a truce starting on 1 March.
At the news conference Mr Kerry again suggested that Russian strikes were targeting what the West sees as moderate opposition forces, rather than terrorists, as Moscow says.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the cessation would only work if Russia halted its raids, although Mr Lavrov said they would continue.
The ISSG also agreed that peace talks involving the Syrian government and rebels should resume as soon as possible.
Initial talks were suspended just days after they began earlier this month in Geneva, in the wake of the Aleppo offensive.
Thousands of people displaced by the fighting have been stranded at the border with Turkey and aid agencies have warned of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Why is there a war in Syria?
Anti-government protests developed into a civil war that, four years on, has ground to a stalemate, with the Assad government, Islamic State, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all holding territory.
Who is fighting whom?
Government forces concentrated in Damascus and the centre and west of Syria are fighting the jihadists of Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, as well as less numerous so-called "moderate" rebel groups, who are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other.
How has the world reacted?
Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the more moderate Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. Hezbollah and Iran are believed to have troops and officers on the ground, while a Western-led coalition and Russia are carrying out air strikes.


Record imports, the strong dollar and growing consumer demand helped to widen the US trade deficit by 7.1% in June.

The gap between US exports and imports increased to $43.8bn, up from May's revised deficit of $40.9bn. Analysts had been expecting a deficit of $42.8bn.
Record imports of food and cars meant total imports rose 1.2% to $232.4bn.
Exports fell for the second month in a row, down 0.1% to $188.6bn, as global demand weakened.
The dollar, which has gained 15% against the currencies of the United States' main trading partners over the past year, also makes its imports cheaper and exports less competitive.
The trade deficit with the European Union is at an all time high, with exports to the bloc down 2.3% in June while imports were up 4%.
The deficit with China also increased by 3.3% in June to $31.5bn.
Industrial disputes at West Coast ports earlier in the year pushed the monthly deficit to a three-year high of $50.6bn in March.
Laura Rosner, an economist at BNP Paribas said: "Exports remain far below trend and we have yet to see a decisive rebound following the resolution of the West Coast port strike.''
Figures last week showed that the US economy grew at an annualised pace of 2.3% in the three months to June, and also upgraded the growth estimate for the first quarter.
However, a survey of private sector job creation, released on Wednesday, fell short of forecasts.
Private employers hired 185,000 more workers in July, according to the ADP National Employment Report, below analysts' expectations of about 215,000.
The report also revised June's number down by 8,000 to 229,000.
The more comprehensive government jobs survey - the non-farm payroll report - is due out on Friday.
A Reuters survey of economists estimated that it will show that about 223,000 jobs were added to the US economy in July, the same as in June.


The Prince of Wales has arrived in Jordan's capital Amman at the start of a six-day tour of the Middle East.

Prince Charles was greeted by a small entourage including Jordanian King Abdullah II's religious adviser, Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad.
The prince will hold bilateral talks with King Abdullah on Sunday.
The country is still reeling from the murder of 26-year-old Jordanian air force pilot Moaz al Kasasbeh by Islamic State (IS) last week.
King Abdullah has vowed to wage a "harsh" war against IS, and fighter jets from Jordan have carried out fresh attacks on the militants, who control parts of neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
Following his arrival, Prince Charles met Christian refugees from Iraq at the British ambassador's residence in Amman.
Remarking on the rise of IS, Charles told them: "This is what I think must be the worst of horrors - when all the people you lived with, side by side, and have always been friendly [with], suddenly totally change."
He has previously raised the plight of Orthodox Christians who have been forced to flee Iraq and Syria because of IS, seeking refuge in the UK.
Prince Charles will express Britain's sympathy and solidarity with Jordan in the fight against IS when he meets the king.
BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell says Jordan would like something rather more definitive, such as more support for the training of its armed forces and more cash to deal with refugees.
Prince Charles knew King Abdullah's father well, and the king trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and served in the British army.
The prince will be joined in Jordan by the UK's International Development Secretary Justine Greening.


Concerns about staffing levels at the Ulster Hospital have been raised by the health regulator, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

It follows an unannounced inspection at the hospital in Dundonald in February.
In every area inspected, there were concerns about nurse staffing levels, patient care records and training for staff, said the RQIA team.
The report is part of the RQIA's programme of unannounced inspections across all hospital sites.
Its inspection team were advised that there was an insufficient number of junior medical staff at the Ulster Hospital, particularly at nights and weekends.
The report, however, said staff were compassionate and showed empathy to patients at all times.
The RQIA's Olive MacLeod said staff in the emergency department raised concerns about:
"RQIA's inspectors also highlighted essential equipment was not always available at busy times  and designated rooms for vulnerable patients could not always be guaranteed," she said.
"We were also concerned that routine safety rounds for patients were not carried out."
Mrs MacLeod said the RQIA recognised that increases in the number of admissions placed additional pressure on staff in ensuring the provision of safe, effective and compassionate care.
"However, it is vitally important that this continues to be delivered - even at times of such pressures," she added.
In response to the report, the South Eastern Health Trust said: "Many of the concerns raised by the inspection team were issues that we were already aware of and were working to address.
"This work continues and since the inspection, has included an increase in senior nurse leadership in our emergency department and an overall improvement in permanent nurse staffing.
"There are, however,  a number of factors which are relevant to this report, both regionally and within the trust.
"This inspection was carried out on one of the busiest weeks of the year, when all hospitals were under extreme pressure.  There is a well recognised capacity issue within the Ulster Hospital."


Scotland are unfazed by their dismal recent Six Nations record as they aim to beat England for the first time since 2008 at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The Scots have won three games in the Championship in the past four years.
"It doesn't matter how much history has gone before, it doesn't make any difference to us," said assistant coach Nathan Hines, the former Scotland lock.
"We are not playing history, we are playing England. I think we are in a good place as a squad."
Hines, brought in by head coach Vern Cotter to work as a specialist resource coach and mentor, started Scotland's last win over England in 2008, and was also a replacement in their 2006 victory at Murrayfield.
"I don't think it matters too much that we haven't beaten them for a couple of years," said the 39-year-old, who retired from Test rugby after his 77th cap, against England in the 2011 World Cup.
"Statistics are about the past.  If we are just going on statistics, we may as well not play Saturday. We are not worrying about the past, we are just worrying about what is happening now.
"We are just trying to build on what happened at the World Cup.  We have sorted things out that needed to be done and we are coming together nicely."
The optimism in the Scotland camp stems from a largely positive World Cup, where they narrowly failed to beat Australia in the quarter-finals, and a talented group of young players blossoming at the same time.
Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Mark Bennett, all 23 or younger, have provided creativity and spark to the backline, while 21-year-old lock Jonny Gray is an emerging force alongside elder brother Richie, 26, up front.
"They know each know each other quite well, which helps!" Hines said of the brothers' second-row partnership. "And they like each other too; they are not the sort of brothers that don't like to be around each other.
"They are both great athletes and complement each other well. They are young and want to learn, and are very coachable."
The potential of Jonny Gray, already captain of Pro 12 champions at just 21, is limitless, Hines believes.
"The good thing about Jonny is he is quite a humble guy. He is a really hard worker," he added.
"If he wants to play for Scotland until he retires, it is up to him. He is developing as a leader, and being captain of Glasgow is a good thing for Scotland and great for him to have in his locker. He has that ability to lead, and we are very happy with him.
"He is only 21 and not a massive extrovert but he leads by example. What he says is poignant, and boy do guys listen to him."


Australia and Iran have agreed to share intelligence about Australians fighting with militant groups in Iraq.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said the deal will help both countries in their efforts to tackle Islamic State (IS).
She added that Australia would have access to information gathered by Iranian operatives in Iraq.
Ms Bishop spoke after her meeting with President Hassan Rouhani, during her first visit to Iran.
About 100 Australians are believed to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with IS, with authorities warning they present a serious threat to domestic security.
There are also concerns about supporters of IS and other radical groups within Australia.
At the weekend, five teenagers were arrested over an alleged plot to carry out an attack at a World War One centenary event.
Ms Bishop said Australia had begun looking into the idea of sharing some information with Iran in 2014.
The issue became more pressing after a 17-hour siege in December, when Iranian refugee Man Haron Monis took 18 people hostage in a Sydney cafe.
Police stormed the building, but hostages Tori Johnson, 34, and Katrina Dawson, 38, were killed, along with Monis.
Monis has not been found to have had any links to known terror groups and was not on a watch list at the time of the siege.
Ms Bishop said on Sunday that the arrangement with Iran would be beneficial in the fight against terrorism.
"It was an informal arrangement whereby we would share intelligence that would give us information on the Australians who are taking part," ABC News quoted her as saying.
"I believe that Iran has information that we would seek and they were very agreeable to share that information with us."
Australia is part of the international force fighting against IS. Iran, though not in that coalition, is thought to be heavily involved in the fight against IS in Iraq.
In March, Iranian-backed Shia militiamen helped Iraqi government forces launch a major offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Tikrit from IS militants.
Iranian military advisers, led by Gen Qasem Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, initially helped co-ordinate the operation.


Up to five million people in England are at risk of developing type-2 diabetes, according to new data from Public Health England.

Type-2 diabetes is closely linked to diet and obesity and affects about 3.2 million people across the UK.
The NHS says diabetes causes 22,000 early deaths and costs the health service more than Â£8bn each year.
But health experts believe more than a quarter of people can reduce the risk of developing the condition.
Diabetes arises when the body loses the ability to use or make insulin, a hormone that helps regulate the amount of sugar in blood.
Public Health England (PHE) says its latest analysis shows about five million adults in England are now pre-diabetic, also known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
That means they are at risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Public Health England says its calculations have produced the most accurate and robust estimate so far.
Last year, research published in the British Medical Journal suggested a much higher figure - one third of all adults in England - and the charity Diabetes UK quotes a UK-wide figure of about 18 million people at risk of developing diabetes.
But these calculations used a broader definition of pre-diabetes than that used in this latest analysis.
Some doctors have questioned the value of the pre-diabetic diagnosis, arguing that only a small number - perhaps one in 10 - will go on to develop diabetes.
But the NHS is preparing to roll out a diet, weight loss and exercise programme that has been shown to reduce the diabetes risk for a quarter of those who take it up.
PHE chief executive Duncan Selbie said people needed support if they were to combat the risk posed by type-2 diabetes.
"We know how to lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes: lose weight, exercise and eat healthily, but it's hard to do it alone," he said.
"PHE's evidence review shows that supporting people along the way will help them protect their health, and that's what our prevention programme will do."
Diabetes UK chief executive  Barbara Young said it was important to warn people about a condition that could have devastating complications such as blindness, amputations and early death.
"As well as helping to reduce the human cost of type-2 diabetes, this would also go a long way to helping to reduce costs to the NHS," she said.
"The NHS spends 10% of its entire budget managing diabetes And unless we get better at preventing type-2 diabetes, this figure will rise to unsustainable levels."


Celtic started their Scottish Women's Premier League challenge with a 2-1 win over Hamilton Academical at the Superseal Stadium.

A Courtney Whyte header and an own goal from Gill Inglis gave them a 2-0 lead, but Lori Gardner's lob made for a nervy finish.
Next week, they face Glasgow City, who began their title defence with a 7-0 win over Stirling University.
Hibernian defeated Rangers Ladies 4-2, while Aberdeen and Spartans drew 2-2.
Celtic midfielder Sarah Crilly admitted her side need to shake off the nerves if they are to beat City next week at the K Park training academy.
The visitors dominated the 90 minutes but had goalkeeper Megan Cunningham to thank for denying Laura Gallen with a point-blank save to keep the points safe.
Crilly told BBC Scotland: "We definitely made it difficult for ourselves.
"We were in control of the game but were a bit shaky. Obviously, with it being the first game, everybody is going to be nervous.
"But, overall, it's not good enough. We need to pick our game up next week when we play Glasgow City, but the three points are the most important thing.
"We were wanting to test the goalkeeper a bit more, most of the chances we got were outside the box.
"We need to be creating more, we just need the final ball, but something is going to click eventually."
Celtic took the lead on the half hour mark when Whyte was first to Richard's corner and headed in off the far post.
The goal lifted the visitors and suddenly the chances started to come. Ruesha Littlejohn fired straight at the goalkeeper from the edge of the box then Crilly could not keep her shot down when played through.
Cunningham made the first of two great saves, tipping Deborah McLeod's bullet header over the bar.
Littlejohn sent a free-kick over the bar before Hopkins pushed a Ewens volley wide, and Celtic eventually got the second goal their pressure deserved on 64 minutes when Heather Richards' driven ball across the box bounced off Accies defender Inglis and into the net.
Hamilton had barely been seen as an attacking force, but they rallied and Gardner pulled them back into the game when she raced clear of the Celtic defence then beat Cunningham with a glorious lob.
It was almost 2-2 when Gallen had the chance a yard out, but Cunningham blocked her effort on the goal line.
Glasgow City, seeking their 11th straight Premier League title, started with a thumping 7-0 win over Stirling University at the Excelsior Stadium.
Pre-season signing Savannah Jordan scored her second hat-trick in her second competitive game for City, while Ireland international Noelle Murray, captain Leanne Ross, defender Keeva Keenan and second-half substitute Kodie Hay were also on the scoresheet.
City head coach Scott Booth said: "It was pleasing to take the three points today and score so many.
"The players worked really hard and I am sure they will keep getting better and better in the coming weeks."
Two late goals from Rangers gave Hibs a scare, but they held on to win 4-2 at New Tinto Park.
The visitors were 3-0 up at half-time through Abi Harrison, Lucy Graham and Siobhan Hunter.
When Chelsea Cornet made it 4-0 with 20 minutes to go, it looked like the points were safe, but within seven minutes, Rangers had pulled two back through a Claire Gemmell free-kick and a Hannah Robertson goal.
Aberdeen roared back from two goals down to claim a point at home to Spartans.
Colette Cavanagh and Carla Boyce gave Spartans a healthy half-time lead, but Hannah Stewart won then scored a penalty before again firing home from the spot after Jo Fraser was fouled.
The Dons could have won it, with Samantha McDonald volleying off the crossbar.
SWPL 1
Aberdeen Ladies 2-2 Spartans
Glasgow City 7-0 Stirling University
Hamilton Academical 1-2 Celtic Women
Rangers Ladies 2-4 Hibernian Ladies
SWPL 2
Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale 1-2 Glasgow Girls
Hearts 3-1 Buchan Ladies
Forfar Farmington 4-1 East Fife
Motherwell 0-3 Jeanfield Swifts Ladies


French and African peacekeepers have seized weapons from militia in the capital of the Central African Republic, which has been gripped by sectarian strife.

Troops conducted house-to-house searches for several hours in a neighbourhood of Bangui believed to be a base for attacks against Muslims.
Automatic weapons, grenades, knives and ammunition were confiscated.
More than 250 military personnel were deployed in the disarmament drive.
Source: Index Mundi
The peacekeepers hope to secure the northern district of Boy Rabe.
It is a base for the anti-balaka militia - formed in response to killings by Muslim rebels and now blamed for their own revenge attacks.
The operation was not entirely successful. Some of the militia refused to disarm and one of its top leaders, Patrice Edouard Ngaissona, escaped capture.
The city's chief prosecutor said Mr Ngaissona was "the big fish who had to be detained", according to AFP news agency.
France is deploying a further 400 troops from Chad and Gabon, after French defence minister Jean-Yves le Drian admitted Paris had underestimated the level of violence and hatred in the Central African Republic.
That raises the total troop deployment of CAR's former colonial power, to 2,000.
The French military, which has been in the country since December, is working alongside 5,500 troops from other African countries.
The United Nations refugee agency has described the situation as "a humanitarian catastrophe of unspeakable proportions".
The UN's World Food Programme says that about 1.3 million people - a quarter of the population - are in need of aid.
Tens of thousands of Muslims have fled as Christian militias have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.
The militias claim to be taking revenge for atrocities committed by Muslim rebels last year.
They accuse their victims of supporting the Muslim rebel group that seized power in March 2013, but which was forced out last month.
Many Muslims have crossed the borders into neighbouring Cameroon and Chad, while thousands more are living in camps inside CAR.
CAR is rich in gold, diamonds and other natural resources but decades of unrest and mismanagement have left most of its people stuck in poverty.


Chancellor George Osborne should think again about plans to announce further public spending cuts, Welsh Finance Minister Jane Hutt has said.

Writing to the chancellor before his spending review, she said investment was vital for a "balanced recovery".
Some UK government departments have been asked to plan for budget cuts of either a quarter or two-fifths by 2020.
Any reductions will be reflected in the Welsh government's budget, under a spending formula.
Ms Hutt said the Welsh government's budget had already shrunk by 8% in real terms over the past five years.
She highlighted plans for a metro-style transport system in south east Wales, a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay and a "city deal", unlocking major investment in Cardiff, as major funding priorities to boost economic growth.
Ms Hutt also urged George Osborne to give Welsh ministers "maximum" financial flexibility to invest in major infrastructure projects, but not at the expense of day-to-day funding for public services.
The UK government has said Wales has been "thriving" under its long-term plan and must contribute to the savings needed to make the UK's finances more secure.


American astronomers say they have found strong evidence that a ninth planet might exist in our solar system.

No-one has actually seen the planet yet, but scientists believe that it almost definitely exists, because they can see other objects in space being affected by it.
Here are nine things we know about the mysterious 'Planet Nine':
Scientists think that Planet Nine is 10 times bigger than our own planet Earth.
Of all the planets in our solar system, we used to think that Neptune was the furthest away. But now it looks like Planet Nine could be 20 times further away than Neptune!
Because it is so far from the sun, Planet Nine has a really long orbit. Every loop it does around the Sun takes between 10,000 and 20,000 years.
Scientists could tell that Planet Nine existed, because it's gravity was affecting rocky objects in space which circle around the planet Neptune.
Planet Nine could be the 'real' ninth planet - scientists used to think that Pluto was the ninth planet in our solar system, until they downgraded it to a 'dwarf planet' ten years ago.
The discovery of Planet Nine is the first time in 150 years that scientists have had solid evidence that there are more planets in our solar system than we already knew about.
This could change scientists' understanding of how the whole solar system was made.
Although there hasn't ever been evidence this strong before, people have wondered about an ninth planet for centuries.
Some people, including UFO enthusiasts have even written about a mythical 'Planet X'.
Although they can't be sure until the planet it actually found, scientists say that the evidence is really strong, and there's only a 0.007% chance (about one in 15,000) that the ninth planet doesn't exist.
Until scientists actually see the planet, they can't confirm its existence for sure.
The scientist who claims to have found evidence for Planet Nine, Dr Mike Brown, says that there are many telescopes on Earth that could be good enough to see it.
He said that he hopes the announcement will encourage astronomers around the world to get involved in the search.


"As a child growing up, we memorised something which I still recall."

Herbert Mc'leod pauses, leans forward on his hilltop porch in central Freetown, and counts on his fingers.
"Exports of Sierra Leone are ginger, piassava, pepper, cocoa, coffee, oil palmâ€¦"
The economist trails off and adds, in an undertone: "All of this, no more."
Mr Mc'leod, a UN development veteran who now works for the International Growth Centre, learnt the list as a child in the 1950s, when Sierra Leone was edging towards independence after more than 150 years of British colonial rule and relishing the prospect of self-sufficiency in food production.
This was by no means an outlandish ambition - as one of the most fertile countries on the continent, Sierra Leone boasts perfect conditions for growing rice, maize and other staples, and for a couple of decades, it was the biggest exporter of rice in West Africa.
But now, the country spends between $200m and $300m (Â£150m and Â£225m) each year importing rice to feed its people, a habit that Mr Mc'leod would like to see broken.
"In the past five years we have spent a lot of money on small-scale agriculture," he says.
"I strongly believe that if you really want to increase production you have to go big, you have to industrialise agriculture, and I don't think we have that experience."
Some 250km to the south east, in Sierra Leone's second biggest city, Bo, one authority on African agriculture is trying to do just that.
Mike Gericke, a former Zimbabwean farmer, has cultivated crops in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Gabon and Zambia, to name but a few, and moved to Sierra Leone in October 2014, as the country was in the grips of the Ebola epidemic.
"People thought I was crazy," he explains, surveying the 500 hectares for which he is now responsible. "I'd get introduced as someone who stayed while everyone else was running away."
Mike came to Bo to run Lion Mountains, a company that plans to become the largest commercial rice farm in the country. But attracting investors to an area still without basic infrastructure, and reeling from the effects of the Ebola outbreak, is proving difficult. Planting that was supposed to start in July has been put off for a year - because of a lack of money.
Not that this has dampened Mike's infectious enthusiasm. As he drives through the lush local landscapes in his Lion Mountains-branded 4x4, he talks about what he sees as the tragedy of Sierra Leone's under-exploited arable land, and the simple solutions that could improve the area's farming.
"This is laterite," Mike explains, scooping a handful of red earth from the roadside, not far from local subsistence farms. "It's very porous, and not ideal for growing a shallow rooted crop like rice."
Most rural communities in the area farm on very small plots of land, without adequate moisture or fertiliser, and using inferior seeds. Worse, Mike adds, they often use damaging techniques like "slash-and-burn", clearing forest to plant new crops.
Indeed, while farming employs about 65-70% of the population, it fails to feed the country for a full year. From May to December, food aid is needed to supplement local produce, during what's known as "hunger season".
Which is why, while he waits for next year to farm Lion Mountains' own land, Mike is focusing on helping subsistence farmers become more efficient - by building a mill.
Traditionally, local farmers try to sell three-quarters of their crop. But the rice is stored for long periods of time, during which it is damaged by vermin and rain.
The rice they eat themselves is then milled by hand - back-breaking work that can take hours.
Lion Mountains' mill buys rice from the surrounding villages, processes it, stores it, and then sells it locally - in sealed plastic bags with easy-to-understand measurements. It's the only commercial mill in the area, and right from the get-go Mike's team was overwhelmed by the demand.
Just a few miles down the road, in the village of Dambala - one of about 100 communities that supply rice to the mill - the impact on locals is easy to see. Dozens flock to greet the Lion Mountain van, dragging huge sacks of rice they hope to sell to the mill.
"We use the money to improve our lives," says Lucy, who grows rice for her family.
"It has gone towards paying the school fees for our children," she adds, surrounded by toddlers tugging on her dress.
"Some houses have even been re-roofed after a storm."
Buying rice from locals is one thing, but selling it back to them during hunger season, when poorer quality imports are cheaper, is an ongoing struggle.
Ultimately, however, Mike and Lion Mountains hope to reduce the need for imports into Sierra Leone by producing enough rice to feed the population all year round, and eventually to export globally.
But not everyone supports this enterprise.
Anuradha Mittal, executive director of policy think-tank The Oakland Institute, is sceptical about the benefits of commercial farming for countries like Sierra Leone.
Ms Mittal warns against what she calls "poorwashing", the process by which large commercial interests hide behind the assistance they provide to locals.
"The cause of hunger is not the lack of commercial farming," she explains. "The cause of hunger is poverty."
Even in a country such as the US, with modern agricultural techniques and industrial farming, Ms Mittal argues, 50 million are hungry.
"If your goal is really to improve livelihoods of people - investing in smallholder farmers is the solution," adds Ms Mittal.
"According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, five acres of arable land is enough to sustain a family in Africa.
"Imagine giving away 100,000 hectares of land to a foreign investor in the country that might, at best, hire 1,000 people. If you do the maths, the same land area can sustain nearly 20,000 people."
For Mike, helping smallholder farms is a cause that can co-exist with commercial interests. Instead of letting Lion Mountains' leased acres lie fallow, he has turned the ploughed land over to the 100 families from nearby Senehun, giving them seed and advising them on their crops.
But ultimately, this sixty-something son of the African soil is convinced that big business will be the key.
"Mining comes and goes," he says.
"I believe the only way to lift Sierra Leone up is through commercial agriculture, showing young people it's a respectable career, instead of selling Sim cards by the side of the road."
Follow Joe Miller on Twitter @JoeMillerJr


The 90-day consultation period before large-scale redundancies can take place is to be cut to 45 days, under government plans.

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said the move was aimed at helping workers and businesses.
Labour said the changes would not boost economic growth and the TUC said: "Making it easier to sack people is the last thing we need."
But many business groups welcomed the move.
The change, which would affect the whole of the UK, is planned to be introduced in April. It would affect redundancies of 100 or more workers.
Ms Swinson said a consultation process had produced strong support for the changes and added: "The process is usually completed well within the existing 90-day minimum period, which can cause unnecessary delays for restructuring, and make it difficult for those affected to get new jobs quickly.
"Our reforms will strike an appropriate balance between making sure employees are engaged in decisions about their future and allowing employers greater certainty and flexibility to take necessary steps to restructure."
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna described the announcement as a "watering down" of employee rights.
Mr Umunna tweeted: "Ministers think watering down people's rights at work is the big bazooka to get growth going and yet there is no evidence to support this."
Shadow employment relations minister Ian Murray said: "David Cameron should be making it easier to hire, not easier to fire. We need a real plan for jobs and growth, not an attack on people's rights at work."
Scotland's enterprise minister Fergus Ewing said the change "will make it more difficult to mobilise and plan the support that can minimise the devastating impact of large redundancies on communities".
He added that if employment law was the responsibility of the Scottish government, ministers would ensure a better balance between "the needs of employers, employees, local economies and communities".
A Welsh government spokesman said the 90 day consultation period is the "absolute minimum necessary" to ensure that "possible alternative solutions" to redundancy can be found.
The TUC's General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "The last thing we need is for the government to make it easier to sack people.
"These measures will not create a single extra job. The idea that an employer will change their mind about taking someone on because the statutory redundancy consultation period has been reduced from 90 to 45 days is close to absurd."
Unison's assistant general secretary, Bronwyn McKenna, said: "Any worker facing redundancy needs time to plan, to mitigate the impact on them and their family finances. Making arrangements to cover mortgages or rent, sort out bills, retrain and apply for new jobs all takes time and this cut will leave families facing financial hardship."
But Alexander Ehmann, of the Institute of Directors, said: "Companies facing problems have to be able to restructure swiftly, and a 45-day consultation period brings the UK closer to a number of EU competitors.
"We would have preferred a move to a 30-day consultation period - the same as for smaller-scale redundancies - which would have made the law less complex," he added.
Tim Thomas, head of employment and skills at the manufacturers' organisation EEF, said: "Today's announcement will send a strong signal to industry that the government is committed to creating the flexible labour market that it needs."
Dr Adam Marshall, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "In the 21st century requiring a business to spend a quarter of a year consulting on how to restructure is unnecessary, frustrating and potentially disastrous."
Ms Swinson also announced plans to exclude fixed-term contracts from collective redundancy agreements when they reach the end of their "natural life".
Earlier this year the prime minister commissioned venture capitalist and Conservative Party donor Adrian Beecroft to write a report about how employment law could be reformed to cut red tape and boost UK businesses.
He reported in May but some of his recommendations were condemned by Business Secretary Vince Cable, a Liberal Democrat.
Later in the summer the coalition decided that, rather than introduce the recommendations in the Beecroft Report, they would consult with businesses about what changes they would like to see introduced and that consultation has led to Wednesday's announcement.
The announcement came on the last day of trading for electrical store chain Comet - which had employed more than 6,000 people - after it went into administration.
And cleaners and porters at Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust are to vote about taking industrial action after their employer, Sodexo, was accused by the GMB union of "deliberately avoiding" its statutory obligation to hold a 90-day consultation over redundancies by announcing just under 100 job losses.