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It's feared that thousands of ancient manuscripts may have been destroyed in the fire. The oldest is said to date to 1204. Meanwhile, French and Malian forces are securing the ancient city and searching for the Islamist extremists.
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The French-led intervention against Islamist rebels is gaining strength. African military chiefs say a minimum of 5,000 regional troops are needed to join the intervention against the rebels.
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Host Rachel Martin talks with Gregory Mann, an associate professor of history at Columbia University and an expert on Mali and North-West Africa, about the origins of the fighting in northern Mali.
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French troops and air bombardments are now girding the Malians in the current battle against Islamist advances. They're also being joined by troops from several other African nations.
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The U.S. Africa Command, designed to strengthen defense relationships in Africa, is still trying to define its mission. African states have been wary, while the State Department and aid groups also express concerns. But growing conflicts in the region may soon put AFRICOM to the test.
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The grinning image has angered the French brass. They're launching an investigation to identify the soldier. According to the AFP photographer who took the photo, the soldier and his comrades were trying to cover their faces as a helicopter kicked up dust.
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The casualties are still being counted from last week's attack on an Algerian gas plant by Islamist militants. The four-day siege left dozens of people dead. The group warned of more such attacks against any country backing France's military intervention in neighboring Mali. For a perspective on Mali, Renee Montagne talks to Vickie Huddleston, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Mali from 2002 to 2005.
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After a decades-long campaign, Guinea worm remains in only four countries, and eradication is in sight. But health workers say that recent violence in Mali is hindering efforts to stamp out the last few cases there.
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Militants seized hostages earlier this week at a gas plant in eastern Algeria. A military raid freed some and reportedly caused the deaths of others. American officials believe 10 Americans were there when the plant was attacked. Some Americans reportedly escaped.
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Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar has been a prominent Islamist fighter for years. He was considered a top figure in al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, though he apparently had a falling out with the group last year.