For the United States, Central America is a near neighbour, a source of migrants, a transit corridor for drugs and a not insignificant trading partner.

ECONOMIST: The United States and Nicaragua: Dealing with Daniel | The

So too has its near neighbour Sierra Leone.

BBC: News | Africa | Rays of light in Africa

Sierra Leone boasts miles of unspoilt beaches along its Atlantic coast, and hopes to emulate its near-neighbour Gambia in attracting tourists.

BBC: Sierra Leone profile

Or what if the meeting is with a near-neighbour in, say, Chipping Norton and you pop round one day over Christmas for a bite of lunch - is that a "meeting"?

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Mr Boyle also told the inquiry that he saw his next-door-neighbour Michael McDaid shot dead near the Rossville flats.

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Those white dwarf stars that find themselves near a "companion" star can draw material from their neighbour, building up to a critical mass and eventually sparking nuclear fusion again in a nova.

BBC: Gamma rays from nova explosion surprise astronomers

Graham Nichols, a farmer in Kingscote, near Tetbury, said he had power tools stolen and crops damaged when a neighbour's tractor was taken.

BBC: Tractors worth ?2m stolen from Gloucestershire farms