Burkina Faso's President Resigns After Riots

Burkina Faso's embattled president Blaise Compaore has been ousted, following days of protests against efforts to extend his rule.

In a statement read on the country's news and television stations, Mr Compaore said: "I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should finish with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days."

He did not say who would take power until then but military chief General Honore Traore announced he has taken over as head of state.

Burkina Faso's parliament was dissolved on Thursday, however, and the military has been very visible during the recent crisis.

The official statement came just minutes after the army's Colonel Boureima Farta addressed thousands of protesters in front of the army headquarters saying: "As of today, Compaore is no longer in power."

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1. Gallery: Deadly Violence In Burkina Faso Protests

   Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Burkina Faso forcing President Blaise Compaore to scrap a plan to extend his 27-year rule

2. At least three protesters have been shot dead and several others wounded in the violence

3. The unrest has seen the parliament building set on fire and and state television offices ransacked

4. The government had proposed to change the law so that the president can be re-elected twice, sparking concerns other leaders in the region could follow suit

5. An anti-government protester suffered a gunshot wound in the capital Ouagadougou

6. The state television offices were taken over by demonstrators

7. The parliament building was also occupied before being torched

8. Demonstrators are demanding the president steps down

He was greeted with an outburst of cheering from the crowd in the former French colony.

Mr Compaore has been in power 27 years and had been seeking a change in the law to allow him to rule for longer.

The bid prompted rioting, with protesters taking over the national television station, setting the parliament building on fire and storming various other official buildings in the capital Ouagadougou.

Mr Compaore had on Thursday rejected calls for him to stand down, instead saying he would no longer seek another term but would stay in power until a transitional government had completed its work in 2015.

The European Union said the people of Burkina Faso must be able to decide their future.

A spokesman said the EU was "working with all actors on the ground to find a solution" and consulting with international partners over the crisis.

"We are ready to work with the people of Burkina Faso to ensure a return to normality, including the organisation of elections."

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One Dead As Virgin Galactic Spaceship Crashes

By Sky News US Team

One pilot has been killed and another is seriously injured after a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed on a powered test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

The tragedy occurred after SpaceShipTwo fired up its rocket following a high-altitude drop from Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

The co-pilot suffered moderate to major injuries when he ejected from the rocket plane and parachuted to the ground.

Virgin Galactic, part of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, was aiming to begin tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

Company chief executive George Whitesides told a news conference: "Space is hard and today was a tough day."

SpaceShipTwo on an earlier flight

Stuart Witt, chief executive of the space port, said the cause of the crash was not clear.

Sir Richard said his thoughts were with all those at Virgin Galactic and partner business Scaled Composites.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

2. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

3. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

4. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

5. SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

"Thanks for all your messages of support," he tweeted. "I'm flying to Mojave immediately to be with the team."

He is expected to arrive on Saturday morning.

The company said earlier in a statement to Sky News that SpaceShipTwo had "suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle". 

WhiteKnightTwo landed safely.

Virgin Galactic said it would work with the authorities to determine the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Video: Space Crash 'An Incredible Tragedy'

It is the second disaster involving a US spacecraft this week.

On Tuesday, another private company's unmanned rocket exploded six seconds after launch on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Virgin Galactic's 60ft (18 metre) long SpaceShipTwo was testing a redesigned rocket motor as it made its first powered flight since January.

The rocket plane, which was attached to the underside of WhiteKnightTwo, took off at 9:19am local time (4:19pm GMT) on Friday from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

It is not the first accident involving SpaceShipTwo.

Video: Deadly Crash May Hit Space Tourism

During testing for the development of its rocket motor in July 2007, an explosion at the Mojave spaceport killed three workers and critically injured three others.

It is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Virgin Galactic aims to become the world's first commercial "spaceline", sending customers willing to pay up to $250,000 (£156,000) for a short journey into zero gravity and a glimpse of the planet from the edge of space.

The company previously said it has accepted more than $80m (£50m) in deposits from hundreds of people who hope to be among the first space tourists.

British physicist Stephen Hawking, comedian Russell Brand, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, and singer Justin Bieber are said to have signed up. 

Video: Rocket To Space Station Explodes

After launching from New Mexico, it is envisaged that each spaceship will take six passengers on a journey of between two and three hours just over 62 miles (100km) from Earth.

Sir Richard has said he hopes eventually to build a hotel in space.

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Reports: 220 Bodies Found In Iraq Mass Graves

The bodies of 220 members of an Iraqi Sunni tribe opposed to Islamic State have reportedly been found in two mass graves.

Some 150 men from the Albu Nimr tribe had been taken from their villages near Ramadi on Wednesday night and then killed, a security official said.

In a separate incident 70 people from the same tribe were found dead in another mass grave near the city of Hit.

They are believed to have been members of the police and an anti-IS militia called Sahwa, or Awakening, and were reportedly shot at close range.

A witness said: "Early this morning we found those corpses and we have been told by some Islamic State militants that 'those people are from Sahwa ... and this is the punishment of anybody fighting Islamic State'."

Tribal sheikhs from Albu Nimr say both sets of victims were among more than 300 men aged between 18 and 55 seized by Sunni insurgent group Islamic State this week.

It comes as US forces staged 10 airstrikes on IS targets near the Syrian city of Kobani.

US Central Command said the raids were among 12 in Syria carried out by its fighters and bombers.

An explosion following an air strike on Kobani

They hit two small IS units and destroyed seven fighting positions and five buildings, Central Command said.

An Islamic State headquarters building near Dayr Az Zawr and a security building near Ar Raqqah were also damaged in the raids.

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1. Gallery: Kurds Celebrate Peshmerga's Kobani Mission

   Air strikes have been taking place ahead of the peshmerga's arrival to take part in the battle for Kobani

2. A series of explosions took place in Kobani on Wednesday morning

5. A Turkish army vehicle is seen in the foreground as smoke rises from Kobani following the air strikes

6. A Kurdish boy in Turkey welcomes the peshmerga with a US and Kurdistan flag painted face

7. Kurdish people in Turkey welcome fellow Kurdish fighters from Iraq

8. A peshmerga fighter makes the V for victory sign as their convoy arrives at the Habur crossing along the Turkey-Iraq border

9. The peshmerga appeared upbeat after receiving the authority of both Turkey and Iraq to travel to the under seige town

10. Crowds along the Kurdish section of the road lined the route to wish them well

11. About 150 peshmerga entered Turkey from Iraq, where they were due to travel on to Syria

12. A senior official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party said that a number of others were due to fly to Turkey and then travel on overland

13. The fighters were expected to reach Kobani late on Tuesday night

14. Many in Arbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, celebrated late into the night

15. Kurdistan's Minister of Peshmerga, Mustafa Sayyid Qader, said there was no limit on how long the forces would remain in Kobani

16. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said earlier that airstrikes alone would not be enough to push back the insurgents

US forces were joined by allies in a separate operation in Iraq that targeted a small IS unit near Bayji and a checkpoint west of Ramadi.

Meanwhile, an international rights group says IS militants carried out a mass killing of Iraqi prison inmates when they seized the country's second-largest city of Mosul in June.

Human Rights Watch said some 600 male Shiite inmates from Badoosh prison outside Mosul were forced to kneel along the edge of a nearby ravine and shot with automatic weapons.

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1. Gallery: Shia Militia Rescue Villagers From IS In Iraq

   Members of a Shia militia prepare to take part in a battle to liberate the town of Jurf al Sakhar, south of Baghdad, from militants fighting for Islamic State, who hold the area

2. The militia members were fighting alongside Iraqi government forces

3. The battle to recapture Jurf al Sakhar took months of fighting

4. The IS militants had occupied the area after moving rapidly across Iraq from their stronghold in Syria

5. Villagers living in the area had to wave white flags to make sure they were not fired on as they tried to escape the occupied area

6. They were allowed to leave the militant-held areas if they surrendered to the army to be transported to safe areas

7. Dozens made their way across the front line to reach safety

8. They were corralled and searched to make sure they were not carrying weapons

9. This man was searched as he crossed no man's land

10. Once the fighters were sure they were not combatants, they were allowed to travel elsewhere

11. The men were ordered to sit separately while the checks were made

12. Some sufffered an anxious time as they waited to see what would happen next

13. Government forces and the militia made it into Jurf al Sakhar, about 40 miles south of the capital, on Saturday, but took several more days to gain complete control

14. It represents a significant victory for Iraqi forces, which had been pushed back into retreat by IS. Officials said 67 members of the Iraqi security forces and Shia militias and 300 IS fighters were killed in the fighting

15. This man is taking an IS flag down from a tower and replacing it with an Iraqi flag. There were reports (Reuters) that some of the militia took revenge on the captured IS fighters, attacking them

16. Shia fighters pose with a captured black IS flag. Some reported that innocent people had been killed by IS during the occupation. The danger is not over - a suicide bomber in Jurf al Sakhar killed 27 militia men on Monday

The New York-based watchdog said in a statement the Shiite prisoners were separated from several hundred Sunnis and a small number of Christians who were later set free. The information came from survivors.

Also in June, Islamic State claimed it had "executed" about 1,700 soldiers and military personnel captured from Camp Speicher outside Tikrit city.

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Burkina Faso President Defies Violent 'Coup'

Burkina Faso's long-time leader has refused to step down despite violent unrest which saw anti-government protesters set the country's parliament building ablaze.

President Blaise Compaore has appeared on television to confirm he will stay in power as the head of a transitional government until elections are held, defying opposition calls for his immediate resignation.

Opposition leader Benewende Sankara said the president's departure was "non-negotiable" following what he said had amounted to a "coup".

Burkina Faso's parliament was stormed, ransacked and set ablaze

The head of the country's armed forces, General Honore Traore, intervened to dissolve parliament on Thursday after violent protests spread across the country.

Hundreds of people stormed the National Assembly building in the capital Ouagadougou, setting it ablaze, in protest against plans to allow the president to run for a fifth term in office.

Video: Thousands Riot In Burkina Faso

Three people were reportedly killed and scores injured in the ensuing chaos, in which tens of thousands of people were reported to have taken to the streets.

Government offices were ransacked, cars set alight and Ouagadougou's national television headquarters attacked.

The city hall and ruling party headquarters were in flames and the city's airport was closed.

Crowds at the presidential palace have been held back by troops from the presidential guard, who fired warning shots into the air.

Protests have been reported in a number of towns across the country, including Burkina Faso's second-largest city Bobo Dioulasso.

News agency AFP put the death toll as high as 30 people nationwide.

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1. Gallery: Deadly Violence In Burkina Faso Protests

   Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Burkina Faso forcing President Blaise Compaore to scrap a plan to extend his 27-year rule

2. At least three protesters have been shot dead and several others wounded in the violence

3. The unrest has seen the parliament building set on fire and and state television offices ransacked

4. The government had proposed to change the law so that the president can be re-elected twice, sparking concerns other leaders in the region could follow suit

5. An anti-government protester suffered a gunshot wound in the capital Ouagadougou

6. The state television offices were taken over by demonstrators

7. The parliament building was also occupied before being torched

8. Demonstrators are demanding the president steps down

The riots took place just before the country's politicians were due to vote on a law that would allow President Compaore, who took power in the coup of 1987, to run for election next year.

With a very young population - 60% are aged under 25 - many of the country's 17 million citizens have spent their entire lives under the rule of Mr Compaore.

Constitutional limits were brought in during 2005 and Mr Compaore, who has already been re-elected four times, is coming to the end of his second five-year term. The other two terms were for seven years.

The vote, which has since been scrapped, could have allowed him to stay in power for another 15 years.

President Compaore said elections would now be held within 12 months and he was open to discussions with other parties over forming a unity transitional government.

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Funeral For Canadian Soldier Killed By Gunman

The funeral of a soldier killed by a gunman in Ottawa has taken place in his home town.

Thousands lined the streets as a full military procession escorted Corporal Nathan Cirillo's coffin to Hamilton's Christ's Church Cathedral, where mourners paid tribute to the 24-year-old soldier.

Cpl Cirillo was shot in the back as he stood on guard at a war memorial in the Canadian capital on 22 October in what Prime Minister Stephen Harper called a terrorist attack.

Nathan Cirillo, 24, was shot dead in Ottawa on 22 October

The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, went on to storm Canada's parliament complex before he was shot dead.

Speaking at the service, Mr Harper said Cpl Cirillo had united and inspired Canadians.

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1. Gallery: Funeral Of Shot Canadian Soldier Nathan Cirillo

   Members of Nathan Cirillo's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment escorted the coffin on a procession through his home town Hamilton

2. Thousands lined the streets as the procession marched through the town

3. Marcus Cirillo, Nathan Cirillo's five-year-old son, is among the first in the procession at his father's funeral

4. Marcus is led by the hand throughout the journey

6. Nathan Cirillo's mother, Kathy, is supported by soldiers as the procession makes its way towards Christ's Church Cathedral

8. Marcus covers his ears during a salute as Cirillo's mother and sister Natasha look on

9. Relatives and Canadian dignitaries were among those who attended the funeral service

10. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen Harper were both moved to tears during the ceremony

11. Mr Harper said Cpl Cirillo had inspired and united Canadians

12. Cpl Cirillo's cousin Jenny Holland paid tribute to the soldier on behalf of the family, describing him as "Canada's hero"

"Our hearts are broken for his loss, but our spirits are grateful for his memory," he said, at times appearing to choke back tears.

"May his son, young Marcus Daniel Cirillo, someday find comfort in the fact that our entire country looks up to his Dad with pride, with gratitude, with deep, abiding respect."

Cpl Cirillo's cousin, Jenny Holland, spoke on behalf of the family, sharing childhood memories of the soldier who she described as "Canada's hero".

Video: Soldier's Regiment Leads Procession

His Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment  - dressed in ceremonial kilts, white boots and garters - played a prominent role throughout the ceremony, having earlier led the procession through Hamilton. 

The soldier's five-year-old son Marcus followed the coffin on foot, carrying a Canadian flag, along with Cpl Cirillo's mother and various other family members.

They were joined by a unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Video: 'We Knew Nathan Was Special'

A flag, belt, bayonet and the soldier's regimental badge were placed on his coffin.

Public mourning for Cpl Cirillo began on Friday when thousands lined the 300-mile route between Ottawa and Hamilton to pay their respects.

Cpl Cirillo was the second soldier killed in attacks in Canada, a week after the country announced it would step up its involvement in airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq.

Video: Family's Tribute To Shot Soldier

Patrice Vincent, 53, was killed on 20 October when a man ran over him and another soldier in a separate attack near Montreal.

The RCMP said on Monday that Zehaf-Bibeau had left a video claiming his attack was motivated by opposition to Canadian foreign policy.

Officials said Mr Vincent's killer, 25-year-old Martin Rouleau, was motivated by radical beliefs.

Video: CCTV Of Gunman Outside Parliament

The UK and the US have announced security measures would stepped up in the wake of the Canada shootings.

Armed soldiers are being stationed outside the entrance to Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

The US said it will boost security at government buildings in Washington and other cities after threats from Islamist groups.

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1. Gallery: How The Ottawa Attack Unfolded

   At around 10am on Wednesday, 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial

2. He then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament building where he was shot to death by the ceremonial Sergeant-at-Arms

3. Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings at the time

4. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament

5. In a national TV statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated"

6. It was the second deadly attack in three days against members of the Canadian military

7. On Monday, a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot to death by police

8. Witnesses said the soldier killed in the latest attack, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf

9. One said: "The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle"

10. At least three people were treated for minor injuries

11. Some people fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations

12. Others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside and cordoned off streets

13. The two attacks have raised fears Canada is being targeted for reprisals for joining the air campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria

14. The National War Memorial contains an arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I

15. The gunman had convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offences, and other crimes. Swipe through for more images of the attack and its aftermath

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Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

People have been warned to keep away from any hazardous debris they might find after an unmanned rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off.

NASA footage showed the Antares rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolting off its coastal launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and exploding in a huge fireball seconds later.

Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark grey smoke rose from the wreckage.

NASA said none of the supplies on board were urgently needed by the ISS

No one was injured and the damage so far appears to be limited to the facilities, according to the company.

Ronda Miller, manager of the Ocean Deli in Wallops Island, told the Reuters news agency she felt the force of the blast from five miles (8km) away.

Video: 'Holy Cow': Plane Captures Fireball

Investigators quickly secured the perimeter of the area and blocked any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard.

The cause is not yet known, and NASA mission control in Houston, Texas, called it a "catastrophic anomaly".

Engineers said the countdown had gone according to plan and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.

Video: Beware 'Hazardous' Rocket Debris

Speaking at a news conference, Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson warned of the dangers of debris around the site.

He said: "I do want to caution the public…This is an accident site and it is a rocket. It had a lot of hazardous equipment, hazardous materials on board, that people should not be looking for or wanting to collect souvenirs over."

Anyone who finds anything should not touch it, keep others away from it and contact the local authorities, Mr Culbertson added.

Video: 'Launch Failures Do Happen'

The rocket was carrying a Cygnus spacecraft packed with nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments.

One of the items on board was a nitrogen tank to manage the ISS' air supply, said Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, who also added that some scientists had been waiting years to get their hardware on board.

Also among its payload were some Maryland crab cakes for the space station crew.

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1. Gallery: Antares Rocket Explodes In Huge Fireball

   These images capture the moment a rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

2. The rocket was unmanned and no one is thought to have been injured

3. The cause of the explosion is unknown but authorities have warned people not to touch any of the debris as it could be "hazardous"

4. NASA confirmed that the crew of the ISS is not in danger because of the failed mission

5. The Cygnus spacecraft was carrying nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments

6. A picture of the craft docking with the International Space Station on a previous mission. Continue through for more pictures

12. A map showing where the launch could be viewed from on the US east coast

The launch was postponed on Monday after a boat ventured into a restricted zone within 10 minutes of take-off.

NASA is paying Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX to keep the space station stocked after the space agency retired its own space shuttles.

Orbital has a $1.9bn (£1.1bn) contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions. The rocket itself and the cargo ship were valued at $200m (£123m).

Video: What Was On Board Rocket?

The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbital's fourth trip to the ISS.

After the launch, Cygnus was meant to remain in orbit until 2 November, then fly itself to the station so astronauts could use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the rocket that was urgently needed by the six people living on the station.

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Nigeria Girls Detail Horrific Boko Haram Abuse

Girls who escaped Nigerian terror group Boko Haram have described the physical torture, rape and forced marriage that many endure in their secret forest camps.

Some victims are also forced to take part in attacks and carry ammunition for fighters during battle. Others have been used as 'bait' to lure Christian men to their deaths.

The abuse is detailed in a Human Rights Watch report, which includes first-hand accounts from some of the schoolgirls who escaped after April's Chibok kidnappings.

The group has waged war with a long-running bombing campaign

More than 270 were taken from a boarding school in the north-east of the country, prompting a high-profile political and social media campaign using the hashtag #Bring Back Our Girls.

It comes after a weekend during which another 30 youngsters - some of them girls aged as young as 11 - were abducted in northeast Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram rebels, according to a local village chief.

Video: 12 May, 2014: Taken Girls On Show

In a video released after the abduction the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls were "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

The Nigerian government has said a ceasefire deal with the militant Islamist group is on the verge of freeing the group, but last week more were kidnapped.

Human Rights Watch says new "shocking details" emerged from its interviews.

It reports that the group targets students and Christians, threatening them with whipping, beating, or death unless they convert to Islam, stop attending school, and wear the veil or hijab.

Forced marriage, forced labour, physical torture and rape are also common.

Video: 20 June 2014: Fighting Boko Haram

A 19-year-old student, from Borno State, described how militants ambushed her and five friends and threatened to kill them for going to school.

One of the men shouted: "Aha! These are the people we are looking for, so you are the ones with strong heads who insist on attending school when we have said 'boko' is 'haram.' We will kill you here today."

The girls were held for several days in the Sambisa forest and only released after they promised to convert to Islam and give up school.

Boko Haram translates roughly from the Hausa language as "Western education is forbidden" and has carried out a campaign of bombings in Nigeria over the past five years, killing 7,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch.

More than 500 girls and woman are said to have been been kidnapped by the group since 2009.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Boko Haram Leader

   Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.

2. Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s.

3. Shekau is Nigeria's most-wanted man and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. government in 2012. A reward of $7m (£4.6m) and 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) has been issued for information leading to his location.

4. Shekau is also known as "Darul Tawheed", a reference to his knowledge of an orthodox doctrine of Islam centred on the oneness of Allah.

5. Nigerian authorities thought he had been killed in 2009 during clashes with security forces, but he reappeared in a video in 2010 to claim leadership of Boko Haram.

6. Shekau is believed to have been behind the August 2011 bombing of the UN compound in the capital Abuja, which killed at least 21 people.

7. In a video released after the abduction of 276 girls from a boarding school in the village of Chibok on April 14, he described the youngsters as "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

Girls who escape the group's clutches are often ignored despite having vital intelligence about Boko Haram's inner workings, says the report.

For example, they often have information on chain of command, ammunition, and how the fighters keep tabs on Nigeria's military.

But Human Rights Watch claims the government "rarely, if ever" interviews the girls.

The report - called Those Terrible Weeks in Their Camp: Boko Haram Violence against Women and Girls in Northeast Nigeria - includes evidence from 46 witnesses and victims of the group.

Daniel Bekele, Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, says the Nigerian government must do more to protect and rehabilitate the girls, and also to track down those behind the abuse.

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Prosecutors To Appeal Oscar Pistorius Verdict

South Africa's state prosecutors say they will appeal against the conviction and sentence handed to Oscar Pistorius.

They say they are not happy with the five-year jail term that he was handed last Wednesday, or the manslaughter offence for which he was convicted.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said on his Twitter feed: "Oscar Pistorius judgement, NPA will be appealing both the conviction and sentence."

Mr Mncube said the next step was to file papers in court.

Pistorius started serving his prison sentence on October 21 after a seven-month trial.

Video: Pistorius Trial: The Sentence

Judge Thokozile Masipa acquitted him of murder and found him guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet door in his home.

As things stand, the Olympic runner is eligible for release after 10 months so he can complete his sentence under house arrest.

Sentencing options available to the judge in a culpable homicide case included up to 15 years in jail, a suspended sentence, a correctional supervision or a fine.

Video: ANC Women's League Reaction

Pistorius' legal team argued during the trial that he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and believed they were both in danger.

During the trial, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel had argued that only 10 years' imprisonment would satisfy the public.

He said that any lesser sentence could result in a widespread loss of faith in the justice system.

Video: South Africa's Appeal Process

Reeva Steenkamp's family initially said that the "verdict is not justice", but later welcomed the five-year term.

But the decision drew criticism from some legal experts who said the judge had made an error in her interpretation of a legal concept that holds a person accountable for the foreseeable consequences of their actions.

Known as Blade Runner because of his carbon-fibre prosthetics, Pistorius achieved global recognition at the London 2012 Olympics when he reached the semi-finals of the 400m against able-bodied athletes.

Video: Pistorius Faces First Night In Jail

Mr Mncube had previously refused to be drawn over whether prosecutors would appeal, saying only that: "The matter is under serious consideration and the announcement will be made in due course."

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Brazil's President Re-Elected In Tight Race

By Karine Mayer, South America News Editor

In one of the tightest races for the presidency in Brazil in the last 30 years incumbent President Dilma Rousseff won a second term in office by a margin of just over 3% of the total votes.

As many as 143 million Brazilians, aged between 18 and 70, in the world's seventh-largest economy went to the polls to choose between leftist Dilma Rousseff and Social Democrat Aecio Neves.

Her win gives the Workers' Party its fourth straight presidential victory.

Ms Rousseff's supporters in Sao Paulo

She said in her victory speech: "The country is not divided… it is searching for a better future."

Looking at the political map it seemed that her challenger Mr Neves won mainly in the rich south, and she won in the poorer north which benefits from her social reforms.

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1. Gallery: All Votes Count In The Final Round Of Brazil's Presidential Elections

   Nearly 143 million people are expected to go to the polls in Brazil's presidential election run-off.

2. Voters will choose between incumbent Dilma Rousseff of the Workers Party and Social Democratic Party rival Aecio Neves.

3. Both parties have been accused of corruption.

4. Fariza, an estate agent, chose Aecio, "Brazil is a young country and needs someone young who inspires hope." Her mother added "it's time to end this monopoly and bring some change."

5. Helena, a pensioner told Sky News "it's with great joy that I vote and press the green button to cast my vote for change."

6. Roberto a lawyer in Rio, said "we need change. That's why I am supporting him" (pointing to the Aecio sticker on his shirt).

7. Joana, a statistician "I am proud to support a government who have done so much socially for this country. Tackling the class differences, and narrowing the gap between rich and poor. I want someone who is going to continue doing this."

8. Marina de Oliveira Baptista , physiotherapist "Brazil has been riding the wave of the success of the former government for the last twelve years. Dilma is only a puppet."

9. Saul Estrela de Oliveira, a 79 year-old retired doctor, whose shirt was covered in Dilma stickers said with a big smile "why change a winning team? You know I wasn't a supporter of the Worker's Party but they're doing such a good job that I'm now a fan!"

10. "You have to be proud of your choice!" Swipe through to see the rest of the images

In her speech, she promised to focus on the economy and to work on fighting inflation which has been creeping back as the Brazilian economy has slowed down for the first time in a decade.

The economy had been the focus of Mr Neves, who had managed to turn around from broke to zero deficit during his time as governor.

Ms Rousseff said she was open to dialogue, leaving a glimmer of hope for her critics who think she may not be able to turn around the economy.

Amid her victory promises she said: "The first and most important reform is the political reform." She was alluding to the corruption scandal of state-owned oil company Petrobras which added to her rollercoaster ride with voter support.

Her popular social programmes include the family allowance "bolsa familia", which helps over 40 million Brazilians out of poverty, and "minha casa, minha vida" (my house, my life), which has helped over 3 million low income families purchase their home.

But public spend to fund these is out of control, and the country is in technical recession.

And yet Brazil still has one of the biggest rich-poor income divides in the world. And this will be a tough obstacle for Ms Rousseff as she tries to put the country's economy back on track and lure back foreign investors.

The reality of a fragmented congress also means that Ms Rousseff will be forced to further dilute her agenda in order to build alliances.

But 51.6% of Brazilians voted for Ms Rousseff. As Saul Estrela de Oliveira, a 79 year-old retired doctor, told Sky News: "Why would you want to change a winning team?"

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Canada: Ottawa Parliament Gunman Made Video

The gunman who killed a soldier and stormed Canada's parliament made a video of himself before the attack, authorities have said.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Bob Paulson said the video was "persuasive evidence" that Michael Zehaf-Bibeau had "ideological and political motives."

The video is being analysed in detail and has not yet been released.

Zehaf-Bibeau gunned down Corporal Nathan Cirillo at Canada's war memorial in Wednesday's attack in Ottawa.

He was later killed by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers when he caused chaos by storming the capital's parliament building.

Video: Family's Tribute To Shot Soldier

A knife carried by the 32-year-old was taken from his aunt's house in Mount Tremblant, Quebec, but detectives are still investigating the origins of the rifle.

"It is an old and uncommon gun. We suspect that he could have similarly hidden the gun on the property but our inquiries continue," they said a statement.

Police added that Zehaf-Bibeau had worked in oil fields in Canada's Alberta province to buy a car and pay for his activities leading up to the attack.

However, in the days leading up to the shooting he had been living in a homeless shelter in Ottawa.

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1. Gallery: How The Ottawa Attack Unfolded

   At around 10am on Wednesday, 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial

2. He then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament building where he was shot to death by the ceremonial Sergeant-at-Arms

3. Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings at the time

4. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament

5. In a national TV statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated"

6. It was the second deadly attack in three days against members of the Canadian military

7. On Monday, a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot to death by police

8. Witnesses said the soldier killed in the latest attack, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf

9. One said: "The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle"

10. At least three people were treated for minor injuries

11. Some people fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations

12. Others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside and cordoned off streets

13. The two attacks have raised fears Canada is being targeted for reprisals for joining the air campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria

14. The National War Memorial contains an arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I

15. The gunman had convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offences, and other crimes. Swipe through for more images of the attack and its aftermath

Possible links with others who may have helped the killer are also urgently being investigated.

"The RCMP is confident we will have an authoritative and detailed account of the shooting, including a complete reconstruction of the heroic actions of those involved, in the weeks to come," said Commissioner Paulson.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called Zehaf-Bibeau's actions a terror attack.

The country recently joined US-led airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq, viewed by many as ample motivation for a potential revenge attack.

Video: Footage Emerges Of Shooting Hero

The attack came two days after a man described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers, killing one of them, in a Quebec car park.

That man had been under surveillance, unlike Zehaf-Bibeau, who was not on a list of around 90 "high-risk" individuals.

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Ukrainian Refugees Flee To Russian Arctic

By Katie Stallard, Russia correspondent, in Murmansk

More than 800,000 refugees have crossed the border into Russia since the start of the year, according to the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR).

At least a quarter of a million are thought to be displaced inside Ukraine.

With the country heading to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections, the situation in the east remains dangerously unstable, despite the ceasefire supposedly in place.

Larisa and Evgeniy Golubyatnikova fled the fighting near Donetsk in August with their two children - three-year-old Margarita and her 13-year-old brother Vadim.

They told me their village was surrounded and they could hear shelling close by.

They had to leave so quickly they could only bring the children and a single suitcase.

"Do you like it here in the north?" Larisa asks her daughter.

The family is among 72 refugees living in a college dormitory in Murmansk

"I like it in Ukraine," Margarita replies.

"They are shooting there, it is scary," her mother tells her.

Video: Ukraine Conflict Deaths

The family is living in one room of a college dormitory in the northern city of Murmansk.

Some 72 Ukrainian refugees have been housed here, the youngest of whom is just six months old.

It was the only destination on offer for relocation when they arrived in the crowded refugee camp in Southern Russia this summer, but they decided it was better than staying at the camp.

Within 24 hours they were on board a plane bound for the Arctic.

Video: Trapped Between The Battle Lines

"We don't have anyone here," Larisa explained, "That is why it is hard and scary.

"I think after a move like this one, nothing can scare us anymore."

Her husband, Evgeniy, added: "The only comfort is that there is a peaceful sky over our head now.

"It was hard, even unbearable to stay there. We did it for our children."

Video: Lenin Statue Toppled In Ukraine

Located north of the Arctic Circle, winters in Murmansk can be tough. For six weeks of the year it will be completely dark, the temperature regularly drops below -20C.

But the family has found warmth amongst the people - volunteers have donated winter clothes and done their best to make them feel welcome.

"Margarita misses her granny, especially after speaking to her on the phone," Larisa told us.

"We told her that we left from where they were shooting, that here it is better here."

Video: MP Dumped In Bin By Angry Mob

Adjusting to their new life in the Arctic has not been easy - the college accommodation is only temporary, and they still need somewhere permanent to stay.

But the family thinks their children will have a better future here than in Ukraine.

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Automatic Quarantine In US For Ebola Medics

New York, New Jersey and Illinois are to begin automatically quarantining medical staff who return from areas badly affected by Ebola.

The decision by the health authorities follows former Doctors Without Borders medic Craig Spencer testing positive for the disease several days after he returned from Guinea.

Dr Spencer, 33, was able to travel on the subway and go bowling before he showed the classic symptoms of the virus and had to go to hospital.

The US government said it was considering adopting the move for the whole country after it emerged that Dr Spencer had already been checked at the border and declared safe.

Health workers in the UK, meanwhile, expressed concerns that compulsory quarantines worldwide could have a negative impact.

Video: Ebola Response: Science Not Fear

Paul Humphries, an aid worker from West London who is about to return to Sierra Leone, told Sky News that a forced 21-day quarantine would be a major barrier for volunteers like him.

"It is impractical and it is also unnecessary," he said.

"The virus can only be passed if you come into contact with the bodily fluids or blood of a victim. Aid workers can easily monitor themselves."

Hours after the policy was announced in the US, a female healthcare worker who had been quarantined when she arrived from the affected region into Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, was isolated with a fever.

Preliminary tests have come back negative for the Ebola virus, but the woman continues to be monitored at University Hospital, Newark.

Video: Cured Texas Ebola Nurse 'Blessed'

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "We've seen what happens... You ride a subway. You ride a bus. You could infect hundreds and hundreds of people."

President Barack Obama praised New York City's quick reaction to its first Ebola case and said he has promised local officials any federal help they need.

He said the US must be guided by science and not fear as it responded to Ebola, insisting the disease can be beaten if people remain vigilant.

The president also sought to reassure members of the public by hugging Dallas nurse Nina Pham, who was one of the first to be treated for the virus in the US.

She had caught it while working as one of the medical staff treating a man who had earlier arrived from Liberia and who later died of the disease.

Video: '10,000 Ebola Orphans By Christmas'

Ms Pham, 26, was declared cured on Friday, and gave a speech, thanking those who had treated her.

She said: "I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today."

Officials said she did not take any experimental drugs, but she did use blood plasma from previous survivor Dr Kent Brantly, who she also thanked.

Her colleague Amber Vinson, who caught the disease at the same time, was also declared cured, but was not yet well enough to leave hospital.

Dr Spencer remains in a stable condition in an isolation ward at Bellevue Hospital in New York undergoing treatment.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

The latest case comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that it expects hundreds of thousands of doses of a new Ebola vaccine to be available by early next year.

WHO said the number of Ebola deaths has risen to 4,922 and the total cases passed the 10,000 mark at 10,141, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

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