Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze

Protesters angry at plans to allow Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year-rule have set fire to parliament.

Correspondents say the city hall and ruling party headquarters are also in flames.

A huge crowd is surging towards the presidential palace and the main airport has been shut.

Oscar Pistorius begins jail sentence for Reeva Steenkamp death

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has begun serving time in jail for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He was driven to Pretoria's Kgosi Mampuru prison where he is expected to be housed in the hospital wing.

Judge Thokozile Masipa gave Pistorius a five-year jail sentence for culpable homicide, but cleared him of murder.

His defence said it expected him to serve about 10 months, with the remainder under house arrest. His family say he will not appeal.

Ukraine crisis: Rebels 'free 1,200 captives' - Poroshenko

Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine have released 1,200 prisoners, President Petro Poroshenko has said.

The releases followed Friday's ceasefire deal, he said, which included an exchange of prisoners.

He was speaking during a visit to the strategic south-eastern port city of Mariupol, which has come under shelling

Ukraine crisis: Putin hopes for peace deal by Friday

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is hoping for a peace agreement to be reached between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels by Friday.

Mr Putin urged both sides to stop military action in eastern Ukraine, adding that his views and those of his Ukrainian counterpart were very close.

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said they had agreed a "ceasefire process".

Ukraine crisis: 'Column from Russia' crosses border

The Ukrainian military says it has clashed with rebel armoured vehicles that crossed from Russia and headed to the south-eastern port of Mariupol.

It said the column was halted near the town of Novoazovsk.

One military commander said pro-Russian rebels might be trying to open up a new southern front.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had not heard the reports but complained of regular "disinformation about our 'incursions'".

Thousands of Yazidis 'still trapped' on Iraq mountain

Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped by militants on a mountain in northern Iraq and need "life-saving assistance", the United Nations warns.

Members of the Yazidi sect fled there 10 days ago after fighters from Islamic State (IS) seized the town of Sinjar.

US air strikes continued on Tuesday, with a drone targeting an IS mortar near Kurdish troops, the Pentagon said.

Gaza conflict: Israel 'to pursue campaign' as truce ends

Israel's prime minister has vowed the campaign in Gaza will continue "until quiet and security are returned to the citizens of Israel".

Benjamin Netanyahu issued the statement after Israel's seven-hour "humanitarian window" for parts of Gaza closed.

The truce slowed violence in Gaza, although Palestinians said Israel broke it by hitting a house in Gaza City.