BBC News with Julie Candler.
A Virgin Galactic spaceship making a test flight in California has crashed killing one pilot and badly injuring the other. Virgin Galactic has been developing the aircraft to send tourist to the edge of space. More than 500 have already signed up. David Willies reports from the Mojave Desert.
“Wreckage from the Spaceship Two is scattered across this part of the Mojave Desert. The rocket ship exploded shortly after being released from the mother ship White Knight Two. One eyewitness was quoted as saying he saw an explosion high in the air and then came across debris scattered in the desert. Both pilots are thought to have been ejected from the rocket ship, one died, the other was seriously injured and has been taken to a local hospital. Virgin Galactic's founder Sir Richard Branson said in a statement that his thoughts were with all those involved, he's flying here to be with the team.”
Burkina Faso's president Blaise Compaore has been forced out by mass demonstrations. But it's not clear who has replaced him. The Armed Force's Chief General Honore Traore announced he was taking over as head of state. But many protesters see him as too close to the ousted president. From Ouagadougou, here is Lilia Drawvy.
“After 27 years at the helm, it's a three days of angry protests for the land of upright men to oust their leader. Protesters have moved from Nation Square to the headquarters of the army after the announcements of the ousting of President Blaise Compaore. To lead the transition, they are asking that someone else steps in. So after winning this battle for democracy, people here in Burkina Faso are already thinking of the next step to bring real change in the country.”
A new UN report says some 15,000 people have so far traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group and other Jihadist fighters. The report says the foreign recruits come from more than 80 countries, some of which have never previously faced any Jihadist threat.
A judge in Canada has sentenced a man to 75 years imprisonment for shooting dead three Canadian mounted police officers and wounding two others. Lee Carter reports from Toronto.
“As he sentenced Justin Bourque, the judge called his crime one of the worst in the history of Canada. It was also one of the heaviest sentences in the country's modern legal history. In addition to serving 75 years, Mr. Bourque had no chance of parole. It was on the 4th of June that Justin Bourque went on his shooting rampage in the normally quiet New Brunswick City of Monkton during which he opened fire on the officers. The city was locked down during the 28-hour manhunt. He pleaded guilty to the charges and appeared unrepentant in police interview, but later in court apologized to the victims' families.”
BBC News.
A convoy of Peshmerga troops has crossed into Syria to join the fight against the Islamic State militants in the town of Kobani. The Iraqi Kurdish fighters traveled in trucks and jeeps escorted by armed vehicles. US-led airstrikes have been continuing around the besieged town which has been under attack by IS for more than 40 days. On Thursday, an advanced party of 10 Peshmerga fighters entered the town.
The Sri Lankan government says the search for people missing after a deadly mudslide will continue even though it's dangerous. Official say dozens of people have died and there is little or no chance of finding survivors. The landslides swept away the homes of Tamil tea workers, one of the island's most impoverished communities. The Disaster Management Minister said that if tea companies didn't relocate their employees to safe areas, the government would seize land and move the people.
A judge in the American state of Maine has ruled that a nurse who returned from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leon can now leave home and go to public places. The decision overturns a previous ruling that had banned Nurse Kaci Hickox from visiting cinemas or shopping centers. She had also been told to keep a distance of a meter away from other people. She will still have to be actively monitored by public health officials.
The world's top female Marathon runner Rita Jeptoo of Kenya has failed a drugs test. Athletics Kenya said it was disappointed by the news. Alex Capstick has the details.
“Rita Jeptoo was scheduled to collect half a million dollars in prize money on Sunday for finishing as the overall winner of the World Marathon Series. But the ceremony has been postponed following reports that she failed an out-of-competition dope test. The banned substance is thought to be the blood booster EPO. Jeptoo, who's won the prestigious Chicago Marathon twice and the Boston Race three times, is a high-profile addition to a long list of Kenyan athletes who have committed drugs violations.”