BBC news with Fiona MacDonald.
The South Africa President Jacb Zuma has announced a commission of inquiry after police officers opened fire on several thousands striking miners on Thursday. Police said 34 people were killed in the incident, described it as one of the worst of its kind since the end of apartheid. President Zuma said now was not the time for recriminations .
"I have decided to institute a commission of inquiry. Inquiry will enable us to get to the real cause of the incident and to derive the necessary lessons too. However, today is not an occasion for blame, finger-pointing or recrimination."
The three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been found guilty of hooliganism by a Moscow court and sentenced to two years in jail. The defendants have been in prison since March after performing a protest song against President Vladimir Putin in the city's central cathedral. From Moscow, here is Steve Rosenberg.
When the crowds gathered outside heard the news, supporters of Pussy Riot erupted with cries of shame. Opponents of the female punk group shouted victory and blessed the Lord. Police have made several arrests outside the court house. Pussy Riot's defense team has already said it would appeal the judgment, and if necessary, take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The US and the European Union both said the sentences were disproportionate.
The United States has announced that, the United Nations has announced that the veteran Algerian diplomat, Lakhdar Brahimi, would be the new UN and Arab League special envoy to Syria. Mr. Brahimi, who is a former Algerian foreign minister, takes over from Kofi Annan-who resigned earlier this month. Barbara Plett reports.
In announcing the appointment, the Secretary General said that the diplomacy to prompt a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict was a top priority for the UN. He added that Lakhdar Brahimi would need a strong, clear and unified support of the international community including the Security Council. The deep divisions over Syria in the Council was one of the main reasons Kofi Annan resigned the post. Diplomats said Mr. Brahimi had sought a strong endorsement from the Council before taking up the position, but the divide is seen as deep as ever.
The French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, has said that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad does not deserve to be on the Earth. After visiting Syrian refugee camps in Turkey, Mr. Fabius said that the Syrian government had to be beaten fast.
The Turkish government has confirmed that a second Turkish citizen has been kidnapped in Lebanon and it has warned its nationals against traveling to the country. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have already urged their citizens to leave Lebanon following a spate of abductions earlier this week by a Shia Muslim clan in retaliations for the capture of a family member.
World news on the BBC.
The head of the Shia Muslim Movement in Lebanon Hazbollah has warned that his group will, as they put it, turn the lives of hundreds and thousands of Israelis into hell if Israel attacks Hazbollah. Hassan Nasrallah said that Hazbollah had what he called precision rockets that could hit a number of targets in Israel.
Germany's highest court has overturned the postwar constitutional ban preventing military combat operations on national soil. The constitutional code said the deployment of troops in Germany would only be allowed in what it called a state of emergency of catastrophe proportions. It ruled that any decision to deploy troops would have to be taken by the cabinet not just the defense minister. The German government has wanted more flexibility to deal with potential terrorist threats.
The trial of a US army major, accused of killing 13 colleagues at Fort hood in Texas 3 years ago, has been postponed indefinitely due to a dispute about his beard. The court refuses to hear his case unless he's clean-shaven. But lawyers for major Nidal Malik Hasan said that his Muslim faith precludes this. Alastair Leithead is in Los Angeles.
The military trial of major Nidal Malik Hasan was due to start next week but it has been stayed indefinitely until the issue surrounding his beard can be resolved. It's against army regulations to wear a beard in a military court. And after refusing orders to do it himself, the court asked him to be forcibly shaved. The trial has been put on hold when an appeal's court decides whether this will be allowed.
The French actor Gerard Depardieu has been accused of assault after an alleged road rage incident in central Paris. The incident occurred when the 63-year-old actor's scooter narrowly avoided a car on Wednesday. French police say an argument followed which ended Gerard Depardieu allegedly punching the car driver in the face. The actor has admitted he overreacted.
BBC news.