Jailed Venezuelan opposition leader put on trial in Caracas

Leopoldo Lopez, the leader of the anti-government protests that rocked the socialist administration of Nicolas Maduro, is charged with inciting violence after wave of unrest left 43 dead

    Leopoldo Lopez (C) after handing himself over to the police back in February

Leopoldo Lopez, the jailed Venezuelan opposition leader, has been put on trial behind closed doors for allegedly inciting violence at anti-government protests that swept the country.

The regime of President Nicolas Maduro has accused Mr Lopez of masterminding the wave of unrest that left 43 people dead and nearly 900 injured.

Mr Lopez had called for peaceful protests and his supporters blame the Venezuelan state security forces for the violent crackdown.

Sudanese Christian woman Meriam Ibrahim arrives in Italy

Ms Ibrahim, who was spared a death sentence for apostasy in June for refusing to renounce Christianity, meets Pope Francis after landing in Rome en route to US

Meriam Ibrahim, the Christian woman who was spared a death sentence for apostasy and then barred from leaving Sudan, met Pope Francis on Thursday after arriving in Rome to jubilant scenes following intense international efforts to free her.


Ms Ibrahim and her husband Daniel Wani personally thanked the pontiff for his support and he in turn thanked her for her courage and staying true to her Christian faith despite the threat of execution when they met for nearly half an hour at the Vatican.

Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, described the meeting as “calm and affectionate” and said the Pope wanted it to be a “gesture of support to all those who suffer for their faith, and living in difficult or restrictive situations”.

Air Algerie plane wreckage found in southern Mali

Wreckage from plane and human remains found at what is thought to be crash site of Air Algerie flight which disappeared en route from Burkina Faso to Algiers with 110 passengers and six crew on board including 51 French nationals

Air Algerie plane parking in the international airport of Algiers- the Air Algerie flight disappeared from radar screens over Mali 50 minutes after take off en route from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers

The wreckage of an Air Algerie flight which vanished from radar in West Africa has been discovered near Mali's border with Burkino Faso, according to officials.

Burkina Faso's commander in chief Gilbert Diendere said the burnt-out wreckage of flight AH5017 was found south of the Mali town of Gao, 30 miles north of the border.He said searchers found human remains and burned and scattered plane wreckage at the site.

The search team had gone from Burkina Faso to Mali to follow up reports from a resident who described seeing a plane go down.

11 parents of abducted girls die from stress and attacks in Nigeria

In just three months, seven fathers have been killed by insurgents and at least four more parents have died of heart failure 

In the three months since Islamic extremists kidnapped more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls, 11 of their parents have died, town residents say.

The town where the girls were kidnapped, Chibok, is cut off by militants, who have been attacking villages in the region.

Seven fathers of kidnapped girls were among 51 bodies brought to the Chibok hospital after an attack on the nearby village of Kautakari this month, said a health worker who insisted on anonymity for fear of reprisals by the extremists.

At least four more parents have died of heart failure, high blood pressure and other illnesses that the community blames on trauma due to the mass abduction 100 days ago, said community leader Pogu Bitrus, who provided their names.

Manchester United thrash LA Galaxy 7-0 as Ander Herrera stars to give Louis van Gaal victory in first match

Size of Manchester United’s winning margin impressive with Louis van Gaal inspiring the demolition of a team crowned MLS champions just two years ago 

                                     Seven-up: Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney celebrate

Louis van Gaal launched his reign as Manchester United manager in emphatic style with Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and youngster Reece James all scoring twice in a remarkable 7-0 victory against LA Galaxy in California.

Just 11 days after signing off at the World Cup with Holland, following victory over Brazil in the third/fourth place play-off in Sao Paulo, Van Gaal was back in the dug-out for his first game as United manager in the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

And the Dutchman emerged from the friendly fixture, which saw United win the Chevrolet Cup in front of a crowd of 86,432, with a host of plus points, including the performances of debutants Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw.