West Africa's main regional bloc, ECOWAS, has rejected a proposal by Niger's military junta to hold elections within three years, extending a political impasse that could trigger a military intervention if no agreement is reached following a July coup.
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who has spent six years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has asked the Constitutional Court to declare him eligible for parole.
Herman Andaya had come under criticism for not activating the island-wide network as fast-moving flames bore down on the city, with survivors saying they had no warning of the blaze.
