Hello, I'm Justin Green with the BBC news.

An inquiry into the deaths of 34 striking miners in South Africa three years ago has heavily criticised the police who opened fire and has recommended a criminal investigation. The South African President Jacob Zuma said the inquiry had found that police operation at the Marikana platinum mine to be defective. It also blamed rival unions and the mine owners' lawmen, but absolved government ministers. From Johannesburg, here's Maseko.

"If you look at the 600-paged report, the four guys are the management of lawmen, the police officers who were there at the mine on the day of the shooting, and also the mine workers themselves. But there is deafening silence regarding the political leadership that included the deputy president, who was in the board of lawmen, and also the mining minister. So there is a lot of anger here in South Africa, regarding why is it that the political leadership has not been held accountable."

Nine people in Northern Nigeria have been sentenced to death for blasphemy. The verdict was handed down by an Islamic court in the state of Kano, which met in secret. The defendants are thought to include at least one woman.

The International Crisis Group has warned that western counter-terrorism policies in the Sahara region of North Africa are failing. The Brussels-based campaign group says the tendency to label non-violent Islamists as potential jihadists was liable to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Thomas Fessy has more details.

"Regional youth, the ICG says, are restless overall lack of job opportunities, and a narrow political space. Islamist charities provide an attractive alternative to poorly equiped state schools. Moreover, state institutions have colluded with criminal networks, which, in some regions, have become a key source of power. The ICG says the greatest responsibility lies with national governments. They must stem rapid population growth and address radicalisation and poverty."

The summit of European leaders has ended in Brussels in the past few minutes. They've been discussing ways to tackle the number of migrants attempting to enter the EU illegally. The Greek debt crisis has also been on the agenda. No deal has been reached so far. Chris Morris reports.

"One EU official said there would be no further negotiations with the Greek government. The creditors would examine Greek suggestions, the official said, to see if there is anything worth adding to their own proposals, and that would then amount to a final offer to be discussed at a meeting of Euro Zone finance ministers on Saturday. One EU diplomat said Saturday's finance ministers meeting, just three days before Greece's current bailout expires, would be crucial. They have to decide, he said, yes or no. If it's no, then this is over. The EU leaders are due to resume talks in the morning."

World news from the BBC.

The United States Census Bureau says people under 33 now make up the biggest age group in the country. Known as millennials, they form more than 25% of the population and outnumber of the baby boomers, those who are over 65 years old.

The first funerals of the nine African-Americans shot dead at a Bible class have taken place in Charleston, South Carolina. Police officers stood guard as thousands of mourners celebrated the lives of two victims, killed by a white gunman last week. From Charleston, here's Nick Bryant.

"Thousands gathered for the funerals of two of the victims at the Charleston killings. Ethel Lance, who was 17, Sharonda Singleton, the mother of three children. And both were celebrations of their lives. In the eulogy for Ethel Lance, the preacher said she was a victim of hatred, who could be a symbol of love. Hatred is powerful, he said, but love is more powerful."

France's interior minister has said that the low-cost car-booking service UberPop must be shut down, and the vehicles cease if they continue to carry passengers. Bernard Cazeneuve made the announcement after a day of nationwide strikes by taxi drivers, some of which turned violent. UberPop has already been outlawed in France, but continues to operate while it challenges the ban.

Flash flooding has caused major damage and disruption in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, which hosted the Winter Olympic Games last year. Rail and road transport was severely affected as torrential rains caused river to overflow.

The English-born actor, Patrick Macnee, has died at his home in California, aged 93. He was best known for playing John Steed in the 1960s British television series, The Avengers. Steed was a quintessential Englishman. His weapons of choice in his battles with criminal masterminds were his wits and his umbrella, never a gun.

BBC news.