Australia's cops begin to take charge as Solomon unrest continues

Two Hindu men have been killed in fresh religious violence in Bangladesh, police officials said Saturday, taking the death toll to six from recent unrest in the Muslim-majority country.

Protests began on Wednesday after footage emerged of a Koran being placed on the knee of a Hindu god during celebrations for the Hindu festival Durga Puja. The minority community make up about 10 per cent of the population.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hours-after-pms-warning-iskcon-temple-vandalised-in-bangladesh-421103">Hours after PM's warning, ISKCON temple vandalised in Bangladesh</a>

Police said the latest violence occurred in the southern town of Begumganj when hundreds of Muslims formed a street procession after Friday prayers on the final day of Durga Puja.

More than 200 protesters attacked a temple where members of the Hindu community were preparing to perform the last rites of the 10-day festival, local police station chief Shah Imran told reporters.

The attackers beat and stabbed to death an executive member of the temple committee, he said.

On Saturday morning, another Hindu man's body was found near a pond next to the temple, district police chief Shahidul Islam told AFP.

"Two men have died since yesterday's attack. We are working to find the culprits," he added.

Anti-Hindu violence spread to more than a dozen districts across Bangladesh this week after footage emerged on social media of the Koran incident.

At least four people were killed late Wednesday when police opened fire on a crowd of around 500 people attacking a Hindu temple in Hajiganj, one of several towns hit by the disturbances.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hindu-temples-durga-puja-pandals-vandalised-in-bangladesh-4-killed-420683">Hindu temples, Durga puja pandals vandalised in Bangladesh, 4 killed</a>

At least 150 Hindus were injured across the country, community leader Gobinda Chandra Pramanik told AFP, and at least 80 makeshift temples had been attacked. Authorities did not confirm the figures.

Hindus have often fallen victim to communal violence in the country of 169 million.

Local authorities said they have deployed extra security including paramilitary border guards to control any further unrest.

On Friday violence broke out in the capital Dhaka and Chittagong, prompting police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets at thousands of brick-throwing Muslim protesters.

High-speed mobile phone internet services were shut down in an apparent bid to prevent the violence from spreading.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met leaders of the Hindu community on Thursday and promised stern action.

"So far around 90 people have been arrested. We will also hunt down all the masterminds," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said.

Two Hindu men have been killed in fresh religious violence in Bangladesh, police officials said Saturday, taking the death toll to six from recent unrest in the Muslim-majority country.

Two Hindu men have been killed in fresh religious violence in Bangladesh, police officials said Saturday, taking the death toll to six from recent unrest in the Muslim-majority country. Protests began on Wednesday after footage emerged of a Koran being placed on the knee of a Hindu god during celebrations for the Hindu festival Durga Puja. The minority community make up about 10 per cent of the population. Also Read | Hours after PM's warning, ISKCON temple vandalised in Bangladesh Police said the latest violence occurred in the southern town of Begumganj when hundreds of Muslims formed a street procession after Friday prayers on the final day of Durga Puja. More than 200 protesters attacked a temple where members of the Hindu community were preparing to perform the last rites of the 10-day festival, local police station chief Shah Imran told reporters. The attackers beat and stabbed to death an executive member of the temple committee, he said. On Saturday morning, another Hindu man's body was found near a pond next to the temple, district police chief Shahidul Islam told AFP. "Two men have died since yesterday's attack. We are working to find the culprits," he added. Anti-Hindu violence spread to more than a dozen districts across Bangladesh this week after footage emerged on social media of the Koran incident. At least four people were killed late Wednesday when police opened fire on a crowd of around 500 people attacking a Hindu temple in Hajiganj, one of several towns hit by the disturbances. Also Read | Hindu temples, Durga puja pandals vandalised in Bangladesh, 4 killed At least 150 Hindus were injured across the country, community leader Gobinda Chandra Pramanik told AFP, and at least 80 makeshift temples had been attacked. Authorities did not confirm the figures. Hindus have often fallen victim to communal violence in the country of 169 million. Local authorities said they have deployed extra security including paramilitary border guards to control any further unrest. On Friday violence broke out in the capital Dhaka and Chittagong, prompting police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets at thousands of brick-throwing Muslim protesters. High-speed mobile phone internet services were shut down in an apparent bid to prevent the violence from spreading. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met leaders of the Hindu community on Thursday and promised stern action. "So far around 90 people have been arrested. We will also hunt down all the masterminds," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said.

Two Hindu men killed in fresh Bangladesh religious unrest

Eleven civilians were killed by rebels in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), where government forces are battling armed groups, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred on Tuesday near Bambari, the CAR's fourth-biggest city, when three cars came under fire, leaving a "toll of 11 dead and six wounded, said Saturnin Nicaise Grepandet, the area's deputy prefect.

A provisional toll earlier listed seven dead, while aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 15 had died.

The CAR, a landlocked and poverty-stricken country in the heart of Africa, has been locked in a brutal conflict since 2013 when its then president, Francois Bozize, was overthrown by an armed group drawn mainly from the Muslim minority.

The coup triggered a bloodbath with the so-called "anti-Balaka," a force drawn mainly from the Christian and animist communities.

Bozize's elected successor, Faustin Archange Touadera, has struggled to exert control and swathes of the country remain in the hands of armed groups.

In Bambari, a city lying 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of the capital Bangui, rebels from the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC), one of the biggest armed groups in the region, recently killed two government troops.

The authorities on October 1 extended a curfew period in response to the worsening security.

A coalition of six rebel groups last December advanced on Bangui in the runup to presidential elections, but were thwarted after Russia and Rwanda rushed military support for Touadera.

A UN report in March said hundreds of violations and abuses of human rights had been documented over the previous year, leading to at least 1,221 deaths, including 144 civilians.

Some of the cases were attributable to the CAR armed forces and "private military personnel," it said, referring to the Russian paramilitaries.

The CAR government in a report last Friday acknowledged that some abuses had been committed by "Russian instructors," but contended that the rebels were to blame for most of the cases.

Eleven civilians were killed by rebels in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), where government forces are battling armed groups, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Eleven civilians were killed by rebels in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), where government forces are battling armed groups, a senior official said on Wednesday. The attack occurred on Tuesday near Bambari, the CAR's fourth-biggest city, when three cars came under fire, leaving a "toll of 11 dead and six wounded, said Saturnin Nicaise Grepandet, the area's deputy prefect. A provisional toll earlier listed seven dead, while aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 15 had died. The CAR, a landlocked and poverty-stricken country in the heart of Africa, has been locked in a brutal conflict since 2013 when its then president, Francois Bozize, was overthrown by an armed group drawn mainly from the Muslim minority. The coup triggered a bloodbath with the so-called "anti-Balaka," a force drawn mainly from the Christian and animist communities. Bozize's elected successor, Faustin Archange Touadera, has struggled to exert control and swathes of the country remain in the hands of armed groups. In Bambari, a city lying 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of the capital Bangui, rebels from the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC), one of the biggest armed groups in the region, recently killed two government troops. The authorities on October 1 extended a curfew period in response to the worsening security. A coalition of six rebel groups last December advanced on Bangui in the runup to presidential elections, but were thwarted after Russia and Rwanda rushed military support for Touadera. A UN report in March said hundreds of violations and abuses of human rights had been documented over the previous year, leading to at least 1,221 deaths, including 144 civilians. Some of the cases were attributable to the CAR armed forces and "private military personnel," it said, referring to the Russian paramilitaries. The CAR government in a report last Friday acknowledged that some abuses had been committed by "Russian instructors," but contended that the rebels were to blame for most of the cases.

Rebel attack kills 11 in C.Africa: Official

Unprecedented anti-government protests broke out in Cuba on July 11, which the single-party state leadership blames on a Twitter campaign orchestrated by the United States.

But experts AFP spoke to say that view is at best an exaggeration.

"I have irrefutable proof that the majority of those that took part in this (internet) campaign were in the United States and used automated systems to make content go viral, without being penalized by Twitter," Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Tuesday.

Rodriguez had already denied that the island nation experienced a "social explosion" when thousands of people took to the streets chanting "Freedom!" and "Down with the dictatorship!"

The minister called it a "communication and information war against Cuba."

So who is to blame? Authorities point to the hashtag #SOSCuba, launched in early July to highlight Cuba's healthcare crisis, the spike in Covid-19 cases, and to plead for foreign humanitarian aid.

Spanish social media expert Julian Macias Tovar, who was invited to speak on Cuban state television on Tuesday, says there is something strange in the figures around the hashtag.

"Between July 5, when the #SOSCuba hashtag was first used, and the eighth, there were just 5,000 tweets," Macias Tovar told AFP.

It then exploded exponentially, he said, with 100,000 tweets on July 9, 500,00 on the 10th, 1.5 million the next day and two million on the 12th.

Attack on the left

The accounts tweeting with the #SOSCuba hashtag "came from many different places, and I believe there's an international network of accounts linked ideologically," said Macias Tovar.

They are the same accounts that attacked Mexico's leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez and the leftist governments of Argentina and Spain, he said.

This is a case of fake accounts or automated accounts programmed to produce a large number of tweets, Macias Tovar said.

Doug Madory, the director of internet analysis at the IT firm Kentik, is more sceptical.

"Someone sends a tweet in the United States that puts people on the streets in Cuba? I find it hard to believe," he said.

"I don't know if one could sit and try to create a Twitter campaign that holds such sway over the average Cuban that out of the air they convince them to do things they wouldn't otherwise have done."

While he acknowledged there were automated tweets, it is "probably true also of the government themselves" given the similarity between tweets from its supporters.

On top of that, the government holds the ultimate weapon: it can cut off internet access, as it did between midday Sunday and Wednesday morning.

Once access was restored, social media sites remained offline for another 24 hours.

'War against Cuba'

The government has not confirmed it cut off internet access, although Rodriguez said Cuba had "a right to self-defence."

But on Tuesday night a presenter on state TV let slip the truth.

"I understand as a journalist ... the step taken to cut social media because that is where the war against Cuba is being waged," said presenter Arleen Rodriguez Derivet.

According to Cuban political scientist Harold Cardenas, "it would be a simplification to say it's a US campaign because there are obviously many other reasons behind the protests."

For example, he said, "I know communists that were detained the other day for taking part in protests.

"That's not to say that the United States has no responsibility in the unrest" through its sanctions that "intentionally asphyxiate the Cuban people."

It is true that social media has been "used to create parallel realities," since there has been an avalanche of fake news and doctored images shared in Cuba over recent days.

"There has been an effort from abroad to create uncertainty in the country," said Cardenas.

But the government is "attributing an exaggerated importance to Twitter," and people are genuinely "fed up and economically exhausted."

Macias Tovar agrees with Cardenas. "Beyond this being a campaign orchestrated" from abroad, he said, "there are people who are mobilizing, people who are demonstrating against the government, people who have petitions -- what the Cuban government must do is respect the right to protest."

Unprecedented anti-government protests broke out in Cuba on July 11, which the single-party state leadership blames on a Twitter campaign orchestrated by the United States.

Unprecedented anti-government protests broke out in Cuba on July 11, which the single-party state leadership blames on a Twitter campaign orchestrated by the United States. But experts AFP spoke to say that view is at best an exaggeration. "I have irrefutable proof that the majority of those that took part in this (internet) campaign were in the United States and used automated systems to make content go viral, without being penalized by Twitter," Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Tuesday. Rodriguez had already denied that the island nation experienced a "social explosion" when thousands of people took to the streets chanting "Freedom!" and "Down with the dictatorship!" The minister called it a "communication and information war against Cuba." So who is to blame? Authorities point to the hashtag #SOSCuba, launched in early July to highlight Cuba's healthcare crisis, the spike in Covid-19 cases, and to plead for foreign humanitarian aid. Spanish social media expert Julian Macias Tovar, who was invited to speak on Cuban state television on Tuesday, says there is something strange in the figures around the hashtag. "Between July 5, when the #SOSCuba hashtag was first used, and the eighth, there were just 5,000 tweets," Macias Tovar told AFP. It then exploded exponentially, he said, with 100,000 tweets on July 9, 500,00 on the 10th, 1.5 million the next day and two million on the 12th. Attack on the left The accounts tweeting with the #SOSCuba hashtag "came from many different places, and I believe there's an international network of accounts linked ideologically," said Macias Tovar. They are the same accounts that attacked Mexico's leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez and the leftist governments of Argentina and Spain, he said. This is a case of fake accounts or automated accounts programmed to produce a large number of tweets, Macias Tovar said. Doug Madory, the director of internet analysis at the IT firm Kentik, is more sceptical. "Someone sends a tweet in the United States that puts people on the streets in Cuba? I find it hard to believe," he said. "I don't know if one could sit and try to create a Twitter campaign that holds such sway over the average Cuban that out of the air they convince them to do things they wouldn't otherwise have done." While he acknowledged there were automated tweets, it is "probably true also of the government themselves" given the similarity between tweets from its supporters. On top of that, the government holds the ultimate weapon: it can cut off internet access, as it did between midday Sunday and Wednesday morning. Once access was restored, social media sites remained offline for another 24 hours. 'War against Cuba' The government has not confirmed it cut off internet access, although Rodriguez said Cuba had "a right to self-defence." But on Tuesday night a presenter on state TV let slip the truth. "I understand as a journalist ... the step taken to cut social media because that is where the war against Cuba is being waged," said presenter Arleen Rodriguez Derivet. According to Cuban political scientist Harold Cardenas, "it would be a simplification to say it's a US campaign because there are obviously many other reasons behind the protests." For example, he said, "I know communists that were detained the other day for taking part in protests. "That's not to say that the United States has no responsibility in the unrest" through its sanctions that "intentionally asphyxiate the Cuban people." It is true that social media has been "used to create parallel realities," since there has been an avalanche of fake news and doctored images shared in Cuba over recent days. "There has been an effort from abroad to create uncertainty in the country," said Cardenas. But the government is "attributing an exaggerated importance to Twitter," and people are genuinely "fed up and economically exhausted." Macias Tovar agrees with Cardenas. "Beyond this being a campaign orchestrated" from abroad, he said, "there are people who are mobilizing, people who are demonstrating against the government, people who have petitions -- what the Cuban government must do is respect the right to protest."

Cuban government blames Twitter for unrest

After losing 53 cars during the 2019 Johannesburg xenophobic attacks, Okey Uchendu never thought that his business of 11 years - a second-hand car dealership - would be burnt again in less than two years.

On Sunday (July 11) he received a call at midnight that his store was engulfed in flames as looting and violence, the worst in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa for years, escalated, wrecking hundreds of&nbsp;businesses.

"I feel like committing suicide because my livelihood has been taken away from me. I was sitting crying, helpless because I can't do anything," the 45-year old told Reuters standing next to his 58 burnt cars.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-talks-to-foreign-minister-pandor-as-violence-in-south-africa-escalates-398103">Also read |&nbsp;Jaishankar talks to foreign minister Pandor as violence in South Africa escalates</a>

Like many small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMME)&nbsp;businesses&nbsp;that were destroyed in the&nbsp;unrest, his dealership, which employed 16 people, is not insured, compounding any attempts of recovery.

Already buckling under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and high unemployment, SMMEs like Uchendu's are the hardest hit&nbsp;businesses&nbsp;that may not recover from the&nbsp;unrest and risk adding to the already high unemployment rate.

A survey done last year by the Small Business Institute (SBI), revealed that as many as 55,000 SMMEs may not make it through the pandemic. With the&nbsp;unrest, this number is expected to rise, SBI CEO John Dludlu told Reuters.

"The one word that summarises the impact is: catastrophic," Dludlu added.

The&nbsp;South&nbsp;African&nbsp;Property Owners Association said on Wednesday (July 14) more than 200 malls have been looted or destroyed and over 600 stores burnt or damaged thus far.

After losing 53 cars during the 2019 Johannesburg xenophobic attacks, Okey Uchendu never thought that his business of 11 years - a second-hand car dealership - would be burnt again in less than two years.

After losing 53 cars during the 2019 Johannesburg xenophobic attacks, Okey Uchendu never thought that his business of 11 years - a second-hand car dealership - would be burnt again in less than two years. On Sunday (July 11) he received a call at midnight that his store was engulfed in flames as looting and violence, the worst in South Africa for years, escalated, wrecking hundreds of businesses. "I feel like committing suicide because my livelihood has been taken away from me. I was sitting crying, helpless because I can't do anything," the 45-year old told Reuters standing next to his 58 burnt cars. Also read | Jaishankar talks to foreign minister Pandor as violence in South Africa escalates Like many small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMME) businesses that were destroyed in the unrest, his dealership, which employed 16 people, is not insured, compounding any attempts of recovery. Already buckling under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and high unemployment, SMMEs like Uchendu's are the hardest hit businesses that may not recover from the unrest and risk adding to the already high unemployment rate. A survey done last year by the Small Business Institute (SBI), revealed that as many as 55,000 SMMEs may not make it through the pandemic. With the unrest, this number is expected to rise, SBI CEO John Dludlu told Reuters. "The one word that summarises the impact is: catastrophic," Dludlu added. The South African Property Owners Association said on Wednesday (July 14) more than 200 malls have been looted or destroyed and over 600 stores burnt or damaged thus far.

Counting the costs: South African businesses feeling the pain of unrest

Stores and warehouses in South Africa were hit by looters Tuesday for a fifth day running despite the troops President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed to try to quell unrest that has claimed 72 lives.

As pillaging erupted in the economic capital of Johannesburg and the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa's main opposition accused radicals of stoking the unrest.

The armed forces were sending 2,500 soldiers to help the overwhelmed police.

But these numbers are dwarfed by the more than 70,000 troops deployed to enforce last year's coronavirus lockdown, and only a handful of soldiers were seen at some shopping centres. 
 
Watch | What is happening in South Africa and why? All you need to know

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The raging unrest first erupted last Friday after former president Jacob Zuma started serving a 15-month term for contempt, having snubbed a probe into the corruption that stained his nine years in power.

By the weekend, it started spreading to Gauteng province.

"The total number of people who have lost their lives since the beginning of these protests ... has risen to 72," the police said in a statement late Tuesday.

Most of the deaths "relate to stampedes that occurred during incidents of looting of shops", it said.

Others were linked to shootings and explosions of bank ATMs.

The number of arrests has risen to 1,234, although many thousands have been involved in the ransacking sprees. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-gupta-brothers-from-india-landed-south-africas-ruling-party-in-its-biggest-crisis-397138">Also read | How Gupta brothers from India landed South Africa's ruling party in its biggest crisis</a>

Looting 'for my mum'

Earlier TV footage showed dozens of women, some wearing their dressing gowns, men and even children strolling into a butcher in Soweto, coming out balancing heavy boxes of frozen meat on their heads or shoulders.

Police showed up three hours later and fired rubber bullets. Soldiers eventually followed.

In Alexandra township north of Johannesburg, hundreds of people streamed in and out of a shopping mall, freely grabbing groceries.

Looters who spoke to AFP said they had got caught up in the rush, or saw the chance to ease a life blighted by poverty.

"I'm really not concerned about Zuma. He is a corrupt old man that deserves to be in jail," said a 30-year-old man who works at a car wash.

He admitted to "taking things from the shop for my mum" -- stainless-steel pots, meat and groceries.

In Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal's capital, people hauled boxed refrigerators through bushes to a long line of cars that were parked along a highway.

In Durban, aerial footage showed hundreds of people looting a large shopping centre and carting off huge boxes of goods.

A woman was seen throwing her baby from the first floor of a building to save her from fire after shops below her apartment were set on fire. The child safely landed with a group of people on the street.

'Anarchy'

In his nationwide address Monday night, Ramaphosa lashed "opportunistic acts of criminality, with groups of people instigating chaos merely as a cover for looting and theft".

"The path of violence, of looting and anarchy, leads only to more violence and devastation," Ramaphosa said.

The chair of the African Union Commission condemned "the surge of violence that has resulted in the deaths of civilians and appalling scenes of the looting", calling "for an urgent restoration of order".

The largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, announced Tuesday it would file criminal charges against Zuma's children and the leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema.

In a statement, the party accused them of using "social media to express comments which appear to encourage and incite the violence and looting."

Once dubbed the "Teflon president", Zuma was handed the jail term on June 29 by the Constitutional Court for bucking an order to appear before a commission probing the graft that proliferated under his administration.

He started serving the term on Thursday after handing himself in to authorities.

He is seeking to have the ruling set aside.

Zuma popularity

Zuma, 79, is a former anti-apartheid fighter who spent 10 years in jail in the notorious Robben Island jail off Cape Town.

He rose in democratic South Africa to vice president and then president, before being ousted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in 2018 as scandals proliferated.

But he remains popular among many poor South Africans, especially grassroots members of the ANC, who portray him as a defender of the disadvantaged.

South Africa is deep in an economic malaise, with cripplingly high levels of unemployment. Economic activity had already been badly affected by restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Stores and warehouses in South Africa were hit by looters Tuesday for a fifth day running despite the troops President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed to try to quell unrest that has claimed 72 lives.

Stores and warehouses in South Africa were hit by looters Tuesday for a fifth day running despite the troops President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed to try to quell unrest that has claimed 72 lives. As pillaging erupted in the economic capital of Johannesburg and the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa's main opposition accused radicals of stoking the unrest. The armed forces were sending 2,500 soldiers to help the overwhelmed police. But these numbers are dwarfed by the more than 70,000 troops deployed to enforce last year's coronavirus lockdown, and only a handful of soldiers were seen at some shopping centres. Watch | What is happening in South Africa and why? All you need to know The raging unrest first erupted last Friday after former president Jacob Zuma started serving a 15-month term for contempt, having snubbed a probe into the corruption that stained his nine years in power. By the weekend, it started spreading to Gauteng province. "The total number of people who have lost their lives since the beginning of these protests ... has risen to 72," the police said in a statement late Tuesday. Most of the deaths "relate to stampedes that occurred during incidents of looting of shops", it said. Others were linked to shootings and explosions of bank ATMs. The number of arrests has risen to 1,234, although many thousands have been involved in the ransacking sprees. Also read | How Gupta brothers from India landed South Africa's ruling party in its biggest crisis Looting 'for my mum' Earlier TV footage showed dozens of women, some wearing their dressing gowns, men and even children strolling into a butcher in Soweto, coming out balancing heavy boxes of frozen meat on their heads or shoulders. Police showed up three hours later and fired rubber bullets. Soldiers eventually followed. In Alexandra township north of Johannesburg, hundreds of people streamed in and out of a shopping mall, freely grabbing groceries. Looters who spoke to AFP said they had got caught up in the rush, or saw the chance to ease a life blighted by poverty. "I'm really not concerned about Zuma. He is a corrupt old man that deserves to be in jail," said a 30-year-old man who works at a car wash. He admitted to "taking things from the shop for my mum" -- stainless-steel pots, meat and groceries. In Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal's capital, people hauled boxed refrigerators through bushes to a long line of cars that were parked along a highway. In Durban, aerial footage showed hundreds of people looting a large shopping centre and carting off huge boxes of goods. A woman was seen throwing her baby from the first floor of a building to save her from fire after shops below her apartment were set on fire. The child safely landed with a group of people on the street. 'Anarchy' In his nationwide address Monday night, Ramaphosa lashed "opportunistic acts of criminality, with groups of people instigating chaos merely as a cover for looting and theft". "The path of violence, of looting and anarchy, leads only to more violence and devastation," Ramaphosa said. The chair of the African Union Commission condemned "the surge of violence that has resulted in the deaths of civilians and appalling scenes of the looting", calling "for an urgent restoration of order". The largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, announced Tuesday it would file criminal charges against Zuma's children and the leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema. In a statement, the party accused them of using "social media to express comments which appear to encourage and incite the violence and looting." Once dubbed the "Teflon president", Zuma was handed the jail term on June 29 by the Constitutional Court for bucking an order to appear before a commission probing the graft that proliferated under his administration. He started serving the term on Thursday after handing himself in to authorities. He is seeking to have the ruling set aside. Zuma popularity Zuma, 79, is a former anti-apartheid fighter who spent 10 years in jail in the notorious Robben Island jail off Cape Town. He rose in democratic South Africa to vice president and then president, before being ousted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in 2018 as scandals proliferated. But he remains popular among many poor South Africans, especially grassroots members of the ANC, who portray him as a defender of the disadvantaged. South Africa is deep in an economic malaise, with cripplingly high levels of unemployment. Economic activity had already been badly affected by restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Death toll climbs to 72 in South Africa riots after former President Jacob Zuma jailed

An official from Afghanistan told WION that Pakistan nationals were arrested by security forces. A report also noted increase in Taliban funding on Pakistan soil.

Afghanistan blames Pakistan for growing unrest

Explosions rocked Myanmar's largest city Yangon on Saturday as protesters held flash marches for democracy, defying a brutal junta that has held onto power for three bloody months.&nbsp;

The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, bringing an abrupt end to Myanmar's short-lived experiment with democracy.

The power grab triggered a massive uprising that authorities have tried to quell with lethal force and live ammunition.

As Myanmar entered its fourth month under military rule on Saturday, protesters in commercial hub Yangon, an epicentre of unrest with a heavy security presence, staged flash demonstrations, marching rapidly through the streets to avoid confrontation with police and soldiers.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-protesters-march-three-months-after-coup-un-warns-of-standstill-381881">Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill'</a>

The lightning-quick pace of the protests is "so that people will have time to disappear when the security forces come, or else they would die or get arrested", said student activist Min Han Htet.

In Yangon's Insein township, a bomb blast went off around 10 am near a local school, said a resident staying nearby.

"Some security forces came to check the blast area, but I only watched from a distance from my home because I was worried they would arrest me," he told AFP.&nbsp;

By afternoon, two more blasts went off in Yankin, further south, according to residents of the leafy residential township.&nbsp;

"I thought it was thunder," a resident told AFP, adding that the explosions left the security forces nervous.

The state-run evening news said a woman was wounded in the Yankin blasts, which it blamed on "instigators".

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings that are taking place with increasing frequency in Yangon.

They made people live in fear'&nbsp;

The former capital has utterly transformed since the junta seized power on February 1, with barricades erected in key protest hotspots, security forces on patrol, and residents reporting nighttime arrests of suspected dissidents.&nbsp;

"They (the junta) have made people live in fear and it is good to have them on edge as&nbsp;well," the Yankin resident said.

He also praised the flash protesters for their ingenuity in evading arrest and crackdowns.&nbsp;

"Any show of defiance without getting captured or killed is great for the resistance."

Across the country, nearly 760 civilians have been killed in the anti-coup unrest, according to a local monitoring group, though the junta has recorded a far lower death toll.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-security-council-calls-for-asean-myanmar-plan-to-be-enacted-381985">UN Security Council calls for ASEAN Myanmar plan to be enacted</a>

But the democracy movement remains undeterred, with demonstrators gathering Saturday in central Monywa city,&nbsp;a flashpoint for violence&nbsp;carrying signs that said,&nbsp;"Monywa cannot be ruled".&nbsp;

In southern Dawei, protesters waved the signature red flags of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and carried signs that said, "We want democracy".&nbsp;

Wanted posters of junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing were also pasted around town, calling him a "power addict".&nbsp;

He has continuously justified the putsch as necessary to protect democracy, alleging fraud in November's election which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide.&nbsp;

Rebels fighting&nbsp;

The unceasing violence against protesters has drawn the ire of some of Myanmar's myriad ethnic armies, many of which have been battling the military for decades in border regions.

Several have condemned the military and come out in support of the anti-junta movement, offering shelter to fleeing activists in the territory they control.

Clashes between the military and the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the leading rebel groups, have escalated since the coup.

The KNU has seized and razed military posts and the junta has responded with repeated airstrikes in the rebels' Karen state heartland, the latest taking place right after midnight Saturday.&nbsp;

The targeted area is right next to Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province, and displaced residents have fled across the Salween River, which demarcates the border.

"Myanmar soldiers used a fighter aircraft to launch an air strike operation, firing two rockets and artilleries" around 12:48 am, said a statement released by Mae Hong Son's governor Sithichai Jindaluang.&nbsp;

He added that more than 2,300 Myanmar nationals have crossed into Thailand.&nbsp;

Media and local Karen aid groups were blocked access to the refugees, with authorities citing the spread of Covid-19 as a reason,&nbsp;stopping to check the temperatures of locals returning home.

Violence has also flared in Myanmar's northern Kachin state between the Kachin Independence Army and the military, which launched airstrikes in Momauk township Friday.&nbsp;

Saturday saw fresh artillery shelling hit two small towns, according to a humanitarian worker, who said residents were fearful about the fighting getting closer.

Explosions rocked Myanmar's largest city Yangon on Saturday as protesters held flash marches for democracy, defying a brutal junta that has held onto power for three bloody months.

Explosions rocked Myanmar's largest city Yangon on Saturday as protesters held flash marches for democracy, defying a brutal junta that has held onto power for three bloody months. The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, bringing an abrupt end to Myanmar's short-lived experiment with democracy. The power grab triggered a massive uprising that authorities have tried to quell with lethal force and live ammunition. As Myanmar entered its fourth month under military rule on Saturday, protesters in commercial hub Yangon, an epicentre of unrest with a heavy security presence, staged flash demonstrations, marching rapidly through the streets to avoid confrontation with police and soldiers. Also read | Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill' The lightning-quick pace of the protests is "so that people will have time to disappear when the security forces come, or else they would die or get arrested", said student activist Min Han Htet. In Yangon's Insein township, a bomb blast went off around 10 am near a local school, said a resident staying nearby. "Some security forces came to check the blast area, but I only watched from a distance from my home because I was worried they would arrest me," he told AFP. By afternoon, two more blasts went off in Yankin, further south, according to residents of the leafy residential township. "I thought it was thunder," a resident told AFP, adding that the explosions left the security forces nervous. The state-run evening news said a woman was wounded in the Yankin blasts, which it blamed on "instigators". No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings that are taking place with increasing frequency in Yangon. They made people live in fear' The former capital has utterly transformed since the junta seized power on February 1, with barricades erected in key protest hotspots, security forces on patrol, and residents reporting nighttime arrests of suspected dissidents. "They (the junta) have made people live in fear and it is good to have them on edge as well," the Yankin resident said. He also praised the flash protesters for their ingenuity in evading arrest and crackdowns. "Any show of defiance without getting captured or killed is great for the resistance." Across the country, nearly 760 civilians have been killed in the anti-coup unrest, according to a local monitoring group, though the junta has recorded a far lower death toll. Also read | UN Security Council calls for ASEAN Myanmar plan to be enacted But the democracy movement remains undeterred, with demonstrators gathering Saturday in central Monywa city, a flashpoint for violence carrying signs that said, "Monywa cannot be ruled". In southern Dawei, protesters waved the signature red flags of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and carried signs that said, "We want democracy". Wanted posters of junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing were also pasted around town, calling him a "power addict". He has continuously justified the putsch as necessary to protect democracy, alleging fraud in November's election which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide. Rebels fighting The unceasing violence against protesters has drawn the ire of some of Myanmar's myriad ethnic armies, many of which have been battling the military for decades in border regions. Several have condemned the military and come out in support of the anti-junta movement, offering shelter to fleeing activists in the territory they control. Clashes between the military and the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the leading rebel groups, have escalated since the coup. The KNU has seized and razed military posts and the junta has responded with repeated airstrikes in the rebels' Karen state heartland, the latest taking place right after midnight Saturday. The targeted area is right next to Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province, and displaced residents have fled across the Salween River, which demarcates the border. "Myanmar soldiers used a fighter aircraft to launch an air strike operation, firing two rockets and artilleries" around 12:48 am, said a statement released by Mae Hong Son's governor Sithichai Jindaluang. He added that more than 2,300 Myanmar nationals have crossed into Thailand. Media and local Karen aid groups were blocked access to the refugees, with authorities citing the spread of Covid-19 as a reason, stopping to check the temperatures of locals returning home. Violence has also flared in Myanmar's northern Kachin state between the Kachin Independence Army and the military, which launched airstrikes in Momauk township Friday. Saturday saw fresh artillery shelling hit two small towns, according to a humanitarian worker, who said residents were fearful about the fighting getting closer.

Bomb blasts, flash protests as Myanmar enters fourth month under junta

At least five people have died in demonstrations sparked by the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s most prominent opposition leader. It is the worst political unrest in years in a country widely seen as one of West Africa’s most stable.

Situated in the western-most part of Africa, Senegal is a majority-Muslim nation with relatively low human development. It is witnessing the worst unrest in nearly a decade.&nbsp;

Sonko, who enjoys strong support among the young, was arrested after an employee of a beauty salon accused him of raping her. Sonko denies the allegation and says it is politically motivated.

His supporters say — the charges are politically motivated. They accuse Senegal’s president Macky Sall of trying to sideline and kill the political prospects of this leader in the 2024 general election.

The opposition Movement to Defend Democracy coalition, which called three days of nationwide protest starting from Monday, said the charges were politically motivated. It called on the Senegalese people “to pursue its mobilization and peaceful struggle by using all of its constitutional rights to reject the dictatorship of Macky Sall,” the country’s president.

Following his release, Sonko said at a news conference that the street protests would continue and state authorities must pay compensation to the families of those killed during the protests and the assailants had to be brought to justice.

Sonko said that "This mobilization must be maintained. It must even be much larger, but it must above all be peaceful. It must be peaceful. Today, the people have regained the right that Macky Sall confiscated nine years ago at the demonstration. The people have taken it back by force; we must not lose this right."

Political pressure has mounted on President Sall, whose presidency has been plagued by accusations that he unjustly torpedoes political rivals and worries that he may seek to extend his rule beyond his allotted two-term limit.

The economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a nightly curfew to contain its spread have only stoked frustrations.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least five people have died in demonstrations sparked by the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s most prominent opposition leader. It is the worst political unrest in years in a country widely seen as one of West Africa’s most stable.

At least five people have died in demonstrations sparked by the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, Senegal’s most prominent opposition leader. It is the worst political unrest in years in a country widely seen as one of West Africa’s most stable. Situated in the western-most part of Africa, Senegal is a majority-Muslim nation with relatively low human development. It is witnessing the worst unrest in nearly a decade. Sonko, who enjoys strong support among the young, was arrested after an employee of a beauty salon accused him of raping her. Sonko denies the allegation and says it is politically motivated. His supporters say — the charges are politically motivated. They accuse Senegal’s president Macky Sall of trying to sideline and kill the political prospects of this leader in the 2024 general election. The opposition Movement to Defend Democracy coalition, which called three days of nationwide protest starting from Monday, said the charges were politically motivated. It called on the Senegalese people “to pursue its mobilization and peaceful struggle by using all of its constitutional rights to reject the dictatorship of Macky Sall,” the country’s president. Following his release, Sonko said at a news conference that the street protests would continue and state authorities must pay compensation to the families of those killed during the protests and the assailants had to be brought to justice. Sonko said that "This mobilization must be maintained. It must even be much larger, but it must above all be peaceful. It must be peaceful. Today, the people have regained the right that Macky Sall confiscated nine years ago at the demonstration. The people have taken it back by force; we must not lose this right." Political pressure has mounted on President Sall, whose presidency has been plagued by accusations that he unjustly torpedoes political rivals and worries that he may seek to extend his rule beyond his allotted two-term limit. The economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a nightly curfew to contain its spread have only stoked frustrations. (With inputs from agencies)

Violence paralyses Senegal: Country witnessing the worst unrest in a decade

Hong Kong police said they had arrested "around 400" people on Wednesday after a massive New Year's Day <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-protests-severely-challenged-one-country-two-systems-principle-xi-in-his-new-year-address-271325">pro-democracy</a> rally saw clashes between police and hardcore protesters.

The arrests were made for offences including "unlawful assembly and possession of offensive weapons", senior superintendent Jim Ng said at a press conference, adding that police had asked for the rally to be terminated earlier than planned because of unrest.

Organisers claimed more than a million people participated in the rally.

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-leader-rejects-chinas-offer-to-unify-under-hong-kong-model-271327">peaceful march</a> drawing tens of thousands of anti-government protesters on New Year's Day spiralled into chaotic scenes as police fired several rounds of tear gas at crowds including families and some protesters threw several petrol bombs.

Watch: Hong Kong kicks off 2020 with fresh protests

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-hong-kong-kicks-off-2020-fresh-protests-271450/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The violence broke out during a largely peaceful march as masses of regular citizens pressed authorities for further concessions in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-readies-for-new-year-democracy-rally-271378">Chinese-ruled city</a>.

In the Wanchai bar district, some protesters had spray-painted graffiti and smashed cash machines in an HSBC bank branch when plainclothes police moved in, pepper-spraying crowds in a tense face-off, after which several rounds of tear gas were fired.

The protesters, many masked and clad in black, regrouped and formed their own line, hurling several petrol bombs and unfurling umbrellas.

Protesters have directed their ire at the global banking group HSBC saying that it had closed an account that had been a fund-raising platform for the protest movement, a claim the bank has strongly denied.

Earlier in the day, under grey clouds, citizens young and old, many dressed in black and some masked, carried signs such as "Freedom is not free" before setting off.

Hong Kong police said they had arrested "around 400" people on Wednesday after a massive New Year's Day pro-democracy rally saw clashes between police and hardcore protesters.

Hong Kong police said they had arrested "around 400" people on Wednesday after a massive New Year's Day pro-democracy rally saw clashes between police and hardcore protesters. The arrests were made for offences including "unlawful assembly and possession of offensive weapons", senior superintendent Jim Ng said at a press conference, adding that police had asked for the rally to be terminated earlier than planned because of unrest. Organisers claimed more than a million people participated in the rally. A peaceful march drawing tens of thousands of anti-government protesters on New Year's Day spiralled into chaotic scenes as police fired several rounds of tear gas at crowds including families and some protesters threw several petrol bombs. Watch: Hong Kong kicks off 2020 with fresh protests The violence broke out during a largely peaceful march as masses of regular citizens pressed authorities for further concessions in the Chinese-ruled city. In the Wanchai bar district, some protesters had spray-painted graffiti and smashed cash machines in an HSBC bank branch when plainclothes police moved in, pepper-spraying crowds in a tense face-off, after which several rounds of tear gas were fired. The protesters, many masked and clad in black, regrouped and formed their own line, hurling several petrol bombs and unfurling umbrellas. Protesters have directed their ire at the global banking group HSBC saying that it had closed an account that had been a fund-raising platform for the protest movement, a claim the bank has strongly denied. Earlier in the day, under grey clouds, citizens young and old, many dressed in black and some masked, carried signs such as "Freedom is not free" before setting off.

Hong Kong: Around 400 arrested in New Year's Day unrest

The Most Overwhelming Story Of 2019 Was Unrest & Protests It won't be an exaggeration to say that 2019 was a year of protests. Across all the continents, protest was the common theme. Take a look.

Gravitas: 2019: A Year Of Protests

Colombia joined the global wave of unrest, over 18 days of continuous protests.

Colombia joined the global wave of unrest

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-rally-in-hong-kong-as-government-appeals-for-calm-266921">The Hong Kong police</a> on Sunday morning said that a semi-automatic pistol, 105 bullets and other prohibited weapons were seized.

Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said it is the first time that a handgun has been seized related to Hong Kong's demonstrations in recent months, and warned organizers and participants of Sunday's demonstration to watch out for personal and public safety.

The police received information suggesting that some members of a radical group, who had participated in an unlawful assembly on October 20 and attacked the Mong Kok police station with a large number of petrol bombs, were planning to use weapons including guns to create chaos and attack the police during Sunday's demonstration, Li said at a media briefing on Sunday.

The police, therefore, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-gears-up-for-mass-rally-as-government-appeals-for-calm-266882">mounted an operation</a> on early Sunday morning at 11 locations in various districts of Hong Kong.

Watch: Hong Kong police chief urges for peaceful rally

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In the Fortress Hill area on the Hong Kong Island, the police seized a 9 mm semi-automatic Glock pistol, which forensic firearm examination shows it is in good condition, and five magazines, three of which were already loaded with bullets.

At that location, the police also seized three daggers and some sabres.

In the Heard Street in Wan Chai, where a suspected assembly point of the radicals is located, the police seized two bulletproof vests.

In Tsuen Wan, the New Territories, the police launched a search operation and found a large number of fireworks believed to be used for attacking police stations. They also seized nine extendable batons and four pepper sprays.

The police arrested eight men and three women aged between 20 and 63 in the operation for offences including the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-police-say-pistol-among-weapons-seized-ahead-of-protest-266910">possession of a firearm</a> without a license, dangerous goods, prohibited weapons and unlawful assembly.

Li said the police are investigating where the weapons come from and may make more arrests as the operation is still ongoing.

The Hong Kong police on Sunday morning said that a semi-automatic pistol, 105 bullets and other prohibited weapons were seized. Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said it is the first time that a handgun has been seized related to Hong Kong's demonstrations in recent months, and warned organizers and participants of Sunday's demonstration to watch out for personal and public safety.

The Hong Kong police on Sunday morning said that a semi-automatic pistol, 105 bullets and other prohibited weapons were seized. Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said it is the first time that a handgun has been seized related to Hong Kong's demonstrations in recent months, and warned organizers and participants of Sunday's demonstration to watch out for personal and public safety. The police received information suggesting that some members of a radical group, who had participated in an unlawful assembly on October 20 and attacked the Mong Kok police station with a large number of petrol bombs, were planning to use weapons including guns to create chaos and attack the police during Sunday's demonstration, Li said at a media briefing on Sunday. The police, therefore, mounted an operation on early Sunday morning at 11 locations in various districts of Hong Kong. Watch: Hong Kong police chief urges for peaceful rally In the Fortress Hill area on the Hong Kong Island, the police seized a 9 mm semi-automatic Glock pistol, which forensic firearm examination shows it is in good condition, and five magazines, three of which were already loaded with bullets. At that location, the police also seized three daggers and some sabres. In the Heard Street in Wan Chai, where a suspected assembly point of the radicals is located, the police seized two bulletproof vests. In Tsuen Wan, the New Territories, the police launched a search operation and found a large number of fireworks believed to be used for attacking police stations. They also seized nine extendable batons and four pepper sprays. The police arrested eight men and three women aged between 20 and 63 in the operation for offences including the possession of a firearm without a license, dangerous goods, prohibited weapons and unlawful assembly. Li said the police are investigating where the weapons come from and may make more arrests as the operation is still ongoing.

Hong Kong unrest: Police arrest 11, seize semi-automatic pistol in raids

A student at a Hong Kong university who fell during protests at the weekend died early on Friday (November 8) morning, marking the first student death during the anti-government demonstrations that have roiled the city and set the stage for fresh unrest.

Hong Kong Protest: First Student death in Protest

At least 16 people, including 11 soldiers, have been killed in jihadist attacks in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, military and militia sources said Saturday.

Rival factions of Boko Haram launched the attacks on military and civilian targets between Thursday and Saturday, they said.

On Thursday, fighters from the IS-aligned Islamic State West Africa Province ambushed a military convoy near Mauro village in Benisheikh district, a military source told AFP.

"Our men on patrol fell into a terrorist ambush... which claimed 11 soldiers and wounded 16 others. Two other soldiers are still missing," &nbsp;said the officer, who asked not to be identified.

He said the troops were travelling in three vehicles.

"The terrorists made away with 11 AK-47 rifles and anti-aircraft gun mounted on the gun truck," he said.

In another attack the same day, Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a vehicle at Frigi village, killing one person and injuring another,&nbsp;militia sources said.

Jihadist fighters also killed two militiamen in Gubio, 80 kilometres&nbsp;from the state capital Maiduguri.

On Saturday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-police-say-over-300-abused-students-freed-from-islamic-school-252433">Boko Haram</a> militants stormed a camp for those displaced by the conflict in the town of Banki near the border with Cameroon, killing two residents and injuring three vigilantes guarding the area, two militia sources said.

The decade-long Boko Haram campaign has killed 35,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in northeast Nigeria.&nbsp;

The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents.

At least 16 people, including 11 soldiers, have been killed in jihadist attacks in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, military and militia sources said Saturday.

At least 16 people, including 11 soldiers, have been killed in jihadist attacks in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, military and militia sources said Saturday. Rival factions of Boko Haram launched the attacks on military and civilian targets between Thursday and Saturday, they said. On Thursday, fighters from the IS-aligned Islamic State West Africa Province ambushed a military convoy near Mauro village in Benisheikh district, a military source told AFP. "Our men on patrol fell into a terrorist ambush... which claimed 11 soldiers and wounded 16 others. Two other soldiers are still missing," said the officer, who asked not to be identified. He said the troops were travelling in three vehicles. "The terrorists made away with 11 AK-47 rifles and anti-aircraft gun mounted on the gun truck," he said. In another attack the same day, Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a vehicle at Frigi village, killing one person and injuring another, militia sources said. Jihadist fighters also killed two militiamen in Gubio, 80 kilometres from the state capital Maiduguri. On Saturday, Boko Haram militants stormed a camp for those displaced by the conflict in the town of Banki near the border with Cameroon, killing two residents and injuring three vigilantes guarding the area, two militia sources said. The decade-long Boko Haram campaign has killed 35,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in northeast Nigeria. The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents.

16 killed in jihadist attacks in Nigeria: Sources

More than 500 people were&nbsp;arrested&nbsp;after&nbsp;clashes in&nbsp;Indonesia's capital amid <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-rally-across-indonesia-in-fresh-legal-reform-protests-252836">nationwide&nbsp;protests</a>&nbsp;against a raft of divisive reforms, including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-president-delays-law-criminalising-sex-outside-of-marriage-250820">banning pre-marital sex</a> and weakening the anti-graft agency, authorities said Tuesday.

The arrests came&nbsp;after&nbsp;a night of pitched street battles between riot police and stone-throwing protesters many high school and university students,&nbsp;in Jakarta's sprawling downtown core.

Watch Video:&nbsp;Indonesian police fire tear gas to break up anti-graft, sex-ban law protests

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Security forces geared up for more unrest Tuesday as some 575 lawmakers were sworn in at the country's heavily barricaded parliament building.

Since last week, at least two students have died and&nbsp;hundreds&nbsp;more have been injured as a wave of unrest swept across the Southeast Asian archipelago, just weeks before President Joko Widodo kicks off another term as head of the world's third-biggest democracy.

The&nbsp;protests&nbsp;are among the biggest student rallies since mass street demonstrations in 1998 toppled the Suharto dictatorship.

"So far we have detained 519 rioters from yesterday's demonstration," Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono told AFP Tuesday.

"We're questioning them to determine whether or not they are students," he added.

The government has sought to portray the&nbsp;protests&nbsp;as being hijacked by agitators aiming to disrupt the government and suggested they were similar to deadly post-election riots that paralysed Jakarta in May.

National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo was quoted by local media as saying that police had detained 649 demonstrators from Monday's&nbsp;protests.

Several dozen protesters were injured Monday at rallies in other parts of the country, authorities said.

The demonstrations have been fuelled by a proposed bill that includes dozens of legal changes&nbsp;from criminalising pre-marital sex and restricting contraceptive sales, to making it illegal to insult the president and toughening the Muslim-majority country's blasphemy law.

Passage of the reforms has now been delayed, and Widodo has said he would also consider revising a separate bill that critics fear would dilute the powers of&nbsp;Indonesia's corruption-fighting agency.

Some 13 police officers have been questioned and detained over the deaths of two students in riots on Sulawesi island last week.

Police have previously denied responsibility.

Students have issued a wide-ranging list of demands including scrapping some criminal-code changes, withdrawing troops from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-raises-the-minimum-age-for-brides-to-end-child-marriage-250308">Indonesia</a>'s restive Papua region, and halting forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo that unleashed toxic haze across Southeast Asia.

Updating&nbsp;Indonesia's criminal code,&nbsp;which dates back to the Dutch colonial era&nbsp;has been debated for decades, but there was a renewed push this year backed by conservative Islamic groups.

The controversial changes could affect millions of Indonesians, including gay and heterosexual couples who might face jail for having sex outside wedlock or having an affair.

More than 500 people were arrested after clashes in Indonesia's capital amid nationwide protests against a raft of divisive reforms, including banning pre-marital sex and weakening the anti-graft agency, authorities said Tuesday.

More than 500 people were arrested after clashes in Indonesia's capital amid nationwide protests against a raft of divisive reforms, including banning pre-marital sex and weakening the anti-graft agency, authorities said Tuesday. The arrests came after a night of pitched street battles between riot police and stone-throwing protesters many high school and university students, in Jakarta's sprawling downtown core. Watch Video: Indonesian police fire tear gas to break up anti-graft, sex-ban law protests × Security forces geared up for more unrest Tuesday as some 575 lawmakers were sworn in at the country's heavily barricaded parliament building. Since last week, at least two students have died and hundreds more have been injured as a wave of unrest swept across the Southeast Asian archipelago, just weeks before President Joko Widodo kicks off another term as head of the world's third-biggest democracy. The protests are among the biggest student rallies since mass street demonstrations in 1998 toppled the Suharto dictatorship. "So far we have detained 519 rioters from yesterday's demonstration," Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono told AFP Tuesday. "We're questioning them to determine whether or not they are students," he added. The government has sought to portray the protests as being hijacked by agitators aiming to disrupt the government and suggested they were similar to deadly post-election riots that paralysed Jakarta in May. National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo was quoted by local media as saying that police had detained 649 demonstrators from Monday's protests. Several dozen protesters were injured Monday at rallies in other parts of the country, authorities said. The demonstrations have been fuelled by a proposed bill that includes dozens of legal changes from criminalising pre-marital sex and restricting contraceptive sales, to making it illegal to insult the president and toughening the Muslim-majority country's blasphemy law. Passage of the reforms has now been delayed, and Widodo has said he would also consider revising a separate bill that critics fear would dilute the powers of Indonesia's corruption-fighting agency. Some 13 police officers have been questioned and detained over the deaths of two students in riots on Sulawesi island last week. Police have previously denied responsibility. Students have issued a wide-ranging list of demands including scrapping some criminal-code changes, withdrawing troops from Indonesia's restive Papua region, and halting forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo that unleashed toxic haze across Southeast Asia. Updating Indonesia's criminal code, which dates back to the Dutch colonial era has been debated for decades, but there was a renewed push this year backed by conservative Islamic groups. The controversial changes could affect millions of Indonesians, including gay and heterosexual couples who might face jail for having sex outside wedlock or having an affair.

Hundreds arrested in Indonesia after fresh protests over legal-reforms

At least 26 people have been killed in unrest in Indonesia's restive Papua region, authorities said on Tuesday, as thousands fled to shelters following a day of violence that saw victims being burned alive in buildings set ablaze by protesters.

Papua, on the western half of New Guinea island, has been gripped by weeks of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-six-dead-200-injured-after-unrest-following-indonesia-election-result-220555"> violent protests</a> fuelled by anger over racism, as well as fresh calls for self-rule in the impoverished territory.

Some 22 people died in Wamena city where hundreds had demonstrated and burned down a&nbsp;government office and other buildings on Monday, with some victims perishing in deliberately set fires, authorities said, as they upped the death toll from a previous 20 with more than 70 injured.

Some 700 people had been rounded up for questioning over the deadly riots, the military said.

"Some were burned, some were hacked to death... some were trapped in fires," local military commander Chandra Dianto told AFP.

"(We're) going to scour the debris to look for more possible victims in shops and stalls that were set on fire," he added.

Most victims in Wamena were non-Papuans, authorities said, threatening an escalation in violence against migrants from other parts of the Southeast Asian archipelago.&nbsp;

Most of the recent clashes have been between separatist protesters and Indonesian security forces.

A soldier and three civilians also died in provincial capital Jayapura, where security forces and stone-throwing protesters clashed Monday.

The soldier was stabbed to death, while three students died from rubber bullet wounds, authorities said, without elaborating.

'Racist Comments'

Monday's protests in Wamena -- mostly involving high-schoolers -- were reportedly sparked by racist comments made by a teacher, but police have disputed that account as a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-lifts-social-media-curbs-targeting-hoaxes-during-recent-unrest-221576">"hoax"</a>.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which is pushing for independence, described Monday's violence as a "massacre" and said that 17 Papuan high school students had been gunned down by Indonesian security forces.

Neither the military nor the independence movement's claims could be independently verified. Conflicting accounts are common in Papua.

More than 4,000 residents, including mothers and their children, have fled to military and police posts, government buildings and a local church to seek shelter, according to authorities.

A low-level separatist insurgency has simmered for decades in the former Dutch colony after Jakarta took over the mineral-rich region in the 1960s. A vote to stay within the archipelago was widely viewed as rigged.

Weeks of protests broke out across Papua and in other parts of Indonesia after the mid-August arrest and tear-gassing of dozens of Papuan students, who were also racially abused, in the country's second-biggest city, Surabaya.

At least 26 people have been killed in unrest in Indonesia's restive Papua region, authorities said on Tuesday, as thousands fled to shelters following a day of violence that saw victims being burned alive in buildings set ablaze by protesters.

At least 26 people have been killed in unrest in Indonesia's restive Papua region, authorities said on Tuesday, as thousands fled to shelters following a day of violence that saw victims being burned alive in buildings set ablaze by protesters. Papua, on the western half of New Guinea island, has been gripped by weeks of violent protests fuelled by anger over racism, as well as fresh calls for self-rule in the impoverished territory. Some 22 people died in Wamena city where hundreds had demonstrated and burned down a government office and other buildings on Monday, with some victims perishing in deliberately set fires, authorities said, as they upped the death toll from a previous 20 with more than 70 injured. Some 700 people had been rounded up for questioning over the deadly riots, the military said. "Some were burned, some were hacked to death... some were trapped in fires," local military commander Chandra Dianto told AFP. "(We're) going to scour the debris to look for more possible victims in shops and stalls that were set on fire," he added. Most victims in Wamena were non-Papuans, authorities said, threatening an escalation in violence against migrants from other parts of the Southeast Asian archipelago. Most of the recent clashes have been between separatist protesters and Indonesian security forces. A soldier and three civilians also died in provincial capital Jayapura, where security forces and stone-throwing protesters clashed Monday. The soldier was stabbed to death, while three students died from rubber bullet wounds, authorities said, without elaborating. 'Racist Comments' Monday's protests in Wamena -- mostly involving high-schoolers -- were reportedly sparked by racist comments made by a teacher, but police have disputed that account as a "hoax". The United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which is pushing for independence, described Monday's violence as a "massacre" and said that 17 Papuan high school students had been gunned down by Indonesian security forces. Neither the military nor the independence movement's claims could be independently verified. Conflicting accounts are common in Papua. More than 4,000 residents, including mothers and their children, have fled to military and police posts, government buildings and a local church to seek shelter, according to authorities. A low-level separatist insurgency has simmered for decades in the former Dutch colony after Jakarta took over the mineral-rich region in the 1960s. A vote to stay within the archipelago was widely viewed as rigged. Weeks of protests broke out across Papua and in other parts of Indonesia after the mid-August arrest and tear-gassing of dozens of Papuan students, who were also racially abused, in the country's second-biggest city, Surabaya.

Papua unrest death toll hits 26: Indonesian police

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent high-ranking emissaries on a mission to reassure African countries after a wave of xenophobic attacks, the presidency said on Sunday.

At least 12 people have been killed in the surge of mob violence targeting foreign-owned businesses and homes, mainly in and around Johannesburg since the start of the month.

Hundreds of economic migrants from neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique have fled to shelters and Nigeria has flown 600 of its citizens back home after they were targeted in the violence.

The mission, led by former minister Jeff Radebe, left South Africa on Saturday and will visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, DR Congo and Zambia, the presidency said.

Ramaphosa was jeered at on Saturday during his speech at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe's funeral in Harare before he apologised for the attacks, which have been prompted by unemployment and poverty.

"I stand before you as a fellow African to express my regret and apologise for what has happened in our country," Ramaphosa said at the state funeral.

His comments were met with cheers and blasts of air horns from the crowd.

South Africa, the continent's second-largest economy, is a major destination for other African migrants. But they are often targeted by some locals who blame them for a lack of jobs.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent high-ranking emissaries on a mission to reassure African countries after a wave of xenophobic attacks, the presidency said on Sunday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent high-ranking emissaries on a mission to reassure African countries after a wave of xenophobic attacks, the presidency said on Sunday. At least 12 people have been killed in the surge of mob violence targeting foreign-owned businesses and homes, mainly in and around Johannesburg since the start of the month. Hundreds of economic migrants from neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique have fled to shelters and Nigeria has flown 600 of its citizens back home after they were targeted in the violence. The mission, led by former minister Jeff Radebe, left South Africa on Saturday and will visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, DR Congo and Zambia, the presidency said. Ramaphosa was jeered at on Saturday during his speech at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe's funeral in Harare before he apologised for the attacks, which have been prompted by unemployment and poverty. "I stand before you as a fellow African to express my regret and apologise for what has happened in our country," Ramaphosa said at the state funeral. His comments were met with cheers and blasts of air horns from the crowd. South Africa, the continent's second-largest economy, is a major destination for other African migrants. But they are often targeted by some locals who blame them for a lack of jobs.

South Africa dispatches emissaries to calm xenophobia fears

Fights erupted in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-hills-shine-with-protest-lights-in-festival-themed-rally-249521">Hong Kong</a> on Saturday with political rivals trading blows <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-unrest-protesters-plan-shopping-mall-sit-ins-after-hill-top-human-chains-249585">in a mall and Beijing supporters using Chinese flags to assault</a>&nbsp;opponents on a street, deepening the city's polarisation after months of pro-democracy protests.

The once-stable international hub has been convulsed by weeks of huge, sometimes violent rallies calling for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability.

The movement is the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city was handed back by Britain in 1997 and shows no sign of ending, with city leaders and Beijing taking a hard line.

Fights have begun breaking out with increased frequency after pro-democracy supporters began holding impromptu singalongs of a popular protest anthem&nbsp;and as pro- Beijing supporters have held rival gatherings to sing China's national anthem.

In the district of Fortress Hill on Saturday, a group of men, many waving Chinese flags and wearing blue t-shirts declaring "I love HK police", attacked people perceived to be pro-democracy protesters.

Multiple videos posted online showed the group of men assaulting largely younger victims with large flags on poles and with punches and kicks as terrified onlookers ran away.

Hong Kong police did not respond to a request for comment on the incident.

Fortress Hill is next to North Point, an area of the city where similar mob attacks by government supporters have occurred this summer and which has long been a bastion of pro-Beijing sentiment.

Shortly before the assaults, the men were filmed tearing down post-it notes and posters on a nearby "Lennon Wall", pro-democracy billboards which have sprung up across the city.

Within hours, the wall was back up as crowds put up new slogans and messages.

"It makes me so angry," a 37-year-old local pro-democracy protester, who gave her first name as Ed, told AFP.

"These walls are a form of emotional support, it shows the movement is still alive. But even if they destroy it, we will just build it again."

Bloody mall brawl

Fights later broke out between pro-China and pro-democracy supporters in Amoy Plaza, a shopping centre on the other side of the harbour.

An AFP photographer at the scene said some two hundred people had gathered to wave Chinese flags and sing the national anthem.

Violence erupted after pro-democracy supporters arrived on the scene with several people on both sides visibly bloodied and bruised.

Police with shields and helmets later rushed into the mall, ending the fights.

Some young pro-democracy supporters were seen being detained outside and inside the mall by police.

The South China Morning Post said fights also broke out between ideological rivals in a subway station.

Democracy protesters have accused police of taking sides, clamping down harder on their camp than violent government supporters accusations the force has strongly denied.

An attack by pro-government men with sticks in the town of Yuen Long in July which left more than 40 people hospitalised sent anger soaring after police were accused to taking too long to get to the incident and failing to arrest the aggressors on site.

Hong Kong has been battered by nearly 100 days of protests, sparked by a now-abandoned plan to allow extraditions to the mainland.

But with few concessions won so far the movement has snowballed into wider calls for democracy and a halt to sliding freedoms under Beijing's rule.

Millions have taken part in huge, largely peaceful demonstrations.

But smaller groups of hardline protesters have fought increasingly violent battles with riot police and vandalised subway stations in scenes that have sent shockwaves through the once-stable financial hub.

Under a deal signed with Britain ahead of the city's 1997 handover to China, Hong Kong is allowed to keep its unique freedoms for 50 years.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-activist-joshua-wong-seeks-trump-us-congress-support-249535">Democracy activists</a> accuse Beijing of reneging on those promises by ramping up political control over the semi-autonomous territory.

Activists and analysts say the movement will only end when some other key demands are met, such as an inquiry into the police, an amnesty for the nearly 1,400 people arrested and universal suffrage.

But there is little sign of Beijing agreeing to those demands.

Plans by demonstrators to hold a large rally on Sunday have been rejected by the police.

Previous bans have simply been ignored by the masses and clashes with police have quickly followed.

Protesters have also called for rallies the next two weekends and a general strike starting in October.

Fights erupted in Hong Kong on Saturday with political rivals trading blows in a mall and Beijing supporters using Chinese flags to assault opponents on a street, deepening the city's polarisation after months of pro-democracy protests.

Fights erupted in Hong Kong on Saturday with political rivals trading blows in a mall and Beijing supporters using Chinese flags to assault opponents on a street, deepening the city's polarisation after months of pro-democracy protests. The once-stable international hub has been convulsed by weeks of huge, sometimes violent rallies calling for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability. The movement is the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city was handed back by Britain in 1997 and shows no sign of ending, with city leaders and Beijing taking a hard line. Fights have begun breaking out with increased frequency after pro-democracy supporters began holding impromptu singalongs of a popular protest anthem and as pro- Beijing supporters have held rival gatherings to sing China's national anthem. In the district of Fortress Hill on Saturday, a group of men, many waving Chinese flags and wearing blue t-shirts declaring "I love HK police", attacked people perceived to be pro-democracy protesters. Multiple videos posted online showed the group of men assaulting largely younger victims with large flags on poles and with punches and kicks as terrified onlookers ran away. Hong Kong police did not respond to a request for comment on the incident. Fortress Hill is next to North Point, an area of the city where similar mob attacks by government supporters have occurred this summer and which has long been a bastion of pro-Beijing sentiment. Shortly before the assaults, the men were filmed tearing down post-it notes and posters on a nearby "Lennon Wall", pro-democracy billboards which have sprung up across the city. Within hours, the wall was back up as crowds put up new slogans and messages. "It makes me so angry," a 37-year-old local pro-democracy protester, who gave her first name as Ed, told AFP. "These walls are a form of emotional support, it shows the movement is still alive. But even if they destroy it, we will just build it again." Bloody mall brawl Fights later broke out between pro-China and pro-democracy supporters in Amoy Plaza, a shopping centre on the other side of the harbour. An AFP photographer at the scene said some two hundred people had gathered to wave Chinese flags and sing the national anthem. Violence erupted after pro-democracy supporters arrived on the scene with several people on both sides visibly bloodied and bruised. Police with shields and helmets later rushed into the mall, ending the fights. Some young pro-democracy supporters were seen being detained outside and inside the mall by police. The South China Morning Post said fights also broke out between ideological rivals in a subway station. Democracy protesters have accused police of taking sides, clamping down harder on their camp than violent government supporters accusations the force has strongly denied. An attack by pro-government men with sticks in the town of Yuen Long in July which left more than 40 people hospitalised sent anger soaring after police were accused to taking too long to get to the incident and failing to arrest the aggressors on site. Hong Kong has been battered by nearly 100 days of protests, sparked by a now-abandoned plan to allow extraditions to the mainland. But with few concessions won so far the movement has snowballed into wider calls for democracy and a halt to sliding freedoms under Beijing's rule. Millions have taken part in huge, largely peaceful demonstrations. But smaller groups of hardline protesters have fought increasingly violent battles with riot police and vandalised subway stations in scenes that have sent shockwaves through the once-stable financial hub. Under a deal signed with Britain ahead of the city's 1997 handover to China, Hong Kong is allowed to keep its unique freedoms for 50 years. Democracy activists accuse Beijing of reneging on those promises by ramping up political control over the semi-autonomous territory. Activists and analysts say the movement will only end when some other key demands are met, such as an inquiry into the police, an amnesty for the nearly 1,400 people arrested and universal suffrage. But there is little sign of Beijing agreeing to those demands. Plans by demonstrators to hold a large rally on Sunday have been rejected by the police. Previous bans have simply been ignored by the masses and clashes with police have quickly followed. Protesters have also called for rallies the next two weekends and a general strike starting in October.

Mall brawls and street fights as Hong Kong polarisation deepens

UN rights experts voiced alarm Tuesday at the Myanmar military's incommunicado detention of Rakhine men and boys, as well as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/two-years-on-rohingyas-still-without-rights-status-or-justice-244567">allegations of torture and deaths</a> in custody.

They voiced grave concern at reports that numerous ethnic Rakhine men and boys had recently been taken into custody and held incommunicado for weeks at a time over terrorism allegations, with many reporting they were tortured while detained.

"The practice of incommunicado detention must be immediately brought to an end," the three experts, who are independent and do not speak for the world body, said in a statement.&nbsp;

"There must be a credible independent investigation into the allegations of torture and inhuman treatment, deaths in custody, and reliance on forced confessions in cases involving Arakan army-related allegations," they said.

"All perpetrators of such violations must be held accountable."

The conflict-scarred Rakhine state, the site of a deadly crackdown that in 2017 drove some 740,000 minority Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh, has in recent months seen fierce battles between the military and the Arakan Army, a rebel group claiming to fight for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.&nbsp;

The UN experts pointed to the case of Naing Aung Htun, who was rounded up with others in Kyaukyan village in Buthidaung on August 8, and who was held incommunicado until August 21.

He was allegedly given electric shocks by soldiers until he confessed to having ties to the Arakan army.

His father, who was finally permitted to visit him on August 22, reported he had sustained injuries to his face and complained of pain in his back, chest and head.

"We are distressed by the use of incommunicado detention where individuals are suspected of being associates of the Arakan army," said the experts including Yanghee Lee, a specialist on human rights in Myanmar.

"It is essential for detained people to be able to communicate with the outside world, especially with family members and their lawyer," they said, stressing that the practice "may facilitate torture".

They said they were particularly concerned about cases of incommunicado detention in light of reports "regarding at least 15 deaths in custody of men alleged to be associates of the Arakan army."

The signatories also included Agnes Callamard, an expert on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, and Nils Melzer, experts on torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

They called on the military to make the results of its ongoing investigation into those deaths public and to hold the perpetrators accountable.&nbsp;

They also urged a probe into an allegation that Naing Aung Htun was tortured, and said he should receive a fair trial, stressing that any confession made as a result of torture should be excluded from evidence against him.

 
&nbsp;

UN rights experts voiced alarm Tuesday at the Myanmar military's incommunicado detention of Rakhine men and boys, as well as allegations of torture and deaths in custody.

UN rights experts voiced alarm Tuesday at the Myanmar military's incommunicado detention of Rakhine men and boys, as well as allegations of torture and deaths in custody. They voiced grave concern at reports that numerous ethnic Rakhine men and boys had recently been taken into custody and held incommunicado for weeks at a time over terrorism allegations, with many reporting they were tortured while detained. "The practice of incommunicado detention must be immediately brought to an end," the three experts, who are independent and do not speak for the world body, said in a statement. "There must be a credible independent investigation into the allegations of torture and inhuman treatment, deaths in custody, and reliance on forced confessions in cases involving Arakan army-related allegations," they said. "All perpetrators of such violations must be held accountable." The conflict-scarred Rakhine state, the site of a deadly crackdown that in 2017 drove some 740,000 minority Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh, has in recent months seen fierce battles between the military and the Arakan Army, a rebel group claiming to fight for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. The UN experts pointed to the case of Naing Aung Htun, who was rounded up with others in Kyaukyan village in Buthidaung on August 8, and who was held incommunicado until August 21. He was allegedly given electric shocks by soldiers until he confessed to having ties to the Arakan army. His father, who was finally permitted to visit him on August 22, reported he had sustained injuries to his face and complained of pain in his back, chest and head. "We are distressed by the use of incommunicado detention where individuals are suspected of being associates of the Arakan army," said the experts including Yanghee Lee, a specialist on human rights in Myanmar. "It is essential for detained people to be able to communicate with the outside world, especially with family members and their lawyer," they said, stressing that the practice "may facilitate torture". They said they were particularly concerned about cases of incommunicado detention in light of reports "regarding at least 15 deaths in custody of men alleged to be associates of the Arakan army." The signatories also included Agnes Callamard, an expert on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, and Nils Melzer, experts on torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. They called on the military to make the results of its ongoing investigation into those deaths public and to hold the perpetrators accountable. They also urged a probe into an allegation that Naing Aung Htun was tortured, and said he should receive a fair trial, stressing that any confession made as a result of torture should be excluded from evidence against him.

UN experts decry incommunicado detentions, alleged torture in Myanmar

Gravitas: 11 weeks of Unrest: Protests continue at Hong Kong Airport

Bahrain executed two Shiite citizens on terror charges on Saturday, officials said, despite appeals for clemency from international human rights groups.

The pair, identified by rights groups as Ali al-Arab, 25, and Ahmad al-Malali, 24, was put to death by firing squad, the prosecutor said.

Both defendants were Shiite, judicial sources said, without confirming their names.

The small Gulf state, a key US ally located between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been gripped by bouts of unrest since 2011 when authorities cracked down on Shiite-led protests demanding political reform.

The two men, arrested separately in February 2017, were both sentenced to death in January last year after a mass trial with 58 other defendants that was marred by allegations of torture.

The pair were convicted of "forming a terror group" which went on to carry out a series of armed attacks in the kingdom.

They included the storming of the kingdom's Jaw prison in January 2017 that killed a guard and led to the escape of 10 detainees, the prosecutor said.

That attack was followed by two separate fatal attacks on police officers later the same month, the prosecutor added.

The convicts were put to death along with a third death row prisoner found guilty of murder.

Their families had been called to the prison on Friday for a final visit, Human Rights Watch said.

In an 11th hour appeal for clemency, HRW's acting Middle East director Lama Fakih warned that King Hamad was committing a "grave injustice by ratifying the death sentences of the two men despite the allegations of torture and other serious due process concerns".

Ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, Bahrain is mostly Shiite Muslim, according to unofficial estimates contested by the government.

Hundreds of protesters have been jailed since 2011, with Bahrain claiming Iran trained and backed demonstrators in order to topple the Manama government -- an accusation Tehran denies.

All opposition groups have been outlawed and disbanded.

Bahrain executed two Shiite citizens on terror charges on Saturday, officials said, despite appeals for clemency from international human rights groups. The pair, identified by rights groups as Ali al-Arab, 25, and Ahmad al-Malali, 24, was put to death by firing squad, the prosecutor said.

Bahrain executed two Shiite citizens on terror charges on Saturday, officials said, despite appeals for clemency from international human rights groups. The pair, identified by rights groups as Ali al-Arab, 25, and Ahmad al-Malali, 24, was put to death by firing squad, the prosecutor said. Both defendants were Shiite, judicial sources said, without confirming their names. The small Gulf state, a key US ally located between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been gripped by bouts of unrest since 2011 when authorities cracked down on Shiite-led protests demanding political reform. The two men, arrested separately in February 2017, were both sentenced to death in January last year after a mass trial with 58 other defendants that was marred by allegations of torture. The pair were convicted of "forming a terror group" which went on to carry out a series of armed attacks in the kingdom. They included the storming of the kingdom's Jaw prison in January 2017 that killed a guard and led to the escape of 10 detainees, the prosecutor said. That attack was followed by two separate fatal attacks on police officers later the same month, the prosecutor added. The convicts were put to death along with a third death row prisoner found guilty of murder. Their families had been called to the prison on Friday for a final visit, Human Rights Watch said. In an 11th hour appeal for clemency, HRW's acting Middle East director Lama Fakih warned that King Hamad was committing a "grave injustice by ratifying the death sentences of the two men despite the allegations of torture and other serious due process concerns". Ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, Bahrain is mostly Shiite Muslim, according to unofficial estimates contested by the government. Hundreds of protesters have been jailed since 2011, with Bahrain claiming Iran trained and backed demonstrators in order to topple the Manama government -- an accusation Tehran denies. All opposition groups have been outlawed and disbanded.

Bahrain executes two Shiites on terror charges

An explosion went off as Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah&#39;s convoy entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding seven people, a security source and witnesses said.

The explosive device was detonated after Hamdallah and his convoy passed through the Beit Hanoun checkpoint with Israel in northern Gaza, reports said.&nbsp;

Hamdallah was not injured in the explosion, which occurred shortly after his convoy entered for a rare visit to the territory run by Islamist movement Hamas, a security source in the convoy said.

According to initial reports, several people were lightly wounded in the incident.

A statement on official Palestinian media said president Mahmud Abbas considered it a &quot;cowardly targeting&quot; of Hamdallah&#39;s convoy and held Hamas responsible.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Hamadallah, who is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, travelled to Gaza for the inauguration of a waste treatment plant.

Explosive device detonated after PM Rami Hamdallah and his convoy passed through the Beit Hanoun crossing

An explosion went off as Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah's convoy entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding seven people, a security source and witnesses said. The explosive device was detonated after Hamdallah and his convoy passed through the Beit Hanoun checkpoint with Israel in northern Gaza, reports said. Hamdallah was not injured in the explosion, which occurred shortly after his convoy entered for a rare visit to the territory run by Islamist movement Hamas, a security source in the convoy said. According to initial reports, several people were lightly wounded in the incident. A statement on official Palestinian media said president Mahmud Abbas considered it a "cowardly targeting" of Hamdallah's convoy and held Hamas responsible. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Hamadallah, who is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, travelled to Gaza for the inauguration of a waste treatment plant.

Palestinian PM unhurt in Gaza explosion, several lightly injured

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said on Thursday he had submitted his resignation as both premier and the chairman of the ruling coalition in an effort to facilitate reforms following a period of mass unrest.

Desalegn said in a televised address to the country, &quot;I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.&quot;

The resignation - unprecedented in Ethiopia&rsquo;s history - followed a wave of strikes this week in towns near the capital and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders.

Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People&#39;s Revolutionary Democratic Front&nbsp;(EPRDF) and the country&#39;s parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier.

Hailemariam oversaw a smooth handover following the death of former Marxist rebel Meles Zenawi, turning the relatively little-known politician and technocrat to an influential leader.

The announcement came after the government released hundreds of political prisoners, including some prominent opposition members.

More than 6,000 political prisoners have been freed since January as the government struggles to placate simmering anger among the two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amharic, who complain they are under-represented in the country&rsquo;s corridors of power.

However, in 2015, months of anti-government demonstrations spread across Ethiopia, leaving hundreds dead and prompting parliament to declare a 10-month state nationwide state of emergency in October 2016.

Ethiopia is the region&rsquo;s largest economy and a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy but rights groups criticize its government for jailing journalists and political opponents.

It was not clear who would replace Hailemariam. He also resigned as chairman of the ruling coalition, which has governed since it defeated a military regime in 1991.

&ldquo;Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many,&rdquo; Hailemariam said in a televised speech. &ldquo;I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.&rdquo;

Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country's parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said on Thursday he had submitted his resignation as both premier and the chairman of the ruling coalition in an effort to facilitate reforms following a period of mass unrest. Desalegn said in a televised address to the country, "I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy." The resignation - unprecedented in Ethiopia’s history - followed a wave of strikes this week in towns near the capital and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders. Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country's parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier. Hailemariam oversaw a smooth handover following the death of former Marxist rebel Meles Zenawi, turning the relatively little-known politician and technocrat to an influential leader. The announcement came after the government released hundreds of political prisoners, including some prominent opposition members. More than 6,000 political prisoners have been freed since January as the government struggles to placate simmering anger among the two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amharic, who complain they are under-represented in the country’s corridors of power. However, in 2015, months of anti-government demonstrations spread across Ethiopia, leaving hundreds dead and prompting parliament to declare a 10-month state nationwide state of emergency in October 2016. Ethiopia is the region’s largest economy and a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy but rights groups criticize its government for jailing journalists and political opponents. It was not clear who would replace Hailemariam. He also resigned as chairman of the ruling coalition, which has governed since it defeated a military regime in 1991. “Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many,” Hailemariam said in a televised speech. “I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.”

Ethiopia's PM resigns following mass unrest

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi was to hold talks Saturday with political parties, unions and employers to discuss means to overcome unrest triggered by austerity measures.

The North African country has been shaken by a wave of protests over poverty and unemployment during which hundreds have been arrested before the unrest tapered off.

The demonstrations broke out ahead of Sunday&#39;s seventh anniversary of the toppling of veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a revolt that sparked uprisings across the Arab region.

The trigger of the protests last Sunday was a finance law imposing tax hikes after a year of rising prices.

A man in his 40s died in unrest on Monday night in the northern town of Tebourba though police have insisted they did not kill him.

Interior ministry spokesman Khlifa Chibani on Saturday said a total of 803 people suspected of taking part in acts of violence, theft and looting have been arrested this week.

Some 97 security forces and members of civil protection units were also injured, he said. There was no immediate toll for the number of protesters injured in the unrest.

Calm returned to the country on Thursday night and there was &quot;no attack against public or private property&quot; in the night of Friday to Saturday, Chibani said.

AFP correspondents reported one small protest overnight Friday in the central city of Sidi Bouzid -- the cradle of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising -- and said police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

Tunisia is considered a rare success story of the Arab Spring uprisings that began in the North African country in 2011 and spread across the region, toppling autocrats.

But the authorities have failed to resolve the issues of poverty and unemployment.

Essebsi was expected to discuss a way out of the latest crisis with representatives of political parties, the powerful UGTT trade union and the UTICA employers federation.

In 2015, UTICA -- an acronym for the Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts -- shared a Nobel Prize with the UGTT for their work during Tunisia&#39;s transition towards democracy after the revolution.&nbsp;

Protests are common in Tunisia in January, when people mark the anniversary of the revolution that ousted Ben Ali.

This year, the country has seen rising anger after the government adopted the 2018 budget which includes hikes in value-added tax, on mobile phones and real estate as well as in social contributions.

The North African country has been shaken by a wave of protests over poverty and unemployment during which hundreds have been arrested before the unrest tapered off

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi was to hold talks Saturday with political parties, unions and employers to discuss means to overcome unrest triggered by austerity measures. The North African country has been shaken by a wave of protests over poverty and unemployment during which hundreds have been arrested before the unrest tapered off. The demonstrations broke out ahead of Sunday's seventh anniversary of the toppling of veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a revolt that sparked uprisings across the Arab region. The trigger of the protests last Sunday was a finance law imposing tax hikes after a year of rising prices. A man in his 40s died in unrest on Monday night in the northern town of Tebourba though police have insisted they did not kill him. Interior ministry spokesman Khlifa Chibani on Saturday said a total of 803 people suspected of taking part in acts of violence, theft and looting have been arrested this week. Some 97 security forces and members of civil protection units were also injured, he said. There was no immediate toll for the number of protesters injured in the unrest. Calm returned to the country on Thursday night and there was "no attack against public or private property" in the night of Friday to Saturday, Chibani said. AFP correspondents reported one small protest overnight Friday in the central city of Sidi Bouzid -- the cradle of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising -- and said police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Tunisia is considered a rare success story of the Arab Spring uprisings that began in the North African country in 2011 and spread across the region, toppling autocrats. But the authorities have failed to resolve the issues of poverty and unemployment. Essebsi was expected to discuss a way out of the latest crisis with representatives of political parties, the powerful UGTT trade union and the UTICA employers federation. In 2015, UTICA -- an acronym for the Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts -- shared a Nobel Prize with the UGTT for their work during Tunisia's transition towards democracy after the revolution. Protests are common in Tunisia in January, when people mark the anniversary of the revolution that ousted Ben Ali. This year, the country has seen rising anger after the government adopted the 2018 budget which includes hikes in value-added tax, on mobile phones and real estate as well as in social contributions.

Tunisia president to meet unions, employers after unrest

A senior Turkish government official on Monday warned of a &quot;major catastrophe&quot; if the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital despite a flood of warnings from the Arab world.

&quot;If the (current) status of Jerusalem is changed and another step is taken ... that would be a major catastrophe,&quot; Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said during a televised press conference.

&quot;It would completely destroy the fragile peace process in the region, and lead to new conflicts, new disputes and new unrest.&quot;

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, potentially reversing years of United States policy and drawing a furious response from the Palestinian leadership and the Arab world.

Most of the international community, including the US as well as Turkey, does not formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved through final status negotiations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a champion of the Palestinian cause, often criticises Israel over its actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, despite a 2016 reconciliation deal after years of severed ties following Israel&#39;s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound ship.&nbsp;

Bozdag, also government spokesman, on Monday said a US step to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital would benefit &quot;neither Israel ... nor the region.&quot;

&quot;It would not benefit anything. Rather than open new doors, it would drag the region into a new disaster.&quot;

President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, potentially reversing years of United States policy and drawing a furious response from the Palestinian leadership and the Arab world

A senior Turkish government official on Monday warned of a "major catastrophe" if the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite a flood of warnings from the Arab world. "If the (current) status of Jerusalem is changed and another step is taken ... that would be a major catastrophe," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said during a televised press conference. "It would completely destroy the fragile peace process in the region, and lead to new conflicts, new disputes and new unrest." The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, potentially reversing years of United States policy and drawing a furious response from the Palestinian leadership and the Arab world. Most of the international community, including the US as well as Turkey, does not formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved through final status negotiations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a champion of the Palestinian cause, often criticises Israel over its actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, despite a 2016 reconciliation deal after years of severed ties following Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound ship. Bozdag, also government spokesman, on Monday said a US step to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital would benefit "neither Israel ... nor the region." "It would not benefit anything. Rather than open new doors, it would drag the region into a new disaster."

Turkey warns of 'catastrophe' if US recognises Jerusalem as Israel capital

A Myanmar beauty queen has been stripped of her title after she posted a video accusing&nbsp;Rohingya Muslims of driving <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-situation-textbook-example-of-ethnic-cleansing-un-human-rights-commission-20075" target="_blank">communal violence in the Rakhine state of Myanmar</a>.

Shwe Eain Si, 19, who was Miss Grand Myanmar, posted a video on Facebook last week describing the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) a &quot;caliphate-style movement&quot;&nbsp;and said she was using her fame to &quot;speak out the truth&quot;.

Watch the video:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zMF3OF7NbNk" width="970"></iframe>

She can be seen talking in English in the video along with graphic images of dead bodies&nbsp;including those of children. She branded ARSA a &quot;terrorist organisation&quot; that was &quot;acting as if they are the oppressed&quot;.&nbsp;

In her posts, she blamed the&nbsp;ARSA of&nbsp;violence, accusing the &quot;militants&quot;&nbsp;of turning on their own people and then orchestrating a media campaign to win international support.

Organisers of the Miss Universe Myanmar on Sunday took a decision to strip her of her title. They did not mention the video while making the announcement&nbsp;but said that she &quot;had breached the contract rules&quot;&nbsp;and had &quot;not behaved like a role model&quot;.

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<div class="media-description">
The organisers have stripped her of the title as she &#39;failed to project a decent image of a pageant contestant&#39;. (Others)
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After the announcement came on Sunday, she posted a reply on Facebook on Tuesday calling the accusations as &quot;groundless&quot;.&nbsp;

Myanmar&#39;s army has been accused of waging an &quot;ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya&quot; resulting in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/270000-rohingya-have-fled-myanmar-in-two-weeks-un-20008" target="_blank">more than half a million of the Muslim minority to flee the border to Bangladesh since August 25</a>.&nbsp;

In the face of intense global condemnation, Myanmar authorities have&nbsp;defended the security operation as a legitimate crackdown on Rohingya militants who attacked police posts last month.

This is not the first time when a beauty queen from Myanmar has been in the middle of a controversy.

In 2014, a Myanmar beauty queen was&nbsp;dethroned for alleged dishonesty and bad behaviour, after which she ran off with her crown to South Korea.

In a video posted on Facebook, she accused the Rohingya Muslims to 'act as if they are the oppressed'?to win 'media support'

A Myanmar beauty queen has been stripped of her title after she posted a video accusing Rohingya Muslims of driving communal violence in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Shwe Eain Si, 19, who was Miss Grand Myanmar, posted a video on Facebook last week describing the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) a "caliphate-style movement" and said she was using her fame to "speak out the truth". Watch the video: She can be seen talking in English in the video along with graphic images of dead bodies including those of children. She branded ARSA a "terrorist organisation" that was "acting as if they are the oppressed". In her posts, she blamed the ARSA of violence, accusing the "militants" of turning on their own people and then orchestrating a media campaign to win international support. Organisers of the Miss Universe Myanmar on Sunday took a decision to strip her of her title. They did not mention the video while making the announcement but said that she "had breached the contract rules" and had "not behaved like a role model". The organisers have stripped her of the title as she 'failed to project a decent image of a pageant contestant'. (Others) × After the announcement came on Sunday, she posted a reply on Facebook on Tuesday calling the accusations as "groundless". Myanmar's army has been accused of waging an "ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya" resulting in more than half a million of the Muslim minority to flee the border to Bangladesh since August 25. In the face of intense global condemnation, Myanmar authorities have defended the security operation as a legitimate crackdown on Rohingya militants who attacked police posts last month. This is not the first time when a beauty queen from Myanmar has been in the middle of a controversy. In 2014, a Myanmar beauty queen was dethroned for alleged dishonesty and bad behaviour, after which she ran off with her crown to South Korea.

Watch: Myanmar beauty queen calls Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army 'terrorist organisation', stripped of title

As violence erupts in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-witnesses-fresh-influx-of-rohingya-muslims-from-myanmar-19108">Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state, the government evacuated</a> more than 4,000 non-Muslim villagers. Moreover, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-violence-thousands-of-rohingyas-enter-bangladesh-more-stranded-in-no-mans-land-19554">thousands of Rohingya Muslims crossed </a>the border to enter Bangladesh to escape the unrest.

The outbreak involved clashes between the military and several hundred of Rohingya across northwestern Rakhine. According to the residents and the government, the most aggressive fight took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw.

International aid workers from different organisations&nbsp;who were residing in Maungdaw&nbsp;were seen fleeing the township of Buthiduang--since the area is in close proximity to the villages hit by the conflict. The situation further worsened in Rakhine state&#39;s capital Sittwe.

According to Reuters, the death toll from coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents reached 104 which&nbsp;included majority militants, security forces and several innocent civilians.

The government is investigating if representatives of international aid groups were involved in an alleged blockade by the insurgents of a village in Rakhine.

According to the residents and the government, the most aggressive fight took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw

As violence erupts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the government evacuated more than 4,000 non-Muslim villagers. Moreover, thousands of Rohingya Muslims crossed the border to enter Bangladesh to escape the unrest. The outbreak involved clashes between the military and several hundred of Rohingya across northwestern Rakhine. According to the residents and the government, the most aggressive fight took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw. International aid workers from different organisations who were residing in Maungdaw were seen fleeing the township of Buthiduang--since the area is in close proximity to the villages hit by the conflict. The situation further worsened in Rakhine state's capital Sittwe. According to Reuters, the death toll from coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents reached 104 which included majority militants, security forces and several innocent civilians. The government is investigating if representatives of international aid groups were involved in an alleged blockade by the insurgents of a village in Rakhine.

Myanmar unrest: Villagers, aid workers flee Buthiduang

With the curfew in the Valley dragging on, life in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir continued to be in a state of paralysis even though incidents of violence between locals and the security forces show no sign of cooling down and the death toll of civilians continues to rise. 
 
Meanwhile, owners and editors of newspapers in the Valley have refused to publish dailies, in protest against the state governments failure to own the &quot;ban order&quot; that was issued three days ago. 
 
Yesterday, Mufti had clarified to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu that no ban has been imposed on the publication of newspapers in the troubled state. 
 
Naidu spoke to Mufti on Monday night on the issue of ban on newspapers in the state. 
 
Mufti&#39;s contradiction came days after government spokesman Nayeem Akhtar reportedly said that &quot;the undesirable step was taken to ensure peace, to save lives and strengthen peace efforts&quot;. 
 
According to reports, hawkers in the citys centre alleged that police did not allow them to distribute the newspapers and also seized their copies. 
 
With Pakistan observing &#39;Black Day&#39; today over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, security measured have been stepped up as more police and paramilitary soldiers have been deployed across all towns and villages, including Srinagar to maintain law and order. 
 
So far, at least 45 people have been killed in clashes with security forces and around 3000 remain injured. 
 
Cellphone services and mobile internet remains blocked, also newspapers are refusing to publish. 
 
Meanwhile, in the wake of the violent situation in the Valley spiraling out of control day-by-day, Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir today to take stock of the situation. 
 
The death toll climbed to 42 after a woman who had sustained grievous injuries at Qazigund on Monday succumbed in hospital early morning yesterday. 
 
However, the Indian army yesterday expressed regret over the death of civilians in Qazigund and ordered a probe in the matter. 
 
Expressing grief over the loss of life and injuries sustained by the protesters, the Army appealed to the people of the Valley to maintain peace and refrain from attacking security forces or their vehicles or establishments, thus creating situations where they are left with no option but to retaliate in self defence. 
 
The incidents of violence continue to crop up despite the Indian government and state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti urging the people to maintain calm and cooperate with the state government to restore peace in the Valley.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

Security in Valley stepped up as Pakistan observes 'Black Day' over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani

With the curfew in the Valley dragging on, life in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir continued to be in a state of paralysis even though incidents of violence between locals and the security forces show no sign of cooling down and the death toll of civilians continues to rise. Meanwhile, owners and editors of newspapers in the Valley have refused to publish dailies, in protest against the state governments failure to own the "ban order" that was issued three days ago. Yesterday, Mufti had clarified to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu that no ban has been imposed on the publication of newspapers in the troubled state. Naidu spoke to Mufti on Monday night on the issue of ban on newspapers in the state. Mufti's contradiction came days after government spokesman Nayeem Akhtar reportedly said that "the undesirable step was taken to ensure peace, to save lives and strengthen peace efforts". According to reports, hawkers in the citys centre alleged that police did not allow them to distribute the newspapers and also seized their copies. With Pakistan observing 'Black Day' today over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, security measured have been stepped up as more police and paramilitary soldiers have been deployed across all towns and villages, including Srinagar to maintain law and order. So far, at least 45 people have been killed in clashes with security forces and around 3000 remain injured. Cellphone services and mobile internet remains blocked, also newspapers are refusing to publish. Meanwhile, in the wake of the violent situation in the Valley spiraling out of control day-by-day, Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir today to take stock of the situation. The death toll climbed to 42 after a woman who had sustained grievous injuries at Qazigund on Monday succumbed in hospital early morning yesterday. However, the Indian army yesterday expressed regret over the death of civilians in Qazigund and ordered a probe in the matter. Expressing grief over the loss of life and injuries sustained by the protesters, the Army appealed to the people of the Valley to maintain peace and refrain from attacking security forces or their vehicles or establishments, thus creating situations where they are left with no option but to retaliate in self defence. The incidents of violence continue to crop up despite the Indian government and state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti urging the people to maintain calm and cooperate with the state government to restore peace in the Valley. (ANI)

Kashmir unrest: Newspapers refuse to publish despite permission

One person has been killed&nbsp;as army fired&nbsp;on protesters trying to&nbsp;storm its camp in&nbsp;Bandipora&nbsp;in Kashmir, putting the toll in the violence-hit Kashmir&nbsp;to&nbsp;40.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Valley was rocked by violent protests after armed forces gunned down Burhan Wani, the militant commander of the separatist outfit&nbsp; Hizbul&nbsp;Mujahideen. About&nbsp;3,160 persons, including 1,500 security force personnel,&nbsp;have been injured.&nbsp;

To help arrest the violence that entered into its ninth day today,&nbsp;about&nbsp;2,000&nbsp;additional CRPF personnel are being rushed to&nbsp;the Valley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Official said that a total of 20 fresh companies (100 personnel in each) are being rushed to the Valley which will be in addition to 2,800 Central Reserve Police Force personnel which were sent to assist the state police last week.&nbsp;

They said the additional reinforcements will be deployed to further enhance the security&nbsp;arrangements.&nbsp;

&quot;Some of the fresh units will exclusively render the task of road opening parties in order to secure the movement of security forces convoys,&quot; a senior official said.&nbsp; 
 
About 60 battalions (about 1,000 in personnel each) are already stationed in the state as part of counter insurgency grid.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&nbsp;at an all-party meeting convened ahead of the Monsson session of Parliament&nbsp;said that political parties have spoken in one voice over the developments in Kashmir and asserted that it has sent the right message and benefitted the country.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;Various parties have given statements on Kashmir events which benefitted the country. This has sent a right message and I thank all the parties for the same,&quot; he said while complimenting them for speaking in &quot;one voice&quot;, according to an official statement.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;We represent both the people and the parties and there is a need to keep national interests above anything else,&quot; the Prime Minister said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

About 2,000 additional Central Reserve Police Forces personnel are being rushed to enhance security arrangements

One person has been killed as army fired on protesters trying to storm its camp in Bandipora in Kashmir, putting the toll in the violence-hit Kashmir to 40. The Valley was rocked by violent protests after armed forces gunned down Burhan Wani, the militant commander of the separatist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. About 3,160 persons, including 1,500 security force personnel, have been injured. To help arrest the violence that entered into its ninth day today, about 2,000 additional CRPF personnel are being rushed to the Valley. Official said that a total of 20 fresh companies (100 personnel in each) are being rushed to the Valley which will be in addition to 2,800 Central Reserve Police Force personnel which were sent to assist the state police last week. They said the additional reinforcements will be deployed to further enhance the security arrangements. "Some of the fresh units will exclusively render the task of road opening parties in order to secure the movement of security forces convoys," a senior official said. About 60 battalions (about 1,000 in personnel each) are already stationed in the state as part of counter insurgency grid. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an all-party meeting convened ahead of the Monsson session of Parliament said that political parties have spoken in one voice over the developments in Kashmir and asserted that it has sent the right message and benefitted the country. "Various parties have given statements on Kashmir events which benefitted the country. This has sent a right message and I thank all the parties for the same," he said while complimenting them for speaking in "one voice", according to an official statement. "We represent both the people and the parties and there is a need to keep national interests above anything else," the Prime Minister said. (PTI)

Clashes claim one more life in Kashmir, death toll touches 40

Almost 22 months ago, Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, 28, disappeared in Mal?. He was last seen&nbsp;on a closed-circuit television camera while trying to buy a ferryboat ticket on his way home. His family still believes he will return one day, but his colleagues have a far more grim take on this. They believe Ahmed has been murdered.&nbsp; 
 
A police chief inspector recently confirmed that he was in fact abducted on the same night from his apartment. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;The situation is very bad. The media is under attack from all fronts,&quot; said Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the online newspaper, The Maldives Independent, where Rilwan worked as a reporter. 
 
For most travellers, Mal?, the capital city of the Maldives, is just a quick stopover on their way to dreamlike beaches and crystal blue waters. However, the dreamy landscape has a much more sinister side to it and Zaheena has good reason to be worried. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am very afraid. I myself have received death threats. I could disappear or I could be killed. My office has already been attacked. Other media offices have been burned to the ground,&quot; he fears are not unfounded. 
 
The streets of Mal? are home to criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, robberies and violence on commission. A survey by the Asia Foundation, based on interactions with 130 gang affiliates, reports that there are &quot;between 20 and 30 different gangs operating in Mal?, with 50 to 400 members in each group.&quot; This means that more than a thousand individuals are involved in such criminal activities in a city of 150,000. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
These gangs often carry out violence on behalf of political groups. The report reads: &quot;Politicians and businessmen often offer drugs and alcohol when they (the gang members) complete an illegal task (commissioned by them). Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between gang members and politicians and businessmen.&quot; They often act in an atmosphere of impunity.&nbsp; 
 
Gang members are most likely to get away with it given the protection offered by the rich and influential. Even if some are caught they are able to get out of police stations without their crimes being brought to book. Escaping a gang is nearly impossible for a designated victim. Mal? is a small town on an island. Hiding is not really a viable option.&nbsp; 
 
It is not only about the fear of gangs. The Maldivian media is facing an increasingly difficult situation. In April, a group of journalists was arrested for a day. They were part of a protest against a draft law aiming to reintroduce defamation as a crime that was abolished seven years ago. Just a month before, the Civil Court had halted the printing of Haveeru, the oldest and most widely-circulated Maldivian newspaper. An order issued against a three-decade old ownership dispute. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The turbulent situation took off in 2008, a turning point in the history of the archipelago. The human rights activist and environmentalist Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the country. His victory ended three decades of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was the longest-serving politician in South Asia. Gayoom granted economic growth to the archipelago, but democracy paid a high price. One-party elections, politicians appointed only by the president, heavy restrictions on freedom of press, religion and dissent were the norm. 
 
Nasheed&#39;s liberal agenda came as a break with the past. After decriminalising defamation, his government passed a bill to establish a Media Council &quot;to preserve the freedom of media&quot;. He allowed foreign journalists to travel freely to the country and granted greater access to the local press. Minivan News, then the only local English online newspaper, could start working in the Maldives rather than in exile in Sri Lanka. &nbsp; 
 
Young democracies, however, are often fragile, and so was Nasheed`s presidency. After less than three years, a police mutiny and weeks of protest staged by his opponents, he decided to resign &ndash; or was forced to do so &quot;at &nbsp;gunpoint&quot;. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
In a contested run-off, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the man who ruled for 30 years, became the new Maldivian President. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
In 2015, events abruptly turned and Nasheed&#39;s situation plummeted. Following a trial that Amnesty International called &quot;deeply flawed and politically motivated&quot;, the former president was sentenced to 13 years for terrorism. He was accused of arbitrarily removing the criminal court chief judge during his presidency. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Some Maldivians did not accept the verdict in silence and took to the streets in Mal?. The police arrested many protesters, including three reporters, who were covering the protest. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is a big crackdown on media freedom. It is very difficult for a person who is critical of the government to find any kind of work in the country,&quot; said Azra Naseem, a Maldivian research fellow at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction in Dublin City University. &quot;If you are not with the government there is no space for you in the Maldives.&quot; 
 
Former president Nasheed is currently in London. 
 
He was authorised to leave his prison cell for a delicate surgery on the condition that he would return to jail once the treatment was done. However, that may not happen now. The British government has granted former president Nasheed political refugee status. A news welcomed by the media community and sections of Maldivian citizens who are not keen to toe the totalitarian line. 
 
&quot;Maldivians want to see better days. I am not alone and this is my home. I grew up in a dictatorship and I don&#39;t want to see my country regress into fear. I want to see a freer and more equal Maldives,&quot; Zaheena Rasheed said.

Journalists arrested, a former president on the run, criminal gangs, political unrest, radical Islamists and more...

Almost 22 months ago, Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, 28, disappeared in Mal?. He was last seen on a closed-circuit television camera while trying to buy a ferryboat ticket on his way home. His family still believes he will return one day, but his colleagues have a far more grim take on this. They believe Ahmed has been murdered. A police chief inspector recently confirmed that he was in fact abducted on the same night from his apartment. "The situation is very bad. The media is under attack from all fronts," said Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the online newspaper, The Maldives Independent, where Rilwan worked as a reporter. For most travellers, Mal?, the capital city of the Maldives, is just a quick stopover on their way to dreamlike beaches and crystal blue waters. However, the dreamy landscape has a much more sinister side to it and Zaheena has good reason to be worried. "I am very afraid. I myself have received death threats. I could disappear or I could be killed. My office has already been attacked. Other media offices have been burned to the ground," he fears are not unfounded. The streets of Mal? are home to criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, robberies and violence on commission. A survey by the Asia Foundation, based on interactions with 130 gang affiliates, reports that there are "between 20 and 30 different gangs operating in Mal?, with 50 to 400 members in each group." This means that more than a thousand individuals are involved in such criminal activities in a city of 150,000. These gangs often carry out violence on behalf of political groups. The report reads: "Politicians and businessmen often offer drugs and alcohol when they (the gang members) complete an illegal task (commissioned by them). Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between gang members and politicians and businessmen." They often act in an atmosphere of impunity. Gang members are most likely to get away with it given the protection offered by the rich and influential. Even if some are caught they are able to get out of police stations without their crimes being brought to book. Escaping a gang is nearly impossible for a designated victim. Mal? is a small town on an island. Hiding is not really a viable option. It is not only about the fear of gangs. The Maldivian media is facing an increasingly difficult situation. In April, a group of journalists was arrested for a day. They were part of a protest against a draft law aiming to reintroduce defamation as a crime that was abolished seven years ago. Just a month before, the Civil Court had halted the printing of Haveeru, the oldest and most widely-circulated Maldivian newspaper. An order issued against a three-decade old ownership dispute. The turbulent situation took off in 2008, a turning point in the history of the archipelago. The human rights activist and environmentalist Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the country. His victory ended three decades of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was the longest-serving politician in South Asia. Gayoom granted economic growth to the archipelago, but democracy paid a high price. One-party elections, politicians appointed only by the president, heavy restrictions on freedom of press, religion and dissent were the norm. Nasheed's liberal agenda came as a break with the past. After decriminalising defamation, his government passed a bill to establish a Media Council "to preserve the freedom of media". He allowed foreign journalists to travel freely to the country and granted greater access to the local press. Minivan News, then the only local English online newspaper, could start working in the Maldives rather than in exile in Sri Lanka. Young democracies, however, are often fragile, and so was Nasheed`s presidency. After less than three years, a police mutiny and weeks of protest staged by his opponents, he decided to resign – or was forced to do so "at gunpoint". In a contested run-off, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the man who ruled for 30 years, became the new Maldivian President. In 2015, events abruptly turned and Nasheed's situation plummeted. Following a trial that Amnesty International called "deeply flawed and politically motivated", the former president was sentenced to 13 years for terrorism. He was accused of arbitrarily removing the criminal court chief judge during his presidency. Some Maldivians did not accept the verdict in silence and took to the streets in Mal?. The police arrested many protesters, including three reporters, who were covering the protest. "There is a big crackdown on media freedom. It is very difficult for a person who is critical of the government to find any kind of work in the country," said Azra Naseem, a Maldivian research fellow at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction in Dublin City University. "If you are not with the government there is no space for you in the Maldives." Former president Nasheed is currently in London. He was authorised to leave his prison cell for a delicate surgery on the condition that he would return to jail once the treatment was done. However, that may not happen now. The British government has granted former president Nasheed political refugee status. A news welcomed by the media community and sections of Maldivian citizens who are not keen to toe the totalitarian line. "Maldivians want to see better days. I am not alone and this is my home. I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't want to see my country regress into fear. I want to see a freer and more equal Maldives," Zaheena Rasheed said.

Mal?: Political hit jobs, drugs, robberies - the grime under the sun and sand

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