Protests

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's arrest sparks fighting, at least one dead

BBC reports Protests are erupting nationwide, and at least one person has been killed in the city of Quetta.

The United States and UK have called for adherence to the "rule of law".

Khan was arrested by security forces at the High Court in the capital, Islamabad.

Dramatic footage showed dozens of officers arriving and detaining the 70-year-old, who was bundled into a vehicle and driven away.

Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests

More than a million people took to the streets across France on Thursday, with 119,000 in Paris, according to figures from the interior ministry.

BBC reports Police fired tear gas at protesters in the capital and 80 people were arrested across the country.

The demonstrations were sparked by legislation raising the retirement age by two years to 64.

Fire engulfed the front door of the town hall in the southwest city of Bordeaux on Thursday evening after a day of protests and clashes.

Indian women protest against child marriage mass arrests

State police have arrested more than 2,400 people since Friday.

This includes husbands and relatives of alleged child brides, as well as priests who officiated the marriages.

BBC reports Opposition leaders have called the drive a "farce", alleging it disproportionately targets Muslims.

But Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says that his government's "war" is against child marriage and doesn't target one community.

India strike over controversial army hiring plan

Some states shut down the internet and suspended train and bus services on Monday.

Protesters are demanding the rollback of the plan to hire soldiers on a fixed four-year term, saying it would shatter their dreams of a secure job.

They have taken to the streets, blocking roads and torching trains.

Several opposition political parties have given their support to the protests. But the government has refused to cancel the plan, though it has been trying to allay the fears of protesters.

Ex-PM flees to naval base as arson attacks in Sri Lanka spread

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has vowed to restore order, in his first national speech since protests began last month.

Ignoring calls to resign, he offered to cede some powers to parliament and name a prime minister, but set no timetable.

His brother quit as PM on Monday amid fury over soaring prices and shortages.

Sri Lankans are desperate as basic items like food and fuel run out or become unaffordable.

Protests across Russia see thousands detained

Some 1,700 people were detained in Moscow alone, Ria news agency reports, citing the interior ministry.

The OVD-Info rights group says detentions took place in 53 cities.

Although protests have become increasingly restricted in recent years, numerous rallies have taken place across Russia since the invasion.

In the last 11 days, more than 10,000 people have been detained at protests, OVD-Info says.

Buildings burned in looting after Solomon Islands protest

Videos on social media show police firing tear gas to disperse looters, and buildings on fire.

RNZ Pacific's correspondent in the capital Honiara, Georgina Kekea, was in the Kukum area where the police station and shops were set alight, and said at least one building had been burned down.

Police she spoke to said the large crowds had been at the other end of town, and officers had not expected the crowd to attack their police station.

Protest against compulsory vaccination in Tahiti

Lawmakers last month passed legislation making vaccination against Covid-19 compulsory for anyone dealing with the public and individuals deemed to be vulnerable.

They have been given two months to be inoculated or risk a fine of $US1,700 and a suspension of their work contracts.

Legal challenges are being mounted in both French Polynesia and in France's highest court to quash the law adopted in Tahiti.

The new law will come into force on 23 October.

Dalit girl rape and murder: Indians protest over girl's forced cremation

The girl's parents have accused a Hindu priest and three others of attacking her when she had gone to fetch drinking water from the crematorium's cooler.

Her mother said the gates were shut and she was threatened when she objected to her daughter's cremation.

Police have registered a case of gang rape and murder and arrested the men.

Warning: some readers may find this story distressing.

Millions in Nigeria placed under curfew as violence spreads

A number of people are reported to have been shot at a protest in Lekki, a suburb of the city.

A 24-hour curfew planned for Lagos, a key commercial hub and Africa's most populous city with an estimated 20 million residents, was delayed to allow commuters to return home.

Other regions are now imposing curfews.

Following reports of widespread violence across Nigeria, the city of Jos and Ekiti state said curfews would come into force later on Tuesday.