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Large protests broke out in several towns and cities across Somalia Tuesday in opposition to Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of so-called Somaliland.Israel announced on Friday that it viewed so-called Somaliland -- which declared independence in 1991 but has never been recognised by any other country -- as an "independent and sovereign state".Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has condemned the move as a threat to stability in the Horn of Africa. He travelled Tuesday to Turkiye, a close ally, to discuss the situation.Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Somali capital Mogadishu and gathered at a stadium, waving placards with anti-Israeli slogans alongside Somali and Palestinian flags."We will never allow anyone to violate our sovereignty," said one attendee, Adan Muhidin, adding that Israel's move was "a blatant violation of international law".Demonstrations also took place in Lascanod in the northeast, Guriceel in central Somalia, and Baidoa in the southwest."There is nothing we have in common with Israel. We say to the people of Somaliland, don't bring them close to you," said Sheikh Ahmed Moalim, a local religious leader, in Guriceel.The so-called Somaliland has long been a haven of stability and democracy in the conflict-scarred country, with its own money, passport and army.It also has a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden that makes it an attractive trade and military partner for regional and international allies.But Israel's decision to recognise its statehood has brought rebukes from across the Muslim and African world, with many fearing it will stoke conflict and division. 

Tanzania's main opposition said hundreds had been killed in three days of election protests, with the country still under an internet blackout on Friday and the government denying any use of "excessive force".A security source and diplomat in Dar es Salaam both told AFP that deaths were "in the hundreds" as protests continued on Friday.President Samia Suluhu Hassan had sought to cement her position and silence critics in her party with an emphatic win in Wednesday's election, in which her main challengers were either jailed or barred from standing.**media[375690]**But the vote descended into chaos as crowds took to the streets of Dar es Salaam and other cities, tearing down her posters and attacking police and polling stations, leading to an internet shutdown and curfew.Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said his government had "no figures" on any dead."Currently no excessive force has been used," he said in an interview with Al-Jazeera. "There's no number until now of any protesters killed."But the main opposition party, Chadema, said casualties were very high."As we speak the figure for deaths in Dar (es Salaam) is around 350 and for Mwanza it is 200-plus. Added to figures from other places around the country, the overall figure is around 700," Chadema spokesman John Kitoka told AFP.**media[375689]**"The death toll could be much higher," he warned, saying killings could be happening during the nighttime curfew.The security source told AFP they were hearing reports of more than 500 dead, "maybe 700-800 in the whole country".With foreign journalists largely banned from covering the election and a communications blackout entering its third day, information from the ground has been scarce.The first toll from an international body came early Friday when the United Nations said it had "credible reports" of 10 dead, while Amnesty International said it had information of at least 100 killed.Multiple hospitals and health clinics were too afraid to talk directly to AFP.Hassan had yet to comment on the unrest and local news sites have not been updated since Wednesday.Army chief Jacob Mkunda late Thursday called the protesters "criminals".In Zanzibar, a tourist hotspot with its own semi-autonomous government, Hassan's Revolution Party (Chama Cha Mapinduzi: CCM) had already been declared winner of the local vote on Thursday.The opposition party, ACT-Wazalendo, rejected the result, saying: "They have robbed the people of Zanzibar of their voice... The only solution to deliver justice is through a fresh election."A senior party official told AFP that ballot boxes had been stuffed, people allowed to vote multiple times without ID and their election observers kicked out of counting rooms.At a meeting place for opposition supporters on Zanzibar, there was dismay and fear."There has never been a credible election since 1995," said a 70-year-old man, referring to Tanzania's first multi-party vote.None of those interviewed gave their names."We are afraid of speaking because they might come to our houses and pick us up," said one.Hassan has faced opposition from parts of the army and allies of her iron-fisted predecessor, John Magufuli, since she took over upon his death in 2021, analysts say.They said she wanted an emphatic victory to cement her position, and the authorities banned the main opposition party, Chadema, and put its leader on trial for treason.In the run-up to the vote, rights groups condemned a "wave of terror" in the east African nation, including a string of high-profile abductions that escalated in the final days.Much public anger has been directed at Hassan's son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, accused of overseeing the crackdown.ACT-Wazalendo was allowed to contest the local election in Zanzibar, but its candidate was barred from competing against Hassan on the mainland.

Madagascars new head of state on Monday named a civilian prime minister, following a military takeover last week that sent ex-president Andry Rajoelina fleeing.Army colonel Michael Randrianirina, who announced Tuesday that the military had taken power after Rajoelina was impeached for desertion of duty following weeks of protests, was sworn in as president Friday.Randrianirina promised sweeping change and new elections in the poverty-stricken island nation, where anger over chronic power cuts sparked the demonstrations last month that swiftly escalated into a mass anti-government movement.Following consultations with the national assembly, Randrianirina chose Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, a figure of the private sector and former chairman of the Malagasy bank BNI, as new premier Monday.Rajaonarivelo had "the skills, the experience but also relations with international organisations in other countries that will collaborate with Madagascar," Randrianirina said.The new president has promised a civilian government and collaboration with "all the driving forces of the nation" after the military takeover, rejecting last week accusations of having led a coup.He said Monday that the choice of premier had "scrupulously followed the Constitution".Randrianirina led the CAPSAT army unit which mutinied on October 11, condemning violence against anti-government protesters by Rajoelina's security forces and joining the demonstrations in the capital Antananarivo.It marked a turning point in the weeks-long uprising, leading Rajoelina to flee the country.Media reports said the ousted ex-president was evacuated on Sunday aboard a French military plane that took him to the French island of Reunion, from where he travelled to Dubai.Supporters of Rajoelina have condemned the power grab, which was backed by the constitutional court.

Indonesian students protested in Jakarta on Monday as President Prabowo Subianto completed a year in office, two months after violent demonstrations nationwide, with one expert faulting the government on grounds of openness and public participation.About 300 students clad in yellow and blue jackets gathered near the presidential palace while Prabowo's cabinet met, far fewer than the numbers in August's student-led protests against government policies and lawmaker perks that spread countrywide."Free meals programme equals poison," read a banner carried by students demanding an end to Prabowo's flagship school meals campaign for millions of students and pregnant women, but which instead gave thousands of students food poisoning."There are still problems that have not been tackled, although the process has started," said Maulana Sai, a 25-year-old student of Jayabaya University, who called for reforms to government policies, including the meals programme.The August protests snowballed after a police vehicle hit and killed a delivery driver, driving up the death toll to present Prabowo with his biggest challenge since his landslide election last year.A coalition of student groups popularly called BEM SI published a poster of Monday's protest on Instagram, accompanied by hashtags #1YearIsEnough and #1YearOfContinuousProblems.Prabowo's first year was marred by a lack of public participation in his policies, said Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a politics researcher at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency."Generally, Prabowo's government experienced some turbulence in the first year, especially with regards to a lack of openness and participation," he said, citing the meals programme.In a wide-ranging speech to his cabinet, Prabowo defended the free meals programme on Monday, while pledging better education and medical care.To fund his programmes, which also include free health check-ups and schools for poorer Indonesians, Prabowo has cut government spending or diverted money from other areas, such as education.The former special forces commander has expanded the role of the military, putting soldiers to work on the meals programme and agriculture projects.Prabowo has promised to lift economic growth to 8% during a five-year term that runs until 2029. He has launched multiple stimulus packages to spark activity.

Army mutiny leader says military takes over nationDefiant Rajoelina refuses to step down after fleeing islandLower house of parliament votes to impeach himPresident had earlier moved to dissolve National AssemblyGen Z protests and army defections isolated RajoelinaMadagascar's military has taken charge of the Indian Ocean island, an army colonel said on Tuesday, after President Andry Rajoelina fled abroad during a standoff with youth-led protesters and security forces."We have taken the power," Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led a mutiny of soldiers joining anti-government Gen Z demonstrators, said on national radio.Randrianirina added that the military was dissolving all institutions except the lower house of parliament or National Assembly, which voted to impeach Rajoelina minutes earlier.**media[368631]**In a day of turmoil for the nation off east Africa, the 51-year-old leader had sought to dissolve the assembly by decree.Despite flying out on a French military jet, Rajoelina is refusing to step down in defiance of weeks of Gen Z protests demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the army.The presidency did not immediately react to Randrianirina's comments but earlier said the assembly meeting was unconstitutional and thus any resolution "null and void."**media[368635]**Rajoelina has said he has moved to a safe place because of threats to his life. An opposition official, a military source and a foreign diplomat told Reuters he had fled the country on Sunday aboard a French military plane.Demonstrations erupted in the country on September 25 over water and power shortages and quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance and a lack of basic services. The anger mirrored recent protests against ruling elites elsewhere, including Nepal and Morocco. On Tuesday, at Antananarivo's 13 May Square, along the main drag lined with palm trees and French colonial buildings, thousands of protesters danced, marched, sang songs and waved banners denouncing Rajoelina as a French stooge because of his dual citizenship and support from Madagascar's former coloniser.**media[368630]**Many were waving Malagasy flags and the signature Gen Z protest banner of a skull and crossbones from the Japanese "One Piece" anime series.At one point, Randrianirina took stage and asked: "Are you ready to accept a military takeover?", drawing cheers of approval from the crowd.Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron had said that constitutional order must be preserved and that while France understood the grievances of the youth, they should not be exploited by military factions.Rajoelina had appeared isolated after losing the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit which had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup. Randrianirina is a well-known commander in CAPSAT.**media[368632]**The unit had joined the protesters over the weekend, saying it would refuse to fire on them and escorting thousands of demonstrators in the main square of the capital Antananarivo.The paramilitary gendarmerie and the police also broke ranks with Rajoelina.Madagascar, where the average age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty. GDP per capita plunged 45% from the time of independence in 1960 to 2020, according to the World Bank.

Presidency says attempted coup underwaySome soldiers announce support for protestersProtests have escalated since September 25 Madagascar's presidency said on Sunday that an attempt to grab power by force was underway in the African nation as more soldiers joined a youth-led protest movement that has rocked the former French colony for more than two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit that helped President Andry Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders on Saturday and back the youth-led protests, which began on September 25 and pose the most serious challenge to Rajoelina's rule since his reelection in 2023. CAPSAT officers said on Sunday they had command over the country's security operations and would coordinate all branches of the military from their base on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They said they had appointed General Demosthene Pikulas as head of the army. A unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie, which had so far tackled the protests together with the police, also broke ranks with the government on Sunday. "All use of force and any improper behaviour towards our fellow citizens are prohibited, as the gendarmerie is a force meant to protect people and not to defend the interests of a few individuals," the Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie said in a statement broadcast on Real TV. It said it was coordinating with the CAPSAT headquarters. The Defence Ministry and the military general staff declined to comment. A Reuters witness saw three people injured after shots were fired along a road to the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday. Other witnesses said there was no sign of ongoing clashes. In a statement on the presidency's official social media account, Rajoelina's office said "an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power" was underway, adding that the president had urged "dialogue to resolve the crisis". Rajoelina's whereabouts were unknown on Sunday, but late on Saturday his office said he and the prime minister were "fully in control of the nation's affairs". The protests, inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, began over water and electricity shortages but have since spread, with demonstrators calling for Rajoelina to step down, apologise for violence against protesters, and dissolve the Senate and electoral commission. Some demonstrators have been sporting T-shirts and flags with the same symbol - a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series "One Piece" - used by youth-led demonstrators in countries including Indonesia and Peru. Thousands of protesters gathered in Antananarivo on Sunday to protest against the government and pay tribute to a slain CAPSAT soldier, whom the army unit said was killed by the gendarmerie on Saturday. The peaceful gathering was attended by church leaders and opposition politicians, including former President Marc Ravalomanana, as well as CAPSAT troops. Madagascar, a country where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million - three-quarters of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank. A video broadcast by local media showed dozens of soldiers leaving the barracks on Saturday to escort thousands of protesters into the May 13 Square in Antananarivo, the scene of many political uprisings, which had been heavily guarded and off limits during the unrest. The African Union Commission's chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for calm and restraint. Citing the security situation on the ground, Air France-KLM's French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and Antananarivo from October 11 to October 13.

The youth-led movement behind nearly two weeks of anti-government protests in Madagascar rejected dialogue with President Andry Rajoelina and called a strike and new demonstration for Thursday.Near-daily protests erupted in the impoverished Indian Ocean island on September 25, claiming at least 22 lives, according to a UN toll that is disputed by local authorities.Rajoelina sacked his entire government last week and appointed an army general as prime minister on Monday, calling a public meeting at the presidential palace Wednesday where he heard complaints from dozens of participants.The meeting was snubbed by the Gen Z Mada movement leading the protests, which were sparked by anger over frequent power and water cuts."We reject this sham dialogue," the group said on social media, criticising "a government that represses, abuses and humiliates young people in the streets".One of the student protest leaders was nonetheless present at the event, telling the 51-year-old president: "Poverty is becoming severe here in Madagascar because there is too much corruption in the government.""Students cannot focus on their studies due to the lack of light. There is no water. There are even rats where we sleep," he charged in a passionate tirade that received the loudest applause of the day from the crowd of about 1,000 people.Other speakers raised more personal cases, such as a jailed husband or an unemployed son, in exchanges that were broadcast live on radio and television.In return, Rajoelina promised to resign if the capital was still plagued by electrcity outages within a year.Rajoelina has also appointed new ministers to head the three portfolios covering the army, public security and police, saying the country "no longer needs disruption but peace".But the protest leaders said these appointments to "restore order" were a challenge and called a general strike and fresh demonstration in the capital Antananarivo for Thursday.The movement comprising about 20 groups has issued Rajoelina with a list of demands that includes a public apology for violence against protesters but does not mention previous calls for him to step down.Other demands are an overhaul of the Constitutional Court and the dissolution of the Senate or at least the removal of its president, Richard Ravalomanana, a former police general.The large island of around 32 million people is the leading producer of vanilla and has significant natural resources but nearly three-quarters of the population lived below the poverty line in 2022, according to World Bank figures.Among the world's poorest countries, Madagascar has undergone frequent popular uprisings since independence in 1960, including mass protests in 2009 that forced then-president Marc Ravalomanana from power as the military installed Rajoelina for his first term.He won re-election in 2018 and again in 2023 in contested polls.The latest round of protests were initially supported by thousands of people and focused on the capital, with demonstrations also in several major provincial cities.Around 100 people gathered in a new protest near Lake Anosy in the capital Wednesday.The previous day, security forces again used tear gas to disperse scores of protesters in the same area, causing several injuries, AFP journalists reported.Conflict monitoring group ACLED said the month of September saw the second-highest level of protests in Madagascar since it began collecting data in 1997, surpassed only by a surge before the 2023 vote.

Security forces dispersed hundreds of protesters with tear gas in Madagascar's capital Monday, injuring at least one, AFP reporters saw, while President Andry Rajoelina was expected to name a new premier in a bid to defuse the crisis.Near-daily youth-led protests that started on September 25 against persistent water and power cuts in the impoverished Indian Ocean island have grown into an anti-government movement calling for Rajoelina to resign.Rajoelina sacked his government on September 29 and was expected to announce his prime minister Monday night, but this has not placated the demonstrators.Stun grenades and tear gas stopped two marches of hundreds of people in Antananarivo, with a heavy security presence on the 12th day of the movement, rallied on social media by a group called Gen Z Mada.University students and local residents gathered near the University of Ankatso on the outskirts of the capital on Monday before marching towards the city centre, where they were stopped by a security force barricade.Clashes punctuated the afternoon, with at least one young man wounded and evacuated to the main hospital, AFP reporters saw."There are about 120 hours of power cuts per week where I live," said 21-year-old protester Tommy Fanomezantsoa."We are protesting for everyone's sake," he told AFP. "The president is not listening to the anger of the people at the bottom. He always does what he wants."The Ankatso district was the birthplace of a 1972 revolt that led to the ousting of the first president of the poverty-stricken island, Philibert Tsiranana."The future of this country depends on me, on you, on all of us," one of the protest leaders told the crowd of several hundred people, urging them not to allow the movement to lose momentum."We can clearly see that democracy in Madagascar is not respected at all," said another protest leader."They are even destroying it with brutality," he said.He was referring to a United Nations statement last week that at least 22 people had been killed in the protests and more than 100 wounded, a figure rejected by the authorities.The UN also condemned what it called a heavy-handed response by security forces, including the use of live ammunition.AFP journalists witnessed a pregnant woman going into convulsions as crowds of people, including many children, fled from police in the hilly cobbled streets of Amparibe neighbourhood.Local media also reported a protest in the southern city of Toliara, where demonstrators burned tyres.Rajoelina on Saturday met with representatives of the private sector, administration and trade unions, and was expected to announce a new prime minister Monday night, according to his spokesperson."We don't want him to listen to people in his office, we want him to get out on the ground," said the protester Fanomezantsoa, who has been unemployed since the supermarket where he worked was looted on the first night of the protests."We will continue until we get results," he said.The Christian Council of Churches of Madagascar (FFKM) said on Friday that it was prepared to mediate between the government and protesters.The Gen Z movement has taken inspiration from similar youth-led movements in Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia, waving a pirate flag from the Japanese manga comic One Piece.Despite its natural resources, Madagascar remains among the world's poorest countries.Nearly three-quarters of its population of 32 million were living below the poverty line in 2022, according to the World Bank.Corruption is widespread and the country ranks 140th out of 180 in Transparency International's index, which ranks countries by their perceived level of public sector corruption.

Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory.Organisers of the protest in Rome said hundreds of thousands of people had turned out for a fourth day running, after Israel intercepted the 45-strong flotilla seeking to reach Gaza earlier this week.Some 70,000 people, according to police, took to the streets in Barcelona, in one of several pro-Palestinian protests to take place across Spain.Elsewhere, several thousand people marched through the centre of the Irish capital, Dublin, to mark what organisers said was "two years of genocide" in Gaza.With Ireland, Spain is one of the fiercest European critics of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas militants' October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.But in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government has been criticised for its inaction on the siege of the Palestinian territory.On Saturday, Meloni accused demonstrators of defacing a statue of Pope John Paul II with graffiti in front of Rome's main train station, calling it a "shameful act"."They claim to take to the streets for peace, but they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace," she said in a statement.Protesters in the Italian capital, including families with children, shouted, "We are all Palestinians", "Free Palestine" and "Stop the genocide", with many carrying Palestinian flags and wearing black-and-white chequered keffiyehs."Usually, I don't appreciate large-scale demonstrations, but today, I couldn't bring myself to stay home," Donato Colucci, a 44-year-old scout leader accompanying 150 youths from a secular association, told AFP."I think countries like Italy, France, and Spain have developed a culture of resistance and democratic values more than others because they experienced dictatorship and violence."In Barcelona, Marta Carranza, a 65-year-old pensioner demonstrating with a Palestinian flag on her back, said Israel's policy "has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets".The Global Sumud flotilla, which was intercepted on Wednesday, left Barcelona in early September and had been seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold.Around 50 Spaniards on the flotilla have been detained by Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public television in an interview aired on Saturday.The flotilla organisers say Israel's actions were "illegal" since they intercepted the vessels while they were traversing international waters.Jordi Bas, a 40-year-old primary school teacher waving a Palestinian flag, said the huge turn-out was "predictable". "People are beginning to wake up a bit," he said."It's the only thing that can give them (Palestinians) a little encouragement, to see that the whole world is mobilising in solidarity with them," he added.On September 14, around 100,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators forced the halt of the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race in the Spanish capital, where an Israeli team was competing.Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be barred from international sport over the Gaza war, just as Russia was penalised over its invasion of Ukraine.In September, Spain said it would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have been described by UN rights chief Volker Turk as a war crime.In Ireland, speakers called for sanctions on Israel and an immediate end to the conflict -- and Palestinian involvement in the ceasefire plan."Any plan that's made without the involvement of the leadership or the people involved has to be suspect," said John-Paul Murphy, a 37-year-old medical doctor.

300,000 people marched in Rome, organisers sayPro-flotilla protests particularly widespread in ItalyMore protests expected on Saturday Hundreds of thousands of Italians took to the streets across the country on Friday, as part of a day-long general strike called by unions in support of an aid flotilla carrying food to Gaza that was intercepted by Israel this week. "After what I saw with the flotilla, I thought I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. It's the first time I go to these kind of demonstrations," Mario Mascetti, a protester in Rome, told Reuters. The CGIL and USB trade unions staged demonstrations in more than 100 cities. In the capital, crowds marched from the central Piazza Vittorio towards the main train station, holding union and Palestinian flags, as well as banners. The strike caused delays and cancellations across Italy's rail network, with more limited disruptions at airports. Metro lines continued operating in both Rome and Milan. Motorways or ring roads were blocked by protesters around several cities including Rome, Milan, Bologna and Trento, with police firing tear gas outside Milan to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators. The Tuscan port of Livorno was closed by protests. "This is not just any strike. We're here today to defend brotherhood among individuals, among peoples, to put humanity back at the centre, to say no to genocide, to a policy of rearmament," CGIL leader Maurizio Landini said. Some 300,000 people took part in the Rome march, according to the organisers. They estimated crowds of more than 100,000 in Milan, 50,000 in Naples, 25,000 in Venice and a total of 150,000 in various cities in Sicily. Authorities have not confirmed the figures. Italy's right-wing government has criticised the strike, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people skipping work for Gaza was just an excuse to have a longer weekend break. Protests in solidarity with the humanitarian convoy that was trying to break Israel's naval blockade have sprung up all over Europe and other parts of the world, but have been particularly widespread in Italy. Mattia Diletti, a sociologist at Rome's Sapienza University, said the Palestinian cause had always resonated in Italy, both amongst its centrist Catholic and leftist political traditions. "Italy has always been a very political country, characterised by this (pro-Palestinian) element," he said. The national strike watchdog said on Thursday that the unions had broken rules by not giving enough advance notice for the strike, but the CGIL and USB went ahead anyway, attracting more criticism from the government. "If today those who strike illegally cause billions of euros worth of damage to the Italian economy ... then sanctions must be proportionate to the damage caused," Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said. Pro-Palestinian protests were due to continue on Saturday with a mass rally in Rome, capping off several days of demonstrations that have sometimes turned violent and sparked clashes with police. On Thursday night, tens of thousands of people marched peacefully from Rome's Colosseum, while in Turin a conference centre was vandalised and in Milan a statue outside the Duomo cathedral was daubed with red paint and graffiti.

At least four people were killed and dozens injured in India's Himalayan region of Ladakh on Wednesday as protesters demanding statehood for the federal territory and job quotas for local residents clashed with police, two sources told Reuters.The enclave lost its autonomy in 2019 when it was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and placed under the direct administration of New Delhi.Protesters, led by activist Sonam Wangchuk, also want Ladakh to be given special status that would allow the creation of elected local bodies to protect its tribal areas.Late on Wednesday, India's ministry of home affairs said that the protests were triggered by "provocative" speeches by Wangchuk, who had been on hunger strike since Sept. 10.A mob attacked a political party office, set fire to the Leh chief executive councillor's office and torched a police vehicle, the ministry said in a statement.More than 30 police and personnel were injured during the incident, it said."In self-defence, police had to resort to firing in which unfortunately some casualties are reported," the statement added.The ministry added that the situation had been "brought under control by 4 p.m., barring the unfortunate incidents earlier in the day.""During this (Wednesday's) violence, 2-3 of our youth have died for our cause... I want to reassure the people of Ladakh that we will not let the sacrifices of these youth go to waste... We will keep trying to get our demands fulfilled," said Thupstan Tswang, Chairman of Leh Apex Body.The office of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party in the main city of Leh was among the buildings vandalised and set on fire, said news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake.ANI visuals showed black smoke emanating from behind the office complex's boundary wall and elsewhere, hundreds of people chanted slogans.Indian TV channels showed an abandoned police vehicle with flames emanating from its front. Local media reports said some young protesters pelted stones at police and tear gas was used to disperse them.More than 50 people, including 20 police personnel, were injured, a police source said. "It was the frustration of the youth...that brought them to the streets...I appeal to the youth...don't walk on this path of violence," said Wangchuk, who called off his fortnight-long hunger strike after the violence."This is not a solution to Ladakh's problem... If our youth have sorrow and pain that we are on hunger strike, then we are breaking our hunger strike from today."Kavinder Gupta, Ladakh's lieutenant governor, appealed for an end to violence and restoration of peace in a video message circulated by his office. Demonstrations, public gatherings and inflammatory speech were being banned to maintain peace, district administrator Romil Singh Donk said in a public notice.Ladakh shares a long border with China and is a strategic territory for India.India's home ministry has been in talks with Ladakh's leaders since 2023 and has said it is looking into their demands.The next round of discussions is scheduled for October 6.

Weeping relatives held funerals on Tuesday for loved ones at a sacred Hindu site in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, after their deaths in anti-graft protests last week that brought a change of government in the Himalayan nation.At least 72 people died in the unrest and the vandalism and arson that followed "Gen Z" protests by young people frustrated at a lack of opportunities and perceived government lethargy, with more than 2,100 injured.Thousands of relatives and onlookers watched as smoke and ash wreathed the pyres of four cremated near the temple of Lord Pashupatinath in the capital, following Hindu tradition.A national flag was placed on each coffin, while police gave them a guard of honour as a mark of respect."He will never return now," said Rachana Khatiwada, a mother among them, who sobbed as she held a framed portrait of her 18-year-son Rashik, killed in front of parliament."He said he would not participate in the protests, watch from the outside and return home early," she told Reuters.Earlier, a truck had wended its way in solemn procession through the city carrying six coffins, with five more placed on separate vehicles garlanded with marigolds and banners, after hospital officials handed the bodies to relatives.Two ministers of Nepal's new interim government joined the convoy.Helicopters carried the bodies of others killed in the protests to home towns outside Kathmandu.Bina Maharjan said she prayed for the well-being of her brother Binod, 34, after hearing of the violence at the protests he was attending, only to be told of his death later in a telephone call from friends."We told him not to go for the protests," Maharjan added. "But he insisted and went, only to get killed."She said a postmortem showed her brother had been hit by a bullet that passed through one cheek and emerged from the other, while a second stuck in his throat.Binod had refused even to marry as he had always wanted to "sacrifice and do something" for the country, she added. "He has just done that."Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, took the reins as Nepal's first woman prime minister last week, tasked with holding national elections on March 5. She has picked three ministers with reformist credentials for her interim cabinet.