Russia: Chechen human rights activist jailed

The villagers reportedly defended themselves with swords and home-made rifles against members of the ruling military junta. The soldiers "shot everything that moved," according to one resident.

Fernando Karadima was a key figure in a sexual abuse case that sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church. Aged 90, he died of bronchopneumonia and kidney failure in a nursing home.

Those targeted include an armed group that killed a Kurdish politician and eight individuals tied to the Syrian government and President Bashar Assad.

Afghans in Jalalabad city chant "Allah-u Akbar" (God is greatest) in support of the Afghan security forces, as part of calls to gather on rooftops at 9 pm following similar scenes the night before in the western city of Herat, that is under siege, after government forces countered the latest Taliban assault.

Security forces in Mapastepec, southern Mexico, block a caravan of several hundred mostly Central American migrants, including children, heading for the United States on foot.

Heavily armed gangs have been stepping up raids on schools and villages in northwestern Nigeria, often taking hostages for ransom.

A Nigerian judge on Wednesday adjourned the treason trial of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu until January after his lead lawyer walked out of court because security agents refused other defence lawyers into the courtroom. Bruce Fein, the American lawyer of Nnamdi Kanu, also threatened to drag Nigeria before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged gross violation of his client’s rights. At his last court appearance last month, Kanu, a British citizen, pleaded not guilty to seven charges, which included terrorism, calling for secession and knowingly falsehoods about President Muhammadu Buhari, and membership of an outlawed group. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Kanu's lead lawyer had planned to ask the court to dismiss the charges, saying they were incompetent.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso deployed police and the military to "take control of all the country's prisons" after scores of inmates were killed in gang clashes.

Doctors have accused security forces of firing live rounds at pro-democracy demonstrators and killing four of them.

The Doctors Committee said two people have been killed by authorities. Sudan's military leader has vowed to crack down on protesters demanding civilian rule, saying they "would not achieve a political solution."

The latest round of protests against Sudan's military are met with tear gas, sparking clashes with security forces. Rallies were held in Khartoum and neighbouring cities on Tuesday. Also, the first findings of an inquiry into corruption under former South African president Jacob Zuma establish that state decisions were shaped by private individuals and interests during his nine years in power. Finally, we sample the Pan-African offerings of award-winning experimental Congolese chef Dieuveil Malonga at his Kigali restaurant.

The Central Committee of Sudanese doctors say seven civilians have been killed by security forces. UN Security Council members urged "utmost restraint."