Myanmar protests grow over verdict

Protests against the conviction in Thailand of two Burmese men for the murder of a pair of British tourists have been growing in Yangon. The Thai embassy's consular section in the Burmese capital said it would be closed for the week in the wake of the "unexpected and prolonged" protests. Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin were sentenced to death last week for the 2014 murders of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge. Thai police have denied allegations the men were forced to confess. But many in Myanmar believe the men were made scapegoats for the crime. The convicted migrant workers denied killing the tourists, saying they were forced by Thai police into confessing under duress, which they later retracted. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Protests have been growing in Myanmar over the court verdict ever since it was handed down Image copyright AFP Image caption Burmese Buddhist monks have also protested, such as these in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo Hundreds of people, including Buddhist monks and ordinary citizens, were reported to have taken to the streets on Tuesday. Thai media has earlier reported that Thai authorities asked Myanmar to contain the protests. A statement made by the Thai embassy released earlier this week said the demonstrations made it hard to access their entrance.

Hundreds defy protest ban after Muslim prayer hall attack

Several hundred people have marched in Corsica, defying a ban on protests introduced after a Muslim prayer hall was vandalised on the French island. They avoided going to the poor neighbourhood of Ajaccio where Friday's attack happened, instead rallying in other areas of the regional capital. The prayer hall was raided by crowds in apparent retaliation for an attack on firefighters a day earlier. Previous marches had seen participants shout: "Arabs get out!" Some protesters blamed local Arab residents for the attack on the firefighters. The French government condemned both the protests that followed and the anti-Muslim attack. Image copyright AFP Image caption Attackers smashed windows and ransacked the Muslim prayer room in Ajaccio On Sunday, the demonstrators marched through several neighbourhoods in Ajaccio, but did not go to the Jardins de l'Empereur area - the scene of Friday's attack. The authorities earlier announced a ban on all gatherings in the flashpoint area until at least 4 January. The protesters rejected accusations that their rally was racist, chanting: "We fight against scum, not against Arabs!" and "We aren't thugs, we aren't racists!" Police were deployed around the Jardins de l'Empereur, home to many immigrants, to prevent any clashes.

Syrian rebel leaders die in air strike

 The head and several leaders of one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups, Jaysh al-Islam, have been killed in an air strike east of Damascus, reports. Founder Zahroun Alloush, 44, was among those killed when rockets hit a meeting place, rebels and the Syrian army said. The Saudi-backed Islamist group is one of the biggest factions and is dominant in the Eastern Ghouta countryside. It recently joined an opposition summit in Riyadh which produced a framework for peace talks with the government. Ten rockets struck as Jaysh al-Islam commanders met, Saudi-funded al-Arabiya TV reported. The group's deputy leader was also killed, al-Arabiya said. In a statement carried by state television, Syria's army command said it had conducted the "special operation" that killed Alloush, reported AFP news agency. However, some activists said it was a Russian air strike, while other sources suggested the Syrian air force had conducted the strike using Russian missiles. Analysts called it a severe blow for rebel forces and a threat to the nascent efforts to find a political resolution. Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been waging an air campaign in Syria since the end of September.