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BBC News with Sue Montgomery.
Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests and clashed with pro-government groups at the start of a new semester. Reports from four universities in Tehran and Mashhad say students chanted slogans calling for freedom and staged a sit-in in memory of those killed in a brutal crackdown and protests last month. Here is Siavash Ardalan. There were some clashes between pro-government students and these students who were demonstrating on campus, but nothing like what we saw last month when there was a deadly confrontation between people out on the street and security forces. This was just limited to university campuses. We haven't heard any reports yet from arrests that were made today, but usually protests that are held on campus, usually afterwards the authorities come in and they make a round of arrests of students who have been organizing these protests. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces say they've captured the North Darfur town of Altina, driving out militias loyal to the government army. The three-year civil war in Sudan has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, widespread famine and mass displacement. David Bamford reports. The fall of the Sudanese border town of Altina follows days of intense fighting in North Darfur involving the RSF, the Sudanese army and pro-army militias. The RSF shared a video of its fighters celebrating under a sign bearing the town's name. Altina straddles the border with Chad and there are reports of skirmishes between RSF elements and Chadian forces stationed nearby. The area is mainly populated by non-Arab, Zaghawa and Fur communities. A U.N. report published this week said the RSF targets these groups in a campaign that has the hallmarks of genocide. President Trump has said he will raise a new global tariff levied on imports from 10 to 15 percent. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday as illegal earlier tariffs he'd imposed under an emergency law. The leaders of India and Brazil have signed a deal on rare earths and critical minerals in Delhi. Tom Kavanagh reports. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the signing of this deal in Delhi as an important step towards building sustainable supply chains. The country is trying to reduce its dependence on China for rare earths and Brazil has the world's second largest known deposits. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called it a meeting of the world's pharmacy and the world's granary and of the two biggest democracies of the Global South. Trade between Brazil and India was worth $15 billion last year. The two leaders have pledged to reach $20 billion by the end of the decade. BBC News. Pakistan says it has carried out strikes on seven camps and hideouts in Afghanistan used by Pakistani Taliban and IS militants. It said the operation, which it described as "accurate," was retribution for recent lethal suicide bombings in Pakistan. It accused the Taliban government in Kabul of giving sanctuary to terrorist groups and foreign proxies. The Italian state broadcaster has apologized to viewers of the Winter Olympics for an off-air remark advising its producers to "avoid" showing the Israeli four-man bobsleigh crew. A voice was heard saying, "Let's avoid crew number 21, which is the Israeli one" before the sound was cut off. It's the second series incident for the TV channel during the games. The head of its sports division resigned earlier following an error-strewn commentary. The U.S. musician Willie Colón, best known as a celebrated pioneer of salsa music, has died at the age of 75. Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, his career saw him blend the musical influences of his parents' home island with New York's jazz and funk scene. This is him singing "Idilio." His songs were also known for addressing social issues faced by the growing Latino community in the U.S. The Turkish political drama "Yellow Letters" has won the prize for best film at the closing ceremony of the Berlin International Film Festival. It tells the story of two Turkish artists who lose their jobs at a theater due to political persecution. The German actress Sandra Hüller took one of the night's other main awards for her role in "Rose," which tells the story of a woman who lives as a man in 17th century Germany. BBC News. |