Pakistan army called on to stop 'blasphemy' clashes in Islamabad

Pakistan's government has called for troops to be deployed in the capital, Islamabad, after violence broke out during protests by Islamists.

About 200 people were injured when security forces tried to disperse an Islamist sit-in at the Faizabad Interchange - a key highway.

Several deaths have been reported.

The protesters have been blocking the highway for several weeks, demanding the sacking of Law Minister Zahid Hamid whom they accuse of blasphemy.

Pakistani media report that demonstrators also broke into the minister's residence in Punjab province. Mr Hamid and his family were not in the building.

The protests have spread to other cities, including Lahore and the southern port of Karachi.

The Pakistani government asked the army to deploy in Islamabad on Saturday evening.

The interior minister said the order was issued at the request of the city authorities, who were not able to clear the sit-in.

There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani military.

Earlier on Saturday, security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse the demonstrators, Pakistani media report, but were met with rocks and tear gas shells.

About 8,500 elite police and paramilitary forces took part in the operation to clear the Faizabad Interchange. The crackdown was later suspended.

Protesters said four of their activists were killed, but police said there were no deaths, Reuters reports.

However, officials are quoted in other reports confirming that several people were killed. Many of those injured are security personnel.

The request for the military deployment came after hundreds more demonstrators turned up unexpectedly, forcing the police to retreat.

At one point, the authorities took all private television news channels off air, apparently out of concern that the live coverage of the police action could inflame religious sentiments.

The protesting Islamists, from the hardline Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Party, want the law minister to be sacked for omitting a reference to the Prophet Muhammad in a new version of the electoral oath.

The minister has since apologised saying it was a clerical error.

Related Topics

• Islamabad
• Pakistan

Argentina missing submarine: Navy denies safety claims

The Argentinean navy has insisted a missing submarine was in good condition and had passed system safety checks before setting off on a training mission 10 days ago.

Some relatives of the 44 missing crew members had suggested the 34-year-old vessel was in a bad state of repair.

The ARA San Juan last made contact with naval authorities on 15 November.

Hopes of finding survivors are fading among relatives fade despite international search efforts.

"We are at a stage of hope and hopelessness at the same time," navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said.

"We have to be guided by firm evidence. We are focused on detecting the submarine."

Mr Balbi told a news conference that the submarine had its whole operating system checked two days before setting sail.

"The submarine doesn't sail if that's not done. If it set off... it was because it was in condition to do so," he said.

Relatives gathered at the submarine's naval base on Saturday to take part in a religious ceremony and were joined by hundreds of supporters.

Some have reportedly begun mourning their loved ones, fearing it is too late for them to be found alive.

On Friday the country's president said an inquiry would be launched to find out the "truth" after a week of uncertainty and speculation.

What is known about the missing submarine?

The submarine was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southernmost tip of South America, when it reported an "electrical breakdown".

A naval commander said the submarine had surfaced and reported the breakdown, described as a "short circuit" in its batteries. The navy said it then made further contact to say the problem had been fixed and the submarine would proceed toward its port.

• What happens when a submarine goes missing
• Media share sub families' grief and anger

On Thursday, the authorities said an event consistent with an explosion had been detected by a nuclear test watchdog.

The Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) said an "abnormal, singular, short, violent, non-nuclear event" was recorded in the South Atlantic.

The US also reported a "hydro-acoustic anomaly" hours after the submarine went missing, close to its last known location.

The news dashed hopes among relatives, although no wreckage or debris has been found by the international search teams.

On Saturday a military spokesman said the submarine was not carrying torpedoes on board, dismissing a theory there had been an accident with explosives it was carrying.

Who is looking for it?

On Saturday Russia joined the operation, deploying one of its largest aircraft on Friday night with specialist equipment on board.

Its unmanned submersible, known as the Pantera Plus, can conduct sonar scans up to a depth of 1,000m (3,281ft).

Russia also has a scientific exploration ship on the way from West Africa.

The US Navy also deployed unmanned "mini-sub" vehicles to join the search.

The UK, Brazil, Chile, Norway, Germany, Canada, France, Peru, Colombia and Uruguay are also helping to try to locate the vessel.

Who is on board?

There are 44 crew members on board, under the command of Pedro Martín Fernández.

Forty-three of the crew are men but there is also one woman, Eliana María Krawczyk. The 35-year-old is the first female officer in Argentina to serve on a submarine.

Reports suggest one crew member escaped the tragedy because he was off the vessel visiting his sick mother, and had been replaced by someone else.

On Saturday relatives held a religious vigil service outside of the Mar del Plata naval base where the submarine was based.

They have expressed frustration with authorities, who they say have been slow at sharing information about search efforts..

• Read more on the missing crew members

China explosion: Ningbo port city rocked by major blast

At least two people have been killed and dozens more injured in an explosion in the eastern Chinese port city of Ningbo, local officials say.

The blast is said to have occurred at a factory at about 09:00 (01:00 GMT) in the city's Jiangbei District, causing some nearby buildings to collapse.

State media reported that at least 30 people had been taken to local hospitals amid rescue operations.

Footage showed rescuers carrying people away from an area surrounded by debris.

Chinese media said at least two of the injured are reported to be in a serious condition, citing local authorities.

Police said on social media that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the explosion.

The city has a large international shipping port and is best known for its auto-manufacturing industry, it is home to Geely - the Chinese owner of Volvo.

Chinese media said the explosion happened in an industrial area, and residential buildings damaged nearby were already empty ahead of planned demolition.

Some local reports suggested gas canisters could have been to blame for the blast.

Shattered windows were reported in businesses up to 1km away from the site of the explosion itself.