World Briefs

Military rulers isolate pro-democracy activists

CAIRO — Egypt’s military sought to isolate activists protesting army rule, depicting the demonstrators as conspirators and vandals, as troops and protesters clashed for a third straight day, pelting each other with stones near parliament in the heart of the capital.

At least 10 protesters have been killed and 441 others wounded in the three days of violence, according to the Health Ministry. Activists say most of the 10 fatalities died of gunshot wounds.

The fighting, sparked when troops sought to break up a sit-in outside the Cabinet headquarters, has seen a particularly heavy hand by the military.

Military police have been shown in video footage dragging women by the hair, even stripping the shirt off one veiled woman, and ferociously beating, kicking and stomping on protesters cowering on the ground.

KAZAKHSTAN

Police open fire on rioters, killing one

SHETPE — Police opened fire on rioters in a town in the tense southwest of Kazakhstan, leaving one person dead and 11 wounded, authorities said Sunday.

The prosecutor-general’s office said the violence occurred Saturday in the town of Shetpe, in the same region as the city of Zhanaozen where 13 people died in a clash with police on Friday.

Zhanaozen has been the site of a sit-in by oil workers seeking higher wages. Many of those workers were fired over the summer.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Loser claims victory in presidential election

KINSHASA — Congo’s opposition leader Sunday declared himself the winner of the presidential vote, despite placing second in official election results

Etienne Tshisekedi told reporter that incumbent President Joseph Kabila’s government “is dismissed starting today.” Sunday’s declaration comes only two days after the country’s supreme court upheld Mr. Kabila’s victory in the November vote.

International observers, however, have expressed concerns about irregularities, saying voter turnout was impossibly high in some districts.

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