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DHAKA — Bangladesh's Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus will lead an interim government after mass protests forced longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee, the presidency announced Wednesday.

The appointment came quickly after student leaders called on the 84-year-old Yunus — credited with lifting millions out of poverty in the South Asian country — to lead.

The decision was made in a meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the heads of the army, navy and air force, and student leaders.

"[They] decided to form an interim government with Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus as its chief," Shahabuddin's office said in a statement.

"The president has asked the people to help ride out the crisis. Quick formation of an interim government is necessary to overcome the crisis."

Yunus will have the title of chief advisor, according to Haid Islam, one of the leaders of Students Against Discrimination who participated in the meeting.

Shahabuddin agreed that the interim government "will be formed within the shortest time" possible, Islam told reporters, describing the meeting as "fruitful".

However, there were few other details about the planned government, including the role of the military.

Yunus, who is currently in Europe and is due to return to Dhaka on Thursday afternoon, told AFP he was willing to lead the interim government.

"If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it," he said in a statement.

The veteran academic wrote in The Economist that he wanted to "ensure a free and fair election is held within a few months", calling on a new generation of leaders to step forward.

"Above all, we need young people who are not obsessed with settling scores, as too many of our previous governments were," Yunus wrote.

Deadly crackdown 

Hasina, 76, who had been in power since 2009, resigned on Monday as hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Dhaka demanding she stand down.

Monday's events were the culmination of more than a month of unrest, which began as protests against a plan for quotas in government jobs but morphed into an anti-Hasina movement.

Hasina, who was accused of rigging January elections and widespread human rights abuses, deployed security forces to quash the protests.

Hundreds of people were killed in the crackdown, but the military turned against Hasina on the weekend and she was forced to flee in a helicopter to neighbouring India.

Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Sunday it was "time to stop the violence".

The military has since acceded to a range of other demands from the student leaders, aside from Yunus's appointment.

The president dissolved parliament on Tuesday, another demand of the student leaders and the major opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP).

The head of the police force, which protesters have blamed for leading Hasina's crackdown, was sacked on Tuesday, the president's office said in the statement announcing Yunus as leader.

Ex-prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, 78, was also released from years of house arrest, a presidential statement and her party said.

Political prisoners have been released, including Michael Chakma, an Indigenous activist incarcerated in a secret prison since 2019, his United People's Democratic Front party said on Wednesday.

And the military reshuffled several generals, demoting some seen as close to Hasina, and sacking Ziaul Ahsan, a commander of the feared Rapid Action Battalion paramilitary force.

Free from 'dictatorship' 

Since Tuesday, streets in the capital have been largely peaceful — with shops opening and international flights resuming at Dhaka airport — but government offices remained mostly closed.

Millions of Bangladeshis had flooded the streets to celebrate after Hasina's departure — and jubilant crowds also stormed and looted her official residence.

"We have been freed from a dictatorship," said Sazid Ahnaf, 21, comparing the events to the independence war that split the nation from Pakistan more than five decades ago.

Police said mobs had launched revenge attacks on Hasina's allies and their own officers, and also freed more than 500 inmates from a prison.

Monday was the deadliest day since protests began, with at least 455 people killed since early July, according to an AFP tally based on police, government officials and hospital doctors.

Protesters broke into parliament and torched TV stations. Others smashed statues of Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's independence hero.

Some businesses and homes owned by Hindus — a group seen by some in the Muslim-majority nation as close to Hasina — were also attacked.

Bangladeshi rights groups, as well as US and European Union diplomats, have expressed concerns about reports of attacks on religious, ethnic and other minority groups.

Neighbouring India and China, both key regional allies of Bangladesh, have called for calm.

UNITED NATIONS, United States — The famine in a displaced persons camp in war-torn Sudan is a "shameful stain" on the conscience of the international community, which failed to prevent it despite multiple warnings, the United Nations said Tuesday.

Last week an international committee responsible for assessing food insecurity declared a famine in the Zamzam camp, near the besieged town of El-Fasher, in Darfur. 

It was the first time the committee had confirmed a famine in more than seven years, and only the third time since its monitoring system was launched two decades ago, said Stephen Ommollo, assistant executive director of the World Food Programme, speaking at the UN Security Council.

"We have been clear that famine is a real and dangerous possibility... But our warnings have not been heard," he said. 

The crisis has not received the political and diplomatic attention it desperately needs, he said, hoping that the declaration of a famine would serve as a "wake-up call."

"When famine happens, it means we are too late. It means we did not do enough. It means that we, the international community, have failed," agreed Edem Worsornu of the UN's humanitarian agency (OCHA).

"This is an entirely man-made crisis -- and a shameful stain on our collective conscience." 

Since April last year, a war has pitted the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. 

The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 10 million people, according to the UN. 

Omollo said that a ceasefire remains the "only sustainable solution that will prevent the further spread of famine."

But until that day, he pleaded with the Council to help "ensure we can carry out our work effectively, and without interference."

Both officials denounced the obstacles to humanitarian aid imposed by both sides of the conflict, and called for the opening of the Adre border crossing between Chad and Darfur, which has been closed for several months. 

Sudanese ambassador to the UN Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, rejecting the conclusions of the report declaring the famine, acknowledged a "dire" humanitarian situation -- but accused the RSF of being responsible for blocking humanitarian convoys. 

While the United States has raised the creation of a UN mechanism to allow the passage of humanitarian aid in Adre, he insisted on Sudan's "sovereignty," noting that the opening of the border point was solely the responsibility of his government.

WASHINGTON — Western powers called Monday for calm in Bangladesh after long-ruling leader Sheikh Hasina fled, with the United States saluting the military for forming an interim government rather than cracking down further on protesters.

Sheikh Hasina, who had particularly close relations with regional power India, enjoyed a mostly cooperative relationship with the West during her 15 years in power but had increasingly drawn criticism for her authoritarian turn.

The United States called on all sides in Bangladesh to "refrain from further violence" as bullet-ridden bodies were strewn across hospital floors and looting swept the capital Dhaka.

"Too many lives have been lost over the course of the past several weeks, and we urge calm and restraint in the days ahead," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh's founding father, had sought to quell a nationwide uprising that started with student-led protests against job quotas. Nearly 100 people were killed on Sunday as calls grew for her to step down.

Miller said that the United States had seen reports that the army refused pressure to crack down further on student-led demonstrations.

"If it is true in fact that the army resisted calls to crack down on lawful protesters, that would be a positive development," he said.

"We welcome the announcement of an interim government and urge any transition be conducted in accordance with Bangladesh's laws," he said.

Asked if the military should choose the next leadership, Miller said, "We want to see the Bangladeshi people decide the future Bangladeshi government."

Call for UN-led probe 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a "peaceful, orderly and democratic transition" as well as a "full, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into all acts of violence," his spokesman Farhan Haq said.

Bangladesh's former colonial power Britain called for the United Nations to take the lead in an investigation.

"The people of Bangladesh deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events of the past few weeks," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.

The European Union also called for "calm and restraint."

"It is vital that an orderly and peaceful transition towards a democratically elected government is ensured, in full respect of human rights and democratic principles," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said her country "condemns the human rights violations, deaths, torture, arbitrary arrests and lethal force" used in response to the protests.

"During this transition, we urge all parties to respect and uphold democratic institutions and processes and the rule of law," Joly said in a statement.

There was no immediate reaction from regional governments to the fall of Hasina, who had sought a delicate balancing act of enjoying support from India while maintaining strong relations with China.

Indian media said that Hasina flew to a military airbase near New Delhi.

A top-level source said she wanted to transit on to London, but it was unclear if she would be allowed.

The United States in the past praised Hasina's economic track record and saw her as a partner on priorities such as countering Islamist extremism and sheltering Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

But Washington more recently criticized her for autocratic tendencies and imposed visa sanctions over concerns on democracy.

LONDON — The UK government said on Tuesday that 6,000 specialist police were ready to deal with far-right rioting after another night of destructive troubles in English cities.

There has been a week of nightly riots in various cities since three children were killed in a mass stabbing.

On Monday, six people were arrested and several police officers injured when they were attacked by rioters hurling bricks and fireworks in Plymouth, southern England.

Officers in Belfast, Northern Ireland, were attacked as rioters attempted to set fire to a shop owned by a foreign national. Police said a man in his 30s was seriously assaulted and that they are treating the incident as a racially motivated hate crime.

A group of men who gathered in Birmingham, central England, to counter a rumoured far-right demonstration, forced a Sky News reporter off air shouting: "Free Palestine". She was then followed by a man in a balaclava holding a knife.

Another reporter said he was chased by members of the group "with what looked like a weapon", while police said there had also been incidents of criminal damage to a pub and a car.

Unrest broke out last Tuesday after three children were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, northwest England.

There have been hundreds of arrests around riots that have flared up since.

Justice minister Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4 that the government had freed up an extra 500 prison places and drafted in 6,000 specialist police officers to deal with the violence.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer again sought to reassure the nation that action was being taken.

He said after a cabinet meeting: "99.9% of people across the country want their streets to be safe and to feel safe in their communities, and we will take all necessary action to bring the disorder to an end."

False rumours 

Mobs threw bricks and flares, attacked police, burnt and looted shops, smashed the windows of cars and homes and targeted at least two hotels housing asylum seekers at the weekend.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said Monday that 378 people had so far been arrested.

Clashes broke out in Southport the day after three young girls were killed and five more children critically injured during the knife attack there.

False rumours initially spread on social media saying the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales. UK media reported that his parents are from Rwanda.

That has not stopped mosques from being targeted by rioters and the government has offered extra security to Islamic places of worship.

In Burnley, northwest England, a hate crime investigation was underway after gravestones in a Muslim section of a cemetery were vandalised with grey paint.

"What type of evil individual(s) would undertake such outrageous actions, in a sacrosanct place of reflection, where loved ones are buried, solely intended to provoke racial tensions?", local councillor Afrasiab Anwar said.

The government, only one month old, has vowed to take a tough line on the unrest.

The prime minister warned rioters on Sunday that they would "regret" participating in England's worst disorder in 13 years.

Interior minister Yvette Cooper said "there will be a reckoning".

Cooper also said that social media put a "rocket booster" under the violence.

Starmer stressed that "criminal law applies online as well as offline", with arrests already being made in relation to posts made on Facebook and Snapchat.

Police have blamed the violence on people associated with the now-defunct English Defence League, a far-right Islamophobic organisation founded 15 years ago, whose supporters have been linked to football hooliganism.

The rallies have been advertised on far-right social media channels under the banner "Enough is enough".

The owner of X drew criticism for writing on the site on Sunday that a British "civil war" was inevitable. He sparked further ire on Monday with a provocative reply to a tweet by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"Use of language such as a 'civil war' is in no way acceptable," said Justice Minister Heidi Alexander, branding Musk's comments "deeply irresponsible".

"We are seeing police officers being seriously injured, buildings set alight, and so I really do think that everyone who has a platform should be exercising their power responsibly," she told Times Radio.

WASHINGTON — The United States will bolster its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional warships and fighter jets to protect US personnel and defend Israel amid soaring tensions in the region, the Pentagon said Friday.

The announcement comes after Iran and its regional allies vowed retaliation for the killings of a Hamas leader in Tehran and a Hezbollah commander in Beirut, fueling fears of a broader Middle East conflict.

"The Department of Defense continues to take steps to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran's partners and proxies," deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement.

"Since the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the Secretary of Defense has reiterated that the United States will protect our personnel and interests in the region, including our ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel."

The aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln will replace one helmed by the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the region, Singh said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the Middle East and areas under US European Command, as well as a new fighter squadron to the Middle East.

Israel killed Hizbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on Tuesday, a move it said was a response to deadly rocket fire last week on the annexed Golan Heights.

Hours later, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the Iranian capital -- an attack on which Israel has not yet commented.

A source close to Hizbollah told AFP that Iranian officials met in Tehran on Wednesday with representatives of the so-called "axis of resistance," an alliance of Tehran-backed groups hostile to Israel, to discuss their next steps.

"Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response from Iran and its allies or a staggered response from each party," said the source, who had been briefed on the meeting, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

In April, Iran carried out its first direct attack on Israeli soil, firing a barrage of drones and missiles after a strike blamed on Israel killed Revolutionary Guards at Tehran's consulate in Damascus.

American forces helped defend Israel against the attack.

"As we have demonstrated since October and again in April, the United States' global defense is dynamic and the Department of Defense retains the capability to deploy on short notice to meet evolving national security threats," Singh said.

"The United States also remains intently focused on de-escalating tensions in the region and pushing for a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal to bring the hostages home and end the war in Gaza."

LIVERPOOL — Far-right protesters clashed with British police during tense rallies on Saturday as unrest linked to misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls spread across the UK.

The violence, which has seen scores of arrests across England and put Britain's Muslim community on edge, presents the biggest challenge yet of Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's month-old premiership.

It has also put hard-right agitators linked to football hooliganism in the spotlight at a time when anti-immigration elements are enjoying some electoral success in British politics.

Demonstrators threw chairs, flares and bricks at officers in the northwestern English city of Liverpool, while scuffles between police and protesters broke out in nearby Manchester.

Merseyside Police said "a number of officers have been injured as they deal with serious disorder" in Liverpool city centre.

According to the BBC, protesters smashed the windows of a hotel which has been used to house migrants in the northeastern city of Hull, where police said three officers had been injured and four people arrested.

In Belfast, Northern Ireland, fireworks were thrown amid tense exchanges between an anti-Islam group and an anti-racism rally.

In Leeds, around 150 people carrying English flags chanted, "You're not English any more" while counter-protesters shouted "Nazi scum off our streets". Opposing groups of protesters also faced off in the central city of Nottingham.

The skirmishes marked the fourth day of unrest in several towns and cities in the wake of Monday's frenzied knife attack in Southport, near Liverpool on England's northwest coast.

They were fuelled by false rumours on social media about the background of British-born 17-year-old suspect Axel Rudakubana, charged with several counts of murder and attempted murder over the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party.

Rudakubana is accused of killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and injuring another 10 people.

Starmer has accused "thugs" of "hijacking" the nation's grief to "sow hatred" and pledged that anyone carrying out violent acts would "face the full force of the law".

Violence first rocked Southport late on Tuesday, where a mob threw bricks at a mosque, prompting hundreds of Muslim places of worship across the country to step up security amid fears of more anti-Islamic demonstrations.

'Unforgivable'

Police blamed supporters and associated organisations of the disbanded English Defence League, an anti-Islam organisation founded 15 years ago whose supporters have been linked to football hooliganism.

Unrest then rocked the northern cities of Hartlepool and Manchester as well as London 24 hours later, where 111 people were arrested outside Starmer's Downing Street residence.

On Friday, 10 people were arrested and four officers required hospital treatment following a riot in the northeastern English city of Sunderland in which at least one car was set on fire and a shop looted.

A mob also torched a police station and attacked a mosque.

"This was not a protest, this was unforgivable violence and disorder," Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall told reporters on Saturday.

Anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate identified more than 30 events planned for Saturday and Sunday.

Many of them were advertised on far-right social media channels as "enough is enough" antiimmigrant rallies, while anti-fascism groups stage numerous counter-protests.

In London, demonstrators attending a regular pro-Palestinian march appeared undeterred by a separate anti-immigration protest.

"My parents told me not to come today but I am from here. The UK is my home," 24-year-old student Meraaj Harun told AFP.

British media reported that government ministers were due to meet later Saturday to discuss the potential for further widespread disorder.

Starmer has announced new measures that will allow the sharing of intelligence, wider deployment of facial-recognition technology and criminal behaviour orders to restrict troublemakers from travelling.

Labour politicians have accused Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage of stoking the trouble.

At last month's election, his anti-immigrant Reform UK party captured 14 per cent of the vote — one of the largest vote shares for a far-right British party.