People advised to stay home as Niger riots rage

A violent mob torched at least seven churches in Niger's capital Niamey yesterday during fresh protests against Charlie Hebdo magazine, as France's president stressed his commitment to "freedom of expression."

About 1,000 youths wielding iron bars, clubs and axes rampaged through the city, hurling rocks at police who responded with tear gas in a second day of violent demonstrations against the satirical magazine's publication of the prophet Mohammad.

The French embassy in Niamey urged its citizens to stay at home, the day after a rally against Charlie Hebdo in the country's second city of Zinder left four dead and 45 injured.

"Be very cautious, avoid going out," the embassy said on its website as rioters also ransacked several French-linked businesses, including telephone kiosks run by Orange.

In his first reaction to the violence, which also erupted in Pakistan on Friday, President Francois Hollande said yesterday that France was committed to "freedom of expression."

About 15,000 people also rallied in Russia's Muslim North Caucasus region of Ingushetia against Charlie Hebdo, which depicted on its most recent cover a weeping prophet holding a "Je suis Charlie" sign.

Meanwhile, jittery European nations stepped up security in the wake of last week's attacks in France that claimed 17 lives.

Belgium began deploying hundreds of armed troops to patrol the streets after security forces smashed a suspected Islamist "terrorist" cell planning to kill police officers.

In London, authorities were considering "further measures" to protect police "given some of the deliberate targeting of the police we have seen in a number of countries across Europe and the world," said Mark Rowley, head of counter-terrorism for the British police.

British police officers, for the most part unarmed, might be equipped with tasers as part of reinforced security measures, local press said.

French and Belgian authorities were grilling suspected accomplices both of the Paris gunmen and the alleged "terrorist" cell raided in eastern Belgium.

Belgian police were hunting for the suspected mastermind of the cell, a notorious 27-year-old jihadist who spent time in Syria and who might have prepared the foiled attack from bases in Greece and Turkey.

Asked about protesters who burned the French flag, Hollande said: "They have to be punished because when it happens in France, it's intolerable, but also abroad."

Said Kouachi, one of the jihadist brothers who gunned down 12 people at Charlie Hebdo's offices before being cut down by security forces in a siege, was buried on Friday in the eastern city of Reims. His grave was unmarked and the name of the cemetery not divulged.

His brother Cherif was expected to be buried soon in the Paris suburb of Gennevilliers.

Charlie Hebdo, which has flown off the shelves since the attacks, announced yesterday it will extend its print run to 7 million copies.

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