BBC News with Jonathan Wheatley
Crowds have gathered in central Moscow for the first big rally by the opposition since Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as president in May. The organisers are calling for fresh elections. Our correspondent Damien McGuinness reports from among the demonstrators.
It's a colourful mixed-up crowd of tens of thousands of anti-government protesters. From here, I can see communists, pro-Western liberals, gay rights activists. The only thing that really unites them all is their intense dislike of President Putin and their conviction that the Kremlin is unfairly trying to
stamp out
dissents by introducing harsh fines for unsanctioned protests and by raiding the homes of opposition leaders.
There are reports of further unrest in the Burmese coastal state of Rakhine, where several people have been killed in clashes between Muslims and Buddhists. Security forces have been sent in to try to quell the violence, which was triggered by the recent rape and murder of a Buddhist woman. Anne Buzbee of our Asia desk reports.
Gunfire has been heard and buildings set on fire with residents from both sides of the religious divide fleeing their homes. A state of emergency was declared on Sunday, but it seems that troops sent in are struggling to keep order. At least seven people have been killed since Friday, but some reports say many more have died. The unrest was sparked by the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman and the subsequent killing of 10 Muslims apparently in retaliation.