World News from the BBC

The South African government is releasing more than 14,000 prisoners to mark the anniversary of Nelson Mandela winning the country's first democratic elections in 1994. It represents about 9% of the prison population. Another 20,000 offenders on

probation

or parole will not return to prison, but those jailed for serious offences will not be freed.

Police have fired tear gas and water cannon at one of Malaysia's biggest demonstrations in years. Protesters are demanding an

overhaul

of voter lists and other electoral policies which they say are unfair ahead of national polls in Malaysia expected within months. They say the current system favours the ruling party. Police opened fire when some of the protesters tried to break through barriers in the centre of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Police said more than 200 people were arrested. This man said demonstrators were attacked

without provocation

.

"They fired a shot at us. Instead of saying sorry - we knew it was an accidental shot - they shot some more. OK, we were supposed to talk and make peace, and they shot at us."

Bomb disposal experts have defused what police described as a huge bomb close to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The device was discovered fully assembled in an abandoned van near the Northern Irish town of Newry. A smaller bomb and a weapons cache were also found in Belfast on Friday night. Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process are suspected of being behind both devices.