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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has appeared flanked by soldiers at an army base in Caracas, in a show of defiance towards his opponents. Mr Maduro called on the armed forces to defeat "any coup plotter", following two days of clashes between opposition and pro-government forces. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó tried on Wednesday to spark a military rebellion and force Mr Maduro from office. Mr Guaidó has urged public employees to strike to undermine the government. But Mr Maduro praised the army's loyalty. "No-one dare touch our sacred ground or bring war to Venezuela", he said. Four people died in the clashes, including two teenagers. In January, Mr Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's interim leader and he has the support of more than 50 countries including the US, UK and most Latin America nations. As the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate. Venezuela crisis in 300 words Who is Juan Guaidó? Profile: Nicolás Maduro But Mr Maduro - who is backed by Russia, China and the leaders of Venezuela's military - has refused to cede power. The president dismissed a claim by US Defence Secretary Mike Pompeo that he had been ready to flee the country, and accused the US of directing an attempted coup. How did the violence unfold? On Wednesday, both pro- and anti-government supporters held demonstrations in Caracas that were initially peaceful. There were reports of gunfire in the city, and a local NGO, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, said Jurubith Rausseo, 27, had been shot dead during a rally in the opposition stronghold of Altamira. At least 46 people were injured in clashes between opposition supporters and the security forces. On Tuesday, Mr Guaidó declared what he called the "final phase" of the operation to topple Mr Maduro. He posted a video of him with a number of men in uniform and said he had the support of "brave soldiers" in Caracas. Is there a new cult of personality in Venezuela? How much aid is getting into Venezuela? Who is buying Venezuela's oil? He urged Venezuelans to join them on the streets, and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, who had been under house arrest after being found guilty of inciting violence during protests in 2014. Spain's government later said that Mr López and his family had sought safety in their embassy, but said the opposition figure had not claimed political asylum. A court issued an arrest warrant for Mr López for violating the house arrest order, according to a statement on the Supreme Court's website. The order stated that Mr López should continue to serve the rest of his 13-year sentence in prison. Spain said it had no intention of handing over Mr López to the Venezuelan authorities. Footage shared on social media appeared to show the Spanish embassy being surrounded by the military. How significant is Guaidó's call for strikes? In a series of tweets (in Spanish), Mr Guaidó said the final phase of "Operation Liberty" had begun and it was the turn of public workers to join in. He urged protesters to stay on the streets until Mr Maduro's government was finally forced to resign. Mr Guaidó has been courting the public sector for weeks - but winning their support will be difficult, says BBC's Americas editor Candace Piette. For years, state employees have been told that if they did not turn up at government rallies, they would lose their jobs. What international reaction has there been? Tensions are rising between the US and Russia over the crisis. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US may take military action to resolve the crisis, and accused Russia and Cuba of destabilising the country through their support for Mr Maduro. The US also reiterated its support for Mr Guaidó. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Mr Pompeo that America's influence over Venezuela was destructive and a violation of international law. UN Secretary General António Guterres has appealed for both sides in Venezuela to avoid violence, while the EU has called for "utmost restraint to avoid the loss of lives and an escalation in tensions". Media captionWhy Venezuela matters to the US... and vice versa Governments who still back Mr Maduro - including Bolivia and Cuba - condemned Mr Guaidó's efforts as an attempted coup. The Mexican government expressed "concern about a possible increase in violence" while Colombian President Ivan Duque urged the Venezuelan military to stand "on the right side of history" against Mr Maduro. An emergency meeting of the Lima Group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday.

French police have fired tear gas on masked protesters who joined large May Day demonstrations in Paris. Traditionally a union-led day of action in the country, this year's event saw both the yellow vest movement and so-called "black blocks" of dark-clad and masked protesters. Some smashed shop windows and threw projectiles at the police. Dozens of people have been arrested. The clashes forced the head of the CGT union to temporarily flee the march. Philippe Martinez told news outlet Franceinfo that "police charged the CGT", though other witnesses had said the "black blocks" had attacked the union march. AFP news agency says Mr Martinez planned to return. May Day celebrated around the world Police issued a statement saying the union was never targeted, but that police "have carried out their mission with determination against violent thugs". French broadcaster BFMTV reports that the clashes forced the teachers' union FSU to leave the event. Is this year's protest larger? By early afternoon, France's interior ministry said more than 150,000 demonstrators had taken to the streets around the country, and at least 16,000 in the capital - a significant increase on last year's estimates. Another estimate from media groups put the number far higher, at some 40,000 in Paris. More than 200 arrests have been made in the capital. Yet most demonstrators have been non-violent, and clashes with police have occurred in isolated pockets. France's National Police tweeted a message saying it was guaranteeing the write to express opinions, and called on peaceful protesters to disassociate themselves from violent groups. Elsewhere, one French journalist reported that while the riot police from France's CRS were subjected to insults, the firefighters of Paris were warmly applauded by passing demonstrators. Many protesters have joined from the yellow vests movement, which has been protesting on the streets every weekend for months. French President Emmanuel Macron has made a series of concessions to the movement which has been fuelled by the high the cost of living - most recently with a wave of tax cuts. One demonstrator, Florence, said the concessions had not made a difference. "We've been trying to fight, to make ourselves heard for six months and nobody cares," she told Reuters news agency. "People don't understand the movement though it seems pretty simple: we just want to live normally.

Sri Lanka has held its first mass funeral amid a day of mourning for the victims of Sunday's bomb blasts. The death toll from the attacks on churches and hotels has risen to 321 with about 500 wounded, police said. A state of emergency is in effect to prevent further attacks. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack on Tuesday via its news outlet. Sri Lanka's government has blamed the blasts on local Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). A BBC correspondent in Sri Lanka says the IS statement should be treated cautiously. As with previous attacks that the group says it carried out, it has provided no evidence for the claim. What led to Sri Lanka's Easter carnage? What we know so far Who are the victims? Police have now detained 40 suspects in connection with the attack. A spokesman said they included a Syrian who was arrested "after the interrogation of local suspects". What's the latest? The mass funeral for about 30 victims took place at St Sebastian's church in Negombo, north of Colombo, which was one of the places targeted in Sunday's blasts. Another funeral service was scheduled for later on Tuesday. Earlier, a moment of silence was observed at 08:30, reflecting the time the first of six bombs detonated. Flags were lowered to half-mast and people, many of them in tears, bowed their heads in respect. The state of emergency gives police and the military sweeping powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court orders - powers that were last used during the nation's civil war. The government limited access to Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram after the blasts. Why cut off social media in Sri Lanka? NTJ, the group named by the government as the main suspect, has no history of large-scale attacks but came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. The group has not said it carried out Sunday's bombings. A city in shock At the scene: Ayeshea Perera, BBC News, Negombo Negombo is usually bustling but today is very different. Most of its shops and businesses are shut, there is a heavily-armed military presence and the entire city is bedecked in white flags - a sign of mourning. Everywhere, there is a sense of complete shock. People are discussing what happened in hushed tones. Many take pictures of the banners or try to put up bouquets of flowers between the iron grills on the perimeter of the church. Dispatch: St Anthony's, 'church of miracles' About 150 people are estimated to have died during St Sebastian's Easter Mass. There are so many funerals to conduct that they are being carried out in batches. Security is tight - people are not allowed to drive within a 1km radius of the church. St Sebastian's itself is strung with banners. Some have pictures of those who died, others have messages of condolence and condemnation. Huge crowds of people are walking in to pay their respects, many having travelled from outside the city. Who could be behind the attacks? IS claimed the attack on Tuesday via its Amaq news outlet, saying it had "targeted nationals of the crusader alliance [anti-IS US-led coalition] and Christians in Sri Lanka". It provided no evidence for the claim. Defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament on Tuesday that NTJ was linked to another radical Islamist group he named as JMI, but he gave no details. The alleged bombers: National Thowheed Jamath He also said "preliminary investigations" indicated that the bombings were in retaliation for deadly attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March, but again gave no further information. NTJ has no history of large-scale attacks but came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. The group has not said it carried out Sunday's bombings. Meanwhile, police in Colombo have been placed on high alert and told to search for a lorry and a van suspected to be carrying explosives, the BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen reports. Were warnings ignored? Sunday's attacks have highlighted rifts in Sri Lanka's leadership, after it emerged that authorities were warned about an imminent threat. Security agencies had been watching the NTJ jihadist group, reports said, and had notified police about a possible attack. But Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the cabinet were not informed, ministers said. Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said the information was not passed to Mr Wickremesinghe due to a rift between the prime minister and President Maithripala Sirisena. However, it was not clear on Monday whether Mr Sirisena had been made aware of the warnings. "Our understanding is that it was correctly circulated among security and police," Shiral Lakthilaka, a senior adviser to Mr Sirisena, told the BBC. He said that the president had appointed a special committee led by a supreme court judge to investigate what had happened. How did the attacks unfold? The first reports of explosions came at about 08:45 local time on Sunday with six blasts reported within a small space of time. How the Sri Lanka attacks unfolded Sri Lanka is GMT+5.5 21 April 2019 Six near-simultaneous explosions at luxury hotels and churches holding Easter mass 08:45 local time-09:05 Image caption:Blast damage at St Sebastian's Church in Negombo.Image copyright byReuters Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district are targeted during Easter services and blasts also rock the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the country's capital. Sri Lankan government closes school for two days. 11:40 local time Five hours after the initial attacks, a blast is reported near the zoo in Dehiwala, southern Colombo. This is the seventh explosion. 13:45 local time Azzam Ameen✔@AzzamAmeen 2 dead in an explosion took place inside a small hotel in Dehiwela 530 4:56 AM - Apr 21, 2019 285 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy An eighth explosion is reported near the Colombo district of Dematagoda during a police raid, killing three officers. 14:15 local time Image caption:A member of the Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) pictured outside a house during a raid.Image copyright byAFP Sri Lankan government shuts down access to major social media messaging services 14:30 local time Sri Lanka's government declares an islandwide curfew from 18:00 local time to 06:00 (12:30 GMT-00:30). 14:45 local time Azzam Ameen✔@AzzamAmeen Islandwide Police curfew imposed from today 6.00 p.m to 6.00 a.m 550 5:19 AM - Apr 21, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 375 people are talking about this Reuters reports a petrol bomb attack on a mosque and arson attacks on two shops owned by Muslims in two different parts of the country, citing police. 22:00 local time 22 April 2019 Nationwide curfew is lifted. 06:00 local time A "homemade" bomb found close to the main airport in the capital, Colombo, has been made safe, police say. About 07:42 local time Image copyright byAFP Death toll leaps 08:30 local time At least 290 people, including many foreigners, are now confirmed to have died. More than 500 are injured. Another curfew is imposed from 20:00 local time to 04:00 23 April as a precautionary measure. About 12:30 local time Azzam Ameen✔@AzzamAmeen Police curfew will be imposed from 8 PM today to 4 AM tomorrow as a precautionary measure - Govt 702 3:29 AM - Apr 22, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 305 people are talking about this Police in Colombo have recovered 87 low-explosive detonators from the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Station in Pettah, the BBC's Azzam Ameen reports. About 15:27 local time People flee after new explosion About 16:18 local time Video footage from St Anthony's Shrine, shared by Guardian journalist Michael Safi, showed people running from the area in panic. According to BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen, the blast happened while "security forces personnel... tried to defuse a newly discovered explosives in a vehicle". michael safi✔@safimichael Small explosion outside St Anthony’s church right now. People fleeing the scene 163 6:29 AM - Apr 22, 2019 180 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Show More Police have not yet released details of how many people were killed and wounded at each location. All the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers, officials said. Who were the victims? Most of those who died were Sri Lankan nationals, including scores of Christians attending Easter Sunday church services. In pictures: Sri Lanka's day of deadly attacks 'I thought we had left all this violence behind us' UK dad's tribute to family One of the first victims to be publicly identified was Sri Lankan celebrity chef Shantha Mayadunne and her daughter Nisanga Mayadunne, who had posted a picture of the family having breakfast in the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo shortly before the deadly blast. Sri Lankan officials said 38 foreign nationals were among the dead, with another 14 unaccounted for. The death toll includes at least eight British citizens and at least 10 Indian nationals. Media captionMonique Allen was killed in one of the Sri Lanka attacks Three of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen's children were killed in the attack, a family spokesman confirmed to the BBC. Mr Povlsen owns the Bestseller clothing chain and holds a majority stake in clothing giant Asos. China has issued an advisory to its citizens not to travel to Sri Lanka in the near future and the US State Department has also warned of possible further attacks.

A Democratic congresswoman says she will not be silenced after facing a barrage of criticism over comments she made about the 9/11 attacks - including from Donald Trump. The US president tweeted "WE WILL NEVER FORGET" alongside a video showing footage of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks spliced with a speech by Representative Ilhan Omar. "Some people did something," she is seen saying, in between footage of planes hitting the Twin Towers and people fleeing the buildings. Republicans have accused her of downplaying the attacks, but Democrats have largely rallied to her defence, saying she had been quoted out of context and some accusing Mr Trump of inciting violence against her and Muslims. Here is how the row developed. Who is Congresswoman Omar? Ms Omar won a Minnesota seat in the House of Representatives last November, becoming one of the first two Muslim women ever elected to the US Congress. Her family originally came to the US as refugees from Somalia and she is the first congresswoman to wear the hijab. Media captionThe women who made history in the mid-terms Despite being a newcomer to Washington, this is not the first time Ms Omar has made headlines. Who is US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar? 'I'm a Muslim who voted for Donald Trump' She has been accused of anti-Semitism over comments she made about Israel and pro-Israel lobbyists. After being rebuked last month, including by Democrats, she apologised and said she was "listening and learning". The congresswoman has also raised the alarm about anti-Muslim rhetoric surrounding her, in response to a Republican poster that showed her alongside the Twin Towers. Skip Twitter post by @pushkinforhouse View image on Twitter (((Mike Pushkin)))@pushkinforhouse This poster is in your Capitol on a booth sponsored by @WVGOP “When someone shows you who they are, believe them” 13.5K 1:20 PM - Mar 1, 2019 9,222 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Report End of Twitter post by @pushkinforhouse Just last week, police arrested a 55-year-old man in New York state for allegedly calling her office with a graphic death threat in which he reportedly labelled her a "terrorist". What did she say? The "some people did something" quote was from a speech Ms Omar gave to a civil rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), on 23 March. In the 20-minute speech she discussed issues affecting the community like Islamophobia and the recent mosque attack in New Zealand. The comments in Mr Trump's video were taken from a point she made about the treatment of US Muslims in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks: "Here's the truth. For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it. Cair was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." After the Washington Post fact-checked the statement to clarify Cair was actually founded in 1994, a spokesman for Ms Omar told the paper that she misspoke and meant to say the organisation's size had doubled after the attacks. How did the row develop? Her speech began getting attention on 9 April, when a clip was shared by Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw, who described her phrasing as "unbelievable". Conservative media outlets, including Fox News, then started discussing it in-depth. Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, described the congresswoman as "anti-American". Skip Twitter post by @GOPChairwoman Ronna McDaniel✔@GOPChairwoman Ilhan Omar isn’t just anti-Semitic – she’s anti-American. Nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives to Islamic terrorists on 9/11, yet Omar diminishes it as: “Some people did something.” Democrat leaders need to condemn her brazen display of disrespect. 21.5K 5:48 PM - Apr 9, 2019 13.6K people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Report End of Twitter post by @GOPChairwoman Ms Omar responded by calling some of the comments as "dangerous incitement, given the death threats I face" and comparing her remarks to ones made by former President George Bush. Skip Twitter post by @IlhanMN Ilhan Omar✔@IlhanMN “The people — and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” President George W. Bush Was Bush downplaying the terrorist attack? What if he was a Muslim https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/11/some-people-did-something-rep-omars-remarks-context/ … 23.7K 8:45 AM - Apr 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy Analysis | ‘Some people did something’: Rep. Omar’s remarks in context The remarks of the freshman member of Congress during an address to a Muslim rights organization spawned controversy, but they were just a snippet of a 20-minute speech. washingtonpost.com 25.6K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @IlhanMN On Thursday, the New York Post published a front-page spread of an image of the attack with the headline: "Here's your something" Skip Twitter post by @NateOnTheHill View image on Twitter Nate Madden✔@NateOnTheHill Wow. Today's @nypost cover has a strong message for @IlhanMN. 11.8K 10:34 AM - Apr 11, 2019 5,013 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Report End of Twitter post by @NateOnTheHill The cover proved divisive. Some on social media praised it, but others heavily criticised the use of 9/11 images. Then, on Friday, President Trump posted the video of Ms Omar. It is currently pinned to the top of his account and has been shared tens of thousands of times. What was the response? Many social media users responded by using #IStandWithIlhan - which trended worldwide on Twitter on Friday. CNN showed the clip in discussions, but then presenter Chris Cuomo apologised for airing it. MSNBC host Joy Reid also refused to show it. A number of high-ranking Democrats, including many in the running for the 2020 presidential nomination, have come out to criticise Mr Trump and defend Ms Omar. Elizabeth Warren accused the president of "inciting violence against a sitting congresswoman". Skip Twitter post by @ewarren Elizabeth Warren✔@ewarren The President is inciting violence against a sitting Congresswoman—and an entire group of Americans based on their religion. It's disgusting. It's shameful. And any elected leader who refuses to condemn it shares responsibility for it. 200K 8:23 PM - Apr 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 79.1K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @ewarren Bernie Sanders referred to "disgusting and dangerous attacks" against Ms Omar. Skip Twitter post by @BernieSanders Bernie Sanders✔@BernieSanders Ilhan Omar is a leader with strength and courage. She won't back down to Trump's racism and hate, and neither will we. The disgusting and dangerous attacks against her must end. 138K 8:07 PM - Apr 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 46.8K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @BernieSanders Senators Amy Klobuchar and Kamala Harris both accused the president of spreading hate. Skip Twitter post by @amyklobuchar Amy Klobuchar✔@amyklobuchar Someone has already been charged with a serious threat on Congresswoman Omar’s life. The video the President chose to send out today will only incite more hate. You can disagree with her words—as I have done before—but this video is wrong. Enough. 44.9K 11:45 PM - Apr 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 10.9K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @amyklobuchar Skip Twitter post by @KamalaHarris Kamala Harris✔@KamalaHarris For two years, this President has used the most powerful platform in the world to sow hate & division. He's done it again. Putting the safety of a sitting member of Congress @IlhanMN at risk & vilifying a whole religion is beyond the pale. I'll be blunt — we must defeat him. 67.5K 2:08 PM - Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 22.4K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @KamalaHarris Kirsten Gillibrand did not defend Ms Omar's comments but she also called Mr Trump's rhetoric "disgusting". Skip Twitter post by @SenGillibrand Kirsten Gillibrand✔@SenGillibrand As a Senator who represents 9/11 victims, I can't accept any minimizing of that pain. But Trump's dangerous rhetoric against @IlhanMN is disgusting. It’s a false choice to suggest we can’t fight terrorism and reject Islamophobic hate at once—a president should do both. 15K 2:09 PM - Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 9,101 people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @SenGillibrand Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, said Mr Trump was wrong to use the images but also suggested Ms Omar had been dismissive of the attacks. Skip Twitter post by @SpeakerPelosi Nancy Pelosi✔@SpeakerPelosi The memory of 9/11 is sacred ground, and any discussion of it must be done with reverence. The President shouldn’t use the painful images of 9/11 for a political attack. 61.2K 7:20 AM - Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 29.5K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @SpeakerPelosi One reply to Ms Pelosi, by film director and frequent Trump critic Ava DuVernay, which said Ms Pelosi's comment was "not enough", has been liked thousands of times. Rashida Tlaib, the other Muslim serving in Congress, and another Democratic Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have both called on senior Democrats to do more to support Ms Omar. Skip Twitter post by @AOC View image on Twitter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez✔@AOC Members of Congress have a duty to respond to the President’s explicit attack today.@IlhanMN’s life is in danger. For our colleagues to be silent is to be complicit in the outright, dangerous targeting of a member of Congress. We must speak out. “First they came...” 129K 7:39 PM - Apr 12, 2019 61.3K people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Report End of Twitter post by @AOC Skip Twitter post by @RashidaTlaib Rashida Tlaib✔@RashidaTlaib Enough is enough. No more silence, with NY Post and now Trump taking Ilhan’s words out of context to incite violence toward her, it’s time for more Dems to speak up. Clearly the GOP is fine with this shameful stunt, but we cannot stand by. 59.6K 6:37 PM - Apr 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 27.2K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post by @RashidaTlaib Skip Twitter post 2 by @RashidaTlaib Rashida Tlaib✔@RashidaTlaib They put us in photos when they want to show our party is diverse. However, when we ask to be at the table, or speak up about issues that impact who we are, what we fight for & why we ran in the first place, we are ignored. To truly honor our diversity is to never silence us. Maheen Ahmed@MsMaheenAhmed The attacks on @IlhanMN and subsequent lack of support from Democratic leadership continues to prove that this system was never meant for us. Do not applaud diversity and the “first” Muslims in any space if you’re not willing to be a true ally and defend us.#IStandwithIlhan 46.2K 2:04 PM - Apr 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 16.7K people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post 2 by @RashidaTlaib Responding directly in a series of tweets on Saturday, the congresswoman thanked people for their support and vowed that she "did not run for Congress to be silent".

Large crowds have remained on the streets of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, ignoring a night-time curfew declared by the country's new military council. Long-time President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown and arrested on Thursday after months of street protests. But demonstrators say the military council is part of the same regime. The fresh stand-off has raised fears of a violent confrontation between protesters and the army. There is also a real danger that different elements of the security forces and militia could turn their guns on each other, BBC World Service Africa editor Will Ross says. The UN and the African Union have both issued calls for calm. A mood of celebration that followed news of 75-year-old Mr Bashir's arrest quickly evaporated when organisers of the demonstrations called for a mass sit-in outside military headquarters to continue. "This is a continuation of the same regime," said Sara Abdeljalil of the Sudanese Professionals Association. "So what we need to do is to continue the fight and the peaceful resistance." Sudan's unrest in 300 words Bashir ousted: Five significant moments Later, an official statement carried by state-run media said a curfew would run from 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) to 04:00. "Citizens are advised to stick to it for their safety," it said, adding: "The armed forces and the security council will carry out its duty to uphold peace and security and protect citizens' livelihoods." Media captionAnti-Bashir protesters celebrate Crowds on the streets of Khartoum waved flags and chanted "Fall, again!" - refashioning their previous anti-Bashir slogan of "Fall, that's all!". Mr Bashir is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him of organising war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's western Darfur region. It is not clear what will happen to him now that he is in custody. How did the coup unfold? Early on Thursday, military vehicles entered the large compound in Khartoum housing the defence ministry, the army headquarters and Mr Bashir's personal residence. State TV and radio interrupted programming and defence minister Awad Ibn Ouf announced "the toppling of the regime". He said Mr Bashir was being held "in a secure place" but did not give details. Media captionThe announcement was made by the defence minister Awad Ibn Ouf Mr Ibn Ouf said the country had been suffering from "poor management, corruption, and an absence of justice" and he apologised "for the killing and violence that took place". He said the army would oversee a two-year transitional period followed by elections. Are military takeovers on the rise in Africa? The minister also said a three-month state of emergency was being put in place. Sudan's constitution was being suspended, border crossings were being shut until further notice and airspace was being closed for 24 hours, he added. 'A volatile and unpredictable situation' This is a military coup with no clear roadmap for how the generals plan to hand over power to civilian rule. The fear will be that they have no such intention. The security elite has calculated that removing Omar al-Bashir and imposing a curfew will buy them time and end the protests. If so this represents a serious miscalculation. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) - which has spearheaded the demonstrations - and other civil society groups have made it clear they won't accept a cosmetic change. They have the numbers and are highly organised. The military has the guns and the capacity for imposing brutal repression. But what then? A crackdown will not resolve the desperate economic crisis that brought years of simmering resentment on to the streets last December. There is also the question of the cracks within the Sudanese security establishment, evident during the clashes between soldiers and intelligence/militia forces in recent days. It is a volatile and unpredictable situation that demands cool heads and compromise on the part of the military. The stability of Sudan depends on how they react to continued protests. How did protesters react? The SPA said the military had announced a "coup" that would merely reproduce the same "faces and institutions that our great people revolted against". It urged people to continue the sit-in outside the military complex - that began on Saturday - and to stay on the streets of cities across the country. "Those who destroyed the country and killed the people are seeking to steal every drop of blood and sweat that the Sudanese people poured in their revolution that shook the throne of tyranny," the statement read. The SPA has previously said that any transitional administration must not include anyone from what it called the "tyrannical regime". How did the protests begin? Demonstration began in December. They were originally triggered by a rise in the cost of living, but crowds then began calling for the president to resign and his government to go. Government officials said 38 people had died since December but Human Rights Watch said the number was higher. In February, it looked as though the president might step down, but instead Mr Bashir declared a state of national emergency. What international reaction has there been? UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for "calm and utmost restraint by all" and urged a transition that would meet the "democratic aspirations" of the people. The UN Security Council is to discuss the situation in a closed-door meeting on Friday. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that a two-year military council was "not the answer". "We need to see a swift move to an inclusive, representative, civilian leadership. And we need to ensure there's no more violence," he said on Twitter. The US called on Sudan's military to bring civilians into the transitional government and said a two-year timeline was too long. Media captionSudan protests: So what's going on? The African Union condemned the military takeover. AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said it was not an appropriate response to the challenges facing the country and the aspirations of its people. Russia, which has twice hosted Mr Bashir, called for calm and said it was monitoring the situation. Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said that justice was "long overdue" for Mr Bashir. "Omar al-Bashir is wanted for some of the most odious human rights violations of our generation and we need to finally see him held accountable," Mr Naidoo added. Who is Omar al-Bashir? Formerly an army officer, he seized power in a military coup in 1989. His rule has been marked by civil war. The civil conflict with the south of the country ended in 2005 and South Sudan became independent in 2011. Another civil conflict has been taking place in the western region of Darfur. Mr Bashir is accused of organising war crimes and crimes against humanity there by the ICC. Omar al-Bashir profile Despite an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC, he won consecutive elections in 2010 and 2015. However, his last victory was marred by a boycott by the main opposition parties. The arrest warrant has led to an international travel ban. However, Mr Bashir has made diplomatic visits to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

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