Kurd unrest escalates in Turkey
Hundreds of Kurdish youths have clashed with Turkish police in the town of Batman, in a third day of street violence in south-eastern Turkey.

Two thousand riot police used tear gas against the protesters, who threw stones and petrol bombs.

The protesters set fire to a bank and built barricades of flaming car tyres.

The violence started in the city of Diyarbakir on Tuesday after the funerals of 14 Kurdish rebel fighters killed by security forces.

Thousands gathered on Thursday at a cemetery in Diyarbakir for the funeral of three people killed during the week's street violence.

Fresh fighting erupted in the city after the funeral, with some mourners pelting police with stones, prompting volleys of tear gas and warning shots from them.

At least 250 people have been injured in the protests so far - more than half of them police officers, Turkish officials say.

In nearby Batman, an estimated 2,000 people were taking part in a protest march when the unrest broke out.

Correspondents say these are the worst street clashes in the region for many years.

In Diyarbakir mourners held flags of the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which called off a unilateral ceasefire almost two years ago.

The authorities have reinforced the number of riot police and armoured personnel carriers in the city's streets.