Mali government closes schools and colleges

The government of Mali has closed schools and colleges across the country after violent protests by students demanding higher grants and more teachers.

The Higher Education Minister Younouss Hamaye Dicko said the closure was intended to calm the situation after the protests on Tuesday.

The minister refused to confirm or deny reports that the main student leader had been arrested, but said he hoped the authorities could work with the students to solve some of the problems.

A correspondent for the BBC in Mali says the mood is tense in the capital, Bamako, with security forces present in several areas.

On Tuesday, police clashed with students who erected barricades and attacked cars; yesterday students burnt down the governing party's headquarters in the northern town of Markala.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service