“The market is a little worried about not having that extra support for the next couple of months into the holidays,” said Thomas Hayes, chairman at Great Hill Capital LLC in New York.

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian protesters demanding an end to police brutality returned to the streets on Wednesday, saying they were unconvinced by the creation of a new police unit and a pledge not to use violence against demonstrators. Slideshow ( 5 images ) Protesters have staged daily marches nationwide for a week, calling for an overhaul of police forces. Police have responded to the demonstrations with beatings, tear gas and gunfire, which human rights group Amnesty International said had killed at least 10 people. The protests have prompted a raft of announcements. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit that demonstrators have long accused of beatings, killings and extortion, was officially disbanded on Sunday. On Tuesday, police agreed to stop using force against protesters. They also announced the formation of a new unit, the Special Weapons and Tactics team (SWAT), to “fill the gaps” left by the disbanded SARS. ADVERTISEMENT But protesters said on Wednesday they feared the new unit will simply be a rebranded version of SARS. Hundreds gathered on Wednesday in the capital Abuja, as well as megacity Lagos and Warri - both in the south - to press their calls for police reforms. “What they do is... give them new uniforms, call them a different name, but they are still the same people in these police forces,” said blogger Folu Oyefeso, in Lagos. ADVERTISEMENT Demonstrators in Lagos, who gathered despite heavy rain, sang, danced and chanted. Many held placards, including one that read “Stop killing our dreamers. #EndSARS now”. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a statement on Wednesday, urged protesters to wind down demonstrations, saying that the gridlock caused in recent days had disrupted businesses still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. “People are just coming back to businesses. It would be unfair for those businesses not to be able to get back on their feet again,” he said.

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A South African company part-owned by the government is in talks with the global COVID-19 vaccine distribution scheme and pharmaceutical companies to produce some of the...

“We are also seeking to understand whether there may be potential for short-term solutions or workarounds, as well as permanent systems changes,” he said.

“If he is suggesting that pubs and bars need to shut down in Greater Manchester, we’re launching an immediate judicial review,” Lord, creator and operator of Manchester’s Parklife festival and The Warehouse Project, told Reuters.

Demonstrators also alleged that police shot dead another man while marching in the southwestern city of Ogbomosho on Saturday. Police did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.

“If not halted permanently, (it) will no doubt pave the way for another humanitarian crisis,” she added.

The abduction occurred on Thursday as Omar was in a taxi accompanied by some relatives heading home after anti-terrorism police freed him that morning, according to his sister Sahara Abdulle Omar, who was in the vehicle.