• Makassar city council official accuses protesters of igniting blaze.
• Military chief says situation in Makassar returned to normal.
• Protesters in Bali say they want int’l attention about legal injustice.

A fire started by protesters at a council building in eastern Indonesia killed at least three people, a local official said Saturday, after demonstrations across the country following the death of a man hit by a police vehicle.

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy was rocked by protests in major cities including the capital Jakarta on Friday after footage spread of a motorcycle taxi driver being run over by a police tactical vehicle in earlier rallies against low wages and financial perks for lawmakers.

Protests in Makassar, the biggest city on the eastern island of Sulawesi, descended into chaos outside the provincial and local city council buildings, which were both set on fire as demonstrators hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Three people were killed as a result of the fire at the Makassar city council, its secretary Rahmat Mappatoba told AFP. “They were trapped in the burning building,” he said, accusing protesters of igniting the blaze.

“Usually during a demonstration, protesters only throw rocks or burn a tyre in front of the office. They never stormed into the building or burned it.”

Two workers at the city council died at the scene and a third person, a civil servant, died in hospital.

At least four people were injured in the fire and were being treated at hospital, Rahmat added.

Hundreds of people were seen in footage posted by local media cheering and clapping as fire engulfed the building Friday with few security forces in sight.

One man was heard shouting: “There are people upstairs!”

In footage verified by AFP, smouldering debris was seen falling from the roof of the city council building surrounded by palm trees as charred cars flickered with flames.

Inside protesters lit several fires as parts of the building collapsed, while others smashed glass and chanted “revolution”.

By Saturday, the building appeared to be a blacked-out wreck, with dozens of charred cars around it, as local residents inspected the scene, local media footage showed.

Windiyatno, South Sulawesi’s military chief said in a statement on Saturday that the situation in Makassar had “now returned to normal”.

Makassar and South Sulawesi police did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comments.

Prabowo test

Protests continued on Saturday in different areas of Indonesia’s vast archipelago.

Hundreds of students and ojek drivers protested in front of the police headquarters in Bali, Indonesia’s most popular tourist hotspot.

“Bali is the centre of tourism in Indonesia, and we want to protest here to gain international attention about the legal injustice, corruption, and the impunity of police crimes,” protester Narendra Wicaksono told AFP.

Hundreds of students in Surabaya also rallied outside the East Java police headquarters, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

In Jakarta, hundreds had massed on Friday outside the headquarters of the elite Mobile Brigade Corp (Brimob) paramilitary police unit they blamed for motorcycle gig driver Affan Kurniawan’s death the day before.

Protesters threw firecrackers as police responded with tear gas.

Police said they had detained seven officers for questioning in connection with Affan’s death.

The protests were the biggest and most violent of Prabowo Subianto’s presidency, a key test for the leader less than a year into his rule.

He has urged calm, and ordered an investigation into the driver’s death and that the officers involved be held accountable.

Prabowo said on Friday the government was “committed to guaranteeing the livelihood” of the driver’s family, posting images on social media with them at their home.

He has pledged fast, state-driven growth but has already faced protests against widespread government budget cuts to fund his populist policies including a billion-dollar free meal programme.

At least 70 people were killed when a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of West Africa, Gambia’s foreign affairs ministry said late on Friday, in one of the deadliest accidents in recent years along a popular migration route to Europe.

Another 30 people are feared dead after the vessel, believed to have departed from Gambia and carrying mostly Gambian and Senegalese nationals, sank off the coast of Mauritania early on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement.

It was carrying an estimated 150 passengers, 16 of whom had been rescued. Mauritanian authorities recovered 70 bodies on Wednesday and Thursday, and witness accounts suggest over 100 may have died, the statement said.

The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, typically used by African migrants trying to reach Spain, is one of the world’s deadliest.

More than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands last year, a record, according to the European Union. More than 10,000 died attempting the journey, a 58% increase over 2023, according to the rights group Caminando Fronteras.

Gambia’s foreign affairs ministry implored its nationals to “refrain from embarking on such perilous journeys, which continue to claim the lives of many”.

Pakistan’s seafood industry has received a significant boost as the United States granted a four-year approval for fish exports, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced.

Chaudhry said the license is global recognition of Pakistan’s seafood quality standards, proving that the country’s fisheries meet strict U.S. benchmarks.

He added that this approval will ensure continuity in exports to one of the world’s most valuable markets.

Sharing figures, the minister noted that Pakistan exported 242,000 tons of fish last year, generating $489 million in foreign exchange.

With U.S. access secured for the next four years, seafood exports are expected to increase, with projections reaching $600 million in the coming year.

He emphasized that U.S. approval will bring stability to the export sector, strengthen Pakistan’s global credibility, and open up fresh opportunities for the fishing community.

“This is a proud achievement for Pakistan, as our fisheries have demonstrated the ability to meet international quality requirements,” Chaudhry stated.

Meanwhile, Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recently hinted at major U.S. investments in multiple sectors of Pakistan following successful trade talks.

In an informal discussion upon his return from the United States, Muhammad Aurangzeb said that the country will soon receive encouraging news of substantial investments across various sectors from the US.

He stated that during his visit, Pakistan achieved significant success in key meetings held as part of trade negotiations, which were highly appreciated by the US administration.

The minister described the trade talks with the US as a major success for the country, noting that Pakistan is moving in the right direction and the results will be visible soon.

Muhammad Aurangzeb underlined the need for making decisions that will bring long-term improvements to the economy and expressed satisfaction over the mutually successful outcome of the negotiations.