Tunisian who sparked wave of protests dies

Tunis: A young Tunisian whose attempted suicide by self-immolation sparked a rare wave of violent protests in several areas of the country died on Tuesday of his injuries, his relatives said.

Mohammad Bouazizi, 26, set fire to himself last month in front of a government building in the central town of Sidi Bouzid to protest against the confiscation by police of his fruit and vegetable cart.

The incident was embraced as a cause by jobless graduates, trade unionists and human right activists, and the protests later spread to other towns including the capital, Tunis.

His brother Salem said: "Mohammad passed away [on Tuesday] .. May God have mercy on his soul".

Meanwhile, police and high school students have clashed for two days in a small city of Tunisia, with protesters setting fire to the local headquarters of President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali's ruling party, a union representative said on Tuesday.

Fresh clashes

The latest protests broke out in Thala, 250km southwest of the capital.

As classes resumed after winter vacation on Monday, hundreds of high school students and other protesters clashed with police, who used tear gas, said a union official who was present.