South Africa

President Jacob Zuma has backed proposed measures for South African police to use lethal force against armed criminals. "We have an abnormal criminal problem, for that we have to explore extraordinary means," he told a meeting of 1,000 police station commanders. The new law would allow police to shoot even if criminals have not fired first. However, Zuma said he was not encouraging a culture of trigger-happy police officers. South Africa has one of the world's highest rates of violent crime. Some 50 people are murdered every day. (BBC)