A French citizen has been kidnapped by suspected Islamic militants while hiking in a mountainous Algerian region that is a known hideout for North Africa’s al Qaida branch.

Algerian police thwarted a rally by thousands of pro-democracy supporters today, breaking up the crowd into isolated groups in a bid to keep them from marching.

Richard Quinn could miss the rest of the turf season after breaking his collarbone in a heavy fall at Newbury on Friday.

Up to 500 people are now feared dead after a strong earthquake hit Algeria. There are reports that 1,672 people were injured in the quake.

Forty Algerian soldiers have been killed during clashes with Islamic militants, in one of the bloodiest attacks on the armed forces since the start of a nine-year insurgency today.