Iranian Protests Surge in Third Week Amid Outrage Over Girl’s Death
Iranians held fresh anti-government protests (WSJ) yesterday after a sixteen-year-old girl, Nika Shakarami, died after participating in a rally. The largely women-led protests have now stretched into their third week despite repression from security forces. While the internet has been shut down in much of Iran, videos of schoolgirls protesting have been shared widely (Bloomberg) on social media.
Shakarami’s aunt said the teenager reported being chased by security forces before she disappeared during a protest. Her family found her body at a morgue days later. Iranian authorities have denied wrongdoing (Times of Israel). The Norway-based nonprofit Iran Human Rights said 154 people have been killed in the demonstrations.
Analysis
“Taken together, the [schoolgirls’] rebukes are an unprecedented act of rebellion at the heart of an education system overseen by clerics who prioritize religious teaching,” Bloomberg’s Golnar Motevalli writes.
“Feminism in Iran has been present throughout its history but continuously ignored or silenced,” Win Without War’s Sara Haghdoosti writes for Inkstick Media.
North Korea Test-Fires Two More Ballistic Missiles
Seoul said a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group will be deployed (CNN) off the waters of the Korean Peninsula to demonstrate the United States and South Korea’s resolve in the wake of North Korea’s “provocations.”
Paris Club Invites China, India to Talks on Sri Lankan Debt Restructuring
Paris Club creditors reached out to Beijing and New Delhi in hopes of making a joint decision on restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt, Bloomberg reported.
CFR’s Brad Setser discusses whether Sri Lanka is a harbinger of debt troubles in other emerging markets.
Gambia/India: The World Health Organization said four Indian-made cough syrups were “potentially linked” (BBC) with dozens of children’s deaths in Gambia.
Middle East and North Africa
U.S. Carries Out Rare Raid in Syrian Government–Held Area
Unnamed security sources told Reuters that U.S. forces killed a leader of the self-declared Islamic State in the northeastern village of Muluk Saray.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia Peace Talks Move Forward
Tigrayan rebel leaders said they will participate (Al Jazeera) in the African Union–mediated peace talks with Ethiopia’s government that are expected to take place this weekend. Government forces had previously confirmed their own participation.
Uganda: The country will host (AP) officials from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations next week for a meeting on an Ebola outbreak that has killed over thirty people in Uganda.
Europe
Armenian, Turkish Leaders to Hold Rare Meeting
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are expected to meet in Prague (Al-Monitor) today. Their effort to normalize ties is connected to Armenia’s push for a peace deal with Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan.
Ukraine: U.S. intelligence officials believe Ukraine authorized the August attack that killed the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, the New York Times reported. The U.S. officials reportedly admonished Ukrainian officials after the attack.
Americas
U.S. Reportedly in Talks With Venezuela on Lifting Some Sanctions
Washington is considering allowing U.S. oil company Chevron to resume operations in Venezuela in exchange for the Venezuelan government resuming talks with the country’s opposition, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Brazil: Simone Tebet, who finished third in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, said she will support (MercoPress) former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff set for October 30.
Court Panel Rules DACA Is Illegal but Allows Recipients to Renew Status
The decision by a federal appeals court panel means the Joe Biden administration will need to continue its legal battles (NYT) in order to enroll new members in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program.
