Iranian Protests Escalate as Security Forces Attack Mourners of Mahsa Amini
Iranian security forces opened fire (BBC) on protesters who gathered by the thousands in Kurdistan Province yesterday to mark forty days since the death of Mahsa Amini, who died following her detention by Iran’s morality police. Demonstrations also occurred in Tehran and other cities across the country, with tens of thousands of anti-government protesters taking to the streets.
The Iranian government announced sanctions (DW) yesterday on European media companies covering the ongoing protests. Meanwhile, the self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility (Al Jazeera) for an attack that killed at least fifteen people at a Shiite Muslim shrine in southern Iran. President Ebrahim Raisi said the demonstrations had “paved the way” for the attack.
Analysis
“One lesson [from Iran’s 2009 protests] is that demanding small changes in the system is not going to work. That’s why today’s protesters are demanding fundamental change,” Yeganeh Rezaian of the Committee to Protect Journalists tells Harper’s Bazaar.
“It is important to stress that prior to Amini’s death, Iran was rocked by various demonstrations throughout the summer, including ones sparked by water shortages and teachers’ protests. The tragic death of Amini unified the many strands of dissent,” CFR’s Ray Takeyh writes.
Pacific Rim
ASEAN Statement Says Myanmar Peace Plan Needs to Be ‘Time-Bound’
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called for a cessation of violence (Nikkei) in Myanmar after last year’s coup, to no effect. ASEAN ministers will discuss the conflict during a summit next month.
China: Employees at a facility for tech company Foxconn in central China told the Financial Times that they are being denied adequate food and medical supplies amid a COVID-19 outbreak.
South and Central Asia
China, Pakistan Hold Talks to Jump-Start Stalled Belt and Road Projects
Islamabad reportedly agreed to increase the budget for a railway project funded by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at Beijing’s urging, Nikkei reported. The countries are set to discuss BRI projects in a virtual meeting today.
India: Investigative site The Wire apologized for lapses in its editorial process after retracting an explosive story (Scroll) that claimed tech company Meta censored social media posts at the request of a member of India’s ruling party.
Middle East and North Africa
Israeli President Visits White House
President Isaac Herzog said he hopes U.S.-Israel relations can remain “above politics” ahead of upcoming elections in both countries. He also presented evidence of Iranian drones being used against Ukrainian civilians, the Times of Israel reported.
Somalia: Nine hundred thousand people in drought-stricken areas of the country live under control or influence (AP) of the militant group al-Shabab, which is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching its territory, the United Nations’ Somalia envoy said. He said talks are ongoing to provide aid to the areas amid threats of famine.
Europe
German Government Lays Out Plan for Legalizing Cannabis Consumption
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the plan would create (DW) the most liberalized and regulated cannabis market in the European Union (EU). The plan must prove to be consistent with EU and international law to move forward.
United Kingdom: Northern Irish officials are holding last-ditch meetings (The Guardian) to form a government before a deadline tomorrow. Failing to do so will trigger a new election. Previous efforts foundered over disagreements about Brexit trade rules.
Americas
Southern Mexican State Decriminalizes Abortion
Quintana Roo became the eleventh Mexican state (Reuters) to decriminalize abortion after the country’s Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that abortion bans were unconstitutional.
U.S./Canada/Haiti: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making his first official visit to Canada (CBC), where he is expected to focus on the crisis in Haiti and other regional issues.
United States
AP: Record Number of Preelection Lawsuits Filed
More than one hundred lawsuits on election-related issues such as early voting, voter access, and voter registration have been filed ahead of the November 8 midterms, mostly by Republicans. Many of the lawsuits are part of a campaign by the Republican National Committee, the Associated Press reported.
Leading Global Energy Agency: War in Ukraine Likely to Hasten Shift to Clean Energy
The energy crisis prompted by Russia’s war in Ukraine appears to have sped up (NYT) countries’ plans to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy, the International Energy Agency said. It estimated for the first time that global fossil fuel demand could peak before the end of the decade.