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☆ Messaging app Telegram blocks access to Hamas-run channels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The messaging app Telegram has restricted access to several channels closely associated with or operated by Hamas, as the militant group’s war with Israel rages on. The restrictions mark a significant clampdown on a major source of pro-Hamas propaganda since the Israel-Hamas war began, one that Telegram’s error messages suggest may be driven by the app store operators’ policies. Other popular Telegram channels that have expressed support for Hamas have also been restricted, according to CNN’s analysis. That account is among those no longer accessible via Telegram apps downloaded from the Google Play or Apple App stores, CNN confirmed. An Apple spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s questions about the Telegram channels now blocked for iOS users.

Persons: Israel, —, ”, United States —, ” Google’s, didn’t, Brian Fishman, –, O’Sullivan, Paul Murphy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Hamas, Google, CNN, ” CNN, CNBC, Meta, Brigades, Apple, Capitol, Facebook, Twitter Locations: New York, Israel, Russian, United States, Dubai, Europe

☆ Billionaires pay almost no tax. A global levy of just 2% could raise $250 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Governments should open a new front in the international clampdown on tax evasion with a global minimum tax on billionaires, which could raise $250 billion annually, the EU Tax Observatory said on Monday. Currently billionaires effectively pay far less personal tax than other taxpayers of more modest means because they can park wealth in shell companies sheltering them from income tax, the group said in its 2024 Global Tax Evasion Report. Although the end of banking secrecy and the corporate minimum tax have largely put an end to decades-long competition between countries on tax rates, numerous opportunities remain to reduce tax bills, the report said. For example, the rich increasingly park wealth in real estate instead of offshore accounts while companies can exploit loopholes in the 15% corporate tax minimum. Meanwhile, governments are increasingly competing for investment through subsidies rather than competing only on low tax rates, the Observatory said.

Persons: Gabriel Zucman, Joe Biden’s, ” Zucman, Zucman Organizations: EU Tax, Paris School of Economics, ” Locations: United States, France, Washington

☆ Global billionaire tax could yield $250 billion annually, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Governments should open a new front in the international clampdown on tax evasion with a global minimum tax on billionaires, which could raise $250 billion annually, the EU Tax Observatory said on Monday. Currently billionaires' effective personal tax is often far less than what other taxpayers of more modest means pay because they can park wealth in shell companies sheltering them from income tax, the group said in its 2024 Global Tax Evasion Report. In the absence of a broad international push for a minimum tax on billionaires, Zucman said a "coalition of willing countries" could unilaterally lead the way. Although the end of banking secrecy and the corporate minimum tax have put an end to decades-long competition between countries on tax rates, numerous opportunities remain to reduce tax bills, the report said. For example the rich increasingly park wealth in real estate instead of offshore accounts while companies can exploit loopholes in the 15% corporate tax minimum.

Persons: Gabriel Zucman, Joe Biden's, Zucman, Leigh Thomas, Hugh Lawson Organizations: EU Tax, Paris School of Economics, Thomson Locations: United States, France, Washington

☆ Tim Cook's latest visit to China is a sign that the iPhone is at risk of becoming the 2nd-best option for many people
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Apple CEO made his second known trip to China this year as iPhone sales struggle. The visit is a sign that Apple desperately needs to keep China on its side. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen Tim Cook visited China in March this year, he was there to heap praise on the country for its history of innovation. Several months on, the Apple CEO is back on the charm offensive.

Persons: Tim Cook, —, Cook, Wang Wentao, it's, Elon Musk, Luxshare Organizations: Apple, Service, Bloomberg, Research, Huawei, Apple's Locations: China, Beijing, Chengdu

☆ Country Garden and China's housing market struggle will weigh on global growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s real estate market remains a drag and will put pressure on global growth. The data comes at a time when Country Garden, once the country’s biggest homebuilder, is fighting for its life. The property slowdown will impact not just China, but also global growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday. Global impactThe IMF said China’s property downturn will weigh on global growth prospects. Country Garden issued a statement on Thursday, threatening to pursue legal action against anyone spreading “malicious rumors” about its founder fleeing the country.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Krishna Srinivasan, Srinivasan, Yang Huiyan, Yang Guoqiang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, International Monetary Fund, NBS, IMF, Pacific Department Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, Asia

☆ This currency is now the world’s top performer, after rebounding from record lows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A roadside money changer handling Pakistani rupee coins in Karachi, Pakistan. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Pakistani rupee has rebounded from an all-time low to become the world's top performing currency — and there's still room to strengthen, analysts say. The currency plummeted to a record low of 307 rupees against the greenback in early September, according to data from LSEG. This was largely owed to a government clampdown on a widespread illicit dollar trade. The lofty figure was largely owed to the weakness of Pakistan's currency, reduced domestic fuel and electricity subsidies, and supply chain disruptions, the report said.

Persons: there's, Tahir Abbas Arif Habib, Tahir Abbas, Arif Habib, Abbas, Steve Hanke Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, PKR, South Korean, Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan, CNBC, Johns Hopkins University, Bank, World Bank, Johns Hopkins Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, LSEG

☆ WhatsApp clampdown highlights video call compliance threat for finance firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sinead Cruise | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Video calls are broadly considered proxies for face-to-face meetings and therefore are currently subject to little or no formal record-keeping obligations. At least two major global banks are now recording Zoom calls, said sources with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named because the information is not public. One bank is recording Zoom calls undertaken by certain staff, including traders, while the other is recording all Zoom calls so content can be reviewed later if needed. FINRA declined to comment on how many firms were subject to the rule or whether the rule also extended to video calls. Video calls pose "unique risks" and technology needed to efficiently screen video calls is not widely used, said Matt Smith, CEO of communications surveillance firm SteelEye.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Levy, Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Matthew Nunan, Gibson, Dunn, Morgan Stanley, Sarah Pritchard, Claire Garrett, Michael Watling, Seward, FINRA, Matt Smith, Ryan, Yonk, Symphony's Levy, Chris Prentice, Michelle Price, Huw Jones, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Finance, Reuters, U.S, EMEA, Microsoft, Britain's, Authority, HSBC, Bloomberg, U.S . Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Employees, American Institute for Economic Research, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Marsh, U.S, New York, Washington, London

☆ Why Pakistan's rupee has soared the most against the US dollar among global currencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Pakistani rupee has become the top performer in global currency markets. The currency's strength could bring some relief to Pakistan's inflation, which hit 31.4% year-on-year in September. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Pakistani rupee has surged to the top of global currency markets, sharply increasing from a record low in early September. The rebound has made the rupee September's top global performer, based on LSEG data cited by CNBC. "Pakistan's rupee was the top performer globally this month as a government crackdown on the illegal dollar trade helped reverse its fortunes," it said.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, CNBC, HDFC Securities, South Korean, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency, World Bank Locations: Islamabad

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Republican voter Mark Cook stuck with his party in Kentucky's last election for governor. Once again, Warren County, which includes the leafy, fast-growing college town of Bowling Green, looms as a potential swing area. Those undecided voters included Carol Martin of Bowling Green, who wanted to hear more from both candidates. “I believe him," the retiree said while strolling through a downtown Bowling Green park. "And what you see is what you get.”A Republican lawmaker from Bowling Green had a different view.

Persons: Mark Cook, Andy Beshear, Cook, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Beshear, “ He's, ” Cook, “ I’ve, I’m, Daniel Cameron, Kentuckians, Matt Bevin, Trump, Cameron, ”, Scott Lasley, “, Carol Martin, Martin, “ I’m, Bevin, Dale Chaffin, Chaffin, Still, what's, Donald Kubeny, Roe, Wade, he’s, Linda King's, ” King, Gary Jolly, Susann Davis, ” Davis, Olivia Thomas, Patti Minter, it’s, Minter, Sen, Mike Wilson, Daniel Organizations: — Republican, Republican, Democratic, Bluegrass State, ”, Beshear, Western Kentucky University, National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky University, “, Democrat, Cameron, Supreme, Bowling, GOP, reined, Former, Bowling Green Democrat Locations: Ky, Kentucky's, Kentucky, Bowling, Appalachia, Mississippi, Warren County, It's, Louisville, Western Kentucky, Fayette County, Lexington, ”, Highland Heights, bologna, U.S, Bowling Green

☆ St James’s Place adds extra twist to wealth pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - St James’s Place (SJP.L) is in a tricky spot. Wealth managers around the world are finding it harder to justify their fees as interest rates in countries like the UK have topped 5%. Friday’s 16% drop in the 4 billion pound UK wealth manager’s shares reflects its problematic twist on that trend. The UK firm is under pressure from regulators to overhaul its fee structure to comply with new rules brought in by the Financial Conduct Authority. SJP, run by CEO Andrew Croft, has been facing intense scrutiny due to its complex fee structure and stiff penalties for clients who look to withdraw their cash.

Persons: Andrew Croft, SJP, Aimee Donnellan, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Financial, Authority, Reuters Graphics Reuters, X, Infosys, Ericsson, Thomson Locations: Europe

☆ China’s economy will be hobbled for years by the real estate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Absorbing this “excess capacity” in the property sector will inevitably hurt China’s economic growth, according to Garcia-Herrero. The money from the sales funded their breakneck expansion, making real estate moguls some of the country’s richest people. The strategy largely worked until about three years ago when the Chinese government cracked down on excessive borrowing by the real estate industry because it was worried about the risk of financial instability. But overall, the property sector has contracted severely as it adjusts to a collapse in demand. “A fundamental rewiring of China’s economy will necessitate a focus on developing new industries, improving productivity, and bolstering rental markets,” said analysts from Stanford University and the ASPI.

Persons: ”, Alicia Garcia, Herrero, Garcia, they’re, Evergrande, Xu Jiayin, Xi Jinping, ” Mark Williams, Sheana Yue, Zichuan Huang, “, — Michelle Toh Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Investment, Asia Pacific, Getty, Bank, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Regulators, Capital Economics, People’s Bank of China, Oxford Economics, Stanford University, Asia Society Policy Institute, Oxford Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Natixis, Wuhan, China's, Hubei, Japan

☆ Donatella Versace slams Italian government’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Milan CNN —Just days after Milan Fashion Week, Donatella Versace is making headlines not for her — albeit well-received — Spring-Summer 2024 collection but for her stance on the Italian government’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Our government is set on taking away the rights of individuals to live as they wish,” Versace said. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right-led coalition has pushed for ongoing measures to restrict LGBTQ rights. Many Italians are with us.”Versace, however, has long been a vocal advocate for gay rights. During her speech on Sunday, the designer recalled her late brother Gianni Versace coming out to her as gay when she was 11 years old.

Persons: Milan, Milan CNN —, Donatella Versace, Giorgia Meloni’s, Versace, ” Versace, Meloni’s, Andrzej Iwanczuk, Alessandro Zan, Zan, Donatella Versace’s, ”, ” Gabriele Piazzoni, “ Versace, Giorgia, ” Fabrizio Marrazzo, “ She’s, hasn’t, “, Marrazzo, Gianni Versace Organizations: Milan CNN, Milan, Catholic, CNN, Italy’s Gay Party, Capri Holdings, Versace Foundation Locations: Milan, Italy, Padua, Italian

KARACHI, Pakistan, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Pakistan's rupee has gained 6.1% against the dollar so far in September, following an official clampdown on illegal foreign exchange trade in grey and black markets by security agencies. September's gains have almost made up for all of the rupee's losses in August and technically make it the best-perfoming currency in the world this month. The Pakistani rupee closed 0.3% up in the interbank market at 287.8 per dollar on Thursday. The crackdown on black market operators against the informal market resulted in tens of millions of dollars pouring back into Pakistan's interbank and open markets, dealers said. "The rupee has indeed performed well but this data does not reflect the sharp depreciation preceding this performance.

Persons: Fahad Rauf, Ismail Iqbal, Rauf, Ariba Shahid, Jane Merriman, Sharon Singleton, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Finance Ministry, Research, Ismail, Ismail Iqbal Securities, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi

☆ Meloni’s Italian job is a lesson for EU’s right
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

This is particularly true of Meloni’s surprise decision in August to tax what she called “unjust profits” by domestic banks. Ill-fated tax credits for building renovations introduced by a previous executive are expected to balloon to up to 150 billion euros, UniCredit analysts reckon. That’s 30 billion euros higher than what the current government predicted in April, or around 1.5% of GDP. That’s Meloni’s biggest Italian lesson for parties like Vox and AfD. CONTEXT NEWSThe Italian Treasury will present new economic targets on Sept. 28, which will be the framework for the country’s 2024 budget.

Persons: Spain’s, Benito Mussolini’s “, Rome ”, Ursula von der Leyen, Meloni, Vladimir Putin, –, Silvio Berlusconi, Matteo Salvini – Meloni, ”, Mario Draghi’s, it’s, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Liz Truss, Meloni’s, Vox, Giorgia Meloni, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, NATO, European Union, EU, Commission, Economy, Italian Treasury, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Ukraine, Kyiv, China, Greece, Brussels, British, Italian

CNN —A Russian court has rejected an appeal by jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny against a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges, according to Russian state media RIA, in the latest crackdown on the outspoken Kremlin critic. Navalny was sentenced in August, after he was found guilty of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities and numerous other crimes. Navalny appeared at the hearing on Tuesday via video link from a penal colony in the Vladimir region, east of Moscow. Supporters of Navalny claim his arrest and incarceration are a politically motivated attempt to stifle his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A joint investigation by CNN and the group Bellingcat linked the Russian Security Service to Navalny’s poisoning.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny’s, ” Navalny, Daniel Kholodny, Novichok, Moscow’s Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, YouTube, Russian Security Service Locations: Vladimir, Moscow, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Berlin, Siberian, Omsk, Ukraine

☆ Even China's 1.4 billion population can't fill all its vacant homes, former official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As of the end of August, the combined floor area of unsold homes stood at 648 million square metres (7 billion square feet), the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show. That would be equal to 7.2 million homes, according to Reuters calculations, based on the average home size of 90 square metres. "How many vacant homes are there now? Each expert gives a very different number, with the most extreme believing the current number of vacant homes are enough for 3 billion people," said He Keng, 81, a former deputy head of the statistics bureau. "All sorts of comments predicting the collapse of China's economy keep surfacing every now and then, but what has collapsed is such rhetoric, not China's economy," a spokesperson at the foreign ministry said at a recent news conference.

Persons: Keng, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Jan Harvey Organizations: China Evergrande, HK, Garden Holdings, National Bureau of Statistics, China News Service, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Dongguan

☆ Even 1.4 billion people 'probably can't fill' all of China's vacant homes, ex-official admits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Big-name developers such as Country Garden Holdings continue to teeter close to default even to this day, keeping home-buyer sentiment depressed. As of the end of August, the combined floor area of unsold homes stood at 648 million square meters (7 billion square feet), the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show. That would be equal to 7.2 million homes, according to Reuters calculations, based on the average home size of 90 square meters (970 square feet). “How many vacant homes are there now? Each expert gives a very different number, with the most extreme believing the current number of vacant homes are enough for 3 billion people,” said He Keng, 81, a former deputy head of the statistics bureau.

Persons: ”, Keng Organizations: China Evergrande, Garden Holdings, National Bureau of Statistics, China News Service Locations: China, Dongguan

☆ Sunak may ban cigarettes in UK for future generations, the Guardian reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A cigarette stub is seen in an ashtray on a street in Liverpool , northern England October 17 , 2016. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering introducing measures that would ban the next generation from ever being able to buy cigarettes, The Guardian reported on Friday, citing government sources. Sunak is looking at anti-smoking measures similar to laws New Zealand announced last year, which include a ban on selling tobacco to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, the report said. Those measures include free vape kits, a voucher scheme to incentivise pregnant women to quit, and consulting on mandatory cigarette pack inserts, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson declined to comment further on The Guardian report.

Persons: Phil Noble, Rishi Sunak, Anirudh, Devika Nair, Leslie Adler, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, British, Guardian, New Zealand, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, England, New, British, Britain, Wales, Bengaluru

☆ CNBC Daily Open: High rates are still hobbling IPOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Downbeat marketsU.S. markets dipped and U.S. Treasury yields rose Tuesday as investors braced themselves for the outcome of the Federal Reserve's meeting. At its open, Instacart popped 40% to hit $42, but pared gains as investors sold off to lock in their initial gains. Analysts who once predicted China would become the biggest economy globally are perplexed as to why the country's blunting its own growth.

Persons: Kospi, Hong, Instacart, Fereidun Fesharaki, Wood Mackenzie Organizations: CNBC, Treasury, Analysts, Global Locations: Asia, Pacific, China

☆ Explainer-China's Military Hierarchy Under Spotlight After Defence Minister Disappears
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Greg Torode and Yew Lun TianHONG KONG (Reuters) - The disappearance of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu highlights the opaque and complex nature of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), diplomats and analysts say. In the Chinese system, the Minister of National Defence is seen as significantly less powerful than the U.S. defence secretary and many international equivalents. HOW DOES THE CHINESE MILITARY SYSTEM OPERATE? When the forum was last held in-person in 2019, more than 530 defence and military officials and scholars attended, including defence ministers from 23 countries. The Chinese defence minister would typically give the keynote speech at the forum and meet with delegations.

Persons: Greg Torode, Li Shangfu, Li, Xi Jinping, technocrat, Xi, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Zhang Youxia, Tian, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, Defence, People's Liberation Army, PLA, of National Defence, Central Military Commission, Communist Party, Strategic, Force, . Defence, White House, Foreign, Austin, CMC, Diplomats, China Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, ., Singapore, Malta, China

HONG KONG, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The disappearance of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu highlights the opaque and complex nature of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), diplomats and analysts say. In the Chinese system, the Minister of National Defence is seen as significantly less powerful than the U.S. defence secretary and many international equivalents. HOW DOES THE CHINESE MILITARY SYSTEM OPERATE? When the forum was last held in-person in 2019, more than 530 defence and military officials and scholars attended, including defence ministers from 23 countries. The Chinese defence minister would typically give the keynote speech at the forum and meet with delegations.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Xi Jinping, technocrat, Xi, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Zhang Youxia, Greg Torode, Tian, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defence, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Reuters, of National Defence, Central Military Commission, Communist Party, Strategic, Force, . Defence, White House, Foreign, Austin, CMC, Diplomats, China, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, ., Singapore, Malta, China

There are signs that the country has now slipped into another era of brutal oppression, even as newly reelected President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks publicly of “peace, love, harmony and tolerance." “It is the beginning of a new term and we are seeing people being abducted and tortured, people’s homes being burnt down, and lawyers arrested for simply doing their job,” said Doug Coltart, one of Nhende’s lawyers, who was himself arrested. The sight of an elected representative showing injuries from a beating isn't uncommon in Zimbabwe. The CCC and analysts say there is a clear post-election clampdown now that the international observers have left. “It was a sham election, a disputed election, a flawed election.

Persons: Womberaiishe, truncheons, Emmerson Mnangagwa, —, ”, Doug Coltart, Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa, Tapiwa Muchineripi, Coltart, bode, “, ” Mnangagwa's, Nhende, ” Nhende, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe, Mkwananzi, Siziba, clampdown, Rashweat Mukundu, Nelson Chamisa, Chamisa Organizations: Citizens Coalition, ZANU, CCC, Coltart, Amnesty, Human Rights, PF, Police, AP Locations: HARARE, Zimbabwe, Harare, Africa, Zimbabwean, africa

☆ Explainer: What has changed in Iran one year since Mahsa Amini protests erupted?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A photo of Mahsa Amini is pictured at a condolence meeting organised by students and activists from Delhi University in support of anti-regime protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, in New Delhi, India, September 26, 2022. Protests began soon after the Sept. 16 death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been arrested by morality police three days earlier for allegedly violating Iran's mandatory Islamic dress code. But as the protests fizzled they returned to streets and surveillance cameras were installed to identify and penalise unveiled women. Outside Iran, Western countries imposed new sanctions on security forces and on dozens of Iranian officials over the protests, further straining already difficult ties. Journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures and family members of killed protesters, especially among ethnic minorities, have been targeted in recent weeks.

Persons: Mahsa, Anushree, Mahsa Amini, Saqez, Amini's, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Amini, penalise, Iran's, Parisa Hafezi, Angus McDowall, William Maclean Organizations: Delhi University, REUTERS, Rights, schoolgirls, Authorities, Security, Revolutionary Guards, Journalists, Thomson Locations: Iran, New Delhi, India, Rights DUBAI, Tehran ., Islamic Republic, Baluchis, U.S, Israel

Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. PROXIMITY ISN'T PATRONAGERegarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party. If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi Jinping's, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Drew Thompson, Thompson, Li's, Li, Helena Legarda, Alexander Neill, Zhang Youxia, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ja Ian Chong, Chong, Greg Torode, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Foreign, Rocket Force, Pentagon, National University of Singapore, State Council and Defence Ministry, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Hawaii's, Military Commission, Washington, U.S . Defence, Pacific ., East, South China Seas, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, India, China, Russia, Belarus, Beijing, Jakarta, Berlin, Singapore, Washington, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, South, East China, South China, Hong Kong

☆ Mahsa Amini death anniversary sees heavy security in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran September 19, 2022. Over 500 people including 71 minors were killed in the protests, hundreds injured and thousands arrested in unrest that was eventually crushed by security forces, rights groups said. In Amini’s birthplace in Iran's western province of Kurdistan, a rights activist said there was a "heavy presence of security forces". Social media postings said weekly protests were held in Zahedan on Friday with slogans including "Death or freedom". Authorities have accused the United States and Israel and their local agents of fomenting the unrest to destabilise Iran.

Persons: Mahsa, Hengaw, BIDEN, Joe Biden, Biden, Nasser Kanaani, Amini's, Safa Aeli, Saleh Nikbakht, Parisa Hafezi, Mark Heinrich, William Maclean Kevin Liffey, Alistair Bell Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Social, Reuters, Iran's Foreign Ministry, Amnesty International, Security, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, WANA, Rights DUBAI, Mahsa, Iran's, Kurdistan, Norway, Saqez, Zahedan, United States, Israel, Britain, Dubai

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