Six In The Morning Tuesday 3 October 2023

 

Iran: activists say 16-year-old girl hospitalised by police over hijab rules

Incident puts country back on edge a year after mass protests erupted over death in custody of Mahsa Amini

Patrick Wintour

Tue 3 Oct 2023 16.12 BST

The hospitalisation of a 16-year-old girl in Tehran has led to accusations by a rights group and activists that she was beaten into a coma by Iran’s feared “morality police”, putting the country back on edge a year after mass protests erupted over the treatment of women.

Footage of the incident showed a girl being carried off a train by other girls at a metro station and placed on the platform, where she stays still, apparently unconscious.

According to Hengaw, an exiled human rights organisation, Armita Garawand suffered a “severe physical assault” by the “morality police” for not complying with national rules on the hijab.

India police raid journalists' homes in China funding probe

Another independent news outlet has been targeted by police in India after reports of illegal funding. Journalists said their homes were raided and devices seized.

Police in India on Tuesday carried out raids on a number of locations connected to a news site the government has accused of receiving funds from China.

The NewsClick online portal describes itself as "an independent media organization dedicated to covering news from India and elsewhere with a focus on progressive movements." It's known for critical coverage of Narendra Modi's governnment.

"A special investigations team launched a search operation to identify all those individuals who were possibly getting funds from overseas to run a media group with the main agenda of spreading foreign propaganda," an interior ministry official overseeing the police raids in Delhi said.

'Haitian solutions to Haitian problems': Security begins with free & fair elections, self-determination

The United Nations Security Council on Monday approved a Kenyan-led mission aiming to bring stability to Haiti, a year after leaders in the violence-ravaged Caribbean nation first pleaded for help. The Western Hemisphere's poorest nation has been in turmoil, with armed gangs taking over parts of the country and unleashing brutal violence, and the economy and public health system also in tatters. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have been calling since late 2022 for international support to back the police force, but much of the global community had been jaded by the failure of earlier interventions in Haiti. As the UN approves the Kenya-led Haiti force following a year of pleas, FRANCE 24's Annette Young is joined by Rosa Freedman, Professor of Law Conflict and Global Development and the Director of the Global Development Division at the University of Reading.

One Year of MeloniHas Italy's Right-Wing Leader Left Fascism Behind?

Benito Mussolini’s tomb is a rather strange place. A stern-faced guard is sitting at the entrance of the crypt, wearing a scowl on her face to go with a black blouse reminiscent of the fashion back when the fascist Mussolini, an ally of Adolf Hitler’s, was in power.

She doesn’t deviate even a single meter from the visitor’s side, following closely on the descent into the crypt and also paying close attention as we flip through the memorial book, where fans express their admiration for the former dictator. "The family doesn’t want that," she growls.

Armenia to join International Criminal Court; ‘wrong’ decision, says Russia

Armenia parliament ratifies ICC’s founding statute, subjecting itself to court’s jurisdiction and vexing Russia, whose president the ICC wants to arrest.

Armenia’s parliament has approved a key step towards joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that is set to escalate tensions with the ex-Soviet country’s traditional ally, Russia.

Lawmakers ratified the ICC’s founding Rome Statute on Tuesday, subjecting itself to the jurisdiction of the court in The Hague and vexing Russia, whose president the world court wants to arrest.

COMMENTARY/ Despite ‘fresh start,’ Johnny’s reluctant to part with old ways

By BUNNA TAKIZAWA/ Staff Writer

In just half a month since Johnny & Associates Inc. established an external committee for victim relief, 325 people have sought compensation over the sexual abuse committed by agency founder Johnny Kitagawa.

Although it’s uncertain if all of them will be recognized as victims, the number underscores the severity of the problem.

Obviously, the talent agency could not continue to manage and train performers under the name of its sexual predator founder.

And it’s only natural for the agency to focus on compensating the victims and to eventually cease operations.

But are the right people in the right positions for the agency’s new direction?