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By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's supreme leader on Monday gave his full backing to security forces confronting protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody, comments that could herald a harsher crackdown to quell unrest more than two weeks since she died. In his first remarks addressing the 22-year-old woman's death after her arrest by morality police over inappropriate attire , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said her death deeply broke my heart and called it a bitter incident provoked by Iran's enemies. The duty of our security forces, including police, is to ensure the safety of the Iranian nation...The ones who attack the police are leaving Iranian citizens defenceless against thugs, robbers and extortionists, Khamenei told a group of armed forces cadets in Tehran. Security forces, including police and the volunteer Basij militia, have been leading a crackdown on the protests, with thousands arrested and hundreds injured, according to rights groups, which put the death toll at over 130. Iranian authorities have reported many members of the security forces killed during the unrest, which has spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to Iran's authorities in years, with many calling for the end of more than four decades of Islamic clerical rule. Khamenei said security forces had faced injustice during the protests. In recent incidents, it is above all security forces including the police and Basij, as well as the people of Iran, who were wronged, he said. Some people have caused insecurity in the streets, Khamenei said, sharply condemning what he described as planned riots , and accusing the United States and Israel - the Islamic Republic's arch-adversaries - of orchestrating the disturbances. 'SCHEMES' I openly state that the recent riots were schemes designed by America, the fake Zionist regime (Israel) and their mercenaries inside and outside Iran, said Khamenei, Iran's utmost authority. Within hours after Amini's funeral in the Kurdish town of Saqez on Sept. 17, thousands of Iranians poured into the streets across the country, with people burning pictures of Khamenei and chanting Death to the dictator , according to videos on social media. Still, there is little chance of a collapse of the Islamic Republic in the near term, since its leaders are determined not to show the kind of weakness they believe sealed the fate of the U.S.-backed Shah in 1979, officials and analysts told Reuters. However, the unrest calls into the question the priority that has defined Khamenei's rule - the survival at any cost of the four-decade-old Islamic Republic and its religious elite. Those who ignited unrest to sabotage the Islamic Republic deserve harsh prosecution and punishment, said Khamenei. The protests have not abated despite a growing death toll and an increasingly violent crackdown by security forces using tear gas, clubs and - in some cases, according to videos on social media and rights groups - live ammunition. Protests continued across Iran on Monday, with university students staging strikes after security forces clashed with students at Tehran's prominent Sharif University on Sunday. Dozens of students were arrested and many have been injured according to social media posts and videos. Iran's state news agency said most of arrested students were released on Monday. Reuters could not verify the videos and posts. Authorities said only doctoral students at Sharif University would be allowed on campus until further notice, state media reported. (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Writing by Tom Perry and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Toby Chopra and Mark Heinrich)
By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) -Iranian security forces clashed with students at a prominent university in Tehran on Sunday, social and state media reported, in the latest sign of a deadly clampdown on nationwide protests that were ignited by the death in custody of a young woman. The anti-government protests, which began at 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's funeral on Sept. 17 in the Kurdish town of Saqez, have spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to Iran's authorities in years, with many calling for the end of more than four decades of Islamic clerical rule. Activist Twitter account 1500tasvir, which has around 160,000 followers, posted several videos showing Sharif University, traditionally a hotbed of dissent, surrounded by dozens of riot police. One of the videos showed security forces firing teargas to drive the students off the campus and the sound of what appeared to be shooting at a distance could be heard. Another video showed security forces chasing dozens of students trapped in the university's underground parking. The account said dozens of students had been arrested. Iranian state media described reports of clashes at the university and said the country's science minister visited the campus to check on the situation. Reuters could not independently verify the events at the university. Students had been protesting at numerous universities on Sunday and demonstrations were held in several cities such as Tehran, Yazd, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Shiraz and Mashhad, with participants chanting independence, freedom, death to Khamenei, earlier social media posts showed. The protests have not abated despite a growing death toll and the crackdown by security forces using tear gas, clubs, and in some cases, according to videos on social media and rights groups, live ammunition. Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, in a statement said that so far 133 people had been killed across Iran , including more than 40 people it said died in clashes last week in Zahedan, capital of the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province. Iranian authorities have not given a death toll, while saying many members of the security forces have been killed by rioters and thugs backed by foreign foes . Last week state television said 41 had died, including members of the security forces. Iran's utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not commented on the nationwide protests, which have spread to Iran's 31 provinces, with all layers of society, including ethnic and religious minorities, taking part. Amini's death and the crackdown have drawn international criticism of Iran's rulers, who in turn accuse the United States and some European countries of exploiting the unrest to try to destabilise the Islamic Republic. Iranian state media shared a video of pro-government students, who gathered at the Ferdowsi university in Mashhad, chanting the Islamic Republic is our red line . Earlier on Sunday, Iranian lawmakers chanted thank you, police during a parliament session, in a show of support for a crackdown on widespread anti-government protests. DEATH IN COMA Amini was arrested on Sept. 13 in Tehran for unsuitable attire by the morality police who enforce the Islamic Republic's strict dress code. She died three days later in hospital after falling into a coma. The lawyer for Amini's family, Saleh Nikbakht, told the semi-official Etemadonline news website that respectable doctors believe she was hit in custody. Amini's autopsy report and other medical details have not been released, but her father said he saw bruises on her leg and that other women detained with her said she was beaten. Iran's police authorities say Amini died of a heart attack and deny she was beaten to death in custody. The country's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi has ordered an investigation into Amini's death. He said last week that a forensic report would be presented in coming days . Amnesty International on Friday reported that hundreds were injured and thousands have been arrested in the protests. State media said at least 20 people were killed in the Zahedan clashes, blaming a separatist group from the Baluchi minority for starting a shootout in the city. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's Constitutional Court on Friday ruled Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had not exceeded the maximum eight years allowed in office, clearing the way for the former coup leader's return from a five-week suspension. The decision will be a big boost for Prayuth, a staunch royalist whose premiership has been beset by attempts to unseat him, including four house censure motions, a conflict of interest case and protests challenging his leadership and the monarchy. The accused ... has been in the prime minister position not exceeding the limit stipulated by the constitution, a judge said in a 25-minute televised reading. Therefore he is not disqualified. The case was brought by the opposition Pheu Thai party, whose government was toppled eight years ago by then-army chief Prayuth. Despite portraying himself as a reluctant leader wanting to hold power only briefly, he served as prime minister of a junta until an election in 2019, after which parliament chose him to remain premier. The judges on Friday voted 6-3 in his favour, with the court concluding his tenure started in 2017, when a new constitution was promulgated, meaning he could serve until 2025 if re-elected. An election is due to take place before May next year. PERIOD OF REFLECTION Prayuth, 68, had been suspended from office while the court deliberated the case, which he said had given him time to reflect. This past month I have realised that I need to use my limited time in government to push important projects to their realisation, for the progress of the country and for the future of our children, he said in a Facebook post after the ruling, promising big infrastructure upgrades. Prayuth is among the longest-serving premiers in Thailand, a country that has seen more than 10 coups in the past century and had numerous leaders from the military. An opinion poll in early August showed his popularity waning, with nearly two-thirds of respondents wanting him to leave office, while a third said the court should decide. Pheu Thai, the latest incarnation of the political juggernaut created by billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra - who was himself ousted in coup in 2006 - said the ruling showed it was time to reform the court to create appropriate checks and balances . The verdict does not cleanse Prayuth. The opposition sees Prayuth as someone who wants to maintain power in every way possible, it said in a joint statement by the opposition bloc. He also broke his promise to the people from the beginning when he said he won't stay long. Scores of protesters gathered in central Bangkok to denounce the ruling and they called for opposition parties and activists to join forces in demonstrations to remove Prayuth. We can no longer rely on the court and others to function, it is now the duty of the people to decide the future of the country, pro-democracy activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk told the crowd. Together we can drive out Prayuth ... We need a democracy without Prayuth Chan-ocha. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; additional reporting by Jiraporn Kuhakan; writing by Martin Petty; editing by Robert Birsel and Mark Heinrich)
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia on Friday said it will challenge a move by the heirs of a former Southeast Asian sultan to seize its Dutch assets as part of the descendents' efforts to enforce a $15 billion arbitration award against the Malaysian state. The heirs of the former Sulu sultan on Thursday asked a Dutch court for permission to seize Malaysian assets in the Netherlands, where some of Malaysia's biggest companies have operations - including state oil firm Petronas. The heirs are targeting Malaysian assets overseas following the government's refusal to recognise the $15 billion arbitration award by a French court in February, which found it had reneged on a 1878 land leasing agreement between a British company and the last sultan of Sulu. Malaysia has said it does not recognise the heirs' claim and that the arbitration, in which it did not participate, was illegal. Malaysia obtained a stay on the ruling pending an appeal, but the award remains enforceable outside France under a United Nations treaty on international arbitration. Malaysia will spare no expense in defending its sovereignty and its assets abroad wherever they may be situated, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said in a statement. He said Malaysia would take legal action in the Netherlands to resist and set aside any attempt to seize assets, and that the country has initiated a global strategy to proactively challenge other possible seizure bids. A spokesperson for the heirs did not have an immediate comment. Wan Junaidi also said Petronas' assets were not assets of the government of Malaysia. It would be an abuse of the process of any court to seek enforcement against such assets, he said. The Malaysian government is the sole shareholder of Petronas and collects an annual dividend from the oil firm. Petronas did not have an immediate comment on the government statement. It has not commented on the heirs' court petition in the Netherlands. In July, two Luxembourg-based subsidiaries of Petronas were seized by court bailiffs as part of the heirs' effort to claim the award. Petronas has described the Luxembourg seizure as baseless and vowed to defends its global assets. (Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi, Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty, Ed Davies)
By Ayenat Mersie NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan President William Ruto, who was sworn into office on Tuesday, is taking power at a time when the country has the largest number of elected female representatives in history - and they want him to keep his promise of getting more women into politics. A significant dividend of our electoral and democratic process is the tremendous achievement we made in breaking the glass ceiling by enhancing the participation of women in leadership, he told a cheering crowed at his inauguration. Ruto promised on the campaign trail to uphold a 2010 constitutional clause that says no more than two-thirds of any elected body can be comprised of one gender, and promised to ensure government hiring bodies observe the rule as well. This clause has never been fulfilled and many women politicians say it must be. Record numbers of Kenyan women were elected in August. The number of female governors more than doubled while the number of female parliamentarians jumped by nearly a third. We will look back and say this time was really historical, said lawyer Susan Kihika, who was elected as the first female governor of Kenya's populous Nakuru County during the August parliamentary, presidential and county polls. But we are nowhere near where we need to be, said Kihika, one of seven female governors out of a total of 47 - about 15%. Female parliamentarians are a slightly larger proportion, at about 23%. One reason: Female candidates face Njue is one of dozens of female candidates who have been physically assaulted during campaigning for presidential, legislative and local elections on Aug. 9, according to the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association abuse and physical assault, deterring many women from running. They need better protection on the campaign trail, said Kihika. Ruto was the only one of four presidential candidates without a female running mate in the August election, though he has promised to give more power to women in politics. We shall allocate 50% of all cabinet positions to the women of Kenya, he told a campaign rally in June, to cheers and vuvuzela horns from the crowd. In 2020, the then-chief justice of the Kenyan Supreme Court ordered parliament to be dissolved for failing to implement the gender rule. Kenya's high court later suspended the order's implementation and there has been little movement on the issue since then. Margaret Toili, a former parliamentary candidate, was one of the petitioners and has drafted a new petition to file, she told Reuters. We are still not implementing the two-thirds law, Toili told Reuters. They are facing the same consequences: dissolve parliament. Political parties must also encourage more women to run, said Mercy Mwangi, coordinator of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association. Mwangi said progress had been helped by a clause in the 2010 constitution that created 47 parliamentary seats reserved for women, out of a total of 350. Two of the seven female governors elected in this cycle were previously women's representatives, as were four parliamentarians. It's actually creating a stepping stone for women, she said. (Reporting by Ayenat Mersie; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Josie Kao)
LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Pedro Castillo reshuffled his Cabinet for the second time in less than three weeks on Wednesday, as prosecutors continue investigations into his close allies and family members. The embattled president named new ministers in charge of the environment, defense and women. But he kept Geiner Alvarado, the transport minister, whom prosecutors allege has led a criminal organization from within the government alongside Castillo. The key posts in charge of the economy and mining also remained unchanged. Peru is the world's No. 2 copper producer. Since taking power a year ago, Castillo has overseen unprecedented turnover in senior government roles, naming on average five new ministers each month. Experts say the high turnover has directly impacted public spending which has slowed down since Castillo came to office, at a time when Peru is still recovering from the pandemic. Meanwhile, Castillo is facing six criminal investigations, including for alleged obstruction of justice and over alleged irregularities in the naming of military officials. His sister-in-law, Yenifer Paredes, is facing a potential three years in pre-trial detention for alleged influence peddling, with a judge expected to rule on her case later on Wednesday. Castillo's wife, Lilia Paredes, has also been included in the probes, while a former minister is on the run. Peruvian presidents have often been ensnared by corruption allegations in recent years. Four former presidents are either imprisoned, in house arrest or facing potential prison time. (Reporting by Marco Aquino and Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Sandra Maler)
(Reuters) -Russia's Federal Security Service accused Ukraine's secret services on Monday of killing Darya Dugina, the daughter of an ultra-nationalist, in a car bomb attack near Moscow that President Vladimir Putin called evil . Dugina, whose father Alexander Dugin is a prominent ideologue, was killed on Saturday when a bomb blew up the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving, Russian investigators said. Ukraine, defending itself from what it says is an imperial-style war of conquest waged by Russia, denied involvement in the attack, with Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak calling the accusation propaganda . Putin on Monday posthumously granted Dugina the Order of Courage, a prestigious state award, for courage and selflessness shown in the performance of professional duty , the Kremlin said. Dugina, a regular commentator on state TV, strongly backed Russia's actions in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation . Alexander Dugin, 60, has long advocated violence to achieve the unification of Russian-speaking and other territories. In his first public statement on the bombing, he said Darya had been savagely killed before his own eyes by Ukraine. Our hearts are not simply thirsting for revenge or retribution, Dugin wrote. We only need our victory (against Ukraine). My daughter has sacrificed her young life on the altar of victory. So please win! Russia's FSB security service said the attack was carried out by a Ukrainian woman born in 1979, whom it named and whose picture and information appeared on Russian news websites. They linked her to Ukraine's security services and accused her of being a member of the Azov battalion, a unit of Ukraine's army that Russia has designated a terrorist group. In response, Azov said the woman had never been a member of the unit and accused Russia of concocting a lie. The FSB said the woman had arrived in Russia in July and spent a month preparing the attack. She had fled to Estonia afterwards, it said. Russian law enforcement agencies had placed the woman on the country's wanted list, TASS news agency reported, with Moscow seeking her extradition. Estonia's interior ministry and police and border guard service said in separate statements they could share information on individuals entering and leaving Estonia only in cases prescribed by law , adding the FSB allegation did not meet that requirement. 'RUSSIAN PATRIOT' Putin paid tribute to Dugina as a patriot, calling her murder evil and cruel , while Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Kremlin-backed RT media organisation, suggested agents could track the woman down. Estonia, of course will not hand them over, Simonyan wrote on Telegram. A memorial service for Dugina will be held on Tuesday at Moscow's TV centre, her father said. On Monday, residents of Moscow laid flowers and lit candles at a makeshift memorial. She was a unique person, and this loss is absolutely irreplaceable, said Sergei Sidorov. Some Russian opposition figures were sceptical about the speed at which the FSB appeared to have solved the case and suggested alternative versions. Ilya Ponomaryov, a former lawmaker turned Ukraine-based Kremlin critic, said a previously unknown group of Russian militants called the National Republican Army was responsible. His assertion and the group's existence could not be independently verified by Reuters. Russia's Investigative Committee did not respond to a request for comment. Ponomaryov was the only member of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, to vote against the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and later left Russia. Ponomaryov, who runs an online TV station designed to challenge the Kremlin's narrative of the war, read out a manifesto he said the group had sent him. It said the group was committed to overthrowing Putin and building a new Russia. Such statements are illegal inside Russia and those who make them face long jail terms. His assertion adds to a list of possible theories about who killed Dugina. Some people believe her father was the target. Ukraine's Podolyak said he believed the killing was the result of a struggle between Russia's intelligence services. Some Russian opposition activists have speculated the murder may have been orchestrated by forces inside Russia keen to discourage ultra-nationalists like Dugin from criticising the Kremlin for being, in their eyes, too soft on Ukraine. (Reporting by ReutersEditing by Gareth Jones and Rosalba O'Brien)
By Chen Lin SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Singapore will decriminalise sex between men but has no plans to change the legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday. LGBTQ groups welcomed Lee's decision to repeal Section 377A of the penal code, a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men, but also expressed concern that ruling out same-sex marriage would help to perpetuate discrimination. In his annual national day rally speech, Lee said Singaporean society, especially young people in the city-state, were becoming more accepting of gay people. I believe this is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept, he said. It was unclear when exactly Section 377A would be repealed. Singapore becomes the latest Asian country to move toward ending discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community. In 2018, India's highest court scrapped a colonial-era ban https://www.reuters.com/article/india-lgbt-verdict-idINKCN1LM0O6 on gay sex, while Thailand has recently edged closer to legalising same-sex unions. Under Singapore's Section 377A, offenders can be jailed for up to two years under the law, but it is not currently actively enforced. There have been no known convictions for sex between consenting adult males for decades and the law does not include sex between women or other genders. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) groups have brought multiple legal challenges attempting to strike down the law, but none has succeeded. On Sunday, several LGBTQ rights groups said in a joint statement they were relieved by Lee's announcement. For everyone who has experienced the kinds of bullying, rejection and harassment enabled by this law, repeal finally enables us to begin the process of healing. For those that long for a more equal and inclusive Singapore, repeal signifies that change is indeed possible, they said in the statement. But the groups also urged the government not to heed calls from religious conservatives to enshrine the definition of marriage in the constitution, saying this would signal that LGBTQ+ citizens were not equal. RESISTANCE In February, Singapore's highest court had ruled that since the law was not being enforced, it did not breach constitutional rights, as the plaintiffs had argued, and it reaffirmed that the law could not be used to prosecute men for having gay sex. Some religious groups including Muslims, Catholics and some Protestants continued to resist any repeal of the law, Lee said. An alliance of more than 80 churches expressed strong disappointment on Sunday over the government's decision. The repeal is an extremely regrettable decision which will have a profound impact on the culture that our children and future generations of Singaporeans will live in, it said. Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society of 5.5 million, of whom about 16% are Muslim, with bigger Buddhist and Christian communities. It has a predominantly ethnic Chinese population with sizeable Malay and Indian minorities, according to the 2020 census. Stressing his government's continued support for the traditional definition of marriage, Lee said: We believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that children should be raised within such families, that the traditional family should form the basic building block of society. Singapore will protect the definition of marriage from being challenged constitutionally in the courts , he said. This will help us repeal Section 377A in a controlled and carefully considered way. (Reporting by Chen Lin, editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Gareth Jones)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said his party has the numbers to form a coalition government, after a national poll plagued by violence, fraud allegations and large numbers of voters missing from the electoral roll. PNG's general election, held every five years, is among the world's most challenging due in part to difficult terrain, extreme weather, poor transport infrastructure, and linguistic and cultural diversity. Voting began on July 4 and ended on July 22, but counting was extended until Friday because of special circumstances including security issues, attacks on ballot boxes and logistical challenges, the electoral commission said. International election observers reported problems ranging from interference in counting by scrutineers and double voting to large numbers of names missing from electoral rolls. The Office of the PNG Electoral Commissioner said on Friday - the deadline for an election result under the extension - that it had returned writs for 83 electorates to the Governor General, although counting continued in another 35 electorates. Marape said a day earlier that his Pangu Party was preparing to form a coalition government with 15 minor parties in parliament next Tuesday, after Pangu won 30 seats which gave it an overwhelming mandate to form government . Pangu, coalition party and independent seats totalled 67, he said. Peter O'Neill, leader of the biggest opposition party, the People's National Congress, has disputed that Pangu can claim a mandate and applied to the Supreme Court to delay parliament's return next Tuesday. He failed to win a court injunction on Friday that sought to delay the return of writs until all electorates had finished counting. Electoral roll problems meant millions of our people have not voted , he told reporters on Friday. The Melanesian Spearhead Group, in an observer report, said the election's many challenges included unexplained delays of up to three days before counting started in some electorates, scrutineer interference, and failure to check voter identity documents. In some cases, up to half of names of eligible voters were not on electoral rolls, a Commonwealth Observer Group said. Police Commissioner David Manning said in a statement on Tuesday: There are ongoing investigations into some candidates who are believed to have been inciting their supporters to fight with opponents, and arrests will be made. Disruptions in a Southern Highlands province would not stop the counting of the vote, he warned. He added there was potential for more confrontation as parliament sits and the court hears disputes over the vote as candidates alleged foul play. Attempts to disrupt counting had led to arrests, Manning said in an earlier statement. One fraud allegation in the Southern Highlands involved witness statements that 12,500 ballot papers were hijacked during polling and stuffed in the ballot boxes of a different electorate, he said. Amid the voting, Manning said he had been sickened by election violence in Enga province, where people were killed, and schools, bridges, homes and livestock were destroyed. Media have reported roughly 50 election-related deaths this year, down from 204 deaths documented in the 2017 vote. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Edmund Klamann)