Iranian security forces have killed at least 23 children and arrested many more during their crackdown on anti-government protesters, the UN said this week as demonstrations continued.
The children were shot with live ammunition in at least seven provinces. Others have been hit at close range by pellets or suffered beatings, said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“Certain schools have been raided and children arrested by security forces. Some principals have also reportedly been arrested,” Ms Shamdasani said.
“The agency is aware that the Iranian education ministry itself confirmed a few days ago that an unspecified number of children had been sent to psychological treatment centres after being arrested in the anti-government protests,” she said.
The government has made mass arrests of protesters but the UN said they received reports of at 90 members of civil society including human rights defenders, lawyers, artists and journalists.
“On 12 October three lawyers were arrested as they demonstrated outside the bar association in Tehran,” Ms Shamdasani said.
She said “the continued unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against protesters must stop.”
“Arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty,” she said.
The UN representative said the organisation is calling for the “immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained.”
It comes as the deputy commander of the Iranian Internal Security Forces, Qassem Rezaei, said on Wednesday that there “is no place for protests that result in chaos, disorder and insecurity”.
Iranian authorities have arrested 14 foreigners over the unrest, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.
"Investigations show that citizens of 14 countries, including the United States, Russia, Austria, France, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, have been arrested in recent riots in the country, of which Afghan nationals are the most numerous," Fars reported.
Fars did not say when the arrests were made. It also did not say whether they included nine foreigners who Iran's intelligence ministry said on September 30 had been arrested for their role in protests.
“We will not tolerate demonstrators who pursue such goals,” he said.
The unrest in Iran started after a 22 year old woman, Mahsa Amini, died three days after she was arrested by Iran's notorious morality police.
Her family and activists allege she died as a result of being beaten.
However, Iranian authorities said her death was the result of multiple organ failure caused by cerebral hypoxia.
Iran's Forensic Organisation said her death “was not caused by blows to the head and vital organs and limbs of the body”, in its report revealed on state television.
Since her death, dozens have been killed, mostly protesters but also members of the security forces, and hundreds arrested.
In an attempt to quash the month-long protests, Iran said it was planning to criminalise the sale of virtual private networks (VPNs) used to skirt internet restrictions.
"Selling anti-filtering tools is unauthorised, but unfortunately it has not been criminalised. Efforts are being made to criminalise this issue," said Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour.
"It is not in the field of my duties and naturally relevant institutions should follow this up," he said on state television after a cabinet meeting.
Iranian media outlets reported last year that lawmakers were working on a draft bill that could further restrict internet access.
The bill calls for "organising social media" and the banning of VPN software used widely to bypass internet restrictions and blocks imposed on social media platforms, Etemad newspaper wrote in June 2021.
The text also calls for jail terms for any one found guilty of violating the terms of the bill if it becomes law, according to the reformist daily.
Internet users had expressed concern over the draft bill proposed by some conservative lawmakers, who have had a parliamentary majority since 2020.
Activists around the world have railed against the regime, some cutting their hair in protest.
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Andor
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Company%20Profile
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
