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world news Diasabra 19 september 2020

Iran summons German envoy over tweet on executed wrestler

(AP) — Iran on Monday its diplomatic” duties. Trump’s plea. penalty. Even imprisoned sanction relief. Trump pulled
summoned Germany’s am- Afkari’s case had drawn at- Iranian human rights law- out the U.S. from the deal
bassador following his em- The embassy had earlier on tention after a social media yer Nasrin Sotoudeh, herself and reimposed sanction on
bassy’s criticism of the execu- Monday said on its Twitter campaign portrayed him and nearly a month into a hun- Iran in 2018 but European
tion last weekend of a wres- account that it was “deeply his brothers, who remain in ger strike over conditions at powers including Germany
tler after President Donald surprised” about the execu- prison, as victims who were Tehran’s Evin prison amid remain in the deal.
Trump asked for the 27-year- tion and suggested the wres- targeted because they par- the coronavirus pandemic,
old man’s life to be spared. tler was executed as part of ticipated in protests against passed word that she sup- In Geneva, The U.N. human
Iran’s efforts to “silence op- Iran’s Shiite theocracy in ported Afkari. The Interna- rights experts condemned
The official IRNA news posing voices.” Later, Ger- 2018. Authorities accused tional Olympic Committee the execution and raised the
agency said a foreign min- many’s Foreign Ministry said Afkari of fatally stabbing a in a statement shortly after alarm that it was the latest “in
istry official told Ambassa- in a tweet that the German water supply company em- Saturday’s execution said it a series of death penalty sen-
dor Hans-Udo Muzel at the ambassador in Tehran had ployee in the southern city of was shocked and saddened tences handed down in the
meeting that the tweet about phoned the Iranian Foreign Shiraz amid the unrest. by the news of the wrestler’s context of protests” in Iran.
the wrestler, Navid Afkari, Ministry to again “express the Earlier in September, Iran execution, and that the com- “Such flagrant disregard for
amounted to an “interven- German government’s posi- broadcast the wrestler’s tele- mittee’s president, Thomas the right to life through sum-
tion” in Iran’s domestic af- tion in the case of the Iranian vised confession. The seg- Bach, “had made direct per- mary executions is not only a
fairs and strongly protested athlete Navid Afkari, and its ment resembled hundreds sonal appeals to the Supreme matter of domestic concern,”
the move. horror over the carrying out of other suspected coerced Leader and to the President said the U.N. experts’ state-
“Intervention in Iran’s inde- of the death sentence.” confessions aired over the of Iran this week and asked ment on Monday. “We call on
pendent judicial affairs is not last decade in the Islamic Re- for mercy for Navid Afkari.” the international community
acceptable,” the statement Iran on Saturday executed public. Germany, alongside other to react strongly to these ac-
quoted the unnamed official Afkari, who was convicted world major powers, signed tions by the Islamic Republic
as saying, adding that the am- of murder, despite an in- The case revived a demand the 2015 nuclear deal with of Iran.”
bassador was advised the em- ternational outcry to stop inside the country for Iran to Iran aimed at capping Iran’s
bassy should not go “beyond the execution and following stop carrying out the death nuclear activities in return of

India's coronavirus cases jump by another 96K

(AP) — India’s coronavi- a ban on assemblies of four 25. They’ll have to fly rather country’s total to 22,783 with is a major industrial center,
rus cases jumped by another or more people in Mumbai, than drive to Queensland, 377 deaths. South Korea’s while the eastern financial
96,424 in the past 24 hours, India’s financial and enter- however, because Canberra caseload has been slowing and business hub of Shanghai
showing little sign of level- tainment capital. More than is surrounded by New South recently, prompting authori- reported 12. China, where
ing. The Health Ministry 178,000 people have been Wales state, which remains ties to relax elevated social the virus was first reported
on Friday raised the nation’s infected by the coronavirus subject to border restrictions. distancing rules in the Seoul late last year, has gone more
total cases to 5.21 million, or in Mumbai, including 8,320 area. But the country’s daily than a month without report-
0.37% of its nearly 1.4 billion who died. A senior governing party law- jump remains in triple dig- ing any cases of local trans-
people. It said 1,174 more maker who helped with new its as cluster transmissions mission but remains highly
people died in the past 24 In other developments in the Prime Minister Yoshihide linked to churches, schools vigilant to cases brought from
hours, for a total of 84,372 Asia-Pacific region: Suga’s election campaign has and elsewhere and some un- outside. It has suspended is-
fatalities. Experts say India's — New Zealand reported no been hospitalized with CO- traceable cases continue to be suing new visas and anyone
death toll may be a significant new cases of the coronavirus VID-19, becoming the first detected. arriving from abroad is re-
undercount. India is expect- on Friday for the first time confirmed case in Japan’s quired to undergo two weeks
ed to have the highest num- in more than five weeks as parliament. Shuichi Taka- China on Friday reported of quarantine. Schools, busi-
ber of confirmed cases within hopes rise that an outbreak tori, a member of the Liberal that imported coronavirus nesses, transport and public
weeks, surpassing the United discovered in Auckland last Democratic Party, developed cases surged to 32 over the services have largely resumed
States, where more than 6.67 month has been stamped out. a fever and tested positive previous 24 hours. Thirteen normal operations under so-
million people have been in- Friday also marked the fourth for the coronavirus, accord- of those cases were reported cial distancing, mask wear-
fected. consecutive day without any ing to parliament's lower in the northern province of ing and location tracking re-
cases of community trans- house. Takatori attended a Shaanxi, whose capital Xi’an quirements.
Indian Prime Minister Nar- mission, with all recent cases plenary session on Wednes-
endra Modi on his birthday being found among quaran- day at which Suga was for-
Thursday made a fresh appeal tined passengers returning mally elected prime minister.
to people to wear masks and from abroad. Health authori- He accompanied 81-year-
maintain social distancing ties expect to continue find- old party Secretary General
as his government prepared ing such cases at the border. Toshihiro Nikai when they
plans for handling big con- Authorities have still not greeted former Prime Minis-
gregations expected during a pinpointed the origin of the ter Shinzo Abe after the vote,
major Hindu festival season August outbreak, which they Kyodo News agency report-
beginning next month. believe was imported. New ed. Health officials are in-
Health Minister Harsh Vard- Zealand has reported a total vestigating his close contacts
han said with a recovery rate of just over 1,800 cases and for possible infection. Japan
of more than 78%, India has 25 deaths. has 77,494 confirmed coro-
only 1 million active coro- navirus cases including 1,482
navirus cases. Nearly 60% An Australian state govern- deaths as of Friday, according
of the active cases are con- ment will open the state bor- to the health ministry.
centrated in five of India's 28 der to the national capital after
states — Maharashtra, Karna- being criticized for refusing South Korea’s daily coronavi-
taka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil to allow a Canberra resident rus tally has stayed in the 100s
Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. to attend her father’s funeral for a 16th consecutive day as
Worst-hit western Maharash- because of pandemic restric- authorities struggle to contain
tra state accounted for 474 of tions. Health Minister Ste- small-scale local infections.
the 1,174 fatalities reported ven Miles said Canberra trav- The Korea Disease Control
in the country in the past 24 elers would no longer have and Prevention Agency said
hours. Authorities extended to spend time in Queensland Friday that the 126 new cases
until the end of September hotel quarantine from Sept. in the past 24 hours took the