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world news Dialuna 12 OctOber 2020

Iran has highest day death toll from virus, currency plunges

(AP) — Iran announced tion, the latest senior official Money exchange shops in
on Sunday its highest sin- to test positive for the virus. Tehran sold the U.S. dollar
gle-day death toll from The semiofficial Tasnim news at 315,000 rials on Sunday,
the coronavirus with 251 agency said Ali Akbar Salehi, compared to what was 32,000
confirmed dead, the same who is also a vice president of rials to the dollar at the time
day local media reported Iran, had confirmed positive of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal
two senior officials had for the virus last week and with world powers.
been infected and the na- has been in home quarantine Salehi is known internation-
tion's currency plunged to since. The news agency re- ally as one of the key Iranian tional financial system. ernment was trying to shore
its lowest level ever. ported that his health condi- negotiators who took part in up support for the coun-
tion is currently good. those nuclear talks. The deal Meanwhile, Iran has seen try’s parliamentary elections,
Health Ministry spokesper- A separate report by the news curbed Iran’s nuclear activi- several top officials contract which saw the lowest voter
son Sima Sadat Lari said the agency said the country’s vice ties in exchange for sanctions the virus over past months, turnout since the 1979 Islam-
total confirmed death toll president in charge of budget relief, but President Donald including senior Vice Presi- ic Revolution that brought its
now stands at 28,544, making and planning, Mohammad Trump unilaterally withdrew dent Eshaq Jahangiri and clerical leadership to power.
Iran the hardest-hit country Bagher Nobakht, had also the United States from the Vice President Massoumeh
in the region. Iran had just tested positive for the coro- agreement in 2018 and re- Ebtekar. A number of Cabi- Also on Sunday, state TV re-
recently recorded its highest navirus. imposed crushing economic net ministers have also tested ported that a gas explosion
daily death toll four days ear- Iran has struggled to contain sanctions. positive, including Tourism killed five people and injured
lier with 239 new fatalities. the spread of the virus across The currency plummeted Minister Ali Asghar Moune- nine in the southwestern city
this nation of 80 million peo- further on Sunday after the san and the former Industry of Ahvaz, which is the capi-
A further 3,822 new cases ple, initially beating it back Trump administration’s de- Minister Reza Rahmani. The tal of the oil-rich Khuzestan
were confirmed over the only to see a spike in cases cision on Thursday to black- head of an Iranian govern- province.
past 24 hour-period, raising again, beginning in June. list 18 Iranian banks that had ment task force on the coro- The explosion ruined a two-
recorded nationwide cases The government has largely so far escaped the bulk of navirus who had urged the story residential building and
to 500,075. Nearly 4,500 pa- resisted imposing wide-scale re-imposed sanctions. The public not to overreact about damaged nearby buildings in
tients are in critical condi- lockdowns as the economy move subjects non-Iranian its spread was among the first a local market. Rescue teams
tion. teeters from continued U.S. financial institutions to pen- senior officials to contract the are searching for other pos-
Among those recently infect- economic sanctions that ef- alties for doing business with virus in late February. sible victims as authorities
ed is the head of the coun- fectively bar Iran from selling them, effectively cutting the The virus first appeared in probe the cause of the gas ex-
try’s atomic energy organiza- its oil internationally. banks off from the interna- Iran at the same time the gov- plosion.

North Korea unveils new weapons at military parade

(AP) — North Kore- ping troops, tanks, armored The probable ICBM parad- while moving in formation, rolled out in the square. He
an leader Kim Jong Un vehicles, rocket launchers ed Saturday was clearly the shaping “10.10,” “1945,” and saluted as fighter jets flew in
warned that his country and a broad range of ballistic new strategic weapon Kim “2020” in honor of the party formation, using fireworks
would “fully mobilize” its missiles rolled out in Pyong- had promised to show, said anniversary. to form the Workers’ Party’s
nuclear force if threatened yang’s Kim Il Sung Square. Melissa Hanham, deputy di- The performers and tens symbol — a hammer, brush
as he took center stage at rector of the Austria-based of thousands of spectators and sickle — and the number
a military parade that un- The weapons included what Open Nuclear Network. roared as Kim, dressed in a 75 in the sky.
veiled what appeared to was possibly the North’s North Korea had already gray suit and tie, appeared Earlier Saturday, masked citi-
be a new intercontinental biggest-yet ICBM, which demonstrated a potential from a building as the clock zens lined up to lay flowers
ballistic missile and other was mounted on an 11-axel ability to reach deep into the struck midnight. Kim, at the statues of Kim Il Sung
weapons. launch vehicle that was also U.S. mainland with a flight flanked with senior officials and Kim Jong Il, the father of
seen for the first time. The test of its Hwasong-15 ICBM and smiling widely, waved the current ruler, at Pyong-
Kim, however, avoided direct North also displayed a vari- in 2017, and developing a to the crowd and kissed chil- yang’s Mansu Hill. A huge
criticism of Washington dur- ety of solid-fuel weapon sys- larger missile possibly means dren who presented him with street poster read “Best glory
ing Saturday's event, which tems, including what could the country is trying to arm flowers before taking his spot to our great party.”
celebrated the 75th anniver- be an advanced version of its long-range weapons with on a balcony.
sary of the ruling party and its Pukguksong family of more warheads, she said. The North’s official Ko-
took place less than four missiles designed to be fired During his speech, Kim rean Central News Agency
weeks before the U.S. presi- from submarines or land mo- “North Korea is pushing seemed to tear up at one point said residents in Kaesong
dential election. Instead, he bile launchers. ahead with its nuclear strategy as he repeatedly thanked his and other regions who had
focused on a domestic mes- The missiles highlighted regardless of the tough year “great people” and military lost their homes to recent
sage urging his people to re- how the North has contin- that it has had with regard for overcoming “unexpect- natural disasters marked the
main firm in the face of “tre- ued to expand its military ca- to diplomatic talks, flood- ed” burdens and carrying out party anniversary by moving
mendous challenges” posed pabilities during a stalemate ing from typhoons and CO- anti-virus measures imposed into newly built houses and
by the coronavirus pandemic in nuclear negotiations with VID-19,” Hanham said in a by the ruling party and gov- that they praised Kim Jong
and crippling U.S.-led sanc- the Trump administration. telephone interview. “I also ernment to keep the country Un for looking after them as
tions over his nuclear pro- think that this is a message to free of COVID-19, a claim “their father.”
gram. Kim had previously expressed the United States — he has that has been widely ques- This year’s anniversary
frustration over the slow di- already declared he no longer tioned by outside observers. comes amid deadlocked ne-
Kim described the North’s plomacy, pledging in Decem- holds himself to the morato- gotiations with the Trump
continuing efforts to develop ber that he would continue to rium and he has something He also extended an olive administration and deepen-
its nuclear deterrent as neces- bolster his nuclear arsenal in new as well he may wish to branch to rival South Ko- ing economic woes that ana-
sary for its defense and said it the face of U.S. pressure and test.”The celebratory event, rea, expressing hope that the lysts say are shaping up as one
wasn’t targeting any specific soon unveil a “new strategic which began late Friday, was countries can repair ties once of the biggest tests of Kim’s
country. weapon to the world.” He not broadcast by North Ko- the threat of the pandemic leadership since he took
But “if any force harms the then said the North was no rean state television until Sat- is over. The North had sus- power in 2011.
safety of our nation, we will longer obligated to maintain urday evening, when it aired pended virtually all coopera- But many analysts believe
fully mobilize the strongest a self-imposed suspension on a taped broadcast. tion with the South during a North Korea will avoid seri-
offensive might in a preemp- nuclear weapon and ICBM Goose-stepping troops were freeze in larger talks with the ous negotiations or provoca-
tive manner to punish them,” tests, which President Don- seen marching in the streets United States. tions before the U.S. presi-
he said. ald Trump touted as a major in front of a brightly illumi- After the speech, Kim waved dential election because of
Kim's speech was punctuated foreign policy achievement. nated Kim Il Sung Square, and watched with binoculars the chance that the U.S. gov-
by thousands of goose-step- as a military band performed as the military hardware was ernment could change.