Iran, protests: fire in Evin prison doubles death toll

Today's headlines: Reporters Without Borders calls on China to free a radio broadcaster; Myanmar: 40  junta soldiers dead in last three days; Congress elects new president today; Ukrainian eparchy comes under the control of the Moscow Patriarchate.

IRAN

The death toll has doubled after fire in Evin prison in Tehran. According to the judiciary, the number of victims is eight: all were in the section housing thieves. The prison is notorious because the authorities detain political opponents there. Detainees include many participants in the protests of recent days.

JAPAN

Fumio Kishida today ordered the opening of an investigation into the Unification Church. The Japanese Prime Minister's public approval rating plummeted after the assassination in July of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed covert links between the religious organisation and many members of the Liberal Democratic Party. 

TAIWAN-CHINA

The Taiwanese section of Reporters Without Borders called on Beijing for the immediate release of two dissidents, both living in Hong Kong. Editor Gui Minhai is serving a 10-year prison sentence for "espionage". Two years and eight months for radio speaker Edmund Wan Yiu-sing, accused of "sedition" and money laundering.

MYANMAR 

In the past three days, 40 soldiers of forces loyal to the military junta are reported to have died at the hands of anti-golpe and ethnic armed militias. The attacks took place in the regions of Sagaing, Magwe, Bago, Yangon and Tanintharyi, and in Chin, Karen and Mon States.

INDIA

The Congress elects its president today, who for the first time in 24 years will not belong to the Gandhi family. The race is between two historic party leaders: Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor. Nine thousand delegates will participate in the vote. This is the sixth presidential election in the 137-year history of the political formation.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA

One of the eparchies of the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia, that of Rovenkov, will be directly subject to the Patriarch of Moscow. The synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and the local eparchial assembly itself took the decision jointly. As emphasised by patriarchal spokesman Legojda: "Each eparchy will decide autonomously".

KYRGYZSTAN

The Kyrgyz authorities have distributed 75,000 copies of a new manual on the "History of the Development of Religions" in the nation's schools. This was announced by the head of the Ministry of Education, Samat Tojaliev. Variants in Russian, Uzbek and Tajik are being printed, up to a print run of 120 thousand copies, to 'encourage a moderate approach to religion'.

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