Belarus Pledges to Halt Smuggling Balloons Into Lithuania 
Russian Drone Attack Hits Turkish Cargo Ship Carrying Sunflower Oil to Egypt, Ukraine Says 
Indonesia–U.S. Tariff Talks Near Completion as Both Sides Push for Year-End Deal 
U.S. Soldiers Killed in ISIS Attack in Palmyra, Syria During Counterterrorism Mission 
International Outcry Grows Over Re-Arrest of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran 
Democrats Face Uphill Battle in Midterm Elections Despite Recent Victories, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Shows 
Judge Orders Return of Seized Evidence in Comey-Related Case, DOJ May Seek New Warrant 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Brazil Arrests Former Peruvian Foreign Minister Augusto Blacker Miller in International Fraud Case 
Belarus Frees 123 Political Prisoners in U.S.-Brokered Deal Over Sanctions 
Bolivia Orders Pre-Trial Detention of Former President Luis Arce Over Embezzlement Probe 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
International Stabilization Force for Gaza Nears Deployment as U.S.-Led Planning Advances 
California, 18 States Sue to Block Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee 
Ukraine, US and Europe Seek Unified Peace Framework With Security Guarantees for Kyiv 
Trump Signals Conditional Push for Ukraine Peace Talks as Frustration Mounts 
Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Peace Talks Signal Mandatory Prison Sentences for Top Leaders 
The state security body in Iran has given its estimate of the number of people killed in the country as a result of the ongoing protests. The initial assessment of the security body said that over 200 people were killed in the demonstrations.
The Iranian interior ministry’s state security council issued a statement Saturday with its assessment of the number of fatalities resulting from the ongoing protests. The council said that over 200 people have been killed in the unrest, including the security forces killed in “terrorist acts” and those killed by so-called foreign groups that were framed as killed by security forces, as well as “armed anti-revolutionary elements who were members of secessionist groups.”
The security body also included “innocent people who have died in conditions of security disarray” in its assessment. However, the security body did not reveal how those people were killed. The announcement by the council came a day after Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said that over 300 were “martyred” and died in the ongoing protests that started in September.
The figures provided by Hajizadeh and the state security council are lower than what rights groups have provided, which is higher than 400.
The statement also stressed the role of foreign intervention in the demonstrations, saying that the Islamic Republic has been facing a “hybrid war” waged by its adversaries and “terrorist” media groups. Tehran has sought to blame the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Saudi Arabia for fomenting the protests that erupted in September following the death of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini in the custody of its morality police for allegedly flouting the dress code imposed on women.
The Iranian judiciary announced that it has executed four people accused of cooperating with Israeli intelligence by hanging early Sunday. The judiciary said the four accused were “thugs” that were guided by Israeli intelligence as they allegedly engaged in the destruction of public property, theft, kidnappings, and obtaining fake confessions.
The judiciary said the four people accused received instructions from an operative of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad who is based in Sweden. The four also allegedly received their payment in cryptocurrencies to buy weapons and equipment.
