Iran has hanged 10 men convicted of murder in a mass execution in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, the government Iran newspaper reported yesterday. The executions of the men, aged between 21 and 42, were carried out on Wednesday morning, the report said.
Iran also hanged 12 other men on Tuesday and Wednesday in other cities, press reports said.
Among those hanged at Evin prison was an Afghan national, Molagol Hassan, who had killed his compatriot, identified as Fakhredin, in 2004 after stealing his money, the Iran said.
The newspaper said that a 25-year-old man, identified only as Ali, had been lined up for the gallows but was spared the death penalty after he managed to convince the victim’s family to accept blood money.
The family can spare a murderer from execution by accepting blood money for the victim’s life, leaving the convict to serve only a jail term.
Iran has stepped up its use of the death penalty in an unprecedented crackdown in a bid, it says, to improve security in society, triggering protests from Western right groups.
The latest hangings bring to at least 26 the number of executions in Iran so far this year.
The pledge by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year, recognizing the effort Japan’s first female leader had to make to reach the top. Takaichi uttered the phrase in October when she was elected as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Many were initially as worried about her work ethic as supportive of her enthusiasm. In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic. The recognition triggered a
Tropical Storm Koto killed three people and left another missing as it approached Vietnam, authorities said yesterday, as strong winds and high seas buffeted vessels off the country’s flood-hit central coast. Heavy rains have lashed Vietnam’s middle belt in recent weeks, flooding historic sites and popular holiday destinations, and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Authorities ordered boats to shore and diverted dozens of flights as Koto whipped up huge waves and dangerous winds, state media reported. Two vessels sank in the rough seas, a fishing boat in Khanh Hoa province and a smaller raft in Lam Dong, according to the
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The Philippines deferred the awarding of a project that is part of a plan to build one of the world’s longest marine bridges after local opposition over the potential involvement of a Chinese company due to national security fears. The proposals are “undergoing thorough review” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which acts as a lender and an overseer of the project to ensure it meets international environmental and governance standards, the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways said in a statement on Monday in response to queries from Bloomberg. The agency said it would announce the winning bidder once ADB
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