Iranians Protest in Zahedan Despite Tight Security

Demonstrators protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in Berlin, Germany (File photo: Reuters)
Demonstrators protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in Berlin, Germany (File photo: Reuters)
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Iranians Protest in Zahedan Despite Tight Security

Demonstrators protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in Berlin, Germany (File photo: Reuters)
Demonstrators protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in Berlin, Germany (File photo: Reuters)

Thousands took to the streets in Zahedan Friday despite the checkpoints and roadblocks established by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces and police officers.

Videos from the march showed protesters carrying banners and chanting against the Iranian government.

The military forces designated checkpoints in different areas of Zahedan and outside the homes of Baloch citizens in anticipation of these protests.

Residents complained about the treatment of the military forces, as everyone was interrogated, searched, and forced to show their identity cards.

According to the Iran International website, military forces were also present at some schools, noting that they had been converted into what resembled military bases.

Iran has been witnessing massive protests for months, after the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, on September 16, 2022, at the hands of the "morality police."

Despite pressures and threats, anti-regime Friday protests continued for the fifteenth week in Zahedan.

According to the United Nations, Iran arrested at least 14,000 people during the protests.

The authorities executed four people for their role in the unrest and imposed death sentences on 18 people, sparking widespread international outrage.

The EU will impose new sanctions on 37 Iranian officials and organizations over the crackdown on protests but is still debating listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, diplomats said Friday.

Foreign ministers from the bloc will agree to adopt the fourth package of sanctions against Tehran due to its repression of the demonstrators at a scheduled meeting on Monday in Brussels.

The EU imposed sanctions, including freezing assets and a visa ban on more than 60 Iranian officials and entities over the suppression of protests, including the morality police, IRGC commanders, and state media.

However, the EU is still discussing adding the IRGC to the blacklist of terrorist organizations despite calls from Germany and other member states to take this step.

For its part, Iran warned the EU against this move, and European officials fear that it could hinder attempts to revive the 2015 agreement on Tehran's nuclear program, mediated by Brussels.

"I think it's not a good idea because it prevents you from going ahead in other issues," a senior EU official said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said that the EU foreign ministers are expected to agree to impose more sanctions targeting IRGC commanders at their meeting in Brussels on Monday.

Asked at a regular government news conference in Berlin whether sanctions could hamper diplomatic efforts to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, the spokesperson said: "The focus of our policy currently is increasing pressure on the Iranian regime."



Japan PM Warns of Divided World at Futuristic World Expo Opening Ceremony

 Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)
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Japan PM Warns of Divided World at Futuristic World Expo Opening Ceremony

 Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan's prime minister urged the importance of unity in a world plagued by "divisions" at a futuristic but also tradition-steeped opening ceremony for the World Expo on Saturday.

Everything from a Mars meteorite to a beating heart grown from stem cells will be showcased during the six-month event, which opens to the public on Sunday.

The vast waterfront site in Osaka will host more than 160 countries, regions and organizations.

"Having overcome the Covid pandemic, the world now faces the crisis over many different divisions," Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the opening ceremony.

"It is extremely significant that people from all over the world gather and face the question of life in this era, exposing ourselves to state-of-the-art technology and diverse cultures and ways of thinking," Ishiba said.

Expo is also known as a World's Fair and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London's 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years.

Most pavilions -- each more outlandishly designed than the last -- are encircled by the world's largest wooden architectural structure, a towering latticed "Grand Ring" designed as a symbol of unity.

An array of colorful imagery symbolizing life, birth and nature adorned a massive screen in a minutes-long video at Saturday's ceremony, with foreign dignitaries and Japan's royal family in attendance.

The ceremony displayed a mix of technology, including its AI-powered "virtual human" master of ceremonies, and tradition that included Japanese kabuki dancing and taiko drums.

Emperor Naruhito said he hopes Expo 2025 will "serve as an opportunity for people worldwide to respect the lives not only of their own but also of others".

Heightened security was put to the test hours before the ceremony when a suspicious box was found at the nearby Kyoto train station and reported to police.

A bomb squad was sent to the scene, causing train delays, but it was found that the box only contained "foreign-made sweets", according to Japanese media.

Osaka last hosted the Expo in 1970, when Japan was booming and its technology was the envy of the world. It attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010.

However, Expos have been criticized for their temporary nature, and Osaka's man-made island will be cleared to make way for a casino resort after October.

Only 12.5 percent of the Grand Ring will be reused, according to Japanese media.

Opinion polls also show low levels of enthusiasm for the Expo among the public.

So far 8.7 million advance tickets have been sold, below the pre-sales target of 14 million.

Japan is also experiencing a record tourism boom, meaning accommodation in Osaka -- near hotspot Kyoto, and home to the Universal Studios Japan theme park -- is often fully booked with sky-high prices.