Former US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, who served in the final two years of Barack Obama’s presidency, has died aged 68. He suffered a sudden cardiac event in Boston on Monday, his family said. As the country’s 25th defence secretary, he oversaw the military strategy that pushed back the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria and Iraq. Mr Carter is also credited with lifting the ban on transgender people serving in the US military. The policy change in 2016 allowed troops to transition gender while serving. It also set standards for medical care and prevented service members from being discharged or denied re-enlistment based on their gender identity. But the move, which was phased in during the final year of the Obama presidency, was rolled back one year later by former President Donald Trump. It has since been reinstated by President Joe Biden. Mr Carter made other significant changes to the Department of Defense (DoD), such as opening all military occupations to women without exception for the first time. About 10% of positions were still closed to women at the time of the announcement in 2016.(BBC)…[+]

Pakistan’s election commission has disqualified ex-PM Imran Khan from holding public office in a case the former cricketer has described as politically motived. Mr Khan had been accused of incorrectly declaring details of presents from foreign dignitaries and proceeds from their alleged sale. The gifts included Rolex watches, a ring and a pair of cuff links. His lawyers say they will challenge the commission’s verdict in the high court. Mr Khan has called on his supporters to come out and protest the decision, saying that fundamental rights and democracy had been buried in Pakistan. Videos on social media showed police firing tear gas to disperse his supporters holding a protest outside the capital Islamabad. Security in the city has been stepped up.(BBC)…[+]

An Iranian climber who apologised for competing abroad without a headscarf was forced to do so, a source has told BBC Persian. Elnaz Rekabi, 33, broke Iran’s strict dress code at the contest in South Korea – but later said her headscarf had fallen off “inadvertently”. However, authorities threatened to take her family’s property if she did not make the statement, the source said. Opposition to the mandatory headscarf has fuelled the protests sweeping Iran. Women there are required to cover their hair with a headscarf, or hijab, and their arms and legs with loose clothing. Female athletes must also abide by the dress code when they are officially representing Iran in competitions abroad. A large crowd greeted Ms Rekabi at Tehran airport on Wednesday, calling her a “heroine”. She arrived at about 03:30 (00:00 GMT) without a headscarf, covering her hair with a black baseball cap and hoodie. The next day she met the Iranian sports minister with the same clothes on, which raised suspicion that she had not been home during that time. The source said Ms Rekabi was detained in a room at Iran’s National Olympic Committee building with plainclothes agents present until she met the minister. She is now under “house arrest” but the authorities say she is staying at home because she is in need of rest, the source said.(BBC)…[+]

The US and Russian defence secretaries have spoken in a phone call, in a rare moment of high-level contact between the two countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu spoke on Friday, both countries have confirmed. Both sides said the situation in Ukraine was discussed. It is the first time they have reported a conversation since a call on 13 May. After Friday’s call, the Pentagon said Mr Austin had “emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine”. Russia’s defence ministry said that “current questions of international security were discussed, including the situation in Ukraine”. After their previous conversation in May, Mr Austin urged his counterpart to call an immediate ceasefire – a request that was not mentioned this time. It comes after hints from Russian President Vladimir Putin that he may be willing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and warnings against this from US President Joe Biden. Officials in both the US and the UK say they believe the chances of Mr Putin carrying out these veiled threats are low.(BBC)…[+]

People who let off firecrackers in Delhi during Diwali will face up to six months in jail, the city’s environment minister has announced amid worsening pollution levels in the Indian capital. The government has also imposed a fine of 200 Indian rupees ($2.41; £2.15) on those caught bursting firecrackers. The rules are part of a broader ban on firecrackers announced in September to help curb extreme pollution. Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital. Various factors such as factory emissions, traffic fumes, and general weather patterns contribute to the high pollution levels in the city.

The air turns particularly toxic every winter when farmers in neighbouring states burn crop stubble. And fireworks during the Hindu festival Diwali worsen the air quality as low wind speeds trap the pollutants in the lower atmosphere. The smog-filled air, which covers the city during this time, contains dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter called PM2.5 – tiny particles that can clog lungs and cause a host of diseases.(BBC)…[+]

The deaths of nearly 100 children in Indonesia have prompted the country to suspend sales of all syrup and liquid medication. It comes just weeks after a cough syrup in The Gambia was linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children. Indonesia said some syrup medicine was found to contain ingredients linked to acute kidney injuries (AKI), which have killed 99 young children this year. It is not clear if the medicine were imported or locally produced. On Thursday, Indonesian health officials said they had reported around 200 cases of AKI in children, most of who were aged under five. Earlier this month, the The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert over four cough syrups that were linked to the deaths of almost 70 children in The Gambia.(BBC)…[+]

Iranian security forces killed a teenage boy by firing a shotgun at him at point-blank range in the city of Mashhad, sources have told BBC Persian. Abolfazl Adinezadeh, 17, skipped school to join anti-government protests on 8 October, but he never returned home. Authorities have not commented. But his death certificate, obtained by the BBC, said he died as a result of liver and kidney damage caused by birdshot. The sources cited a doctor as saying it was fired less than 1m (3ft) away. “What crime had he committed, that you sprayed his stomach with 24 birdshot?” Abolfazl’s father pleaded at his funeral, a video showed. Abolfazl’s parents initially had no idea what had happened to him after he took part in the protests, according to the sources. It was not until the next day that the education ministry telephoned and told them to pick him up from the local police station. But when they got there, they were told that he was dead.(BBC)…[+]

The mayor of Canada’s national capital said officials failed to act fast enough to curb demonstrations that paralysed his city earlier this year. Jim Watson was testifying at a public inquiry looking into whether it was warranted for Canada to invoke emergency powers to end the protests. The so-called Freedom Convoy protests began at the end of January and gridlocked Ottawa for three weeks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on 14 February. The Public Order Emergency Commission began six weeks of hearings last week to examine the Trudeau government’s decision to invoke the federal act, the circumstances that led to that declaration, and the measures put in place by Ottawa to clear the anti-vaccine mandate and anti-government protests. Invoking the law requires that a formal inquiry be held. The hearings have given a behind-the-scenes look at the confusion and frustration between the municipal, provincial and federal governments as well as local police as they sought a solution to end the protests.(BBC)…[+]

The Florida county that was devastated by Hurricane Ian last month has seen a surge in cases of flesh-eating bacteria illnesses and deaths. Officials say Lee County, where the category four storm made landfall on 28 September, has recorded 29 illnesses and four deaths owing to the bacteria. All but two cases were diagnosed after the hurricane. Vibrio vulnificus infections can be caused after bacteria enters the body through open cuts. The bacteria live in warm brackish water, like standing flood-waters. “The Florida Department of Health in Lee County is observing an abnormal increase in cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections as a result of exposure to the flood-waters and standing waters following Hurricane Ian,” a spokesperson at the county health department said on Monday.(BBC)…[+]

A Pulitzer-winning photojournalist from Indian-administered Kashmir has said that she was stopped from travelling to the US by immigration authorities at Delhi airport. Sanna Irshad Mattoo was awarded the Pulitzer for her coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic and was on her way to attend the award ceremony. Ms Mattoo said she was stopped “despite having a valid visa and ticket”. The Indian government has not made a statement yet on why she was stopped. News agency PTI quoted Jammu and Kashmir police officials as saying that she had been placed on a no-fly list. Ms Mattoo said this was the second such incident in four months. The journalist told the BBC she asked officials why she hadn’t been allowed to travel but was not given a reason.(BBC)…[+]