While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 25

Police detain a person taking part in a protest against Russia's partial military mobilisation, in downtown Moscow, on Sept 24, 2022. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Complaints about Russia's chaotic mobilisation grow louder

The strongly pro-Kremlin editor of Russia's state-run RT news channel expressed anger on Saturday that enlistment officers were sending call-up papers to the wrong men, as frustration about a military mobilisation grew.

Wednesday's announcement of Russia's first public mobilisation since World War II, to shore up its faltering Ukraine war, has triggered a rush for the border, the arrests of over 1,000 protesters, and unease in the wider population.

It is also attracting criticism from the Kremlin's own official supporters, something almost unheard of in Russia since the invasion began.

"It has been announced that privates can be recruited up to the age of 35. Summonses are going to 40-year-olds," the RT editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, railed on her Telegram channel. "They're infuriating people, as if on purpose, as if out of spite. As if they'd been sent by Kyiv."

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Lavrov, at UNGA, slams West for 'grotesque' Russophobia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bitterly criticised Western nations on Saturday over the Ukraine war, telling the United Nations that the US and its allies are seeking to “destroy” his country.

“The official Russophobia in the West is unprecedented. Now the scope is grotesque,” Lavrov said in a fiery UN General Assembly speech.

“They are not shying away from declaring the intent to inflict not only military defeat on our country but also to destroy and fracture Russia.”

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Hundreds rally in Paris, other cities to denounce Iran regime

Hundreds of expatriate Iranians rallied in Paris and other European cities on Saturday to denounce Iran's crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by morality police.

The protesters gathered in the central Place du Chatelet in the French capital and chanted slogans against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and also urged French President Emmanuel Macron to halt negotiations with Iran.

"Khamenei get out of Iran!", "Macron enough silence!" and "Death to the Islamic republic" were among the slogans shouted by the demonstrators in French and Persian, an AFP reporter said.

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Stone laid at Windsor to mark Queen's last resting place

An inscribed stone slab marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II has been laid in the Windsor Castle chapel where her coffin was interred, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday.

The new black marble stone laid into the floor simply records the birth and death dates of the monarch who ruled for 70 years and died at the age of 96: Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022.

The queen's coffin was laid to rest on Sept 19 in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.

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Tennis: Djokovic dazzles on return to action at Laver Cup

Novak Djokovic produced a stunning performance to thrash Frances Tiafoe in his first match since winning Wimbledon in July to edge Team Europe ahead in the Laver Cup on Saturday.

With Roger Federer watching on from courtside at a sold out O2 Arena, the day after his emotional farewell match alongside Rafa Nadal, Djokovic returned to action in spellbinding fashion.

US Open semi-finalist Tiafoe was helpless to stop the Djokovic onslaught as the Serb won 6-1 6-3 to put Bjorn Borg's Team Europe into a 6-4 lead overall.

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