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UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
New Zealand Designates Hezbollah, Houthi as Terror Organisations
The Government has designated Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis as terror organisations under the Terrorism Suppression Act.
The legal designation, gazetted on Wednesday afternoon, means anyone who tangibly supports the organisations could be committing a crime.
“It’s very simple. For any organisation to be deemed a terrorist organisation under New Zealand legislation, we have to have evidence, and we go through a number of tests under our legislation, that organisation has knowingly undertaken terrorist activity,” Luxon said.
“This is the case before the four that I’ve designated today.”
The military wing of Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group at war with Israel, was previously designated a terror organisation, but Wednesday’s decision covers the entire organisation.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
Widespread Protests in Iran over Economic Crises and Government Neglect
In recent days, Iran has witnessed a wave of protests across several cities, where workers, creditors of state-backed companies, and retirees have taken to the streets to demand better living conditions, the payment of overdue wages, and a response to their grievances. These protests reflect a growing anger among various segments of the Iranian society amidst a crippling economic crisis and governmental mismanagement.
On November 23, over 20,000 defrauded creditors of the state-backed carmaker Rezayat Khodro Taravat Novin rallied in Qazvin to protest the company’s fraud and corruption. The company, which reportedly holds investments from 40,000 individuals across 13 provinces, has faced widespread accusations of fraud, with 28,000 official complaints filed against it. The protest took place in front of the court where the company’s dossier was being reviewed.
How Regime Interference Deepened Iran’s Banking Collapse
The bankruptcy and imbalance in Iran’s banking system are the result of years of mismanagement, interference by rent-seeking networks, and structural corruption tied to the regime. This crisis has occurred while regime officials have been establishing banks and exploiting public resources for personal, factual, and regime interests, deepening the country’s economic crisis. Banking under the clerical regime has not only failed to finance production units but has also ventured into unproductive markets such as trading profitable assets, land, currency, gold, and multiple properties, paving the way for exploitative speculation. The result has been a liquidity shortage for production and service units.
In a gathering involving Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Majlis (Parliament); Ehsan Khandouzi, then Minister of Economy; and Mohammad-Reza Farzin, then Governor of the Central Bank, a glimpse of the insurmountable banking crises and enterprise-driven corruption within the regime’s network was revealed, leaving officials perplexed about possible solutions.
Inflation’s Heavy Toll on Low-Income Iranians: A Widening Crisis
The latest report from the Iranian Statistics Center reveals a troubling trend: the continued rise in inflation, particularly in food prices, is disproportionately impacting low-income households. November’s data highlights significant economic pressure, with rural communities bearing the brunt of the crisis. According to the report, monthly inflation for food items surged to 3.6% in November—the highest rate recorded this year. Year-over-year inflation for food items reached 29.2%, with annual inflation climbing to 27.9%. These increases reflect the escalating cost of living across the country.
Rural areas, where food accounts for a larger portion of household expenses, are particularly hard-hit. In non-urban regions, point-to-point food inflation rose to 32.8%, surpassing the 30.9% recorded in urban areas. However, monthly inflation for food remains slightly higher in cities (3%) compared to rural areas (2.8%).
Femicide: Unpunished Crimes in Mullahs’ Iran
Murder and violence against women in every country is a shameful reality of the modern world, reminding us how far we are from human values. But in Iran, the situation is different under the rule of the clerics. Since coming to power, this government has humiliated and oppressed women with slogans like “either the veil or a beating on the head,” institutionalizing unjust and misogynistic laws, and promoting them both openly and in practice.
The evidence shows that state-sponsored crimes and violence against Iranian women outnumber family-related crimes by a significant margin. Iran is the world’s largest executor of women, with most female death row inmates having been victims of child marriage and domestic violence and condemned in unfair, biased trials.
Price of Residential Electricity Increased by 38-83%
A review of the new tariffs shows that electricity costs for Iranian households have increased by approximately 38 percent up to the consumption threshold and by up to 83 percent beyond it.
The state-run Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday, November 23, that a comparison of the new tariffs with the previous ones (prior to September) for non-peak months indicates that the rate hikes, with two exceptions, are around 38 percent. However, for mid-range consumption between 200 to 300 kilowatt-hours (for rates under 200 kilowatt-hours), there is an 83 percent increase, and for mid-range consumption between 300 to 450 kilowatt-hours, there is a 78 percent increase.
The state-run Tasnim News Agency also published the new electricity tariffs, showing that, for example, after September, the price of each kilowatt-hour of electricity up to the consumption threshold increases incrementally depending on the region.
A 42% Increase in Rental Prices in Iran Over the 12 Months
A new report from Iran’s regime Statistical Center indicates that urban rental prices have increased by approximately 42% over the 12 months ending in November, compared to the same period the previous year. Inflation in the rental sector is 8.6 percentage points higher than general inflation, despite the government setting a 25% cap on rent increases in July. The latest Consumer Price Index report from the Statistical Center shows that housing rents increased by about 42% over the 12 months ending in November. The same report indicates that in November, rental prices rose by approximately 3% compared to October and by about 40% compared to November 2023.
The official report documenting a 42% increase in rents comes despite statements made on June 26 by Mehrdad Bazrpash, the Housing and Urban Development Minister of the previous government. During the 18th session of the Supreme Housing Council—effectively the last such session under Ebrahim Raisi’s administration—Bazrpash announced that an average rent increase cap of 25% had been approved.
Surge in Executions in Iran Amid International Condemnation
On the morning of Thursday, November 21, 2024, Iran’s government carried out the execution of three prisoners in Hamedan Central Prison, mere hours after the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee passed a resolution condemning Iran’s severe human rights violations. The executed individuals were identified as Amirhossein Rostami Pataghi, 23, Arsalan Habibi, and Jabbar Keyfari. All three were reportedly charged with drug-related offenses.
Amirhossein Rostami Pataghi, one of the victims, was from the village of Patagh in Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah Province. He was 18 years old when arrested and spent five years on death row before his execution at the age of 23.
From October 22 to November 21, 2024, at least 145 executions have been documented in Iran, including the execution of three women. Disturbingly, one of the executed individuals was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense.
Heidelberg, November 23, 2024: MEK Supporters Condemn Iranian Regime’s Crimes Against Women
Heidelberg, November 23, 2024: – Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered to condemn the Iranian regime’s ongoing crimes against women. The event also highlighted their solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
Stockholm Rally: MEK Supporters Condemn Iranian Regime’s Crimes Against Women
Stockholm, November 23, 2024 – Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered to condemn the Iranian regime’s ongoing crimes against women. The event also highlighted their solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.