ANALYSTS DENY COUP RUMORS AGAINST CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING

Rumors of a coup against Chinese President Xi Jinping that gripped the internet throughout Saturday have been buried following investigations and computer analysis by open-source intelligence analysts. The verdict was that the movement of Chinese troops, the so-called explosions or the cancellation of flights were incorrect.

It all started when “independent journalist” Jennifer Zeng amplified in English the rumors circulating on Twitter in Chinese since September 21. Soon a story claimed that a former president and prime minister persuaded Song Ping, a former member of the Standing Committee, to take control of the central guard office that night as Xi was placed in a state of arrest at the airport on his return from Samarkand summit on September 16. There were details that suggested something sinister was afoot. Fake charts were created to show flights had been canceled in China; a video of a massive explosion suggested there was heavy fighting in Beijing and another short video showed a movement of troops, which they said was heading towards Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the Communist Party of China Central Committee .

Open source intelligence analysts quickly refuted these claims. Visuals of the explosions have been traced back to the one that took place in Tianjin in 2015. Flight tracking websites, one of which was briefly supported by a fake chart, showed all was normal in the skies above China. Video of troop movement turned out to be unrelated.

Open source intelligence analysts have found that a number of accounts with very few followers and none connected to genuine media handles and some suspiciously from Africa, act as major spreaders of the rumours. Given the tensions with China, several right-wing Indian handlers on Twitter have also retweeted many of the coup allegations. In the end, it was much ado about nothing.

U.S. WARNS RUSSIA OF 'CATASTROPHIC ' CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR STRIKE

The United States has warned of “catastrophic consequences” if Moscow were to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, after Russia’s foreign minister said regions holding widely-criticised referendums would get full protection if annexed by Moscow.

Votes in four eastern Ukrainian regions, aimed at annexing territory Russia has taken by force mostly since its invasion in February, were staged for a third day on Sunday. The Russian parliament could move to formalise the annexation within days.

By incorporating the four areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia into Russia, Moscow could portray attempts to retake them as attacks on Russia itself, a warning to Kyiv and its Western allies.

The Russian annexations raise the risk of a direct military confrontation between Russia and the NATO military alliance as Western arms are being used by Ukrainian troops.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the US would respond decisively to any Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and that it had spelled out to Moscow the “catastrophic consequences” it would face.

“If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia. The United States will respond decisively,” Sullivan told NBC’s Meet the Press news programme.

The latest US warning followed a thinly veiled nuclear threat made last Wednesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said his country would use any weapons to defend its territory.

NO LENIENCY, VOWS IRAN’S JUDICIARY CHIEF

Iran’s judiciary chief vowed no leniency on Sunday against the wave of unrest that has rocked the country since the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.

The warning by the head of the Judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, came after nine nights of protests and street clashes and echoed earlier comments by ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi.

At least 41 people have died so far, mostly protesters but including members of the Islamic republic’s security forces, according to an official toll, although human rights groups say the real figure is higher.

The judiciary chief “emphasised the need for decisive action without leniency” against the core instigators of the “riots”, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.

Iran’s largest protests in almost three years have been led by women over the Islamic republic’s strictly enforced gender-based dress code.

Some protesters have since taken off and burnt their hijabs in the rallies and cut off their hair, some dancing near bonfires to the applause of crowds that have chanted “zan, zendegi, azadi” or “woman, life, freedom”.

PUTIN ALLIES UNHAPPY WITH MOBILISATION ‘EXCESSES’, MORE PROTESTS IN DAGESTAN

Police clashed on Sunday with people opposed to the mobilisation in the southern Russian region of Dagestan, underscoring the level of discontent with President Putin’s decision to send hundreds of thousands more men to fight in Ukraine. Public anger has appeared to be particularly strong in poor ethnic minority regions like Dagestan, a Muslim-majority region located on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Dozens of videos posted on social media showed confrontations with police in the regional capital of Makhachkala on Sunday as protesters shouted “no to war”. One video showeda group of women chasing away a police officer, while several clips showed violent clashes, including police sitting on protesters, as police attempted to make detentions. Earlier on Sunday, police fired shots into the air after dozens of protesters in a village in Dagestan had blocked a major road in protest against officials reportedly calling up more than 100 men from the village, with a population of 8,000, for military service, videos taken at the scene showed.

Meanwhile, there have been reports from across Russia of people with no military service or parents of young children being called up in the draft — despite guarantees from defence minister Sergei Shoigu they would be excluded. Earlier on Sunday Russia’s two most senior lawmakers — key Putin allies — acknowledged “excesses” had stoked public anger. Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, said she was aware of the reports. “Such excesses are absolutely unacceptable,” she said in a post on Telegram. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber, also expressed concern. “Complaints are being received,” he said. “If a mistake is made, it is necessary to correct it...”

RIGHT-WING ALLIANCE SET TO WIN MAJORITY IN ITALY, EXIT POLLS SUGGEST

A right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party looks set to win a majority in the next parliament, exit polls said on Sunday after voting ended in an Italian national election.

An exit poll for state broadcaster RAI said the bloc of conservative parties, that also includes Matteo Salvini's League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, won between 41 and 45%, enough to guarantee control of both houses of parliament.

Italy's electoral law favours groups that manage to create pre-ballot pacts, giving them an outsized number of seats by comparison with their vote tally. Full results are expected by early Monday.

24 KILLED AFTER BOAT CARRYING PILGRIMS SINKS IN BANGLADESH

At least 24 people were killed and around the same number were missing on Sunday after an overcrowded boat carrying Hindu pilgrims capsized in a river in Bangladesh, the police said.

“Firefighters and divers are searching for more bodies,” local police official Shafiqul Islam said, confirming that 24 deaths had been confirmed so far, most of them women and children.

The boat was packed with up to 50 pilgrims, the police said.

They were travelling to a centuries-old temple when the vessel suddenly tipped over and sank in the middle of the Karotoa river near the town of Boda in northern Bangladesh.

Thousands of Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh visit the Bodeshwari Temple every year.

AUDIO OF PAK MINISTERS’ TALKS HELD INSIDE PM HOUSE LEAKED ONLINE

Islamabad : In a matter that has raised security concerns in Pakistan, purported audio clips of talks between leaders of Pakistan’s ruling party has been leaked online. One of the clips involves conversation held in the PM House among senior leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. In the clip, interior minister Rana Sanullah, defence minister Khawaja Asif, law minister Azam Tarar, and minister for economic affairs Ayaz Sadiq can be heard talking about the fate of finance minister Miftah Ismail and the resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmakers from the National Assembly.

Another audio clip is purportedly about a conversation between PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz and PM Shehbaz Sharif about finance minister Ismail. Maryam, daughter of former PM Nawaz Sharif, can be heard criticising Ismail. “He (Ismail) doesn’t take responsibility… says strange things on TV which people make fun of him for,” she is heard saying. “He clearly cuts corners,” the voice, said to be PM Sharif, is heard as saying. The two clips followed another a day earlier involving Shehbaz and an unidentified official who is talking about Maryam’s wish that her son-in-law be allowed to import machinery from India.

The government has not said anything about the leaks, but the opposition PTI shared the clips on social media and lambasted the government. Fawad Chaudhry, former information minister of PTI, shared the clip said to be a conversation between Shehbaz and the official. He said the data was offered up for sale on the dark web, showing the state of Pakistan’s cybersecurity.

ISHAQ DAR TO BE NEW PAK FINANCE MIN

Pakistan finance minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday stepped down from his post to make way for Ishaq Dar to take over the reins of the country’s economy. The decision to put Dar, 72, in charge of financial affairs was taken during a meeting between the PM Shehbaz Sharif and his brother Nawaz in London on Saturday.

Geo News said Darcould possibly take oath on Tuesday.

FIVE EU STATES PUSH FOR BAN ON RUSSIAN DIAMONDS

Brussels : The EU must stop importing diamonds from Russia, five of the bloc’s 27 countries said in a joint proposal, as the EU prepares new sanctions against Moscow for invading Ukraine. The EU needs unanimity to agree any such ban that Belgium — home to the world’s biggest diamond trading hub Antwerp — has rejected in the past. The bloc was spurred into fresh action after President Putin ordered a partial military mobilisation last week.

Poland, Ireland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia proposed introducing a retaliatory ban on imports of diamonds from Russia, where Alrosa is the world’s largest producer of rough gems.