Iran, El Salvador, Nigeria.
Today's three stories you should know.
Iran
Potentially massive news out of Iran. The country’s infamous morality police - partly the focus of protests that have rocked the country for three months - are to be shut down, the prosecutor general has said. His comments have yet to be confirmed by other sources but one lawmaker, Nezamoddin Mousavi, said later that the government was listening to the demands of protesters. The demonstrations, the biggest challenge to Iran’s government for years, erupted after Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested by the morality police for allegedly not adhering to the country’s strict dress code for women, died in custody. Neither the prosecutor general or the MP made any comments that suggested the dress code itself would be changed in any way.
More from AP here.
El Salvador
A staggering 10,000 soldiers and police have surrounded a suburb on the outskirts of El Salvador’s capital San Salvador in an attempt to flush out gang members. It’s a tactic the government of President Nayib Bukele has used before. In October, about 2,000 police and soldiers blocked off the town of Comasagua - drones flew overhead as special teams went door to door looking for suspects and residents were searched entering and leaving. About 50 alleged gang members were arrested in two days. The extreme tactics are part of Bukele’s nine-month-long crackdown on the hugely powerful gangs that control entire towns and parts of the capital. Rights groups have criticised the use of emergency powers and say young men are often arrested based on their age and appearance or simply because they live in an area dominated by gangs.
More from Reuters here.
Nigeria
Almost 20 people have been kidnapped from a mosque in northwestern Nigeria, the latest in a string of kidnappings for ransom. A spokesperson for the local police, Gambo Isah, said that some of the abducted were quickly rescued by police, the military and local vigilantes but that 13 people were still missing. North Nigeria has been plagued by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, snatching people for ransom. The issue is expected to figure prominently in elections next February.
More from BBC here.