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MOSCOW, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it did not want to take part in "nuclear rhetoric" spread by the West after a media report that Russia was preparing to demonstrate its willingness to use nuclear weapons in its conflict with Ukraine.
The Times newspaper reported on Monday that the NATO military alliance had warned members that President Vladimir Putin was set to demonstrate his willingness to use nuclear weapons by carrying out a nuclear test on Ukraine's border.
The London-based newspaper also said Russia had moved a train thought to be linked to a unit of the defence ministry that was responsible for nuclear munitions.
When asked about the Times report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not want to take part in what he cast as Western exercises in "nuclear rhetoric".
"The Western media, Western politicians and heads of state are engaging in a lot of exercises in nuclear rhetoric right now," Peskov said. "We do not want to take part in this."
Italian daily La Repubblica reported on Sunday that NATO had sent its members an intelligence report on the movements of the Belgorod nuclear submarine.
"Now it is back to dive in the Arctic seas and it is feared that its mission is to test for the first time the super-torpedo Poseidon, often referred to as 'the weapon of the Apocalypse'," La Repubblica said.
The Italian defence minister declined to comment on the matter. NATO did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Putin on Sept. 21 ordered Russia's first mobilisation of military reservists since World War Two to put more troops on the battlefield and backed a plan to annex swathes of Ukraine, warning the West he was not bluffing when he said he'd be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia.
Russia is the world's biggest nuclear power based on the number of nuclear warheads: it has 5,977 warheads while the United States has 5,428, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, additional reporting by Giselda Vagnoni in Rome; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Frank Jack Daniel and Gareth Jones
Indonesians are demanding answers after a football match between two rival clubs turned into one of the worst disasters in the sport's history.
On Saturday night, thousands of fans rushed onto the pitch after their home team lost a game at Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java. Police responded by firing tear gas.
In the panic to escape, people were trampled and crushed at the exits. At least 125 - including dozens of children, one as young as three - were killed, the authorities say.
Some fans died in the arms of the players they had come to cheer on just hours earlier, the coach of home team Arema FC revealed.
"I can only mention a terrifying scenario," Sergio Silva, a Portuguese star for the side said. "Police cars on fire, everything broken, corridors with blood, people's shoes.
"People were desperate, they had seen people die and were trying to escape," he told Portuguese sports newspaper, A Bola.
Authorities on Monday launched an investigation - following allegations of heavy-handed policing. Public anger has escalated - with mourners chanting "murderers" at officials. At least 18 police officers are being investigated for their action on field.
So how did this all unfold? Here's what we know so far.
A fraught history
There had been concerns in the lead-up to the game - between Arema FC and long-time rivals, Persebaya Surabaya, another East Java-based team - as violence between fans was not unprecedented.
So extra precautions were put in place - including more security "for preventive measures", Maike Ira Puspita, deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Football Association, told the BBC.
They also banned visiting Persebaya fans from coming to the match, meaning it was just a home crowd - an over-capacity attendance of 42,000 people - who roared on their team on Saturday night.
The FA also deployed extra police. And during the game's first half, all was "manageable". "The security happening like usual," says Ms Puspita. "Half-time was ok."
Eyewitnesses have disputed this, telling the BBC there was scuffles at half time with tensions building throughout the second half.
When the game ended, Arema had lost 3-2.
EPA
"And this is the point when some of the supporters ran onto the pitch. And it all just started to break out from there," Ms Puspita said.
It is unclear - and in fierce contention - what exactly happened next. Authorities are unwilling to even specify a chronology of what happened on the field.
"I think it's better for all of us to wait for the investigation team," Ms Puspita told the BBC.
But what is known is that after the final whistle blew, Arema fans moved onto the pitch, where the team's footballers were gathered in the middle. Police had already escorted Persebaya to their changing rooms, the BBC's Indonesian service reported.
Sergio Silva said many of those streaming onto the field had appeared to come to "show support, not attack". But recognising the situation was escalating, the team returned to the changing rooms.
At some point, police began to fire tear gas into the thousands-strong crowd, volleys aimed at dispersing them. One eyewitness told the BBC that police fired tear gas rounds "continuously and fast".
Witnesses say police were unnecessarily brutal - and that along with the clouds of stinging gas, officers were beating fans with batons.
EPA
The gas had an overwhelming effect - sparking a mass exodus. Fans fled down the field, heading towards the stadium's narrow exits. But with a crowd of thousands beating at each others' backs, and with many still suffering gas inhalation, it became a crush at the gates.
In the scrabble to get out, people punched and clawed holes in the wall to try and pull themselves free. The weight of people pushing against the iron gates left them bent outwards. In other places, the crush left some people dying by the changing rooms.
Huddled in the locker rooms, Silva said he and his teammates spent what felt like hours barricading themselves. They heard the roar of the crowd, the screams of distress in the corridors.
"People were desperate, they had seen people die and were trying to escape. We ended up letting in some of these people," he said.
It was, he said, a scenario more reminiscent "of destruction, of war... nothing to do with football".
EPA
"Fans died in the arms of players," Javier Roca, the Arema coach, told Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser. "I'm mentally shattered. I feel a heavy burden, even a heavy responsibility."
He added: "I think the police overstepped their mark."
The exact death toll is yet to be confirmed. Many fans are undergoing treatment, and some of those injured are reported have suffered brain injuries.
Police under scrutiny
Police have characterised what happened as a riot in which two officers also died. They've accused fans of attacking officers and damaging cars - the burnt-out wreckage of vehicles can be seen in photographs.
But anger against officials is rising: at vigils across the nation, protests have broken out calling for police to be held accountable. In the capital Jakarta, mourners chanted "Murderer! Murderer!" and taped signs reading "Kanjuruhan Massacre" to fences.
In Malang, anti-police messages have been graffitied on the Kanjuruhan stadium.
On Monday, Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, Indonesia's minister for political, legal and security affairs, said the government was asking police to "reveal the perpetrators involved in the crime".
He said a soldier had been seen in footage carrying out an unauthorised act, without specifying what it was.
Separately, the police have announced an investigation into 18 officers who were "holding the throwing weapons".
Reuters
Indonesia is known for violent flare-ups between rival football supporters. The country's police force also has a record of brutality - and has been criticised for frequently using tear gas, despite it being banned by Fifa, world football's governing body, as a crowd control measure.
"In many riots in football stadiums, police are accustomed to using tear gas - this is an abnormality that has been normalised," said Fajar Junaedi, a lecturer and football researcher at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
He noted a case in 2012, where a supporter died from being tear-gassed by police and there was no follow-up investigation.
Ms Puspita had earlier declined to answer the BBC's question on whether the police use of tear gas was a standard accepted procedure in the Liga.
She stressed the actions organisers had taken earlier in the year to help teams manage crowds, including security workshops for first league clubs and coordination with police.
"At this point, it is unfair to point fingers. This is something that's a black day for all of us - a tragic and devastating incident," she said.
Additional reporting by Raja Lumbanrau off BBC Indonesian
At least 125 Indonesian football fans were crushed to death after police fired tear gas to break up a pitch invasion in what appears to be the world’s worst stadium disaster for more than 50 years.
“Seventeen children died and seven were treated, but there is a possibility that could increase,” said an official from the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.
Authorities warned that the number of dead was likely to rise as people are still treated in hospital after fans of Arema FC ran for the exits of the Kanjuruhan stadium in the city of Malang. The initial death toll was recorded at 174 but Indonesian authorities lowered the number, saying that they counted some victims twice.
At least 174 people have died in a crush at a football stadium in Indonesia
Brazil's election is going into a second round in which left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
With almost all the votes counted, Lula had won 48% against Bolsonaro's 43% - a much closer result than opinion polls had suggested.
But Lula fell short of the more than 50% of valid votes needed to prevent a run-off.
Voters now have four weeks to decide which of the two should lead Brazil.
Winning outright in the first round was always going to be a tall order for any candidate - the last time it happened was 24 years ago.
But President Bolsonaro and Lula had given their supporters hope that they could achieve just that.
Both candidates can and will claim that this as a victory, though. Lula has already said that this is a "mere delay" on his way to the presidency.
For the 76-year-old former metal worker - who could not run in the 2018 election because he was in prison after being convicted on corruption charges which were later annulled - this spells a remarkable comeback.
And President Bolsonaro, whom opinion polls had shown trailing far behind Lula, will rejoice in the fact that he proved the pollsters wrong, just as he had predicted he would.
This is a drama which has been years in the making. The two men are arch-rivals and spent much of the campaign trading insults.
In the last TV debate before the vote, President Bolsonaro called Lula a thief, in reference to the corruption charges that put him in jail for 580 days before the conviction was annulled.
Lula, who has always maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated, has labelled Mr Bolsonaro a madman.
Not surprisingly, that tension has filtered down into the streets. During the nights before the vote, neighbours here in Rio could be heard shouting "Lula is a thief" and "Out with Bolsonaro" at each other.
Since the two candidates are such polar opposites, much is at stake.
EPA
Lula says he will bolster measures to protect the Amazon rainforest, while Mr Bolsonaro has argued that parts of the rainforest should be opened up to economic exploitation.
Deforestation and forest fires have soared during President Bolsonaro's time in office. Climate activists have warned that if he is re-elected, the area could reach a tipping point.
Critics point out that Lula's environmental record during his time in office - he governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010 - was far from perfect.
But with Mr Bolsonaro counting on the agricultural sector and agribusiness for votes and support, it is Lula who is the preferred choice of climate activists.
However, voters in Brazil have many other pressing concerns, such as rising food prices, which have contributed to an increase in poverty and hunger.
Mr Bolsonaro acknowledged these concerns in a statement after the results were out. "I understand that a lot of the vote was down to the situation the Brazilian people are in. They are feeling the price rises, especially those of basic goods. I do understand that there's a desire for change but some change can be for the worse," he warned.
Many voters also mentioned education and Brazil's high levels of inequality as issues they want the new president to tackle.
Much of the campaign, however, was overshadowed by concern that Mr Bolsonaro may not accept defeat after he had said that "only God" could remove him from office.
He had also cast doubts on Brazil's electronic voting system, alleging - without providing any evidence - that it was open to fraud.
With the result much more favourable to him than predicted, he is now likely to concentrate more on how to sway those voters who cast their ballot for one of the other nine candidates who were eliminated in the first round.
All eyes will now be on centrist Senator Simone Tebet, who came third in the election with 4%, and centre-left candidate Ciro Gomes, who came fourth with 3%. Both said that they would announce "in the coming days" who they would thrown their weight behind for the run-off.
Lula, who seems to thrive on overcoming obstacles, has already announced that "the fight continues until the final victory, that's our motto".
A top Iranian official has urged security forces to deal with protesters harshly as videos emerged of people running down a street while gunfire rang out.
Some of the most serious protests in the country for years have been taking place over the past two weeks following the death of Mahsa Amini.
The 22-year-old woman died after being detained by morality police for allegedly not adhering to the country's strict Islamic dress code, with her family claiming she was "tortured".
On Sunday, Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that protests over her death could destabilise the country.
He told politicians that unlike the current protests, which he said aimed to topple the government, previous demonstrations by teachers and retirees over pay were aimed at reforms.
"The important point of the (past) protests was that they were reform-seeking and not aimed at overthrowing" the system, Mr Qalibaf said.
"I ask all who have any (reasons to) protest not to allow their protest to turn into destabilising and toppling" of institutions, he added.
More on Iran
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During the parliamentary session, politicians chanted "thank you police" in a show of support for a crackdown on the widespread demonstrations.
Image:Mahsa Amini. Pic: Center for Human Rights in Iran
Gunfire, tear gas and at least '133 people killed'
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His comments came as Iranian security forces clashed with students who were protesting at a prominent university in the country's capital, Tehran.
Several videos have emerged of people running as gunfire rang out near Sharif University.
One clip showed security forces firing tear gas to drive the students off the campus, and the sound of what appeared to be shooting in the distance could be heard.
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0:53
Violent protests continue in Iran
Students had been protesting at numerous universities on Sunday and demonstrations were held in several cities such as Tehran, Yazd, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Shiraz and Mashhad, with participants chanting "independence, freedom, death to Khamenei", earlier social media posts showed.
Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, said that "so far 133 people had been killed across Iran", including more than 40 people it said died in clashes last week in Zahedan, capital of the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province.
Iranian authorities have not provided specific details of the number of people killed, but have said many members of the security forces have been killed by "rioters and thugs backed by foreign foes".
Image:A protester in Istanbul, Turkey, cuts her hair during a demonstration following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran
What happened to Mahsa Amini?
Ms Amini was arrested on 13 September for wearing her hijab too loosely, which is deemed as "unsuitable attire" under Iran's Islamic dress code.
She died three dates later in hospital after falling into a coma.
While details of her post-mortem have not been released, her family have said she was "tortured" and claims a report from the hospital shows she "suffered a concussion from a blow to the head".
Iranian police claim Ms Amini died of a heart attack and deny she was beaten to death in custody.
Independent experts affiliated with the United Nations say reports suggested she was severely beaten by the morality police, without offering evidence.
The country's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi has ordered an investigation into her death.
Brazilians on Sunday began voting for a new president after a long and bitter campaign, with polls showing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with a more than 10 percentage point advantage over incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
The campaign has at times been marred by violence, including the murder of three supporters of Lula’s leftwing Workers’ party and one backer of the rightwing Bolsonaro.
“For me, this election is about the hope for change,” said Valéria Conte Deldem, a 48-year-old from São Paulo who voted for Lula. “We had four years of horror, humiliation, the loss of rights for indigenous peoples and the burning of the [Amazon] forest. For me, it’s the hope of having a government that thinks about the working class.”
Two opinion polls released on Saturday night suggested the former president would receive 50 to 51 per cent of valid votes, versus 36 to 37 per cent for Bolsonaro.
If no candidate today receives more than 50 per cent of valid votes — those excluding blank and spoilt votes — the race will go to a runoff at the end of October.
“This is the most important election. We don’t want more discord. We want a country that lives in peace,” Lula said after voting on Sunday.
Polls indicate the third and fourth-placed candidates — leftwinger Ciro Gomes and centrist Simone Tebet — only have about 10 per cent support between them.
“There is a chance that Lula will win in the first round. It is a viable scenario. Lula entered the final stretch of the campaign with a level of votes historically above that of candidates in first place,” said Rafael Cortez, an analyst at consultancy Tendências.
“What will determine things is the voter turnout rate. Lower-income individuals tend to go to the polls less but Lula tends to have more support among this part of the electorate.”
Many Brazilians are voting for who they dislike least. Lula, who was president between 2003 and 2010 and left office with an approval rating above 80 per cent, has a rejection rate of about 40 per cent.
In the eyes of conservative voters, his involvement in the Lava Jato corruption scandal makes him unfit for the presidency. The former labour organiser served almost two years in prison for graft before his convictions were annulled by the Supreme Court. Other criminal cases were shelved or expired because of time limits.
Fabricio Farias arrived at the polls with his wife, both clad in the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag.
“This election will define the future of our country for the next 10 years. I want Bolsonaro to be re-elected because he defends God, country and family,” he said, adding he was confident the incumbent leader would win in the first round.
“It is easy to manipulate polling numbers for the masses. I prefer to follow my intuition and the data from the people. And the Bolsonaro rallies this year were large and cohesive.”
Yet Bolsonaro is scorned by much of the population and suffers from a rejection rate above 50 per cent. His at times authoritarian rhetoric and misogynistic language have irked many Brazilians. His government has also been involved in multiple controversies, notably its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which killed almost 700,000 Brazilians.
Beyond this, the president has unnerved voters by refusing to say whether he would unconditionally accept the result of the election.
The former army captain has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the country’s electronic voting machines, claiming they are vulnerable to fraud without providing evidence.
After voting on Sunday, the president again hinted at this, saying: “I am sure that in a clean election, we will win with at least 60 per cent of the vote.”
Critics fear Bolsonaro is trying to create a pretext to reject defeat. Opposition figures and political analysts are bracing for the possibility that Bolsonaro’s more radical base could take to the streets in protest if Lula wins.
“I expect we will have a second-round runoff and that Bolsonaro will use whatever it takes to keep himself in power, including contesting the results and trying a January 6 kind of riot,” said Thomas Traumann, a political analyst, referring to the attack on the US Capitol last year by supporters of Donald Trump, the defeated former president.
On Sunday morning there was a large police presence on the main avenues of São Paulo, but the city remained calm.
The presidential vote coincides with congressional and gubernatorial races. In addition to electing governors for the 27 states, Brazilians will vote for candidates for all 513 seats in the lower house of Congress and one-third of Senate seats.
Political analysts expect the left to make gains, but that Congress will continue to be dominated by centre and centre-right parties.
In particular, the Centrão, a loose bloc of lawmakers known for trading political support for budgetary resources to plough into their home constituencies, is expected to win big.
“For the most part, the Centrão will prevail. This is because they have such an unbelievable presence all over the country,” said Mario Marconini, managing director at Teneo. “But the Centrão will just attach itself to whoever has the power.”
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