A new law has come into effect in China which critics say is aimed at erasing minority groups.

The government calls it the law for “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” and says the legislation will strengthen social cohesion, for example by making Mandarin the language of education, official business and public spaces. But rights groups argue it’s designed to force groups such as Uyghurs and Tibetans to assimilate with the Han Chinese majority.

Amnesty International has warned the law will “further institutionalise… policies of forced assimilation”. The UN rights chief Volker Türk has called for the law to be repealed, saying it will restrict freedom of language, education and religion.

We ask BBC Monitoring’s China Media Analyst Kerry Allen about the powers this new law gives Beijing, why critics are concerned and whether it will expand China’s ability to target activists living abroad.

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The funeral procession for Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has begun its journey through Tehran.

Thousands of people have gathered in the Iranian capital, with crowds seen waving flags and holding up pictures of the late ayatollah.

Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than 35 years, was killed in US-Israeli air strikes in February – his funeral began on Friday, and events are planned over the coming week.

A fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran is currently holding while talks on a permanent peace deal continue – Axios quoted US President Donald Trump as saying that talks had been paused for events surrounding the funeral.

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The US military has conducted strikes on Iranian targets after President Donald Trump accused Iran of a “foolish violation” of its truce following an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said it had struck missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions on Friday, in response to a drone attack on a cargo ship on Thursday which halted a planned evacuation of sailors stuck in the region.

Tehran said the cargo ship was attacked because it was using an unauthorised route to transit through the Gulf waterway.

After the US strikes, Iran in turn accused the US of violating their interim deal and said it had struck targets linked to American forces.

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