2020-09-22: News Headlines

MEE staff (2020-09-22). Palestine renounces Arab League Council chair to protest Israel normalisation. middleeasteye.net Palestine renounces Arab League Council chair to protest Israel normalisation | Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki says Palestine has been subjected to 'pressure and blackmail' at the Arab League following the normalisation deal between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel | Tue, 09/22/2020 – 11: 54 | Protesters gathered in Gaza outside a Unesco building on 15 September to denounce the normalisation deals (MEE/Mohammed a…

news.un (2020-09-22). Violence leaves more than 300,000 'completely reliant' on assistance in northern Mozambique. news.un.org Worsening conflict, combined with a precarious humanitarian situation, has forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and villages in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, leaving them completely reliant on humanitarian assistance, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has said.

Liberation Staff (2020-09-22). Socialist Party of Zambia calls for solidarity with Denver victims of state repression. liberationnews.org The Socialist Party Zambia has called upon the United States government to without delay address all forms of structural aggression against the anti-racist protesters.

MEE and agencies (2020-09-22). Palestinian security forces arrest supporters of Abbas rival Dahlan. middleeasteye.net Palestinian security forces arrest supporters of Abbas rival Dahlan | Move follows widespread speculation that exiled Palestinian leader played a role in normalisation deal with UAE | Tue, 09/22/2020 – 07: 54 | Dahlan has lived in the UAE since being driven out of the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2011 | Palestinian security forces arrested more than half a dozen supporters of an exiled Pa…

yenisafak (2020-09-22). Palestine refuses to chair Arab League over Muslim states' deals with Israel. yenisafak.com Palestine on Tuesday relinquished its right to take the rotating presidency of the Arab League in protest of recent deals to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel. | "This decision was taken after the Arab League Secretariat took a supporting position to the UAE and Bahrain, which normalized their relations with Israel in violation of the Arab Peace Initiative," Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told a press conference in Ramallah. | "Some influential Arab states refused to condemn the violation of the Arab Peace initiative," he said. | Al-Maliki, however, stressed that Pa…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-22). Algeria to hold early legislative elections following November referendum. peoplesdispatch.org As per the proposed amendments to the constitution, the president will have to appoint as prime minister the leader of the party with the majority of seats in parliament…

yenisafak (2020-09-22). ANALYSIS: What do the Abraham Accords entail for the Middle East and North Africa? yenisafak.com After the normalization ceremony in Washington on Sept. 15, where Israel officially established full diplomatic relations with both Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United States and some commentators labelled this as a sign of Middle East peace. Other observers meanwhile suggested that a new front against Iran and Turkey was being established.Much of this coverage, however, misses their developing relations, under the surface, for several years, and how the agreement will advance Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv's geopolitical cooperation.While the UAE's initial acceptance of normalization on Aug. 14 was un…

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-09-21). Arabic press review: Kuwait renews its rejection of normalisation with Israel. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Kuwait renews its rejection of normalisation with Israel | Meanwhile, UAE rabbi blows a shofar to mark Jewish new year in Dubai, and Lebanon faces severe shortages of essential medicine | Mon, 09/21/2020 – 14: 08 | Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim speaks inside the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Kuwait City on 15 May 2018 to protest against the US decis…

Julian Pecquet (2020-09-21). Algeria probes lobbying deal between jailed businessman and firm linked to Trump. middleeasteye.net Algeria probes lobbying deal between jailed businessman and firm linked to Trump | Ali Haddad hired the services of the Sonoran Policy Group in July, a month after he was sentenced to 18 years on corruption charges | Mon, 09/21/2020 – 21: 19 | Ali Haddad is the founder and CEO of construction firm ETRHB (Road, Hydraulic and Building Works Company in English (AFP/File photo) | Authorities in Alge…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-21). Egypt: Villages witness limited anti-Sisi protests amid fears of crackdown. middleeasteye.net Egypt: Villages witness limited anti-Sisi protests amid fears of crackdown | Only a few dozen Egyptians took part in demonstrations on Sunday to commemorate last year's 20 September anti-corruption protests | Mon, 09/21/2020 – 11: 11 | Egyptian security forces intensified their presence in major squares in the capital on Sunday (File/AFP) | Dozens of Egyptians took part in small anti-go…

MEE staff (2020-09-21). Australian-Egyptian man jailed in Egypt for liking a Facebook post. middleeasteye.net Australian-Egyptian man jailed in Egypt for liking a Facebook post | Waled Youssef was visiting his sick mother in Egypt when he was arrested in January, lawyers and family said | Mon, 09/21/2020 – 13: 45 | 'Get Waled Home' is a petition launched by Waled Youssef's supporters to call on the Australian government to secure his release from Cairo's notorious Tora prison (Change.org) | An Egyptian man from Sydney…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-21). Anti-government protests in Egypt mark anniversary of landmark agitation. peoplesdispatch.org Hundreds of protesters came out in different cities of Egypt denouncing president Sisi's regime despite a pre-emptive crackdown by the government. These come a year after similar massive protests…

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-09-21). Sentencing of prominent artists by Sudanese court causes uproar. peoplesdispatch.org Five out of the 11 artists who were physically attacked by an Islamist mob, were sentenced to two months imprisonment and a fine of USD 90 on September 17…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-21). 61 French MPs denounce alliance of UAE, Bahrain with zionists. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 21 (MNA) — On Monday, 61 French parliamentarians condemned the Emirati and Bahraini normalization agreements with the Israeli regime.

yenisafak (2020-09-21). 77% conflict-hit people lost income amid virus: Study. yenisafak.com The Norwegian Refugee Council's report — titled Downward Spiral: the economic impact of Covid-19 on refugees and displaced people — said a survey was conducted in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Uganda and Venezuela and additional research in Somalia, DR Congo, Lebanon, Jordan, Burkina Faso and Yemen."The devastating economic impact is tipping many into a hunger, homelessness and education crisis," it said.According to the findings from the 1,413 people surveyed, 77% of people had lost a job or income from work since March, 70% of people had to cut the number of meals for their househ…

yenisafak (2020-09-21). Turkey will keep supporting Libya's GNA despite Sarraj plan to quit. yenisafak.com Turkey's agreements and cooperation with Libya's internationally recognised government will continue despite Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj's desire to quit, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin was quoted as saying on Monday.In June, Turkish military support helped Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) repel an assault on Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which is supported by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey was upset by Sarraj's announcement that he planned to quit, but Kalin said Turkish support for the GNA and their…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Egypt discovers 14 ancient coffins at Saqqara. middleeasteye.net Egypt discovers 14 ancient coffins at Saqqara | The discovery follows the uncovering of 13 wooden sarcophagi in the same burial spot earlier this month | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 16: 20 | New archaeological finds are common in Egypt, a country whose ancient heritage dates back several millennia (AFP) | Egypt's antiquities ministry announced on Sunday the discovery of 14 coffins in the Saqqara are…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Abu Dhabi meeting could lead to Israeli-Sudanese normalisation: Report. middleeasteye.net Abu Dhabi meeting could lead to Israeli-Sudanese normalisation: Report | Sudan delegation will also request Washington remove Khartoum from its state sponsors of terror list | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 21: 25 | Sudan's ruling council said its head, General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, pictured, and Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari would be in the delegation (AFP) | US, Emirati and Sudanese official…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Sudanese officials to meet US delegation in Abu Dhabi. middleeasteye.net Sudanese officials to meet US delegation in Abu Dhabi | Meeting will seek to see Washington remove Sudan from its state sponsors of terror list and the writing off of the country's debts to the US | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 21: 25 | Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is under pressure to fix his country's economic crisis (AFP) | Sudanese officials will discuss the removal of their country fro…

Abdul Rahman (2020-09-20). With Abraham Accords, US and Israel seek to consolidate hegemony in the region. peoplesdispatch.org The United States and Israel are the only true winners of the recent Abraham Accords where the UAE and Bahrain normalized ties with the latter. The cause of the Palestinians has once again been abandoned…

_____ (2020-09-20). Celebrating the Least Corrupt Country: Rwanda. strategic-culture.org Probably the most objective international ranking of countries according to the extent of their corruption is the annual Gallup World Poll, in which 1,000 or more individuals in each of over a hundred countries are scientifically randomly sampled and asked "Is corruption widespread throughout the government in" their country "or not?" Only the survey that was published in 2013 is available complete online. Rwanda scored as being by far the least-corrupt country. Two years later, incomplete results were shown in Gallup's 2015 poll-report, but Rwanda wasn't among the countries which were included in that report. Ho…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Turkish athletes dominate Istanbul Half Marathon. yenisafak.com Atac finished 21 km (13 miles) run in 1 hour, 3 minutes and 16 seconds in the men's category, while Demir completed the same distance in 1 hour, 13 minutes and 17 seconds in the women's race.Spain's Adel Mechaal, trailed 0.9 seconds behind Atac, and Benard Cheruiyot Sang from Kenya came third, 35 seconds behind the leader in the men's race.In the women's category, Kenyan athlete Daisy Jepto Kimeli came second, covering the distance 12 seconds later. She was followed by Turkish runner Esma Aydemir who finished in 1 hour, 15 minutes and 40 seconds.Atac told Anadolu Agency that Turkish athletes should be valued. "Th…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Uganda: Fire engulfs top university campus. yenisafak.com A fire on Sunday engulfed the campus of one of Africa's top universities in Uganda's capital Kampala."The fire brigade is on ground. Everyone is trying their best. The fire is heavy and sprouting from the right side of the Building. The fire flames are heavy coming through right side of the roof which has sunk in. We all need to pray for the Ivory Tower," said the Makerere University in a Facebook post.The cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed."It is a very dark morning for Makerere University. Our iconic Main Administration Building caught fire and the destruction is unbelievable. But we are determined to res…

The Canary (2020-09-19). 'You will see another angle of life here' — stories from refugees in Calais. thecanary.co Video project 'People of Calais' tells stories of refugees in northern France waiting to come to the UK | By | Mohamed is talented a writer, poet and rapper. He lives in desperate conditions in Calais, waiting to cross to the UK. He is one of thousands of refugees who have travelled from war-torn countries and settled in northern France."You will see another angle of life here," the 34-year-old says in a new video.Mohamed fled Sudan after being arrested for political writings. He travelled to Slovenia, where he was imprisoned, stripped and beat…

RT (2020-09-19). Two asteroids set to cross Earth's orbit just hours apart as another Great Pyramid-sized space rock barrels our way. rt.com Two 100-meter-wide asteroids are set to cross Earth's orbit within hours of each other in the coming days as another space rock, the size of ancient Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, careens towards our planet. | NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies, which tracks asteroids and comets that will come close to Earth, has confirmed that it is monitoring two asteroids that are due to hurtle past on Friday, September 25. Both bodies are classed as Apollo asteroids, meaning they will cross Earth's orbit as they fly through space. | The first asteroid, which is named 2020 RO, is estimated to be up to 130 meters wi…

news.un (2020-09-19). Survival of wildlife reserves under threat in Namibia. news.un.org After six months of lockdown, the Namibian government ended travel restrictions and curfews on Friday, in light of a drop in new COVID-19 cases. But Namibia's economy, which depends heavily on wildlife tourism, has taken a major hit during the period, and the future of the country's wildlife reserves, otherwise known as conservancies, is far from certain.

Geoff Watts (2020-09-19). [Obituary] Peter Nicholas Kazembe. thelancet.com Influential paediatrician in Malawi. He was born in Nkhotakota, Malawi, on Aug 28, 1954, and died of cholangiocarcinoma in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug 11, 2020, aged 65 years.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Seminary students condemn betrayal of regional Arab rulers. en.mehrnews.com HAMEDAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — Seminary students in Hamedan province protested against the betrayal of Arab rulers in the UAE and Bahrain to the Palestinian cause via normalizing ties with the Zionist regime.

yenisafak (2020-09-19). Taiwan travellers take sightseeing 'flight to nowhere'. yenisafak.com A Taiwanese airline carried around 120 passengers on a "flight to nowhere" on Saturday to view the South Korean resort island of Jeju, before flying straight back home, the latest gimmick to give people a glimpse of normality during the COVID-19 pandemic.Tough border restrictions to keep the coronavirus under control have led to a 97.5% plunge in international travel in the region, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.Many frequent flyers miss getting on planes and airlines including Taiwan's EVA Airways Corp and Japan's ANA Holdings Inc, desperate for revenue and to keep their pilots' licences c…

Rayhan Uddin (2020-09-18). Sudan filmmaker Hajooj Kuka one of five artists jailed in Khartoum. middleeasteye.net Sudan filmmaker Hajooj Kuka one of five artists jailed in Khartoum | Authorities accused of 'criminalising artists' after group rehearsing play sentenced to two months and fined for causing a public nuisance | Fri, 09/18/2020 – 14: 02 | Filmmaker Hajooj Kuka, one of the sentenced artists, won the People's Choice Award at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival (AFP) | Five Sudanese artists, including an intern…

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-09-18). Arabic press review: Egypt cracks down ahead of planned protests. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egypt cracks down ahead of planned protests | Meanwhile, a senior Kuwaiti official claims the Gulf crisis will be resolved soon
| Fri, 09/18/2020 – 12: 41 | Egyptian security forces have intensified measures near Tahrir Square in Cairo in an efforts to prevent protests planned for 20 September (AFP/file photo) | Security alert in Egypt for fear of popular unrest

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-18). VIDEO:Bahrainis protest on normalizing tie with Israel regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 18 (MNA) — People in Bahrain demonstrated on Thursday night and announced their strong opposition against normalization of ties between Bahrain and Zionist regime.

yenisafak (2020-09-18). Afghanistan, Tajikistan agree to enhance ties. yenisafak.com Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the former Soviet republic in Central Asia, have agreed to enhance security, political and cultural ties, said an official statement on Friday.During his trip to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Afganistan's Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said. It added the president of Tajikistan expressed support for the Afghan peace process and assured Kabul of Dushanbe's support.The two sides also discussed the implementation of infrastructure projects, trade and transit development, energy transfer and the fi…