2020-09-29: News Headlines

news.un (2020-09-29). Flooding leaves South Sudan facing threat of 'catastrophic' hunger levels. news.un.org Torrential rains and flooding across South Sudan have created the threat of "catastrophic" levels of hunger and left hundreds of thousands homeless, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

sputniknews (2020-09-29). Minneapolis Police Open Probe Into Reports Ilhan Omar's Allies Harvested Piles of Ballots for Money. sputniknews.com Undercover videos published by Project Veritas over the weekend allege, citing a Somali political operative, that special ballot harvesters were hired in the community in July for the Democrats to take advantage of elderly and other vulnerable community members. The politicians named in the allegations have denied them.

Suddaf Chaudry (2020-09-29). Is Pakistan ready to recognise Israel? middleeasteye.net Is Pakistan ready to recognise Israel? | Despite the pivotal role played by its close ally Saudi Arabia in the normalisation accords, any prospect of recognising Israel is seen as highly controversial | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 10: 17 | Israeli and US flags are burned during an anti-normalisation protest in Pakistan's port city of Karachi (AFP) | With a number of Gulf Arab countries, including the Unit…

West Africa Newswire (2020-09-29). Socialists in Ghana honored liberation leader Kwame Nkrumah on Founder's Day. peoplesdispatch.org The Socialist Forum of Ghana celebrated the life and achievements of Ghana's national liberation leader Kwame Nkrumah despite ongoing efforts by the ruling elites to discredit his contributions…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-29). Public healthcare strikes continue in Kenya as workers demand their rights. peoplesdispatch.org Doctors and nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi have downed tools. Meanwhile, the strike by medics in Embu county's government hospitals was called off after the government committed to a timeline to address their grievances…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-29). One year of anti-government protests in Egypt. peoplesdispatch.org While corruption was the central issue for the protests last year, this time around people are also protesting spiralling inflation, frequent demolition of houses and the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic…

news.un (2020-09-29). UAE expresses hopes for Middle East peace talks following 'historic' accord with Israel. news.un.org The historic agreement normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should boost efforts towards achieving regional peace and a brighter future for generations to come, the UAE's Foreign Affairs Minister told the UN General Assembly in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Tuesday.

yenisafak (2020-09-29). COVID-19 continues to claim more lives in Arab region. yenisafak.com Health authorities in four Arab countries confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday. | In a statement, the Tunisian Health Ministry said 32 people died from COVID-19, while 1,291 others tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours. | Tunisia's tally now rose to 17,405 confirmed cases, including 246 deaths. | In Oman, the Health Ministry confirmed 11 fatalities and 528 infections, taking the Gulf state's count to 98,585, including 935 deaths, and 88,528 recoveries. | In the United Arab Emirates, the country's nationwide death toll rose to 416 after three people lost their l…

yenisafak (2020-09-28). Hamas in contact with Egypt to secure injured fisherman. yenisafak.com The Hamas group said on Sunday it is in contact with the Egyptian authorities to secure the return of a wounded Palestinian fisherman whose two brothers were killed by Egypt's navy on Friday.In a phone call with the family of the killed fishermen, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh offered his group's condolences and confirmed the group is in contact with Egypt to secure the return of the third brother.On Sunday, thousands of Palestinians in the Deir al-Balah city, central Gaza, mourned the death of two brothers Hasan and Mahmoud al-Zazoua who were fishing along with their third brother when their small fishing boat came…

MEE staff (2020-09-28). Palestinians should be 'happy' about normalisation, says UAE's al-Otaiba. middleeasteye.net Palestinians should be 'happy' about normalisation, says UAE's al-Otaiba | Abu Dhabi's ambassador to Washington lashed out at the Palestinians for not celebrating normalisation with Israel | Mon, 09/28/2020 – 17: 50 | Yousef al-Otaiba claimed that the UAE-Israeli agreement halted Israel's plan to annex up to 30 percent of the occupied West Bank (AFP/File photo) | The UAE ambassador to the US has said that Pale…

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-09-28). Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia 'planned' to occupy Qatar, minister claims. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia 'planned' to occupy Qatar, minister claims | Meanwhile, Algeria sentences activist for his role in toppling Bouteflika, $106bn smuggled out of Yemen during the war and 100,000 Jordanian restaurant staff out of work because of coronavirus | Mon, 09/28/2020 – 14: 50 | Years of civil war have led to billions of dollars being smuggled out of Yemen, Al-Araby Al-Jadee…

RT (2020-09-28). Turkey hiring Syrian rebels to fight Armenians for Azerbaijan, Guardian claims, as Baku calls reports on mercenaries 'nonsense'. rt.com In an echo of events in Libya, rebels from Syria's Idlib province are being recruited by Turkey to fight for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, The Guardian has reported, citing several militants. | Idlib is Syria's northwestern province, and the last bastion of the Turkish-backed militants who once hoped to effect regime change in Damascus. It is there the recruitment drive for Azerbaijan began a month ago, three rebels told the Guardian's correspondent Bethan McKernan. Her story was published on Monday evening. | Two brothers from Azaz said they had been summoned to a camp in Afri…

RT (2020-09-28). Turkey hiring Syrian rebels to fight Armenians for Azerbaijan, Guardian claims as Baku calls mercenary reports 'nonsense'. rt.com Rebels from Syria's Idlib province are being recruited by Turkey to fight in Azerbaijan's conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, just as it has done in Libya, the Guardian reported citing several of the militants. | Idlib is Syria's northwestern province, and the last bastion of the Turkish-backed militants once hoping to effect regime change in Damascus. It is there the recruitment drive for Azerbaijan began a month ago, three rebels told the Guardian's Bethan McKernan. Two brothers from Azaz said they had been summoned to a camp in Afrin on September 13 and told by a commander in the Sultan Murad Divis…

RT (2020-09-28). Over 5,000 Russians have taken world's first Covid-19 vaccine, none have reported serious side effects. rt.com Trials of Russia's Sputnik V, the world's first registered vaccine against Covid-19, are going well, and giving hope of a return to normality. That's according to a statement from the ministry of health in Moscow. | More than 5,000 volunteers have received the formula, and there have been no severe side effects,officials announced on Monday. Trials are currently in the third, and final, stage. | "To date, more than 5,000 citizens have been vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine,"

teleSUR (2020-09-28). Pompeo Phones Egypt's FM to Discuss on Libya, Palestine. telesurenglish.net Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received on Sunday a phone call from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during which they discussed regional issues including the Libyan crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | RELATED: | Shoukry and Pompeo discussed "the latest developments on the Libyan arena and the efforts made to stabilize the cease-fire" that was reached between Libyan rival parties, said Egyptian F…

Elijah Magnier (2020-09-28). Russia and Iran in Syria; Iran prepares a move on the Israeli borders. thealtworld.com There has been a lot of talk about a Russian-Iranian conflict of interest in Syria and the differences of priorities, goals, and about the deployment of the Iranian forces in different Syrian provinces, in particular in the south of Syria bordering the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. In reality, there are organised disagreements which the various players have accepted without this necessarily affecting their primary objectives. However, Iran seems to have decided to take more escalatory steps in Syria that are expected to cause concern in Israel. This step follows the normalisation of the Emirates and Bahrein rel…

news.un (2020-09-28). Rights experts denounce death sentence against Nigerian singer who posted on WhatsApp. news.un.org Independent UN human rights experts have called on the Government of Nigeria to immediately release a singer sentenced to death over an allegedly blasphemous song he performed and shared on social media.

Sumbul Ali-Karamali (2020-09-28). The True Meaning of Shariah. progressive.org Understanding the basics of shariah is essential to evaluating political trends, debunking defamatory anti-Muslim rhetoric, and invalidating the positions of Muslim terrorists.

Adeyinka Makinde (2020-09-28). History: Nasser and Black Africa. globalresearch.ca President Gamal Nasser (1918-1970), the Egyptian leader who as a young army colonel led the Free Officers Movement that overthrew King Farouk, was not only a force for Pan-Arabism, he was also a believer in African unity in which sphere …

_____ (2020-09-27). RIP Andre Vltchek: 'Western Imperialism Is World's Biggest Problem'. popularresistance.org André traveled relentlessly from one battle field to another, from one conflict zone to a war zone. He exposed innumerable atrocities committed around the world, mostly by western powers. He never wavered from revealing the truth. From Afghanistan to Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan to Argentina, Chile, Peru to Hong Kong, to Xinjiang, the Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China — André was there.

yenisafak (2020-09-27). Egypt reopens Gaza terminal for stranded Palestinians. yenisafak.com Egyptian authorities on Sunday reopened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip in both directions, the Palestinian Interior Ministry said.The Hamas-run ministry said the border terminal will remain open for three days to allow Palestinian travelers to leave Gaza and let Palestinians stranded in Egypt to return back to the territory.This is the second time for the Egyptian authorities to reopen the Rafah crossing since the coronavirus outbreak in March.According to the Palestinian health authorities, travelers arriving in Gaza will enter an obligatory quarantine for a period of 21 days.The Gaza Strip has recorded…

MEE staff (2020-09-27). Emirati poet says banned from travel over anti-normalisation stance. middleeasteye.net Emirati poet says banned from travel over anti-normalisation stance | Poet Dhabiya Khamis says she was barred from leaving Dubai International Airport following 'position against Zionists' | Sun, 09/27/2020 – 15: 23 | The flags of Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain projected on Jerusalem's Old City ramparts on 15 September 2020 in support of the recent normalisation deals (AFP/file photo) | Emirati poet…

_____ (2020-09-27). October 1: International Day Of Action On AFRICOM. popularresistance.org October 1, 2020 is the 12th anniversary of the launch of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), a command structure with bases that are now in dozens of African nations. Yet, the existence of AFRICOM has escaped the awareness of not only the general public in the United States and the world. When four U.S. soldiers were killed in the small African nation of Niger, even members of the U.S. Congress were unaware of the U.S. military's presence in the country and the extent of the U.S. military presence throughout Africa.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-27). 1 killed, hundreds arrested in anti-government protests in Egypt. peoplesdispatch.org The Day of Rage protests on September 25 saw thousands taking to the streets. Massive protests took place in Egypt over the week on the anniversary of similar protests in 2019…

Richard Falk (2020-09-27). UAE/Bahrain Normalization: Peace or Geopolitics? zcomm.org I think the willingness to endorse these normalization agreements in the White House setting was a dramatic expression of identification with Trump's regional diplomacy in the Middle East and a formalized repudiation of Palestinian aspirations for a sustainable peace…

yenisafak (2020-09-27). UAE poet barred from travel for rejecting Israel deal. yenisafak.com A prominent Emirati poet said Sunday she was barred from travel over her opposition to her country's decision to normalize relations with Israel.Dhabiya Khamis said she was banned from boarding a Cairo-bound flight from the Dubai Airport."The ban is probably because of my announced opinion against Zionism and normalization," she said on her social media accounts."I fear for my freedom and life from being threatened and arrested," she said.Several writers and poets have expressed support and solidarity with Khamis after being banned from travel.The female poet has earned the ire of the Emirati authorities after sh…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-26). Egypt: At least one protester killed in anti-Sisi protests, hundreds detained. middleeasteye.net Egypt: At least one protester killed in anti-Sisi protests, hundreds detained | Thousands took part in 'day of rage' protests on Friday calling on President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to step down | Sat, 09/26/2020 – 12: 01 | In this file photo, taken on 25 April 2016, Egyptian riot police fire teargas towards protesters as they demonstrate in Cairo (AFP) | Egyptian security forces killed at…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Hamas deal to counter US-Israeli plots: Fatah. yenisafak.com Palestinian group Fatah said Saturday its deal with rival Hamas group aims to counter US-Israeli plots against the Palestinian cause."The agreement is part of efforts to unify the Palestinian position in order to abort the passage of US-Israeli plots," Fatah deputy leader Mahmoud al-Aloul told the official Voice of Palestine Radio.He said the Fatah-Hamas deal also aims to "confront moves by some Arab countries to normalize their relations with the [Israeli] occupation state".The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed US-sponsored deals earlier this month to normalize their relations with Israel.Palestinia…

teleSUR, ce (2020-09-26). International Peace Forum Opposes US-Led New Cold War on China. telesurenglish.net Peace activists from China, the US, Britain, South Africa, India, Morocco, Bolivia and Belgium have come together for an international forum to discuss the US-led New Cold War and how to oppose it. | RELATED: | The event, organized by the No Cold War campaign, was chaired by Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental Institute and Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. | Deputy General Se…

news.un (2020-09-26). Sudan ready to return to international role but first needs support, Prime Minister says. news.un.org Sudan is eager to again contribute to the international community but will need assistance as it works to revitalize its tattered economy, Prime Minister Abdalla Adam Hamdok told the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

_____ (2020-09-26). Venezuela: From 'Magical Realism' To Parliamentary Elections. popularresistance.org Elliott Abrams, White House Special Envoy for Venezuela, recently referred to [far right politician] Maria Corina Machado's foreign intervention appeals as "unwise" and "magical realism." In so doing he made the US military intervention scenario less likely, at least for now, and he unwillingly left the electoral route as the only politically viable option. Meanwhile, Abrams himself has been pushing to escalate the blockade which has now generated a critical fuel shortage situation, with all its implications in terms of food supply and healthcare.

sputniknews (2020-09-26). Don't Take or Promote Drugs: B-Town Filmmaker Karan Johar Slams Malicious Campaign, Netizens React. sputniknews.com Filmmaker Karan Johar's 30-second video, posted by him in July 2019 about his alleged drug party, is going viral. The clip is being investigated in relation with an ongoing probe of B-town's drug world. Former Delhi legislator Manjinder Singh Sirsa filed a police complaint on 15 September over an alleged 'drug party' at Karan's Mumbai house.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Normalization deals 'tool' to undermine Islam: Scholar. yenisafak.com A top Muslim scholar has linked recent normalization deals between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel to a campaign aimed at undermining Islam and monopolizing the Islamic countries.Ali al-Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said there are many tools being used to "uproot Islam and reoccupy Muslims intellectually, socially, economically and politically"."One of these tools is through creating a new religion under the beautiful name of 'Abraham's faith'," al-Qaradaghi said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "[This claim] does not have anything to do…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Turkey condemns Boko Haram terror attack in Nigeria. yenisafak.com Turkey on Saturday condemned a deadly attack by the Boko Haram terror group in Nigeria that claimed over a dozen lives."We are deeply saddened to receive the news that many people lost their lives in a terrorist attack that took place in Baga region of Nigeria targeting the convoy of Borno Governor," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We condemn this heinous terrorist attack. We convey our sincere condolences to the people and Government of Nigeria, wish Allah's mercy upon those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the injured," it added.At least 15 people were killed on Friday as the Boko Ha…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). COVID 19 Updates: US Cases Surpass 7 Million. telesurenglish.net The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. | – – – – | RABAT — Morocco announced on Friday 2,423 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally in the North African country since March 2 to 112,522. | The number of recoveries from coronavirus in Morocco increased to 91,932 after 1,746 more were added, while the death toll rose by 42 to 1,998, the ministry of health said in a statement. | – – – – | RAMALLAH — The Palestinian health ministry on Friday reported 452 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths from the virus in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. | In a pres…

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Egyptian navy arrests 3 Palestinian fishermen. yenisafak.com The Egyptian navy on Friday arrested three Palestinian fishermen after they allegedly crossed into the Egyptian territorial waters, a local union said.According to Nizar Ayyash, head of Gaza's fishermen union, the Egyptian navy followed the fishermen's boat and opened fire on them after crossing into the Egyptian waters and arrested them.Ayyash added that the three fishermen are from the same family and live in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.He, however, said no information is available about their situation under custody.The authorities in Gaza and Egypt are yet to comment on the incident.According to the…

news.un (2020-09-25). CAR President calls for better representation of Africa on the Security Council. news.un.org Central African Republic, like nearly every nation on the planet, has not been spared by the COVID-19 pandemic, with indictors predicting a contraction by up to 1.2 of the country's economic growth, President Faustin Archange Touadera said on Thursday, calling on world leaders to unite against the virus.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-25). South African trade unionists stand in solidarity with Zimbabwean people's struggle against govt. peoplesdispatch.org Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and their allies hailed the struggle of the people of Zimbabwe people against the increasingly oppressive rule of president Emmerson Mnangagwa…

news.un (2020-09-25). At UN Assembly, President of Burundi rejects diplomatic aggression against his country. news.un.org The "indiscriminate consequences" of the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the importance of multilateralism and how the world handles global challenges and contradictions, the President of Burundi told world leaders gathered virtually for the UN General Assembly.