Short news summary for Friday, September 2, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the second day of September 1397 moment by moment.
Latest news
22:53, 2.6.1397 - Cancellation of U.S. Secretary of State's Trip to North Korea Donald Trump, the President of the United States, canceled the trip of the U.S. Secretary of State to North Korea just one day after announcing it. Mr. Trump cited the lack of significant progress in negotiations with North Korea regarding the elimination of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula as the reason for his decision. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, was initially scheduled to travel to Pyongyang at the end of this week. However, despite the cancellation of Mr. Pompeo's trip to Pyongyang, the U.S. President expressed respect for Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, and stated that he hopes Mike Pompeo can visit the country at another time.
20:50, 2.6.1397 - Senator McCain Stops Cancer Treatment The family of Senator John McCain announced that he will no longer continue treatment for his brain cancer. John McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona who has been in Congress for three decades, revealed his illness last summer. However, his condition has worsened during this time. In a statement from Mr. McCain's family, it was mentioned that his treatment initially progressed beyond expectations, but the subsequent progression of the disease alongside his advancing age has been decisive. John McCain is considered a Vietnam War hero, a figure who was a prisoner of war for five years. He was a rival to Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, which he ultimately lost.
18:25, 2.6.1397 - Amnesty International Protests the Arrest of Farhad Mitha Amnesty International has called for the release of Farhad Mitha, a civil activist, and stated that the mandatory hijab laws in Iran should be abolished. The organization also expressed regret that this civil activist has been accused of "threatening national security" for wearing a badge that says "I protest against the mandatory hijab." According to the organization's statement, Farhad Mitha has faced various baseless security charges for supporting Iranian women's protests against the mandatory hijab. Farhad Mitha, a 48-year-old civil activist and doctor, was arrested on August 1 and has been on a hunger strike since then, according to his family.
15:28, 2.6.1397 - Prevention of Eid al-Adha Prayer in Several Sunni Mosques in Tehran The Sunni Online website, which covers news related to Iran's Sunni community, reported on Thursday, September 1, citing unnamed sources, that the Eid al-Adha prayer was prevented from being held by Sunnis in Tehran. The report stated: "Security forces on Wednesday, August 31, prevented the Eid al-Adha prayer from being held at the entrances of several Sunni mosques in Tehran, including Resalat, Yafteh Abad, Punak, and Khaleej Fars, among others." The website also wrote: "Tehran's security police summoned the officials of many Sunni mosques in Tehran on August 30 and told them they were not allowed to hold the Eid al-Adha prayer." No prominent figures from Iran's Sunni community have yet reacted to this news.
15:20, 2.6.1397 - Ukraine's Progress Towards NATO Membership John Bolton, National Security Advisor to Donald Trump, who is visiting Ukraine in Kyiv, announced on Friday the "progress" of this country towards NATO membership. According to Reuters, Mr. Bolton added, however, that Ukraine still has a long way to go and "must work harder." Russia, under Vladimir Putin's leadership, strongly opposes NATO's approach to its western borders, including Ukraine.
13:14, 2.6.1397 - Increasing Threat of Tropical Diseases in Europe Health experts have warned of the "increasing threat" of tropical diseases spreading in Europe as the climate warms. According to The Guardian, with rising temperatures due to climate change, diseases that are transmitted by travelers are becoming easier to spread, and Europe is now facing an increasing threat of these diseases. Following the recent heatwave, infections caused by the West Nile virus in Europe have sharply increased compared to four years ago. Statistics show that by the middle of this month, 400 cases of this disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, have been reported in Europe, of which 22 have resulted in death.
13:05, 2.6.1397 - Iran's Statistical Center Reports August Inflation at 9.7% Iran's Statistical Center announced on Friday that the inflation rate for August was 9.7%, indicating a one percent increase compared to the previous month. According to the Mehr news agency, the twelve-month inflation rate ending in August 1397 increased by one percent to 9.7%. The report also stated that the year-on-year inflation rate for food, beverages, and tobacco was reported at 12.1%. Furthermore, in August, the percentage change in the overall index compared to the same month last year was reported at 19.3%, meaning that households in the country spent, on average, 19.3% more than in August 1396 for a "set of identical goods and services."
12:58, 2.6.1397 - Earthquake over 7 Magnitude Shakes Parts of Peru On Friday, an earthquake measuring seven on the Richter scale shook parts of Peru. According to Reuters, the earthquake occurred 248 kilometers northwest of Puerto Maldonado in Peru. No reports of casualties from this earthquake have been received yet.
12:55, 2.6.1397 - Invitation to Iran, Russia, and Turkey for Syria Meeting Next Month The UN Special Envoy for Syria invited Iran, Russia, and Turkey on Friday to participate in the "Syrian Constitutional Committee" meeting scheduled for next month. Reuters reported on Friday, citing a UN spokesperson, that the constitutional committee meeting is set to take place on September 11 and 12 in Geneva, Switzerland. It is expected that following negotiations to form a new constitutional committee for Syria, UN negotiations involving several countries, including the U.S., will be held regarding Syria. The UN spokesperson did not mention the date of these upcoming negotiations.
11:53, 2.6.1397 - Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff to Appear in Court on Saturday Fars news agency reported on Friday that Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the chief of staff to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will appear in court on Saturday. According to Mr. Mashaei's lawyer, his first charge is "conspiracy and participation against the internal and external security of the country," which is due to his act of burning a judicial order of Mr. Baqai in front of the British Embassy. Meanwhile, an audio file of a conversation between Mr. Mashaei and Mr. Ahmadinejad has been circulated online, in which Ahmadinejad's deputy states that he will not attend the court.