News Summary for Thursday, September 20

Short news summary for Thursday, September 20, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the twenty-ninth day of Shahrivar 97 here moment by moment. Over 40 people were killed in Lake Victoria. The Tanzanian government announced that more than 40 people lost their lives due to the sinking of a vessel in southern Lake Victoria. Zahra Rahnavard urged Farhad Moshimi, who has been on hunger strike for over 50 days, to end his strike. In her message, she expressed solidarity with him and requested him to stop his hunger strike to inspire freedom seekers and rights advocates. Earlier, Farhad Moshimi's mother expressed concern about her son's deteriorating health in Evin prison and called for his immediate transfer to a hospital. Farhad Moshimi was arrested on July 30 for having a badge stating 'I do not agree with compulsory hijab.' One person was killed in a storm in Golestan. Mohammad Ali Harvi, the CEO of the Red Crescent Society of Golestan Province, reported that the storm left one dead and caused damage to several homes in various villages. The U.S. is reportedly applying daily pressure on German companies to comply with sanctions against Iran. U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell claimed to have reached an agreement with Volkswagen regarding sanctions enforcement, although the company did not confirm this. The EU warned Facebook to comply with its regulations by the end of the year or face penalties. The EU's Justice Commissioner expressed frustration with Facebook's compliance efforts. A shooting in Maryland, USA, left three dead, with local authorities advising residents to avoid the area. Both Iran and the U.S. criticized OPEC as the monitoring committee prepares for a meeting in Algeria. Donald Trump tweeted that Middle Eastern countries should lower oil prices, while Iran's Oil Minister criticized some OPEC members for exceeding their production quotas. Hamid Baidi-Nejad, Iran's ambassador to London, criticized the UK for warning dual nationals about travel to Iran, stating that dual nationality is not a crime in Iran. Finally, Seyed Ahmad Jelodarzadeh, a member of the Social Commission of Parliament, commented on road fatalities in Iran, suggesting that if as much attention were given to road safety as to hijab enforcement, there would be fewer accidents. A fire in the Miankaleh protected area destroyed 50 hectares of vegetation, marking the sixth suspicious fire in the area this year.