Syria’s war: Iran’s Zarif calls for Idlib to be ‘cleaned out’

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, has said that armed groups must be “cleaned out” of Syria‘s northwestern province of Idlib, according to Iranian media.

Zarif made the remarks on Monday while visiting Syria’s capital, Damascus, where he arrived for talks with Syrian government officials.

The top Iranian diplomat was scheduled to hold meetings with President Bashar al-Assad and Prime Minister Imad Khamis on bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria’s long-running war.

Brexit: May vows no compromise with EU on Brexit plan

Theresa May has insisted she will not be forced into watering down her Brexit plan during negotiations with the EU.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the prime minister says she will "not be pushed" into compromises on her Chequers agreement that are not in the "national interest".

But Mrs May also warns she will not "give in" to those calling for a second referendum on the withdrawal agreement.

Civilians in Syria's last rebel stronghold brace for final battle

In the crowded towns of Idlib province in Syria’s north-west, the displaced of the country’s seven-year war have nowhere left to run.

Hemmed in by all sides in the long, savage conflict, up to 3 million people are bracing for imminent attack by Russian forces who sense victory in one of the last parts of Syria still out of regime control.

A Chicago Cop Is Going on Trial for the “Execution” of Laquan McDonald. This Could Be Big.

Jury selection begins September 5 in the highly anticipated trial of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, who stands accused of first-degree murder, among other charges, in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, which numerous commentators have likened to an “execution.”

Van Dyke shot and killed McDonald on Chicago’s West Side in October 2014 while responding to a call about a teen breaking into cars.

Detention of Uighurs must end, UN tells China, amid claims of prison camps

United Nations human rights experts have called for China to shut down alleged political “re-education camps” for Muslim Uighurs and called for the immediate release of those detained on the “pretext of countering terrorism”.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination cited estimates that “from tens of thousands to upwards of a million Uighurs” may be detained in the far western Xinjiang province. Its findings were issued after a two-day review of China’s record, the first since 2009.

Erdogan: Turkey needs Russia’s S-400 missile defence system

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his country’s need for the highly advanced Russian S-400 missile system, a planned purchase the US opposes.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for military officers, the Turkish leader said Ankara would try to procure the missile system as soon as possible.

The S-400, touted by experts to be one of the most advanced systems in the world, can engage multiple aerial targets within a 400 kilometre range.

US Prisoners’ Strike Is Reminder of How Commonplace Inmate Labor Is – And That It Might Be Illegal

Prisoners in 17 U.S. states went on strike on Aug. 21 by refusing to eat or work to call attention to a number of troubling issues, including dilapidated facilities, harsh sentences and other aspects of mass incarceration in America.

As we approach Labor Day, the strike places a spotlight on the questionable practice of putting prisoners to work for very low or no wages. Examples of what incarcerated people do or have done include answering customer service phone calls, fighting wildfires, packaging Starbucks coffee and producing consumer goods such as lingerie.

What the 8 Tory Brexit tribes want

LONDON — Remainers versus Brexiteers — in the Tory Party it is not that simple.

Understanding the shades of Brexit opinion in the U.K.'s governing party is key to any attempt to predict how Brexit will play out as talks in Brussels enter their endgame.

Here is POLITICO's guide to the factions among Tory MPs, and how they will react if and when Theresa May brings home a deal from Brussels.

Labour NEC’s Pete Willsman Urges Members To Vote For Him To ‘Defend Corbyn’ Against Anti-Semitism ‘Smears’

A Labour activist dumped by Momentum over his remarks about Jews has issued a final plea to party members to keep him on the ruling National Executive Committee, claiming he will continue to defend Jeremy Corbyn against “attacks and smears”.

Peter Willsman sparked fury in July when he criticised British rabbis who had complained about anti-Semitism, adding that some members of the Jewish community were “Trump fanatics making up information”.

New York governor reportedly halted Harvey Weinstein probe after donation from Weinstein lawyers

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ordered his attorney general’s office to stop the probe into the handling of the case against movie producer Harvey Weinstein after Weinstein’s law firm donated $25,000 to Cuomo’s reelection campaign, according to a report Wednesday.

The report, from Capital & Main, noted the outrage when it was revealed last year that Weinstein’s lawyer, David Boies, had donated $10,000 to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. Ultimately, despite audio recordings proving Weinstein had groped at least one woman, Vance declined to prosecute the producer.

Cuomo instructed his attorney general — who was, at the time, Eric Schneiderman, who has since resigned after the surfacing of allegations of domestic abuse — to investigate Vance’s handling of the case. He has now halted that investigation.

A New Book Details the Damage Done by the Right-Wing Media in 2016

The Washington conventional wisdom presupposes a kind of symmetry between our polarized political parties. Liberals and conservatives, it is said, live in separate bubbles, where they watch different television networks, frequent different Web sites, and absorb different realities. The implication of this view is that both sides resemble each other in their twisted views of reality. Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity, in other words, represent two sides of the same coin.

Russia's Putin softens pension reforms after outcry

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has softened planned pension changes following angry protests and a slump in his approval rating.

He said the retirement age for women would be increased from 55 to 60 instead of to 63. But a five-year increase for men, to 65, would stay.

Here's What the Mainstream Media Keeps Getting Wrong About Politics

For many obsessed with politics, the upcoming midterm elections are perceived as a fight between good and evil that will determine the fate of the nation. In the narrative framed by true believers and much media coverage, it's a fight between those who are convinced that President Donald Trump can make America great and those who dream of a socialist future.

Fifty-four percent of Americans don't fit into that narrative. Just 27 percent strongly disapprove of the president and believe things would have been better if Hillary Clinton had been elected. On the other side, 19 percent strongly approve of the president and believe things would be worse if Hillary Clinton were living in the White House today. The rest have more mixed views.