WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, May 23, to 08:00 GMT, May 24, 2017.

Trump’s proposed budget

US President Donald Trump has sent a budget plan to Congress that calls for sharp cuts in aid programs for the poor but boosts the country’s military capabilities. The 4.1 trillion dollar budget proposes massive cuts in such services as Medicaid healthcare program for the poor and disability payments while eliminating student loan subsidies. The 10-year plan also includes a 44 percent cut to funding for international organizations. The budget does not however clarify which groups will be subject to spending cuts and describes them as “organizations” that work against US foreign policy interests. This is while the budget clearly indicates that the US military will continue to be fully funded with a proposed increase of more than 50 billion dollars in defense expenditure. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that at least 10 million people could be affected by Trump’s proposed budget.

UK terror attack

Different countries and organizations have expressed solidarity with the victims of Manchester’s deadly blast and condemned the terrorist attack. Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has slammed the bombing, saying that the root cause and ideology behind every terrorist act whether in Iran’s Mirjaveh or Britain’s Manchester are the same. The US president told British Prime Minister Theresa May in a telephone call that Washington stands with the UK in the face of terrorism. According to a White House statement, the two leaders agreed during the conversation that the attack was “particularly wanton and depraved”. French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Jean-Clause Juncker and Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of the victims. The European Union has also reacted by flying the British flag at its institutions all across Brussels.

Bahrain crackdown

At least five Bahraini people have been killed in regime forces’ raid on the town of Diraz. According to Bahraini Interior Ministry, more than 280 people were also detained during the attack. Following the incident, protesters poured into the streets in several towns across the country to condemn the bloody attack. The demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans and expressed solidarity with the country’s top cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim. Bahraini forces fired tear gas to disperse the angry crowd. The raid on Diraz comes two days after a Bahraini court sentenced Sheikh Qassim to one year in prison. The measure drew criticism from both inside and outside the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.

War on Syria

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council says the illegal intervention of some countries in the Syria crisis has complicated the situation in the country and emboldened Takfiri terrorist groups. Ali Shamkhani made the remark in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev. He added that the steady military gains by Syria and its allies against terrorists have led to a ceasefire and a drop in violence and bloodshed in Syria. Shamkhani stressed that Syria and its allies should continue using all political means to speed up dialog among Syrian factions in order to reduce the destructive acts of the sponsors of terror.

UK security threats

The British prime minister speaks of an imminent terrorist attack following the deadly bombing in Manchester. Theresa May said her secretary of defense had approved deployment of military personnel to help police guard key locations and public events. She described the new security plan proportionate and sensible, pledging to take every necessary measure to protect the public. The remarks come after British police identified Manchester’s bomber as 22-year-old Salman Ramadan Abedi. The suspect was a British citizen of Libyan origin. The 22 people, including children, were killed on Tuesday when Abedi blew himself up at a crowded concert hall in Manchester.

Korean Peninsula tensions

China's ambassador to the United Nations says North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic tests highlight the need for negotiations with Pyongyang to reduce the existing tensions. Liu Jieyi says there's no reason to dismiss dialogue with the North in the current situation. Liu was speaking to reporters after an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea’s latest missile test. The US, Britain and France want more sanctions against the North. But Liu says the existing resolutions must be fully implemented before new sanctions are slapped. The US has already indicated that it is ready to negotiate with Pyongyang. North Korea says the purpose of its missile and nuclear programs is to protect itself from US hostility.

Yemen cholera crisis

The world health organization says the number of cholera cases in the war-torn Yemen has increased. The UN agency says more than 35,000 suspected cases of the disease have been reported since April 27. The figure shows a 50 percent increase in the reported cases compared with figures given last Friday by the WHO. The agency said over 360 people had died of the disease up to May 22. Meanwhile, Yemeni people blame the outbreak on Saudi Arabia’s war and blockade on their country.

North Korea defiance

North Korea has slammed the US and the United Nations Security Council for criticizing Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile launch. North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the test-fire of the ballistic missile was part of a normal process for boosting the country’s military capabilities for self-defense. It also said Washington's behavior towards North Korea will only increase hostility and lead Pyongyang to further diversify its nuclear force. The statement comes after an emergency UN Security Council meeting over North Korea’s latest missile test. The UN Security Council and the US have strongly condemned the missile launch.

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