WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

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

Iran slams Saudi strike in Yemen

Iran has condemned a Saudi airstrike, which has claimed the lives of nearly 50 Yemeni people near the capital Sana’a. Iran’s foreign ministry says attacking residential areas and civilian targets, and preventing relief efforts by relevant organizations constitute a clear violation of the rules of humanitarian law. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi demanded that the UN and regional stakeholders help stop the deadly Saudi attacks in Yemen and ensure the safety of civilians. At least 48 people were killed as warplanes bombed a two-storey building near Sana’a in the Arhaab district. Over 12,600 Yemenis have been killed since 2015. The western-backed Saudi invasion and a blockade have also created a humanitarian disaster in Yemen.

Another resignation at White House

A US government science envoy has resigned over what he called President Donald Trump’s “attacks on the core values of the United States.” In a letter, Daniel Kammen slammed Trump’s failure to condemn white supremacists. He also accused Trump of damaging the quality of life in the country, the US image abroad and the sustainability of the planet. The first letter of each paragraph in Kammen’s comments spelled “IMPEACH”. The US government’s science envoy is the latest in a series of officials and panelists to resign in response to Trump’s comments about the recent clashes between white supremacists and their opponents in Charlottesville, Virginia. A newly-released poll has found that 60 percent of Americans reject Trump’s response to the race-fueled protests and violence in Charlottesville and believe the president is dividing the country.

Turkey’s concerns over US support for YPG

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his country’s unease over the US support for Syrian Kurdish fighters. Erdogan was speaking at a meeting with Pentagon chief Jim Mattis in Ankara. The Turkish president criticized the US for arming Syria’s YPG Kurdish fighters. Ankara regards the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, which is fighting against the Turkish government. The US has been providing the YPG with small arms and training. The issue has strained ties between the two NATO allies. Elsewhere in his remarks, Erdogan vowed to prevent the formation of a Kurdish state in northern Syria. Last August, Ankara launched an incursion into northern Syria under the pretext of clearing the border zone of both YPG fighters and Daesh terrorists. Syria has slammed the move as a violation of its sovereignty.

Iran complains about US contacts with IAEA

The Iranian Foreign Minister has criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency for holding talks with the US envoy to the United Nations about Iran’s nuclear deal, or JCPOA. Mohammad Javad Zarif, slammed Nikki Haley’s trip to Vienna as an attempt to press and manipulate the IAEA. The Iranian top diplomat described the US envoy’s move as openly hostile to the nuclear deal, aimed at destroying it. He noted that the trip is designed to raise doubts about the agreement’s stability and its future sustainability. The top official added that Haley’s trip violates the deal’s mandate for confidentiality. On Tuesday, the US envoy said that during talks with IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, she raised “US concerns” about securing Iran's adherence to its obligations.

Syria slams US-led strikes

Syria has lodged a complaint with the UN over the mounting civilian death toll in Raqqah at the hands of the US-led coalition. In letters to the UN Secretary General and President of the Security Council, the Syrian Foreign Ministry slammed the US airstrikes against civilians in the city as crime against humanity. The letters condemned the attacks as a flagrant violation of the UN charter and international law. The ministry added an air raid on Tuesday had killed 78 people in Raqqah, most of them women and children. The US has intervened in the Syria conflict without the approval of Damascus. Over the past few weeks, an upsurge in the US-led bombing campaign has targeted densely populated neighborhoods, killing hundreds of civilians.

US-North Korea tensions

US President Donald Trump claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has started respecting America days after heated rhetoric between the two. Trump made the remarks during a rally in the US city of Phoenix. Trump expressed optimism about the improvement of the already-soured ties between Washington and Pyongyang. Trump had threatened that the US would rain down fire and fury on North Korea if Pyongyang continued threatening Washington. The two countries have been at loggerheads over a range of issues, including North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. Pyongyang says it will not relinquish its missile and nuclear deterrence unless Washington and its allies stop practicing hostile policies against the North.

Spain Muslims protest hate crimes

Hundreds of Muslims in Spain have rallied against a surge in hate crimes in the country following last week’s deadly attacks. The protest in the southern city of Granada was called after the city’s main mosque was attacked with flares by members of a far-right group. The protesters said the increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes is unbearable. Earlier this week, more than a thousand Muslims marched in Barcelona to condemn terrorism. Last week’s terror attacks in Barcelona killed 15 people. Daesh claimed responsibly for the attacks. Since then, several mosques have been vandalized and some Spaniards have called for the expulsion of all Muslims from the country.

Bahrain dissident tortured

Multiple rights groups are calling on Bahrain to clarify the status of a dissident who has been detained for over nine months without charge. They say the kingdom’s ongoing denial of having information about the whereabouts of Hussain al-Alawi is tantamount to enforced disappearance. The organizations, among them Amnesty International, have also expressed concern that Alawi is at a high risk of torture. The groups urged Manama to release Alawi or charge him with a recognizable criminal offense. Since pro-democracy protests began in 2011, the Bahraini regime has harshly cracked down on dissent. Many protesters have been killed by security forces or under torture during the period. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights says in 2016 Manama detained 1,300 protesters and activists.

Qatar-Iran ties

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has announced it is restoring full diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran by returning its ambassador to Tehran almost a year and a half after his recall. According to the ministry, the move aims to boost bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic in all fields. Doha’s ambassador, Ali bin Hamad al-Sulaiti, left Iran in early 2016 following the lead of Saudi Arabia and its allies. They did so in protest to attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. The attacks were in reaction to Saudi Arabia’s execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Doha’s decision comes in the middle of a diplomatic stand-off in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the accusation.

Peru teachers protest

Clashes erupt between Peruvian police and striking teachers who have taken to the streets of the capital Lima to protest their working conditions. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters who have been on strike for more than seventy days. The angry demonstrators demand higher wages and want the government of Pedro Pablo Kuzinski to allocate more funds to the education sector. The striking teachers are also against the proposed education reforms that they say will slash workers’ rights. Last week Kuzinski urged teachers to return to the classroom. But teachers say they won’t stop protesting till their demands are met.

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