WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, August 24, 2017.

Supporting Ansarullah

Thousands of Yemenis have staged a demonstration in the capital Sana’a to voice their support for the country’s army and the Ansarullah movement. Demonstrators condemned the brutal Saudi aggression against their country. They also slammed Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen that has caused severe food and medicine shortages and led to fast-spreading epidemics. The Saudi war on Yemen began in March 2015. It has claimed the lives of over 12,500 people so far and created a devastating humanitarian disaster in the impoverished Arab country. Just on Wednesday, Saudi warplanes targeted the Yemeni capital Sana’a and its surrounding areas, leaving nearly 50 people dead.

Korean Peninsula tensions

Russia says Japan’s plan to host U-S missile batteries on its soil is a disproportionate reaction to North Korea’s missile threat and would put the region’s security at risk. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the remarks after Tokyo said the batteries could be deployed to the Pacific Ocean to counter possible missile threats from North Korea. Zakharova, meanwhile, called on Pyongyang to keep restraint in the face of the joint military drills between South Korea and the United States. She added that war games don’t help deescalate the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula. On Wednesday, Russia’s deputy Foreign Minister also voiced Moscow’s serious concern about the possible deployment of American missiles to the region.

Trump Pakistan accusation

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is set to chair a high-level security meeting that would discuss US president Donald Trump’s recent anti-Pakistan tirade. The meeting will be attended by the country’s foreign minister, interior minister and powerful military generals where a comprehensive response is expected to be worked out regarding Trump’s statements. On Wednesday, the US president called for putting pressure on Pakistan for allegedly providing safe havens to terror groups. The White House officials later went a step further warning Islamabad to either change track or face military aid cuts. Trump's recent remarks have angered Pakistani officials and citizens alike.

Battle for Talafar

Iraqi forces have made fresh gains against Daesh as they push ahead with an offensive to recapture the strategic city of Tal Afar from the terror group. The Iraqi army, backed by the Popular Mobilization Units, retook the Jazira area and Khadhra neighborhood in eastern Tal Afar. This follows the liberation of several other neighborhoods and villages in and around the city. On Sunday, Iraq announced the start of an offensive to retake Tal Afar where hundreds of terrorists are believed to be holed up. The city was once a major supply hub for Daesh between Syria and Mosul which was liberated from the terror group over a month ago.

Battle against Daesh

The Syrian army is pressing ahead with its offensive against Daesh in Western Qalamoun region close to the border with Lebanon. Syrian troops backed by fighters from Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah have been pounding the positions of the terrorists in a mountainous area of Qalamoun since early Thursday. Meanwhile, a Syrian army officer has said that the battle against Daesh in the area will end within hours. Reports say Daesh has asked the Syrian army and Hezbollah to let it withdraw to the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.

South Asia floods

The death toll from devastating floods in South Asia has passed one-thousand. In India, over 1700 bodies have been discovered. Authorities say hundreds of thousands of Indians have evacuated the eastern states of the country. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh flooding has left at least 137 people dead, and hundreds of thousands displaced. Floods in Nepal have also claimed the lives of 146 people, while tens of people remain missing. The Red Cross has said many people are deprived of food and clean water as the affected areas have been cut off by the flooding. The floods were triggered by heavy rains, which started two weeks ago.

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