WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, September 4, 2017.

Rohingya exodus

The United Nations says the government of Myanmar has blocked all its aid agencies from delivering vital supplies to Rakhine state where a security crackdown against Rohingya Muslims is ongoing. The office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar says that the security situation and government restrictions have made aid distributions impossible. Other UN agencies as well as 16 major NGOs have complained about the same problem. The UN says a total of 87,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since the violence erupted in late August. Humanitarian organizations have expressed deep concerns about the fate of those affected. Meanwhile, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has slammed Myanmar’s atrocities against the persecuted Muslim minority.

Macron’s popularity

Emmanuel Macron has suffered a fresh slump in popularity since he took office as French president in May. A new poll shows that Macron’s approval ratings have dropped to 30 percent, down from 36 percent a month earlier and 43 percent in late June. The president acknowledged past week that some voters are disappointed with his government's actions so far. Macron's government has unveiled an overhaul of the labor code, a signature reform leading to business-friendly changes. He sees reforming France's rigid labor regulations as key to tackling unemployment in the country. He says French people hate reforms, but the changes are coming to give fresh impetus to the country’s economy.

BRICS countries call for dialog over North Korea

BRICS leaders at a summit in China have strongly deplored North Korea for its latest nuclear test. A draft communique, expected to be issued during the meeting of the group of five major developing economies, has expressed concern over North Korea’s nuclear program. However, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa stressed on the need to settle the issue through dialog. This comes a day after North Korea detonated a hydrogen bomb in defiance of the UN sanctions and amid escalating tensions in the region. The test has sparked fresh international condemnations with some regional countries including South Korea and Japan calling for more stringent actions against Pyongyang. The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

Korean Peninsula crisis  

Russia and China have criticized US policies in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister says Moscow will react if Washington expands its missile system in South Korea under the pretext of countering the North. Sergei Ryabkov said all options are on the table in case of more THAAD deployment there. He called the recent nuclear test by Pyongyang provocative but warned that any clumsy steps regarding North Korea would make the situation worse. Meanwhile, China has reacted to the US president’s threat to cut off trade with countries dealing with North Korea calling it unacceptable and unfair. China is the North's closest ally and commercial partner. On Sunday, Donald Trump criticized Beijing in a tweet saying China’s efforts to rein in Pyongyang had been a failure.

Turkey EU accession

A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Turkey is not currently in a position to join the European Union. Steffen Seibert said negotiations with Turkey for its membership in the bloc are currently suspended. Seibert added that Merkel’s weekend comments that Turkey should not become an EU member speak for themselves. The spokesman also said EU leaders will discuss the issue in their October meeting. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the President of the European Commission has said Ankara’s actions have made it impossible for Turkey to join the EU. The spokesman said Turkey is taking giant strides away from Europe. However, he said a final decision on the matter could only be made by the 28 EU member states. Tensions have been running high between Turkey and the EU over Ankara’s post-coup crackdown, which the bloc says is a gross violation of human rights.

Turning tide of war in Syria

The Syrian army is about to break the siege of the Daesh terrorists on the city of Dayr al-Zawr. The government troops have launched operations from two different fronts, recapturing the town of Kabajeb south of the city. The Syrian forces are now only three kilometers away from Dayr al-Zawr. Reports say the residents, who have endured Daesh’s self-proclaimed rule, have already begun to celebrate the army’s advances. Dayr al-Zawr’s governor says nearly 70,000 people are trapped inside the city and arrangements have been made to deliver aid to them during the offensive. Dayr al-Zawr lies in northeastern Syria close to the Iraqi border. It’s been occupied by Daesh since 2014 with some military forces being held captive there. The terror group has lost much of Syrian territory it captured previously and reports say it is now on the cusp of total defeat in Syria.

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