WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, September 4, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, September 5, 2017.

North Korea nukes

Russia and China have called for de-escalation over the latest nuclear test by North Korea during an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Moscow and Beijing want Pyongyang and Washington to take reciprocal steps to end the crisis.

Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also condemned Pyongyang’s hydrogen bomb test on Saturday. Nebenzia said the move shows that sanctions against North Korea have failed to produce results. He urged a return to talks, saying a comprehensive settlement is only possible through political channels. But, US envoy Nikki Haley called for the strongest possible sanctions against the North over the hydrogen bomb test.

Brexit fallout

Ireland’s foreign minister says Britain’s divorce from the European Union can have an extraordinarily negative impact on his country. Coveney added that Ireland has a 500-kilometer border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. He said this would directly affect the peace accord with Northern Ireland after Brexit. Coveney made the comments during a meeting with the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier. The European official pledged full support for Ireland during the Brexit talks. But he said negotiations with the UK over ways of maintaining cross-border relations in Ireland after Brexit are making slow progress. Barnier said a lot more substantial work remains to be done to hammer out an agreement. The EU and Britain have so far agreed on almost nothing during their talks for a Brexit deal before the UK quits the union in 2019.

Persecuted Rohingya

The violent crackdown on Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims continues with no end in sight. New footage shows burned-out houses in Myanmar’s Rakhine state where a campaign by the army has forced tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee. The houses in the vicinity of the town of Maungdaw have been allegedly torched by the army. Government forces claim they are after what they call Rohingya militants in the region. Reports also indicate that two blasts have rocked an area close to Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh. A Rohingya woman lost one leg in one of the blasts. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu have discussed the violence against Myanmar’s Muslim minority. It is estimated that nearly 90,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine State and some 400 have been killed by the army and extremist Buddhists over the past 10 days.

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. Government troops have launched an assault from two directions, 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 for three years, have already begun to celebrate the army’s advances. Daesh commanders have reportedly fled the city and left the local members of the terrorist group behind. Dayr al-Zawr’s governor says nearly 70-thousand 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. The terror group has suffered major losses recently.

Anger at 'meddling'

The Venezuelan government has summoned four European ambassadors to lodge diplomatic protest over their alleged meddling in the country’s internal affairs. Arreaza accused the envoys of Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy of trying to assist the departure of an opposition figure despite being subject to legal proceedings in Venezuela. The top Venezuelan diplomat emphasized on Caracas forceful and conclusive response to any step aimed at undermining the country’s sovereignty. Arreaza said that the summoned ambassadors were warned of stronger measures in case such situations reoccur. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has met with senior Venezuelan opposition figures in Paris.

Civilian casualties in Syria

The US led coalition operating in Syria has committed yet another mass killing of civilians in the war-torn country. At least 14 civilians have been killed in fresh air raids on the Daesh-held northern city of Raqqah. Reports say the strikes also caused a considerable amount of damage to infrastructure. This is the latest in a wave of airstrikes that have claimed hundreds of civilian lives in recent weeks. According to a war monitoring group, 772 civilians were killed in Syria last month alone. In a monthly report, the UK based observatory for Human Rights says the US led coalition is responsible for the majority of deaths. The report added that scores of women and children were among the death toll.

Catalonia independence

Catalonia's move to set up its own tax agency as part of the region's independence plan has provoked criticism from Spain’s central government. The government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned Catalonia that the measure could lead to sanctions and criminal proceedings for companies there. Earlier on Monday, Catalan regional head Carlos Pujmont said the new tax agency was ready to assume responsibilities for collecting revenues if the pro-independence camp wins an upcoming referendum. He also said that the region would declare independence from Spain within days if voters backed secession next month. Prime Minister Rajoy has pledged to strike down any secessionist challenges in court.

Saudi Arabia options in Yemen

Saudi Arabia has no option in Yemen other than funding humanitarian programs and stopping the war on its southern neighbor. That’s according to the executive director of the World Food Program. David Beasley also criticized the Saudi-led coalition for hampering the provision of humanitarian aid in Yemen. This is not the first time UN officials or organizations affiliated to the world body raise the alarm about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen amid almost daily Saudi airstrikes. Saudi Arabia began the war on Yemen in March 2015. More than 12,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the aggression.

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