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 5, 2017.

Myanmar’s Rohingya exodus

A Myanmar rights group says the systematic persecution of minority Rohingya Muslims is on the rise in the country. According to Burma Human Rights Network, the crackdown is backed by the government, Buddhist monks, and ultra-nationalist groups. The group reported that Muslims of all ethnicities have been refused national identification cards while access to Islamic places of worship has been blocked in some places. The number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh since August 25 after the start of a new wave of violence, has now reached almost 125,000. The government accuses members of the Rohingya community of attacking security forces. Large-scale violence by Buddhist extremists and the army has claimed hundreds of lives since 2012.

Putin Warning

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has warned of a global catastrophe if parties to tensions on the Korean Peninsula do not end their military rhetoric against Pyongyang. Putin called for a diplomatic settlement to the North Korean nuclear issue, saying Pyongyang will not drop its nuclear program unless it feels secure. The Russian president also said sanctions against North Korea will not change the behavior of its leadership. He said an embargo will only lead to large-scale human suffering. On Monday, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss a response to the latest nuclear test by Pyongyang. US envoy Nikki Haley said at the meeting that North Korea is begging for war. She called for the strongest possible sanctions to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests.

Boko Haram’s reign of terror

Amnesty International says Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria and Cameroon have claimed the lives of nearly 400 people since April. The number has been doubled compared to the previous five months. Tine called on the governments of Nigeria and Cameroon to take swift action to protect civilians from Boko Haram attacks. Amnesty says at least 223 civilians were confirmed killed in Nigeria since April. However, the rights group says the real death toll could be much higher. Amnesty also reported that the number of deaths by Boko Haram attacks since April is four times higher than the preceding five months. At least twenty-thousand people have been killed by the Takfiri group’s insurgency since 2009. It has increased using young women and girls as bombers amid the Nigerian army’s counter-offensives in the past year.

Dayr al-Zawr siege broken

Syrian army forces have managed to break Daesh’s siege on the government-held part of the city of Dayr al-Zawr. Troops entered the city's western edge and reached the Brigade 137 base. Local sources say advancing forces have met those defending the city. The important achievement came after weeks of heavy fighting. Some 100,000 civilians and military forces have been under Daesh’s siege since 2014 in a city that is divided between the terrorists and the government. People have been facing food and medical shortages. Earlier, a Russian warship pounded the terrorists’ positions near the city with cruise missiles. The strike was launched from the Mediterranean. Russia’s defense ministry said the attack killed a large group of terrorists and destroyed their command and communications posts.

Yemen cholera epidemic

The rapidly increasing cholera outbreak in Yemen takes a new turn as new UN figures suggest more than 600,000 people have contracted the deadly epidemic. The World Health Organization says nearly three-thousand new daily cases have been reported recently. The WHO also says cholera has killed more than two-thousand people in the war-ravaged country. On Monday, another UN agency called on Saudi Arabia to stop the war on Yemen and fund all humanitarian programs there.

Germany-Turkey row

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has urged Brussels to reconsider EU relations with Turkey. Merkel vowed to discuss with Berlin’s European partners taking decisive action in response to the alarming developments in Turkey. In an address to lawmakers at Bundestag, Chancellor Merkel condemned Ankara for the alleged political arrest of thirteen German citizens. Berlin has warned to re-examine its policies toward Ankara as negotiations on Turkey's membership in the European bloc are suspended. Ankara has condemned the comments of German and EU officials about ending the talks as acts of populism and hostility. Merkel, who leads the conservative Christian Democratic party is seeking a fourth term in an upcoming national election on 24 September.

‘Nuke gifts for US’

The shouting match between North Korea and the United States continues as North Korea describes its recent atomic bomb test as a gift for Washington. Ambassador Han noted that the H-bomb test is part of normal activities according to North Korea’s policy. He added that Pyongyang plans to simultaneously push forward economic construction and build a nuclear force. North Korea’s ambassador who was addressing a UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament also warned that his country’s nuclear force is not up for negotiation.

China US swipe

China’s president has taken an indirect swipe at the Unites States’ trade protectionism and climate change policy. Xi Jinping says such policies pose a risk to the world economy. Xi said some countries have become more inward-looking and less willing to take part in international cooperation. He also specifically referred to resistance to the Paris climate agreement of 2016. The Chinese president made the comments during a summit of the Association of Five Major Emerging Economies, or BRICS, and a number of observer developing countries. U-S President, Donald Trump ditched the key climate deal almost immediately after he took office. He also ended the trans-pacific partnership and is considering termination of several other US trade pacts.

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