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 8, 2017.

Israel Myanmar’s arms sales

Israel is under fire by rights groups for supplying weapons to Myanmar’s army that has launched a crackdown against the country’s minority Rohingya Muslims. A watchdog organization called Middle East Eye has criticized the policy, saying weapons used against Palestinians are being sold as field-tested arms to some of the worst regimes on the planet. Investigations by activists have found that more than 100 tanks, as well as boats and light weapons have been sold to Myanmar by Israeli companies. A military firm based in Tel Aviv even trained Myanmar’s Special Forces. This comes as there is a US and EU embargo on selling arms to the South East Asian country.

Myanmar crackdown

The United Nations says more than 1,000 people may have been killed in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where the army is attacking Rohingya Muslims. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, says the casualties may be from both sides, but it would be heavily concentrated on the minority community. According to official figures, at least 270,000 have fled the country in the last two weeks alone. Rights groups warn that the figure may reach 300,000. Almost 80 percent of the refugees are women and children. Protests have been held in several countries in solidarity with Rohingya Muslims. The latest rallies were held in front of Myanmar’s embassy buildings in Indonesia and Japan. Myanmar's crackdown on the Rohingya intensified on August 25 after an attack on border guards which was blamed on the Muslim community.

Russia targets Daesh

Russia says its forces have killed 40 Daesh terrorists in eastern Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry says the terrorists were killed in airstrikes on Daesh positions near the city of Dayr al-Zawr. Four top commanders, including one overseeing foreign recruits, were among the targeted terrorists. Russia is backing the Syrian army and its allied forces in their fight against terrorists. The Syrian army has broken Daesh’s siege on the government-held part of Dayr al-Zawr over the past few days. The city has been under the Takfiri terrorists’ siege since early 2015. Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians are trapped there.

Islamophobia in UK

A new study shows that widespread Islamophobia in the United Kingdom is holding back Muslims in their workplaces. A research conducted by the British government’s social mobility monitor found that the nation’s Muslim adults are far less likely to be in full-time work with only 6 percent breaking through into professional jobs. The significant career barriers are said to have resulted from Islamophobia, discrimination and racism. The study says British Muslims are held back despite their high levels of education, strong work ethic and high resilience. The United Kingdom has witnessed a rise in anti-Muslim hate crime reports, partly blamed on anti-refugee sentiments.

Mexico earthquake

A massive earthquake and numerous aftershocks have killed at least 32 people in southern Mexico. The quake’s epicenter was offshore, some 120 kilometers southwest of Pihihyapan near the border with Guatemala. Citing local statistics that put the magnitude at 8.2, the Mexican president called it the biggest earthquake to hit the country in the past century. Several cities, including the capital Mexico City, have suffered massive infrastructure damage and are in the process of evacuation. Seismologists have warned of Tsunami waves of over three meters.

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