WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, January 12, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, January 13, 2017.

Trump’s JCPOA stance

The US president has agreed not to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, while imposing punitive measures against 14 individuals and entities over alleged human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic and supporting the country’s missile program. In a statement, Donald Trump said he will waive nuclear sanctions against Tehran for the last time to give the US and its allies a last chance to fix terrible flaws of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Trump, however, warned that Washington will withdraw from the nuclear deal any time he reaches the conclusion that such an accord is not within reach. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department said the head of Iran's judiciary Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani is among those sanctioned. A Chinese national was also sanctioned for acting on behalf of a company, which is already under sanctions for doing business with an Iranian firm.

Germany, Iran reactions to US

The Iranian foreign minister has slammed the US president’s statement against the nuclear deal after he once again threatened to scrap the international agreement. Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet that Donald Trump is desperately attempting to undermine the multilateral agreement by his statement and policy. Zarif said the nuclear accord is non-negotiable stressing that the US is violating different paragraphs of the deal. The top diplomat said the US must bring itself into full compliance with the agreement rather than repeating its tired rhetoric against it. This as German Foreign Ministry said Berlin will continue to campaign for full implementation of the nuclear deal. A spokeswoman with the ministry said Germany will also consult with its European partners on how to proceed with the implementation process.

Russian retaliation

Moscow says it has eliminated the militants behind a mortar attack on a base in Syria on New Year's Eve that killed two Russian soldiers. The Russian Defense Ministry said its troops in Syria launched a special operation to find and destroy the group of militants that carried out the mortar attack on the Hmeimim base in western Syria. It also said the fighters were wiped out by a guided missile. The ministry added that a drone assembly and storage area were also discovered in Syria's Idlib province after militants used drones to attack its bases in the country last week.

‘No change in JCPOA’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says Tehran will do nothing beyond its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal after the US extended sanctions relief for Iran one last time. The ministry said, in a statement, that the nuclear deal, also called the JCPOA, is a valid international accord, and is by no means re-negotiable. It added that Tehran will not accept any change to the deal. According to the statement, the US, like other parties to the JCPOA, is obliged to fulfill its commitments under the deal. It further criticized new punitive measures against Iranian individuals and entities, saying they prove Washington’s hostility toward the Iranian nation. The statement comes after the White House said US President Donald Trump would waive the sanctions against Iran for the last time. It also called for an agreement between the US and Europe within the next four months that would revise the deal.

Africans angry with Trump

A group of 54 African countries urges the US president to retract and apologize for his vulgar remarks about African immigrants.

Italy transport strike

A 24-hour public transport strike has hit the Italian capital Rome, causing severe traffic disruptions. The strikers are opposing a deal signed in November by Italy’s major trade unions and the Italian capital’s ailing public transport company ATAC. Under the deal, bus drivers’ working hours will be increased. Press TV’s Rome correspondent Max Civili has more.

Trump defiance

The US president has defended his offensive remarks on Haiti and African nations despite a global criticism over the racist comments. According to a presidential aide, Donald Trump said he believed he was expressing what many people think about immigrants from economically depressed countries. Trump blamed the media for distorting his meaning and argued that his remarks were not racist. Meanwhile, the president of El Salvador has denounced Trump’s slur to describe his country demanding respect for his nation.

Saudi ‘starvation’ tactic

A report by UN experts says Saudi Arabia is using starvation as a tool of war by maintaining a blockade on its southern neighbor, Yemen. According to the Washington Post, which obtained the yet to be released document, Riyadh is starving Yemenis as a bargaining tool. According to the UN experts, the Saudi claims that it had taken measures to minimize child casualties during its airstrikes in 2017 remained largely ineffective. The report also concludes that the war on Yemen will end in the near future. Back in November, the UN urged Riyadh to lift its blockade on Yemen or it will witness famine, the likes of which the world has not seen in decades.

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