WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, January 17, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, January 18, 2017.

Israeli aggression

Israeli forces have killed two more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank amid escalating tensions over the unilateral US declaration of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital. Israeli sources have confirmed the killing of two Palestinians in the city of Jenin. Israelis also demolished the home of a 22-year-old slain man. Tel Aviv claims the two men were involved in last week’s drive-by shooting in which an Israeli rabbi was killed. Tensions have been running high in the occupied territories since US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital on December the sixth. Since then, 22 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,000 others have been wounded in the Israeli crackdown.

US Syria policy

The United States has signaled on an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader US strategy to prevent the resurgence of the Daesh terror group. In a speech at Stanford University, the US secretary of State said Washington’s military and diplomatic presence in Syria is crucial to US national interest. Rex Tillerson added that the Trump administration's new Syria strategy largely involves an increased diplomatic action with emphasis on political solution to the crisis. The top US diplomat, however, made it clear that Washington would work diplomatically toward the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power. He also called for closer cooperation with Russia to avoid conflict in the de-escalation zones in Syria.

Iran nuclear deal

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for preserving the 2015 nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries. According to a UN spokesman, Guterres warned that any issues not directly related to the agreement should be addressed without prejudice. The UN chief also said that the deal known as the JCPOA has contributed to regional and international peace and security. The comments come after US President Donald Trump said Washington’s European allies and Congress have to work to fix “the disastrous flaws” in the Iran deal or face a US exit. Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other signatories respect the JCPOA.

Brazil protest

Brazilians have taken to the streets of the country’s biggest city Sao Paulo to protest price hikes in public transport. The protesters attacked a bank and blocked the path of a bus. The bulk of the demonstrators were students who demanded public transport to downtown be even free for them. Police have reportedly made a number of arrests. Brazilian authorities have approved a fare hike for Sao Paulo's bus and subway system. A ticket now costs nearly seven Brazilian Real, which is equivalent to over two US dollars.

Russia raps North Korea summit

Russia has slammed US-led efforts to increase international pressure on North Korea, saying it was exacerbating the situation and undermining the United Nations. Moscow’s comments come after a meeting on North Korea in Vancouver, Canada agreed to consider tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. The Russian Foreign Ministry said top diplomats from Moscow and Beijing had not been invited to the meeting, which was made up of countries that backed South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said Russia is helping North Korea skirt international sanctions. Washington’s punitive measures against Pyongyang have been condemned by both Moscow and Beijing.

Trump after killing NAFTA

The US president has once again defended his decision to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Donald Trump says the move revamps the trade pact with Canada and Mexico in favor of US interests. Trump argued skeptics don't realize the benefits of the termination of the 24-year-old accord. His comments came less than a week before trade negotiators from the United States, Canada and Mexico meet to update the deal. The US president has blamed NAFTA for the loss of America’s manufacturing jobs. But, US lawmakers have said that a NAFTA withdrawal could cause a major tariff increase on certain US crops sold to Mexico. Canada and Mexico have also warned about a pullout from NAFTA.

US cold snap

A cold winter snap continues to cause chaos in the US east coast and the south. The second snowstorm of the season in New England has sent cars sliding. It has prompted hundreds of schools to close. Airlines have also cancelled hundreds of flights. According to the National Weather Service, up to 16 centimeters of snow fell on parts of New England since Tuesday night. Steady snowfall and slippery commutes have been reported across the region. Meanwhile the number of deaths from record cold temperatures in the south has climbed to ten people in weather-related incidents.

Terror attacks drop

A study has found that Iraq and Syria saw a sharp drop in the number of people killed in terror attacks in 2017. Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre says that the number almost halved compared to 2016. The report adds that it did not include militants who died in attacks or the people killed in government-led airstrikes. It says despite losing significant territory in Iraq and Syria in 2017, Daesh continued as the world's most active terror organization by number of attacks. The report concludes that despite the dwindling trend, the scale of terrorism and insurgency in Iraq and Syria remained unparalleled globally in 2017.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk