WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, January 18, 2017.

Bahrain continues crackdown

Human Rights Watch says violations of human rights continue in Bahrain, with no sign of the process coming to an end in the foreseeable future. The prominent rights group said, in its annual report, that Manama harassed, imprisoned, and prosecuted human rights defenders and their relatives on charges that should have never been brought. HRW said Bahrain’s tolerance for dissent is approaching vanishing point amid failure to make reforms following popular protests in 2011. Bahraini authorities have enacted a law that allows for the prosecution of civilians in military courts. In 2017, courts sentenced to death 14 people for alleged terrorist activities. The tiny Persian Gulf kingdom, which is a strategic US ally, has intensified its crackdown on dissent in recent months.

Palestinian houses destroyed

Israeli troops have demolished the homes of a Palestinian man and his relatives in the occupied territories. Following a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, the regime forces reduced three residential buildings to rubble. Israeli soldiers also attacked Palestinians protesting the raid, wounding a number of them. A Palestinian was shot dead during another attack in the same area late Wednesday. Tel Aviv claims the victim was involved in last week’s drive-by shooting in which an Israeli rabbi was killed. Tensions have been escalating in the occupied territories since US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s "capital" on December 6.

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.

Hamas praising Iran stance

The political leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has praised the role of Iran in standing by Palestine in the face of a controversial US decision on Jerusalem al-Quds. In a letter to the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh admired the unwavering support of the Iranian nation for the Palestinian people and their resistance against the Israeli regime. The senior Palestinian official condemned what he called plots against the Islamic community, especially those aimed at destroying the resistance of the Palestinian people. He said the United States and its allies are trying to eliminate the Palestinian cause in a bid to boost their ties with the Israeli regime. Haniyeh also called for a new intifada as the only means to counter the US move to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of Israel.

HRW report on Yemen

The prominent rights group Human Right Watch has issued a scathing report against Saudi Arabia over its deadly war on Yemen which has been ongoing since March 2015. In its annual report, HRW slams the kingdom for killing thousands of civilians, obstructing humanitarian aid and committing various forms of war crimes.

Syria fighting militants

The Syrian army and allied forces are pressing ahead with an all-out offensive to dislodge the remnants of terrorists from the country. Government forces are advancing toward a strategic airbase in Idlib province.  

Syria warns Turkey

Syria has warned Turkey against initiating a military operation in the Arab country’s northwestern region of Afrin. Syrian deputy foreign minister, Faisal Meqdad, said the combat operations will be considered an act of aggression and terror by the Turkish army and a violation of international law. He added that no Turkish forces must be on Syrian soil, saying Syria’s air defense forces are ready to defend the country against any aggression. Earlier on Thursday, Ankara said Turkish forces will intervene in Afrin and Manbij to counter Syria’s Kurdish YPG forces. Turkey considers the Kurdish group as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed PKK group. Turkish forces are already deployed in YPG-controlled Afrin.

Strong winds batter Europe 

Strong winds have battered Western Europe and parts of the UK, killing at least four people. Three people are dead as storms with a speed 140 kilometers per hour hit the southern part of the Netherlands. The storm grounded at least 260 flights at Amsterdam’s Shiphole Airport. The Dutch train services were also halted after numerous incidents and a collision. In the port of Rotterdam, shipping containers were toppled and roofs ripped off homes. Winds caused trees to fall and blew trucks off the roads. In neighboring Belgium, a motorist died after a fallen tree hit his car. All schools are also closed and railway services suspended in Germany’s west. And thousands of homes are still without power as the storm lands in England’s southeast.

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

www.presstv.co.uk