WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, June 19, 2018 to 0800 GMT, June 20, 2018.

Afghanistan violence

Taliban militants kill 30 Afghan security forces in the west, a few days after the end of a brief ceasefire with the government. The governor of Badghis province confirmed the fatalities, saying the militants captured a military base following the ambush attack. He said fifteen Taliban militants were also killed in the overnight fighting. A nationwide truce between the Afghan government and the Taliban came into effect in Eid al-Fitr holidays, which mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The militants only abided by the three-day pause and rejected a government appeal to extend it. President Ashraf Ghani then had to extend the measure unilaterally by ten days.

Palestinian response

Israeli warplanes have carried out over two dozen airstrikes on various parts of the besieged Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv said Israeli fighter jets hit targets belonging to the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, and Gaza police. Several people were reportedly injured in the raids. In retaliation, Palestinians fired at least thirty rockets and mortar shells toward Israel. Hamas issued a statement, stressing the legitimate right to respond to any Israeli aggression against the people of Palestine. Hamas condemned the atrocity and pledged to confront Israeli efforts to impose a new equation in Palestine.

North Korea sanctions

South Korea says sanctions against Pyongyang will remain in place until the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kang said the halt of joint military drills with the US is a goodwill gesture on the part of Seoul and Washington to ease tensions on the Peninsula. She stressed that the exercises could restart if Pyongyang does not live up to its commitments. On June 12, the North Korean leader and the US president met in Singapore. The two sides pledged to take steps to end prolonged tensions and aim for peace.

Iran slams US separation policy

Iran’s Leader has slammed the US for separating refugee children from their parents, saying such practice reveals the vicious nature of American officials. Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemies of humanity exercise animosity because the Islamic Republic seeks justice and defends the oppressed. Thousands of refugee children have been separated from their parents in recent months after their families tried to cross the US border illegally. Hundreds of those children are being housed in detention centers, including warehouses. President Donald Trump said he would not allow the US to become a refugee-holding facility. The UN has slammed as unacceptable Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy toward illegal immigration.

UN urges Israel to end illegal settlements

The UN special coordinator for the Middle East has urged Israel to reverse course over illegal settlement construction on occupied Palestinian land. Nickolay Mladenov, in his quarterly report to the UN Security Council, said Israel has taken no steps to stop its settlement activities as demanded by the UN. Mladenov said Israel has pressed ahead with its plan to build settler units in the West Bank since late March. He said Israel has also demolished or seized 84 Palestinian-owned structures since then. The top UN official noted that the move has resulted in the displacement of some 70 people and potentially affected the livelihoods of 45,000 others. Mladenov warned that Israel’s settlement building continues to undermine the prospects for establishing a Palestinian state and eroding hopes for peace.

China markets plunge

Stock markets in China are weakening as the trade war with the United States is extending. The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.6 percent on Wednesday, indicating another failure from the previous day. Wednesday’s fall came despite 30 listed firms announcing share purchase plans by major shareholders. The Chinese state media, on the other hand, expressed confidence in the country’s stock markets. China’s blue-chip CSI-300 index as well as the Shenzhen Composite Index showed signs of bleak prospect at the end of the morning session. On Monday, Washington threatened to impose a ten-percent tariff on 200-billion dollars of Chinese goods after Beijing decided to raise tariffs on 50-billion dollars in US goods, responding to similar tariffs on Chinese goods announced Friday.

Houthi condemns Saudi crimes

The Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has slammed Saudi Arabia and its allies for what he calls exploiting political problems in Yemen to occupy the country’s south. Abdul Malik al-Houthi said several countries including the US,‎ the UK and France are involved in the ongoing war on Yemen. He said Yemen’s enemies are seeking to control the country’s red sea coasts. He, however, warned that the western coast will turn into a graveyard for the invaders. The Ansarullah leader added that the invasion of Hudaydah is part of enemy’s plot to hurt Yemenis and occupy the country. He also accused invading forces of committing terrible war crimes, including raping women and targeting international aid supplies.

Iran says no to US talks

Iran’s government has rejected a plea by some activists to open talks with the US government to resolve longtime differences. As our correspondent Ghanbar Naderi reports, Iranian people on the streets are also saying that they have every right not to trust the US because it repeatedly did things it had promised not to do.

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