WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 11, 2017.

Qatar and the Four

Qatar has threatened to leave the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in case Saudi Arabia and its allies fail to lift the blockade imposed on Doha. In a letter to the GCC secretary general, Doha has demanded a series of conditions so as not to withdraw from the bloc. Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, says Qatar will not negotiate on its sovereignty. He said Doha gives a three-day deadline to its blockers to lift the siege imposed on Qatar and compensate it for the political and economic losses. Last month, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain cut all diplomatic ties as well as air, land and sea links with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha has denied the allegation while rejecting a list of demands provided by the bloc in order to restore ties.

Continuous Crackdown

Turkish authorities have ordered fresh arrests in connection with the failed coup of July 2016 in the country. Authorities say arrest warrants have been issued for 105 suspects. Police have so far detained 52 of the suspects. They include former personnel at Turkey’s scientific research council, TUBITAK. The suspects are accused of using an encrypted messaging application Ankara said US-based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen used to stage the coup. Gulen says he had no role in the coup. Turkey has arrested some 50,000 people in connection with the coup over the past year. This, along with the suspension of 150,000 public workers, has drawn harsh criticism from rights groups, which accuse Ankara of authoritarianism.

Kurdish Factor

The United Nations’ special envoy for Syria says Syrian Kurds should not be ignored in the future of the country. Staffan de Mistura says Kurdish representatives must be allowed to take part in drafting Syria’s new Constitution. The United Nations has been hosting a series of technical talks on Syria’s Constitution with various opposition groups. The Kurds comprise up to 15 percent of Syria’s population, however, they did not have any participation in the talks so far. Syrian Kurdish fighters have been battling Daesh terrorists near the Turkish border in the past few years.

Saudi Arabia-Qatar Crisis

The US Secretary of state says Qatar has a reasonable and clear position with its Arab neighbors. Rex Tillerson made the comment after meeting with the emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and the country’s foreign minister. The US secretary of state has travelled to Qatar as part of his Middle East tour with aims to break the five-week rift between Doha and several Arab states. Ahead of his Doha visit, Tillerson made a stop in Kuwait that’s mediated to end the deadlock between Doha and four Arab states. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar and placed an air, land and sea embargo on the country in early June over claims of Doha supporting terrorism. Qatar has threatened to leave the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in case Saudi Arabia and its allies fail to lift the blockade imposed on Doha.

Kashmir Security

Security is tight in Indian-controlled Kashmir a day after seven Hindu pilgrims are killed by unknown gunmen. 19 others were wounded in the nightly attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in the southern town of Anant-nag on Kashmir’s main highway. No group has claimed responsibility but some local authorities have pointed the finger at the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. Pro-independence Kashmiri groups have already condemned the attack. On Tuesday, Indian forces began providing more security for buses that carry Hindus to the Amarnath cave shrine. This is the second attack in nearly two decades against Hindu devotees who perform the annual summer pilgrimage in the volatile region. At least 32 people were killed in a similar incident 17 years ago.

Moscow Retaliation Threat

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is considering retaliatory measures against the US over the unresolved issue of frozen Russian diplomatic property. Speaking to Russian media, Lavrov slammed the former US President for the set of punitive measures imposed against Moscow during his term in office. He added that it’s shameful for the current US administration to leave the situation hanging in the balance. Lavrov was referring to the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closure of two Russian compounds on US soil in December 2016. As for the planned retaliatory steps, he said Moscow will not discuss them in public before they go into effect.

Extortionate Brexit Bill

UK’s secretary of state for foreign affairs has slapped down the European Union over Brussels’ demands for a Brexit divorce bill. Boris Johnson says the sums of money the EU is demanding from Britain as part of its Brexit settlement seem to be extortionate. Johnson expressed cynicism regarding the possibility of an agreement over the issue. He did highlight though that Downing Street had not made any plans for failing to reach a deal with Brussels. The EU demands that Britain pay a hundred billion euros to the bloc before leaving. London has categorically rejected the idea. The European Union insists that the bloc will make no compromise on its Brexit agenda.

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