WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT July 18, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, July 19, 2017.

Jeopardizing JCPOA
Fresh US sanctions on over a dozen Iranian individuals and groups provoke criticism from Iran’s top diplomat. In an interview with the C-B-S, Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned of their negative impacts on the Iran nuclear deal. Zarif has further made it clear that the Islamic Republic will by no means renegotiate the multilateral nuclear accord. He called on US President Donald Trump to stop sending QUOTE-hostile signals to Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on eight entities, including a transnational group and eight individuals who helped the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps develop the country’s missile program. The US State Department also blacklisted two people over the same allegations.

Gaza siege
Members of Gaza’s labor unions hold a mass rally against Israel’s blockade, blaming high unemployment rate and worsening living conditions on the siege.

Poland judicial reforms
Protesters have held rallies in the Polish capital, Warsaw, to voice their opposition to new judicial reforms and plans to change the Supreme Court. The demonstrations were the latest in a string of mass anti-government protests challenging the conservative Law and Justice party, which has been in power for 20 months. The bill on judicial reforms has passed the first reading at the parliament and is awaiting final approval. The government says the reforms will make judges more accountable. The EU politicians and Poland's opposition party, however, argue that the legislation violates judicial independence and the rule of law. Under the new legislation, lawmakers would appoint members of a council that draws up and enforces ethical guidelines for judges, reviews judicial candidates and seeks opinions on new rules and regulations to ensure they are constitutional.

Saudi war on Yemen
Saudi jets have launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen, leaving more deaths and destruction in the impoverished country. The attack targeted a vehicle packed with fleeing civilians near a camp for displaced people in Ta’izz province. The air raid has left at least 22 civilians dead and several others injured with women and kids among the casualties. Some of the wounded are in critical condition. International rights groups have repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia of bombing civilian gatherings, markets, hospitals, and residential areas across Yemen since the beginning of its aggression in March 2015. Over 12-thousand Yemenis mostly civilians have lost their lives ever since.

Tensions in al-Quds
More than 70 Palestinians have been injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds. The clashes broke out when Israeli forces used tear gas to disperse angry protesters who had gathered outside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Among the injured was Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the imam of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian worshippers have refused to enter the mosque for the third day in protest against Israel’s installation of metal detectors at the entrances to the holy site. On Friday, Tel Aviv closed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound after a shootout there left three Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers dead. The closure drew sharp criticism from Muslim countries, with Turkey slamming the move as a crime against humanity.

Turkey-Amnesty row
Amnesty International Germany has appealed to Berlin to secure the release of several rights activists including the rights organization’s local director detained in Turkey. The Amnesty International official also voiced concern about the prospect of the activists having to spend several months in detention. She further said the arrests were indicative of deteriorating rights situation in Turkey. Meanwhile Ankara’s move provoked an angry reaction from German Chancellor Angela Markel who condemned the arrests as QUOTE absolutely unjustified.

Jordan fury
People in Jordan have protested the conviction of a Jordanian soldier in the case of three US soldiers that were shot dead in 2016. Members of the soldier's tribe claimed that he was a scapegoat, and that there had been a deadly clash between US troops and Syrian militants they were training when the killings took place. Protesters blocked roads to the southern town of al-Jafr with burning tires and staged a sit-in. The US troopers were killed last year when their convoy came under fire. This week, a Jordanian military court sentenced first sergeant Marik al-Tuwayha to life in prison. Al-Tuwayha testified that he opened fire because he feared the Jordanian base was being attacked.

Mideast poverty root
Iran’s foreign minister says all-out wars raging in the Middle East have pushed millions into absolute poverty. Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment at a session of the UN Economic and Social Council in New York. He said occupation and interventionist policies of foreign powers in the region have destroyed the dignity of its people and deprived them of enjoying their natural resources. The top diplomat noted that Takfiri terrorists have added to misery of the region by committing what he described as unspeakable crimes. Zarif further called for collective attempts to fight poverty as a major challenge to the development and stability of the region.

Aussie woman homicide
The Australian premier says he is demanding answers for the fatal shooting of an Australian woman by a US police officer in Minneapolis over t he weekend. Turnbull described the incident as a tragic loss and expressed condolences to Justine Damond’s family. In the meantime, a vigil was held in the victim's native Sydney to honor her memory. Justine Damond died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, fired through an open window of a patrol car. The identities of the two police officers involved in the shooting have been confirmed. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the incident.

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