WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, July 28, 2017 to 09:00 GMT, July 29, 2017.

Anti-Iran sanctions

The United States has slapped new sanctions on Iranian companies over the country's launch of a satellite-carrying rocket. The sanctions target six Iranian subsidiaries of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group. The US Treasury says the group is key to Iran's ballistic missile program. According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the US will continue its efforts to rein in Iran's ballistic missile program. On Thursday, the US said Iran’s launch of its satellite-carrying rocket was in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

Saudi raids on Awamiyah

Saudi Arabia has conducted fresh attacks on a town in the kingdom’s Shia-populated Eastern Province. Saudi forces fired artillery shells on residential areas in the town of Awamiyah in Qatif region. Dozens of people have been reportedly wounded. Local media says security has been beefed up in the town and a large number of military vehicles have been deployed to Awamiyah. They also say the death toll from the Saudi attacks has risen to eight over the past two days. Eastern Province has been the scene of anti-regime protests since early 2011. Protesters want freedom of speech, the release of political prisoners, and an end to economic and religious discrimination by Riyadh.

Korea Peninsula Tensions

North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch provokes a firestorm of criticism from some Western and regional countries with the US and South Korea mulling over military options. In a phone call, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford discussed the issue with his South Korean counterpart. Separately the European Union has condemned Pyongyang’s action saying it poses a serious threat to international peace and security. The French Foreign Ministry has called for immediate adoption of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. Meanwhile South Korea’s president has issued a stark warning to the North, pledging to punish the country.

Zarif slams US

Iran’s foreign minister has denied the US allegation that the Islamic Republic’s space rocket launch on Thursday was a violation of the 2015 nuclear deal. Mohammad Javad Zarif says each and every word of the nuclear deal was negotiated carefully and Iran remains committed to both the letter and the spirit of the agreement. Zarif also says Iran has no intention to develop nuclear weapons and cannot, therefore, develop anything designed to be capable of delivering such arms. According to the top Iranian diplomat, Washington’s words and actions indicate its lack of good faith. The US Department of State has described the space rocket launch by Iran as a provocative move.

US within North Korean missile

North Korea has acknowledged that it successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile for the second time. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has described the country’s weapons program as an invaluable asset that cannot be taken back. He has called the second ICBM launch a stern warning for America, saying it puts entire US territory within striking range. Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump condemned North Korea's actions as reckless and dangerous. Trump warned Pyongyang about the consequences of such tests. He pledged to spare no effort to protect the US and its allies in the region. The missile flew nearly one-thousand kilometers before landing west of Japan's island of Hokkaido on Friday.

Fight against Taliban

Afghan security forces say they recaptured a district in central Afghanistan that had fallen to the Taliban last week. The governor of Ghor province says Taywara district was liberated after several hours of heavy gunfight. Military officials say the operation backed by the air force division left some 60 Taliban militants dead and dozens more injured. The Taliban have stepped up attacks against Afghan security installations as part of their summer assaults. Earlier this week, around 30 Afghan soldiers were killed when the militants attacked an outpost in the southern province of Kandahar.

UK police brutality

London police have clashed with protesters voicing their anger at the death of a young black man at the hands of law-enforcers. The Police, both on foot and horseback, confronted the protesters blocking roads and demanding justice for Rashan Charles. Protesters on their turn threw debris at the police. The demonstrators gathered outside a shop in Hackney suburb where Charles was chased by police and put down last Saturday. Following struggles with officers, the 20-year-old victim was handcuffed and transferred to hospital where he died a short time later. Charles was the second young-black man to die in the area in less than a month.

Pakistan political turmoil

Pakistan’s ruling party lawmakers have gathered to decide on who will be the country’s next prime minister following the resignation of Nawaz Sharif over a long-running corruption case. Sharif’s Muslim League Party said the ousted premier will also attend Saturday’s meeting. On Friday, Sharif resigned after Pakistan’s Supreme Court disqualified him over corruption charges. The judges said that the premier had not been truthful and honest to the country. However, they asked him to ensure continuation of the democratic process. Documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm in 2016 indicated that Sharif's family owned several offshore companies. Sharif’s party says he has been removed from office based on trivial allegations.

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