WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, August 4, 2017.

Russia collusion probe

US President Donald Trump has called the alleged involvement of Russians in the country’s 2016 presidential election a total fabrication. Trump added that the prosecutors should rather look into the deleted emails of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He said he hoped the outcome of the Russia investigation would be “honest”. The remarks come after a jury impaneled by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller, issued subpoenas in connection with a meeting involving the president’s son Donald Trump Junior, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and a Russian lawyer back in June 2016. Trump has slammed the investigation as a fake story. Meanwhile, a number of US senators have introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at protecting Mueller from being fired by the president.

China-India tensions

China has accused India of stationing troops along its side of the border amid simmering tensions in the Sikkim region. In a statement, the Chinese foreign ministry also condemned what it called the illegal presence of Indian troops in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. The statement called on the Indian government to immediately withdraw its forces from the region. Heated rhetoric in Beijing and New Delhi has raised concerns over a renewal of hostilities that resulted in a short but deadly frontier war between the two sides in 1962. The nuclear-armed powers share a 3500 kilometer border. Much of the border is disputed between China and India.

Australia terror case

Australian police say two of the four suspects arrested during security raids in Sydney were involved in a very sophisticated plot to take down a plane. The details were the first given by officials since the arrests took place on July 31st. Police officials added that the components of military-grade explosives were sent to the suspects by a senior Daesh figure. The suspects were also alleged to have been making a gas dispersion device after their primary attempt was foiled. This is while their lawyer said they’re “entitled to the presumption of innocence”- after they appeared in court on Friday. Out of the two remaining suspects, one is still in custody while the other was released without charge.

Baltimore bloodshed

A record level violence in the US city of Baltimore prompts activists to call for a grassroots ceasefire for at least three days. Professional conflict mediator in Baltimore Erricka Bridgeford made the proposal for the truce and is pushing for its implementation from Friday to Sunday. “Nobody Kill Anybody” is the motto of the initiative. Authorities have already deployed more police officers in the streets and asked them to work overtime to control the violence. The number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200 last week, making 2017 the deadliest in a generation. Many blame lax US gun control laws for the bloodshed. The country’s gun lobby, NRA, is vehemently opposed to any attempts to amend the existing regulations.

Russia-US tensions

Russia says it completely agrees with the US president’s recent remarks about the Moscow-Washington ties have hit a dangerous low. Moscow has described the new US sanctions as a full-scale trade war, which ends the possibility of better bilateral relations. The comments come a day after US President Donald Trump in a tweet blamed Congress for the latest round of sanctions against Russia, saying ties with Moscow are at an all-time and very dangerous low. The tweet was posted after Trump signed into law a bill approved by Congress that targets Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Rouhani swearing-in

Foreign delegations are arriving in the Iranian Capital Tehran to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of President Hassan Rouhani. Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, Moldova’s President Igor Dodon and Lesotho’s King Letsie III are among the first foreign dignitaries to arrive in Tehran. Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia is also among those received by Iranian officials. The Head of Madagascar’s National Assembly as well as the Deputy Head of the Cambodian Parliament have arrived in Tehran for the inauguration ceremony. A number of delegations which will attend Rouhani’s oath-taking ceremony have expressed hope that their visit to the Iranian capital will pave the way for strengthening ties between their countries and the Islamic Republic.

Saudi war on Yemen

There seems to be no end in sight to Saudi Arabia’s aggression against Yemen as more people are falling victim to the kingdom’s attacks. The latest Saudi air raids killed ten people in Sa’ada province. Two people were also killed after the Kingdom’s troops shelled the same province. Saudi Arabia has been leading an invasion of Yemen since March 2015. The military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 12,500 people, most of them civilians. Riyadh has so far defied calls by rights organizations to end its deadly war. The Saudi-led coalition has also imposed an all-out siege on Yemen which has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation there.

Anti-Israel rally in Jordan

Jordanians have held a rally in the capital Amman, calling for cutting all diplomatic ties with the Israeli regime. Protesters gathered near the Israeli embassy. Demonstrators condemned recent Israeli-imposed restrictions on al-Aqsa Mosque. They were also angry over the death of two Jordanian nationals by an Israel embassy guard in Amman on July 23. The rally comes amid heighted tensions. Earlier, 82 Jordanian lawmakers signed a petition, calling on the government to expel Israel’s ambassador from the country and recall Jordan’s ambassador from Tel Aviv. The Israeli soldier who committed the crime has returned to Tel Aviv under diplomatic immunity despite being charged with murder in Jordan. Earlier, King Abdullah angrily urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put the guard on trial, warning that the issue jeopardizes Amman-Tel Aviv ties.

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