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 7, 2017.

Russia dollar shift

Russia says it is speeding up efforts to reduce its dependency on the US dollar and the American payment system. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has described the move as a way to counter Washington’s new sanctions against Moscow. According to Ryabkov, it is urgent to switch the settling currency from the US dollar to a substitute one. The decision comes less than a week after President Donald Trump signed into law a new sanctions bill that targeted Russia’s energy sector. In retaliation, the Kremlin told the White House to reduce the number of its diplomats from 755 to 455. Russia has already tried to build an alternative to the US-dominated World Bank by creating a new reserve fund in cooperation with Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

North Korea warning

North Korea has reacted strongly to the recent UN sanctions against the country over its missile program. Pyongyang said it will respond to the UN sanctions with strong follow-up measures and “acts of justice”. The North added it will never put its weapons and ballistic missiles on the negotiating table. The country also threatened the US, which drafted the UN sanctions. Pyongyang said it will teach Washington a “severe lesson” with its strategic force if the US takes military action against the north. Pyongyang noted that its atomic and missile programs are legitimate deterrence in the face of the US threat. Pyongyang underlined that the entire US territory is within North Korea’s striking range.

Iran-Renault deal

French carmaker Renault signs a landmark multi-million euro deal with Iran -- an agreement which has been described as the Islamic Republic’s biggest car deal ever. Under the deal, Renault will produce 150,000 thousand vehicles annually in the first phase of the contract. The agreement, worth 660 million Euros, was signed after 10 months of negotiations. According to the agreement, sixty percent of the shares of the partnership would belong to the giant French carmaker and the remaining 40 percent to Iran. Meanwhile, Renault officials say the agreement shows the company’s commitment to Iran.

Disarray over Brexit

The British government says it does not recognize a 40 billion euro settlement as part of its exit deal from the European Union. The announcement was made by the UK prime minister’s spokesman. He added that London is seeking a fair settlement. This came after the British daily The Telegraph reported the UK is willing to pay the settlement. The European Union has asked London to pay some 100 billion euros but Britain has yet to say how much it’s ready to pay. Meanwhile, Simon Fraser, the former head of the British Foreign Office, has said the divisions in the UK cabinet have left the country with no strategy for Brexit and the rift risks damaging negotiations in the future.

Talks over al-Aqsa

Jordan's King Abdullah is in Ramallah amid the recent tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories. Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will discuss the Israeli-Palestinian tensions over the al-Aqsa Mosque. Earlier Amman condemned Israel for allowing settlers to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem al-Quds. King Abdullah has criticized repeated violations by Israeli troops and settlers for their “blatant attempts” to change the status quo in Jerusalem al-Quds. The occupied territories witnessed massive protests over restrictions and metal detectors installed at the mosque compound entrances by Israeli forces.

Samsung scandal

South Korean prosecutors seek a 12-year jail term for the Samsung vice chairman on charges including bribing the ousted president Park Geun-hye. The prosecution made the request during the final hearing for Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong at the Seoul Central District Court. The prosecution argued that ample evidence shows Lee gave Park’s confidante some 38.5 million dollars in bribe. Lee is accused of seeking the government’s support for a business deal that would propel him to the top of the Samsung group. The court is expected to deliver the verdict in late August. The verdict will be crucial for the upcoming ruling on the former president, who was impeached over the graft scandal involving Samsung and big businesses.

UN Syria quit

A member of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria has announced that she’s stepping down, decrying the Security Council inaction. Del Ponte, along with two others, was investigating human rights violations and war crimes in Syria since 2011. They were probing incidents such as chemical attacks, mass murder of Izadi minority by Daesh, siege tactics, and the bombing of aid convoys. The commission has regularly reported on human rights violations, but its pleas to observe international law have been largely ignored. Del Ponte and the other commission members have repeatedly called on the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. Over six years of war in Syria has left more that 330,000 people dead and millions displaced.

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