News in Brief - Tue, May, 26, 2015 - 04:30 GMT

1. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has slammed the UN double standards and discriminatory approach towards regional conflicts. In a meeting with the visiting Austrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Zarif also criticized the indifference and inactive approach of certain countries towards the ongoing developments in Yemen.

2. Several militants have been killed as Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters and allied armed forces pushed al-Qaeda out of a strategic area in Ma’rib province. The operation came amid Saudi airstrikes in provinces of Aden and Sa’ada. Nearly 4-thousand people have been killed in the weeks-long aggression.

3. Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah makes fresh gains against terrorists in the strategic region of Qalamoun along the Syrian border. Hezbollah fighters captured several hills, northeast of the outskirts of Nahleh. They also killed several Nusra Front terrorists and destroyed their military vehicle during the clashes.

4. The Iraqi army has captured 2-hundred foreign terrorists in the western province of Anbar ahead of an operation to retake the city of Ramadi from ISIL. The city has been encircled by the army and Shia volunteers. They have also set up a base in Karbala south of Ramadi.

5. Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen near the coast of Gaza, wounding at least two of them. Israel has restricted the fishing zone for Gazans to only six nautical miles into the sea. However, the fishermen say they are frequently attacked before they reach that limit.

6. A Scottish lawmaker has denounced plans by British Prime Minister David Cameron to ban citizens of European countries living in the UK from voting in the E-U referendum. Christian Allard described the plan as a democratic disgrace and said everyone living in the UK should have a fair say on their own future.

7. A new birth control law in Myanmar has set off controversy, with rights groups saying it’s aimed at the country’s Muslim minority. The legislation was driven by ultra-nationalist Buddhists seeking to stoke anti-Muslim sentiments. It came amid the deepening plight of Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

8. Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is facing rising and aggressive resistance from other countries in arms trade. He urged Russian manufacturers to increase military and technical ties with the country’s allies. Moscow has been under pressure from the US and the EU over the crisis in Ukraine.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk