WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

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

Greece Strike

In Greece, workers have walked off their jobs as part of a nationwide general strike. The move aims to protest a series of new austerity measures, which are awaiting a parliamentary vote on Thursday. The new reforms will include pension cuts and tax hikes. The general strike is expected to affect public services at schools, hospitals and the transportation sector. Air traffic controllers have also declared participation with a four-hour work stoppage. The strikers are outraged by Greece’s new deal with its international creditors, which imposes a raft of new tax hikes and spending cuts beyond the end of its third bailout in 2018.

Trump in Trouble

US president Donald Trump’s sharing of intelligence with Russian officials continues to draw reactions. Senior Republican Senator John McCain has compared the move to the Watergate scandal. McCain says the latest revelations coming out of the White House have reached a Watergate size and scale. He has blasted the president for inviting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Oval Office, where he allegedly shared classified information with him. The Arizona lawmaker has rejected the meeting as unacceptable and called Lavrov a stooge. Watergate is seen as America’s biggest scandal in modern political history, which occurred in the 1970s under President Richard Nixon. It exposed a series of illegal activities, including bugging opponents’ offices by members of the Nixon administration. The scandal finally forced Nixon to resign.

Greece Clashes

Clashes have erupted between Greek police and anti-austerity protesters in the capital Athens. Anger has been running high in Greece against a new round of austerity cuts imposed by international creditors. A 24-hour strike has gripped the county as unions mobilized against the new round of austerity measures. Separate protests were held in Athens and other major cities. Protesters say they want to send a decisive message to the government, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. The mobilization is against new pension and tax break cuts forced by EU-IMF creditors in return for bailout cash. Under pressure, the leftist government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accepted to legislate another round of cuts and tax breaks to unlock the cash payment ahead of looming debt repayments in July. Athens is seeking the approval of the loan payment by a meeting of eurozone finance ministers next week.

Afghanistan Deadly Attack

Gunmen have stormed the local headquarters of Afghanistan's state media in the eastern Nangarhar province. Ten people have been killed in the violence. The interior ministry says the attack in Jalalabad that started with an explosion was followed by a gun battle with Afghan security forces. Hospital sources have confirmed the death of four TV employees, two police officers as well as four assailants in the clashes. Hundreds of Afghan forces have been deployed across the city and shops have been closed. Daesh has claimed responsibility. The Taliban and the Daesh terrorist group are both active in Nangarhar province.

Fight against Daesh

Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units are pressing ahead with operations to dislodge Daesh Takfiri terrorists northwest of Iraq, only tens of Kilometers away from borders with Syria. The PMUs say they have a key set of targets they’re trying to liberate, in an effort to prevent Daesh terrorists from using the borders to mobilize between Syria and Iraq. Press TV’s Altaf Ahmad and her team have accompanied the PMUs in the operations and sent us this report from west Mosul.

Yemen Cholera Toll

The UN children's agency says the cholera epidemic in Yemen has claimed the lives of 209 people in recent weeks. UNICEF has described the sharp increase in cholera-related deaths as alarming. According to UN estimates, there are over 17 thousand suspected cholera cases across Yemen and three thousand new cases are reported each day. Cholera is a highly contagious bacterial infection that spreads through contaminated food or water. Saudi Arabia’s almost daily airstrikes and its crippling blockade of Yemen have led to a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished nation. According to UN estimates, one child under the age of five dies of preventable causes in Yemen every ten minutes.

Iran Presidential Campaign

Iran's incumbent president Hassan Rouhani who is seeking re-election has held a campaign rally in the city of Mashhad. He has come down hard on the previous administration blaming various crises on its measures and policies. Addressing his supporters in the northeastern city, Rouhani said his administration managed to retake control of Iran’s oil market that had been under the control of Saudis. He said while the previous administration failed to tackle the issue of joblessness, some of its officials are now seeking power again. The incumbent president urged his supporters in Mashhad to choose what he called the path toward growth and prosperity on Friday. Earlier on Wednesday, Rouhani held a campaign rally in the city of Ardabil.

Saudi War on Yemen

Fresh Saudi air raid on Yemen has claimed the lives of nearly two dozen people. Twenty three people, including women and children, were killed near the southwestern city of Ta’izz. The airstrike targeted a transport vehicle in the area of Sha’abu in the west of Ta’izz. The victims were on their way back from a popular market in Mowaz’a directorate. Saudi Arabia began its deadly war on Yemen in March 2015. The destructive military campaign has left over 12 thousand Yemenis dead and millions more displaced.

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