WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, May 17, to 08:00 GMT, May 18, 2017.

Trump impeachment

A US Democratic congressman has called for President Donald Trump's impeachment on the House floor. In an interview, Green said the president is intimidating any person investigating the Russian role in his 2016 presidential election. Green had earlier said Trump committed an impeachable act by obstruction of the lawful investigation and must be charged for that. Green believes the impeachment is necessary to show that the president is not above the law. In the past, several other Democratic lawmakers had also discussed Trump's impeachment. However, Green is the first to call for the measure from the House floor. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan says Congress must gather all relevant facts before rushing to judgment on Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Venezuela unrest

The Venezuelan government says it is sending troops to the riot-hit western state of Tachira as the death toll rises from the country’s violent protests. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez says 2,000 guards and 600 special troops are being deployed to the region which has been rocked by looting and attacks against security installations. Lopez has also accused the opposition of trying to start a civil war and seeking to turn the country into “another Syria”. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s public prosecution service says a 15-year old boy has died during the latest unrest in Tachira, raising the nationwide death toll to 45. The opposition has blamed the unrest on what it calls President Nicolas Maduro’s mismanagement of Venezuela’s economy. It has also vowed to demonstrate until Maduro resigns. The president has however accused his opponents of seeking to stage a US-backed coup.

US stocks crash

In the US, deepening worries over President Trump’s economic agenda following a series of scandals has sent jitters through financial markets. The Wall Street fell sharply after some US lawmakers strongly criticized Trump over the scandals. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.8 percent - the biggest one day decline since the president was elected. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 1.8 percent, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 2.6 percent. This, as calls grow louder for the impeachment of Trump amid an investigation into his alleged links to Russia.

Minor refugees

The UN children’s agency says there are more than 300,000 unaccompanied minors travelling with people seeking refuge across the world. UNICEF said nearly 170,000 children have sought asylum in Europe, while some 100,000 other have been counted at the US-Mexican border. According to the UN agency, another 90,000 are displaced across eastern Africa. UNICEF said the figure was recorded in a two-year period and it marked a dramatic escalation that has forced some young refugees into slavery and prostitution. It added that the number of children traveling alone has increased nearly five times since 2010. Conflicts in the Middle East and Africa are blamed for the mass refugee influx into Europe and beyond. The continent is currently in the midst of its worst refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War, with more than one million arrivals recorded last year alone.

Turkey arrest

Turkish police have arrested at least 30 protesters in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. The demonstrators have staged a rally in support of two academics fired following last year’s failed coup. They went on a hunger strike two months ago. The Turkish government has arrested 50,000 people and sacked or suspended some 150,000 others, including military personnel, judges and teachers as part of the post-coup crackdown. Many rights groups have accused Ankara of carrying out repressive measures to silence dissent after the military revolt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was defeated.

US Iran sanctions

The administration of US President Donald Trump has extended Washington’s sanctions relief for Iran under the nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries. The waiver must be re-signed every 120 days. The Trump administration’s review of its Iran policy will be complete in July. Meanwhile, the US Department of Treasury has imposed sanctions on two Iranian defense officials, an Iranian company and members of a China-based network for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program. Iran says its missile program is defensive and it rejects claims that the country’s missile tests are in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution.

Iran US

Iran has added nine US individuals and organizations to its list of sanctions in response to Washington’s new measures against Tehran. Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement that these individuals and companies violated human rights through complicity in Israeli crimes against Palestinians, support for Takfiri terrorism or involvement in actions against Iran’s national security. On Wednesday, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on two Iranian defense officials, an Iranian company and members of a China-based network for what it called supporting Iran's ballistic missile program while extending the sanctions waiver under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries. Tehran says Washington’s new sanctions are aimed at undermining the positive impacts of the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. Iran stresses that its missile program is solely for defensive purposes.

Venezuela vigil

Thousands of people have attended a candlelight vigil in the Venezuelan capital Caracas in honor of those who lost their lives in nationwide violence in recent weeks. The protesters urged the country’s officials to hold early elections. They also called for an end to the country’s economic crisis. The protest comes after the Venezuelan government said it was sending special troops to the riot-hit state of Tachira. Venezuela’s public prosecution service says a 15-year old boy has died during the latest wave of unrest in the western state, raising the nationwide death toll to 43. The opposition has blamed the unrest on what it calls President Nicolas Maduro’s mismanagement of Venezuela’s economy. The president has, however, accused his opponents of seeking to stage a US-backed coup.

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