WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, June 7, to 08:00 GMT, June 8, 2017.

Turkey troop deployment to Qatar base

Turkey is set to deploy troops to its base in Qatar amid Saudi Arabia and its allies severing ties with Doha. The Turkish parliament has approved two military cooperation deals with Qatar. Turkish lawmakers allowed the government to send troops to its base in the Persian Gulf country. They also permitted Ankara to enter a deal with Doha to train Qatari security forces. This a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated his country’s intention to develop ties with Qatar. Turkish officials have announced up to 3,000 troops would be stationed in the base.

US anti-Iran sanctions

The US Senate has voted to advance a bill that would authorize the president to impose new sanctions on Iran. The vote was 92 to 7 on the motion. This paves the way for a vote to pass the legislation. Several senators had sought a delay in the vote until next week after Wednesday’s terror attacks in Tehran. The bill would impose sanctions on people involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them. It would also slap terrorism-related sanctions and an arms embargo on Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps. Tehran has repeatedly said its missile program is defensive and its missile tests do not violate the constructive spirit of the nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries.

Kuwait mediation

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah has arrived in Qatar after talks with Saudi and Emirati leaders with the aim of healing a rift between Doha and a Saudi-led group of countries. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed the Kuwaiti leader in Doha. Saudi Arabia and its allies including the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt on Monday cut diplomatic ties with fellow member state of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar, over claims that Doha supports extremism. The sheikhdom strongly denies the allegation. Kuwait did not join its neighbors in downgrading ties with Qatar. The Kuwaiti emir also played an important role in mediating a compromise after a similar diplomatic dispute between Doha and its Arab rivals in 2014.

Rising anti-Muslim crimes in London

The British capital has seen a sharp rise in anti-Muslim crimes in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in the city. The office of London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, says the number of Islamophobic incidents has increased fivefold compared with the daily average this year. 20 incidents were recorded on Tuesday alone compared with daily average of 3.5. The figures mark the highest daily level of Islamophobic incidents in 2017. The mayor of London has encouraged people in Britain to report similar acts to the police. Sadiq Khan says London is adopting a zero-tolerance approach toward such crimes.

Mosul battle

Iraqi forces battling Daesh in Mosul have made major headway as they try to dislodge the Takfiri terror group from the northern city. A commander of Iraq’s Federal Police has announced that 85 percent of Zanjili district has been recaptured from Daesh. The paramilitary force is approaching the outskirts of the old city from the north. On Friday, the elite counter-terrorism service announced the recapture of another key district in the same region. The territory held by Daesh has shrunk to just two districts in Mosul. The Takfiri group maintains a presence in Medical City district and the densely populated Old City, where Baghdad is advancing on from different directions.

Seoul suspends THAAD deployment

South Korea says it will suspend any further deployment of the US missile system known as THAAD until an environmental impact assessment is finished. The decision to delay the deployment of the THAAD missiles comes as new South Korean President, Moon Jae-in has ordered an environment study. This, just days after Moon accused South Korea’s army of withholding key information regarding the arrival of four new American missile launchers. Two launchers have already been deployed in the East Asian country’s south following an agreement signed last year under ex-president Park Geun-Hye. The THAAD deployment has sparked angry reactions from South Koreans, with citizens holding daily protests against the projectiles.

Iran vows vengeance

Iran's interior ministry says acts of terror, like what happened in the capital Tehran on Wednesday, underlines the necessity for a relentless fight against extremism and terrorism, and addressing their root causes. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said such terror attacks strengthen Iran’s national unity. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, the IRGC, also vowed a firm response after the Tehran terrorist attacks. The IRGC’s second-in-command, Brigadier General Hossein Salami said the group will surely take revenge on terrorists, their affiliates and their supporters. Iranian Intelligence Ministry also vowed revenge on terrorists and their sponsors. Intelligence Minister Seyyed Mahmoud Alavi said such attacks show the terrorists are angry at the will and the unity of the Iranian nation. Meanwhile, during a phone call, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his French counterpart Emanuel Macron reiterated the two countries’ resolve to combat terrorism. The two presidents called on the international community to unite against the scourge of terrorism.

UK elections 2017

Britons head to polling stations to cast their votes in the country’s general elections. Over 40,000 stations have been set up across the country and voters will elect a total of 650 lawmakers. Several opinion polls show that the race might be a lot tighter than what was predicted when Prime Minister Theresa May announced the vote six weeks ago. The opposition Labor Party has gained more popularity against conservatives in the past few weeks. May called for snap elections in an attempt to increase her majority before Britain enters two years of Brexit negotiations. She called on voters to pick “a strong and stable” leadership in the elections.

Korean Peninsula tensions

South Korea’s military says the North has test-fired several missiles with precision strike capabilities amid renewed tensions in the region. The South Korean military spokesman said the projectiles, assumed to be short-range surface-to-ship, flew some 200 kilometers in the direction toward the East Sea. The North’s latest move comes just a week after it launched a ballistic missile in waters near Japan. Tensions have been escalating on the peninsula amid the deployment of a US missile system, known as THAAD, which both China and North Korea have condemned. The deployment has also sparked angry reactions from South Koreans. Meanwhile, Seoul has decided to delay the system’s further deployments following a call by President Moon Jae-in to study the environmental impacts of THAAD. Two launchers have already been deployed in the East Asian country.

UAE pressures Qatar

The United Arab Emirates has tightened the squeeze on Qatar by invoking the possibility of an economic embargo on Doha amid a worsening diplomatic crisis. UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said there would be more economic curbs on Qatar if necessary. He stressed that Doha needs to make “ironclad commitments” to change the alleged policy of funding armed groups. Qatari officials have repeatedly denied the allegations. Meanwhile, Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah arrived in Doha after talks with Saudi and Emirati leaders in order to mediate the crisis. Saudi Arabia and its allies including the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt on Monday cut diplomatic ties with Qatar over claims that Doha supports extremism.

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

www.presstv.co.uk