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Iranians attend a rally marking al-Quds Day in Tehran on June 23, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, June 23, to 08:00 GMT, June 24, 2017.

International Quds Day rallies

Millions of Iranians have held International Quds Day rallies across the country in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people. Protesters condemned Tel Aviv for its crimes and discriminatory policies. They demanded an end to the occupation of Palestine and voiced their support to the Palestinians striving to liberate their ancestral homeland from Israel. Demonstrators also called on countries across the globe to boycott the Israeli regime. Speaking before the Friday prayers in the capital Tehran, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Tel Aviv violates Palestinians’ rights under false pretexts. He also accused Israel of sowing the seeds of discord among nations to achieve its regional goals. International Quds day rallies have also been held in many other parts of the world.

London fire fallout

London police say the cladding from a tower block that was engulfed in flames, killing scores of people, has failed all safety tests. Police detectives are now considering manslaughter charges as well as criminal offenses. The Metropolitan Police say they are reviewing every company involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. Scotland Yard has also revealed that the blaze started in a fridge freezer, but it was not started deliberately. At least 79 people were killed in the fire that burnt down the tower block on June 14. Police, however, fear the number may rise. Downing Street has been under pressure for its handling of the aftermath of the blaze.

Daesh atrocities in Mosul

A Daesh Takfiri terrorist has detonated his explosives among civilians fleeing the fighting in Mosul’s Old City, killing a dozen people. According to Iraqi army and medical officials, the attack took place in the Mashahda neighborhood. Another 20 people, including women and children, were wounded in the blast. Some 100-thousand civilians are trapped by Daesh in the area. The terrorists are using them as human shields to slow down the Iraqi forces. In a separate incident, at least nine people were killed and many more injured after a bomber detonated his explosives in the western province of Anbar. Iraqi officials warn that Daesh could resort to higher levels of terrorist acts as the Takfiri group lies on the verge of losing its last major stronghold of Mosul.

Bloodshed in Pakistan

A day of bloodshed in Pakistan. At least 54 people have been killed in several bomb and gun attacks across country. Twin bomb blasts in northwestern town of Para-chinar claimed the lives of at least 37 people. The explosions happened in a crowded marketplace. Local officials say the blasts also left more than 150 people injured. In a separate attack in the port city of Karachi, four police officers were killed as unknown gunmen opened fire on them at a roadside restaurant. The assailants managed to flee the scene. Earlier, a bomb attack in the city of Quetta killed at least 13 people. Nearly 20 people were also injured in the blast targeting a police vehicle.

Iran warns West over JCPOA

Iran's atomic chief has cautioned Western powers against policies and measures which would jeopardize the historic nuclear deal. In a newspaper article, Ali Akbar Salehi wrote that saving the July 2015 accord would take concerted action and a clarification of Western security policy in the Middle East. Salehi warned that Tehran will not remain indifferent to destabilizing provocations which partly induced the country’s national defense efforts. This, as US President Donald trump pushes to dismantle the disastrous deal. Washington has stepped up its unjustified sanctions in a bid to isolate Iran. Last month, on his first foreign trip, Trump concluded a multi-billion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia and endeavored to boost an anti-Iran coalition.

Brexit drama

Britain's post-Brexit proposal regarding the rights of European Union citizens living in the UK, has failed to fulfill the expectations of EU leaders. President of the European Council Donald Toosk was speaking at a press conference in Brussels following the second and last day of the EU summit. Toosk said EU negotiators would work to reduce the negative effects of Brexit on EU citizens’ rights living in the UK. Earlier on Friday, British Prime Minister Theresa May described her government’s offer on EU citizens’ rights as very fair and very serious. Under the terms of the offer, people who arrive lawfully before Brexit will have the chance to build up the same rights to work, health care and benefits as UK citizens.

War on Yemen

Saudi warplanes have once again carried out deadly air raids on a marketplace in Yemen’s northwestern province of Sa’ada. Initial reports confirm that at least 5 civilians have been killed in the attack. Less than a week ago, Saudi warplanes pounded the same market, killing over 20 people. According to the United Nations, civilians make up more than half of the victims of the Saudi war on Yemen.

Syria army gains

A monitor says the Syrian army has retaken part of the Dayr al-Zawr province from Daesh terrorists in its first gain in the area since 2014. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces entered the province from the southeastern side, near the Iraqi border. The observatory said the Syrian army advanced eight kilometers into the province. It comes after the army reached the eastern border with Iraq earlier this month. Syrian forces have been making key gains against the Takfiri terrorists especially in Badiya desert that also covers a large part of Dayr al-Zawr province. Now they plan to retake the provincial capital where an estimated 100,000 people are living under Daesh siege.

US mistrial

A Judge in the US state of Ohio has declared a second mistrial in the case of a white officer who killed an unarmed black motorist during a traffic stop. Hamilton County Judge Leslie Ghiz made the decision after more than 30 hours of jury deliberations over five days. The jurors had said on Friday that they were unable to reach a verdict in the trial of officer Ray Tensing from the University of Cincinnati. The first trial against the 27-year-old Tensing also ended in a mistrial after the jury deliberated 25 hours over four days in November without reaching a verdict. This is the latest racially charged police shooting case to show the reluctance of US jurors to convict officers.

Dismissing Saudi demands

Qatar has dismissed a list of demands issued by the Arab states that have cut ties with Doha as unreasonable. Doha says the list was under review out of respect for regional security, but the demands were not actionable. An official response shall be presented by the Qatari government in due course. Saudi Arabia and its allies have asked Qatar to shut down the Al-Jazeera news network among other preconditions, including cutting ties with Iran. The demands also include the closure of a Turkish base in Qatar, which Ankara has rejected. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar earlier this month, accusing Doha of fomenting regional unrest and supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the allegations.

China landslide

Some 140 people are feared buried in a landslide in Sichuan province in south-western China. The landslide, caused by torrential rain, smashed around 40 homes in a mountain village. It also blocked a two-kilometer stretch of river. A rescue operation is underway to find the missing people. Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly at times of heavy rains. Back in January, 12 people were killed when a landslide smashed into a hotel in central Hubei province.


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