WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT July 21, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, July 22, 2017.

‘Pre-planned campaign’ against Qatar

The Qatari emir has slammed a Saudi-led blockade of the emirate as a malicious smearing campaign planned against his country in advance. In a live TV address, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said he was dismayed at terror allegations by the Saudi-led bloc against Qatar. He warned that such charges would harm the war on terror. He expressed readiness to settle the dispute through dialogue. The Qatari emir, however, said any solution must respect his country’s sovereignty. Sheikh Tamim further noted that life was proceeding normally in Qatar despite what he described as a siege. On June the fifth, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar imposing an all-out blockade on the Persian Gulf country.

Saudi killings 

There seems to be no end in sight to Saudi Arabia’s aggression against Yemen as the kingdom’s warplanes continue to pound the impoverished nation. Yemeni media says the latest Saudi strikes targeted a boat off the coast of the western province of Hudaydah, killing eight fishermen. Another fisherman has also gone missing. Earlier, the United Nations blamed Saudi Arabia for Tuesday’s deadly airstrike on civilians in the southwestern province of Ta’izz which killed nearly two dozen people. The UN human rights office said there were no military targets in the area hit by Saudi warplanes. Riyadh has faced repeated criticism over civilian casualties since it began its aggression against Yemen in March 2015. The war has killed over 12,000 Yemenis, most of them civilians.

US violations of Iran deal

Iran says it has provided a commission overseeing the implementation of Tehran’s nuclear agreement with details of US violations of the deal. Iran’s top nuclear negotiator says Tehran reserves the right to respond to the violations in a manner it deems fit. From Vienna, Press TV correspondent Homa Lezgee reports.

Al-Quds tensions

Three Israeli settlers have been killed in a stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank. The incident took place in a settlement northwest of the city of Ramallah. Another Israeli settler was also injured during the incident. Israeli forces shot the Palestinian assailant but his condition is unclear. The developments came as three Palestinians were killed during protests against Israel’s restrictions at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday.

Kashmir tensions

Indian soldiers have shot dead a protester in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, amid intensifying tensions in the region. Police also used tear gas to disperse stone-throwing protesters in Srinagar, injuring another protester. The demonstrators were out on the streets to oppose what they call the brutal killing of a young man. Security forces then imposed a lockdown in the city to fend off planned protests in front of the UN office. The armed confrontations and crackdown by Indian forces have claimed the lives of thousands of people in Kashmir since 1989.

Hezbollah offensive

Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, backed by the Syrian army, has scored fresh gains against foreign-backed militants along the border with Syria. Hezbollah forces managed to retake several areas from the foreign-backed militants in the region of Arsal and Syria’s Qalamoun. This is part of the operation to fully dislodge terrorists along the border with Syria. Reports also suggest that the Syrian fighter jets pounded positions of the militants in border areas. Arsal has been a major hub for the terrorists crossing across the Lebanon-Syria border since 2011. The region fell to the terrorists in 2014, but the army later managed to recapture it.

US Russia probe

A report has revealed that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed campaign-related issues with the Russian ambassador to Washington during the 2016 presidential race. According to the Washington Post, Sergey Kislyak’s accounts of two conversations with Sessions were intercepted by US spy agencies. The paper cited current and former US officials as saying that Sessions had substantive talks on issues including Donald Trump's positions on Russia-related subjects and prospects for Washington-Moscow ties. The revelation comes as the US attorney general has insisted that he had not talked about the US election campaign with the ambassador. Trump and his campaign are accused of colluding with Russia to tilt the presidential election in his favor.

US bans against Venezuela

The United States is considering financial sanctions against Venezuela to pressure Caracas into aborting plans for a new congress. According to a White House official, the sanctions would halt dollar payment for Venezuelan oil. The measure might severely restrict the OPEC nation’s crude export and starve the government of hard currency. Washington is also discussing a ban on oil imports from Caracas. Nicolas Maduro's government is grappling with daily protests over the country’s economic situation and his plans for the constituent assembly that would empower him to rewrite the constitution. The Venezuelan president decries the rallies as a conspiracy by US officials to topple his government.

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