WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, August 22, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, August 23, 2017.

Spain terror attacks

The national Court in Madrid has charged four suspects in the deadly Barcelona attacks that left 15 people dead and injured over 100 others. The suspects have been charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, terror-related murder and possession of explosives. One of the suspects, Mohamed Houli Chemal, has admitted that the terror cell had planned a larger attack in Spain. Chemal is the lone survivor of a gas blast on Wednesday that ripped through a house in Alcanar. The house was used by the terrorist group to prepare explosives. The men, all of Moroccan descent, were arrested in the towns of Ripoll and Alcanar last week.

China-India border row

China has called on India to withdraw its troops from the country’s side of the border amidst spiraling tensions over a disputed region. The Chinese foreign ministry has also accused India of violating an agreement reached between the two sides on maintaining tranquility in border areas. Beijing also called on New Delhi to abide by international law and act rationally. Heated rhetoric by Beijing and New Delhi has raised concerns over a renewal of hostilities that resulted in a short but deadly frontier war in 1962. The nuclear-armed powers share a 3500 kilometer border over most of which they have a dispute.

Lebanon border offensive

The Lebanese army says it has captured most of the mountainous border areas with Syria which were previously controlled by Daesh terrorists. The operation to kick out Takfiri militants from Jurud Ras Ba’albak and Jurud al-Qa’a began on Saturday. The army now says only 20 square kilometers of the eastern border region is left under the terrorists' control. The Lebanese army spokesman has presented pictures of Daesh weapons, ammunition, mines and underground tunnels recovered during the fight. Ali Qanso also says no Daesh militant has been arrested. All of the estimated 600 terrorists have been killed or fled to Syria. In another development, the Lebanese army said a mine expert has lost his life and four others have been injured during a mine-clearing operation.

US's Syria airstrikes

The United Nations has condemned the US-led coalition airstrikes in Syria’s Raqqah, following reports of a large number of civilian deaths in the city. The spokesman for the UN Secretary-General says the new reports of soaring casualties show that civilians are the main victims of such attacks in many parts of Syria. Stephane Dujarric urged the warring sides to take the necessary steps to avoid civilian deaths. Over the past three months, the US has been supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces to retake the city of Raqqah from Daesh terrorists. The military campaign has caused a spike in the number of civilian deaths in and around the city. Earlier, local Syrian sources reported that US led airstrikes had taken the lives of 78 Raqqah civilians in the previous 24 hours. Neither the Syrian government nor the UN has authorized the campaign.

Rohingya Muslims under siege

Buddhists in a western Myanmar village have imposed a blockade on hundreds of Rohingya Muslims in the area since late July. Residents, aid workers and monitors in the village of Zay Di Pyin, which is located in Rakhine state, say Muslims have been prohibited from going to work or fetching food and water. A monitoring group has voiced concern that this could worsen ongoing tensions in the troubled state. Around 1.1 million Rohingya live in the state but are denied citizenship and face severe travel restrictions. The United Nations has warned that some cases of violence against Rohingya in Rakhine may have amounted to a systematic form of ethnic cleansing.

US-Pakistan row

The United States has urged Pakistan to adopt a different approach toward terrorism a day after accusing the South Asian country of harboring militant groups. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US could consider cutting aid to Pakistan or downgrading Islamabad's status as a major non-NATO ally. He noted that Washington’s relationship with Islamabad would depend on its stance against terrorism. His remarks come a day after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving a safe haven to the Taliban and other militants. Pakistan has rejected as disappointing the US criticism over Islamabad’s alleged support for terrorist groups.

China, Russia slam US sanctions

Moscow and Beijing have warned the United States over the recent sanctions targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and entities for allegedly doing business with North Korea. Russia says that it is working on a response to the US, saying the language of sanctions is unacceptable to Moscow. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov says the sanctions will only make it more difficult to work out a real solution to the existing problems. Beijing has also denounced the sanctions, saying it does not recognize any unilateral sanctions outside the framework of the UN Security Council. China called on the United States to “immediately correct its mistake”. On Tuesday, Washington slapped new sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies for supporting North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

US racial tensions

Police have clashed with anti-Trump protesters in the US city of Phoenix in Arizona State. The clashes broke out outside the venue, where President Donald Trump wrapped up a speech. Police used gas to disperse the protesters, who hurled rocks and bottles at the officers. The protesters chanted slogans in support of peace. They were outraged at Trump for his racist and anti-immigration policies. This is not the first time that the president’s policies and remarks bring people to the streets. But anger has been growing over his controversial stance on the recent violence in Charlottesville. Trump has remained defiant and blamed the media for the controversy.

North Korea missile development

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the production of more intercontinental ballistic missiles after the United States made overtures to Pyongyang. According to the North Korean State media, Kim has instructed the country’s missile developing company to produce more solid-fuel rocket engines and rocket warheads. The instruction made by the North Koran Leader comes as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed North Korea’s recent restraint in not conducting nuclear or missile tests.

Storm in Hong Kong

A powerful storm has swept through Hong Kong, wreaking havoc and bringing the Chinese territory to a standstill. Typhoon Hato has forced authorities to shut down the stock market and cancel hundreds of flights. Ferry services have also been suspended as strong waves keep crashing into Hong Kong's coastline. The weather observatory has raised the storm warning to the maximum level and warned of hurricane force winds and severe flooding. Rainwater has already inundated some areas. The typhoon, packing gusts of up to 170 kilometers per hour, has turned the bustling city into a no man’s land. The storm is expected to roar out of the city in the afternoon.

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