WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, August 23, 2017.

War on Yemen

Saudi Arabia’s aerial campaign against Yemen shows no sign of abating as warplanes carry out fresh strikes on the impoverished nation. Saudi jets have pounded several areas in and around the capital Sana’a, killing dozens of civilians. The deadliest attack targeted a motel in Arhaab, a district on the outskirts of Sana’a. The airstrike has killed at least 30 people and injured many others. Two other people have also died in a separate attack in the heart of the capital. Saudi Arabia’s devastating war has killed over 12,600 Yemenis, mostly civilians, since its outbreak in March 2015.

Afghanistan Bombing

A car bomb attack has rocked Afghanistan, a day after the U-S announced plans to keep its troops there. A car laden with explosives went off near the main police headquarters in the southern city of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province. Five people were killed as a result, and dozens were injured. Soldiers and civilians are among the victims. The Taliban have claimed responsibility. The militants threatened on Tuesday that Afghanistan would become the graveyard of American forces after Washington announced plans to continue its military presence in the war-torn country. The US President's new strategy comes despite his earlier pledge of a speedy troop withdrawal.

Fight against Daesh

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says the military operation in the Daesh-held city of Tal Afar is progressing well. Abadi made the statement after the Iraqi military forces managed to liberate the city’s southwestern and central neighborhoods of al-Kafah and al-Nour. Daesh militants fired rockets at the government troops and used roadside bombs and suicide car bombs to defend their positions. Tal Afar, which lies some 150 kilometers from the Syrian border, is one of the last bastions of Daesh terrorists in Iraq. The city’s liberation will cut the Takfiri terrorists’ links to the two sides of the border. Iraqi forces have also yet to liberate the towns of Hawija, Qaim, Rawa and Ana from Daesh elements.

C.A.R. Muslims under Threat

The United Nations has warned about “early signs of genocide” in the violence-plagued Central African Republic. Following a closed-door meeting of the Security Council, the UN humanitarian chief said armed groups in the country increasingly use ethnic or religious reasons to attack people and communities. Earlier this month, Stephen O'Brien said he witnessed around two-thousand Muslims besieged in a Catholic church by mostly Christian anti-Balaka militiamen, who were just waiting to kill them. He also called for the deployment of more troops to bolster the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. The African nation is struggling to end a civil war that initially erupted in 2013, and has so far resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

Against Hate Crimes

The UN has called on the United States to unequivocally and unconditionally condemn racist hate speech and crimes amid high tensions over a deadly violence in Charlottesville. A group of UN experts headed by Anastasia Crickley, said in a statement that the world body is alarmed by the racist demonstrations, with overtly racist slogans, chants and salutes by white nationalists. The panel also accused the White Nationalists of prompting white supremacy and inciting racial discrimination. It slammed the US leaders for failing to condemn violent racist events and demonstrations. Tensions remain high in the US over a deadly violence in Charlottesville as demonstrators gather in Phoenix, Arizona to denounce the President’s comments over the issue.

Muslims Fleeing Myanmar

Thousands of ethnic Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladesh since Myanmar announced a military build-up in Rakhine state. The leaders of the Muslim minority say at least 3,500 people have arrived since mid-August, piling pressure on the already overcrowded refugee camps near the Naf River that divides the two countries. There are reports of systematic rape, murder and arson at the hands of Myanmarese soldiers. Nearly four-hundred thousand Rohingya refugees are living in squalid camps in the area. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long faced criticism for its treatment of the over one million Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine. Since October, Myanmar has launched a violent military crackdown against the Rohingya that the UN says may amount to ethnic cleansing. The UN is also deeply concerned by the reports of Bangladesh turning Rohingya refugees back.

Concerns over US Missiles

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister has expressed concern over Japan’s plans to deploy a US anti-missile system to counter North Korea’s missile threat. Sergei Ryabkov also slammed imposing sanctions on Pyongyang warning that it would yield no result without dialogue. Moscow has called on both Washington and Pyongyang to exercise restraint on several occasions in the past warning against any military solution to the crisis. Tensions have been high between the US and North Korea over Pyongyang’s missile tests with both countries threatening to strike one another.

‘America First Failure’

The German Chancellor says the “America first” attitude that got President Donald Trump elected will only hurt the country in the end. Angela Merkel refuted the American public’s concept of globalization as a situation in which one country profits at the expense of others. She argued that in her view everyone can win. Merkel added that a selfish America will not be a great one. The German Chancellor, however, noted that despite her differences with Trump, she respects his fight in winning the election. Merkel was speaking at a forum organized by Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper in Berlin.

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