WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, August 28, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, August 29, 2017.

Trump's Iran policy 

The US intelligence community is reportedly under pressure from President Donald Trump to produce a justification to sabotage the landmark 2015 nuclear accord by putting the blame on Iran. 

According to former American officials and analysts, the US president is politicizing intelligence in order to trigger the collapse of the deal. Sources say a faction within the US administration is trying to lay the grounds for getting out of the JCPOA on the basis of cooked books. Trump is simultaneously coercing the International Atomic Energy Agency to go beyond the agreed inspections and demand investigation of Iran’s military sites, hoping to fish in hot waters. Yet despite such efforts, there is a general consensus among US and foreign intelligence agencies, the IAEA, the other five signatories of the JCPOA and the EU, that there is no evidence of Iran violating its obligations under the deal. 

Brexit talks

The third round of formal Brexit negotiations has begun in Belgium's capital Brussels against a backdrop of deep divisions on key issues. The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has called on the UK to start negotiating seriously while London demands the bloc show flexibility and imagination.

North Korea missile tests 

North Korea has fired yet another missile despite global pressure and the escalating tensions in the region.

Japan said the North Korean missile broke into three pieces before falling into waters off Japan’s Hokkaido. According to the South Korean military, the ballistic missile was fired from the Sunan region near the North Korean capital and flew about 2,700 kilometers. The United States has also confirmed the launch saying it did not pose a threat to North America. Pyongyang is yet to comment on the issue. North Korea is under UN sanctions over its missile and nuclear programs which the West especially the United States regards as threat. Pyongyang, however, argues that its missile program is a deterrent against threat posed by the US.

Kabul bomb blast

At least five people have been killed and several others injured in an explosion near the US Embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul.

An Afghan Interior Ministry official said the explosion took place at the entrance to a Kabul Bank branch, not far from the embassy. Security forces and ambulances have been deployed to the scene. The explosion came a week after US President Donald Trump said more American soldiers would be sent to the war-torn country. Washington claims its military presence is aimed at maintaining security in Afghanistan. Reports, however, indicate that over 26-thousand civilians have been killed since the US-led occupation of the country in 2001.

Call for inquiry 

A group of international organizations has called for an independent inquiry into violations and rights abuses committed by all sides since the beginning of the Yemen conflict.

Nearly 60 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, made the request in a letter to the member and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council. They said Saudi Arabia has conducted scores of unlawful airstrikes, some of which may amount to war crimes. The NGOs stressed that thousands of civilians have been killed in air raids that hit schools, hospitals, and homes. They also accused Ansarullah fighters of violations. Rights groups warned that the crisis may get worse as the war is deepening. 

Reactions to North Korea missile launch 

North Korea’s neighbors have condemned Pyongyang’s latest missile launch, describing it as an unprecedented threat.

The Japanese prime minister said he and US President Donald Trump agreed to increase pressure on North Korea. South Korean jets conducted bombing drills in response. Russia says it is extremely worried about the situation since there is a tendency towards an escalation. The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on the issue. The reactions came hours after North Korea again test-fired a ballistic missile, which flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific waters, off Hokkaido. It came amid ongoing joint military drills by Washington and Seoul on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang sees the maneuvers as a rehearsal for invasion. It argues that its missile program is a deterrent against the threat posed by the US.

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

www.presstv.co.uk