WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

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

Iran-Russia cooperation  

The Iranian president has called for ending foreign interference in the Syria conflict. Hassan Rouhani made the demand in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a summit on Syria in the southern Russian city of Sochi. He said foreign military presence in Syria is acceptable only if the country’s government approves. Erdogan also urged all parties to contribute to an acceptable political solution to the crisis in the war-hit nation. Separately, Rouhani held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said cooperation between Tehran and Moscow has helped promote peace and stability in the Middle East. He added that bilateral cooperation over the Syria crisis should be a role model for resolving other regional problems. The Russian president said the Kremlin and the Islamic Republic should increase their efforts to settle the Syria crisis through diplomatic means.

Amnesty slams Bahrain

Amnesty International condemns Bahrain for upholding a two-year jail term for prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, describing it as a flagrant violation of human rights. Amnesty also said the verdict is an alarming sign that Bahraini authorities will go to any length to silence dissidents. Rajab was sentenced to jail for allegedly insulting the regime. He is also on trial in a second case and could face up to 15 years in prison. The case pertains to a series of tweets criticizing Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Bahrain, over their military intervention in Yemen. Manama has been cracking down on dissent since a popular uprising began in the country in 2011.

Syria political solution

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin says his country along with Iran and Turkey supports the formation of a Syrian People’s Congress as the first step toward a political settlement in the Arab country. Putin says his Iranian and Turkish counterparts have ordered their security and diplomatic bodies to work on the composition and the date of the congress. Putin stressed that the government of President Bashar al-Assad is committed to the peace process, constitutional reforms and elections in Syria. He also said Tehran, Ankara and Moscow have agreed to step up their joint efforts to uproot terrorist groups in Syria. The Russian president made the remarks at the end of a trilateral summit with the Iranian and Turkish presidents in the Russian city of Sochi.

Yemen blockade

The UN humanitarian envoy to Yemen has slammed Saudi Arabia for tightening its blockade on the war-torn nation. Jamie McGoldrick says the closure of Yemen’s main airport and seaports undermines recent gains to contain the country’s Cholera and famine crises. McGoldrick also noted that seven million Yemenis rely on food aid. He urged Riyadh to open all humanitarian channels. The United Nations and aid groups had been using Sana’a airport and the seaport of Hudaydah to deliver much needed supplies. Their closure by the Saudis came after Ansarullah forces fired a ballistic missile at an airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Ansarullah says the attack was in retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s daily bombardment of Yemen.

Pakistan court ruling

A court in Pakistan has ordered the release from house arrest of a suspect accused of masterminding attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008. Outside the court, supporters of Hafiz Saeed showered rose petals on the armored vehicle which brought him to the hearing. Saeed has been under house arrest since January after years of living freely in Pakistan. His freedom had angered India and strained Islamabad’s relations with the United States. He is expected to be freed on Thursday. Washington had offered a 10 million dollar bounty for information leading to Saeed’s arrest and conviction. In 2008, gunmen attacked luxury hotels and a train station in Mumbai. Saeed denies any involvement in the incidents.

No return for terrorists: Syria

Syria’s deputy foreign minister says Damascus will not allow terrorists to return to the country. Faisal Mekdad added that the terrorists would have never been able to enter Syria in the first place had they not been supported by Israel, the West and their regional allies. He said the Syrian government believes that the United Nations should play a peacemaking role in Syria. The Syrian diplomat also noted that the UN’s role should be sincere and that the world body should respect the Syrian nation. Mekdad said only the Syrian people can change or amend their country’s constitution.

War crimes in Myanmar

A senior UN official says Myanmar’s military has orchestrated and perpetrated widespread crimes against Rohingya Muslim women and girls. Pramila Patten said these atrocities may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. She added that the use of sexual violence was clearly a push factor for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar. The official noted that sexual violence is a calculated tool of terror aimed at the extermination and removal of the Rohingya as an ethnic minority. The UN refugee chief has also voiced deep concern about the sufferings endured by Myanmar’s Muslims.

Refugees in PNG unwilling to leave

Papua New Guinea’s police have moved into an Australian-run detention center to forcibly evacuate asylum seekers who have been refusing to leave the facility for more than three weeks. Security forces have ordered some 380 refugees occupying the camp to get in buses lined up to take them to transit centers elsewhere on the island. Asylum seekers say police pulled their belongings from their rooms and seized food and water they had stockpiled. According to eyewitnesses, many refugees climbed onto rooftops and hid in toilets to avoid the police raid. Amnesty International has already warned there’re risks of serious injury if the authorities use force. The rights group also called for the refugees to be brought to Australia. The police operation come as the Australian prime minister reaffirmed his government's stance that none of the refugees in the offshore camp would be brought to his country.

Daesh ‘rule over’

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announces the end of the rule of Daesh following its recent defeat in Syria. Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said if it wasn’t for the mobilized popular forces and volunteers, Syria would have been disintegrated. He described the terror group’s defeat as a great victory for the region. However, the top IRGC commander said Daesh as an entity has not been completely destroyed and is still a threat to Islamic nations as well as the region as a whole. Major General Jafari noted that the terror group may continue its operation in the form of guerilla groups and that everyone must remain vigilant.

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