WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, January 15, 2017.

Baghdad blasts

At least 38 people have been killed and scores wounded as double explosions rip through a busy square in the Iraqi capital. Security officials say two bombers detonated their explosives in al-Tayyaran Square in central Baghdad. The rush-hour blasts hit an area, where laborers seeking work usually gather; making the death toll likely to rise. This is the second such attack to rattle Baghdad in three days. On Saturday, a bomber detonated his explosives near a checkpoint in a northern neighborhood, killing eight people. No group has claimed responsibility but such attacks are usually carried out by Daesh terrorists. The number of bombings in Iraq has fallen overall since the country announced the end of the war against the terror group.

Backing Iran deal

The Russian foreign minister has pledged his country’s support for Iran’s nuclear deal with the P5+1 group despite US threats to withdraw from the agreement. Speaking at an annual news conference for 2017, Sergei Lavrov said Iran would not feel obliged to stay committed to the agreement if changes were made to the original text. He added that Washington and its allies are unwilling to accept a multi-polar world. Lavrov also criticized Washington for threatening North Korea, saying US threats are destabilizing the situation. The top Russian diplomat also expressed Moscow’s readiness to support direct talks between parties involved in the North Korea missile crisis.

Bahrain court ruling

A top Bahraini court has upheld a two-year jail term for leading rights advocate Nabeel Rajab. Rajab was jailed after a court found him guilty of allegedly publishing and spreading rumors and false news during his TV interviews in 2015 and 2016. Rajab is also on trial for his Twitter comments about the war in Yemen and torture in the kingdom’s notorious Jaw Prison. Fifty-two-year-old Rajab has been in jail on and off since 2012 on charges related to his rights activism. Prominent international rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have variously denounced the verdicts against Rajab. The Manama regime has failed to heed international calls to release the rights activist.

US Syria plan

Damascus has strongly denounced the US for its attempts to build a new border force in Syria’s northeast. The Syrian Foreign Ministry says the move represents a blatant assault on Syria's sovereignty. The ministry noted that the US plan comes in the context of its destructive policy in the region towards fragment countries. Damascus also decried Washington for impeding any solutions to the conflict in Syria. Meanwhile, the Syrian army expressed determination to end any form of American presence and its tools in the Arab country. Syria has time and again condemned the unwarranted US military presence without an official mandate from Damascus.

Qatar-UAE tensions

Qatar says it closely monitors the alleged detention of a member of its royal family in the United Arab Emirates. A Foreign Ministry statement says Doha cannot establish the circumstances surrounding Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani's situation due to the total severance of ties with the UAE. The statement, however, emphasizes that all legal means would be pursued to protect him. Sheikh Abdullah appeared in a video on Sunday, saying he's being held in Abu Dhabi against his will. Emirati officials have denied the claim and said Sheikh Abdullah asked to move to the UAE for his safety and has now left the country. The UAE is one of four Arab states that cut all ties with Qatar in June last year, accusing it of supporting extremism, a charge Doha denies.

India-Pakistan tensions

Pakistan says four of its soldiers have been killed during a gunfire exchange with Indian forces in the disputed region of Kashmir. The Pakistani military says three Indian troops were also killed in the shooting. An Indian military official put the number of Pakistani victims at seven, adding that Indian soldiers did not suffer any casualties. Both countries have blamed each other for starting the shooting. The Indian army also said it killed five suspected militants in a gunbattle. It said the militants crossed into the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir form the Pakistani side of the region. Despite a 2003 truce between the two countries, sporadic skirmishes continue in the region.

Tunisia protests

Tunisian police have arrested 41 more protesters after fresh demonstrations erupted against austerity measures imposed by the government. The new wave of arrests brings the number of people detained since last Monday in the North African country to more than 930. Tunisia has been the scene of nationwide protests over the past seven days over deteriorating economic conditions. Although the Tunisian government has pledged extra aid for poor families, people across the country continue to hold rallies. The protests began after the government announced austerity measures and tax increases to tackle its budget deficit.

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