WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, April 23, 2018 to 08:00 GMT, April 24, 2018.

Canada vehicular attack

The death toll from a van ramming incident in the Canadian city of Toronto has risen to 10. According to authorities, several of the fifteen wounded people remain in critical condition. The suspect who drove the white Ryder rental van into a busy downtown sidewalk was identified as 25-year-old Alek Minassian. Although the motive behind the incident is yet to be determined, no links have been established between the suspect and any organized terror group. Police, however, say that witness accounts suggest the driver deliberately targeted the victims. Earlier, the Canadian prime minister reacted to the incident by expressing sympathy to those who were affected. Justin Trudeau vowed to inform the public as more details are revealed by the law enforcement.

Saudi carnage in Yemen

The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned Saudi Arabia’s airstrike on a wedding ceremony in Yemen that left dozens of people dead. Antonio Guterres has also called for a prompt, effective and transparent investigation into the incident. Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman slammed the Saudi airstrike as violent and inhumane. Bahram Qassemi said the intensified air raids against Yemeni civilians show that Saudis have been unsuccessful in reaching their goals in the war-battered country. The attack on the wedding ceremony in northern Hajjah province late on Sunday left at least 33 people dead and dozens more wounded.

Nigeria crackdown

Nigerian police have attacked mourners holding a funeral ceremony for a protester who was killed during a recent demonstration. The police forces used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd in the capital Abuja. Two girls were shot in the leg and in the hand. Many of the protesters were also arrested by police. People attending the funeral held pictures of top Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and demanded his release. The police have raided several such rallies over the past week. Zakzaky was seriously wounded and detained in a brutal raid by the army on his residence in the northern town of Zaria back in 2015. The Nigerian government has refused to set him free despite court verdicts that call for the cleric’s release.

Iran's stance on Syria

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has defended the presence of Iranian military advisors in Syria. Zarif said the world should thank the Islamic Republic for preventing Syria and Iraq from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists. In response to a question about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Zarif said such weapons are usually used at the time of desperation. He reminded the audience that the two alleged chemical attacks in the cities of Aleppo and Douma came at a time when the Syrian army was advancing against the terrorists. The top Iranian diplomat also renewed calls for an on-site investigation into the allegations. Zarif stressed that there could be no military solution to the conflict in Syria.

‘Colonial occupation’ by Israel

Palestine has filed an official complaint to the United Nations against Israel over what it called Tel Aviv’s breaches of anti-racism treaty. The complaint was handed to the world body by the Palestinian ambassador to the UN. It accuses Israel of carrying out policies and practices that lead to maintaining a colonial occupation. The complaint says Palestinians are severely limited in their freedom of movement compared to Israeli settlers. It also says Israel violates the right to equal treatment before tribunals by using separate legal systems for Palestinians and the settlers.

Armenia celebrations

Armenians have celebrated the resignation of Prime Minister, Serzh Sargsyan, following nearly two weeks of street protests in the capital Yerevan. On Monday, Sargsyan announced that he’s stepping down to meet people’s demands. He did so nearly a week after he was elected by parliament as prime minister. President, Armen Sarkissian, has accepted the premier’s resignation. Political parties in parliament now have seven days to introduce a new person for the post. Before being elected as prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan served as Armenia’s president for two decades. Protesters accused him of clinging to power. Pressure mounted on him, after a group of soldiers joined anti-government rallies on Monday. The rallies were led by opposition lawmaker, Nikol Pashinyan, who was arrested for a day, as part of police’s response to the protests.

Iran warns US

Iran’s president has warned the US of severe consequences if Washington walks out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the P-five-plus-one group of countries. Hassan Rouhani said if the White House does not live up to its commitments regarding the deal, the Iranian government will react firmly. President Rouhani made the remarks during a visit to the northwestern city of Tabriz. Rouhani said the Iranian nation will stand powerful and firm in face of any conspiracy. He said whoever plots against Iran, will face its consequences.

‘US aims to maintain presence in Syria’

Russia says the US has no intention to withdraw from Syria, despite saying it has such plans. That was stated by Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. He said the US had pledged that its only aim was to drive out terrorists from Syria. But Lavrov said despite these claims, the US is actually positioning itself on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. Senior American officials have spoken of plans by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria. According to the officials, Trump wants to replace the US military contingent with an Arab force in northeastern Syria. His administration has asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to send troops and contribute to required funding.

Saudi slaughter in Yemen

Saudi Arabia’s aggression on Yemen has caused more death and destruction in the war-torn nation. Three civilians have been killed and two wounded in a new Saudi air attack on Sa’ada province. The raid follows a deadly attack on Monday when Saudi warplanes hit a wedding ceremony in Hajjah province. The assault claimed the lives of more than 30 civilians. Ambulances were also targeted to prevent them from reaching ground zero. In another assault, a family of five, with three children, was killed in raids on the Midi district. Saudi Arabia launched a war on its southern neighbor back in March 2015. Since then, over 14,000 people have been killed.

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