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Houthi Ansarullah fighters are seen during a gathering to mobilize more forces to the battlefront to fight Saudi-led forces and militia, in the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, Yemen, on June 18, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, June 19, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, June 20, 2018.

 

Assault on Yemen’s Hudaydah

The Yemeni military rejects claims that the Hudaydah airport has been captured by the Saudi-led coalition forces. The spokesman for Yemen’s armed forces says the airport is still controlled by the Yemeni forces. Sharaf Qaleb Luqman says the airport is far from the clashes that are happening 20 kilometers outside the city of Hudaydah. However, he says the coalition’s heavy bombardment of the airport has caused serious damage to the buildings and installations. Earlier, sources close to the former Yemeni president said the Saudi-led forces had entered the main compound of the airport. The port city is the entry point for 70 percent of essentials to war-torn Yemen where millions are at risk of starvation.

US quits rights body

The United States announces its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Haley criticized the council as a hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights. She expressed frustration over member states that were unwilling to reform the council like Washington expected. Last year, Haley accused the council of chronic anti-Israel bias and had since threatened to quit the Geneva-based body. In explaining the decision to withdraw, she slammed what she called the ongoing bias against Tel Aviv.

Response to Israeli strikes

Israeli warplanes have carried out over two dozen airstrikes on various parts of the besieged Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv said Israeli fighter jets hit targets belonging to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and Gaza police. Several people were reportedly injured in the raids. In retaliation, Palestinians fired at least thirty rockets and mortar shells toward Israel. Hamas issued a statement, stressing the legitimate right to respond to any Israeli aggression against the people of Palestine. Hamas condemned the atrocity and pledged to confront Israeli efforts to impose a new equation in Palestine.

Iran nuclear deal

Tehran says the proposals by the European Union to save the Iran nuclear deal are insufficient. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said he doubts that the 2015 nuclear accord will survive in its current conditions. Ali Akbar Salehi added that the economic benefits of the nuclear agreement do not meet Iran’s expectations. He called on the United Nations and Europe to openly support the accord and confront US policies. Salehi made the statements in a meeting with the UN Secretary-General. For his part, Antonio Guterres stressed the need to uphold the deal. He reiterated that saving the landmark agreement would play a very constructive role in promoting global security and nuclear non-proliferation.

US separation policy

Protesters mock the US secretary of Homeland Security while she dines in a Mexican restaurant over her support for a controversial immigrant law. Activists from Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America posted the video online. They criticized Kirstjen Nielsen for her staunch backing of separating migrant children, especially Mexicans, from their families at the border.

OPEC output row

The Iranian oil minister has lashed out at the US president’s call on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase oil production, saying OPEC is not an American organization. Bijan Zanganeh is in the Austrian capital Vienna ahead of a meeting with his counterparts on Friday. Zanganeh urged OPEC to resist calls from Donald Trump to change its output policy. He also criticized Trump, saying his strategies have caused high oil prices. The Iranian oil minister noted that he does not expect the oil producer group to reach an agreement to change its output policy in the upcoming meeting.

Italy’s Roma census plan

Italy’s far-right interior minister has defended his plan to count the Roma community living in the country after opposition lawmakers slammed the idea as “racist and fascist”. Matteo Salvini stressed that a census would allow the authorities to expel Roma of foreign nationality without the proper documentation. He added that “unfortunately the government has to keep the Italian Roma”. In addition to outcry at home, Salvini’s decision has sparked outrage abroad. The European Union says citizens should not be deported based on ethical criteria. Salvini is already under fire due to his refusal last week to let a rescue ship carrying some 630 migrants land in Italy.


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