WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, July 31, 2018 to 0800 GMT, August 1, 2018.

Iran’s reaction to Trump’s offer

US President Donald Trump on Monday offered to sit for talks with Iran at any time without precondition. The remark has been met by a quick response from Iran’s government and military officials. They cited Washington’s unilateral decision to pull out of the nuclear deal as a proof for unreliability of the United States.

Civilian casualties in Syria

The US-led coalition says it is impossible to avoid civilian casualties when fighting an enemy like Daesh. The coalition says its service members spare no effort to minimize loss of civilian lives. The military alliance has admitted killing 1059 civilians in Iraq and Syria. Monitoring groups, however, have challenged the figure, saying the scale of the carnage has been much larger. According to Airwars, some 6500 civilians have lost their lives in the bombardments. The coalition launched a military campaign in 2014 in a purported bid to drive Daesh terrorists out of Iraq and Syria. The campaign is neither authorized by Damascus, nor does it have a United Nations mandate.

Mexico plane crash

A passenger plane has crashed shortly after taking off in Mexico injuring scores of people. Officials say 85 people have been injured. Two of them are in critical condition. Mexico's transport minister says 97 passengers and four crew members had been on board. The flight had departed from the Northern State of Durango and made an emergency landing ten kilometers from the airport. It was bound for the capital Mexico City. The airline that operated the flight, Aero-Mexico, says it is working to verify information and gather details.

US-China trade war

The US president has reportedly proposed a 25-percent tariff on two-billion dollars of Chinese goods. A source familiar with the plan revealed the figures. The goods were initially targeted with a ten-percent levy to pressure China into changing its trade policies. But the tariffs would now be more than doubled. The list includes food products, chemicals, steel and aluminum, as well as a wide range of other consumer goods. The senior vice president of the US China Business Council says the taxing would affect most American pocketbooks. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump once again defended his trade policies, saying they go in line with his America First motto.

Nigeria court ruling

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has welcomed a high court ruling to discharge and acquit nearly 100 of its members. The IMN emphasized on its clean tradition of seeking to redress through peaceful means without any resort to violence despite government provocations. The Islamic Human Rights commission also hailed the judiciary decision. The commission called for an end to the continued detention incommunicado of the Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky and his ailing wife. The two are due to face trial this month.

Macron aide scandal

The French government has survived two no-confidence motions over its handling of a presidential bodyguard’s scandal. The first motion put forward by the conservative opposition party won 143 votes, falling short of the 289 necessary to topple the government. The other motion backed by an alliance of left-wing parties only gathered 74 votes. Despite the parliamentary victories, the case involving Emmanuel Macron’s bodyguard has left a major impact on his presidency. In July, footage was released which showed Alexandre Benalla assaulting two protesters during May Day anti-government rallies while impersonating a police officer.

Yemen hunger crisis

An international aid agency has warned that the number of starving people in Yemen could increase dramatically if the country’s main ports come under attack. The Oxfam chief was referring to Hudaydah, which was invaded by a Saudi-led coalition back in June. The Red Sea port serves as a key entry point for food into war-stricken Yemen. Abby Maxman said the conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. She called on all parties involved to go back to the negotiating table and end what she called the man-made war. The UN food agency has echoed similar concerns, saying Yemen is in desperate need of peace.

Zimbabwe elections

Partial results of Zimbabwe’s parliamentary elections show the ruling party has won the majority of seats. President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF has garnered 109 seats. This is according to the electoral commission which said the opposition has only secured 41 seats. Another 58 seats are yet to be declared. On Tuesday, the opposition accused the electoral commission of deliberately delaying results in ZANU-PF’s favor. On Monday, Zimbabweans cast their ballots to choose both members of the parliament AND the next president. The results of the presidential election have not been announced yet. Monday’s polls in Zimbabwe were the first since the ouster of Robert Mugabe who was in power for decades.

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