WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, September 6, 2018 to 0800 GMT, September 7, 2018.

No chemical weapons in Syria

Syria’s envoy to the United Nations has rejected claims that Damascus used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. Bashar al-Ja’afari says France, Britain and the United States have supported terrorists in Syria for the past seven years and hindered the political process. He says Syria does not need chemical weapons to stamp out terrorism in the country. The Syrian envoy made the statements at a UN Security Council meeting that had been convened to discuss the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. At the meeting, the US ambassador said her country’s response would be swift and decisive should Damascus use chemical weapons. Also, the Russian envoy to the UN rejected allegations that Damascus was planning a chemical attack.

Iraq curfew

Violence has once again erupted in southern Iraq as anti-government protesters clash with security forces in the city of Basra. Health and security officials say at least three people were killed and dozens of others, including 11 police officers, wounded in the clashes. Several offices belonging to political parties and the local office of a state-run TV channel were damaged by fire set by protesters. Following the acts of violence, local authorities announced a curfew in the city until further notice. People in the southern oil-rich city are frustrated with unemployment, lack of water and poor public services. They have been urging authorities for the past several months to respond to their demands to prevent situation from getting worse.

British airways hacked

The UK’s largest flag carrier, British Airways, has come under cyber-attacks, affecting hundreds of thousands of its customers. British Airways says hackers targeted its website and mobile application between August 21 and September 5. It says the credit card information of at least 380,000 customers has been compromised. The airline says it has launched an inquiry into the incident. This is not the first customer-related problem to affect the airline. In July, British Airways apologized after a computer system failure cancelled dozens of its flights in and out of London’s Heathrow Airport.

‘Stop arms sales’ to Saudi Arabia

16 human rights organizations have called on France to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates because of their involvement in the war against Yemen. In a letter to the French president, the rights organizations called on Emmanuel Macron to publicly condemn the Saudi-led attacks on Yemeni civilians. The letter also demanded Macron exert all efforts to put an end to the suffering of Yemeni civilians. It stressed that the Saudi-imposed restrictions on Yemen’s Sana’a airport must be immediately lifted. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and a number of other prominent rights advocacy groups were among those who wrote the letter. Riyadh invaded its southern neighbor in March 2015. The war has so far claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians.

Israelis storming al-Aqsa mosque

Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the al-Aqsa mosque compound in the occupied city of Jerusalem al-Quds. The incursion took place amid Israeli forces’ heavy presence. More details in the following report by our Al-Quds Correspondent, Fatima AbdulKarim.

Tehran summit

The presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey are to hold a summit in the capital Tehran. Iran’s Hassan Rouhani, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and Turkey’s Rejep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria’s Idlib province among other issues. Iranian officials say senior representatives of the three countries have held talks and finalized a document over the Syria crisis. They say this will be announced as the final statement of the summit upon the approval of the three presidents. Idlib is the last major part of Syria still under the control of foreign-backed armed groups. The Syrian army and its allies are preparing for an operation to liberate the province.

Talks on Yemen

Scheduled Yemen peace talks, brokered by the United Nations in Geneva, hang in balance. The three-day negotiations were due to start on Thursday. But a delegation from the Ansarullah movement, which includes Houthis, is still in Yemen. They have a series of conditions, which they say the UN had agreed to meet, but has failed to do so far.

Brazil candidate stabbed

Brazil’s presidential frontrunner, Jair Bolsonaro, is in serious, but stable condition following a stabbing attack. Doctors say Bolsonaro has two months to fully recover and will spend at least a week in the hospital. Bolsonaro was attacked with a knife during a campaign rally on Thursday. The sixty-year-old politician says he will base his government on law and order if elected. Opponents of the far-right candidate are angry over what they describe as his divisive comments and plans. Brazil’s presidential election is scheduled to be held in October.

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