Iran holds two US navy boats in Persian Gulf

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps says it has held two US navy boats with ten Marines after they entered Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The Pentagon says Washington has received assurances from Tehran that the vessels and the Marines will be released soon.
   
• The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says IAEA inspectors have arrived in the country to monitor the work at Arak nuclear complex. Iranian experts will pour cement into the reactor core of Arak plutonium processing plant in the coming days. That would complete Iran’s end of a nuclear deal with the P-5+1.
   
• Iran condemns Istanbul’s deadly bomb blast. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi-Ansari said the attack once again highlights the necessity of prioritizing the fight against terrorism and extremism in the region. The UN chief, the EU foreign policy chief and the German chancellor have also denounced the blast. 
   
• The Syrian army has managed to push into the strategic city of Salma in western Latakia province. Syrian troops are engaged in fierce fighting with foreign-backed terrorists there. Elsewhere in Hama province, the Syrian soldiers have recaptured the town of Gerges, arresting a number of terrorists there.
   
• Sweden’s foreign minister has called for thorough and credible investigation into the killings of Palestinians by Israelis in recent months. Margot Wallstrom said it is essential to determine whether Israel was guilty of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians. Her remarks referred to at least 155 Palestinians killed in the upsurge of violence since October 2015.
   
• The Philippines Supreme Court has upheld a security accord which allows an increased U-S military presence in the country. The accord is aimed at helping Manila counter the Chinese presence in the disputed parts of the South China Sea. It has faced strong criticism from the opponents of the US military involvement. 
   
• Oil giant BP says it will reduce the number of its staff from 24-thousand to 20-thousand by the end of 2017. The company announced that the decision was made in response to nose-diving oil prices. Last year, the company also slashed four-thousand jobs.
   
• A joint poll by CBS and the New York Times shows nearly half of Americans disprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance in office. Obama’s approval rating has hovered in the low to mid-40s for most of his second term in office, especially on the issues such as economy and his dealing with terrorism. 

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