WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 19, 2017.

Palestine Day of Rage

A leading Palestinian group has called for a Day of Rage in the occupied territories amid simmering tensions around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The Fatah movement has urged all Palestinians to take part in rallies organized to protest Israel’s new security measures at the holy site in East Jerusalem Al-Quds. Palestinian worshipers have been staying away from the mosque since Israel set up metal detectors and cameras there over the weekend. On Tuesday, fierce clashes erupted outside the sacred compound after Israeli forces fired tear gas to disperse angry protesters. The clashes left dozens of Palestinians injured. The new security checks were put in place in the wake of a gunfight in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound that killed two Israeli policemen and three Palestinians.

Unjustified EU Sanctions

Syria blasts the European Union for its decision to impose sanctions on sixteen scientists and military officials over an April chemical attack in the war-torn country. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official has been quoted as saying that the bloc’s decision reflects its insistence on supporting terrorist groups and misleading the public opinion. The Syrian official has called the punitive measures unjustified noting that they were adopted before a probe into the deadly incident in Idlib province. On Monday, EU foreign ministers targeted eight Syrian scientists and eight top military officials at a meeting in Brussels. Without any sort of proof, the US and its western allies laid the blame on the Syrian government. Damascus strongly denies possession or use of chemical weapons.

Response to US Sanctions

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the US is seeking excuses to impose sanctions on Tehran, which is in violation of the spirit and the letter of the nuclear agreement. He says Tehran will respond accordingly. President Rouhani was speaking at a cabinet session, a day after the US imposed new sanctions on Iran. He added that Iran remains committed to its international obligations, despite US attempts to force Tehran into violating them. The new sanctions targeted more than a dozen Iranian individuals and entities over what the US described as non-nuclear behavior on Iran. Washington took the measure less than a week into the second anniversary of Iran’s nuclear deal, to which the US is a signatory.

US Venezuela Meddling

The prolonged crisis in Venezuela seems to be at its peak as President Nicola Maduro pushes ahead with his plans to reshape the political system. He is, however, facing intense pressure from the opposition and foreign countries. More in this report.

Turkey Cabinet Reshuffle

The Turkish prime minister has reshuffled his cabinet after a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Binali Yildirim says five new ministers will be joining the cabinet and six others will be repositioned. Fifteen ministers will remain in their posts. The cabinet reshuffle followed an unscheduled meeting at the presidential palace. The move has been expected since May when Erdogan resumed the leadership of the ruling AK party after winning a constitutional referendum that gave him sweeping powers.

Pakistan Sectarian Killing

In Pakistan, a funeral ceremony has been held for members of a Shia Muslim family, who were killed by gunmen in southwestern part of the country. Pakistani mourners held the funeral in south of the Balochistan provincial capital Quetta. The deadly incident occurred in the town of Choto some 40 kilometers south of Quetta. The four members of the Hazara family were attacked while traveling to Karachi in their vehicle. Assailants ambushed their car and sprayed it with bullets in a sectarian attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but pro-Taliban militants have attacked Shia Hazaras in the past.

Reaction to US Sanctions

China has called on all relevant parties to abide by the Iran nuclear deal through mutual trust and responsibility. The Chinese diplomat also called the 2015 nuclear accord an important multi-lateral outcome for solving international hotspot issues via political and diplomatic means. He stressed that China is absolutely opposed to any form of nuclear proliferation activity. Lu made the remarks after Washington announced a new round of sanctions on Tuesday over Iran’s ballistic missile program and other non-nuclear activities.

Blocking UN Yemen Aid

Saudi Arabia has blocked a UN aid flight to Yemen where millions of people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The UN says the flight was canceled over the presence of three BBC journalists on board. The world body has confirmed that the flight was barred from leaving Djibouti to the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, despite the fact that all people on board had the required visas. Riyadh imposed a blockade on Yemen when it launched a war against the impoverished country in 2015. According to the UN, Yemen faces the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis. More than 12 thousand people have lost their lives in the military aggression.

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