WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, November 8, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, November 9, 2017.

UN warning about Saudi-led war on Yemen

The United Nations has once again sounded the alarm about the catastrophic consequences of the Saudi-imposed blockade on Yemen. UN Aid Chief Mark Lowcock stressed that the world will see the largest famine in decades if Saudi Arabia does not allow aid deliveries to Yemen. He said the siege of Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition will affect millions of lives. The UN aid chief also called on Riyadh to immediately lift the blockade. The remarks were made following a closed-door meeting at the UN Security Council to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The Saudi-imposed naval blockade on the war-torn country has further aggravated the humanitarian situation there. The Saudi military aggression which began in March 2015 has so far left over 13,000 Yemenis dead.

Destroying Daesh in Syria

The Syrian army says it has fully dislodged Daesh terrorists from the town of Bukamal in Dayr al-Zawr province. The strategic town lies along the border with Iraq and was the last significant stronghold of the Takfiri terrorists in Syria. The latest strategic victory by Syrian troops comes just a week after they recaptured the city of Dayr al-Zawr from Daesh. Meanwhile, Iraqi government forces have reached the Syrian army units along the border. The army’s rapid advances in Syria have seen Daesh lose most areas it previously held. The terrorists now control only a few small towns and patches of desert in the Arab country.

Catalonia crisis

Thousands of protesters have hit the streets of the Spanish city of Barcelona to call for the release of jailed Catalan leaders and activists. The protesters gathered in Cathedral Plaza in the second major demonstration of Wednesday. The demonstration was part of a general strike called by pro-independence campaigners in Catalonia. Earlier, protesters blocked roads, highways and train tracks, making it hard for hundreds of passengers to travel. The Spanish government, which assumed control of Catalonia after a unilateral independence declaration, has called an election for December 21.

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan

A UN probe has found that last week’s US airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province have claimed civilian lives. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan says its findings show at least 10 civilians were killed in the airstrikes. The probe was based on interviews with medics, survivors and many others. The Afghan Special Forces had denied any civilian casualties in the attack. Unconfirmed reports said as many as 60 people had been killed. Kabul says the US airstrikes were part of the military operation in Char Dara district against the Taliban. The relatives of those who lost their lives in the US airstrikes have called for a thorough investigation. The United Nations says 205 Afghan civilians have been killed in airstrikes in the first nine months of this year. This is a 52 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

Marking Arba’een

Millions of Iranians across the country are marking Arba’een, the fortieth day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein. Mourners are holding ceremonies and street processions in remembrance of the sad occasion. As part of the event, people, prepare large meals and distribute them among the needy and their neighbors. Arba’een will be marked in the Iraqi city of Karbala on Friday. The shrine of Imam Hussein is located there. Millions of pilgrims from across the world have converged on the holy city to commemorate Arba’een. Many of them went there on foot. Arba'een is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. It comes forty days after Ashura when Imam Hussein and his 72 companions were martyred during the battle of Karbala some 14 centuries ago.

China favors dialog with North Korea

US President Donald Trump says his country and china have agreed to increase economic pressure on North Korea to “denuclearize” the country and defuse the crisis on the peninsula. Trump was speaking during a press conference with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Washington says it believes China's economic leverage over North Korea is the key to pressuring Pyongyang into halting its nuclear and missile programs. China, which is North Korea's largest trading partner, has repeatedly urged Washington and Pyongyang to hold negotiations to resolve the crisis peacefully. North Korea says its nuclear and missile programs are part of its defense policy to counter US threats and sanctions.

NATO expansion

In a move likely to irk Russia, NATO has backed plans for two new military headquarters in Europe. The move represents the biggest expansion in decades for the Western military alliance. NATO says its members hope the military headquarters will boost the organization’s deterrence against Russia in the event of a conflict. According to western diplomats, Germany is eager to host one of the NATO headquarters. Moscow has time and again condemned moves by the alliance to expand in Europe, saying such attempts aim to encircle Russia. The Kremlin has responded by holding large military exercises on its western borders and boosting its military capabilities.

HRW calls for sanctions on Myanmar

Human Rights Watch has urged world leaders, gathering for annual summits in Southeast Asia, to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. HRW said leaders should agree on sanctions on Myanmar’s government to end abuses against the minority community. More than 600,000 people have fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since late August, when the military launched a massive crackdown in Rakhine State in response to attacks blamed on Rohingya. The UN believes the majority of some one million people who once lived in Rakhine have fled the campaign of violence that has been described as ethnic cleansing.

Unpopular Trump

A new study in the United States shows that public confidence in President Donald Trump is falling. The CNN poll conducted by SSRS Research Company was carried out between November 2 and 5 among a random national sample of over 1,000 adults. It says that only 30 percent of Americans believe that Trump will unite the country rather than divide it. The number has decreased 13 points since last November. The Survey also says that 64 percent of Americans think Trump doesn’t deserve re-election in 2020. Figures also indicate that only 24 percent of people believe the US president has the respect of world leaders. Trump has been under fire for a number of issues including his comments in favor of white supremacists, his efforts to renegotiate previous US deals and issuing a travel ban against nationals from certain countries.

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