WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, August 12, 2018.

Caspian Sea summit

Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan have signed a convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. The Sea’s legal status has been a matter of dispute between the five countries for more than two decades. Earlier in the summit, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the Caspian Sea littoral states are taking a major step by striking the deal. He said the military presence in the body of water must be limited only to the five signatories. Rouhani also noted that the littoral states need to remain committed to multilateralism.

Gaza health crisis

Thousands of Palestinian lives are at risk as medical services for cancer patients have been suspended in the besieged Gaza Strip. The Gaza Heath Ministry says it has stopped chemotherapy at Rantisi Hospital due to medicine shortages. This is the only medical center in the Palestinian coastal enclave that provides cancer treatment. The ministry says some 13,000 patients will be in danger if the drug crisis is not addressed. Gaza has been grappling with humanitarian and health crises because of Israel’s decade-long blockade on the territory. The siege has added hardships to nearly two million people living there.

Okinawa protest

Tens of thousands of Japanese have rallied in Okinawa to call for the removal of a US military base from the island. The protesters chanted slogans and held placards, demanding a halt in the relocation of Henoko military base. They said its relocation to the coastal area poses environmental risks, adding that they want the base to be removed from the island altogether. The gathering also featured a silent prayer to honor Okinawa’s governor, who died of cancer this week. He was a fierce opponent of the relocation plan. The military base is home to half of the United States’ 50,000-strong force in Japan. Locals want the base removed due to controversies surrounding the US military presence there, including the murder of a woman by a US marine in 2016.

Syria deadly blast

Nearly 40 people have been killed in a blast that totally destroyed a militant weapons depot in Syria. Twelve children and several women were among the victims of the Sunday explosion. The incident happened in a residential building in the town of Sarmada in Idlib province. The town is held by anti-government militants. Five people were recovered from the rubble alive and were sent to a local hospital. The cause of the explosion isn’t clear yet. Syria’s northeastern province of Idlib is mostly under the control of Tahrir al-Sham terrorists but Daesh has also some sleeper cells across the region. There have been similar blasts and assassinations in Idlib in recent months.

Taliban Ghazni attack

Taliban militants launch an attack on police headquarters and government buildings in the Afghan city of Ghazni. Local officials say the militants are threatening to seize control of the city. Afghan troops defending Ghazni called in air cover. US warplanes launched several airstrikes to push back the Taliban. Ghazni is strategically important as it is linked through a highway to the capital Kabul. The Taliban has surged their attacks on foreign and Afghan troops countrywide recently. Reports say the US has held secret talks with the militants to find a way out of the war in Afghanistan.

‘Turn against JCPOA’

The US envoy to London calls on the UK to stop supporting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Woody Johnson used US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, describing the agreement as flawed. He urged the UK to use what he called its diplomatic power and influence and join Washington in the efforts toward reaching a new accord with Tehran. The United States has been turning up pressure against the Islamic Republic following its withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal. Washington has so far failed to get the EU onboard in joining the anti-Tehran campaign.

Germany criticizes US

Germany strongly criticizes the US economic policies against other countries, saying they are destroying jobs and economic growth. Economy Minister Peter Alt-meyer has named tariffs against different countries and sanctions against Iran as two examples of the Trump administration’s wrong policies. He said neither Berlin nor the European Union will abide by Washington and they will support companies that do business with Iran. According to the German minister, the EU will not allow the US to dictate with whom it can do business. Alt-meyer further added that although the trade war between Brussels and the US has slowed down following a temporary deal between them, uncertainties still persist. The German official noted that consumers worldwide would suffer the most because tariffs would drive up prices.

Russia-US row

Russia says it will keep decreasing its holdings of US securities in response to new sanctions. According to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, the country will increasingly use the ruble and other currencies, including the euro, rather than the US dollar in its settlements. The US has imposed new sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of a double agent and his daughter in Britain months ago. The UK claims Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Russia denies this.

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