WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, August 19, 2018 to 0800 GMT, August 20, 2018.

Hajj pilgrimage begins

Muslims from around the world have started the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. More than two million Muslim worshippers arrived in the kingdom last week for the five-day ceremonies. Some prayed at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca before heading to Mina and Mount Arafat where Prophet Mohammad delivered his last Hajj sermon. Thousands of buses and vehicles carrying the pilgrims lined the 8-kilometer road from Mecca to Mina.

Anti-Iran hawks meeting

The US national security adviser says Iran remains a major concern for Washington. On an official visit to Tel Aviv, John Bolton added that the US and Israel will discuss ways to deal with Iran. The Israeli prime minister also stressed that the most important topic of talks is how to deter what he called Iran's aggression in the region. Benjamin Netanyahu added that Washington and Tel Aviv should make sure Iran would never have a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly rejected the idea of obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran has time and again said its missile program is part of the country’s non-negotiable defense doctrine.

US Russia investigation

The US president has lashed out at the probe into alleged Russia's interference in 2016 presidential election, comparing it to McCarthyism. Donald Trump slammed the investigation in a series of tweets Sunday. The president said the probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, makes Joseph McCarthy look like a baby. In 1950, Republican senator Joseph McCarthy led a Cold War-era probe into alleged Communists who he claimed had infiltrated the US government. McCarthy's claims were later found to be fraudulent. Trump also slammed a New York Times report, which said White House counsel Don McGahn provided detailed accounts in inquiry about whether the president obstructed justice. Mueller is investigating whether Trump sought to obstruct justice as well as whether his campaign colluded with Russia to sway the presidential election in his favor.

Fruitless sanctions against Iran

The Iranian foreign minister has slammed what he describes as the United States' addiction to imposing sanctions. Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments during an exclusive interview with CNN in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Zarif said Tehran thought Washington had learned that sanctions can produce economic hardship but cannot produce political outcomes for the US. He stressed that the US-imposed sanctions on Iran will mainly hurt ordinary Iranians. The top diplomat once again rejected the possibility of re-negotiating the 2015 nuclear agreement. Zarif also accused Washington of bullying and arm-twisting the remaining signatories of the deal to force them to implement the US sanctions.

Yemenis’ retaliatory attack

Yemeni forces have launched a retaliatory cross-border attack targeting Saudi forces inside the kingdom. Yemeni media say army troops backed by allied fighters fired a ballistic missile toward a military camp in Najran province. It added that the attack caused great damage to the camp. On Saturday, Yemeni fighters targeted another base in Jizan region causing casualties and inflicting damage to the site. Yemeni forces launch attack against Saudi positions in retaliation for Riyadh’s ongoing war campaign against the impoverished country. The war has claimed some 15,000 Yemeni lives since March 2015.

Pakistani PM promises change

The Pakistani prime minister has pledged to reduce poverty and begin an austerity drive to slash high debt levels. Imran Khan said the country is in the worst economic condition it has seen. Khan pledged to tackle corruption. The former cricketer said his government will reform health and education sectors. He also vowed to cut government spending and repatriate public funds.

Iran Leader warns of US plots

Iran’s leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned of US plots to pit Muslims against each other. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a message on the occasion of the annual hajj pilgrimage. The Leader said the US has adopted a war-mongering approach as its main policy against Muslims and Islam. He said America wants Muslims to kill each other. The leader called on Muslims to remain vigilant and preserve their unity to foil US evil plots. Ayatollah Khamenei also said that the annual hajj pilgrimage can help Muslims preserve their vigilance and unity.

Afghanistan abduction

Taliban militants have kidnapped dozens of people onboard three buses in northern Afghanistan. Local officials say the incident happened as the passenger buses were traveling on the Takhar-Kunduz highway on Monday morning. A member of the Passenger Bus Union said some 170 people were on the buses at the time. The abduction comes a day after President Ashraf Ghani announced a 90-day conditional ceasefire with the militant group on the occasion of Eid al-Adha holiday.

Koreas reunion

Dozens of South Korean families have crossed the border into North to meet their relatives they had not seen since the Korean War in the fifties. Some 180 people, most of them elderly, will attend a three-day reunion in North Korea’s Mount Kumgang resort. People were chosen from each side for the reunion but many dropped out realizing that their relatives are no longer alive. The event follows a warming of diplomatic ties between the two neighbors. Millions of people were separated by the 1950s Korean War, which ended with an armistice and left the two countries technically at war. The two sides have held 20 rounds of reunions over the past 18 years.

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