WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, September 3, 2018 to 0800 GMT, September 4, 2018.

Spain cancels arms deal with Saudi Arabia

Spain has cancelled a deal to sell Saudi Arabia 400 precision bombs following a deadly attack by the Saudi-led coalition on a school bus in Yemen. The Spanish Ministry of Defense has announced that it would return the 9.2 million euros already paid by Saudi Arabia under the terms of the 2015 deal. According to Amnesty International, Spain is the fourth major provider of arms to Riyadh. Several countries, including Sweden, Canada and Germany, have already suspended arms exports to the Saudi-led coalition. Last month, the coalition targeted a school bus in Yemen, killing 51 people, most of them children. Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war on Yemen in 2015 to reinstate a former ally. The military campaign has killed nearly 15,000 Yemenis and destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure.

Trump slams attorney general

The US president has criticized Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, over the indictment of two Republican congressmen. In a tweet, Donald Trump said charges by the Justice Department against the two congressmen would jeopardize Republican chances in the upcoming midterm elections. Trump did not name the congressmen he was talking about. But Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins were indicted on unrelated charges last month. The two were Trump’s first supporters in the House. Trump has attacked Sessions repeatedly for his decision to recuse himself from an investigation into Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Trump also indicated last week that he may fire Sessions after the midterm elections.

Venezuela-UN row

The Venezuelan government has accused the United Nations of magnifying the country’s migration crisis in order to justify international intervention. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said some individual officials have been portraying a normal migratory flow as a humanitarian crisis. He added that UN officials have been using data from enemy countries and presenting it as if it was their own. According to the UN, 1.6 million Venezuelans have fled economic meltdown in the country since 2015. The South America nation is said to be grappling with shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

UNRWA criticizes US

The chief of the UN agency for displaced Palestinians says ignoring Palestinian refugees is impossible after Washington cut funding to UNRWA. Pierre Krahen-buhl added, rights of Palestinian refugees are undeniable under international law. He also pledged UNRWA, will continue its operations despite Washington’s decision. Earlier on Monday, Krahen-buhl expressed his deep regret and disappointment over the US move. The European Union and the Arab League also strongly condemned it. UNRWA provides services to about five million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Saudi Arabia attempts to justify attack on Yemeni school bus

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition says the August airstrike on a school bus in Yemen had a legitimate target. Turki al-Maliki added, there was an error in the timing of the raid. He said, the coalition will revise its rules of engagement to avoid civilian casualties. The Saudi-led coalition earlier admitted mistakes were made in the airstrike. The attack hit the school bus in a crowded market in Sa’ada, killing 40 children. It wounded dozens of others. The incident drew strong international condemnation with the UN Security Council calling for an independent investigation.

North Korea slams US

North Korea’s state media has accused the United States of seeking to hamper the progress in inter-Korean relations by sticking to sanctions. The official newspaper of the Worker’s Party of Korea says trying to block the hard-won small road between the two countries will end up causing more inconveniences for the US. It called on Seoul not to get influenced by Washington. North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, have met twice this year. The two leaders, after their April summit, agreed to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Peninsula, halt hostile acts, and foster cross-border exchanges.

Pakistan electing new president

Lawmakers at Pakistan’s parliament and all four provincial assemblies have begun voting to elect a new president. Voting is underway to choose Pakistan’s 13th president, nearly two months after elections gave a victory to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, now led by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The party has nominated Arif Alvi as its presidential candidate, who’s expected to take the post. Alvi is competing with two other candidates: Aitzaz Ahsan, nominated by Pakistan People’s Party, and Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, who’s jointly picked up by five parties including the party of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif. A candidate needs an electoral college of 706 votes to become president. Results are expected on Tuesday afternoon, after the voting ends.

Libya clashes

The Libyan government says more than 1800 families have been displaced by ongoing clashes on the outskirts of the capital, Tripoli. The government warned that another one-thousand families would be displaced, if clashes were intensified. It also warned about rising civilian casualties as a result of indiscriminate shooting. The Libyan Health Ministry says at least 47 people, mostly civilians, were already killed in the clashes, south of Tripoli. It says more than 100 others were also injured since fighting broke out on August 27th, between pro- and anti-government militias. The fighting has intensified despite a Friday truce. The United Nations has called for urgent talks on the current situation.

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