WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, September 4, 2018 to 0800 GMT, September 5, 2018.

Assassination order

A new book has revealed that the US president allegedly demanded the assassination of the Syrian leader after a 2017 chemical attack that the West blamed on Damascus. According to the book by the famed Watergate reporter, Donald Trump’s demand was ignored by his Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Bob Woodward writes that Mattis decided to order an airstrike on Syria instead. The book describes how Trump’s aides work together to prevent his impulsive decisions from destroying the global order and sparking military conflicts. Woodward says the chaos under Trump’s presidency amounts to an "administrative coup d'etat" and a "nervous breakdown" of the executive branch. The White House has been quick to dismiss the book as nothing but fabricated stories.

Israel's Syria attacks

Israel’s minister of intelligence says Tel Aviv has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria in two years. Yisrael Katz claimed that most of the targets belonged to Iran. Damascus and Tehran have repeatedly rejected Israeli claims that Iran has military bases in Syria. Iran has only been offering military advisory support to Syria at the request of Damascus, enabling the Syrian army to speed up its gains on various fronts against terrorist groups.

Japan's deadly typhoon

Typhoon Jebi is battering Japan, leaving at least eight people dead and 200 others wounded. Some 700 flights have been cancelled, leaving thousands of people stranded. Over 1.6 million households remain without power. Authorities have issued flood warnings and evacuation advisories for more than a million people. The typhoon that made landfall on Tuesday is carrying wind gusts of 208 kilometers per hour. Jebi is the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 25 years. In summer, rains, landslides, floods and record-breaking heat killed hundreds of people in Japan.

Kavanaugh's chaotic hearing

US Democrats protest as the nominee for the vacant Supreme Court seat, Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing begins. Protesters against the appointment were heard shouting in an attempt to disrupt the Senate hearing. Some were escorted out by the security. The Trump administration has angered them by refusing to release thousands of documents relating to Kavanaugh's work for former President George W Bush. However, Republicans say the Democrats have more than enough information to make their judgment. Democrats say Kavanaugh could erode abortion rights and is pro-gun. They are also concerned about his belief that a sitting president should be immune from prosecution.

Persian relic returned

A Persian limestone bas-relief dating to approximately 500 BC has been returned to Iran after over eight decades. Khoshroo said the Achaemenid-era artifact was stolen some 90 years ago and smuggled out of the country. The relic was seized in October last year when it was being offered for sale at an art fair in Manhattan. In July, a New York Supreme Court judge ordered the antique to be returned to Iran. The eight-inch-square piece of carved limestone depicts a Persian guard and is valued at 1.2 million dollars. Investigators say the item was reported stolen from Persepolis in the 1930s. It was stolen a second time in 2011, from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, to which it had been donated decades earlier.

Catalan independence push  

Catalan leader Quim Torra has called on the Spanish government to agree to an independence referendum. Torra added that Catalonia will never renounce its right to self-determination. He said Barcelona will not take a single step back. Earlier on Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez proposed a referendum on greater Catalan autonomy. However, he firmly ruled out any referendum on independence or any unilateral attempt by Catalonia to secede. Torra took office in May, following several months of turmoil between Catalonia and the central government over the region’s bid for independence.

Europe's JCPOA deadline

Iran has warned that it will drop out of the 2015 nuclear deal if a second round of US sanctions makes the agreement fruitless for the country. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says the European parties to the deal must secure a financial system for Iran’s oil export before a November 4 deadline. That’s when the US sanctions targeting Iran’s energy sector come into force. Araqchi says it would be pointless for Iran to stay in the deal if its paramount interests are not guarded. The senior diplomat says the European Union has pledged to work out ways to ensure the Iranian nation will enjoy all the benefits envisaged in the JCPOA. Araqchi, however, has acknowledged that Europe’s promises have yet to translate into practical solutions.

US-Canada NAFTA row  

The Canadian prime minister has emphasized that Ottawa will not bend to US demands on key issues in talks to salvage the North American Trade Agreement. The premier said Canada needs to see a win-win outcome for all the three parties in the pact. Trudeau noted that Canada was connected to and pleased with the bilateral discussions between the US and Mexico. He said Washington and Mexico City are actually working off a proposal put forward by Canada in June to try and bridge some of the gaps between the positions on auto. However, the prime minister highlighted the inclusion of cultural exemption as another point of contention with the US.

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