WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, May 30, to 08:00 GMT, May 31, 2017.

Greek debt crisis

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos has dismissed reports in Germany's Bild newspaper that the country could default on the July debt repayments. The Greek minister says Bild has distorted his words and there is no such a thing. Tsakalotos added that the disbursement is not an issue because all sides have agreed to stick to their commitments. He however said the Greek government feels that a disbursement without clarity on debt is not enough to turn the Greek economy around. Greece is hoping for a deal during a June 15 eurozone finance ministers' meeting in Luxembourg. Germany and the Netherlands have indicated they will refuse to lend more money to Athens without the IMF's participation. The IMF says Greece's debt must be sustainable in order for it to participate.

Pakistan power outages

Angry Pakistanis have taken to the streets of Karachi over electricity cuts that have disrupted a traditional pre-dawn meal during the holy month of Ramadan. It is the second day of protests over cuts that have left hundreds of thousands without power for long hours. On Monday, at least two demonstrators were reportedly killed by police in another such protest in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called an emergency meeting of a cabinet energy panel to discuss urgent measures to reduce the power cuts. The protesters are outraged by daily power cuts of up to 12 hours during the summer heat which has coincided with Ramadan.

Yemen war

The United Nations humanitarian chief has warned that the conflict in Yemen is leading to a total collapse of the country. Stephen O'Brien told the UN Security Council that Yemenis are being subjected to deprivation, disease and death as the world watches. He added that with over 17 million people in need of food, the country is facing the world's largest food security crisis. He called for immediate action to stem the suffering of Yemeni civilians as conditions further deteriorate due to the deadly cholera outbreak. During the meeting, the UN envoy for Yemen also criticized the slow pace of serious negotiations on ending hostilities. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urged the Security Council to tell the parties to immediately engage with the international body on steps to end the bloodshed. According to UN estimates, over 12,000 civilians have been killed since Saudi started its massive aerial aggression against the country in March 2015.

Brazil’s Temer remains defiant

Defiant Brazilian President Michel Temer says he won’t step down until the end of his term, saying the country is heading in the right direction under his presidency. Temer says he will push ahead with his unpopular reforms, despite criticisms. Meanwhile, a Supreme Court judge has ruled that Temer has only 24 hours to respond to federal police questions about his alleged corruption. There is an ongoing probe into Temer's alleged obstruction of justice and his involvement in a corruption scandal. Temer’s reforms and scandal have plunged his popularity to single digits according to recent polls. The scandal has sparked several protests against Temer in different cities across Brazil.

US-led coalition criticized

A senior Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units has criticized the US-led coalition airstrikes in the country. Hadi al-Ameri said that the role of the coalition in Mosul was only shy air support. He stressed that the Iraqi air force was doing a better job than the coalition. The US led airstrikes in war-torn countries have been under much criticism due to the high number of civilian casualties. Last week, the Pentagon admitted that over 130 Iraqi civilians were killed in airstrikes carried out in the city of Mosul in March. However figures on the ground put the death toll at over 200 civilians.

US arming Syrian Kurds

The US has begun arming Kurdish forces battling the Daesh terror group in Syria’s north. The pentagon says the YPG Kurdish fighters have received small arms and vehicles from the US army. Turkey, the United States’ NATO ally has already warned Washington against arming the YPG. Ankara regards the group as the Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK. The US, however, argues that arming the Kurdish forces is necessary for recapturing Raqqah which is Daesh terrorists’ de facto capital in Syria.

Putin denies hacking allegations

Russia’s president has once again dismissed allegations of Moscow’s meddling in the US presidential election as part of the Democrats’ fabrications aimed at explaining their election loss. Putin regretted anti-Russia discourse adopted by Washington and criticized US politicians for involving other countries in their internal bickering. In his interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Putin rejected any Russian involvement in the hacking of Democratic emails. The Russian leader dismissed the Western government’s attempt to picture his country as a threat amid terrorist attacks in Europe and wars in the Middle East. He said terrorism was the main security problem in the world not alleged threats from Russia.

Caracas in chaos

Venezuelan police have clashed with anti-government protesters in the capital Caracas amid deepening unrest in the Latin American country. Police fired tear gas at protesters who were attempting to reach the Interior Ministry. The demonstrators who were wearing masks and holding makeshift shields threw objects at security forces. The violence followed Monday’s protests which left over 250 people injured. Meanwhile, supporters of President Nicolas Maduro held a rally in another part of the capital.

US silence on Saudi repression

A US State Department official falls silent when asked about the reason behind America’s criticism of Iranian election and its silence over lack of such democratic process in Saudi Arabia. Acting Assistant Secretary of State Stuart Jones, who accompanied President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia last week, was briefing reporters on the trip’s achievements. During the visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump signed a 110 billion dollar arms deal with the kingdom. Trump unleashed a barrage of criticism against Iran while he totally remained silent on the issue of human rights in Saudi Arabia and its deadly war on Yemen. The US president’s anti-Iran posture coincided with the presidential election in Iran where a huge voter turnout dominated the headlines in the mainstream media.

Iraq bombings

A bomb attack has killed 14 people in the Iraqi western province of Anbar. The blast took place in the city of Hit where an attacker detonated his explosives at an army checkpoint in a commercial street. Two dozen people were also injured in the blast. Earlier a series of bomb attacks killed nearly 40 people in the capital Baghdad and injured more than 80 others. The Daesh terror group claimed all the attacks. Daesh has recently increased its terrorist activities across Iraq in retaliation for the blows it has received from the Iraqi forces, particularly in the northern city of Mosul.

UK vote poll

A new poll shows that British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party might lose its majority in the June 8 general elections. The poll conducted by YouGov, which was carried out over the past week, shows the Conservatives could lose 20 of their current parliamentary seats. The Conservatives would then be 16 seats short of a majority that they need to govern without the support of other parties. The poll shows that support for the Conservatives stands at 42 percent, while Labor will likely win 38 percent of the votes. The four percent gap is the narrowest in recent polls. If the Conservatives fail to win a majority, May won’t be in a strong position to negotiate favorable Brexit terms with the European Union.

Migrant deaths in Mediterranean

At least 58 refugees have died and more than 100 others have gone missing while trying to reach Italy through Mediterranean last week. The UN says many of the drowned were children. Some of the recovered bodies belonged to people who had suffocated at the bottom of rickety boats. About 10,000 people were rescued off the coast of Libya last week. Some others were rescued by Tunisian coastguard and Egyptian fishermen. The International Organization for Migration, IOM and the UN say since the beginning of the year nearly 1500 refugees have died and 1700 others have gone missing. Many of the victims are Libyans who try the risky way to Europe to flee their war-ravaged country.

Afghanistan attack

The Afghan capital wakes up to a powerful explosion rocking Kabul’s diplomatic quarter. The car bomb went off in the vicinity of the German embassy. It has sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air and inflicted damage on nearby buildings. Police has cordoned off the area. Officials say dozens of people have been killed or injured in the attack. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. It comes as the Taliban militant group has ramped up its annual spring offensive.

Morocco clashes

In Morocco, protests continue over the arrest of a leading activist responsible for organizing months of anti-corruption demonstrations. Protesters in the city of Casablanca got into a brawl with plainclothes officers in front of the National Police Judicial Division headquarters. The fight broke out following an argument over the detention of Nasser Zefzafi and dozens of his fellow activists. Zefzafi was taken into custody on Monday and prosecutors say will be put on trial for threatening national security. His arrest sparked protests in several cities with sympathizers chanting “we are all Zefzafi”. Morocco has been gripped by rallies since October, when police killed a fishmonger in the town of al-Hoceima.

Sri Lanka death toll

Sri Lankan government says deaths from last weekend’s enormous mudslides and floods have exceeded 200. Nearly 100 people are still missing and more than 100,000 have been displaced as a result of the flooding. The numbers are more staggering in western and southern regions, which have been struck the worst by the torrential rains and mudslides since Friday. Rescue teams have been operating to help with relief efforts. Delivering aid has, however, been very difficult in the wake of water damages. The Sri Lankan government’s appeal for assistance has been replied by the UN and several other countries, including Pakistan and India. A new wave of heavy downpours is expected to hit the affected areas on Monday.

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