WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, June 29, 2018 to 0800 GMT, June 30, 2018.

Russia slams US adventurism

Russia says the US adventurism and intervention in the Middle East have created terror groups such as al-Qaeda and Daesh in the region. Sergey Lavrov made the remarks during an interview with the British broadcaster Channel 4. Lavrov added that foreign forces invaded Syria to promote their own agenda and reshape the Middle East. He stressed that the Syrian president is protecting the sovereignty of his country. The top Russian diplomat also noted that Bashar al-Assad is defending not only Syria but the entire region against terrorism. Sergey Lavrov pointed to the role of Iran in fighting militants in Syria. He also said Damascus accepted the de-escalation zones set up by Tehran, Moscow and Ankara last July during the Astana talks.

Syria stance on chemical weapons

Syria sharply criticizes the recent adoption of a western-backed proposal that hands the world’s chemical weapons watchdog the power to identify perpetrators of attacks. Syria’s criticism comes a few days after the British-backed proposal to strengthen the OPCW’s mandate passed by 82 votes to 24. The watchdog's mandate was previously limited to determining whether or not a chemical attack took place, not who was responsible. The developments come as the OPCW’s report on the alleged chemical attack in Syria’s Douma is expected soon. Without any sort of proof whatsoever, the US and its allies blamed the alleged attack on the Syrian government forces. That’s a charge Damascus and its ally Moscow flatly deny.

Trump-style trade with France

The US president has reportedly tried to persuade his French counterpart to pull his country out of the European Union in return for better bilateral trade terms. The Washington Post said Donald Trump made the offer during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Washington back in April. The paper cited two unnamed European officials as saying that Trump told Macron why don’t you leave the European Union. The US and France have not commented on the report. It is not clear whether Trump made the comment as a joke or as a serious attempt to undermine the bloc. Trump has also praised Britain for its push to leave the EU and offered London a great transatlantic trade deal after Brexit. The Trump administration is also engaged in a deepening trade dispute with the EU over multi-billion-dollar tariffs the US imposed on metal imports from the bloc.

Syria fight against terror

The Syrian army, backed by the Russian air force, has made fresh gains against terrorists and foreign-backed militants in southern parts of the country. The forces have managed to secure a number of towns and villages and cut terrorists’ supply lines in that region. Our correspondent Mohamad Ali visited the newly liberated areas and filed this report.

US immigration protest

In the United States, protesters have taken to the streets of New York City to denounce the administration’s immigration policies. Rights activists also took part in the rally near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices. Protesters denounced President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy. They criticized the family separations as a shocking practice. Protesters demanded the full dissolution of ICE. Some US politicians have echoed the call for an end to the immigration enforcement.

GM tariffs warning

General Motors has warned of grave consequences if US President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his plan to impose tariffs on vehicle imports. The largest American automaker says higher tariffs could lead to a smaller GM, cost jobs and discourage investment. The company is also worried that such an approach could increase vehicle prices, reduce sales and trigger retaliation in other markets. Trump has repeatedly threatened to introduce a 25-percent tariff on imported vehicles. GM runs 72 manufacturing and auto-part facilities and has some 110-thousand employees in the US.

Thailand missing footballers

There is still no sign of a youth soccer team believed to have been trapped in a cave in northern Thailand for over a week now. As the search entered its eighth day, rescuers still had no idea of the whereabouts of the missing group. Heavy rain has flooded the cave and hindered search operations. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also visited the site and called for greater efforts and more effective measures to rescue the 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach. The local soccer team visited the cave after their training session last Saturday. They have not been seen since then, but their bicycles have been found at the cave entrance.