UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese says Israel bears responsibility for settler violence in the West Bank and is effectively outsourcing coercion to them.

Here are Press TV's latest top stories at 2:00 GMT on August 17, 2026.

US-Israeli attacks on Iran have caused severe environmental damage, with toxic pollution potentially lasting for decades.

Protesters in the French capital urge Western governments to take concrete action over Israel’s escalating attacks in Gaza and the West Bank.

Political analysts Tony Gosling and John Bosnitch argue that the US has lost its war with Iran and is seeking an exit, while Iran remains determined to defend its sovereignty and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement follows a series of high-level meetings in Cairo and El-Alamein, where Hamas officials engaged with US envoys.

He emphasized that the adversary was the initiator of the conflict, noting that Iran’s responses have thus far been purely defensive.