WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, April 10, 2019.

Defying US IRGC move

Japan says it will not follow the United States in labeling Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps a terrorist organization. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono says Tokyo has maintained a close relationship with Iran, and that, it will continue working to solve problems through dialogue. Japan is the latest country joining a chorus of condemnation against the US move. Turkey has said the move will pave the way for instability in the region. Qatar described it as a step outside international law. China said, it’s opposed to power politics and bullying by any country, while Syria condemned the US measure as irresponsible. Meanwhile Iraq says it has tried to prevent the US from labeling the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

No to US threats

The Turkish president says the delivery of Russia’s S400 anti-missile system may begin from July. Recep Tayyip Erdogan added that US threats cannot force Turkey to cancel its deal with Russia. Earlier in April, Washington warned Ankara against the purchase of the Russian defense system. The US also stopped the delivery of equipment related to F35 fighter jets to Turkey over Ankara's decision. Turkey, however, has refused to back down from making the purchase. The disagreement is the latest in a series of diplomatic rows between the two countries.

Yemen funeral

Thousands have attended a funeral for the victims of a Saudi airstrike that targeted a school in the capital Sana’a over the weekend. The mourners in Sana’a condemned the air raid as heinous crime. Yemeni officials say more than a dozen civilians including schoolchildren died in the attack. The strike also left scores more wounded. The UN has called for an investigation into the incident. More than 15,000 Yemenis, most of them civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia launched an aerial campaign against its southern neighbor in March 2015. The war has taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure. Many hospitals, schools and factories have been damaged or destroyed.

IRGC ‘more determined’

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has warned of unforgettable lessons to the enemy, two days after US President Donald Trump branded it a terrorist organization. In a statement, the IRGC said it will utilize powerful tit-for-tat approaches against the enemy and defend the Iranian revolution under the supervision of Iran’s leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The IRGC said Washington’s move indicates the foolish policies of the U-S and its allies in the region. The statement reiterated that the decision will accelerate the country’s defensive and offensive capabilities. The IRGC also thanked the Iranian nation for giving their all-out support to the military forces following the decision. On Monday, the Trump administration designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

US support for Israel

Iran’s president has described the US blacklisting of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a stupid and unwise measure aimed at helping Israel’s prime minister secure a fifth term in office. Hassan Rouhani says Benjamin Netanyahu has openly stated that US president Donald Trump designated the IRGC as a terror organization at his request. Rouhani says America’s recent recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights was also meant to prop up Netanyahu in Tuesday’s general election. The Iranian president has called the US the only source of terrorism in the region. He says the US cannot drive a wedge between the Iranian nation and the IRGC through such measures.

Libya flee fighting

Thousands of Libyans are fleeing their homes as fighting continues to rage near the capital, Tripoli between forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar and the UN backed government forces. The United Nations says at least 4500 Tripoli residents have been displaced due to intense fighting. It says many remain trapped in the conflict zones. This comes as warplanes of Haftar’s Libyan National Army have pounded Tripoli while clashes between rival forces are being taken place on the outskirts of the city. Haftar's forces briefly took control of the Tripoli airport earlier this week but they were pushed back by the UN backed government forces. The tensions in Libya started after Haftar ordered his troops to march on and seize the capital.

Countering US hegemony

The leader of Lebanon’s resistance movement, Hezbollah, says the US blacklisted Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps because it’s countered the American and Israeli hegemony in the region. Nasrallah said the US move proves the IRGC’s strength against Washington’s regional plots. He reiterated Hezbollah’s support for the IRGC, describing it a very influential force in the region. Nasrallah slammed the blacklisting of the IRGC and said the US is the main source of terrorism. He also warned of strong responses if US threats against resistance forces in the region continue.

Algeria protests

In Algeria, thousands of people have once again hit the streets of the capital Algiers to reject the appointment of Abdel-Kader Bensalah as the country’s interim president. Protesters held signs and called on Bensalah to resign, arguing he is not fit for the office. Protesters said the interim president is part of what they called the gang, referring to the country’s ruling elite. They also slammed the appointment of a new cabinet, saying its members do not deserve to rule the North African nation.

Brexit chaos

Germany says it’s open to giving Britain more time to arrange an orderly exit from the EU than the June 30th departure London has proposed. Merkel made the comments at the German parliament ahead of a special EU summit on Brexit in Brussels. British Prime Minister Theresa May traveled to Germany to meet with Merkel on Tuesday. She then went to France for talks with President Emmanuel Macron in a bid to break the impasse on Brexit. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the European Union says the bloc is fully prepared for a no-deal Brexit despite the fact that such a scenario will cause disruption. May has also insisted that the British government is still opposed to a second referendum on Brexit.

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