WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, June 24, 2017.

British politics

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to force an early general election after Prime Minster Theresa May lost her parliamentary majority. Corbyn made the remark before his keynote address to the annual conference of Unison trade union in Brighton. He further vowed to challenge the government at every step. The Labor’s leader said the idea that the Conservatives' minority government could stay in power was “ludicrous”. According to a YouGov poll for The Times, Corbyn has overtaken May as voters’ choice for who would make a better Prime Minister. May's party is currently in negotiations with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party to secure an informal parliamentary deal that would give it an effective majority.

Iran condemns terror attack

Iran has strongly condemned a failed terrorist attack in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Ministry spokesman says terrorism is spreading across the world, and terrorists continue their crimes and atrocities against humanity at any time and place. Bahram Qassemi warned all nations, especially regional countries, of terrorist activities. He called for awareness and consistent efforts to fight terror groups. On Friday, Saudi security forces said they foiled a terrorist plot targeting the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Saudi forces surrounded a home where a bomber was hiding. The suspect opened fire on the forces and then detonated himself. The explosion caused the partial collapse of the building. Nearly a dozen people were also injured.

China landslide

Search and rescue operations are underway in the Chinese province of Sichuan, where a massive landslide has buried over 140 people. Nearly 1,000 rescuers, including army soldiers, policemen and firefighters are searching for the missing in Maoxian County. Heavy flooding triggered by torrential rains caused the disastrous landslide, which buried 62 homes. President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to search for and rescue all the missing people. Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly at times of heavy rains.

South Korea protest

South Korean demonstrators have staged a rally in the capital Seoul to denounce the US president for “forcing” the deployment of the controversial THAAD missile system. Thousands of protesters voiced their anger at Donald Trump for pressuring Seoul into accepting the deployment of THAAD. The rally was the largest since Washington and Seoul clinched a deal to deploy the system under the pretext of fending off North Korea's threats in 2016. China has opposed the move, saying it only destabilizes the region and does little to neutralize Pyongyang’s threats. The protest came ahead of a visit by South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in to the US.

Eid al-Fitr preparations

Muslims around the world are preparing for Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. People are heading to markets to buy new clothes and food for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr festivities. Depending on their culture and traditions, people in different Muslim countries prepare different kinds of food to mark the occasion. In some Muslim countries, it’s customary to have lunch at the home of the head of the family. Some others say Eid is mostly for kids so special festivities are planned for them and they are given gifts. Many also celebrate Eid by meeting with friends and neighbors and giving them sweets.

Pakistan security concerns

The death toll of Friday’s multiple bomb and gun attacks across Pakistan keeps rising. Several more people have succumbed to injuries they sustained from twin blasts in the northwestern town of Parachinar. Officials say the number of the dead climbed to 55 overnight, bringing the overall toll from three separate attacks in the country to 73. A terrorist outfit known as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, has claimed responsibility for the Parachinar bombings. Separately on Friday, four police officers were killed after unknown gunmen opened fire at a roadside restaurant in the port city of Karachi. Earlier, a bomb attack targeting a police vehicle in the city of Quetta killed at least 14 people. Nearly 20 people were also injured in the blast claimed separately by Daesh and a pro-Taliban faction. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered extra security ahead of Eid-al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

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