WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, September 12, 2017.

Japan on Korea tensions

Japan has welcomed the UN Security Council’s adoption of fresh sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program. Abe also said that Japan, will continue to cooperate with the international community in order to make North Korea change its policies. South Korea also hailed the resolution saying the only way for Pyongyang to escape isolation and economic hardship is to end its nuclear program. The Council unanimously adopted the US-proposed resolution a week after North Korea tested its hydrogen bomb. Following the vote, Washington’s UN envoy, Nikki Haley said that the world will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

Haiti protest

In Haiti, demonstrators have taken to the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince to protest against a government bill that would increase income tax rates. Protesters clashed with security forces who fired tear gas and detained several demonstrators. The Haitian government is facing allegations of corruption. One protester said the working class is unable to pay higher taxes and accused officials of using that money to send their children to Europe and the US for education. The lawmakers in the poverty-stricken country voted 78 for and 8 against the bill. The new budget will come into effect on October 1 when fully ratified.

Rohingya exodus

The United Nations has warned that the Myanmar government’s deadly crackdown against the Rohingya minority is forcing more Muslims from that community to flee the country. The UN refugee agency says an estimated 370,000 Rohingya have fled the violence in Rakhine state and entered Bangladesh since August 25. Meanwhile the international organization for migration has voiced concern that the number of displaced Rohingya could climb as the crackdown continues in Myanmar. On Monday, the top UN human rights official denounced atrocities against the Muslim minority group as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Nobel Peace Prize ‘dead’

The leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has slammed Myanmar’s State Counselor, Aung San Soo-Chi, for her silence in the face of atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the problem is a political issue, not simply confined to the followers of Islam or Buddhism. Iran’s leader also called on Muslim states to take practical measures in the face of atrocities against Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar’s government.

Controversial referendum

A high ranking Kurdish official in Erbil says the Iraqi parliament’s vote on rejecting the upcoming Kurdish independence referendum is non-binding. Senior advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government, Hoshyar Zebari, said the Kurdish parliament will definitely respond to the resolution. He said Kurdish lawmakers will convene on Thursday for the first time since October 2015 over the issue. The Iraqi parliament has voted to oppose an independence referendum planned by Kurdish leaders for later this month. Speaker Salim al-Juburi said the vote requires the government to take all steps to protect the unity of Iraq and open a serious dialog with Iraqi Kurdish leaders. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has repeatedly said the September 25 referendum would violate Iraq’s Constitution.

France labor protest

An anti-government protest has turned violent in the French capital Paris as people gathered to demonstrate against the government’s labor law reforms. Police fired tear gas to disperse angry protesters opposing the French president’s plan to overhaul the labor law. Tens of thousands of people also gathered in central Paris to protest the controversial labor reforms. The protest was organized by several unions. People in other cities will also be holding more than 180 street protests to oppose the government plan that they say makes firing and hiring easier for businesses and companies. The French government argues the plan is required to tackle the country’s high unemployment rate, which currently stands at around ten-percent.

Pyongyang wrath

North Korea has reacted to the UN Security Council’s adoption of sanctions against Pyongyang, saying it will soon retaliate. Han’s comments came shortly after the Council unanimously adopted a US-proposed resolution over North Korea’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test. The new sanctions will target the country’s textile industry and will cap crude oil exports to the nuclear-armed nation. The resolution was less tough than a previous version proposed by Washington which would have blacklisted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the country’s national airline. China has called for the full implementation of the sanctions while highlighting diplomacy as the only solution to the crisis.

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