WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, October 5, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, October 6, 2017.

Riyadh on UN blacklist

The Saudi-led coalition has been placed on a United Nations blacklist for killing and injuring Yemeni children and targeting schools and medical centers. The report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was submitted to the Security Council on Thursday. According to the report, the coalition killed 683 children and attacked 38 schools and hospitals in 2016. The coalition had been briefly added to the list of shame in 2016 and then removed by then UN chief Ban Ki-moon after Riyadh threatened to cut its funding to the world body. On Thursday, a Yemeni child was killed after Saudi jets targeted a car in the Baqim district of Sa'ada province. Saudi Arabia launched the war on its neighbor in March 2015. Since then, over 13,000 people, most of them civilians, have lost their lives.

Iran reject renegotiation of JCPOA

The Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization has said the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries is not renegotiable. Ali Akbar Salehi made the remark in Rome, where he is to address a seminar on nuclear energy. Salehi said Russia, China and the EU have also emphasized that the deal is not renegotiable. He stressed that if the US scraps the agreement, the Iranian committee monitoring the implementation of the nuclear deal will take due measures. The US president has repeatedly threatened to quit the agreement also known as JCPOA. Some US officials including the pentagon chief and the state secretary are said to be opposed to Donald Trump’s stance on the Iran deal.

Strike in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, thousands of primary school teachers go on a general strike, demanding higher wages and better working conditions. The strike has forced the closure of ninety-percent of primary schools. As a result, more than a million elementary students have stayed home. Earlier, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pledged to spend eight-hundred-million euros more for teachers. But the strikers say the expenditure is not enough to meet their demands. Teachers also say salary raises do not match with the country’s economic growth. The Netherlands is one of Europe’s strongest economies.

Civilian casualties in Syria

At least seven people have been killed in attacks carried out by the Daesh terror group in the Syrian city of Dayr al-Zawr. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 15 people were also injured in the shelling which targeted the city’s residential areas. Several of the wounded are said to be in critical condition. Since the beginning of the foreign-backed conflict in Syria, terrorists and militant groups have frequently launched raids on residential neighborhoods across the country. The militancy has inflicted heavy casualties on civilians and caused severe material damage.

Iran slams unilateral sanctions

Iran’s envoy to the United Nations has condemned the unilateral imposition of sanctions against world nations including the Islamic Republic. Gholamali Khoshroo made the comment during a meeting at the UN’s Economic and Financial Second Committee. Khoshroo stressed that sanctions violate the international law and undermine multilateralism. He underlined the need for forming a fair multilateral trade system without double-standards. The Iranian diplomat further called for the expansion of economic cooperation among world countries in order to achieve sustainable development. Khorshroo reaffirmed Iran’s readiness for economic cooperation at regional and global levels.

UK conservatives divisions

UK’s Conservative Party is gripped with division as a group of MP’s are trying to force Prime Minister Theresa May out of office. Former Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps claims thirty lawmakers, from both supporters and opponents of Brexit, back his call for May to stand down. Shapps, however, noted that the move is not aimed to promote any individual to take May’s place since they are unable to agree on a single candidate. Meanwhile, May’s senior MPs support the Prime Minister, saying she should stay as the leader of Britain and lead the country out of the European Union. May appears to have survived the disapproval for now, as her opponents lack the numbers required by party rules to force a vote of no confidence.

Church scandal in Australia

A court in Australia has decided to set the next hearing for a senior Vatican Cardinal who faces charges of sexual abuse in March. Cardinal George Pell is accused of historical assaults involving multiple complainants in the state of Victoria. The court said on Friday that up to 50 witnesses could be called for the next hearing to determine if there is enough evidence against him to stand trial. The exact details and nature of the allegations against Pell have not been made public. Pell who is a top adviser to Pope Francis has strongly denied any wrongdoing. The 76-year-old Vatican finance chief is considered the most senior Catholic cleric to be charged with criminal offences.

Catalan independent row

Four prominent Catalan figures appear before Spain’s National Court over allegations of inciting rebellion following a banned secession referendum. Catalonia's police chief and three pro-independence Catalans are under investigation over the September unrest when security forces attacked polling stations in order to stop people from casting their ballots. Spain’s Constitutional Court has also temporarily suspended a Catalan parliament session in an attempt to block the region from declaring independence. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont had earlier said that the region would declare independence in a matter of days. Catalonia’s foreign affairs chief also says that the parliament will decide whether to call for independence or not on Monday. More than 90 percent of Catalan voters said yes to separation from Spain in a referendum banned by Madrid.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk