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Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, September 18, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, September 19, 2017.

 

Defending Iran deal

France has defended the Iran nuclear deal while floating the idea of extending it beyond its expiration date. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian went on to say Paris will do its best to encourage US President Donald Trump to support the current deal and call for its extension. Trump has threatened to scrap the agreement many times since he took office last year. He claims Iran is violating the deal’s spirit; a charge Tehran vehemently denies. Under the 2015 agreement known as the JCPOA, Iran has agreed to limit its uranium enrichment for 10 years. The deal also contains a clause which sets a date for the removal of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities in 2025.

President Rouhani on JCPOA

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has warned the United States will pay a high price if it withdraws from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group. Rouhani made the remarks in an exclusive interview with CNN. He said exiting the deal will make the world distrust the United States. Rouhani is in New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly summit. In his meeting with a large number of Iranian expatriates, Rouhani made similar comments regarding Washington’s stance on the nuclear deal also known as the JCPOA. He said leaving the accord amounts to breaching a clear political commitment by a government. Iran is highly critical of the new US administration over its stance on the JCPOA, saying Washington has already violated both the letter and the spirit of the agreement.

Iran warning against referendum

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has called on everyone, including the UN to strongly support the constitution and the territorial integrity of Iraq. Rouhani made the call in a meeting with UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, which was held on the margins of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Iran’s President said the talk of a referendum in Iraq's Kurdistan Region is very dangerous and that Tehran is opposed to any such move. He also denounced plans to make changes to borders and geographies of other countries in the region. For his part, Guterres expressed strong support for the territorial integrity of Iraq. He also referred to the current situation in Syria and Yemen, saying the UN is ready to cooperate with Iran on regional peace and security.

Catalonia independence bid

Spanish authorities' seizure of the Catalonian independence campaign material draws an angry reaction from the regional government with President Carles Puigdemont decrying the move as unconstitutional. Puigdemont made the comments at a pro-independence rally organized by the region's Democratic Party in Girona. Police in Barcelona said they had confiscated more than 1.3 million posters, flyers and pamphlets promoting the planned referendum set to be held on October 1st. The Spanish government has pledged to stop the vote which it deems illegal. Opinion polls show Catalonia's 7.5 million residents roughly split on the independence bid.

Turkey drills

The Turkish army has launched tank drills along its border with Iraq. The exercises come a week before a planned independence referendum in Iraq's Kurdistan region that Ankara regards as a security threat.

Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria has intensified into a maximum-strength Category-5 storm as it makes landfall on Dominica. The US National Hurricane Center has referred Maria as potentially catastrophic with maximum sustained winds of 260 kilometer per hour (kph). It said that the destructive waves, flash floods and mudslides threaten Martinique, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Preparations were put in place on many of the Caribbean islands, with authorities urging residents to evacuate risk-prone areas. Maria hit the eastern Caribbean less than two weeks after Irma hammered the region before overrunning the US state of Florida with a toll of over 50 fatalities.

Rohingya crisis

Myanmar’s de facto leader has failed to criticize the military, which is accused of leading a campaign of deadly violence and rape against the Muslim community in the country. Aung San Suu Kyi condemned human rights abuses without identifying the perpetrators and the Rohingya victims. She even did not recognize the persecuted minority as Myanmar’s citizens. Suu Kyi claimed that no military operations were carried out in the region since September 5th, saying she does not know why so many Muslims are fleeing into Bangladesh.

Modern slavery

A study shows more than 40 million people were victims of modern slavery in 2016. The study was conducted by a number of anti-slavery groups including the International Labour Organization, rights group Walk Free Foundation, and International Organization for Migration. It says nearly 25 million people were forced to work in factories, farms, or construction sites as domestic workers. Another 15 million people experienced forced marriage during last year. The groups also said one in every ten children around the world was victim of forced labor. The report suggests private economy and migration as the roots of modern slavery.

Amnesty slams Suu Kyi

Amnesty International has strongly criticized Myanmar’s de facto leader for failing to condemn the deadly crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. The rights group said Aung San Suu Kyi and her government are burying their heads in the sand over the violence that is tearing through Rakhine state. The watchdog said Suu Kyi’s speech, at times, was a mix of untruths and victim blaming. It said refugees who have fled to Bangladesh cannot return to the appalling status quo where they are denied citizenship.


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