WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, September 10, 2018.

Call for accountability

The United Nations human rights chief has criticized the role of Saudi Arabia in its war on Yemen. Addressing the Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet said the Saudi-led coalition should show greater transparency in its rules of engagement. Bachelet also urged the coalition to hold to account perpetrators of deadly air strikes on civilians including the last month’s attack in Sa’ada. The Saudi airstrike on a school bus killed over 50 people including 40 children. Riyadh described the bombardment as a legitimate target but later acknowledged that the bus was hit mistakenly.

Somalia attack

A car carrying explosives has rammed into a local government office in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. A local police officer said the blast, which followed by gunfire, caused casualties. Ambulances have rushed to the scene. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility, but the al-Shabaab militant group frequently carries out bombings and gun attacks in Somalia. The militants have long sought to topple Somalia’s Western-backed federal government.

Turkey arrests

Turkish authorities have made dozens more arrests as part of an ongoing investigation into the 2016 failed coup attempt in the country. According to Turkish media, 51 soldiers and nine others were detained over their alleged links to US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen. They are among 89 people whose detention was ordered by Istanbul prosecutors. Authorities have regularly carried out such sweeps against suspected supporters of Gulen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating the coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen denies any involvement in the incident. Turkey has detained 160,000 people and dismissed nearly the same number of civil servants since the putsch attempt. Of that number, more than 50,000 have been formally charged and kept in jail during their trials.

Iran JCPOA compliance

The UN nuclear watchdog has reaffirmed the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. The confirmation was made by Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano in a statement read out at a meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors in Vienna. He said the verification and monitoring work being conducted with regards to Iran’s nuclear activities have once again proved non-diversion in the country’s atomic work. Amano reiterated that Tehran has also lived up to its commitments under the nuclear deal signed with six world powers back in 2015. The IAEA has verified the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities on numerous occasions.

Confronting ICC

The United States is reportedly planning to adopt an aggressive stance against the International Criminal Court. According to Reuters, the US national security adviser will tell the conservative Federalist Society that the US will impose sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors. John Bolton’s warning will be directed against any attempt by the court to proceed with an investigation into alleged war crimes by Americans in Afghanistan. Bolton will also reveal the plan to close the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington out of concern about Palestinian attempts to prompt an ICC investigation of Israel. The senior US official will say that Washington intends to avoid unjust prosecutions of this illegitimate court. The US is not party to the treaty that established the ICC in 2002.

Sweden vote deadlock

Sweden is heading for a hung parliament as main political parties fail to gain a majority in the country's general elections. With nearly all votes counted, the ruling center-left coalition is marginally ahead of its center-right alliance rivals, with around 40 percent each. The far-right anti-immigration party, Sweden Democrats, also made a significant gain, securing about 18 percent of the votes. The party’s leader said the group would exert huge influence over Swedish politics after its good performance in the elections. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has invited the center-right coalition to talks for a cross-bloc cooperation aimed at forming a government. The opposition leader, however, has rejected the offer, and called on Lofven to step down.

Trump trade war

China says it will respond to the United States if Washington takes new trade measures against Beijing. US president Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on ALL Chinese goods imported into the US. Washington has already slapped hefty tariffs on some Chinese goods over the past months. The decision triggered swift tit-for-tat responses from Beijing. In another development, top officials from the US and the EU are in Brussels to mend trade ties and cut tariffs on industrial goods. A European source says both sides will try to agree on a framework document by the end of the year.

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