WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 3, 2017.

Iran Leader speech

The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has urged the country’s judiciary to legally pursue important international issues such as terrorism, anti-Iran sanctions and freezing of Iranian assets by the United States.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the Iranian judiciary officials. The leader said the legal follow-up of those international issues is of the essence. He also urged the judiciary to support the oppressed Muslim figures such as Nigerian Muslim leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaki as well as backing the oppressed Muslims in Kashmir and Myanmar through legal channels.

Syria rejects chemical claims

The Syrian government has rejected the western accusations of chemical weapons use by Damascus against militants.

Miqdad said following the first chemical attack in Syria in 2013, the Syrian government asked the United Nations to investigate the case. The top Syrian diplomat added that Damascus is open to any UN probe into the use of chemical weapons including this year’s gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province that left dozens of people dead. Miqdad also accused foreign-backed terrorists of launching gas attacks in an effort to pave the way for the US invasion of Syria. Later in his remarks, Syria’s deputy foreign minister said the United States, Israel and their regional allies have supported and harbored terrorists in order to overthrow the government in Damascus.

Tensions over THAAD

The Chinese president has cautioned his US counterpart against some negative factors affecting their countries bilateral relations. In a telephone conversation, Xi Jinping urged Donald Trump to uphold the One China principle concerning US policy toward Taiwan. His comments come days after Trump approved a US arms deal with the self-governed island which Beijing considers a breakaway province. The Chinese leader has also expressed serious concerns over the deployment of the US THAAD anti-missile systems to South Korea as a threat to the entire region.

Cholera crisis

Sudanese doctors have raised alarm over a cholera outbreak in the African country, urging the government to declare a state of emergency.

A committee of Sudanese doctors says it has recorded some 700 deaths within the last two weeks, adding the fatalities were most likely caused by cholera. According to the committee, there are at least 22,000 cases suspected of being infected by the disease. Medical professionals have asked the government to delay opening schools, warning of the disease becoming epidemic in rural areas. The first cases were reportedly found in the refugee camps located in the northern areas in August 2016.

Iran energy investment

Iran and French energy giant Total have signed a $4.8 billion deal to develop a gas field in southern parts of the country.

The agreement to develop Phase 11 of the giant South Pars field was signed last month when Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh met with Total’s Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne in Vienna. Total will operate the project with a 50.1 percent interest alongside Iran’s Petro-pars and the Chinese state-owned oil and gas company CNPC. The South Pars Phase 11 project will have a production capacity of 1.8 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Israel land grab

Israel plans to force five Palestinian families to evict their home as Tel Aviv plans to build 2,000 more settler units in the occupied territories.

The settler units are to be built in East Jerusalem al-Quds, including in the Sheikh Jarrah district. This is not the first time that Palestinians are forced from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. Seven years ago, Israeli officials displaced a number of families so that the Israelis could move in. The move prompted massive protests. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal. Tel Aviv has defied calls to stop its settlement expansions.

Venezuela economy

In Venezuela, the minimum wage is set to rise by 50 percent amid the protests in the Latin American country.

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro said his government will fight those who are behind the country’s economic crisis. This is the third time the government raises the minimum wage in 2017. The unrest in the country has deeply affected its economy which is hit by an extremely high inflation. The opposition accuses Maduro of mismanagement, blaming the continuing economic problems on the government. The president, however, regards the country’s unrest as part of a US-backed coup attempt against his government.

Yemen war

Saudi air force has launched new airstrikes on Yeminis, killing at least 15 people.

Seven children and eight women died when Warplanes bombarded a residential area in town of Mukha in Ta’izz province. Saudi jets also raided an army base in town of Harf Sufyan in Amran province. Meanwhile, the town of Bami Matar in Sana’a was bombed 12 times. More than 12,000 people have been killed since the onset of the Saudi war on Yemen in March 2015. The war has condemnation from rights groups which are concerned over the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Macron’s speech

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to intensify security measures in France. He says this is meant to restore the freedoms lost under the country’s state of emergency.

Macron made the comments in his first address to members of the houses of parliament since his inauguration. The centrist, however, said he wants security to be stepped up so that the state of emergency can be lifted. Critics say this could impinge on individual liberties as it gives new powers to the police. This, while Macron also called for a radically new path in France. He demanded a one-third reduction in the number of parliament members as well as accelerated law-making. France’s leftist politicians boycotted Macron’s speech. They were to hold a simultaneous protest rally outside the Palace of Versailles, where the president’s speech took place.

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