WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

This file photo taken on January 8, 2015 shows Bahraini protesters taking cover during a confrontation with police after a demonstration in village of Bilad al-Qadeem, on the outskirts of the capital Manama. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, October 1, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, October 2, 2017.

Bahrain crackdown

Bahraini security forces have attacked Shia mourners, as processions commemorating the day of Ashura turn into anti-regime protests. Police fired birdshot, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the black-clad crowd in the northwestern village of Diraz. The violence broke out when the mourners marched toward the residence of top Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, who is under house arrest. Regime forces attacked the mourners before deploying armored vehicles in the village. Similar attacks were also reported in other parts of Bahrain, including in Nuwaidrat village. Manama has imposed strict restrictions on Ashura ceremonies since the start of the 2011 popular uprising in the kingdom.

Trump dismisses talks with N Korea

The US president says negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear program would be a waste of time, after it emerged that Washington had channels of communication with Pyongyang. Donald Trump says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is wasting his time trying to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Tillerson earlier revealed that US officials were in touch with Pyongyang despite an escalating war of words. The State Department has, however, said North Korea had shown no inclination to negotiate about its nuclear program. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel hailed Tillerson's revelation about talks with North Korea, calling it a right course. Gabriel also urged the US to have dialog with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump has threatened to unravel. Germany said such a move would undermine the credibility of US offer to North Korea.

‘Yes’ to Catalonia independence

Catalonia's president insists the region has won the right to an independent state as regional authorities say 90 percent of voters have chosen to leave Spain. Carles Puigdemont says millions turned out to vote in the controversial independence referendum which was marred by violence. He pledged to make a direct appeal to the European Union to probe alleged human rights violations by Madrid. Dozens of Catalan pro-independence groups and trade unions have called for a general strike on Tuesday. This comes after security forces stormed polling stations and seized ballot boxes. Riot police clashed with the voters in many parts of Catalonia and used rubber bullets against them leaving over 840 voters injured. Spain’s prime minister has defended the level of force used by the police to prevent the banned referendum from taking place.

Turkey's EU membership

Turkey’s president says his country has no longer any interest in becoming a member of the European Union. Addressing the parliament on Sunday, Rejep Tayyip Erdogan pointed out, however, that Ankara would not walk away from the accession talks unilaterally. Elsewhere in his remarks, the president referred to Ankara’s failed requests from EU to extradite suspects in the failed coup of 2016, noting that the bloc had not done enough to assist Turkey in what he called as fight against terrorism. Erdogan added that the European Union was in need of granting Turkey membership in order to leap forward. Turkey’s 12-year-long EU talks came to a halt following Ankara’s massive crackdown after the coup which saw tens of thousands of people detained.

Iraq battle for Hawijah

Iraqi forces battling Daesh terrorists in the district of Hawijah in the Kirkuk province have liberated dozens of villages from the Takfiri group. According to the commander of Hawijah operations, Abul-Amir Yar-allah, up to 28 villages have been retaken from the terrorists. Yar-allah added that units from the federal police and the popular mobilization forces recaptured the areas. The advance comes following the start of the second phase of the operation which was announced on Friday. The town of Hawijah is one of the last areas Daesh still controls in the country. Iraqi forces are also operating in the deserts of Anbar province where the Takfiri group still has a presence.

Malaysia murder trial

Two women accused of killing the estranged half-brother of North Korea’s leader have pleaded not guilty. Both women were wearing bullet-proof vests as they were led into court on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, both in their twenties, are charged with murdering Kim Jong-nam by rubbing VX toxic nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The suspects have rejected the charges, saying they believed they were carrying out a prank for a reality TV show. They face the death penalty if convicted. Their trial is expected to run until November 30 with the prosecution calling up to 40 witnesses.

Las Vegas shooting

At least two people have been killed and two dozen others wounded in a shooting at a music festival in the US city of Las Vegas. Las Vegas health officials say 14 of the wounded are in critical condition. One of the gunmen has also been gunned down. Police have shut down parts of the city and ordered people to keep away from the area. It is not yet clear who the shooters were or what their motive was. Thousands of people die as a consequence of gun-related violence in the United States each year.

Iran criticizes KRG secession push

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the referendum held on the secession of the Kurdistan region from Iraq was unconstitutional. The top diplomat said the Iraqi Constitution highlights the country’s territorial integrity and national unity as unchangeable principles. Zarif said the plebiscite will not be of any help to the people in Kurdistan. Zarif noted that the move will jeopardize security in Iraq and in the whole region. He also underlined the need for talks between the Kurdistan region and the central Iraqi government. Iraqi Kurds held a referendum on September 25, 2017, amid strong regional and international opposition. The controversial “yes” vote to Kurdistan’s secession from Iraq continues to draw reactions worldwide.


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

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku