WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, October 4, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, October 5, 2017.

Plight of Rohingya

The Myanmar military has been accused of summarily executing several dozen Rohingya Muslims following the outbreak of violence in Rakhine state. Human Rights Watch says hundreds of Rohingya Muslims had gathered at a residential compound in Maung Nu village to seek safety. The rights organization also says government troops raided the compound beating and sexually assaulting the villagers, including children. The prominent rights group says soldiers took the Rohingya men and boys into a courtyard and shot or stabbed them to death. There have been many similar reports about rights abuses during the ongoing government crackdown. Human Rights Watch says all the horrors of the army’s crimes against humanity are evident in the mass killings in Maung Nu village.

Spain’s king ‘ignoring Catalans’

Catalonia’s president has accused the Spanish king of deliberately ignoring millions of Catalans by calling on the region to end its bid for independence. Carles Puigdemont stressed that Catalans expected invitation to dialogue and accord from Felipe the sixth. He said the Spanish King lost the Catalan people’s approval. Puigdemont also claimed that Catalans are victims of police violence. His remarks came after a statement by the Spanish government rejected calls for mediation to resolve its dispute with Catalonia following the weekend independence referendum in the region. The statement added that Madrid will not negotiate over “anything illegal” and will not be blackmailed. Meanwhile, the European Commission says the Spanish government is entitled to use force in order to maintain law and order in Catalonia.

DR Congo violence

The UN refugee agency says violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has driven thousands of refugees into neighboring countries. According to UNHCR, in the past month over 3,300 refugees fled inter-ethnic clashes and fighting between DRC security forces and militia groups into Zambia. The refugees recount extreme brutality, with civilians killed, women raped, and houses set alight. Some sixty percent of the displaced are children suffering from malnutrition and other serious health problems. There are around 27,000 Congolese refugees in Zambia mostly sheltered at transit centers in the border areas. Violence has grown in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down following the end of his mandate last December.

Forced return of Afghan refugees ‘illegal’

Amnesty International has called on Europe to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees, saying no part of their country is safe. Amnesty says the forced return of Afghans is illegal as poor security in their country exposes them to grave dangers. The rights group also says European governments remain blind to Afghanistan's dangers. The report cites EU statistics, which say the number of Afghans sent home from 2015 to 2016 nearly tripled to over 9,000. The United Nations counted almost 11,500 civilian casualties in Afghanistan last year. 16 years since the US-led invasion, the country is still plagued by violence and terrorism.

Togo rally

Thousands of Togolese have hit the streets of capital Lome to force out President Faure Gnassingbe, whose dynasty has ruled the West African state for more than 50 years. The opposition leaders attended the protest and addressed the crowd. During marches against Gnassingbe last month, at least two protesters were killed when security forces used force to disperse the demonstrators. Hundreds were killed in the aftermath of Gnassingbe's contested election victory in 2005 after his father, the former president, died. He promised to re-introduce the two-term limits his father had scrapped. Gnassingbe, now in his third term, dropped the reforms until parliament last month attempted to limit future presidencies to two terms of five years. However, the bill did not get enough backing due to an opposition boycott.

Brexit deal

Scotland’s Brexit minister says there is a high possibility the UK will leave the European Union without a deal. Michael Russell says it’s also likely the UK government will collapse before any such decision or a deal is made on leaving the EU. He also described Brexit as quote an “existential threat to Scotland’s future”, arguing that Scotland should be offered a new choice which might include independence from the UK. Scotland’s nationalist administration is at loggerheads with London over several key issues regarding Brexit.

No to gun laws

In the US, Democratic lawmakers have gathered outside the Capitol building to voice their outrage over gun control laws, following this week’s deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas. The Democratic politicians protested over what they see as the lack of action from Republicans to crack down on gun violence. This comes as House Democrats say GOP lawmakers are preventing appropriate gun legislation in the country to prevent such attacks. Separately, a pro-gun control organization called "Moms Demand Action" also attended the event. They stressed that a ban on assault weapons would save lives in the US. On Sunday, a gunman opened fire on people at a concert in Las Vegas, killing at least 59 people. The assailant, identified by police as Stephen Paddock, used high caliber assault rifles in the attack.

US Democrats favoring JCPOA recertification

Democratic members of the US Congress have called on President Donald Trump to recertify the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group. In a letter to Trump, more than 180 Democrats voiced concern about the possible decertification of the agreement known as the JCPOA. The letter warned that such a move would threaten US national security and harm its alliances. Meanwhile, European ambassadors and officials from the former US government are participating in a meeting on Capitol Hill with Democratic senators to bolster support for the deal. This comes ahead of the looming October 15 deadline when the US president will have to report to Congress whether Iran has complied with the JCPOA. Trump has repeatedly threatened to quit the accord. The IAEA and other members of the P5+1 group have time and again confirmed Iran’s compliance with the deal.

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