WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, October 16, 2017.

EU support for JCPOA

Europe is gearing up for positive and sustained backing to the Iran nuclear deal after US president Donald Trump threatened to tear it up in an aggressive Friday’s speech. The top EU diplomat said she had spoken to IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, who has time and again confirmed Iran’s compliance with the nuclear accord. Mogherini called for a strong signal of support from the 28-nation bloc to the deal and its implementation by all sides. She stressed the JCPOA is working and the bloc is not considering any alternative. The remarks came ahead of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg where Iran, North Korea and the nuclear non-proliferation top the agenda of discussions. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has also reiterated his country’s support for the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

Israel attacks Syria

Israeli warplanes have bombed a Syrian missile battery near capital Damascus in the latest act of aggression on the war-torn country. The Israeli military said its fighter jets attacked the anti-aircraft battery after it tried to hit them with missiles. The warplanes were carrying out a reconnaissance operation in the Lebanese airspace. The Israeli military says it has hit over 500 positions inside Syria during the six-year war in the country. Damascus says the Israeli attacks are open violations of its sovereignty.

Spain extends Catalonia’s deadline

Following Catalonia’s refusal to give a clear answer on its independence stance, Spain has extended the deadline for the region’s leader to clarify whether or not he has declared independence. Spain's deputy prime minister said Carles Puigdemont didn't give an adequate response about the region’s independence stance and he has until Thursday to comply with the country's laws. Soraya Saenz de Santamaria also said that Puigdemont’s call for dialogue with the prime minister is not credible and the country’s parliament is the place for talks. She added if Catalonia insists on independence, it will face the possibility of Spain activating Article 155 which would allow the central government to take over the region. Two weeks ago, Catalans staged an independence referendum the Spanish government declared invalid.

Plight of Rohingya Muslims

Funerals have been held for twelve Rohingya refugees killed in a boat accident in a river between Myanmar and Bangladesh. This happened when the refugees’ boat sank as the victims were fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh. Dozens remain missing. The incident is the latest to hit Rohingya Muslims escaping violence in Myanmar. Nearly 200 people have died in boat accidents since the refugee influx into Bangladesh began in late August. Myanmar’s government forces have been attacking the Muslims and torching their villages in Rakhine state since October 2016. The attacks have seen a sharp rise since August this year. The UN has condemned the Myanmar government’s crackdown on the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing.

Kirkuk operation

People in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk have poured into the streets to celebrate after the army seized key installations outside the city from Kurdish forces. The Iraqi army, counter-terrorism troops and Popular Mobilization Units made rapid advances throughout the oil-rich region less than a day after the beginning of their offensive. They took control of the town of Tuz Khormato, oil and gas installations, a power plant, a major military base and Kirkuk airport. Counter-terrorism forces took control of the governor’s office in central Kirkuk and a local police station in the center of the city. According to a spokesman, the PMU forces have achieved all their goals and they will remain on the western side of the city without entering Kirkuk. Peshmerga fighters have fled to the capital of the Kurdistan semi-autonomous region, Erbil.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun has said his country could no longer cope with the huge number of Syrian refugees, calling on world powers to help them return to their country. Aoun, however, stressed that he has no plan to force the refugees to get back to Syria. The Lebanese president urged the international community to solve the refugee crisis so that existing political, economic and social problems in Lebanon do not get out of hand. After six years into the Syria war, one and a half million Syrians have been forced to reside in Lebanon alone. This accounts for one quarter of the Lebanese population.

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