WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, April 22, 2017.

Malaysia ‘assassination’

Malaysia has hinted that a foreign intelligence service is likely behind the killing of a Palestinian scientist in the capital Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says Fadi al-Batsh was a rocket expert and therefore the government is looking into the possibility of the involvement of foreign agents in his killing. Kuala Lumpur police say evidence at the scene suggests that the assailants had a motive to kill the 34-year-old electronic engineer. Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has blamed Israel’s spy agency Mossad for the assassination, vowing to take revenge. However, Israel has denied any involvement. Al-Batsh was gunned down by two assailants on a motorbike early on Saturday. Holding a PhD in electrical and electronic engineering, he was a senior lecturer at the British Malaysian Institute.

Nigeria deadly blasts

Two bombers have killed three Muslim worshippers in a mosque in northeast Nigeria. The bombers, a man and a woman, detonated their explosives inside the mosque during morning prayers in the town of Bama in Borno state. There is no claim of responsibility for the bombings. But they bear the hallmarks of Boko Haram terror group. Bama is still being rebuilt after virtual destruction by Boko Haram in 2014. The group’s militancy has left tens of thousands dead in Nigeria and neighboring countries.

Armenia tensions

Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian has quit talks with a prominent opposition lawmaker amid an ongoing political turmoil in the country. Sarkisian met with anti-government protest leader Nikol Pashinyan for a televised dialogue, but walked out shortly after the meeting started. The embattled premier did so after Pashinyan demanded his resignation in front of the cameras. Sarkisian rejected the demand as “blackmail” and left the meeting room. Pashinyan then vowed to turn up pressure on Sarkisian to force him to step down. The opposition says police arrested the protest leader after the meeting, triggering fresh rallies in the capital Yerevan. But police deny the detention.

Leader: Army must become stronger, more efficient

The leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has called for strengthening the Iranian army’s capabilities. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said no effort should be spared to achieve the goal. He expressed hope that Iran’s army will grow more efficient and more powerful day by day. Ayatollah Khamenei also hailed the army’s top commander over his recent remarks in which he had said all Iranian armed forces will stand united in the face of enemies. The leader made the comments in a meeting with a group of senior army officers.

Kabul toll rising

The death toll from Sunday’s bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul has risen to 48. The explosion which has been claimed by the Daesh terrorist group ripped through a voter registration center. Around fifty have also been wounded in the terrorist attack, with some being in critical condition. Voter registration centers have been set up across Afghanistan in preparation for long-delayed parliamentary elections due to be held in October. The bombing is the fourth attack against the election process in less than a week.

Armenia politics

Armenian prosecutors have confirmed the arrest of opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who’s been leading anti-government protests for the past ten days. The prosecutor general’s office has said, in a statement, that Pashinyan and two other opposition lawmakers were nabbed while “committing socially dangerous acts”. Armenian police earlier denied the arrests saying the three officials had been forcibly taken away from a protest rally in the capital Yerevan. Pashinyan’s arrest came after Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian walked out of a televised meeting with him, accusing him of blackmail. Anti-government demonstrations broke out in Armenia after the country's national assembly swore in Sarkisian as the new premier following his decade-long rule as president. Supporters of the opposition blame Sarkisian for a deteriorating economy and widespread corruption in Armenia.

No ‘Plan B’ for Iran nuclear deal: Macron

The French president says there's no plan B for the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries. Emmanuel Macron said the United States should stay in the agreement as long as there is no better option to replace the accord. Macron, however, said he wants to complete the deal by addressing Iran’s ballistic missile program as well as the country’s influence in the region. The French President and British Prime Minister Theresa May are set to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss the pact. Trump says the deal is the worst agreement ever signed by the United States arguing that Tehran has violated the agreement. The IAEA, however, has for a number of times confirmed that Tehran has lived up to its commitments under the deal.

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