WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, October 21, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, October 22, 2017.

'US, Israel plot to hamper fight on terror'

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says the US and the Israeli regime seek to hamper the fight against terrorism.

Ali Shamkhani said Tel Aviv and Washington felt threatened by the change in balance of power in the region. He said they wanted to curb the fight against terror by using baseless pretexts against Iran. Shamkhani was speaking at a meeting with visiting deputy head of Hamas resistance movement’s political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri. Shamkhani said the Islamic Republic had always supported the Palestinian cause to end the Israeli occupation. He described the issue of Palestine as the priority for the Islamic community. The Hamas official has also met with senior advisor to Iran’s leader, Ali Akbar Velayati. Following their meeting, Velayati described the talks as fruitful, saying ties between Hamas and Iran are stronger than ever.

Libya talks

The United Nations-backed talks in Tunisia, aiming at resolving tensions between rival Libyan factions, have ended without any concrete results.

The UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame said on Saturday despite partial agreement on some areas, there were issues that require more negotiations. The diplomat refused to give a date for the resumption of the talks. In September, Salame announced a one-year action plan for a transition toward presidential and parliamentary elections. Following the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been the scene of political and military crises which have left the African country struggling with conflict.

Japan snap elections

Polls have opened in Japan for snap parliamentary elections that have been held one year ahead of schedule.

Around 100 million people are eligible to vote in the elections. According to pre-election survey results, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative party would win a crushing majority in the vote. Abe dissolved parliament at the end of September, paving the way for early elections amid tensions with North Korea. Abe’s critics say he called the elections to divert attention from allegations of corruption against his government. Winning the majority of parliamentary seats would allow Abe to secure a fourth term in office and rule until 2021.

Victims of cluster bombs in Saudi war

Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen continues to claim civilian lives on a daily basis. Yet there are lasting devastating impacts and one of them is the use of internationally banned weapons. In the latest incident at least six children were badly wounded when a cluster bomb went off outside their village in Sada'ah province. The incident drew angry reactions, with Yemenis asking the United Nations to hold Saudi Arabia responsible for its crimes against humanity.

Spain political crisis

Catalonia’s parliament speaker has blasted the Spanish Prime Minister’s decision to dissolve the region’s government and parliament over their independence bid. The speaker says this is a coup and an attack on democracy.

Forcadel added that the parliament will fight to keep its functions as the representatives of Catalans. The Spanish government will need an upper house majority next Friday to impose direct rule over Catalonia. An expected win means Madrid will take over the region’s finances, police and public media. Meanwhile, the Catalan parliament is expected to decide on Monday to vote on a proclamation of full independence from Spain.

Argentina rally

Thousands of people have hit the street of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires to demand justice for Santiago Mal-dona-do, a young activist who went missing three months ago but later found dead. 

The demonstration came after forensic experts identified Mal-dona-do’s body that was found in a river in the southern Pata-gonia region last week. That’s where the 28-year-old activist disappeared after a confrontation with police during an indigenous rights protest. The peaceful rally soon turned violent with protesters hurling rocks at the presidential palace and breaking windows of shops and cars. The demonstrators blame Mal-dona-do’s death on security forces and accuse the government of covering up the truth. But the authorities say the activist may have drowned as the autopsy showed no sign of injury on his body.

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