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 28, 2017.

Saudi Qatar mandate

Qatar’s former prime minister says the country used to support terrorist groups in Syria under the mandate of Saudi Arabia. In a televised interview, Hamad bin Jassim said Qatar played a key role in targeting Syria but it was all under the Saudi mandate. Bin Jassim said Doha has evidence that explains how Washington distributed roles to its regional allies in order to realize its goals in the conspiracy against Syria. He said Qatar’s arms shipments were dispatched to Turkey before being distributed in coordination with the US. The former prime minister said Qatar’s support for al-Nusrah terrorist group was “a mistake”.

Catalonia independence crisis

Catalonia’s dismissed leader Carles Puigdemont says the region will continue democratic opposition against Madrid's direct rule. Puigdemont slammed the central government over its measures against the region. He said Catalans will continue to democratically oppose Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, describing its imposition as an aggression. Puigdemont made the address after the central government officially took control of Catalonia and dismissed him and other top leaders of the regional government. The director of the regional police, who was also dismissed, has said that he would comply with the order. He also urged officers to behave in a neutral manner and not to take sides to avoid more tensions. Meanwhile, thousands of people rallied in the capital Madrid in support of Spain’s unity.

Kenya presidential election

Kenyan authorities have indefinitely delayed the country’s re-run presidential election in four opposition-dominated areas due to what they call ‘risk of violence’. The vote was originally due to take place on Thursday; but it was suspended until Saturday in the areas where police engaged in deadly clashes with anti-government protesters. According to a local media tally, incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta has won over 97 percent of the votes counted from the re-run election. Opposition leader Raila Odinga, however, had pulled out of the contest and urged his supporters to boycott the election. Last month, the Supreme Court annulled the August 8 vote following accusations of irregularities by the opposition. Since then, Kenya has witnessed conflicts between rival supporters of Odinga and Kenyatta.

Spain political crisis

Spain has officially taken control of Catalonia by publishing notice and dismissing the regional government’s top leaders. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is among a dozen regional officials who have been sacked. According to the notice issued by the central government, the sacked Catalan officials will no longer be paid and could be charged if they refuse to obey. There was no immediate response from the Catalan leaders. Meanwhile, the director of the regional police, who was also dismissed, has said that he would comply with the order. The move by Madrid came hours after Catalonia’s parliament passed a resolution, declaring independence from the central government.

Coerced sterilization of Canadian indigenous women

Two indigenous women in Canada have filed a class action lawsuit over allegations that they were coerced into undergoing sterilization at a hospital. The suit was launched after health authorities in Saskatchewan province admitted that several women had come forward with similar claims. The legal challenge, which still needs to be certified by a judge, centers on the idea of proper and informed consent and whether this was obtained before the women were sterilized. The issue of coerced sterilizations in Saskatchewan was thrust into the spotlight in 2015 when several women reported a tubal ligation immediately after childbirth at a hospital. Indigenous people make up about four percent of the Canadian population and face higher levels of poverty and violence. Their plight has been the concern of international rights groups as well as the UN that have come with numerous disturbing reports in the past.

Somalia blasts

Two explosions have hit close to the presidential palace in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. Police say a suspected suicide car bomb blast went off near the gate of the Naso Hablod Hotel and gunfire could be heard inside the hotel. A second blast was heard minutes later in the same area. No casualties have been reported so far. The blast comes two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive truck bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in the country's worst-ever attack. The al-Shabab militant group often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu.

Kenya violence

Police have been deployed to an impoverished district in the Kenyan capital Nairobi a day after election violence left one person dead and caused major damage. Police were sent to Kawangware a day after businesses were burned down and houses and shops were looted in clashes between the opposition and government supporters. Most businesses have remained closed despite the heightened security presence. The ethnic violence erupted after rumors broke out that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tribe had brought in a group of militia members to protect them from opposition supporters. At least six people have been killed and more than 30 others injured in violence since Thursday’s disputed presidential re-run. The election has been delayed in four opposition-dominated areas due to security reasons.

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