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 30, 2017.

Iran rejects Riyadh accusations

Iran has strongly rejected Saudi accusations of blocking peace efforts in Yemen by providing support for the Ansarullah movement. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the Saudi foreign minister’s false comments are not new. Speaking in a weekly press conference, Qassemi noted the Saudis have a habit of blaming others for their own fundamental issues. The Iranian diplomat underlined that the invasion and antagonistic crimes of Riyadh against the war-torn nation are no longer a secret to cover up. He added rights groups have time and again condemned Saudi Arabia for using heavy weapons to brutally target civilians. Qassemi called in vain the Saudi efforts to project a hypothetical enemy by creating a false atmosphere of Iranophobia by any means.

Syria talks

The seventh round of Astana peace talks on Syria has kicked off in the Kazakh capital. Creation of de-escalation zones, exchanging prisoners, clearing landmines and dealing with humanitarian issues are at the top of the agenda. Iran’s representative, Hossein Ansari, has met with Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari. Russia has also held separate bilateral negotiations with Iran and Turkey. The three countries are mediating the talks. The head of the Russian delegation, Alexander Lavrentiev expressed hope that Russia and Turkey can stabilize the situation in Idlib Province, where Ankara has a strong military presence. He said there is a high level of tension as well as the threat of militant attacks in the area. The Syrian opposition delegation is also participating in the negotiations. A plenary meeting is scheduled for October 31.

Barzani resignation fallout

Parties opposed to the Iraqi Kurdistan’s outgoing president say their offices were attacked in several cities following Masoud Barzani’s resignation. The Movement for Change Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan reported that several of their offices were looted and burnt in Duhok region, north of Erbil. This comes after Barzani’s supporters stormed the Kurdish parliament building on Sunday and attacked opposition lawmakers. Barzani declared his withdrawal from power while defending a controversial secession referendum held in September. Barzani has come under growing criticism over the secession vote in the Kurdish region that triggered a deep political standoff with Baghdad.

Iran missile program

Iran has once again reiterated that its missile program is not negotiable. The foreign ministry spokesman said regional countries are buying weapons excessively and their military budget is far bigger than Iran's. He also talked about the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries. Qassemi said the US has committed various violations of the accord, which will be reported to the Iranian parliament and discussed in the coming days. The Iranian diplomat noted that the US is becoming more and more isolated over President Donald Trump’s move to decertify the nuclear deal. He said only a few regional states have supported the measure and the EU has time and again voiced its support for the agreement. Qassemi added that all of Washington’s efforts are aimed at preventing Iran from reaping the benefits of the JCPOA.

UK ‘proud of creating Israel’

The British foreign secretary has praised UK’s role in paving the way for the creation of Israel by issuing the Balfour Declaration. Boris Johnson says the document was indispensable in fulfilling Britain’s goal of providing the Jewish people with a safe and secure homeland. The top diplomat underlined that Britain will give whatever support needed to close the ring and complete the unfinished business of the Balfour Declaration. The controversial declaration issued during World War I set off events which led to the formation of Israel and displacement of millions of Palestinians. Civil society organizations have held protests in front of several British institutions in Palestine, demanding that Britain apologize for the document. The Palestinian Authority has also warned to resort to legal proceedings over the issue.

Challenging Madrid

A number of Catalonia’s dismissed officials have defied Spain’s ruling and gone back to work, challenging Madrid’s suspension order. Suspended president Carles Puigdemont, along with the minister of territory and sustainability and the interior minister returned to their offices on Monday. Catalonia’s former parliament speaker was also seen going to work. Spain’s Senate voted to impose direct rule over Catalonia on Friday, less than an hour after the regional parliament declared independence. Earlier this month, Catalans voted for secession in a referendum which was declared invalid by Madrid.

US Russia probe

US President Donald Trump’s former campaign chief has turned himself in to authorities in the first charges stemming from an FBI probe over possible Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential election. A statement by the special counsel tasked with the investigation said Paul Manafort has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 charges. They include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money and providing false statements. His former colleague and business associate, Rick Gates, is facing the same 12 charges. Gates is also expected to turn himself in to the FBI. The White House has yet to comment on the developments. In January, US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the election in favor of Trump. Special counsel, Robert Mueller, is leading the FBI probe. Both the White House and the Kremlin deny claims that Russia interfered in the presidential vote.

Kenya election

Kenya’s electoral commission has declared incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta as the winner of the October 26 repeat presidential election. The commission chairman said the re-run vote was free, fair and credible. The announcement was expected after main opposition candidate Raila Odinga boycotted the repeat election. He argued that the electoral commission needed to implement reforms to prevent the irregularities that led to the annulment of the initial vote in August. Odinga’s supporters have already branded the re-run vote as a farce. On Monday, they clashed with police in the Kenyan capital Nairobi which caused a number of casualties.

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