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 31, 2017.

Iran missile program ‘non-negotiable’

A top Iranian official says the country’s defense issues, including its missile program, are not negotiable. Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said Iran can meet its needs in the defense sector, using its domestic capabilities. The senior official also said Tehran will not renegotiate any of the provisions of the Iran nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries. Shamkhani’s remarks come as Washington has reneged on some of its commitments under the Iran nuclear deal.

Syria humanitarian crisis

The United Nations says more than 13 million people inside war-torn Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, with nearly half of them in acute need of food and other basic requirements. The UN humanitarian chief told the Security Council that the number of internally displaced Syrians has dropped from 6-point-three million to 6-point-one million. Mark Lowcock, however, noted that the level of new displacement remained high. He said over 436,000 Syrians were forced to leave the city of Raqqah alone after the anti-Daesh offensive began there in last November. The UN official added that some 3 million Syrians continue to live in besieged or hard-to-reach areas where the UN faces considerable challenges in meeting humanitarian needs. Lowcock also warned about an alarming number of child malnutrition cases in eastern Ghouta. Millions of Syrians have been affected by militancy that gripped the Arab country back in 2011.

Rohingya Muslims plight

A boat carrying up to 45 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar has capsized on its way to Bangladesh. Bangladeshi officials say the boat capsized near the city of Cox’s Bazar. So far, 23 people have been rescued and four bodies have been recovered from waters near the Bay of Bengal. This is the latest in the series of misfortunes involving Rohingya refugees. More than 600,000 of them have fled Myanmar ever since the military launched a new round of deadly crackdown on the Muslim minority group back in August. The United Nations has described the violence against the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing.

Russia rejects US allegation

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has once again rejected accusations of Russia’s interference in the US 2016 presidential election. Lavrov says no facts have been presented to support the allegations. On Monday, Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, who is leading the probe into alleged Russian interference in the US election issued the first charges in the case. The former campaign manager of Donald Trump and another aide were indicted by a federal grand jury over conspiracy to launder money and provide false statements. The two appeared in court and were placed under house arrest. A former foreign policy advisor to Trump has also pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacting Kremlin-linked foreign nationals. Trump denies the charges have anything to do with the election.

Catalonia independence crisis

The deposed Catalan President has taken a defiant tone in the face of charges leveled against pro-independence leaders of Catalonia. Carles Puigdemont has called for non-violent resistance in the face of Madrid’s rule. Puigdemont who left Barcelona for Brussels on Friday told reporters that Catalonia will not abandon its independence project despite the limits imposed by the central government. He rejected the charges of embezzlement and sedition leveled by Spain’s prosecutor general as groundless. Puigdemont noted that he will not request political asylum from Belgium and said he’s in Brussels for safety and freedom purposes.

Opposing Trump travel ban

The chorus of opposition to US President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban continues to grow louder. The states of California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington have filed a motion to be parties in Hawaii’s lawsuit against Trump’s travel ban. The six states stressed that the ban is unconstitutional. Hawaii is challenging Trump's proclamation issued last month targeting people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, North Korea and some officials from Venezuela. Trump’s previous travel bans have all been challenged in court. Opponents describe Trump’s executive orders as illegal and racist while the administration maintains they are necessary for the US national security.

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