WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, November 12, 2017.

Philippines anti-US protest

Police in the Philippines have used force to disperse protesters near the US embassy in the capital Manila. The clashes erupted as security forces prevented the protesters from reaching the embassy, just hours before a visit by US President Donald Trump. The demonstrators also chanted “Dump Trump” and “Down with US Imperialism” as they pushed back lines of the riot police. They also held a separate rally outside the venue of a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations, where they burnt US flags.

British PM challenges

British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a new challenge to her long-contested leadership as tensions escalate over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. According to the Sunday Times newspaper, 40 Conservative parliamentarians have agreed to sign a letter of no confidence. This is only eight short of the number needed to trigger a party leadership contest, a process that could force the prime minister out of office. May’s new challenge comes as EU negotiators have threatened to block trade talks until March unless Britain agrees to settle the Brexit divorce bill. The premier has denied the parliament a meaningful vote on the final deal with Europe. This has worsened her struggle to maintain authority over her party since she faced a heavy defeat in June's snap election. Two of May’s cabinet ministers have so far resigned, while two other are under pressure to quit.

Iran rejects Bahrain’s allegations as ‘absurd’

Iran has roundly rejected allegations of involvement in a recent explosion that hit the main oil pipeline in Bahrain. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said such claims made by Bahrain are “childish, absurd and unfounded”. Qassemi noted that the era of playing blame games with Iran has gone. The spokesman stressed that Iran places special importance on the security and stability of its neighbors. Bahrain’s interior ministry described the blast as an act of sabotage and terrorism, linking it to Iran. Friday’s incident happened near the capital Manama. It caused a fire at the pipeline, forcing authorities to shut the flow of oil.

Rajoy Catalonia visit

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy visits Catalonia, for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region. Rajoy addresses a meeting of supporters, campaigning for his Popular Party ahead of elections in December. Rajoy’s visit comes two weeks after he dismissed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, suspended the region's autonomy and called for new elections to be held in Catalonia on December 21. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people backing Catalonia’s independence bid marched in Barcelona to demand the release of jailed Catalan leaders.

US crimes in Syria

The Syrian government has condemned US airstrikes on the country which it says have resulted in the death of scores of civilians. In a statement addressing the UN Security Council, the Syrian foreign ministry condemned what it called the crimes of the US-led coalition in Raqqah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces. It also called on the Security Council to take urgent measures to stop the coalition which Syria regards as ‘illegal’ from committing more crimes. The latest condemnation comes on the heels of an attack on Saturday which killed 10 civilians in Dayr al-Zawr. Syrian media, citing witnesses, says US-led warplanes attacked residential areas near the Iraq border causing massive destruction. Damascus has time and again complained of US-led air raids causing large numbers of civilian casualties.

Iran nuclear plans

The head of Iran’s atomic energy organization has warned of Iran's decisive response if the nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries fails. Ali Akbar Salehi says Tehran will take the other sides by surprise if they scrap the accord also known as the JCPOA. Salehi says the nuclear agreement has been beneficial for all parties. He noted that Iran had no illusions when it sat behind the negotiating table with the P5+1 over its nuclear energy program as it knew the other side might violate its commitments. Salehi added that as a result, Iran left room for reverting its nuclear program to its previous state. Iran’s atomic chief also said the Islamic Republic is going to build two more nuclear power plants and will earmark 10 billion dollars for that.

Slovenia's presidential runoff

Voters in Slovenia are casting ballots in a presidential runoff vote, with incumbent President Borut Pahor running against Marjan Sarec for a second term in office. Elections opened on Sunday morning and are expected to close in the evening. Opinion polls published on Friday showed Pahor securing between 52 and 57 percent of the votes. The final result, however, still hangs in the balance, as Sarec has narrowed the polling gap in recent weeks. Pahor was expected to win the first round of voting outright, but ended up receiving 47.1 percent of the votes. His opponent, Sarec won around 27 percent.

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