WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, September 28, 2018.

Dismissing Israeli claims

The Iranian foreign minister says Israel, as the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the region, is in no position to level nuclear accusations at Tehran. Mohammad Javad Zarif has made the comment in reaction to the Israeli prime minister’s speech at the UN General Assembly. Zarif noted that Iran’s nuclear program has repeatedly been declared peaceful by the International Atomic Energy Agency. He said Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech is only aimed at deflecting attention from the fact that the Israeli regime is “the biggest threat” to the Middle East. An Iranian representative to the UN also reacted to Netanyahu’s speech by reading a statement.

Afghanistan elections campaign

Campaigning has finally started for Afghanistan’s long-delayed parliamentary elections. Candidates, however, remain concerned over claims of widespread fraud and the threat of deadly attacks on polling stations and campaign rallies. More than 2,500 candidates are competing for seats in the lower house, whose members are widely accused of being corrupt and ineffective. Some 54,000 Afghan security forces have been tasked with protecting more than 5,000 polling centers. Allegations of industrial-scale fraud have raised deep concerns and the biometric machines demanded by opposition groups are not ready yet. The machines are expected to prevent people from voting more than once. Meanwhile, the Taliban say the group’s representatives have met with an Afghan government delegation in Saudi Arabia to discuss security ahead of next month’s vote. The Afghan government has declined to comment.

Opposing US North Korea policy  

China and Russia have united their stance against the United States over maintaining sanctions on North Korea. On the sidelines of the annual UN gathering, Beijing said the Security Council should reward Pyongyang for the positive developments on denuclearization by easing sanctions. The Russian foreign minister said steps taken by North Korea towards gradual disarmament should be followed by easing of sanctions. Sergey Lavrov said it is unacceptable for sanctions to become an instrument of collective punishment. The remarks were made after the US told members of the council to maintain maximum pressure against North Korea.

Yemen humanitarian crisis

The head of the World Food Program has warned about a deteriorating hunger crisis in Yemen as famine fears loom. Beasley made the remarks in an address to the UN General Assembly. He said the denial of access within Yemen remains the major obstacle to fighting hunger and disease. The UN’s food agency has warned that Yemen is on the brink of a full-blown famine where 18-million of its 29-million population is suffering from food insecurity. The Arab country is facing a severe shortage in food, medicine, and other essentials due to the ongoing Saudi-imposed war and blockade that started in March 2015.

Warning to terror sponsors

A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps warns Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate to stop attempting to destabilize Iran or face retaliation. Brigadier General Hossein Salami pledged to hunt down the perpetrators of the recent deadly terrorist attack in the city of Ahvaz wherever they are. The IRGC’s Deputy Commander said the participation of huge crowds in the funeral of the victims shows the enemies’ plots to create divisions among Iranians have failed. Salami also warned the US to stop supporting anti-Iran terrorists. The Ahvaz terror attack happened last Saturday. It left over two dozen people dead and scores others injured.

Gaza protests  

Palestinian demonstrators are gathering to stage another anti-Israeli protest along the so-called buffer zone in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians have been staging weekly protests since late March demanding Israel respect the right of refugees to return to their homeland. Israeli soldiers respond harshly to the protests using live ammunition against demonstrators.

Yemen war crime probe  

The UN’s top human rights body extends an international investigation into alleged war crimes in Yemen despite objections from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations Human Rights Council voted 21 to eight in favor of a resolution that renewed the UN-backed investigation for a year. In a report last month, UN experts said airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen are to blame for most civilian casualties. They added that some of the attacks may amount to war crimes. Saudi Arabia has rejected their findings. Yemen's fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi has also announced the end of cooperation with U-N experts over the report.

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