WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, October 24, 2018.

Blasting US Saudi support

Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, has condemned the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, describing it as heinous. Rouhani said how to react to the case is a big test for world countries, especially those who claim to support human rights. The Iranian president expressed shock over the incident, noting that committing such a premeditated murder in the twenty-first century was unthinkable. He said no country would presumably have dared to commit such crime without the support of the US. Rouhani pointed out that a tribal group which is ruling a country enjoys such immunity, granted by a superpower, which prevents it from being held accountable in international courts.

Trekking toward Karbala

Millions of Muslims from across the world are descending on Iraq’s holy city of Karbala to commemorate the Day of Arba’een. The pilgrims, among them one and a half million Iranians, are walking toward the city to take part in the annual gathering. Araba’een marks 40 days after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam. He was martyred along with dozens of his companions on the battleground of Karbala more than thirteen centuries ago. Thousands of security forces have been deployed on the routes leading to Karbala which houses Imam Hussein’s holy shrine. The ceremony reaches its climax on Monday.

US-Russia nuke treaty

NATO has defended the United States decision to withdraw from a landmark nuclear arms treaty with Russia. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, says the US was in full compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. But he says the problem is the Russian behavior, as Moscow has continued to violate the agreement.

Erdogan warns Saudi Arabia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will not allow those responsible for the murder of the Saudi journalist in his country to avoid justice. Erdogan added that the evidence he shared on Tuesday about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has upset some people. He underlined that Ankara will continue its policy of transparency in sharing new evidence to shed light on dark sides of the killing. Earlier, an advisor to Erdogan said Saudi Arabia's crown prince has blood on his hands over Khashoggi's killing. The remarks come as Turkish police have reportedly received the permission from Saudi officials to search a well in the premise of the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Britain and France have reacted to the dissident journalist’s murder.

Syria constitution

The Syrian foreign minister reaffirms that only Syrian people have the right to determine the country’s future. Walid al-Muallem was speaking in a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. The top diplomat described the Arab nation’s constitution as a purely sovereign matter that can be decided by Syrians without any foreign intervention. He accused some states of seeking to interfere and impose their will on the Syrian people. De Mistura, for his part, said he has done his best to reach a political solution to the Syria crisis.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir