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 10, 2017.

Iran compliance

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has defended the 2015 nuclear deal and warned the United States over a possible withdrawal from the agreement. Ali Akbar Salehi said the failure of the accord will undermine the political credibility and the international image of the US. He noted that Washington’s recent “delusionary, negative postures do not augur well” for keeping the deal intact. Salehi stressed that the hard-won agreement is too precious to be allowed to be undermined or weakened. He said Tehran’s faithful implementation of the deal has strengthened the Non Proliferation Treaty. The remarks come as US President Donald Trump is to deliver a speech on Iran this week in which he is expected to decline to certify Iran’s compliance with the landmark agreement, and refer it to Congress.

‘No access to Rakhine’

A prominent rights group has reacted to Sunday’s boat incident in which at least 12 Myanmar Muslims were killed en route to Bangladesh. Amnesty International says the tragic deaths are new evidence of the desperate situation of the Rohingya in Rakhine state. Gomez said the government of Myanmar is actively blocking aid groups from reaching the affected areas. He said such restrictions show a callous disregard for human life and must end immediately. Myanmar’s military has begun a deadly crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in August. Hundreds of thousands of them have fled to neighboring Bangladesh as the army continues burning villages to the ground.

Catalan independence

Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, has held a cabinet meeting ahead of his key speech at parliament. The gathering was held at the regional government building in Barcelona. Puigdemont is scheduled to speak in Catalonia parliament at 1600 GMT, which separatists hope will be a unilateral declaration of independence. He has said the October First referendum justifies secession. About 90 percent of the 2.3 million people who cast ballots, voted to split from Spain, as pro-unity Catalans largely boycotted the poll. Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has described the vote as illegal and threatened to impose direct rule over the semi-autonomous region.

Madrid Catalonia warning

The Spanish government warns Catalonia’s pro-independence leaders against any irreversible action as the region’s parliament is possibly going to declare independence from Madrid. A Spanish government spokesman has called on Catalonia’s president Carles Puj-de-mont not to pursue the path of no return and make a unilateral independent declaration. He is set to address the nation at 16-hundred GMT from Catalonia's parliament. Madrid insists that Catalonia’s independence won’t change the reality that the northern province is one of Spain’s semi-autonomous regions and its laws are governed by Spain’s constitution. The European Commission has urged both Spanish officials and Catalan separatist leaders to resolve their dispute through dialog.

EU DPRK sanctions

The European Union has extended sanctions aimed at punishing North Korea for its nuclear and missile programs. In a statement, Brussels said the punitive measures include a ban on the sale of natural gas to Pyongyang. The bloc will also limit the sale of crude oil and petrol products. In addition the EU will not provide new work permits for DPRK nationals to work in any of the 28 member states. The measures are set to be formally approved during a meeting of foreign ministers next week. Last month the bloc adopted UN restrictions imposed by the Security Council into its own sanctions program after Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test. The North reacted furiously to the UN measures vowing a painful response against the United States.

Israeli land grab

Israel is set to advance plans for some 19-hundred new settler units in the occupied West Bank next week. Nearly 900 of the settler units are set for final approval, almost half of them in the Maale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem al-Quds. 30 of them will be built in the Palestinian-majority city of al-Khalil also known as Hebron. The announcement is made only weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he backed the so-called Greater Jerusalem bill. The measure has been proposed with aims to annex 19 settlements around Jerusalem al-Quds. The international community considers all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal.

Russian opposition

The Russian Foreign Ministry has criticized the US over plans to designate Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist organization. The Russian Foreign Ministry says it does not consider the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Only days ago, US president Donald Trump called Iran a bad player, saying he will announce Washington’s response as part of his new Iran strategy. Trump’s policy that should be announced by October 15, is likely to include decertifying the nuclear deal clenched between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries and classifying the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Tehran has threatened Washington with a crushing response. It’s also warned the US to move its military bases outside the Iranian missile range.

Kenya Odinga withdrawal

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has withdrawn from a re-run of the presidential election. He says electoral officials have failed to make necessary reforms. Kenya's Supreme Court last month annulled the August presidential poll, won by President Uhuru Kenyatta, due to widespread irregularities in the counting process. Since then Odinga and his National Super Alliance have vowed not to take part in the re-run unless a series of reforms are made to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says the election will go ahead on October 26 as planned despite Odinga’s pullout.

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