WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, October 29, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, October 30, 2017.

Kurdish leader Barzani quits

The outgoing president of Iraq’s Kurdish region defends holding a controversial secession referendum and slams rival forces who handed over disputed territory to Baghdad. Barzani made the remarks during a speech aired on local media. Kurdish Peshmerga forces had expanded their territorial control over oil-rich Kirkuk province while the country was battling Daesh. Iraqi forces, however, retook the province from Peshmerga following the controversial vote. Earlier, Barzani submitted his resignation letter to the Kurdish parliament, ending a 12-year spell as president. The majority of lawmakers in parliament voiced support for Barzani's decision. However, some of his supporters stormed the building and attacked opposition lawmakers.

US Russia probe

The US president is unleashing new criticism of the investigations into alleged ties between his campaign associates and Russia in the 2016 presidential election. In a series of tweets, Donald Trump insisted that allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russia were phony and a witch-hunt. He also accused the Democratic National Convention and his defeated rival Hillary Clinton of colluding with Moscow. Trump's tweets follow reports that the first arrest in the Russian collusion inquiry would be made this week, possibly as early as Monday. The reports also say the first charges have been filed in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump has repeatedly denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians and has condemned the investigations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also denied the allegations.

UK sex scandal

Britain’s prime minister has called for tougher rules governing MPs' conduct following a sexual scandal involving a government minister. In a letter to the House of Commons speaker, Theresa May said current disciplinary procedures lacked the required teeth and that the situation can’t be tolerated any longer. The remarks come after media reports revealed Junior International Trade Minister Mark Garnier sexually harassed his former secretary. Caroline Edmondson says the conservative M-P gave her money to buy sex toys in 2010. Edmondson also accused Garnier of describing her in lewd terms in front of witnesses. The UK Cabinet Office says it will investigate the allegations. On Saturday, former Conservative party cabinet minister Stephen Crabb had to apologize after a newspaper investigation found he had sent sexually explicit messages to a young female job applicant.

US Raqqah ‘crimes’

Syria says the US call for rebuilding the city of Raqqah is an attempt to cover up its crimes there. The Syrian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to expose what the US and its allies did in Raqqah. Damascus said the US claim of liberating the city aimed to divert public attention from the crimes it committed in Raqqah province. Syria says more than 90 percent of the city has been leveled due to barbaric bombardment, which buried thousands of civilians, and forced tens of thousands of others to flee the city. Days ago, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said they captured Raqqah from Daesh, but stressed they would not hand the city over to the government. Syria says it still considers Raqqah an occupied city, and it will be called liberated once the army takes control of it.

Growing Arab rift

The Qatari emir has accused Saudi Arabia and its allies of seeking regime change in the Persian Gulf country. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made the remark in an interview with US media. He said Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations, which have imposed a blockade on Qatar, were against his country’s independence. The emir added that Doha wanted an end to the ongoing crisis through talks. He, however, said the blockading countries must respect Qatar’s dignity and sovereignty in such negotiations. In June, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar. They accuse Doha of supporting terrorism, an allegation the Arab country strongly rejects.

DR Congo starvation

The United Nations has sounded the alarm over a disastrous humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the World Food Program, at least three million people face starvation in the central African country. The WFP also warns that hundreds of thousands of children may die in the coming months if aid is not urgently delivered to the country. The UN food agency has called on all countries to ratchet up humanitarian assistance to tackle the issue. The situation is particularly dire in the central Kasai region, where violence between government troops and tribal militias has forced more than a million people from their homes since 2016.

Response to Pyongyang

The United States, South Korea and Japan have called on North Korea to abandon what they called its destructive and reckless path of weapon development. The statement was made by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Hawaii. The trio also urged Pyongyang to refrain from irresponsible provocations that intensify regional tensions. Meanwhile, the Chief of North Atlantic Treaty Organization who’s on a trip to Japan called North Korea a global threat. Jens Stoltenberg also expressed his support for tighter sanctions against the East Asian country. Pyongyang has test-fired a number of ballistic missiles over the past months. The West views North Korea’s weapons program as a global threat, but Pyongyang says its ballistic and nuclear programs are aimed at deterring the threats posed by Washington.

Europe storm

The death toll from a storm, that battered northern and central Europe on Sunday, has risen to SIX. Storm Herwart, with winds packing up to 180 kilometers per hour, hit parts of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Four victims are said to be Poles and Czechs who were killed by falling trees. Two drowning deaths were also reported in Germany. The storm knocked down trees and power in much of Central Europe. The weather also caused travel chaos as it delayed or halted traffic on several railway lines and slowed road traffic. Meanwhile, concerns are growing over possible oil leaks from a huge freighter that ran aground in the North Sea. Polish authorities have also reported that the winds damaged a pipeline at a natural gas terminal in the port of Esphinoesje.

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