WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, September 26, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, September 27, 2017.

Farewell to a hero in Iran

Thousands of people have attended a ceremony in the Iranian capital, Tehran, to honor an Iranian military advisor beheaded by Daesh terrorists. Mourners from all walks of life, including high-ranking officials, bid farewell to Mohsen Hojaji. Earlier, Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei offered prayers over Hojaji’s body. The 25-year-old was captured by Daesh terrorists during an ambush while he was on an advisory mission in southwestern Syria. He was then transferred to Daesh-held areas in Iraq and was decapitated by the terrorists on August nine. Hojaji’s body will be taken to his hometown of Najafabad in the central Isfahan province, where he will be laid to rest.

Iran slams US nuclear plans

Tehran has slammed the United States for modernizing its nuclear arsenal, warning that it would result in a new round of nuclear arms race in the world. Iran’s deputy foreign minister says Washington’s actions will further undermine international security. Abbas Araqchi says nuclear-armed countries have jeopardized the non-proliferation treaty by violating it repeatedly over the past 50 years. He says the global community will no longer tolerate these countries’ lack of commitment to denuclearization. The senior Iranian diplomat says Israel must join the treaty in order to eliminate the threat its nuclear warheads pose to the world.

Iraq Kurdistan vote

War of words has escalated between Baghdad and Erbil a day after a secession referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi gave the Kurdistan Regional Government 72 hours to hand over control of its airports to federal authorities or face a flight ban. He also said the border crossings must be controlled by the central government. Abadi said his government would remain engaged in talks, but will not negotiate on the basis of the referendum which he described as a historic mistake. Meanwhile, the head of KRG, Massoud Barzani says the YES vote has won in the referendum. He urged the world to respect the will of millions of people. Barzani says Kurdistan has entered a new stage asking Baghdad to stop threatening Erbil and engage in a serious dialogue instead.

Trump criticizes athletes

The US president has once again lashed out at the National Football League for what he described as the failure to respect patriotic US values. Donald Trump says NFL players have disrespected the soldiers who have been injured or killed in battle. He first criticized NFL players over the weekend when more than 150 professional players from across the country took a knee during the US national anthem. The players consider the move a symbolic gesture to promote equality and denounce racial injustice in the US. Trump has publically insulted protesting NFL players like Colin Kaepernick and called for their dismissal. His criticisms have caused widespread protests at the NFL games.

Saudi threats

Saudi Arabia has reportedly threatened economic measures against countries that vote for a United Nations resolution setting up an international probe into Saudi crimes in Yemen. A letter circulated by Riyadh warns that adopting the Dutch-Canadian draft resolution in the UN Human Rights Council could impact the political and economic relations with the kingdom. It also urges more support for the Yemeni domestic probe, which the UN says lacks credibility. The Geneva director for Human Rights Watch denounced the threat as disgraceful and outrageous. Nearly 13,000 Yemenis have been killed in over two years of Saudi airstrikes on Yemen. Saudi warplanes mainly target residential areas, civilian gatherings, markets, hospitals and schools. Saudi war and its blockade against its neighbor have led to the suffering of 17 million Yemenis who lack food and medicine.

Catalonia vote tensions

A senior Catalan official has announced that people in Catalonia will vote in the October 1 independence referendum, despite Madrid’s opposition. Raul Romeva, who is in charge of foreign affairs in the Catalan government, added that everything needed for voting was prepared. Spain’s Constitutional Court earlier ordered the seizure of electoral material including millions of ballot papers. The Catalan official, however, guaranteed the region could print ballot papers as many times as needed. Madrid also ordered the closure of websites linked to the vote and the detention of key members of the team organizing the referendum. Moreover, the Spanish government has deployed thousands of police to Catalonia to prevent the vote from taking place, arguing it is illegal and needs to be stopped.

Rohingya crisis

A leading human rights organization has urged the United Nations Security Council to mull over an arms embargo on the Myanmar military and consider sanctions against those behind the violent crackdown on the Rohingya Muslims. Human Rights Watch’s director Louis Charbonneau expressed hope that the Security Council would take immediate action to end the crisis. Other rights groups have also slammed UN’s inaction, calling for urgent measures to address what they denounced as crimes against humanity. The UN will hold a public session on Thursday, during which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to brief the council on the crisis.

Vanuata volcano

Thousands have been evacuated in northern Vanuatu, amid fears of an imminent volcano eruption on the South Pacific island cluster. A state of emergency has been declared in Vanuatu and 7,000 people have been transferred to emergency shelters on the island of Amba. According to Vanuatu's National Disaster Management, the Manaro Voui volcano stirred to life earlier this month, but intensified over the weekend, emitting ash and volcanic gas. Vanuatu consists of 80 islands and houses 260,000 people. The island cluster is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

Afghanistan airport attack

Kabul’s international airport comes under a rocket attack during an unannounced visit by the US defense secretary and NATO chief to Afghanistan. Six rockets landed near the military section of the airport, after Pentagon chief James Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital. No casualties were reported. There’s no claim of responsibility either. Mattis and Jens Stoltenberg are in Kabul for talks with Afghan officials about the US-led military mission in the war-torn country. Their visit comes more than a month after the US president said more American troops will be sent to Afghanistan and the troops will remain there indefinitely.

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

www.presstv.co.uk