WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, September 27, 2017.

Iraq repels Daesh attack

Iraqi forces have repelled a major Daesh offensive on the central city of Ramadi after hours of heavy fighting. Security forces aided by tribal fighters killed all Daesh terrorists in three districts near Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province. The terrorists attacked the districts with car bombs, mortars and machine guns in an effort to capture them. They killed at least seven Iraqi soldiers and wounded over a dozen more, but failed to make any gain on the ground. The Daesh terror group was pushed out of Ramadi almost two years ago.

Ukraine explosions

A number of massive explosions in a military ammunition depot in Ukraine have caused a large-scale evacuation. The blasts happened late Tuesday in Vinnist-sia region 270 kilometers west of the capital Kiev. Authorities evacuated some 24,000 people and closed the airspace over the region. More than one-thousand rescue workers are trying to contain the blaze caused by the explosions. The depot reportedly held some 188-thousand tons of ammunition, including rockets and multiple launch systems. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman expressed skepticism over the reasons behind the blasts, saying external factors must have been involved.

Iran reaction to KRG vote

Iran's parliament has slammed the secession referendum in Iraq's Kurdistan region as illegal and a conspiracy. The parliament issued a statement following a closed-door meeting on the vote. The MPs said in the statement that such measures block the path of democracy in Iraq and will harm the people of Iraq and the region. The lawmakers condemned the secession vote, and expressed their support for the Iraqi central government and parliament. They called on the government to take necessary measures to counter the Zionist adventurism in Iraq. The meeting came a day after Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Ali Larijani, reiterated the country’s opposition to the referendum. Tehran has urged dialog between Erbil and Baghdad.

Palestine joins Interpol

The International Police Organization, Interpol, has approved the membership of Palestine, triggering Israel’s strong opposition. On its twitter account, Interpol announced that Palestine’s membership brings the organization’s total number of member states to 192. Palestine’s application aims to step up efforts to reach its goal of statehood. Back in 2012, Palestine gained observer status at the United Nations. It has joined more than 50 international organizations and agreements since then. Israel remains a strong opponent of such attempts.

Rohingya crisis

The UN has once again called on Myanmar’s government to stop violence against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state. Filippo Grandi also urged Myanmar to re-establish UN access to the northern Rakhine state. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned the current situation would lead to terrorist violence in the state. Meanwhile, UN’s World Food Program announced all UN agencies have plans to provide food for up to 700,000 new refugees in Bangladesh. It says the new plan needs about eighty million dollars to be implemented. Nearly 500,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh over the past weeks amid crackdown by Myanmar’s army described by the UN as ethnic cleansing.

Iraq Kurdistan vote

Iraq’s Kurdistan region says 92 percent of the people have voted in favor of secession from Iraq. The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region. The Iraqi parliament has given Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi a mandate to deploy troops to the disputed oil-rich Kirkuk province to take control of oilfields. Abadi has called on Kurdish forces to withdraw from disputed regions. He also said he would not hold talks with Kurdish leaders over the results of the referendum. This after, the leader of the Kurdish semi-autonomous region, Massoud Barzani, called for talks with Baghdad on issues dividing them.

Slamming UK Saudi policy

Leader of Britain’s Labour Party has slammed his country’s foreign policy which he believes has brought terrorism, military intervention and occupation. Addressing Labour’s annual conference in Brighton, Jeremy Corbyn said the 50-year occupation of Palestinian land and the expansion of Israeli settlements are obstacles to a genuine peace in the Middle East. He added that his party wants to make peace and justice at the heart of the UK’s foreign policy. According to Corbyn, the only solution to international crises is dialogue and parties' involvement in every conflict should tone down rhetoric and back negotiations. The top Labour MP appealed to the United Nations to wind down the dangerous confrontation on the Korean peninsula and mediate between the United States and North Korea. He also urged Myanmar to end the violence against Rohingya Muslims.

US Afghanistan strategy

US defense secretary James Mattis says Washington’s new strategy in Afghanistan gives the war-torn country more support in the fight against terrorism. Mattis was speaking at a joint press conference with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Mattis and Stoltenberg are in Kabul on an unannounced visit. Mattis’ trip is the first by an American official since last month, when President Donald Trump announced US troops will remain in Afghanistan indefinitely. Mattis had already announced his country would send over 3,000 troops to Afghanistan. The security situation has worsened in the country over the past months, amid a surge in attacks by Daesh and Taliban militants. Earlier on Wednesday, the Taliban fired rockets at Kabul international airport after the arrival of NATO and Pentagon chiefs. The projectiles landed near the airport, wounding five civilians.

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