WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, October 5, 2017.

Iraq's Hawijah fully liberated

Iraqi forces have announced the recapture of Hawijah from Daesh two weeks after an operation to liberate the town kicked off. Government troops hoisted the country’s flag in the town’s center. Hawijah is located in Kirkuk province and was one of the last strongholds of Daesh terrorists in Iraq. The army launched an offensive to dislodge the terror group from the strategic town and its surrounding areas on September 21. The final push to liberate the city was launched on Wednesday. Now Daesh only controls a stretch alongside Iraq’s western border with Syria.

Russian airstrikes hit Nusra positions 

Russia says its air force has targeted Nusra Front in Syria, killing nearly fifty terrorists. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, warplanes pounded the terrorist group’s positions in Idlib province. It also said seven field commanders were among the dead. This comes a day after twelve Nusra Front leaders were killed in another Russian air raid in the same province. Russia has been conducting aerial attacks against terrorist positions in Syria since 2015 upon a request from Damascus. The strikes have helped the Syrian Army make numerous gains against terror groups.

Iran against Kurdistan secession vote

A top Iranian lawmaker slams the recent secession referendum in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, saying the disintegration of Iraq has been an American-Israeli strategic regional policy for years. Alaeddin Boroujerdi who is on an official visit to the Syrian capital Damascus accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the Kurdish secession vote. He added that Iraq’s neighbors would never let such a plot be successful. The chair of the Iranian National Security Committee noted that Tehran will not stand idle while Kurdistan seeks to split Iraq. He said Tehran has taken actions, closing its airspace and suspending fuel exports to northern Iraq. Boroujerdi warned about further punitive measures by Iran if Kurdish leaders do not stop their secessionist bid.

Russian role in US election

The US Senate Intelligence Committee has accused Russia of using popular social media to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The panel claims Russia has been using false advertisements on Google, Twitter, and, Facebook to influence US political discourse. The committee wants social media to make changes to ads to limit foreign influence in the future. The committee has invited the three companies for testimony at an open hearing. The panel has been probing Russia’s alleged role in last year’s election and its possible collusion with Donald Trump’s campaign. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the vote.

Pakistan blast

A suicide bombing has killed 15 people at a Muslim shrine in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. The blast left many others wounded. It took place in a village east of Balochistan’s provincial capital, Quetta. Officials say a police officer is among the dead. The officer was killed while attempting to stop the bomber from entering the shrine. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but extremist groups have carried out similar attacks in the past. The acts of terror have killed large numbers of people over the past few years.

Plight of Rohingya Muslims

Bangladesh is set to expand a massive settlement under construction in its southernmost area to cope with the influx of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar. Bangladeshi officials say they plan to relocate all Rohingya Muslims who are living in scattered places on the country’s border to the new site. They estimate that the settlement will house up to 900,000 refugees. However, doctors and charities fear that a disease like cholera could spread quickly through such an overpopulated site. More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since late August when the country’s army and Buddhist mobs began torching villages and killing people among other atrocities.

Catalonia independence

Spain’s Constitutional Court temporarily suspends a Catalan parliament session in an attempt to block the region from declaring independence. The court’s ruling followed a legal challenge by Catalonia’s socialist party which opposes secession from Madrid. Some lawyers of the Catalan parliament have also maintained that breaking away from Spain would be illegal. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont had earlier said that Catalonia would declare independence in a matter of days. More than 90 percent of Catalan voters said 'yes' to separation from Spain in a referendum banned by Madrid. But the Sunday vote turned violent as Spanish riot police attacked polling stations to stop people from casting their ballots.

Striking militants in Syria

Russian submarines have fired 10 cruise missiles at Daesh’s positions in Syria. The missiles were fired from the Mediterranean Sea at targets in Syria’s Dayr al-Zawr province. The attack is part of Russia’s military operation to support the Syrian government in its fight against terrorists. Earlier on Thursday, Moscow announced that an airstrike by Russian jets had killed 49 members of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terror group, previously known as Nusra Front. The strike was conducted in Syria’s Idlib province. Seven field commanders of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham are said to be among the dead. Since 2015, Russia has been conducting airstrikes against various terrorist groups in Syria at the request of the Arab country’s government.

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