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 22, 2017.

Italy autonomy referendums

Voters in the wealthy northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto are going to the polls in a non-binding referendum seeking greater autonomy from the central government. A resounding YES vote would give the presidents of the regions more leverage in negotiations to seek a greater share of tax revenue and to grab responsibility from Rome. The leaders also want more powers in areas such as security, migration, education and the environment. Some 7.5 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Lombardy and another three and half a million in neighboring Veneto, representing one-quarter of the Italian voting poll.

Raqqah civilian casualties

Russia has accused the US-led coalition of wiping the Syrian city of Raqqah from the map with its “barbaric carpet bombings”. The Russian defense ministry, in a statement, said that the coalition pounded Raqqah the same way the US and Britain bombed Germany's Dresden in 1945. It noted that the West is now rushing to provide aid for people of Raqqah to cover up its own crimes. According to the ministry, no more than 45,000 people are remained in Raqqah, the city that had some 200,000 populations before the conflict. The US-led coalition has killed a large number of Syrian civilians in aerial operations it launched under the pretext of targeting Daesh terrorists. The Syrian government has repeatedly condemned US attacks as a violation of its sovereignty.

Myanmar land grab

Myanmar is seeking to confiscate Rohingya Muslims’ land and sell out their crops as part of a repatriation program. Under the plan, Rohingya refugees who want to return to Myanmar after fleeing to Bangladesh will be settled in camps. This makes it almost impossible for the minority group to reclaim their property in villages across the northern Rakhine state where they lived for centuries. According to Myanmar officials, the government also seeks to harvest some 30,000 of planted rice fields left behind by Rohingya and sell the crops. A recent bloody crackdown by the Myanmar military has displaced nearly 600,000 Rohingya, forcing them to flee into neighboring Bangladesh. The UN says killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and Buddhist mobs against Rohingya amount to ethnic cleansing.

Pro-asylum seekers march in Italy

Thousands of people have hit the streets of the Italian capital Rome to express their solidarity with asylum seekers. The protesters, including asylum seekers and refugees, marched through the city chanting slogans against racism while calling for justice and equality. They urged the Italian government to ease the citizenship process of refugees. The demonstrators also demanded the creation of humanitarian corridors and the dismissal of national borders. They said the authorities must grant citizenship to second generation refugees born in the country. Italy is one of the main destinations of refugees fleeing northern African countries due to hunger and conflict.

Japan’s Abe set for victory

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to win a resounding victory in the country’s snap elections. Media projections show Abe's conservative coalition is on track to win 311 seats in the 465-seat parliament. Vote-counting is still under way. Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap elections. The more powerful chamber chooses the prime minister. Abe’s victory will boost his chances of winning another three-year term next September as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. That could extend his premiership to 2021, giving him more time to pursue his longtime goal of revising Japan's postwar constitution.

European Parliament warns about ‘small nations’ spread

The European Parliament's president warns the continent about the spread of small nations as pro-independence sentiments gain momentum in southern Europe. Speaking to an Italian daily, Antonio Tajani said Europe must “fear the phenomenon that degrades the sovereignty of nations”. He described the proliferation of small nations as a threat against the unity of Europe. Tajani's comments come amid an independence standoff in Spain's Catalonia and Sunday's referendums in two Italian regions vying for greater autonomy. The European parliament chief was careful to distinguish between the two developments. He noted that the referendums in Italy are legitimate but stressed that the independence vote in Catalonia violates the Spanish constitution.

‘No need for Europe’ in dealing with JCPOA: Trump

US President Donald Trump says he does not need to get Europe on board to put pressure on Tehran despite his refusal to re-certify the nuclear deal. Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Sunday Trump said he would get along with all of his European allies as they continue trade with Iran. The US president made the remarks more than a week after he decertified the deal signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries leaving its fate to Congress. In response, the European Union said it is determined to preserve the deal. Several European countries, especially Germany and France, have also made it clear that they respect the landmark agreement and would continue trade with Iran despite Washington’s pressure.

Myanmar Muslims misery

Hundreds of Buddhists in Myanmar’s strife-ridden Rakhine State have demanded that Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh be barred from returning to the country. The Buddhists marched on the streets of the capital to protest the government’s plan to repatriate nearly 600,000 Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh. This comes amid reports that Bangladesh is bracing for a surge in arrivals of Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar. Up to 10,000 Rohingya are stuck in no man’s land after being prevented from crossing into Bangladesh by the Myanmar army. More than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since late August, when Myanmar's security forces in Rakhine state sparked major crackdown on the community likened by the UN and others to ethnic cleansing.

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