WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, April 18, 2018.

Iran Leader’s remarks

Iran’s leader has warned against foreign attempts to infiltrate the country’s intelligence apparatus. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic is fighting a big and complicated war with a vast number of powerful enemies. He made the remarks in an address to Iran’s Intelligence ministry staff. Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemies’ spy agencies have so far been unable to deal a major blow to Iran, despite having all equipment. He also called on intelligence forces to take both defensive and offensive measures in the face of the enemies’ plots.

Iran’s National Army Day

Iran has commemorated National Army Day with large-scale military parades held across the country, showcasing the army’s preparedness and latest achievements. In Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani addressed the ceremony and stressed the country's armed force are no threat no neighbors. Press TV’s Yusef Jalali reports.

Syrian refugees return

Syrian refugees, who had sought asylum in southern Lebanon, are preparing to return home after the fall of terrorist groups in the Damascus countryside. Some 500 refugees, who now reside in Lebanon’s Shab’a and Hasbia region, are expected to move back to Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. Reports say the United Nations Refugee Agency will secure the return of the refugees, providing safety for the buses that will take the refugees back home. The return of Syrian refugees comes days after the last batch of terrorists left the Syrian town of Douma following a government takeover of the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta.

Turkey SNAP election

Turkey is going to hold its parliamentary and presidential elections one year before than planned. President Recep Tayyib Erdogan says the vote will be held on June 24. The elections were scheduled to be held on November 2019. But Erdogan announced the early vote after making consultations with the leader of the Nationalist MHP party, Devlet Bahcheli. Erdogan said although the government and the president are working unanimously, the old system still creates confrontations at every step they take. He added that a switch to the new executive system will make Turkey stronger in future. Erdogan managed to get extended presidential powers after he narrowly won a referendum on constitutional reforms. But those powers will not be transferred to him until a fresh presidential vote.

Israel Gaza siege

The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least five people have sustained injuries in an Israeli artillery shelling in the besieged Gaza strip amid weeks-long anti-occupation demonstrations. According to the ministry officials, the attack took place in an area in the city of Khan Yunis. One of the wounded is said to be in critical condition. The Israeli military says it targeted a post belonging to the Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas after a group of Palestinians approached the so-called buffer zone. Tensions have been spiraling out of control in the besieged coastal enclave since the Palestinians began staging anti-occupation protests, dubbed the Great March of Return late last month. Since then, 35 Palestinians have lost their lives and more than 4,000 others have been injured in the Israeli crackdown.

New Cuba leader named

Cuban lawmakers have started a two-day session to name the first non-Castro president in more than 40 years. The meeting ushers in younger Communist leaders who hope to bring greater prosperity and revitalize the economy which has been hit by decades of US sanctions and embargo. The next president is expected to speed up reforms in Cuba while preserving the legacy of Castro brothers. The replacement for President Raul Castro is widely seen to be First Vice-President Miguel Diaz-Canel. He is an engineer and appears socially liberal but is considered following through the elderly leaders’ policies. Despite US pressure and intense sanctions, Cuba has thrived scientifically and socially. However, the economy is not a successful, prosperous one.

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