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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (C) delivers a speech to the parliament in Tehran on August 20, 2017, as Iran's parliament prepares to vote on the President's cabinet.(Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, August 20, 2017.

 

Iran vote of confidence

A new government is in the making in Iran; lawmakers have thrown their weight behind the cabinet line-up of President Hassan Rouhani in a crucial vote of confidence. The legislators have given the thumbs up to 16 out of 17 nominees for ministerial posts after five days of intense deliberations. The proposed nominee for the ministry of energy failed to win the 50 percent plus one votes needed to propel him into the position. The post of Science, Research and Technology minister will also remain vacant since no one was nominated for it. Top on the cabinet list is the new Defense Minister Amir Hatami, who secured 216 out of 288 ballots. Before the crucial vote, Rouhani called for the parliament’s cooperation with the government to overcome “great challenges”. The president said his top priorities during his second term in office are to create jobs and attract foreign investment.

Fight against terror

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has hailed Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Russia for their active support in the fight against terrorism in the country. Addressing the opening of a Conference of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Assad thanked Tehran, Hezbollah and Moscow for their military, political and economic support. He also hailed the Syrian nation and army for their steadfastness. The Syrian president said his country has paid a heavy price in the war but the price of resistance against western plots is much lower than that of surrender. Assad also slammed a plan by the west and its regional backers to partition Syria on ethnic lines. He noted that the recent changes in western countries’ stance is the result of steadfastness on the part of the Syrian state, the people and the army. He said even the terrorists have realized they are being used as a tool by their masters.

Nuclear war warning

North Korea has warned of “an uncontrollable phase” of a nuclear war on the peninsula ahead of US-South Korea joint military drills. Pyongyang has slammed the upcoming exercise in its official state newspaper, describing it as “reckless behavior”. North Korea has warned that the US is pouring gasoline on fire by conducting the war games, which he referred to as the most explicit expression of hostility. It said the North Korean army is capable of targeting the US with “merciless strikes” which cannot be dodged. Tensions are running high between the two countries after Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles last month. US President Donald Trump threatened to respond to Pyongyang’s threats with fire and fury. Seoul and Washington have said that the drills will go ahead as planned despite the escalating tensions.

Iraqis returning home

A senior Iraqi government official says thousands of internally-displaced Iraqis have returned to their homes in the eastern part of Mosul following the city’s complete liberation from Daesh. The Iraqi Minister of Displacement and Migration said some 17,000 people have already returned to the districts of Hamdaniya, Bashiqa and Bartella. Jassim al-Jaaf described the development as a good start to encourage the ministry to offer more aid to citizens returning home. The minister also acknowledged the restoration of basic services to 90 percent of the neighborhoods in the eastern part. The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January and liberated the entire city last month. Nearly 900,000 people have been displaced since the battle to retake the city began last year.

Battle for Tal Afar

Iraqi forces have announced the liberation of more areas from the Daesh Takfiri group. The army retook nine villages around the northern city of Tal Afar from the terrorists. The operation commander stressed that the Iraqi army imposed a heavy toll on Daesh during the operation. Meanwhile, thousands of civilians from around Tal Afar are reportedly fleeing to the neighboring Kurdish region. Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, had already announced the launch of a ground operation to dislodge Daesh terrorists from Tal Afar. In a televised address, he warned the Takfiris they would get killed if they refused to surrender.

Terror cell neutralized

The Catalan government says police have neutralized the cell that carried out attacks in Spain’s Catalonia region recently. Investigators are working on the hypothesis of 12 suspects. Eleven of them are believed to have been killed or taken into custody. Meanwhile, Catalonia has beefed up security as authorities try to hunt down the van driver of the Barcelona attack who’s still at large.

Damascus rocket attack

At least six people are killed in a rocket attack near an international fair in the Syrian capital Damascus. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around a dozen more were also injured in the attack. Meanwhile, Syrian media say the rocket hit near the entrance of the fair as the staff were preparing to receive visitors. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The Damascus International Fair was opened for the first time in 5 years after being halted due to the devastating war in the Arab country.


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