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President of the Catalan Government Carles Puigdemont (R), standing next to Catalan regional vice-president and chief of Economy and Finance and leader of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) leftist Republican Party Oriol Junqueras, makes an institutional declaration after signing a decree calling independence referendum at the Catalan Parliament in Barcelona, on September 6, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, September 6, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, September 7, 2017.

 

Catalonia independence

Catalan lawmakers have approved a bill that paves the way for a referendum on independence from Spain. Leader of the Catalan regional government Carles Puigdemont has announced October the first as the date for the vote. Madrid has strongly opposed a referendum in Catalonia, saying it threatens Spain's unity. The Spanish deputy Prime minister has already announced measures to legally challenge the referendum law, asking the country’s constitutional court to block it. Catalonia which is home to some seven-point- five million people has long demanded greater autonomy from Madrid.

Challenging Trump decision on DACA

Fifteen US states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump’s decision to end an amnesty which shielded nearly one million young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Ferguson called Trump's move “a dark time” for the United States. The attorney general of Washington State said the decision violates the due process rights of the immigrants. Washington governor, Jay Inslee, also voiced concern, calling the measure one more in a long train of abuses imposed on Americans by Trump. The White House argues that the decision would restore hundreds of thousands of jobs to those born in the US. Trump’s demand for ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has sparked nationwide protests.

Iraq’s referendum plan slammed

The Iraqi Prime Minister denounces a planned independence referendum in the country’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region as unconstitutional. Haider al-Abadi added that Kurdish authorities in favor of independence are not considering the consequences of their actions. Abadi says this is tantamount to deceiving the electorate. He also slammed plans for the separation of the oil rich city of Kirkuk from Iraq. Pro-independence Kurds are determined to hold the non-binding referendum on September 25 irrespective of all objections. The decision has led to tension with the central government in Baghdad as well as with neighboring states. Critics also say the vote is untimely at a time when the region is fighting terrorists and may lead to further instability.

Rohingya forced to flee

A UN official has warned that the organization could run out of emergency food supplies as the number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar is increasing. The UN official says the number of Rohingya refugees fleeing to Bangladesh from Rakhine State could reach up to 300,000. Nearly 150,000 members of the ethnic group have fled the crackdown in Myanmar over the past 12 days. The Bangladesh spokesman for the World Food Program says many of the refugees arriving in the country are traumatized and nutritionally deprived. Aid agencies have said the flow of refugees has strained their resources and they are racing to provide them with clean water, sanitation and food. Protests have been held in many countries against the military crackdown on the minority group.

Hurricane Irma batters Caribbean

Hurricane Irma continues to cause more deaths and destruction in the Caribbean as it churns toward the US state of Florida. The hurricane has so far killed six people in the French part of the Caribbean island, St Martin. Officials say it has destroyed 95 percent of the island. The storm has also killed one person in the tiny island of Barbuda and left behind what authorities call total devastation. Earlier, the hurricane lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rains and powerful winds leaving more than 600,000 people without power. Florida has rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area. Irma is the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

US deployment of troops to Afghanistan  

The US is reportedly planning to send some 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan. That’s according to unnamed US officials quoted by media outlets. But the Pentagon says it will not comment on additional troop numbers before Defense Secretary James Mattis makes an announcement. If confirmed, the deployment will push the total number of US troops in Afghanistan to about 14,500. Earlier, US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan. The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan some 16 years ago as part of their so-called war on terror. Washington claims that its military presence is only aimed at maintaining security in Afghanistan. However, the security situation has steadily worsened there since the 2001 invasion.

Putin favors diplomacy with North Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that sanctions and pressure alone cannot resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. In a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, in Russia, Putin said no progress could be made without political and diplomatic means. Meanwhile, the US has prepared a draft resolution, calling on the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea. The resolution also demands the assets of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un be frozen. The US President has said all options are on the table for Pyongyang but military action is not the first choice.

Amnesty slams Bahrain crackdown

Amnesty international has accused the US and the UK of turning a blind eye to the Bahraini regime’s abuses of human rights. Amnesty also criticized the tiny Persian Gulf country for the intensification of its crackdown on dissent over the last year. The leading human rights group said Manama has been backtracking on reform promises it made following an iron-fist response to the 2011 popular uprising. It further renewed calls on the ruling Al Khalifah dynasty to immediately release political prisoners. Amnesty also urged Manama to reverse its decision to dissolve two main opposition movements; namely, Waad and al-Wefaq.

US protests against white supremacy

Anti-white supremacy activists have held a march for tolerance in the US capital Washington DC. The activists marched through the city denouncing fascism and chanting against US President Donald Trump. The march comes in the wake of deadly clashes last month in Charlottesville, Virginia between white nationalists and counter-protesters. The violence stems from a heated debate about whether confederate symbols of the US Civil War represent heritage or hate. Some cities have taken down the monuments to oppose racism.


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