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This September 16, 2017 photo shows a doctor of the Bengali Welfare Association running a medical clinic for Rohingya refugees in Jalpatoli refugee camp in the no-man's land area between Myanmar and Bangladesh, near Gumdhum village in Ukhia. (Photo by AFP)

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

 

Rohingya refugee crisis

Aid organizations and the United Nations have warned that the situation of Rohingya refugees can turn into a disaster. Save the Children says many of the Rohingya Muslims arriving in Bangladesh are hungry, exhausted, and in urgent need of food, water and shelter. The UN has also warned that Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has the “last chance” to halt the country’s offensive against Rohingya to prevent an absolutely horrible tragedy. Over 400,000 members of the persecuted Muslim community have made their way to Bangladesh, with many of them taking shelter in rickety plastic tents. The Bangladeshi government has meanwhile restricted their movement amid heavy monsoon rains.

Syria army gains

The Syrian army has made further gains against Daesh in the city of Dayr al-Zawr with the terrorists rapidly losing ground in the country’s east. In their latest operations, the troops managed to liberate a suburban area of Dayr al-Zawr. The victory has made it more difficult for the terrorists to escape as crossing the Euphrates River is now their only way to flee. On Friday, the army also liberated a district in the city of Dayr al-Zawr. Syrian forces broke a three-year-long siege of the city earlier this month. Nearly a third of Dayr al-Zawr is still under the control of Daesh. The terrorists have suffered major losses in eastern Syria in recent months. Damascus is hopeful to eradicate the Takfiri terrorists from the country soon.

London bombing arrest

A second man has been arrested by the UK police during a chain of investigative operations following Friday’s terror attack in London. The Metropolitan Police say the 21-year-old suspect was detained in the west London suburb of Hounslow under Britain's Terrorism Act. He was taken to a south London police station, where he remains in custody. An 18-year-old suspect was earlier detained in the departure area of Dover Port over links to the terror incident. He was identified as a refugee fostered by a British couple. Police raided a residential area in the town of Sunbury-on-Thames on Saturday, which was later identified as where the suspect's foster parents lived. On Friday, a manipulated explosive device detonated on a London underground train, leaving nearly 30 people injured. Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.

Slamming US Iran policy

The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has condemned the new US administration’s policy on the nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 as oppressive and arrogant. Addressing a group of police cadets, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei promised that the Islamic Republic will not take a step back in the face of bullying powers most notably the US. The Leader said any retreat by Iran will embolden the enemy. Ayatollah Khamenei described the US government as one of the most evil regimes of the world. He said during the nuclear talks Iran agreed to relinquish part of its rights but the US is now violating all of its commitments under the agreement. The Leader noted that the Iranian nation will not give in to bullying and will stick to its position. Ayatollah Khamenei stressed there is no room for retreat in Iran’s policy when it comes to national interests. He added that bullying may work with regard to other countries but it is futile vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic.

Russia denial of targeting SDF in Syria

The Russian defense ministry has rejected allegations of targeting US backed forces near the city of Dayr al-Zawr in eastern Syria. Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, says Russian planes carried out carefully positioned strikes in the Daesh-controlled area based on confirmed information from multiple sources. Konashenkov noted that US forces were warned well in advance about the borders of the operation via an existing communications channel. On Saturday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces claimed that six of their members were injured during air raids conducted by the Syrian and Russian air forces. The Syrian army and the SDF are carrying out offensives against Daesh in the same region.

Myanmar Rohingya crisis

Myanmar’s army chief has defended his country’s deadly operations against the Rohingya, urging the Buddhist-majority nation to be united against the minority Muslims. General Min Aung Hlaing says his country does not and will not recognize the Rohingya as Myanmarese citizens and the country has never had such an ethnic group. The military leader’s comments echoed the government’s stance on the Rohingya. The government Information Committee has labeled Rohingya Muslims as terrorists that have fled to Bangladesh in fear of being arrested. The United Nations says over 400,000 Rohingya have fled from their homes in Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh.

Warning KRG

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council says Tehran will close its borders with Iraq’s Kurdistan region if it secedes from Iraq. Shamkhani added that holding the independence vote will have security consequences for Kurdistan and will further complicate the situation. The Iranian official reiterated that such an approach will not fulfill the interests of the Kurdish region. He stressed that Tehran only recognizes an integrated federal government in Iraq. Shankhani’s remarks come two days after the parliament of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region approved a plan to hold a referendum on independence from Baghdad. The vote is set to be held on September 25. Iraq’s central government has expressed strong opposition to the planned move.


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