WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom’s headlines from 18:00 GMT, July 8, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, July 9, 2017.

Sigh of Relief

Iraqis are celebrating the victory over Daesh in Mosul as the government is set to officially announce the full liberation of the city. This came after the army captured the strategic Old City neighborhood following intense clashes, the last area held by terrorists. An Iraqi commander says 14,500 Daesh terrorists have been killed since the start of the operation last year. The official added that over 22-thousand families had also been released from the group’s captivity in the same period. The operation to retake Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, began in October 2016. The battle for the Old City, with its narrow alleyways and dense population, has been among the most brutal of the clashes.

Syria Ceasefire Deal

A ceasefire has taken effect in southwestern Syria following a de-escalation agreement reached between Russia, the United States and Jordan. The truce in the crisis-hit Arab country took effect at 0900 GMT. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov announced the ceasefire after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Trump and Putin held their first meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg. The Russian president said the agreement was a breakthrough and stressed that the crisis in Syria could be resolved if Moscow and Washington manage to work on the issue with Damascus.

Nuclear War Warning

North Korea’s State media has warned the US against making any provocative move that it says could risk the prospect of a nuclear war. Rodong Sinmun newspaper criticized a recent bombing practice conducted by two US bombers on the Korean peninsula and called it a dangerous move. The paper also accused the US of reckless military provocations saying the danger of a nuclear war is reaching an extreme pitch. Back on Friday, two US Air Force bombers released inert weapons on a training range in South Korea. The 10 hour mission came three days after North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile on Fourth of July, America's Independence Day. The US and its regional allies issued a joint statement condemning Pyongyang’s launch.

Crime Rates Upping

New data shows Britain has seen a record spike in the number of religious and racial hate crimes since last year’s Brexit vote. Police figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests show race and faith-based hate crimes soared at an unprecedented rate in the months following the referendum. The incidents surged by 23 percent compared with the same period before the vote. Thirty-two police forces in England and Wales responded to the FOI requests. Eleven of the respondents said that reports of race and faith-based hate crimes increased by more than 40 per cent, with several regions including Gwent, Nottinghamshire and Kent climbing by more than half in a year. Faith groups and organizations representing foreign nationalities have called on the government to take urgent action to review its response to such reports.

Canada Blaze

Extensive wildfires have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents in Canada's British Columbia. Some 180 wildfires were scattered across hundreds of kilometers of the western province, destroying homes and buildings. The blaze prompted authorities to declare a province-wide state of emergency which is the first in 14 years. No casualties have been reported so far, but high temperatures and winds have made it hard for firefighters to tame the blaze. A team of more than 1600 people are helping respond to the fire. Local officials blame the fire on lightning, strong winds and high temperatures. The hot weather is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Iraq PM: Mosul Liberated

After months of intense fighting against Daesh in Mosul, the Iraqi prime minister has finally announced victory over the terrorist group and declared the city liberated. The office of Haider al-Abadi published the news in a statement after the prime minister arrived in the northern city. Abadi congratulated the Iraqi forces and the people on the victory. A press conference is set to be held in the city center where the Iraqi leader will address the nation. The Mosul Operation began in October last year. The Iraqi forces took the eastern part of the city before proceeding to the western half. They engaged in heavy fighting with Daesh in Mosul's Old City until recently. Mosul fell to the Daesh terror group in 2014.

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