WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 22, 2017.

Egypt death sentences
An Egyptian court has sentenced 28 people to death over the assassination of the country’s late prosecutor general in 2015. Fifteen others were sentenced to life and 8 more to fifteen years in prison. The court sentenced 31 people in June and then referred the case to the Egyptian top cleric for consultation. The verdict can be appealed. Two years ago, a bomb blast struck the convoy of then General Prosecutor Hisham Barakat in the capital Cairo. The attack was blamed on members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

Deploring Palestinian deaths
The United Nations has strongly condemned Israel’s bloody crackdown against Palestinians in Jerusalem al-Quds amid new restrictions at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq deeply deplored the killing of three Palestinians at the hands of Israeli soldiers on Friday. Speaking on behalf of the UN secretary general, Haq reiterated that the sanctity of religious sites should be respected as places for reflection, not violence. He also pledged to investigate the killing of the Palestinian people. Thousands of Palestinians rallied on Friday to protest against Tel Aviv’s newly implemented restrictions on worshippers. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas supported the protests as heroic and urged the UN to provide international protection for the Palestinian holy sites in al-Quds.

Iran defense power
Iran has officially launched the mass production of an anti-aircraft battery called Sayyad Three. Iran’s Defense Minister said the missile has a combined guidance system, as well as an advanced targeting system. Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan added that Sayyad Three is efficient in electronic warfare. Tehran has repeatedly reaffirmed that its missile power is merely for defense and peaceful purposes, posing no threat to other countries.

Fight against terror
The Syrian military says it has launched airstrikes against Daesh in a countryside east of the flashpoint city of Raqqah close to where US-backed forces operate. The army says its warplanes targeted Daesh positions in the town of Maadan and village of Bir al-Sabkhawi, near the provincial boundary with Deir al-Zor governorate. Military sources say several bases and vehicles belonging to the terrorists have been destroyed in the air raid. Opposition sources say this is the first time in several weeks that the Syrian military has launched an attack in that area. The Syrian army has active front lines with Daesh terrorists in Raqqah's western countryside. 

Philippine martial law
Philippine’s legislators have overwhelmingly voted for retaining the martial law in Mindanao in a bid to wrest back the restive island from Daesh-inspired terrorists. Based on the congressional decision, military rule will be extended in the southern island until the end of the year. The vote came after a seven hour long joint special session of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It enjoyed the vast support of at least 261 lawmakers. The decision aims at helping security officials under President Rodrigo Duterte to stabilize the region which is facing a growing influence of Daesh-affiliated militants. Duterte first declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23 shortly after heavily-armed terrorists stormed Marawi. The security crisis took the lives of nearly 600 people and triggered weeks of bloody conflicts. PHILIPPINES IN TERROR Congress vote extends Mindanao’s martial law Military rule to tackle Daesh-linked terrorists

Syria de-escalation zones
The Syrian military has declared a cessation of hostilities in the Eastern Ghouta region just outside the capital Damascus. The military says the fighting came to a halt at 09:00 GMT on Saturday. Earlier, Russia announced that the warring sides had agreed on a deal declaring Eastern Ghouta as a de-escalation zone. The Russian Defense Ministry also defined th e borders of the de-escalation zone as well as the routes for delivering humanitarian aid and a clear passage for civilians. The agreement was signed in accordance with the Astana accord. Iran, Russia and Turkey agreed in May on the creation of four safe zones in an effort to reduce violence in Syria. The de-escalation zones also include Idlib and Homs and another one on the country’s southern border with Jordan.

Sinai clashes
The operations in North Sinai involved the army, air force and police. According to the military, five people were arrested as Egyptian forces imposed a tight siege on the North Sinai provincial capital El-Arish as well as the cities of Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah. Egypt has been battling terrorists in North Sinai whose insurgency has claimed hundreds of lives since 2013.

Turkey crackdown
A Turkish court has re-issued detention warrants for four human rights activists who were released earlier this week. According to Turkish media, the court accepted an objection filed by the Istanbul prosecutor's office to the activists' release. The four activists are part of a 10 member group arrested earlier this month in Istanbul during a digital security training course. Six other members of the group, including the director of Amnesty International in Turkey and a German citizen, are waiting for their trial on the charge of aiding terror groups. Germany has called on Turkey to immediately release its citizen, who is a human rights trainer.

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