WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, June 29, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, June 30, 2017.

‘End of Daesh caliphate’

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the end of Daesh’s so-called caliphate after the liberation of Nuri mosque in Mosul. Abadi said in a statement that the victory marks the end of the state of falsehood. He noted that Iraqi forces will continue to hunt down terrorists. Nuri mosque was captured by Iraqi forces on Thursday. Terrorists blew up the mosque a week ago as army started a push in its direction. Retaking the iconic mosque handed a symbolic victory to the Iraqi forces because Daesh had declared its so-called caliphate there after taking the city in 2014. According to the Iraqi military, the battle for Mosul will end in the coming days as remaining terrorists are now bottled up in just a few neighborhoods. The army launched the offensive to retake Mosul last October.

US provocation

Syria has rejected as baseless a claim by the US that Syrian troops were preparing to launch a chemical attack. In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the allegation is misleading and lacks any shred of truth. It also described the claim as a ploy to justify a new US attack against the Arab nation under ill-founded pretexts. Russia has also slammed Washington’s claim as a large-scale provocation which it said is directed at both Damascus and Moscow.

 France car attack

A man was arrested after trying to drive a car into a crowd in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Krotai. No one was injured in the incident and the man's motives were unclear. The assailant could not reach the crowd because of the barriers in front of the mosque. An investigation is to be carried out by the authorities to determine what kind of charges can be brought up against the driver. Islamophobic attacks have been on the rise in France and some other European countries following Daesh assaults in Europe.

Pakistan protests

Hundreds of people in Pakistan have staged a sit-in to protest against the recent twin terror attacks that killed scores of people, mostly Shia Muslims, in the country’s northwest. Protestors demanded that Islamabad take action against those behind the repeated terror attacks against Pakistan’s Shia community. Press TV correspondent Kamran Yousaf has the details.

US Muslim ban

After months of legal challenges, a scaled-down version of the controversial travel ban ordered by US President Donald Trump has come into effect. The 90-day ban targets citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries, namely Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan. All refugees are also barred from entering the United States for 120 days. The US Supreme Court partially reinstated Trump’s executive order on Monday. The court ruled that the ban could only be applied to those who lack close family or business ties to the country. The state of Hawaii has already filed a court challenge to the administration's definition of close relative needed to avoid the ban. Trump’s initial executive order issued in January caused confusion and triggered protests across the country. Rights groups have denounced the ban for illegally singling out Muslims.

US arms sales to Taiwan

The United States is planning to sell over 1.4 billion dollars worth of arms to Taiwan in a move threatening to further complicate ties with China. The US Department of State says it has notified Congress of the arms sale which is the first such deal with Taiwan under the administration of Donald Trump. Lawmakers have 30 days to object to the sale. The deal is said to include technical support for early warning radar, anti-radiation missiles, torpedoes and components for SM2 missiles. China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, has warned Washington against arms sales to the island. Beijing objected strongly to the last US arms sales to Taiwan back in December 2015.

Syria gains

The Syrian army has made fresh gains against foreign-backed militants near Damascus. The army managed to recapture a number of locations in the town of Ayn Tarma. The militants operating south of Damascus are mostly members of Nusra Front terrorist group that has recently rebranded itself as Fateh al-Sham. Syrian forces have been advancing rapidly against armed groups in different parts of the country over the past few months. The most intense clashes have happened in Dayr al-Zawr province where the army is fighting Daesh terrorists.

Spillover of Syria crisis

At least seven soldiers are wounded in clashes with militants in northeastern Lebanon. According to the Lebanese army, the soldiers came under attack when they raided two Syrian refugee camps in Arsal region. Five suicide bombers reportedly blew themselves up, and the sixth militant threw a hand grenade at an army patrol. The Lebanese army defused several improvised explosive devices planted near the camps. Arsal is located near Lebanon’s border with Syria. The Syria conflict spillover has repeatedly led to violence in Lebanon’s border regions where Daesh and other militant groups are active.

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