Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 1, 2018.
Fight against terror
The Syrian army has expanded its military operation in the south amid significant gains against militant groups. In Dar’aa, government forces liberated dozens of towns and villages and are marching toward the provincial capital. Militants in some areas have agreed to lay down their arms and reconcile with the government under deals brokered by Russia. The mode is celebratory in newly liberated areas which were under militant control for seven years. As the Syrian army is pressing ahead with its offensive, Israel says it has deployed additional tanks and artillery on the border with Dar’aa province.
Iran oil share
A senior Iranian official says any attempts to take away the country’s oil market share will be considered an act of treachery. First vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri says Iran wants to defeat US efforts to stop the Iranian oil exports. He said, as part of measures to counter the efforts, Iran will allow private companies to export oil. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had asked Saudi Arabia to increase oil production, because of “dysfunction in Iran and Venezuela”. Trump said the Saudi King had agreed to make up the difference. Trump is pushing countries around the world to cut oil imports from Iran by November. That’s when Washington is set to re-impose sanctions on Tehran, following its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
Mexico elections
Mexicans are set to cast their ballots in the country’s presidential and general elections in a few hours. Former mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is leading opinion polls for next president. Mexicans will also vote to choose 128 senators and 500 deputies as well as state and local officials. The vote brings to an end unprecedented campaign violence and bloodshed. More than 130 candidates were killed across Mexico in the nine months leading up to the election.
UAE Yemen operation
The United Arab Emirates has announced a pause in its offensive on Yemen's port city of Hudaydah. UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter that the pause in the battle was aimed at giving a chance to UN peace efforts. The announcement followed a meeting between UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Yemen's fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Last month, Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the UAE, launched a massive military operation to seize Hudaydah. Yemeni fighters say they have inflicted heavy losses on the Saudi-led forces in the battles around the city. Yemen’s Ansarullah movement and its army allies have controlled the Red Sea port city since 2014, when they drove the Hadi government out of the capital. Hadi and his regional backers want an unconditional Ansarullah withdrawal from Hudaydah.
Japan rocket crash
A rocket developed by Japanese start-up company Interstellar Technologies has exploded moments after lift-off before crashing to the ground. The unmanned MOMO-2 rocket was launched from a test site in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It was supposed to carry observational equipment to an altitude of over 100 kilometers. Interstellar Technologies had also failed in its previous attempt to send a rocket to space in July 2017, after losing contact with the launch vehicle. The company is the first private Japanese firm to attempt space launches.
Afghanistan deadly blast
An explosion has rocked eastern Afghanistan, leaving at least 19 people dead. The blast hit the city of Jalalabad. President Ashraf Ghani was there for a visit. He, however, had left the city when the explosion happened. Officials say the blast also injured many others. They say the number of casualties may rise. No one has claimed responsibility until now. Afghanistan has been the scene of violent attacks by terror groups including Daesh and the Taliban.
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