WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, October 27, 2017.

Spain Catalonia debate

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has asked the country’s Senate to depose Catalonia’s leader Carles Puigdemont. Rajoy made the request while addressing the Spanish chamber ahead of a vote on whether to impose direct rule on Catalonia. He said what is happening in Catalonia is a clear violation of laws and that has consequences. On the other side, Catalonia’s regional parliament is set to convene later Friday to decide whether to make a formal declaration of independence. Catalans took part in a secession referendum earlier this month despite Madrid’s fierce opposition to the vote. The Spanish king and European Union members have thrown their weight behind Madrid’s moves to stop the independence bid.

Kenya voter turnout

Kenya’s election commission says only a 34.5 percent of the eligible voters took part in the country’s repeat presidential election on Thursday. This is compared to an 80 percent turnout registered for the first vote held in August. The low turnout was mainly due to the opposition boycott. Deadly violence and clashes between security forces and angry protesters also mired the election. Opposition leader Raila Odinga stayed away from the contest and called on his supporters not to vote, saying the electoral commission did not make any reforms after the first election. Kenya’s Supreme Court annulled the results of the August vote over irregularities and illegalities.

Bolivians supporting Morales

Bolivians have staged a massive rally to support President Evo Morales’ decision to run for a fourth term in the 2019 election. The rally was held in the central city of Cochabamba. Over thirty trade unions and organizations alongside municipal delegations thronged the main square wearing indigenous dresses and holding flags. Morales, who has served as president since 2006, is the country's first indigenous leader. His current term ends in January 2020. Bolivia's economy has posted steady growth under Morales’ leadership over the past decade.

Catalonia independence vote

Catalonia’s regional parliament has declared independence from Spain in defiance of the central government in Madrid. The independence motion was passed in the assembly with 70 votes in favor, 10 against and two blank ballots. Most opposition lawmakers had left the chamber in protest before the vote. The motion calls for beginning an independence process that includes drafting Catalonia's new laws. Minutes after the vote, the Spanish prime minister quickly reacted to the secession declaration by calling for calm. Mariano Rajoy said the rule of law will be restored in Catalonia. Meanwhile, the Spanish Senate has approved a motion, authorizing Rajoy to rule Catalonia directly from Madrid. The prime minister is now expected to convene his cabinet to adopt the first measures to govern Catalonia.

Syria army gains

The Syrian army and its allied forces continue to make rapid gains against Daesh terrorists in the country’s east. The troops managed to re-establish control over an area in the outskirts of the city of Dayr al-Zawr. Daesh terrorists suffered great fatalities and heavy losses in the attacks. The operations were part of a larger offensive to fully liberate the remaining areas under the control of Daesh in Dayr al-Zawr. The Syrian army has made significant gains against different terrorist groups in recent months. Over ninety percent of the country’s territories has been freed from Daesh.

Iraq halts operations against Kurds

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered a temporary halt to all military operations against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. According to the Prime Minister’s office, the 24-hour suspension will allow the deployment of Iraqi authorities at border crossings held by Kurdish forces. The decision comes after Baghdad and Erbil reached an agreement to stop fighting in the disputed areas as well as at Iraqi-Kurdish border crossings. The Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces managed to retake the oil-rich city of Kirkuk on October 16. But clashes continued in the northwestern part of Iraq’s Kurdistan where Peshmerga forces were defending an oil hub that controls the region’s crude exports.

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