WATCH: PRESS TV NEWSROOM HEADLINES

New Paris

Emmanuel Macron has been elected to lead France as president after winning over 66 percent of the votes in Sunday’s runoff. Macron has been congratulated by leaders of mainstream parties including his rival far-right politician Marine Le Pen. Now, the main concern of the French voters and the people elsewhere on the continent is that: will Macron do better in a country struggling with a host of economic, political and social issues?

ISIL Afghanistan

Afghan officials have confirmed the death of the head of Daesh terrorist group in the country in an operation in eastern Afghanistan. The presidential palace in Kabul said in a statement that Abdul Haseeb Logari was killed during a joint operation with the U-S troops in Nangarhar province last month. The statement added that the government will continue to battle the terrorists until they are eliminated. The NATO commander in Afghanistan also confirmed the death of the head of the Takfiri group. Logari had ordered a number of bloody attacks in Afghanistan including an assault on a military hospital in March that resulted in the death of scores of people.

Obama Bill

Former US president Barack Obama expressed hope that lawmakers at the Senate show courage in defending the country’s healthcare system. Obama said that he wishes congressmen would do what they see is right in dealing with the issue and not politically expedient. The remarks came days after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Meanwhile President Donald Trump urged Senate Republicans to overhaul the healthcare system in the upcoming vote. He called on lawmakers not to let American people down. The Senate is set to vote on overturning the landmark healthcare law. Repealing Obamacare would leave some 24 million Americans without insurance.

Netanyahu Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed a new policy document released by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas. Netanyahu says the Palestinian movement is lying to the world. According to the document, Hamas accepts the idea of a Palestinian state along 1967 borders. But the movement has made it clear that the document in no way amounts to recognition of Israel. The document also called for the return of the Palestinian refugees and underscored Hamas right to armed resistance against Israel.

EU Macron

Reactions are pouring in following Macron’s win in the race to Elysee. Macron’s victory over his Eurosceptic rival has been welcomed by European leaders and the US. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the French chose a European future. European Council President Donald Tusk hailed the election results as a choice of liberty, equality and fraternity and saying NO to QUOTE the tyranny of fake news. Outgoing French President Francois Hollande congratulated his successor. In Germany, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the election results kept France at the heart of Europe. He called for Berlin to adopt a less rigid stance in fiscal policy toward France under Macron. In Britain, the Downing Street warmly congratulated Macron, saying London looked forward to working with the new president. US President Donald Trump also offered his congratulations to the centrist French politician.

Yemen Cholera

The international humanitarian NGO, Doctors Without Borders, says nearly six hundred cases of cholera have been detected in Yemen. The organization, known as MSF, voiced fears on Sunday that a devastating epidemic might soon break out in the war-torn Arab country. The charity group added that healthcare had declined dramatically in Yemen as Saudi attacks have increased over the past three weeks. Having classified Yemen as one of the bleakest humanitarian emergencies in the world, the organization also says the Saudi-led war has left most hospitals destroyed and that Yemenis have difficulty accessing clean water and food.

Iraq Mosul

The Iraqi army has opened a new front in Mosul, tightening the siege on the remaining Daesh terrorists holed up in the city’s northwest. As our correspondent Ali Musawi says the terrorists are slowly losing control of the few districts they still hold.

France Protest

Arrests have been made in the French capital as protesters supporting neither of the two candidates took to the streets, citing lack of more choices. Anti-capitalist demonstrators vented their frustration at having to vote for candidates they didn't want to support. Centrist Emmanuel Macron is the first French head of state outside the country’s two traditional main parties for decades. His emphatic victory, which smashed the dominance of mainstream parties, still didn't manage to assuage the fears of many left-wing voters, who resented having to vote for him in the face of the far-right alternative.

Bahrain Demos

People in Bahrain have held fresh rallies in solidarity with senior cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim. The demonstrations were held in the villages of Akr, Diye and Diraz as well as other regions in Bahrain. A Bahraini court was expected to issue its verdict against the cleric in March but the regime was forced to postpone the court session under public pressure. Over the past year, Manama has stepped up its crackdown on anti-regime activists who have been protesting inequality in the tiny Persian Gulf Country since 2011.

Macron Unity

France's president-elect Emmanuel Macron calls for national unity following his decisive win over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Macron said he would do all he could to make sure the French no longer had reason to vote for the extreme. He was addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters who attended the victory rally in the courtyard of the Louvre museum. Macron urged the French people to create a majority for change. Earlier, the president-elect acknowledged divisions in the society which he said led to the rise of the far-right.

N Korea arrest 

North Korea has arrested an American citizen on suspicion of hostile acts against the state. This, as tensions are rising between Pyongyang and Washington. According to state media, an investigation is being conducted into crimes of a former employee of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. No further details of the detention have been announced. This is the second arrest of an American citizen in two weeks. The move brings to four the number of US citizens currently held in North Korea.

Israeli Forces

A Palestinian girl has been shot dead by Israeli forces at a main entrance to Jerusalem al-Quds' Old City. Eyewitness accounts indicate the young girl was shot while she was passing by Damascus gate. Israeli police provided no further details. Israeli authorities alleged that the slain girl had approached police while pulling out a knife. Damascus gate has been the site of several such brutalities by Israeli forces in recent months.

Nigeria Swap

82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been released in a swap deal negotiated by the Nigerian government. The girls have been transferred to the capital, Abuja and are expected to meet with president Buhari. The schoolgirls were swapped with prisoners from the terrorist group in a negotiated deal. This is the second time the government has negotiated with Boko Haram to save some three-hundred schoolgirls abducted three years ago. Over one-hundred of the students are still unaccounted for following Saturday’s release. The violence sparked by the terrorist group has so far claimed over 15-thousand Nigerian lives and displaced some 2-point-6 million people.

Macron Wins

Exit polls from France’s presidential runoff show Emmanuel macron has been elected as new president. The projections were released right after the closure of polling stations across the country. Macron has beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by at least 65 percent of the vote. Le Pen has reportedly received around 35 percent. She conceded defeat in a speech after the exit poll results were released. The victory of the centrist candidate and the former banker will bring a huge relief to the European Union which has been fearful of the rise of far-right groups.

Zarif in Afghanistan

Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has visited Afghanistan and held talks with senior officials there. Discussions covered a range of issues including terrorism. Zarif says terrorists cannot be divided into good and bad, and called for combating them. Press TV’s Amin Alemi has a report from Kabul.

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