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Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT to 08:00 GMT, May 9.

Clearing refugee camp in Paris

In France, police have begun an operation to clear out a makeshift refugee camp in the capital Paris.

The camp in north-east Paris houses around 1,000 refugees, mostly from Africa and Afghanistan. Local authorities say the asylum-seekers were sleeping in unsanitary conditions in tents and on mattresses. A similar operation took place in November 2016, when thousands were removed from a camp in the capital. Police say the makeshift sites are illegal and must be removed. But rights groups complain of a dire shortage of accommodation centers for asylum-seekers.

US anti-Muslim bias

New findings show a huge rise in the number of anti-Muslim incidents and hate crimes in the US.

The findings are reflected in a report by the Council on American Islamic Relations. It says there was a 57-percent increase in bias cases against Muslims last year to over 2,200. There was also a 44-percent increase in hate crimes in the same period. These include repeated cases of arson attacks on mosques and assaults on Muslims. The council said the surge is partially due to US President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant remarks, especially during his election campaign. Trump said in one such comment in December 2015 that he wants a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the US.

Geneva talks on Syria

The UN special envoy for Syria says talks between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition will resume next week in Geneva.

Staffan de Mistura said, in a statement, that the sixth round of talks will build on the agreement signed in the Kazakh capital Astana last week. He expressed hope that the deal, struck by world powers, will help the political process in Syria. The Astana agreement for de-escalation zones was brokered and signed by Iran and Russia as supporters of the Syrian government and Turkey as a mentor of the opposition. The deal was signed at the presence of de Mistura. The new round of Syria talks in Geneva will be the first since negotiations broke down last May.

Congo ethnic violence 

The United Nations says ethnic violence has forced more people to flee their homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UN described the humanitarian situation in the African nation as of dramatic deterioration. It said about 100,000 people were uprooted last week alone, bringing the ranks of displaced in the central Kasai region to nearly 1.3 million. The number of displaced throughout Congo has also more than doubled to 3.7 million since last August. Recently, the UN has issued several warnings against inter-ethnic fighting in the Kasai region. According to a UN official, the crisis has expanded both in terms of number and geographical scope.

Rising for Rohingya rights

UK-based rights activists and multi-ethnic refugees from Myanmar have held a rally to protest the City of London’s honoring of Myanmar's de facto leader. The protesters denounced Aung San Suu Kyi’s inaction and silence towards grave human rights abuses against the Rohingya Muslims. 

Russia's role in US presidential election resurfaces

The former director of US national intelligence has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of directly meddling in America’s presidential election in 2016.

Clapper was testifying before a Senate committee tasked with investigating alleged Russia’s interference in the presidential election. He said all the Americans and those in both the Democratic and the Republican parties should be vigilant about Moscow’s future attacks. He said the Kremlin is emboldened by its victory in what he described as changing the fate of the US election. James Clapper warned that similar attacks could happen in the US and other places around the world.

Journey to nowhere 

More than 200 refugees destined to Europe are feared to have died in the Mediterranean Sea over the weekend.

According to Italian and Libyan coastguards, over 7,500 asylum seekers were rescued off the coast of Libya since Thursday. Survivors say many people drowned when their rubber boats began to deflate before rescuers showed up. Some 540 refugees were also brought to the Italian region of Sicily on Monday. According to UNHCR, over 1,000 people have lost their lives or gone missing since the beginning of the year. In recent months, Europe has witnessed a huge spike in the influx of asylum seekers who are fleeing countries in the Middle East and Africa, largely due to conflicts and hunger.

Detained and neglected 

Human rights groups have reported the death of seven detained immigrants due to flawed medical care in the United States.

The harrowing details were released by Human Rights Watch and Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement. According to the report, the detained migrants were systematically subjected to sub-standard and dangerous medical care. The HRW and CIVIC said in statements that systemic failures and subpar medical care in US immigration detention centers led to seven of 18 preventable deaths between 2012 and 2015. The report came as the Trump administration is increasing the detention of undocumented immigrants in the United States.

Venezuela crisis 

In Venezuela, anti-government protests show no sign of abating. Police have once again deployed water cannon and fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the capital Caracas.

The new protests follow the opposition’s call for a week of street demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro and his initiative to rewrite the constitution. Pro-government groups were also on the street to show their support for the president. Meanwhile, the opposition has boycotted a meeting in the presidential palace to discuss Maduro's plan for a new popular assembly, saying they prefer to continue their street protests. The oil-reach Latin American country has been grappling with economic and political crisis since 2015. The opposition blames Maduro for the crisis but the president says his opponents are seeking a coup with US support.

An unfading Flynn

The former US acting attorney general says she had warned the Trump administration against appointing General Michael Flynn as national security adviser.

Sally Yates revealed during an open hearing before a US Senate panel investigating alleged Russia’s interference in the US presidential election last year. She said she’d expressed her worries that Flynn could be blackmailed because he had lied to his bosses about his contacts with Russians. Yates also recounted the chain of events that led to Flynn’s ouster. She noted that she was also fired from the Trump administration after issuing the warnings. President Donald Trump is highly critical of Congress’s attempts to look into allegations that Moscow helped his victory in the 2016 vote.

Solidarity for Palestinian hunger strikers

Support for Palestinian prisoners who are on a hunger strike continues to grow in the Gaza Strip. Daily solidarity events are being held in the coastal enclave to boost the morale of the prisoners.

South Korea election

South Korea makes the final preparations ahead of its snap presidential election.

Over 13,000 voting stations have been set up nationwide as voters prepare to choose between 13 candidates. Tuesday's vote may see the highest turnout for a presidential election in three decades. Leading candidates have urged citizens to vote for change. Official campaigning has stopped ahead of the voting. The snap presidential election comes weeks after former president Park Geun-hye was impeached over the corruption scandal. The next president will immediately start their presidential duties for five years.


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