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Palestinians dressed in prisoner outfits take part in a demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails on May 4, 2017, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT to 08:00 GMT, May 10.

 

Hunger strike

A Palestinian institution has warned that the mass hunger strike launched by Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails has entered a dangerous stage.

According to the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs, health conditions of some 16-hundred Palestinian hunger strikers are deteriorating considerably. This comes as the strike has entered its 24th day. The committee says the Israel Prison Service is harassing hunger strikers on a daily basis. It says Israeli jailers treat hunger strikers with cruelty and savagery and they do not care if such mistreatment could lead to the Palestinians’ worsening health conditions or even death. The hunger strikers demand better conditions in jails as well as an end to Israel’s illegal practice of administrative detention.

CAR violence

The UN Secretary General has strongly condemned an attack on a UN peacekeeping convoy in the Central African Republic.

Antonio Guterres warned that the attack may constitute a war crime. He called on CAR authorities to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice. On Monday, a suspected militia group attacked a UN convoy in the country’s southeast, killing at least four peacekeepers. One of them still remains missing. The assault is the deadliest to target the UN force, which was assigned in 2014 to help bring stability to the African nation. The Central African Republic has been the scene of bloody sectarian fighting after the overthrow of former President Francois Bozize.

Chile demo

Thousands of student protesters have clashed with police in the Chilean capital Santiago. The demonstrators had taken to the streets to demand better educational reforms.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, who responded by throwing rocks at police personnel and vehicles. Several demonstrators have been arrested. The protesting students want the government to lower costs of education for underprivileged students and limit profit-making in the education sector. For years, Chileans have been protesting against the proposed educational reforms which would increase private involvement in the country’s expensive education system.

Climate change warning

Scientists have warned that the Earth could break though a major climate threshold as global temperatures rise to new staggering levels.

A new study says global temperatures could exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above their pre-industrial levels in less than 15 years and cross the first threshold set under the Paris climate agreement. The research relies on a natural environmental phenomenon based on which ocean temperatures shift almost every decade between warming or cooling periods. The study goes on with calculations to conclude that we are currently experiencing the oceans’ heating phase, which spells out rapid temperature rises. The phenomenon in itself is considered a natural form of climate change. It could, however, aggravate global warming if combined with other issues such as those caused by human activities.

Mogherini

The European Union Foreign Policy Chief has asked the US to keep funding UN agencies that deal with issues such as food aid, refugees and children.

Mogherini said the EU’s security strategy does not revolve around military capabilities alone, but stresses such issues as economic development, good health care and education as well. Her comments followed the announcement by the Trump administration of a 640-million-dollar cut in US funding for the UN and its agencies. The reduction came as Washington added 15 billion dollars to its defense budget.

South Korea president

Liberal politician Moon Jae-in is sworn in as the new president of South Korea, a day after a landslide election victory.

Moon won the race for the Blue House by getting more than 41 percent of the votes. His presidency brings an end to months of political vacuum caused by his predecessor Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal. Moon now has to unify a divided nation and face various challenges, including issues surrounding the controversial US missile system, THAAD, deployed in South Korea. Moon says he’s prepared to discuss THAAD with China and the US. He also says he’s ready to visit neighboring North Korea as part of efforts to engage with Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

Comey fired

US President Donald Trump has sacked director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey in a surprise move.

The White House said the decision was made on recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy. In a letter to Comey, Trump said the FBI chief was not able to effectively lead the bureau and that it was necessary to restore public trust and confidence in the agency. Comey has been embroiled in controversy surrounding his probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server to send classified emails. He has also been leading the FBI’s investigation into the alleged ties between Trump's campaign and Russia. Democrats have slammed Comey’s dismissal during the probe, urging an independent prosecutor to investigate Trump’s alleged Russia ties.

Yemen outbreak

The World Health Organization says a suspected cholera epidemic has claimed the lives of 34 people in Yemen.

More than two thousand people are said to have fallen ill in nine governorates, including Sana’a in less than two weeks. The WHO has described the figures as extremely alarming. It says the two-year war on Yemen has had a huge impact on the quality of water. Meanwhile, the international humanitarian NGO, Doctors Without Borders has recorded a drastic increase in cholera cases in the Arab country. Saudi Arabia’s almost daily airstrikes and its crippling blockade of Yemen have led to a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished nation. According to UN estimates, one child under the age of five dies of preventable causes in Yemen every ten minutes.

US Syrian Kurds

US President Donald Trump has authorized arming Kurdish forces in Syria despite objection from Turkey.

The White House said that the US wanted to reassure the people and government of Turkey that Washington was committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting its NATO ally. The US, however, did not mention the kinds of arms to be provided to the Kurds. Turkey is expected to react to the measure since it had fiercely opposed supplying US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria. Ankara views the YPG as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group which is labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey and the United States.

US nuclear

A storage tunnel in the US containing radioactive waste has collapsed forcing the authorities to declare an emergency.

The emergency situation was declared in Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeastern Washington. The tunnel contains rail cars full of radioactive waste. Officials say no workers have been injured and no radiation release has been detected. The accident happened at a facility that used to be part of a US nuclear weapons production complex. The area is now the largest depository containing 56 million gallons of radioactive waste, still waiting to be cleaned. The site produced the plutonium for most of the country's nuclear arsenal during the Second World War including the deadly bombs dropped on Japan.

Israeli nukes

Iran’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency says Israel is the biggest obstacle to the implementation of a nuclear-free Middle East.

Reza Najafi was addressing a Preparatory Committee for the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He called the eradication of all nuclear weapons around the world, a necessary move. Najafi warned that Israel’s nuclear arsenal is a serious threat to peace and stability in the world. He reminded that the UN has issued several resolutions on the elimination of nuclear weapons but they have all failed due to Israel’s opposition and America’s blind support for it. Najafi urged the international community to mount pressure on Israel to join the NPT. Iran as a member of the NPT, fully supports the eradication of nuclear weapons.

Britain Corbyn

Leader of Britain’s Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, says he will carry on as the leader of his party regardless of the results of the national election next month.

Corbyn says he was elected party leader and he would not quit if he lost the June 8 election. Some opinion polls suggest that Corbyn is behind Prime Minister Theresa May by more than 20 percentage points. Corbyn has vowed a crackdown on powerful corporations. He says he will increase taxes on the wealthy and transform Britain from a country rigged in favor of the rich to one that supports the people.

South Korea Moon

South Korea’s president elect has promised to be the president of the entire nation following a landslide victory.

The former human rights lawyer and Democratic candidate won over 41 percent of the vote. His rivals Conservative Hong Joon-Pyo and Centrist Ahn Cheol-Soo who stood second and third respectively with over 20 percent have both conceded defeat. According to the Election Commission, 67 percent of all eligible voters took part in the election. The snap vote was held, with 13 candidates amid weeks of political deadlock in the country. Former president Park Geun-hye was expelled in March on charges of bribery and power abuse. She’s in jail awaiting trial.

Ukraine

As Russia celebrates the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazi Germany, pro-Russian crowds hold rallies to mark the occasion in neighboring Ukraine.

In Ukraine's East, over 10-thousand people paraded in the streets of Donetsk, the de facto capital of Pro-Russia militia. The fighters who cut their ties with the Western-backed government in Kiev in 20-14, also put on display their heavy military equipment including tanks and machine guns. Another parade was staged in the port city of Sevastopol, Crimea which reunited with Russia in 2014. Scuffles broke out in the capital Kiev as well as the city of Kharkov when nationalist Ukrainians attacked the marchers.

South Africa

South African police have clashed with protesters in southern townships of Johannesburg in the latest string of violence over lack of housing and jobs.

Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at residents who blocked a highway by burning tires, road signs and rocks. According to official accounts, at least 15 people were arrested during the unrest in which several shops were damaged and looted. The government of President Jacob Zuma is under increasing pressure over unemployment, low salaries and poor local services in black townships and slum areas. South Africa is struggling with a weak economy which has hardly grown since emerging out a 2009 recession.


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