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This photo taken on January 8, 2015 shows Bahraini protesters taking cover during a confrontation with police after a demonstration against the arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the Shiite opposition movement al-Wefaq, in the village of Bilad al-Qadeem, on the outskirts of the capital Manama. (By AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, May 12, to 08:00 GMT, May 13.

End Torture in Bahrain

The UN Committee against Torture has called on Bahrain to release prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab from solitary confinement. The UN experts have also urged the kingdom to provide him with proper medical assistance, which he has been deprived of in prison. Rajab was put behind bars after Bahraini authorities closed down the main opposition group, al-Wefaq last year. The experts’ panel also voiced concern at reports of ill treatment of detainees and called for an end to forced confessions under torture in its first review of Bahrain's record in five years. It’s also urged Bahrain to ensure that those arrested on criminal charges, including terror are brought before a judge within 48 hours.

UN Warning on Yemen

The United Nations has issued a fresh warning against any Saudi attack on Yemen’s Hudaydah port. The UN International Organization for Migration says an attack on the Yemeni port would displace more than 400 thousand people. The IOM's Director of Operations and Emergencies Mohammed Abdiker said in a statement that the carnage would force a large number to flee the city eastwards. The UN had previously warned against any such attack by Saudi-led forces on the Houthi-held port. The world body said that in case of such attack, nearly half a million people could be displaced while the aid lifeline for millions of others would be jeopardized. Saudi Arabia's destructive military campaign against Yemen since 2015 has left over 12 thousand people dead and millions displaced.

Return to Rubble

Months after liberation, reconstruction has begun in Iraq’s eastern Mosul. The recaptured neighborhoods were devastated during two years of brutal Daesh rule and months of fighting that ended the presence of the terror group. Ali Mousavi has this report from the field.

Shia Town Attacked

Saudi forces have unleashed a new wave of deadly violence on the third day of raids on the kingdom's Shia-majority area of Qatif. On Friday, security forces opened fire on a vehicle in Awamiyah, killing its driver. Saudi forces also shelled a residential area, completely destroying a mosque. Reports said heavy artillery and helicopter gunships were used in the attack. In the past two days, Saudi forces killed three citizens, including a child, in shooting and shelling incidents in Qatif. The violence began on Wednesday after a batch of armored vehicles stormed Awamiyah and razed a number of residential buildings for alleged renovation. The security forces have ever since blocked humanitarian aid and entrance roads to the area. Qatif is the birthplace of pro-democracy campaigner Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr who was executed by the Al Saud regime in 2016. Nimr's execution has failed to end six years of peaceful protests in the region for reforms and freedom of expression.

Israel Killing

A Palestinian youth has been fatally shot during clashes with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. The man was shot during protests which are held weekly near the village of Nabi Saleh, north of Ramallah. The 20-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital but died of the gunshot wound. Clashes have also been reported between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces in the West Bank village of Beit Furik. The Israeli army has confirmed that it has used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the protesting Palestinians. The protesters had gathered in the streets in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinians in Israeli jails. More than 290 Palestinians have lost their lives since October 2015.

Error! Files Encrypted!

British Prime Minister Theresa May says a massive cyber-attack which hit the country’s health system is part of a wider global strike. May said the government is not aware of any patient data being compromised. A ransom-ware cyber-attack hobbled hospitals in Britain. According to British health officials, the attack caused significant problems with IT systems and telephone networks. It forced 16 hospitals to divert ambulances to other clinics and urge people not to contact their doctors. There have also been reports of virus attacks in more than 70 countries, including the US, China, Italy and Spain. Meanwhile, Russia's Interior Ministry has said around one thousand of its computers have been affected by a virus attack.

No to US Terror
Yemenis have once again poured into the streets of the capital Sana'a to vent their anger at Washington’s meddling in their country’s affairs and its support for the Saudi aggression. The rally dubbed “No to US Terrorism” has been covered by our correspondent Mohammad Al-Attab.

DRC Ebola Outbreak

The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, calling it a public health crisis of international importance. The outbreak has been reported in Bas-Uele province in the country's far north. According to the WHO, of the nine people suspected to have contracted the deadly virus, three died, with at least one case of Ebola confirmed. The affected region lies close to the border with the Central African Republic. The last outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo took the lives of more than 40 people in 2014. More than 11-thousand people died in the world's deadliest Ebola outbreak hitting West Africa in 2014 and 2015. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were the worst-hit countries.

Farewell to Arms

A first group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, has surrendered its weapons under a peace accord reached last year. The United Nations said in a statement that the FARC members have received a certificate for the completion of disarmament under UN supervision, which allows them to formally begin their reintegration into civilian life. The statement added that the world body will continue to monitor the disarmament process of the remaining FARC members in the future. FARC signed a peace agreement with the Colombian government late last year to end the country's 53-year conflict, which killed more than 220 thousand people and displaced millions.

Supporting Strikers

Pakistani students and rights activists have protested against Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners. Among the protesters, many have launched a hunger strike in solidarity with the prisoners. Since April 17, as many as 16 hundred Palestinians have refused food in Israeli jails. Javed Rana reports from Islamabad.

Souvenir for Saudis

The US is reportedly finalizing arms deals worth over 100 billion dollars with Saudi Arabia. Media quoted unnamed White House officials as saying that the deals cover sales of arms and ships as well as maintenance services. The sources said the deals are part of a 300-billion-dollar package to boost Saudi military capabilities in ten years. The officials said signing of the contracts is part of the agenda of the US president’s visit to Saudi Arabia next week. Riyadh has been importing tens of billions of dollars of arms from the US over the past years. Saudi Arabia has been leading a two-year onslaught on Yemen and is considered a major arms supplier to terrorists in Syria.

G7 Finance Summit

The working sessions of the G-7 finance summit have officially kicked off in Italy’s Adriatic port city of Bari. Among the topics on the agenda are social inequality, transnational tax evasion and cyber-attack. The meetings of the leading economies come amid protests by rights activists demanding social justice. Press TV correspondent Max Civili has more details in this report:

Fight against Daesh

Government troops have inflicted heavy casualties on Daesh terrorists during fierce clashes in western Syria. Syrian military says its forces killed at least 20 terrorists and destroyed a number of their vehicles during the fighting in the eastern countryside of Homs. Troops have also gained control over al-Mushairafah quarry. Syrian forces and allied fighters have inflicted heavy losses on Daesh terrorists in recent weeks. The terror group has also been excluded from an agreement on creating de-escalation zones across the country which came into effect last week.

North Korea-US Ties

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry director general for US affairs says Pyongyang will hold talks with Washington if conditions are right. According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, Choe Son-hui made the announcement to reporters in Beijing as she was travelling from Norway back to North Korea. The two countries have been at loggerheads over the US military presence on the Korean Peninsula, which Pyongyang considers to be a threat. The new US administration started with a tough stance towards North Korea, threatening Pyongyang with military action over its nuclear and missile programs. President Donald Trump later said he'd be open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, under the right circumstances. Pyongyang says its defense programs are necessary in the face of the US aggression and has threatened America with a pre-emptive strike.

Boycott of Israel

Norway’s largest trade union has called for a total boycott of Israel in response to the occupation of Palestinian land. The delegates of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions also known as LO approved a resolution on boycotting Israel, against recommendations by its leadership and the Norwegian government. LO represents over 900 thousand workers – which is more than one quarter of the adult working population in the country. In recent years, LO has called to boycott various Israeli institutions that profit from the occupation of Palestinian land. Israel has been under international pressure including that from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to end its oppression of Palestinians and comply with international law.

 


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