WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, May 14, 2017.

Iran elections

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has attended a campaign rally in the city of Khorram Abad ahead of the May 19 presidential election. Rouhani was cheered by thousands of his supporters. He called for a high turnout in the upcoming election. The incumbent president defended his first term performance, stressing that he brought back stability to the market. Rouhani described self-sufficiency in wheat production as a great success. The incumbent president also referred to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries and lifting of sanctions.

Independence drive

Scotland’s first minister says the country must have a choice on independence at the end of Britain's separation from the European Union when the exit terms are clear. Sturgeon says many in Scotland are worried about the impact of a hard Brexit. The Majority of Scots voted no to independence from Britain in 2014. Ever since the vote, Sturgenon has been pushing for a second referendum on secession from the UK, citing the willingness of most Scottish people to remain in the EU.

Rescue operation

Some four hundred eighty refugees have been rescued from boats in the Mediterranean Sea. They were attempting to make it to Europe. According to the authorities, the refugees were saved from four rubber boats by the Italian coast guard and navy, an aid group and two private vessels. Seven dead bodies were found in the operation adding to a toll of over one thousand on the route as of May 10. Italian officials gave no details of the vessels’ point of departure. In 2017 alone over forty five thousand asylum seekers reached Italy by boat from North Africa.

Yemen victims

The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Yemen has risen to 115 as hospitals in the war-torn country struggle to cope with the influx of patients. The International Committee of the Red Cross has labeled the situation serious, and says an additional 85 hundred people are ill in hospitals due to the outbreak which started more than two weeks ago. The ICRC added that cases from the waterborne disease are up by more than two thousand compared to last week. This is the second outbreak of cholera in Yemen, the poorest Arab country, in less than a year. Yemen has been suffering from a humanitarian crisis since Saudi Arabia started attacking it over two years ago. Critical food imports have also hit an all-time low as many of the country’s ports are blockaded by Riyadh.

Cyber threats

Britain’s defense minister says the country is spending around 64 million dollars on improving the security of the National Health Service's computer systems. Michael Fallon also said that the government had warned the NHS about cyber threats. Meanwhile British Prime Minister Theresa May said the NHS came under a cyber-attack which began on Friday and hit many other organizations across the world.

France's new president

Emmanuel Macron is set to formally take power as the new French president. He will be sworn in during a ceremony at the Elysee Palace. The centrist politician takes over from former President Francois Hollande after winning a run-off vote against his far-right rival Marine Le Pen. Sources close to Macron say the next prime minister will be appointed on Monday and the new government on Tuesday. Macron will make his first foreign visit as the French president to Germany, where he is expected to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. France’s youngest president is facing a divided nation, weakened economy and high unemployment rates. In order to push through his economic and social reforms, Macron needs his party to secure a large number of seats in the next month's parliamentary elections.

Battle for Mosul

Iraqi forces are making fresh gains on the ground in west of Mosul as they are battling to flush Daesh terrorists out of the northern city. In their renewed push toward Mosul’s old city, advancing soldiers have stormed two neighborhoods. Nineveh operation command says the troops have managed to destroy Daesh’s defensive lines there and bring the neighborhoods under control. In another battlefield, Popular Mobilization Units are pressing ahead with a mopping up operation in and around Qairawan, a district on the outskirts of Mosul. A senior interior ministry official says more than 90 percent of has so far been liberated. The offensive to retake Iraq’s second largest city was launched in October. Mosul fell to terrorists in 2014 when Daesh overran large parts of land in northern Iraq.

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