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US President Donald Trump speaks during the Arabic Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, May 21, 2017.

 

Trump praising Saudis

US President Donald Trump throws his full support behind Saudi Arabia as he addresses a summit of Muslim nations in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Trump argued that the multi-billion dollar arms sales deal with Saudi Arabia grants the country with greater powers to fight terrorism. The US president went on to announce the opening of a joint center in the Saudi capital tasked with battling terrorism in the region. Donald Trump also stepped up anti-Iran rhetoric later in his speech. He accused the Islamic Republic of spreading and funding terrorism in the Middle East. Trump was addressing a meeting of leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries in Riyadh during the second day of his visit.

Palestinian hunger strike

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are keeping up a mass hunger strike launched to protest their conditions. 35 days have passed since some 130 inmates began refusing food. Activists say a number of prisoners have been transferred to a civilian hospital after falling into a critical health condition. They have warned that prison authorities might force-feed hospitalized strikers. The prisoners have been pressured to give up their open-ended protest action. The prisoners demand an end to Israeli mistreatment, the denial of family visits, solitary confinement and imprisonment without charge or trial.

Syria Homs evacuation

Remaining foreign-backed militants in Syria’s Homs are evacuating as part of a deal with the government. The militants and their families are leaving the Waer quarter of Homs towards Idlib, Jarablus and Aleppo countryside. According to the governor of Homs, in the past 24 to 48 hours, over 500 militants have left the city, with the figure expected to rise. By the end of the two-day process, the city will be cleared of militants for the first time since the Syrian crisis began in 2011. The Syrian government says the evacuation is not a pure reconciliation deal, but rather a surrender of militants, who are mostly linked with al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Front, and Ahrar al-Sham. 25,000 civilians will stay in Waer after the evacuation.

Kashmir killings

In Indian-administered Kashmir, the exchange of fire between soldiers and suspected rebels has led to the death of four people. The incident takes place near the de-facto border that divides the disputed territory. An Indian army general said the dead included two soldiers and two “terrorists” who were attempting to infiltrate into the Indian side of Kashmir. The border area in Kashmir has been the scene of clashes between Indian and Pakistani soldiers in the recent weeks, which have taken the lives of soldiers and civilians on both sides. Kashmir has been a major point of conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Iran ready for cooperation

Iran has signaled its willingness to work with regional countries, Saudi Arabia in particular, to establish peace in the Middle East. In an article published by the London-based New Arab daily, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran is always after constructive talks with its neighbors. Zarif added that despite the destabilizing policies of certain regional Arab countries, the Islamic Republic is fully ready to cooperate with them to fight terrorism. He noted that a halt to Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen and its crackdown on pro-democracy movements in regional countries are preconditions for Iran’s cooperation. Zarif also advised US President Donald Trump to discuss how to avoid another September 11 attack with the Saudi during his visit to the Arab country.

Battle for Mosul

The area controlled by Daesh in Mosul is shrinking rapidly as Iraqi forces are clearing the last pockets of terrorists in the city. Daesh members have been pushed to a tight corner in western Mosul where they retain a territory of eight square kilometers. Iraqi military officers say fighting is only raging in a handful of neighborhoods there. A final battle to retake the whole city is expected to occur in narrow streets. A full liberation is on the horizon and it seems to be just a matter of few weeks. Mosul’s eastern half was recaptured earlier this year and now the focus is on the western part which includes the densely populated Old City.

US China spying

China has reportedly dealt a serious blow to US spy agency, the CIA. Beijing is said to have killed or imprisoned nearly two dozen US spies between 2010 and 2012. In a report, the New York Times quoted 10 American officials who described the intelligence breach as the worst in decades. The officials are unsure whether a mole within the CIA has leaked information to the Chinese or they themselves hacked into the data. China is known to have a strong intelligence system, making it hard for foreign agents to operate in the country. The New York Times says former US President Barack Obama was critical of the sluggish flow of information from China.

Bahrain protests

A Bahraini regime court has sentenced prominent cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim to one year in prison on charges of inciting violence in the kingdom. The verdict announced by prosecutors on Sunday includes seizure of assets belonging to the cleric. Sheikh Qassim is the spiritual leader of Bahrain’s Shias who are the majority of the population. Last June, the Manama regime revoked the cleric’s citizenship over accusations of using his position to serve foreign interests and promote sectarianism. He has denied the allegations. Rights groups say the accusations are part of the regime’s crackdown on dissent. Meanwhile, Bahrain’s dissolved opposition bloc, al-Wefaq has criticized the ruling, saying the regime has entered a new phase of crisis as the verdict poses risks to the kingdom’s future. Thousands of people have also hit the streets to denounce the verdict. Similar rallies were also held on the eve of the cleric's court hearing.

 


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