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 26, 2017.

Egypt terror attack

Masked gunmen have attacked Coptic Christians in southern Egypt, leaving at least 28 people dead and nearly two dozen others injured. The Egyptian health ministry says many of the casualties are children. The victims were travelling to a remote desert monastery in Minya province. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants stopped the vehicles on a road leading to the monastery and opened fire. Egyptian officials say the gunmen were dressed in military uniforms. No group has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack yet. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has called for a security meeting following the incident. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 92 million. They have in recent months been targeted by a series of deadly attacks, claimed by Daesh.

UK wars’ fallout

The UK opposition leader says wars fought by the government abroad have led to an increased risk of terrorism back home. Speaking in central London, Jeremy Corbyn, cited expert and intelligence assessments to back up his claim. He said London must admit the so called war on terror is simply not working. The Labor Party leader added that Britain needs a smarter way to reduce the threat from countries that nurture terrorists and generate terrorism. Corybn also stressed that the link between war and terrorism does not justify attacks on innocents. A poll conducted by YouGov research firm shows the ruling conservative party’s lead over the opposition has been cut to just five points in the wake of the Manchester bombing. The UK will hold general elections on June eight.

Korean peninsula tensions

The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers say they favor measures that would counter North Korea’s nuclear program, but would not hamper a political settlement. Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi were speaking after a meeting in Moscow. The two also agreed that Pyongyang’s nuclear program should not be an excuse for the deployment of a US anti-missile system in the region. Wang, who is on a two-day visit to Russia, also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, Putin said Beijing and Moscow should work closely to enhance strategic cooperation and peacefully resolve regional and international problems.

Rising civilian casualties in Syria

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned rising civilian casualties in airstrikes in Syria mostly carried out by the US-led coalition. Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has urged all parties in Syria to take greater care and distinguish between legitimate military targets and civilians. He said the increasing civilian casualties caused by the recent airstrikes on Dayr al-Zawr and Raqqah suggest that insufficient precautions may have been taken in the attacks. Meanwhile, Hussein’s spokesman spoke to a Geneva briefing about the attacks launched on Daesh-held territories in northeast Syria. Rupert Colville said that most aerial attacks are operated by the US-led coalition.

Yemen retaliatory attack

The Yemeni army and Ansarullah fighters have carried out an attack inside Saudi Arabia, killing at least seven Saudi soldiers. The attack targeted a military base in the kingdom’s Najran province. The operation comes in retaliation for Saudi Arabia's destructive military campaign against Yemen that started in 2015 to reinstate former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush the Houthi movement. Earlier, Saudi jets bombarded Yemen’s Dhamar province. No immediate casualties have been reported. Saudi air raids have so far left over 12,000 people, mostly civilians, dead.

Philippines unrest

Many residents are fleeing the southern Philippine city of Marawi as government troops continue to fight militants there. The besieged city of Marawi has been the scene of battles between government troops and militants since a failed raid by security forces on a militant hideout last Tuesday. The violence has left at least 46 people dead, including 11 security forces and 31 Daesh-linked terrorists. Manila says foreign fighters are among the militants, who have laid siege to the city. The ongoing violence has forced many residents to leave Marawi and has prompted the government to declare martial law across the city.

Manchester attack probe

British police have made more arrests in connection with the terrorist attack in Manchester that left 22 people dead and scores of others injured. A man was detained in Moss Side area of the city on Friday. He was the tenth suspect to be arrested. Two people have been cleared of charges and released so far and a total of eight men are now in police custody. The British government has deployed thousands of troops countrywide to guard key sites. Police are hunting for a possible bomb-maker after the British-born Salman Abedi detonated a sophisticated device at a concert venue packed with children on Monday night. It was the deadliest act of terror in Britain in over a decade.

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