WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, May 31, to 08:00 GMT, June 1, 2017.

UN on Israeli occupation

The United Nations says the root of Palestinian hardship is Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published a report in which it depicts occupation practices as the key cause of humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territories. The report further notes that the territories residents suffer from a lack of basic security. It also refers to Palestinian civilians' lack of protection from violence, displacement, restrictions on access to services and livelihoods, and other rights violations. Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six-Day War but withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Repeated efforts to negotiate a solution and establish an independent Palestinian state have stalled.

Rights under emergency in France

A prominent rights group accuses the French government of limiting people’s freedom under the cover of the state of emergency. Amnesty International says environmentalists and labor rights campaigners have been deprived of their rights to peaceful protests. The report says police use excessive force such as batons, tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful demonstrators. According to the report, French police have suppressed hundreds of protests which were not a threat to the country’s security since November 2015. The report comes a week after the French government announced it has proposed parliament to prolong the state of emergency following the terrorists attack in Manchester. Elysee is reportedly seeking new legislation to permanently boost the country’s security forces.

Bahraini opposition party dissolved

Bahrain’s administrative court has dissolved a secular opposition party amid an escalating crackdown on dissent. The National Democratic Action Society was dissolved two months after the justice ministry made a request calling for its dissolution for violating the rule of law. The Justice Ministry accuses the party of supporting terrorism and promoting political change by force. Amnesty International has slammed the move as a flagrant attack on freedom of expression and association. It says Bahrain is heading toward a total suppression of human rights by banning major political parties. Manama dissolved al-Wefaq, the main opposition party, last June on charges of undermining the state, spreading sectarianism and having connections to terrorism.

UK’s May under fire

A televised debate has been held among the main British parties in the absence of Prime Minister Theresa May. The premier boycotted the debate. May has been criticized for refusing to take part in the faceoff. She has said she prefers to work for and talk to people instead of arguing with other politicians. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK Labor Party, had also said he wouldn’t participate in the debate without May but changed his mind just hours before the event. Meanwhile, a new poll indicates that the Conservative Party’s lead over Labor has significantly shrunk. According to the survey conducted by Yougov, 42 percent of respondents said they would vote for the Conservatives in Britain’s upcoming general elections while 39 percent supported the Labor party. The vote is to be held on June 8.

Turkey chopper crash

A Turkish military helicopter has crashed near the country’s border with Iraq, leaving over a dozen soldiers dead. Turkish officials say the incident happened after the helicopter hit a high-voltage transmission line. Rescue teams have been dispatched to the crash site. The governor's office in the Turkish province of Shirnak says the helicopter crashed near the town of Uludere, shortly after taking off. Turkish troops are engaged in operations against militants from the outlawed Kurdistan workers’ Party, PKK, in a mountainous region of Shirnak province. The group has been fighting for an independent Kurdish region in southern Turkey since the 1980s.

UK’s Saudi terror probe

The UK Home Office says an investigation into Saudi Arabia’s funding and support for Takfiri terror groups operating in the United Kingdom may never be published. According to the British daily, The Guardian, a spokesman for the British Home Office has described the contents of the 18-month inquiry as very sensitive. The spokesman added that a decision over the future of the investigation would be taken by the next government after the upcoming elections. Former Prime Minister David Cameron commissioned the probe in late 2015 as a bargaining chip with the Liberal Democrats in return for supporting government plans for airstrikes in Syria. In a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, the party has slammed the development.

US Israel embassy relocation

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a waiver to put on hold the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds. According to the White House, the transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem Al-Quds will be put on hold for six months if Trump signs the waiver. Officials however say the US president may decide to move the embassy in the near future. Palestinian authorities have on multiple occasions warned Washington against the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds, saying the measure would fuel violence in the region and kill any chances of resolving the conflict. The Israel regime is accused of trying to remove the Islamic identity of al-Quds to dash the Palestinians’ hope for establishing an independent state with al-Quds as its capital.

Mosul mass grave

Iraqi authorities have discovered another mass grave in Mosul that contains the remains of 60 civilians including women and the elderly. The officials say the grave was found in western Mosul. They also say the victims were executed by Daesh terrorists and that they suffered gunshot wounds to the head. The area has been the scene of fighting between Iraqi troops and Daesh terrorists. Iraq’s army and volunteer forces launched an offensive last year in a bid to drive the Takfiri group out of Mosul, the terrorists’ last major stronghold in Iraq. Since then, several mass graves have been found in areas formerly-held by Daesh.

Hamburg protest against G20

Demonstrators have taken to the streets in Germany to protest against the upcoming G20 summit. Hundreds of people have marched through the streets of Hamburg to denounce what organizers called an elite economic club for the few. Activists also collected signatures to petition for the cancellation of the G20 summit. Previous summits have been overshadowed by violent anti-capitalist protests. This year’s agenda is expected to be dominated by US President Donald Trump’s protectionist rhetoric and disputes about the benefits of free trade. Leaders of 19 major economies and the EU will gather between July seven and eight in Hamburg to take part in the annual meeting.

Friendly fire in Philippines

Nearly a dozen Filipino soldiers have been killed in a friendly fire incident in southern Philippines amid ongoing anti-terror operations there. According to the defense minister, 10 soldiers were killed and eight more wounded after an airstrike mistakenly hit a group of army men. Delfin Lorenzana said the raid was part of efforts to retake Marawi from terrorists. He added that some 500 terrorists had been fighting with a plan to occupy the city for over a week now. The Philippine armed forces have been using a combination of ground and air operations to dislodge Daesh-linked terrorists from there. Clashes first erupted after terrorists from a militant group known as Abu Sayyaf raided the city and beheaded a police chief. Several terrorists including Saudi, Malaysian, Indonesian, Yemeni and Chechen nationals have been killed since then.

Caracas clashes

Fresh clashes have erupted between protesters and police in Venezuela as a months-long political deadlock in the oil-producing nation shows no signs of abating. Venezuela’s National Guard troops were deployed to disperse the large crowds who attempted to march on the Supreme Court in Caracas. Police fired tear gas amid clashes with the protesters. The fresh clashes come amid months of unrest in the Latin American country which has been struggling with food shortages and a staggering inflation. The demonstrators are demanding fresh elections in a bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro. However, Maduro has said the unrest is an attempt by the US to weaken Venezuela. Some 60 people have been killed in two months of protests for and against the government.

Colombia teachers protest

In Colombia, thousands of teachers have taken to the streets of the capital, Bogota, to protest low wages and poor working conditions. The protesting teachers also called for better resources for the educational system in the South American country. This is the latest in a series of protests by Colombian teachers across the country over the past month. According to the Colombian Federation of Educational Workers, the government agreed in 2015 to increase their salaries gradually over a period of four years but has not yet complied with the agreement. The government says despite fiscal tightening, it has raised the teachers’ salaries since 2014 more than other public sector workers.

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