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Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) leader Nasr al-Hariri (2ndL) and UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura (R) take part in a new round of Syria peace talks on May 16, 2017 at the United Nations Offices in Geneva. (Photo by AFP)

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, May 16, 2017.

Talks on Syria

The sixth round of UN-brokered Syria peace talks is to open in Geneva on Tuesday. The Syrian government and the opposition have agreed to hold negotiations over a new Constitution, reformed governance, elections, and the fight against terrorism. However, there is a sharp difference over the meaning of the issues due to be discussed. This comes as delegations from the warring sides are not expected to meet face-to-face. On Monday, the UN special envoy for Syria reiterated the crisis in the Arab country cannot be resolved without a political solution.

Fighting Taliban

Afghan security forces have regained control of a district center close to the northern city of Kunduz that fell to Taliban militants earlier this month. At the moment, the troops are pressing ahead with their operation in insecure areas of Qala-i-Zal. One terrorist was reportedly killed, but there were no reports of injuries among security forces. Taliban militants seized Qala-i-Zal, on the border with Tajikistan, on May sixth as they stepped up pressure on Kunduz. Although the city center itself is in government hands, the Taliban control most of the surrounding districts and thousands of residents are reported to have fled their homes to avoid the fighting.

Dutch Deadlock

After more than two months of negotiations, the Netherlands has failed to form a four-party coalition government. Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right party had sought to strike a deal with liberal party D-66, the Christian Democrats, and the Green-Left. The main stumbling blocks were the issues of immigration, climate change, and income levels. The Green-Left supports open border policies but the other three seek stricter controls. Meanwhile, Geert Wilders, the leader of the anti-EU and anti-Islam Freedom Party has welcomed the news and announced his readiness to open talks. Though his party came in second in the polls, Rutte has repeatedly said he has no intention to work with Wilders’ party.

Battle for Mosul

Iraq’s army says it has liberated most of the city of Mosul from Daesh Takfiri terrorists. Military Spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, said 12 square kilometers of the city is still under Daesh control, meaning the army has recaptured 98 percent of Mosul. The spokesman for the US-led coalition, Colonel John Dorrian also said the Takfiris have been completely surrounded and that they are on the brink of total defeat. The offensive to retake Iraq’s second largest city was launched in October. Mosul fell to terrorists in 2014 when Daesh overran large swathes of land in northern Iraq.

Unfounded Accusation

The Syrian government categorically denies a US allegation that Damascus has built a crematorium in a prison near the capital Damascus. Syria’s foreign ministry calls the accusation a new Hollywood story detached from reality. Washington alleges that the crematorium at Saydnaya prison was installed to destroy the remains of murdered prisoners. The State Department says the information came from credible humanitarian agencies and the US intelligence community. One satellite photograph was dated January 2015, and it was not immediately clear why the United States waited for over two years to present its evidence. Syria has in the past strongly denied any abuse at Saydnaya. Earlier this year, Damascus dismissed as baseless an Amnesty International report about mass hanging at the prison.

Saudi Clashes

A Saudi soldier has been killed and several others have been wounded in clashes with unidentified gunmen in the eastern region of Qatif. Saud Arabia’s interior ministry says the soldiers came under RPG fire while patrolling an area in the town of Awamiyah. The attack comes amid days-long violence in the province. Tension, which has claimed civilian lives, began last week after Saudi armored vehicles stormed Awamiyah and razed several residential buildings for alleged renovation. The security forces have blocked humanitarian aid and entrance roads to the Shia-majority area. The Shia population there has long complained of marginalization. Qatif is the birthplace of pro-democracy campaigner Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr who was executed by the Al Saud regime in 2016.

Iranian Presidential Race

Iranian presidential candidate Es'haq Jahangiri has quit the race. During a campaign rally in the city of Shiraz, Jahangiri called on his supporters to vote for Hassan Rouhani on Friday. The first vice-president thanked all the people who had backed him during his presidential campaign trail. Earlier on Monday, Jahangir’s principlist rival Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf dropped out of the election in favor of Ebrahim Raeisi. Now Jahangiri’s withdrawal from the race brings to four the total number of candidates.

Russia Denial

Russia has denied US media reports that President Trump has disclosed classified intelligence to Russian officials, implying that American media should not be trusted. Russian Foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, says people should not read American newspapers because they can be harmful and even dangerous. Earlier this week media said that during an Oval Office meeting, Trump shared classified code-word information with Russian officials. The report says the move could put a source of intelligence on Daesh at risk. President Trump has defended his sharing of information with Moscow. In a Twitter message he said he wanted to share facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety. He said he wanted Russia to greatly step up its fight against Daesh.

 


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