WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, May 20, 2017 to 0800 GMT, May 21, 2018.

Syria army operation

The Syrian army is tightening the noose on the remaining pockets of terrorists in south of the capital Damascus. The Syrian troops are carrying out clean-up operations in the city of Hajar al-Aswad, in Damascus countryside. They have surrounded the terrorists in a small residential area and are engaged in a building-to-building search. The operations come ahead of the full liberation of western Ghouta. The latest army gains follow a number of recent deals with armed groups which have led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of militants and their relatives from Homs and Hama provinces.

Iraq politics

Leading Iraqi politicians hold talks to hammer out a deal for the formation of a new government. Muqtada al-Sadr, whose bloc came first in parliamentary elections, held separate meetings with leaders of different blocs including Hadi al-Ameri and incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Sadr says the meetings are meant to reassure Iraqis that the new government will speak for everyone.

Maduro wins reelection

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won re-election extending his term for another six years. According to the National Election Council, Maduro won with nearly 68 percent of the votes against 21 percent cast for his main rival, Henri Falcon. Maduro was widely believed to be the winner in the poll boycotted by the main opposition party. The official figure suggests that a slightly more than 46 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots on Sunday. Addressing a victory rally, the incumbent leader hailed the results. He also said that the South American nation needed dialogue not infighting to deal with problems. Falcon has rejected the election as illegitimate and has demanded a new poll before the end of the year. The opposition has long blamed Maduro for wanting to tighten his grip on power.

Yemen retaliatory attack

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement and allied armed forces launch a fresh missile strike against Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the Kingdom’s onslaught. Yemenis say they fired a Badr-One ballistic missile at an airport in southern Jizan province. There are no further details about the raid and its possible casualties. Yemenis have recently increased the number of their missile attacks against Saudi Arabia. They say such operations are the only means to make Riyadh stop its deadly war which has been going on since March, 2015. Over fourteen-thousand Yemenis have been killed in the offensive so far.

Iran expectation on JCPOA

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says the European Union must prove its determination to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal through action not mere words. Bahram Qassemi said the bloc has very little time to give assurances to Iran that its interests would be safeguarded under the agreement known as the JCPOA. He added that the ongoing negotiations with the remaining parties to the deal are only focused on the nuclear deal and that's all. He roundly rejected the possibility of talks on Iran’s missile program. Qassemi also ruled out the return of the US to the negotiations, saying Washington has proven that it can never be trusted.

Rohingya refugees in New Delhi

Dozens of Rohingya families in New Delhi are living terrible conditions after their homes were burned in a huge fire several weeks ago. This comes as the weather temperature is increasing in the area. Our correspondent Munawar Zaman has visited the area and filed this report about their situation.