WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEALDINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, November 27, 2017.

Hamas stance

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has refused to be disarmed as part of a recent reconciliation agreement with Fatah. Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya says the group will never give up arms, adding that it’s a red line that should never and will never be crossed. He expressed hope that the Fatah movement changes its tone on this regard. Hayya says Hamas is determined to go ahead with the reconciliation deal, but Fatah is creating obstacles. Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement in October to end their decade-long conflict.

Pope Myanmar visit

Pope Francis has arrived in Myanmar amid the unfolding Rohingya humanitarian crisis that has sparked widespread international outcry. The Pope is set to discuss the issue in separate meetings with Myanmar’s army chief and the country’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The pontiff also plans to visit Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Local church officials are concerned that the use of the term ‘Rohingya’ by the Pope may stir a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar against the country's minority Christians. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled murder, rape, and torture at the hands of the Myanmar military and radical Buddhists since last August. The UN and human rights organizations have described the atrocities as ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Honduras elections

In a surprising turn of events, Honduran opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla has taken the lead in the country’s presidential election. The latest results show that the leader of a left-right coalition has won over 45 percent of the vote while President Juan Orlando Hernandez is holding nearly 41 percent of the vote. Election authorities say 57 percent of the ballot boxes have been counted so far. Both Nasralla and Hernandez had earlier claimed victory in the election. Opinion polls have also forecasted a win for the incumbent president. Hernandez, who is the first president in Honduran history eligible to run for a second term, gained massive popularity for his crackdown on violence.

Bahrain crackdown

Bahrain’s jailed opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman has refused to appear in court to face charges of plotting to overthrow the regime. The hearing has now been postponed to Wednesday. Salman and two other members of the banned al-Wefaq opposition group are accused of communicating with Qatar to commit hostile acts against Manama. Salman has been languishing behind bars since 2014, serving a nine-year sentence over charges of inciting hatred against the regime, particularly during the massive anti-Manama protests in 2011. The Bahraini regime has cracked down on dissent since then, defying international calls to release political prisoners.

Germany coalition government

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, says she is open to talks on a new coalition government with Social Democrats. Merkel made the comment after meeting leaders of her Christian Democratic Union party on Monday. She added that the party is ready to take responsibility of the government again even after her talks with two smaller parties for a coalition collapsed last week. Social Democrats are Merkel’s current coalition partners. Their leader Martin Schulz initially rejected a new coalition, but he now says the party is open to talks. Schulz is to meet with Merkel and Germany’s president over the issue later this week. If the coalition negotiations fail again, Merkel will be forced to form a minority government or hold new elections.

Israel’s covert ties

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has admitted that Tel Aviv has clandestine relations with a number of Arab countries. Danny Danon says Israel has ties with a dozen Arab and Muslim countries despite their refusal to publically recognize the regime. Danon has also said the Arab countries with which Tel Aviv has established ties understand the necessity of relations and cooperation with Israel. The revelations come as reports say Saudi Arabia has formed an alliance with Israel. This, Riyadh and Tel Aviv say, is aimed at rolling back Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East. Last week, a Lebanese newspaper published a leaked letter from the Saudi Foreign Minister to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that puts forth a plan to normalize ties with Israel. Riyadh later rejected the report.

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