WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, November 26, 2017.

Saudi-Israeli ties

A former security advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Saudi Arabia is seeking to make a deal with Israel against Iran. Yaakov Nagel, who resigned earlier this year, said Riyadh is only eager to team up with Israel against Iran and does not care about Palestine. Nagel said that is why Saudis are willing to endorse any agreement between Israel and Palestine regardless of how unfavorable it would be to Palestinians. Israeli officials had earlier admitted to having covert ties with Saudi Arabia with their shared interest mainly being to confront Iran. Tehran’s relations with Riyadh have soured in recent years over major issues such as the Kingdom’s war on Yemen and its position on the Syrian conflict.

US Yemen drone strike

A US drone strike has left seven people dead in southern Yemen. According to Yemeni officials, those killed in the attack were driving their vehicles in the southern parts of the country. They said the incident happened on a road linking the province of Shabwa to the central province of Bayda. The casualties are said to be suspected al-Qaeda members. The US frequently carries out deadly drone strikes in Yemen and other Muslim countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. The airstrikes often cause civilian deaths and have triggered condemnation from regional governments, locals and rights groups.

Pakistan tensions

Tensions are running high in the Pakistani capital Islamabad a day after a demonstration over a controversial parliamentary bill turned violent. Supporters of an Islamic party have faced off with security forces at a main intersection outside Islamabad, where six people were killed and 200 others injured on Saturday. The government has already called in the army to quell new protests. People in other cities have clogged up roads in solidarity with protesters in Islamabad. Demonstrators have camped out for the last three weeks, demanding the arrest of the law minister. They are accusing the minister of blasphemy for omitting a reference to Prophet Muhammad in the parliamentary bill.

Israel UN pressure

Israel is moving heaven and earth to prevent the UN from releasing a long list of companies operating in West Bank settlements. Israeli officials fear that the publication of the so-called blacklist could have devastating consequences by driving companies away. Dozens of Israeli firms and international conglomerates are expected to appear on the list of the UN Human Rights Council. Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon says Tel Aviv will do everything to block the release of the list. The database, assembled to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on Palestinians, is expected to come out early next year. The US, Israel’s staunch ally, has called the UN measure counterproductive. Palestinian officials, however, say the move is a step forward from verbal condemnation to practical action against the settlements.

Australia pro-refugee rally

Activists in the Australian city of Melbourne have come out to protest the government’s mistreatment of asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea. The protesters carried placards and chanted slogans in support of refugees held in transit centers on PNG’s Manus Island. The activists urged the government to take the asylum seekers to Australia immediately. The protest took place despite heavy police presence. Officers in full gear and on horseback clashed with the demonstrators as they tried to break through their lines.

Iran-Qatar ties

Iran’s foreign minister has held talks with the Qatari minister of economy in the capital Tehran. Mohammad Javad Zarif and Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani discussed mutual economic relations between the two neighboring countries. They emphasized on removing trade barriers and facilitating conditions of bilateral business transactions. Ways of expanding commercial ties were also among the key points discussed by the two ministers. Tehran and Doha have boosted economic cooperation after a Saudi-led alliance imposed an all-out blockade on the Persian Gulf country in early June. Iran plays a vital role in facilitating the transit of goods by Doha.

Bali volcano eruption

Volcanic eruptions have caused panic on Indonesia’s Bali Island, forcing a massive evacuation of locals. Some 140,000 people fled their homes around Mount Agung volcano as it rumbled to life and spewed smoke and ash thousands of meters into the air. The volcanic eruptions have also disrupted flights, leaving many passengers stranded. Indonesian officials say ash up to half a centimeter thick settled on villages around the volcano. Soldiers and police have distributed masks among local people. They have also warned anyone still in the zone around the volcano to leave immediately.

Yemen kids malady

The UN children’s emergency fund UNICEF has once again sounded the alarm over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the agony of the children there. UNICEF says more than eleven million children in Yemen are in acute need of aid. It is estimated that every 10 minutes a child in Yemen dies of a preventable disease. Yemen’s Red Cross has echoed UNICEF’s warning, saying eighty percent of Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid. It called on Saudi Arabia to open all Yemeni ports so aid deliveries could arrive as soon as possible. Saudi Arabia has tightened its blockade, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in the country. The kingdom’s deadly war on its southern neighbor has already killed over 13,000 Yemenis.

Ireland to remain tough on Brexit

Ireland threatens to veto Brexit trade talks unless Britain provides it with guarantee over its border with Northern Ireland. The Irish EU commissioner says either Britain or Northern Ireland SHOULD remain in the single market or else a hard border dividing the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland would be inevitable. Phil Hogan says a hard border makes passport and customs controls mandatory hampering business ties between the two Irelands. The European Union has required “sufficient progress” on the border issue as a pre-condition to launch the Brexit trade talks next year. Britain faces several stumbling blocks as it tries to nail down a trade deal with the EU before officially leaving the bloc in 2019.

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