WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, December 2, 2017.

Syria intercepts Israeli missiles

Syrian media say Israel has launched an overnight missile attack on a military position near the capital Damascus. According to SANA news agency, the Syrian air defense intercepted and destroyed at least two of the surface-to-surface missiles. The attack reportedly led to material losses at the military site. The Israeli attack is the latest in a series of military assaults Tel Aviv began shortly after Syria was gripped by violence back in 2011. Damascus says the Israeli attacks are open violations of its sovereignty. Last month, an Israeli attack against a copper factory in the Syrian province of Homs, prompted Damascus to urge condemnations at the UN.

Houthi leader urges dialog

The head of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has called on all Yemeni groups to work on maintaining peace and stability in the country. Abdul Malik al-Houthi said that any differences in the country can be resolved through negotiations. He also called on former President Ali Abdullah Salih to be wise and consider the national interest. Houthi urged Yemeni parties to focus on the Saudi aggression against the country noting that rifts among Yemeni factions only serve the interests of the Saudi-led coalition. Supporters of Houthi and Salih have been engaging in an armed conflict over the past few days in the capital Sana’a amid a strain in relations between the two sides.

US Russia probe

US media reports say President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had instructed former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, to contact Russia, weeks before the 2016 US presidential election. The report comes as Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, saying Trump's transition team directed his contacts with the Russians. Flynn was charged with willfully making false statements to FBI prosecutors about his private discussions with former Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak. He is the most senior former official indicted in a probe into possible collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. The White House says Flynn’s plea clears the way for a prompt conclusion of the investigation.

Iran religious unity

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the unity among different religious groups in the country has served as a bulwark against terrorists. Addressing a huge crowd of people during his trip to the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Rouhani said Islam negates violence and that Iran has never provided an opportunity for violence and terrorism. He noted that regional countries with the help of their armies and friendly nations managed to overcome terrorists and destroyed the strongholds of Daesh in the Middle East. The Iranian president added that regional countries also foiled the US-Israeli plot to spread terrorism to the Central Asia and the whole Muslim world, including Iran. He said the US and Israel wanted to hamper the Muslim world’s development, distort the image of Islam, and gain a foothold in the region as aggressors. Rouhani said, however, that the regional nations have been successful in thwarting their conspiracy.

Germany protests

Left-wing protesters scuffle with police in the German city of Hannover as they hit the streets, once again, to denounce the far-right Alternative for Germany party. The rally was held outside Hannover Congress Centre, where AfD members have convened to elect new leadership. Riot police were dispatched to the site to disperse the crowd and contain possible violence. A similar rally was held in the city on Friday evening with protesters voicing their anger at the far-right policies of AfD. The anti-migrant, anti-Islam party won nearly 13 percent of the vote in a September general election. Saturday's gathering is the party's first conference after the vote. The AfD will turn into Germany’s largest opposition power if Chancellor Angela Merkel succeeds in forming a coalition government and averts a snap election.

Ansarullah warns against rift

Yemen's Ansarullah movement has accused former President Ali Abdullah Salih of staging a coup, after he said he was open to talks with Saudi Arabia. The movement said in a statement that Salih's speech is a coup against their alliance and partnership and that it exposed his deception. Head of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi also called on Salih to be wise and consider national interests. Houthi noted that rifts among Yemeni factions only serve the interests of Saudi Arabia. Earlier, Salih called on neighboring countries to stop their aggression and lift the blockade on the impoverished country. He added that he intends to turn a new page in relations with them. Saudi Arabia launched its military campaign on Yemen in 2015. Over 13,000 people, mostly civilians have been killed in airstrikes since then. The kingdom has also sealed Yemen’s borders despite the dire humanitarian situation in the country.

Iraq mass graves

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, have found two mass graves in the northwest of the country. Bodies of 140 civilians mostly from the Izadi community were uncovered from the graves near the city of Sinjar. Many of the bodies belonged to women and children. Daesh terrorists took over Sinjar in Nineveh province in 2014. The terrorists killed many Izadi Kurds in the city and took many of them as sex slaves. The city mayor has said nearly forty mass graves have been discovered since 2015 when the city was recaptured by Kurdish fighters.

Honduras tensions

Honduras has declared a state of emergency after violence breaks out over a delayed and disputed presidential vote count. This comes after the vote-related unrest left at least one protester dead and over 20 others injured. Honduras was due to publish the final result of last Sunday's presidential vote at 9 p.m. local time on Friday, but the opposition complaints about the vote count delayed the announcement. The opposition also claims that the election was rigged. The results initially favored opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla by five points, with more than half the votes counted. The vote tally then swung in favor of US-backed center-right President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The opposition has called for a recount in three of the country’s 18 regions.

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