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 3, 2017.

Saudi war on Yemen

Yemen’s Ministry of the Interior has announced the surrender of hundreds of militias loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The ministry also confirmed that the remaining militias have been besieged in specific places. Yemeni authorities had earlier confirmed the restoration of security and stability to Sana’a after some militias carried out acts of sabotage. Meanwhile, Saudi warplanes pounded several locations in the Yemeni capital in at least five overnight raids. Last week, troops loyal to the former Yemeni president sparked clashes with Ansarullah forces who are in the forefront of a retaliatory war against the Saudis. Saleh has expressed readiness for talks with the Saudis to open a new page in relations with Riyadh.

Tehran conference

Iran’s Foreign Minister has criticized western governments, led by the US, for systematically promoting Islamophobia to justify their hostile policies in other parts of the world. Zarif said the western policy to demonize Islam has been in full swing after the fall of the Soviet Union. The top diplomat said the focus has been on Iran with western governments actively pursuing Iranophobia and Shiaphobia. Zarif added that Daesh and similar terrorist groups are also formed in an attempt to portray a false and violent image of Islam that serves western policies. The top Iranian diplomat made the remark in a conference held to discuss the letters sent by Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to the youths in the West. At the conference, the Leader’s advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati also said that the letters were sent in an attempt to offer a true image of Islam and foil the plots aiming to divide the Muslim world.

Yemen missile targets Abu Dhabi

Yemeni media say the Ansarullah movement has launched a missile attack against the UAE in retaliation for its involvement in the Saudi war on Yemen. According to Yemeni sources, the cruise missile has successfully hit Baraka nuclear reactors in Abu Dhabi. The attack comes after Saudi warplanes conducted a series of overnight airstrikes on several locations in the Yemeni capital. Ansarullah fighters had previously fired two long-range missiles at the Saudi capital in November. Such attacks are launched in response to deadly airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against the impoverished nation. The brutal military campaign has claimed the lives of over 13,000 Yemenis since March 2015.

North Korea reacts to US, South Korea war games

North Korea has slammed planned largest-ever joint air drills by the US and South Korea, blasting the two countries as warmongers. North Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the joint air exercise could trigger a nuclear war. The statement came a day after Pyongyang accused the Trump administration of “begging for nuclear war” by staging what it called reckless air drills. The five-day maneuvers will begin on Monday, involving some 230 aircraft. Tensions have increased in the region since North Korea successfully tested a new inter-continental ballistic missile which it says can target the entire US continent. US President Donald Trump has called for a maximum pressure campaign against North Korea. Trump has also declared the country a state sponsor of terrorism.

Iraq rejects France’s call for dismantling popular forces

Iraq has categorically rejected France’s call for dismantling its Popular Mobilization Force, saying the demand violates the Iraqi sovereignty. Iraqi Vice President Nuri al-Maliki said the demand by French President Emmanuel Macron is surprising and deemed to be an unacceptable interference in Iraq’s internal affairs. Maliki said the volunteer force is an official and legal organization and cannot be dissolved. He also noted that Macron’s demand is in breach of the French constitution that has banned interference in the affairs of other countries. The military unit played a key role in dislodging the Daesh terror group from Iraq.

Missing Izadis

Around half of Izadi women kidnapped by Daesh terrorists since 2014, are still missing. Officials of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region say over 3,000 Izadiwomen and girls are still held up by the terror group or considered missing. The officials add that over 3,000 women have been rescued or manage to flee their captors. In 2014, Daesh terrorists killed thousands of Izadis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar and kidnapped thousands of women and girls from the religious minority group and abused them as sex slaves. Iraqi Kurdish officials say nearly 50 mass graves containing the remains of Izadis have been found since 2014. Thousands of Izadis have left Iraq and thousands more have since been displaced.

May under Brexit pressure

British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing growing pressure from within her own conservative party to reveal the true cost of leaving the European Union. Senior conservatives are demanding that May come clean about how much Britons will have to pay to get the green light for a departure. Labour, Britain's main opposition party, has threatened to get conservatives onboard for a plan that gives parliament a vote on the matter. Britain and the EU have agreed on a divorce bill that is likely to be between 54 billion to 67 billion dollars. May is set to travel to Brussels on Monday to hammer out an agreement on the terms of the withdrawal. Top on the agenda is the details of the financial settlement, EU citizens’ rights and the issue of the Irish border.

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