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 18, 2017.

Iran UN complaint

Iran says it will file a complaint to the United Nations against the US for accusing Tehran of supplying Yemen with a missile that targeted Saudi Arabia. Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said Tehran will demand the world body hand the missile parts over for examination. Amir Hatami noted that such claims cannot be answered without close examination of the so-called evidence. On Thursday, the US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, presented the allegedly recovered pieces of a missile that she claimed was supplied to Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement by Iran. She said the pieces belonged to the missile that targeted the Saudi capital last month. Iran dismissed the allegation as fake and fabricated.

Kabul attack

Fierce fighting is underway in the Afghan capital after armed militants stormed an intelligence agency training facility. A spokesman for the interior ministry said armed attackers entered an under-construction building in the training center of the National Directorate of Security in Kabul, triggering intense clashes with the police. Nasrat Rahim added that the sound of arms fire could be heard from the scene. Roads to the area in the western part of the city are closed as scores of police officers block access to the public. Daesh terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan security

Pakistan beefs up security across the country in the wake of a church attack in the southwestern city of Quetta. Pakistani officials say the security forces are on full alert all over the country and operations are underway to identify those who had orchestrated the attack. On Sunday, two assailants detonated bombs and shot worshippers in a church, killing at least nine people and wounding sixty others. Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman has condemned the terrorist attack, blaming it on Daesh. Bahram Qassemi said the remaining members of the defeated terrorist group are scattered in the region, killing innocent people to bring terror to followers of all religions.                                  

Myanmar atrocities

A leading international rights group says thousands more Rohingya refugees are forced to flee Myanmar as their villages continue to be destroyed. Human Rights Watch says analysis of satellite imagery confirms the destruction of 40 villages in northern Rakhine state in October and November. The evidence reveals that dozens of buildings were burned within days of signing a refugee repatriation agreement with Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights chief has warned about possible acts of genocide against the ethnic minority. Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said a judicial proceeding will in all likelihood confirm Myanmar's “well-thought-out and planned crackdown”. Over 600,000 Muslims have fled Myanmar ever since the military renewed its bloody crackdown in August, with numerous documented incidents of massacre, rape and arson.

US al-Quds decision

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has slammed the US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, adding that Washington and Tel Aviv want to create chaos in the region. Larijani was speaking at an extraordinary meeting of the Parliamentary Union of Islamic countries in Tehran. He described the Israeli regime as a wicked bureaucracy. He said the fate of all Muslim and Arab countries is tied to the fate of Palestine and all of them should fulfill their responsibility regarding Palestine. The top Iranian lawmaker warned that the Islamic countries will regret if they fail to stand by the Palestinian people who are in the midst of another intifada.

Syria’s sovereignty

The Syrian president says he welcomes any role played by the UN in the country’s elections. Bashar al-Assad made the remark following a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin at Syria's Hmeimim base. He says Damascus will also allow the UN to review and observe any changes to Syria’s constitution. Assad noted that the world body’s role must not be in violation of Syria’s sovereignty. Assad also described US-backed militants operating in Eastern Syria as traitors.

Austria far-right rise

Austria’s new coalition government is sworn in, making the country the only Western European state to have a far-right party in power. The anti-immigrant Freedom Party has taken on vice-chancellery after clinching a deal with the conservative People’s Party. The far-right party is now in charge of the interior, defense and foreign ministries as well. Austria’s president approved the new coalition, two months after inconclusive elections. The two parties have pledged to stop illegal immigration, cut taxes and resist EU centralization. Anti-fascist, feminist and left-wing protesters have gathered in Vienna to voice their opposition to the new government. Police have barricaded the area around the presidential palace amid security concerns.

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