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 20, 2017.

Palestinian outrage

Tension is simmering in the besieged Gaza Strip following US President Donald Trump’s Jerusalem al-Quds policy. Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered in Gaza City and chanted slogans against Washington’s support for Israel. They also expressed their resentment against Trump’s decision to recognize al-Quds as the Israeli capital. Similar demonstrations were held across the occupied territories. Israeli troops clashed with protesters in al-Khalil. They used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the Palestinians. At least 17 people were arrested during the rallies. Since Trump’s controversial December 6 announcement, ten Palestinians have been killed and over 3400 sustained injuries.

US blackmailing

The US ambassador to the United Nations has given a stern warning to the member states ahead of a UN General Assembly vote on Washington’s Jerusalem al-Quds decision. In a twitter post, Niki Haley said she will report back to the US president on those countries who vote against the US move. Haley noted that President Donald Trump will be closely watching the vote. The UN General Assembly is set to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to vote on a draft resolution that calls on all countries not to establish diplomatic missions in al-Quds. The non-binding vote comes after the United States vetoed the resolution at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday. The remaining 14 members of the council voted in favor of the Egyptian-drafted proposal.

Yemen on brink of famine

An international Charity has warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen as the country marks the one-thousandth day since the beginning of the Saudi aggression. Oxfam says more than eight-million people are on the brink of famine as the Saudi-led coalition continues its crippling blockade on Yemen. The UK based organization says 90 percent of Yemen’s food has to be imported, but only about one-third of the needed food is coming in. Oxfam warned that at least one million children are at risk of contracting cholera as the country’s clean water supplies have been cut due to fuel shortages. The group also said Saudi Arabia is using mass starvation as weapons of war. More 13,000 Yemeni people have been killed in the Saudi aggression on its southern neighbor since March 2015.

Saudi war on Yemen

Saudi Arabia has launched fresh airstrikes on different areas of Yemen, killing and wounding dozens of civilians. At least 11 people were killed, and some eight others wounded in the north-western city of Sa’ada. At least fifteen people, including five children, were also killed during overnight airstrikes in southern Shabwah province. Saudi warplanes also bombed and damaged the new parliament house and a government compound which are being built in the capital Sana’a. More than 13,600 Yemenis, have been killed and over two-million displaced since Saudi Arabia launched its military campaign in 2015.

Blocking UN probe

Myanmar bars UN special rapporteur, Yanghee Lee, from visiting the country for the rest of her tenure. The UN investigator says she was due to visit Myanmar in January to assess human rights across Myanmar. Her mission would have included assessing widespread reports of abuses against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State. Lee says the declaration of non-cooperation with her mandate is a strong indication of crimes happening in Rakhine, as well as the rest of the country. Myanmar’s de facto government has repeatedly denied that human rights are being violated, but reports speak of another truth.

Slamming ‘US threats’

Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki has slammed the US for “threatening” UN members before a General Assembly vote on the US al-Quds move. The top Palestinian diplomat said Washington puts its stamp on a new political reality that many countries reject. Maliki made the remarks during a joint presser with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul. Cavusoglu, for his part, expressed hope that UN members will vote in favor of the resolution. The reactions came after the US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, warned that she would report back to Washington with names of those who would support the resolution. The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency session on Thursday to vote on the measure proposed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to urge the US to reverse its al-Quds policy.

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