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 22, 2017.

‘No role for US’

The Palestinian president says the US can no longer play a mediating role to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mahmoud Abbas made the comment during a joint press conference with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris. Abbas stressed that the US isolated itself by recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital. The Palestinian president also described the UN General Assembly’s rejection of the move as a victory for Palestinians. He also condemned as illegal and unlawful the Israeli settlement activities in the occupied territories. For his part, Macron stressed the need for talks to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Anti-US anger

Pro-Palestine rallies continue more than two weeks after US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital. People in Malaysia gathered on Friday to once again denounce the decision. Prime Minister Najib Razak also attended the rally and addressed the protesters. He said Malaysia will do all it can to save Jerusalem al-Quds and that he will not be cowed by the US. Earlier, Jordanians took to the streets in solidarity with Palestinians. They also hailed Thursday’s vote at the UN that rejected the US decision on Jerusalem al-Quds.

‘Strategic’ North Korea

North Korea says it has become a strategic nation capable of posing “substantial nuclear threat to the United States”. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country’s developing nuclear force is exerting big influence on the international community and nobody can now deny the entity of DPRK. Kim said Pyongyang is not afraid of Washington and that the East Asian nation is optimistic about the progress of its revolution under the current situation. His remarks come after US President Donald Trump unveiled his national security strategy vowing to “take care of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs”. His new strategy also drew strong condemnation from the North Korean Foreign Ministry that called the US approach a criminal document.

Protests in Palestine

Two protesters have been shot dead by Israeli forces amid continued protests in the Palestinian territories against the US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital. One of the victims was killed in Jabalia in the besieged Gaza Strip. Two other Palestinians were injured by the Israeli troops. Clashes also broke out between Palestinians and Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank. Soldiers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators. This is the third Friday which turns into a day of rage against US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Quds. Nearly a dozen Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,300 have been wounded by Israeli troops during the protests.

Rohingya malnutrition

The United Nations Children's Agency warns that a quarter of Rohingya children under the age of five, who've fled to Bangladesh, could die as a result of acute malnutrition. The UN says that's based on three separate surveys conducted recently inside overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. The studies add that these children suffer from other life-threatening maladies as well. Anemia, bowel diseases and acute respiratory infections are also rampant among more than half of those surveyed. Over 655,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh after the army intensified its crackdown in their home country of Myanmar. The United Nations has described Myanmar’s military campaign against the Rohingya community as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

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