WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, December 22, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, December 23, 2017.

Syria demands UN action

The Syrian envoy to the United Nations has condemned the presence of US and Turkish troops in Syria calling on them to leave the war-torn country. Bashar al-Ja'afari called for the unconditional and immediate withdrawal of US and Turkish troops. He made the remarks on the second day of Syria peace negotiations in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. Participants in the negotiations also agreed to hold a Peace Congress for Syria in the Russian city of Sochi next month. Jaafari expressed the Syrian government’s readiness to attend the Sochi talks.

Iraqi border backup

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units have deployed a brigade to the frontier to back up border guards after they came under attack from inside the Syrian territory. The PMUs’ command in the west of Anbar province said the forces are in position and have targeted the source of the missile launch against Iraqi border guards. An Iraqi military spokesman has confirmed the deployment. It is not clear who launched the attacks against the Iraqi border guards. But Iraqi officials had warned of guerilla operations by Daesh terrorists after the army took control of the last portion of territory controlled by the Takfiris earlier this month.

‘Imposed’ victory in Honduras

The Honduran leftist presidential candidate, Salvador Nasralla, has admitted that he was defeated in the country’s last month election. The opposition candidate accused the US of meddling in the vote, saying the victory of the incumbent president Juan Orlando Hernandez was imposed by Washington. His announcement comes after the US recognized the re-election of President Hernandez. Both Nasralla and Hernandez initially declared themselves winner in November presidential voting amid opposition allegations of fraud. Despite Nasralla conceding defeat in the race, protests took place in the Honduran capital denouncing Hernandez's disputed electoral win.

Australia ‘abandoning’ asylum seekers

The United Nations refugee agency says Australia must find humane and appropriate solutions for the asylum seekers it has left on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island as part of a messy offshore processing system. The UNHCR spokeswoman said some eight hundred refugees are in perilous conditions and open to attacks after authorities forced them to evacuate an Australian facility on Manus Island. The spokeswoman said the asylum seekers have faced at least five attacks after leaving the site. Australia has drawn widespread criticism for keeping refugees, including children, in open-ended detention on offshore islands. Human rights groups say the detainees are exposed to extensive physical and sexual abuse and mental harm.

Wild weather in Philippines

The death toll from a devastating tropical storm that hit the Philippines on Friday has jumped to 30 people. Tropical storm Tembin triggered flash floods and mudslides near the southern town of Tubod killing at least 19 people while four others died in nearby towns and cities. According to civil defense officials seven people were also killed in Lanao del Sur province. The severe storm also forced more than 12,000 people to flee their homes in the south of the country. The Philippines is struck by some 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly.

US arming Ukraine

US President Donald Trump’s administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles. In a statement, State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US move is to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and deter further aggression. She claimed the military assistance is defensive in nature. White House officials allege that the plan aims to fortify Ukraine’s military as it fights pro-Russia forces. However, the move is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and Russia. The Ukraine-Russia conflict erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between pro-Russia militia and the Ukrainian forces in the volatile east.

Italy slams US threat

Italian lawmakers have condemned the threats by the US envoy to the UN against countries voting for a General Assembly resolution which has rejected Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital. They say the Trump administration’s bullying tactics won’t take the US and Israel anywhere. Our correspondent Max Civili reports from the Italian capital.

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