WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, December 26, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, December 27, 2017.

Saudi war on Yemen

Fresh Saudi airstrikes have killed scores of Yemeni civilians as the air raids show no sign of abating nearly three years into the military conflict. In one of the attacks in the southwestern province of Ta'izz, at least 40 people were killed after Saudi jets targeted a busy market in al-Ta'iziyah district. The market is popular among residents of nearby villages. Elsewhere, fourteen others were killed in the western province of Hudaydah. All of the fourteen victims were members of the same family. Saudi Arabia waged a war on Yemen in 2015 to reinstate former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The military campaign has led to the death of over 13,000 people, most of them civilians.

Some Syrian opposition groups reject Sochi peace talks

Syria’s foreign-backed militant groups and opposition factions have turned down Russian-proposed peace talks. They said the talks are aimed to “circumvent” the United Nations-sponsored process, which has failed to produce any breakthrough since it began in 2014. A statement signed by 40 foreign-backed militant groups described Russia as an aggressor and accused it of committing war crimes against Syrians. Syria's government said it would attend the Congress scheduled for late January in Sochi. The congress was discussed during talks among Russia, Iran and Turkey in Astana. The Sochi negotiations are to discuss new elections and possibly amending the constitution. Ceasefire agreements brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey in de-escalation zones have reduced the violence across much of Syria.

Liberia election

In Liberia, vote counting is underway following a peaceful run-off election for a new president. The vote was held after a delay of over one month due to accusations of widespread rigging in the first round. The race is between former soccer player George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boakai. Liberian officials say the results will be announced over the next few days. In the first round, Weah won 38 percent of the votes, some 9 percent more than his rival Boakai. Liberia hasn’t had a democratic transition of power in over seven decades.

Syria medical evacuation

The first batch of patients have been evacuated from a militant-held suburb of Damascus and taken to the Syrian capital for urgent medical care. The International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria announced the evacuation of the “critical patients” from eastern Ghouta, without giving further details. The Syrian American Medical Society said four patients were taken to hospitals in Damascus. They are the first of 29 critical cases approved for medical evacuation, and the rest would be evacuated over the coming days. The United Nations has asked the Syrian government to agree to evacuation of around 500 patients who will die without urgent medical care.

Iran slams Saudi war on Yemen

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned Saudi Arabia’s relentless airstrikes on civilian targets in Yemen, including the deadly attack on Ta’izz. The ministry’s spokesman accused Saudi Arabia of engaging in bombardment of defenseless Yemeni women and children to avenge its failures in the battlefield. Bahram Qassemi regretted the international community’s silence on what he called ruthless attacks on defenseless Yemenis. He noted the use of US-made weapons in the Saudi strikes that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians.

Terrorists on the run

Thousands of Daesh terrorists are believed to be hiding in Turkey following the demise of the Takfiri group in Iraq and Syria. The terrorists with various nationalities are said to have fled to Turkey after the collapse of their main bastions, namely Mosul and Raqqah this year. The British media report that Turkish intelligence forces have captured scores of them, mostly from France, but many are still on the run. Among those at large are some 300 British citizens who joined the Daesh ranks over the past few years. The possible return of the foreign terrorists to their country of origin has heightened fears. Western intelligence agencies have warned that the returnees could launch terror attacks in Europe.

Morocco protest

Mass protests against harsh economic conditions have been held in northeast Morocco for the third consecutive day. Thousands of angry Moroccans took to the streets of Jerada city to demand justice and better living conditions. The demonstrators protested the economic policy of the government that they say pushes desperate people to give in to dicey works under life-risking conditions. The protests sparked in the wake of the death of two young brothers during the collapse of an abandoned coal mine last Friday. The demonstrators called for a fair investigation of the tragedy, as well as compensation for the families of the victims.

Fujimori’s apology

Peru's ailing former president Alberto Fujimori has apologized to his nation, two days after he received a presidential pardon that freed him from prison. Fujimori made the remarks from his hospital bed in the capital Lima. This is the first time the former authoritarian leader explicitly apologizes to the public. The 79-year-old says the presidential pardon gave him mixed feelings of great joy and sorrow. Meanwhile, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has defended his decision in a televised address, saying Fujimori should not be allowed to die in prison because “justice is not revenge”. Fujimori was serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human rights abuses during his time in office from 1990 to 2000. The presidential pardon has sparked violent street protests in Peru.

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