WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, December 28, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, December 29, 2017.

North Korea denied access to international ports

The United Nations Security Council has denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang. Diplomats said on condition of anonymity that the ban of the four vessels was requested by the US along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries. The list submitted by the US in December also included ships flying flags of Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama. However, Beijing only agreed to target the four North Korean ships. The Security Council unanimously imposed the sanctions on Pyongyang on December 24. They severely restrict exports of crude oil and its refined products to North Korea.

Peru protests

In Peru, anti-government protests continue over the president’s pardon of the country’s former leader Alberto Fujimori. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the capital Lima to voice their anger at Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s controversial decision. The demonstrators say they demand the ouster of Kuczynski and all corrupt politicians. Kuczynski cited medical grounds when he issued the pardon for the 79-year-old Fujimori, erasing his convictions for graft and human rights abuses. The pardon came three days after Fujimori's loyalists in Congress saved the president from a motion to oust him. The move sparked speculation among critics that Kuczynski’s measure was a payback.

Coalition confirms civilian casualties in Syria airstrikes

The US-led coalition has confirmed that its air strikes in Syria and Iraq have killed 16 other civilians. The coalition said in a statement that the civilian deaths were unintentional. The deaths bring to 817 the number of civilians confirmed by the coalition to be killed in its strikes over the past three years. Monitoring groups, however, say the number is much higher. The US-led coalition claims it has been conducting air raids against Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq since 2014. But facts on the ground show civilians are the main victims of such aerial bombardments.

US accusation against China

US President Donald Trump has criticized Beijing following reports that Chinese ships transferred oil to North Korean vessels. Trump said in a tweet that China has been caught red-handed and that he is very disappointed at Beijing. The US president warned that such moves would prevent a friendly solution to the issue of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs. Earlier, Trump said in an interview that he has been soft on China on trade issues because he wants to see the North Korea nuclear crisis resolved. On Tuesday, China rejected reports that its oil ships have gone against UN sanctions. This came after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.

Syria evacuations

In Syria, 16 critically-ill patients have been evacuated from a militant-held suburb of the capital Damascus and taken to hospital for urgent medical care. The International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria says the patients, along with their families, were evacuated from Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the Red Cross, most of the 16 medical evacuees were children. The evacuation took place in coordination with Syria’s Red Crescent. The United Nations has asked the Syrian government to agree to the evacuation of around 500 patients, who it says will die without urgent medical care.

New York deadly fire

At least a dozen people are dead as a fire tears through an apartment building in New York in what’s now known as the US city’s deadliest blaze in more than a quarter-century. Authorities say the fire started on the first floor of the five-story building, and then quickly spread upstairs and swept through several floors. Around 180 firefighters fought the fire and rescued at least 12 people from the burning building. The city's fire commissioner has described the blaze as historic in magnitude given the number of lives it's already taken. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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