WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, December 6, 2018 to 0800 GMT, December 7, 2018.

US anti-Hamas resolution rejected by UN 

The United Nations General Assembly has rejected a US-drafted resolution against the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. The proposed measure won 87 votes, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for adoption. Fifty-eight countries opposed the measure and 32 abstained. It was aimed at condemning Hamas for firing rockets into Israel. Hamas labeled the result a slap to US President Donald Trump's administration. Iran's deputy ambassador to the UN condemned the draft resolution, saying it is based on deception.

Yemen peace talks

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on Yemen’s warring parties to be flexible and negotiate without preconditions in order to end the country’s conflict. The two sides are currently participating in UN-brokered talks in Sweden. Yemen's former government has called on the Ansaraullah forces to withdraw from the strategic port city of Hudaydah - a demand that has been rejected by the fighters. The UN has offered to play a supervising role in the city. But the Saudi-led coalition, which launched the war on Yemen in 2015 and is backing the former government, wants the Yemeni fighters to withdraw first. The Ansaraullah movement says it will assess whether the talks in Sweden are serious or not on Friday. For now, the two sides have agreed to exchange thousands of prisoners.

France protests

France’s Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has pledged what he calls exceptional security measures for anti-government protests planned for Saturday across the country. Philippe said 89,000 police would be deployed nationwide on Saturday, including 8,000 in Paris. He made the remarks after nationwide yellow-vest protests against rising oil prices and living costs turned violent. Eiffel Tower will close on Saturday over fears of fresh clashes between protesters and police. Shops, schools and some other public venues will also remain shut in several cities. Earlier, mass arrests were made near Paris during a student protest against government reforms.

Russia-Venezuela ties

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has announced a $6 billion investment by Russia to help prop up his country’s ailing economy. Maduro said several agreements to the same effect had been signed between Moscow and Caracas. They include one over the supply of 600 tonnes of Russian wheat to guarantee the needs of the Venezuelans beyond 2019. Moscow has also agreed to maintain and repair the South American nation's weapons systems. Maduro made the announcement at the end of his three-day trip to Moscow. Venezuela’s economy has been in free fall partly because of low oil prices as well as US sanctions.

Saudi US lobby

The Saudi government reportedly reserved hundreds of rooms at US President Donald Trump’s Washington D.C. hotel shortly after his victory in the 2016 presidential election. A report by the Washington Post revealed that a lobbying firm by Saudi Arabia booked nearly 500 nights at the luxury hotel in just three months to house US military veterans. According to the report, the lobbyists spent more than $270,000 to house six groups of visiting veterans at the hotel. The report said the firm, Qorvis/MSLGroup, had invited the veterans to Washington D.C. to go to the Congress and lobby against a law the Saudis opposed. The law alleged that the Saudi government bore some blame for the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Of the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks, 15 were Saudi citizens.

Colombia clashes

In the Colombian capital Bogota, protesters have clashed with riot police during a demonstration over a crisis in the economy. The riot police used tear gas to disperse the protesters. University students, teachers, indigenous people and trade unionists participated in the protest. It was held against the crisis in the public education, budget cuts and a tax reform project announced by the government of Ivan Duque. The unrest has been going on for two months now.

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