WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, December 10, 2018.

France unrest toll

The Bank of France has cut its fourth quarter growth forecast in half due to the negative impacts of recent anti-government protests in the country. The French central bank said its services activity has slowed under the impact of the so-called yellow vest protests. It added that the country’s transport and auto repair sectors have also gone backwards over the past days. On Sunday, the French finance minister described the recent demonstrations as a catastrophe for the economy. The protest movement started with rallies against fuel tax rise, but eventually turned into a general opposition to the economic policies of President Emmanuel Macron. The protests continue despite the government’s decision to abandon the fuel tax hike.

Brexit ruling

Europe's top court rules that Britain can halt Brexit without the approval of fellow EU member states. The ruling by the European Court of Justice was a victory for pro-Europeans both inside the bloc and in the UK. The ruling came a day ahead of a key vote by British lawmakers on Prime Minister Theresa May’s exit deal with the European Union. British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt was quick to react to the ruling, describing it as irrelevant. He said Britain intends to leave the European Union on March 29 and does not want any delay. Hunt also warned British lawmakers about “real risks” if they vote down May’s Brexit deal.

Huawei executive detention

Beijing denounces as inhumane the incarceration of Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, in Canada. The foreign ministry statement follows Meng’s bail request citing health problems. The chief financial officer of Huawei, who was arrested in Vancouver, is accused of conspiracy and fraud for breaching anti-Iran US sanctions. During her court appearance, Meng denied the accusations, saying Huawei’s Iran operations were in strict compliance with laws, regulations and sanctions of the United Nations, the United States and the European Union. She insisted that the company regularly communicated with US government agencies to obtain professional guidance on trade compliance. The embattled 46 year-old CFO vowed to remain in Canada to contest US allegations and extradition demand.

Brexit dilemma

The UK government reportedly plans to postpone parliament’s vote on the prime minister's Brexit deal with the EU. The vote was to be held on Tuesday. British Prime Minister Theresa May will address the House of Commons at 1530 GMT Monday. She had been expected to lose the vote amid strong opposition from all sides. UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn reacted to reports that the vote could be delayed. He said the deal is so disastrous that May’s government has decided to postpone the vote. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the vote delay as an act of pathetic cowardice. She said the deal should come before the UK parliament immediately so that it can be voted down. The leader of the Northern Irish party, Nigel Dodds, also said pulling the Brexit vote shows the government is in shambles.

Trump troubles

US President Donald Trump says hush payments to women he allegedly had affairs with before the 2016 presidential election were legal. Trump said the payments were personal transactions and denied they were a violation of US campaign financing laws. Earlier, federal prosecutors in New York demanded a "substantial" jail sentence for the US president's former lawyer Michael Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty in August to bank fraud and campaign finance violations. Democrats say Trump himself could face impeachment and imprisonment if the transactions are proven to be campaign finance violations.

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