WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, December 25, 2018 to 0800 GMT, December 26, 2018.

Aggression against Syria

Syria says it has intercepted missiles fired by Israeli warplanes from above the Lebanese territories. Syrian military confirmed that three soldiers were injured in the attack. Israeli missiles targeted the countryside west of Damascus. Lebanon has confirmed Israeli warplanes violated its airspace. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also verifies that the missiles have been fired from Israeli planes. Israeli ministry of military affairs has announced it has activated its missile system.

Migrant child deaths in US

An eight-year-old Guatemalan migrant boy dies hours after he and his father were detained by US border security agents. US Customs and Border Protection says the boy was taken to a hospital in New Mexico on Monday. He was later released after being diagnosed with a common cold and fever. The boy was returned to the same hospital after starting to vomit. He died in the early hours of Tuesday. The official cause of death has not yet been announced. Earlier this month, another Guatemalan child died in US custody. The death of the seven-year-old girl fueled criticism of President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Tunisia clashes

Tunisian police clash with protesters following the funeral of a journalist in the western city of Kasserine. Police fired tear gas to disperse rock-throwing protesters who set tires ablaze and blocked the main street. Reports said clashes occurred outside the governor's office. Protests rocked the city after the death of 32-year-old journalist Abdel Razaq Zorgi, who set himself on fire, in protest over harsh living conditions. His death prompted overnight clashes with police in the country's west, which left over a dozen people injured. Similar protests were also held in the capital, Tunis.

Russia-Ukraine tensions

Russia has expanded economic sanctions on Ukraine amid a bitter row in the past weeks over the seizure of three Ukrainian navy ships and their crews. According to a decree by the Russian prime minister, 245 individuals and seven companies, mostly in the energy and defense sectors, were put on blacklist. Dmitri Medvedev said the sanctions were to defend the interests of the Russian government, businesses and people. The decree allows for a freeze on any assets the targeted Ukrainians have in Russia. Hostility between the two countries flared in November after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships that had illegally entered the Russian waters. Kiev said Moscow blocked the vessels from legitimate passage. Tensions have been high around the Black Sea since Crimea rejoined Russia following a referendum in 2014.

Trump's FED threats

The US president has once again attacked the Federal Reserve's monetary policy, blaming the hike in the central bank's interest rates for the slump in the market. Speaking in a Christmas Q&A session, Donald Trump, however, expressed confidence in American companies and urged investors to stay calm over the nose-diving markets. Asian markets have plummeted over fears about the US economy and an ongoing government shutdown in Washington. Last week, Trump called the Fed a greater economic threat to the United States than China, and on Monday compared the central bank to a sloppy golfer. The US markets are on track for their worst December since the Great Depression in 1931.

Funeral for Iranian cleric

A mass funeral has been held in the Iranian capital Tehran for Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi. Tens of thousands of people from all walks of life, along with high-ranking officials have attended the ceremony. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has led prayers for the late cleric. After the ceremony in Tehran, Ayatollah Shahroudi’s body was transferred to the holy city of Qom to be laid to rest in the Hazart Masoumeh’s Shrine. Ayatollah Shahroudi died on Monday at the age of 70 following a months-long battle with an illness. During his political life, he served in various capacities, including as the judiciary chief. At the time of his passing, the senior cleric was the chairman of the Expediency Council and a long-serving member of the Guardian Council, Iran’s top electoral body.

Saudi war on Yemen

Saudi Arabia again carries out airstrikes on Yemen, raising the civilian death toll from the military campaign. Yemeni media say Saudi warplanes targeted a residential area in the north-western province of Hajjah. At least two people have been killed and three others injured in the attack. The air raid is said to have targeted civilians displaced by the Saudi-led coalition attacks in the area. Search operations are now underway to find possible casualties. Saudi Arabia started its aggression against Yemen in March 2015. Since then, thousands of people have been killed, most of them civilians.

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