WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, December 10, 2017.

Rouhani slams US plot

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital, calling the move an act of aggression against the holy city. Addressing the Iranian Parliament, Rouhani said that the new US-Israeli plot is doomed to failure. He stressed that Iran will not remain silent in the face of this conspiracy and will spare no effort to defend the rights and cause of the Palestinian nation. The Iranian president noted that Jerusalem al-Quds belongs to Muslims and that the Muslim world will someday set free the city from the occupation of the Israeli regime.

Trump controversy  

The US president has been forced to change his plans to attend the official opening of an African-American civil rights museum under pressure by rights icons. Donald Trump only addressed a private gathering at the site and left before the public opening ceremony began. Two African-American congressmen boycotted the event saying that Trump’s visit is an insult to those the museum honors. Other black leaders also said that Trump has been pushing racial division and discrimination that go against the values civil rights leaders sought to protect. There was also a protest during the US president’s visit to the museum. The protesters slammed Trump’s hypocrisy on human rights. They carried signs reading “there is nothing civil or right about Donald Trump”.

Syria peace talks

The Syrian government has dispatched an official delegation to Geneva for the resumption of UN-mediated peace talks. Syria's ambassador to the UN and chief negotiator, Bashar al-Ja’afari has arrived in the Swiss city. The talks are aimed at finding a political solution to end the nearly seven-year-old crisis in the Arab country. The resumption of talks brokered by the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura comes after a week of hiatus. De Mistura convened an eighth round of talks on Nov. 28, focusing on constitutional reform as well as elections. New impetus has been given to finding a political solution in Syria, amid rapid government gains against militants across the country.

Venezuela vote

Venezuelans are heading to the polls in mayoral election. President’s Maduro’s party is expected to win the vote. According to the National Election Council, some 14,000 polling stations across the country have started collecting the votes since early morning. The electorate will pick 335 mayors throughout the entire state. Venezuela’s main opposition parties have boycotted the election arguing that it lacks any guarantee of fairness and transparency. The lack of a serious challenge to Maduro-aligned candidates is helping the president’s ruling socialist party to win the majority of the votes in main cities including the capital Caracas.

Palestinian clashes

Israeli forces have fired tear gas at Palestinians demonstrating against the US president’s decision regarding Jerusalem al-Quds. Clashes broke out in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Khan Yunis as well as the Gaza Strip as anger is mounting over the unlawful US decision. Palestinians in Nablus were attacked as they were chanting slogans against Washington’s illegal move. Protesters say al-Quds is an Arab city and must be the capital of a Palestinian state. Similar clashes broke out in Khan Yunis as furious protesters hurled stones at Israeli forces on the other side.

Japan, US, South Korea missile drills

Japan says it will hold joint missile tracking drills with the US and South Korea amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force said the two-day drills are scheduled to begin on Monday. They come after North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile last month that flew over Japan. Pyongyang says its missile tests are in response to the US provocations, including its joint military drills in the region. Last week, Pyongyang condemned major war games by the US and South Korea as a step toward war. On Sunday, UN undersecretary-general Jeffrey Feltman called for dialog between North Korea and the international community to avert a miscalculation that could lead to a catastrophic conflict.

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