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This file photo shows Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu.

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, December 12, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, December 13, 2017.

 

Turkey slams ‘weak’ Arab response to US al-Quds bid

Turkey has sharply criticized the Arab world for its failure to strongly react to the US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu said some Arab countries seem to be very scared of the United States. He made the remark ahead of Wednesday's meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul. The meeting was called by Turkey to discuss Washington’s controversial decision. He stressed that the OIC member states must stand up to Washington's mentality of “I am a super power, I can do anything”. He also called on countries that have so far not recognized Palestine to do so now, saying the US should turn back from its mistake. Ankara says Trump’s al-Quds decision will plunge the world into “a fire with no end”.

Mogherini rejects renegotiation of JCPOA  

The European Union foreign policy chief has rejected the possibility of renegotiating the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries. Federica Mogherini made the remarks at a European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. She said Europeans have made their position very clear to US President Donald Trump. Mogherini stressed that preserving the deal is EU’s shared security interest. Meanwhile, according to congressional and White House aides, US Congress will allow Trump’s deadline on re-imposing sanctions on Iran to pass this week. The decision would leave the nuclear deal intact until mid-January when Trump must decide its fate. In October, Trump refused to certify Iran’s compliance with the landmark agreement, giving the Congress 60 days to agree on new anti-Iran sanctions.

Democrats call for probe into Trump sexual misconduct

More than a hundred Democratic lawmakers are urging the US House of Representatives to investigate sexual misconduct allegations against President Donald Trump. The lawmakers made the request in a letter to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee which was initially signed by 59 Democrats, mostly women. But the number quickly rose to over 100 Democrats after their male colleagues joined in. Sixteen women have accused the president of sexual misconduct, incidents which occurred before Trump was elected president. The White House has denied the allegations. Trump has accused the women of fabricating stories, claiming he has never met them before.

Israel Gaza airstrikes

Israel has launched an attack against a Hamas military compound in southern Gaza Strip amid rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. According to Israeli media, the assault was in response to rocket attacks from the besieged coastal strip a few hours earlier. There are no immediate reports of any casualties. The attack comes a day after another raid that killed two Palestinians in northern Gaza. Israeli forces also launched a string of attacks against the strip on Monday. Tel Aviv has repeatedly bombarded Gaza since 2014, but tensions flared up between Israelis and Palestinians after the US president decided last Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of Israel.

Saudi war on Yemen

At least 12 people have been killed and more than 80 others injured in the latest Saudi airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sana'a. In a fresh wave of bombardment, Saudi warplanes raided a military police compound in the Sha'oub district in Sana’a. Saudi Arabia has been pounding Yemen since March 2015. The war has taken the lives of more than 13,000 Yemenis and left the country's infrastructure in ruins.

US North Korea policy

The US secretary of state says his country is prepared to negotiate with North Korea without prior conditions. Rex Tillerson says it would be unrealistic to expect North Korea to come to the negotiating table ready to give up its nuclear program. He says he will continue diplomatic efforts to prevent a war with the North. Tillerson added, however, the US military has a full range of contingencies available to respond to any threat from Pyongyang. Meanwhile, the leader of North Korea has pledged to make his country the biggest nuclear and military power in the world. Kim Jong-un made the statement in a meeting with those involved in the development of a new missile which according to Pyongyang is capable of reaching mainland United States.

OIC al-Quds meeting

An emergency meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation is set to open in Turkey. High on the agenda is the US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital. Muslim heads of state, including 18 presidents and prime ministers, are attending the special summit in Istanbul. The OIC meeting, called by Turkey, aims to formulate a concerted response to US President Donald Trump’s move. Trump prompted a massive international outcry after he ordered the State Department to begin the process of relocating the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds. Palestinian territories have been the scene of deadly protests since last week. Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has called for a new Intifada, or popular uprising.

Saudi Yemen blockade

The World Food Program has urged Saudi Arabia to lift its blockade on Yemen, warning that the siege could push the war-torn country into “humanitarian catastrophe”. The UN body said problems are particularly acute in hospitals, which rely on fuel to run generators. WFP also warned that over eight million Yemenis are a step away from famine. Meanwhile, charity organization Doctors without Borders has warned that the ongoing war and blockade in Yemen are creating a new threat to public health as a suspected diphtheria outbreak takes hold. Yemen is teetering on the edge of a humanitarian crisis with shortages of medicine, fuel and clean water due to the Saudi siege.

Alabama Senate race

US Democratic candidate, Dough Jones, has won the Senate seat vacated by attorney general Jeff Sessions. After a close race, Jones won the seat by a margin of about one-percent with 99-percent of the votes counted. The Democrat’s victory comes after Moore’s campaign became tainted with accusations of sexual misconduct. With Jones taking the seat, the Republican Senate majority has been trimmed to 51 to 49. This spells out a major blow to Donald Trump and his efforts including his controversial bid to pass tax reforms on Capitol Hill. In his victory speech, Jones called on his fellow senators to take matters into their hands regarding the issues facing the country.


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