WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, January 11, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, January 12, 2017.

Israeli atrocities

A human rights group says it has documented at least ten cases of Israeli soldiers gunning down peaceful Palestinian protesters across the occupied territories. Palestinians stress that such cases must be taken to international courts and Israelis must be held accountable for their atrocities. Our correspondent Fatima Abdulkarim has the details.

Iranian tanker crew still missing

An ill-fated Iranian oil tanker is still burning, days after it collided with a cargo ship off China’s coast. Iranian authorities are ratcheting up efforts to put off the blaze and find 31 sailors believed to be trapped in the vessel. Ali Rabiei appreciated efforts by Chinese rescue workers but described the measures as insufficient. He noted that firefighting operations are stalled at nights although the Chinese side has the necessary equipment to work around the clock. The Iranian labor minister said six other countries have also been asked to help in the rescue efforts. Following Rabiei’s comments, the Chinese ambassador to Iran said Beijing is doing all it can to stop the blaze and rescue the crew inside the oil tanker.

Syria clashes

Syrian government troops have repelled a major counter attack by al-Nusrah Front during an operation to retake a key air base from the terror group in Idlib province. The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says the Syrian army has inflicted heavy losses on al-Nusra Front terrorists following fierce clashes with the group. Syrian troops and allied forces are advancing on the Abu Dhohoor military airbase in southeastern Idlib. The army has already seized a string of villages in the region after launching an operation in late December to liberate the last province under the terrorists’ control. In 2015 Idlib fell to the al-Qaeda offshoot which later changed its name to Fateh al-Sham. But the group maintains the same Takfiri ideology.

Protesting Trump comments

US President Donald Trump is under fire for using a profane term to describe immigrants in the United States. Trump made the remark during a briefing by two Democratic senators on a bipartisan deal to protect young immigrants and strengthen border controls. But Trump suggested that instead of Haiti and Africa, the US should allow more entrants from countries like Norway. The president’s comments drew bipartisan criticism while many Democrats condemned him for being racist. Meanwhile, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People accused Trump of lowbrow, callous and unfiltered racism. The American Civil Liberties Union also said Trump has been consistently honest about the white nationalism behind his immigration policies. Trump plans to end a program that allowed thousands of Haitians to live and work in the US following a devastating earthquake in 2010.

US spying bill renewed

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance program. The bill was passed 256 to 164 despite objections from privacy advocates who say the legislation would expand the NSA's surveillance powers. The controversy centers on part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows for collection of foreign intelligence data and effectively collection of Americans’ communications. Some representatives tried in vain to pass an amendment requiring a warrant for scrutiny of accidentally-collected communications of Americans. The bill would now extend the NSA's spying program for six years with minimal changes. The legislation comes after years of Congressional debate on the scope of US spying program. The debate was fueled by the 2013 leak of classified secrets by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Saudi base targeted

Yemen’s Ansarullah forces have fired a missile targeting Saudi forces in response to Riyadh’s unabated bombardment of their country. Ansarullah fired a Qaher 2-M ballistic missile targeting a special forces camp and a facility for helicopter gunships in the Saudi border province of Najran. There was no immediate report of any casualties or damage. Saudis, however, claimed the missile was tracked and destroyed. Ansarullah fighters also said that three Saudi soldiers were killed after an improvised explosive device went off in the same region. They added that another Saudi soldier was targeted by a Yemeni sniper and was killed in Asir region. Yemeni forces carry out retaliatory attacks against Saudi soldiers in response to the nearly 3-year war against Yemen that has claimed over 13,700 lives so far.

US in de facto occupation of Syrian territory: Russia

Russia has accused US forces of occupying the Al-Tanf region in eastern Syria and hampering the access of humanitarian aid there. In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry said a 55-kilometer area near Syria’s border with Iraq and Jordan is de-facto occupied by the US armed forces. The statement also said that Washington is preventing access to the Syrian government forces. Moscow has further called on the US to allow full access to aid conveys trying to reach the Rukban refugee camp in the area. US forces have set up a military base in a desert region known as Al-Badia, drawing the ire of Damascus. The Kremlin has time and again accused the US military of shielding terrorists around the base.

Trump’s UK visit called off

Reports say the US president’s decision to cancel a visit to the British capital next month has been made because of fears of mass protests. Opening the new US embassy in London was part of Trump's schedule. The president says he cancelled the visit because he is displeased with the location of the new embassy and its price tag. However, British government sources suggest Washington has signaled that US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, will instead open the one-billion-dollar home for American diplomats. British lawmakers have repeatedly called on Downing Street to cancel a state visit for Trump following his controversial policies and promotion of a far-right British group. More than 1.8 million people have also signed a petition to prevent the US President from making a state visit to the United Kingdom.

Yemen humanitarian crisis

Millions of Yemenis remain on the verge of famine as Saudi Arabia presses on with its deadly war against its southern neighbor. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia’s crippling blockade on Yemen has made the already dire situation worse, forcing millions to flee their homes. Press TV’s Mohammad al-Attab travels to the province of Ibb where around 30 percent of the country's internally displaced people have sought refuge.

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