WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, December 5, 2018 to 0800 GMT, December 6, 2018.

Fuel tax rise scrapped in France

France is struggling to cope with a new wave of anti-government protests amid calls for fresh mobilization of the so-called yellow vest movement countrywide. A presidential source says the government fears major violence from protests planned for Saturday. The French premier says the government is entirely abandoning a fuel tax hike that was previously only suspended for six months following protests over the past weeks. Edouard Philippe said the tax increase has been dropped from the 2019 budget bill. The protests began on November 17 in opposition to the rise in fuel taxes. But they have ballooned into a broad challenge to Emmanuel Macron’s government. Four people have been killed and hundreds injured as a result of the rallies.

Yemen rally

Yemenis have staged a rally outside the UN office in Sana'a to protest Saudi Arabia's ban on the docking of fuel ships at the port city of Hudaydah. Protesters condemned the move as a flagrant violation of all international law and norms.

Civilian casualties in Syria

Syrian media say the US-led coalition has launched a new deadly airstrike on eastern Syria. The attack has reportedly targeted Hajin village in the province of Dayr al-Zawr. Five civilians have been killed in the raid. Dozens of people have lost their lives in Dayr al-Zawr in recent weeks due to US-led bombardments. Since 2014, the United States and its allies have been carrying out airstrikes in Syria without the United Nations’ authorization or Damascus’s consent. Many civilians have been confirmed dead in the raids. Damascus has repeatedly demanded a halt to the US-led bombing campaign, calling it a violation of its sovereignty.

FED report

The Federal Reserve has issued a blistering report on the current state of the US economy, despite President Donald Trump constantly boasting about his achievements. The US Central Bank says business optimism has fallen across the country because of uncertainty. The Fed says Trump's tariffs have caused increases in costs which are felt by manufacturers, retailers and restaurants and this limits demand. Although, wage increases have been recorded, it has in turn caused rising costs in more industries. Trump has been a constant critic of the bank and repeatedly accused it of being a risk to the US economy.

Mattis seeks more evidence on Khashoggi killing

The US defense secretary says he needs more evidence on who was behind the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. James Mattis said he is quite satisfied that he will find more evidence concerning the incident. He added that he will follow the issue as far as he can. Meanwhile, Turkey has called for Saudi Arabia’s transparency in the investigation into the killing of the Washington Post journalist.

Racial prejudice in UK

A leading British newspaper has shed light on the issues of racial disparities and prejudice in Britain. The study by the Guardian looked into the experiences of thousands of people from a wide-ranging cross section of society, including ethnic minorities.

Huwaie executive arrested

Canada has arrested a senior executive of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei over alleged violations of US sanctions. The company’s global chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver. She is the daughter of the company’s founder. Canada’s Department of Justice said she is facing extradition to the United States. Huawei has confirmed the detention, saying it has been provided little information about the charges. Details of the arrest have not been released but the US has been investigating Huawei over possible violation of sanctions against Iran. China's embassy in Canada has protested the arrest, demanding Meng’s release. US stock futures and Asian shares tumbled following the arrest.

Iran on OPEC output

Iran’s oil minister says Tehran will not be part of any agreement on OPEC’s crude production ceiling as long as it is under sanctions. Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said numerous proposals have been put forward on reducing OPEC’s output and the members will decide on that. Touching upon US official Brian Hook’s possible meeting with OPEC members, Zanganeh said if the visit aims to ratchet up the US pressure on Iran, that would be unprofessional. He also added that OPEC is an independent organization and does not take orders from Washington. OPEC members will meet in Vienna later today. A joint meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC producers is also scheduled for tomorrow.

Irish anti-Israel bill

The upper house of Irish parliament has passed a bill which bans imports or selling of goods produced in territories occupied by Israel. The legislation dubbed Control of Economic Activities seeks to prohibit the import and sale of goods, services and natural resources originating from settlements in occupied territories. Independent Senator Frances Black who sponsors the bill praised the move by the Senate saying Ireland can be the first European Union country to end trade with Israeli settlements. The Foreign Ministry, however, criticized the bill as hateful and unhelpful. It will now move to the lower house for verification before being signed into law by the president.

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