WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, December 9, 2018.

France protests  

Mass arrest in France; more than 1,700 people have been rounded up during the fourth consecutive weekend of nationwide protests against the government’s economic policies. The Interior Ministry says over 1,200 of those arrested will remain in custody, but the rest will be released. The latest round of the so-called yellow vest protests turned ugly again on Saturday with police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse angry protesters in Paris and other cities. Some demonstrators torched cars, looted shops and damaged pubic property as they clashed with officers in full gear. Some 136,000 people took part in Saturday's protests. The French prime minister has called for dialog with representatives of the yellow vest movement. Edouard Philippe has promised that the government will address concerns over rising living costs and other issues.

US Saudi war support

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State says support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen should continue. Timothy Lenderking made the comment at a security conference in the United Arab Emirates. He said Washington believes it is necessary to support the Saudi-led coalition in order to combat what he called “militancy” in Yemen. This comes as many inside the United States are against the Trump administration’s support for Riyadh. US senators recently voted to advance a resolution to end the US military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Over 15,000 Yemenis have been killed in the Saudi aggression on the Arab country.

Italy protest

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets on the Italian Island of Sicily to denounce the deployment of a US military communications system there. The protesters in the town of Niscemi said placing the so-called Mobile User Objective System on the island is an act of territorial occupation by the US. The MUOS system consists of a network of ground stations and satellites used to launch remote-controlled drones. It is believed to be harmful to both nature and humans. The US also faces challenges to its military base in Japan’s Okinawa and its THAAD missile system in South Korea.

Saudi Arabia summit

The annual Persian Gulf Cooperation Council summit has kicked off in the Saudi capital amid tensions with Qatar. The Saudi King welcomed the delegates from 7 Arab countries and called for more unity among the nations. Saudi Arabia invited Qatar's emir to the summit, but Doha sent a minister to attend the event. Bahrain criticized the Qatari emir, saying he should have accepted the invitation. Saudi Arabia, and some of its allies cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in June 2017 over allegations of supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the charges and says the boycott aims to curtail its sovereignty. The one-day gathering is expected to focus on security issues, oil politics, and the boycott of Qatar, among other subjects.

Iran terrorist attack

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman has called for talks between Yemeni sides without any foreign interference to resolve the country’s crisis. Bahram Qassemi expressed hope that the sides will be able to put an end to the sufferings of the Yemeni nation through an independent and peaceful approach. He also said that Iran has always supported the United Nations’ efforts to resolve the conflict in Yemen through diplomacy. The Iranian official blamed the US for triggering a devastating war on Yemen via providing all-out support to Saudi Arabia. Yemen's warring sides have been meeting in Sweden since Thursday for talks aimed at discussing ways to end the Saudi war. Over 15,000 Yemenis have been killed in the Saudi aggression on the Arab country since March 2015.

France-US tension  

France’s foreign minister has urged the US president not to interfere in his country’s affairs, after Donald Trump posted tweets about yellow vest protests and Paris climate agreement. Jean-Yves Le Drian said the French government does not interfere in the domestic politics of the US and it wants that to be reciprocated. On Saturday, Trump called for ending the Paris agreement and returning the money back to the French people in the form of lower taxes. He claimed that demonstrators do not want to pay large sums of money to protect the environment.

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