WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, December 11, 2018 to 0800 GMT, December 12, 2018.

Iraq 'seeks exemption from US sanctions on Iran'

The Iraqi prime minister has reiterated that Baghdad is after being excluded from US sanctions against Iran. Adil Abdul-Mahdi said Baghdad plans to send a delegation to the United States to seek an exemption from its sanctions on energy imports from Iran. He stressed the significance of gas imports from Iran for his country’s power sector. Washington gave Iraq a 45-day waiver for imports of gas from Iran when it re-imposed sanctions on Iran's oil sector in early November. The US also decided to issue temporary allotments to several countries including China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey.

EU-Iran trade ties

At a meeting in Brussels, EU foreign affairs ministers recommit to saving the Iran nuclear deal. The bloc's top diplomat Federica Mogherini has confirmed a new instrument to bypass the US dollar and facilitate trade with Iran will come into effect this month.

Manhunt for shooting suspect in France

An extensive manhunt is underway in France’s eastern city of Strasbourg following a shooting that left at least three people dead and a dozen others wounded. Some 350 security personnel, backed up by two helicopters, are searching Strasbourg for a gunman who opened fire at a famed Christmas market. The shooting sent crowds of shoppers fleeing for their lives. Authorities say they are treating Tuesday night’s incident as an act of terrorism. Anti-terror forces shot the attacker during two exchanges of fire but failed to capture him. The suspect was on a state security watch list. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner says France has raised its security alert level and beefed up checks at the borders.

British PM May in trouble

British Prime Minister Theresa May will appear before parliament Wednesday, amid anger among lawmakers over her Brexit deal.  May will attend her weekly Prime Minister's Questions, before departing for Dublin. There, she’s due to hold talks with Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, as part of efforts to save the Brexit deal. The British premier had similar talks with other European leaders on Tuesday. She says she wants assurances on the Northern Ireland border plan that has drawn the anger of British lawmakers. MPs have said that the current deal puts the Northern Ireland under the EU customs regulations permanently.

TIME Person of the Year

The slain dissident Saudi Journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, has been named Person of the Year by Time Magazine. Khashoggi has shared the honor with two other journalists jailed in Myanmar for exposing the plight of the Rohingya. Time Magazine says Khashoggi was chosen because of his growing influence after his death. It says his murder has triggered a global reassessment of Saudi Arabia's crown prince and the war on Yemen. In October, Khashoggi was murdered by a hit squad inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Malaysia PM graft cases 

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister has pleaded not guilty to new graft charges against him concerning an investment fund audit report. Najib Razak is accused of taking billions of dollars from investment vehicle, One Malaysia Development Behrad, and interference in the details of the fund’s true financial condition in an official audit. If found guilty, the conviction brings him a jail term of up to 20 years. He denies any wrongdoing, saying he has only made changes to a draft report of the audit. Back in May, Najib’s government was ousted by a coalition led by Malaysia’s current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Currently, Najib faces 38 charges of money laundering, graft and breach of trust, most of them linked to 1MDB.

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