WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEALDINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, December 4, 2017.

US aiding terrorists

The former spokesman for a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces in Syria has revealed close connections between the United States and terrorist groups, including Daesh. Speaking to a Turkish news agency, Colonel Talal Sallou told details of how the US armed terror groups and formed the alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces, known as SDF. Sallou said US forces helped Daesh smuggle weapons and traffic its members from the areas controlled by the SDF. He added that the US authorities were trafficking Daesh members under an agreement with SDF head, Shahin Jilo. He also accused Washington of making a controversial deal to allow Daesh terrorists to leave the Syrian city of Raqqah before it was liberated. Sallou, a former high-ranking SDF commander and spokesperson, defected from the alliance last month and is currently in Turkey.

Saudi war on Yemen

Saudi warplanes have once again pounded several areas in the Yemeni capital Sana’a. The warplanes targeted the Interior Ministry and the areas near the city’s International Airport. There has been no word on the number of possible casualties. Attacks by the Saudi-led coalition have claimed the lives of over 13,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, since Riyadh launched its military campaign on Yemen in 2015. Saudi Arabia has also imposed a blockade on Yemen, causing food and medicine shortages and creating a dire humanitarian crisis.

Catalan leaders’ trial

A Spanish Supreme Court judge has decided to keep Catalonia's sacked vice president and three other leaders in jail pending investigations into their role in October’s independence vote. The judge, however, granted bail to six other former members of the Catalonia cabinet. They were accused of being involved in an illegal unilateral declaration of independence by the then-regional government. Meanwhile, ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is facing an extradition hearing in Belgium on Monday. Puigdemont, who is also accused of rebellion and sedition, fled to Brussels after Spain declared the secession vote illegal. Madrid is now seeking to have him sent back to face his charges.

Yemen ex-president killed

Yemen’s Interior Ministry has confirmed the death of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The ministry has said in a statement that Saleh and a number of his aides were killed for committing treason against Yemen. The ministry has added that Saleh stirred chaos in Sana’a through his militia and the unrest in the city is now over. Saleh’s party, General People's Congress has so far denied the reports. Meanwhile in Sana’a the security is tight but the Ansarullah movement and its allies are in full control of the city. According to the Red Cross at least 125 people have been killed and around 240 injured in the clashes in Sana’a over the past six days.

UK aid to Syria falling into terrorist hands

The British government has suspended an aid program to Syria amid allegations of payments to anti-government extremists. The Access to Justice and Community Security Scheme was put on hold after reports that cash was handed straight to the Nusra Front terrorist group. According to British media, the foreign office waived AJACS following grave concerns about its management by a British contractor. Police officers in Syria’s Aleppo and Idlib provinces were reportedly handpicked by the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and forced to forward the cash. Evidence suggested that the perpetrators put dead and fictitious people on the police force’s payroll to cover the fraud. The Nusra Front has committed many atrocities in Syria. The group is said to have also received funds and arms from Syria's Arab adversaries.

US Senate probe

A top Democratic senator has accused the US president of obstruction of justice as investigations continue into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The Senate Judiciary committee member added that the time has come to conclude the probe without any bias or premature thinking. Multiple congressional committees and a special counsel are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Pressure on the US president intensified after his former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. Trump denies any meddling in the Russia investigation as well as any collusion with Moscow during the race for the White House.

Yemen warning

Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement, Abdel Malik al-Houthi says deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh was part of a plot against the people of Yemen. Abdel Malik al-Houthi congratulated the Yemeni people for foiling a big conspiracy that involved Ali Abdullah Saleh and his militias. He said the Saleh loyalists were acting on behalf of Yemen’s enemy, Saudi Arabia, to cause chaos in Sana’a. Houthi noted that Saleh misread Ansarullah’s warnings as a show of weakness and even invited local tribes to join him in the Saudi war against the nation. Houthi also said the missile that was recently fired at a nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi sends a message to those involved in the aggression against Yemen. He warned foreign investors against investment in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Houthi vowed that more missiles will be fired at the two countries as long as they continue their aggression.

Brexit talks

Britain and the EU have failed to reach agreement on the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. Juncker also said that the lack of an agreement is not a failure. The two negotiated on the details of the financial settlement, citizens’ rights and the issue of the Irish border. The EU had said that the meeting was “the absolute deadline” for progress on separation issues, otherwise it would be unable to approve the opening of talks on a future trade relationship at a summit on December 15. Meanwhile, May is under pressure from within her own conservative party to reveal the true cost of leaving the European Union.

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