WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, December 19, 2018 to 0800 GMT, December 20, 2018.

The child victims of Israeli violence

A Palestinian human rights center reveals that Israeli forces have killed at least 54 Palestinian children since the beginning of 2018. The human rights center reported that 80 percent of the children were killed during demonstrations in the so-called buffer zone in the Gaza Strip. It revealed that Israeli forces have arrested at least 900 children since the start of the year. The report also condemned what it described as Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinians children’s rights. According to the group, Israel's rights violation is not limited to trial of children in military courts, but it starts from the moment of arrest. The report said Israelis carry out interrogation sessions in which children are often handcuffed, blindfolded, beaten and insulted.

Anti-Russia sanctions

The United States has imposed new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities over what it calls their malign activities. The US Treasury Department said the sanctions target 15 members of a Russian military intelligence service and four entities. The Treasury accused them of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed any meddling in the US elections as unsubstantiated.

Hike in interest rates in US

The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the fourth time this year. Jerome Powell added that politics play no role whatsoever in the Federal Reserve's decisions. Wall Street stocks fell sharply after the announcement, leaving them at fresh lows for 2018. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked the Federal Reserve, calling it foolish for considering the new interest rate increase. The body has been gradually raising rates since 2015. This has moved the US away from ultra-low rates put in place during the financial crisis to spur economic activity.

Facebook sued

The attorney general of Washington DC sues Facebook for allowing political consultancy Cambridge Analytica to illegally access the personal data of the site’s users. Karl Racine said Facebook failed to protect the privacy of its users. He added that the social-media giant deceived the users about who had access to their data and how it was used. In June, a probe found that Cambridge Analytica had harvested private information from Facebook profiles of over 50 million users without their permission.

State of emergency in Sudan

A state of emergency has been declared in the northern Sudanese city of Atbara following anti-government protests over a rise in the price of bread. The government has also declared a curfew and ordered the closure of schools in the city. Officials say the demonstrators set fire to a gas station and the local headquarters of Sudan’s ruling party. There are no reports of casualties from the violence. Small rallies against the increase in the price of bread have also broken out in other cities.

China-Canada tensions

A third Canadian has been arrested in China following the detention of the Chief Financial Executive of the Chinese tech giant, Huawei, in Vancouver. There are no details about the latest arrest. However, the Canadian officials say it is a separate case from the previous arrests of two Canadian nationals in China. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government will continue making efforts to release them.

UN migration pact

The UN General Assembly formally approves a pact to boost cooperation among countries to tackle rising migration. The pact was approved by nations voluntarily but some countries including the US and Israel voted against it. Washington says the global approach to the issue is not compatible with the US sovereignty. The UN deal addresses issues such as how to protect migrants, integrate them into society or send them home. Right-wing European politicians strongly oppose the pact. They say it could increase immigration from African and Arab countries.

Israeli operation

Tension has intensified between Lebanon and Israel along Lebanon’s southern border after Israeli forces installed barbed wire fences in the area. This came after Israel launched an operation to cut off tunnels allegedly used by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah into the occupied Palestinian territories.

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