WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, December 22, 2018.

US government shutdown

The US government shutdown has officially taken effect with President Donald trump blaming democratic lawmakers for the impasse over a budget dispute. Trump called for a bipartisan effort to avert the shutdown and ensure that it will not last long. He emphasized the importance of a wall along with Mexico, saying that only a great barrier can boost border security. The lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives failed to pass the proposed budget amid an impasse with the White House over federal funding for the border wall. The shutdown will expire spending for a number of federal agencies, impacting hundreds of thousands of employees. The House and the Senate are both set to return from recess on Saturday. The shutdown is the third this year.

London airport chaos

British police have arrested two people in connection with the recent disruption of flights at London's Gatwick airport ahead of Christmas. The detainees are accused of criminal use of drones over Britain's second-busiest airport that caused travel chaos for 120,000 passengers. Police have urged the public around the airport to remain vigilant and report any further incursions. The drones first appeared above the airport south of central London on Wednesday evening. The incident forced authorities to shut down the airport over safety concerns. It was the biggest disruption at Gatwick since an Icelandic volcanic ash cloud in 2010. Flights resumed Friday morning despite another sighting of a drone.

US presence in Syria ‘illogical’

Iran says the US presence in the Middle East has always been a source of instability and insecurity in the region. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the deployment of American forces to the region was a wrong, illogical and tension-provoking move from the outset. He said the presence of foreign elements in the past decades has only fueled tensions and divisions in the already sensitive region. Qassemi’s comments came after Washington announced that it would pull its troops out of Syria and withdraw 7,000 of its forces from Afghanistan.

France protests

In France, yellow vest activists are holding yet another weekend of anti-government demonstrations. The protesters have taken to the streets of the capital Paris and other cities for the sixth consecutive Saturday in a row to express their anger at the government’s economic policies. One person has also been reportedly killed in an accident at a roundabout that was blocked by the protesters in the southern city of Perpignan. 10 people have been killed and hundreds have been arrested since the beginning of the protests in mid-November. President Emmanuel Macron has recently taken emergency measures in the form of economic concessions to pacify the unrests. But the protesters want to keep pressure on the government to boost people’s spending power and more say in legislation.

Somalia blasts

Two car bombings have rocked the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing at least 13 people and wounding nearly 20 others. The first explosives-packed vehicle ripped through a military checkpoint near the heavily fortified presidential palace. Police say a lawmaker, a deputy mayor of Mogadishu, a colonel and a journalist are among those killed. The explosion sent a plume of smoke into air. The second deadly blast hit minutes later at a nearby crossroads. The al-Shabab terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the brazen attacks. The group carries out frequent attacks in Mogadishu in an effort to topple the internationally-backed government. Shabab has been largely driven out of the capital but it still controls large rural swathes of the country.

Russia warning

Russia has warned of a global conflict if the Cold-War era nuclear pact with the US collapses. The Russian Foreign Ministry says several global regions could plunge into an arms race or even a direct confrontation if the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is scrapped. The ministry added that a new blow has been dealt to the global architecture of security and stability. This, after a proposal by Moscow for preserving the INF was rejected in a United Nations vote on Friday. The US has threatened to leave the accord accusing Russia of failing to comply with it. Moscow also accuses Washington of violating the deal. The agreement was signed between the two nuclear powers in 1987.

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