WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, December 23, 2018.

Yemen ceasefire

The head of the UN team has arrived in the Yemeni capital Sana’a to monitor the implementation of a fragile ceasefire in the port city of Hudaydah. Patrick Cammaert met with an Ansarullah delegation as well as a number of other members of the UN team at Sana’a International airport. Cammaert arrived in Aden on Saturday to hold talks with the former government officials. He called on the warring parties to withdraw their forces from Hudaydah. Last week, representatives from the Yemen’s Ansarullah movement and delegations from the former government met in Sweden as part of the United Nations’ efforts to bring an end to the crisis. The two sides agreed to swap thousands of war prisoners and stop fighting in Hudaydah.

Turkey-Israel tension

Turkey has slammed Israel for its “lawless occupation” of the Palestinian territories. In a tweet, the spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called on Israel to end its brutal oppression of the Palestinian people. The tweet stressed that questioning Turkey’s offensive against the US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria will not help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resolve his domestic troubles. In a separate tweet, Netanyahu accused Erdogan of occupying Cyprus. Netnanyahu also said Erdogan's army is massacring Kurds. Turkey broke its diplomatic ties with Israel in 2010, after Israeli forces killed nine Turkish people during an attack on a Turkish-flagged ship near the Gaza Strip. Since then, the two sides have traded heated barbs.

Sinai operation

The Egyptian Interior Ministry says the country’s security forces have killed 14 militants in an exchange of fire in the Sinai region. The ministry said the militants were suspected of planning attacks on important and vital facilities, armed forces and police personnel. Sinai has been the hotbed of militancy in the African nation since a coup led by the current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ousted former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Hundreds of people including army troops have so far fallen victim to the violence in Sinai.

Indonesia tsunami

Rescue work is underway in Indonesia after a deadly tsunami hit the country’s islands of Java and Sumatra. Officials have put the death toll at 222, saying it could rise as they comb the debris. The high tide has also left over 700 people injured with 30 more missing.

Turkey reinforcements

Turkey has sent military reinforcements to northern Syria near an area controlled by Kurdish militants. A convoy of military trucks and buses, carrying tanks, heavy weapons and commandos, has crossed the border into Syria. Reports say the military hardware and personnel will be stationed near Manbij, a city in the Aleppo province, where Kurdish militants have a stronghold. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to launch a new offensive against US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria. Turkey considers the People's Protection Units or YPG as a terrorist offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. PKK militants have been engaged in a bloody conflict with Turkey for more than three decades.

‘Yellow vest’ protests

Demonstrators have filled the streets in Portugal, Belgium and France to protest their governments’ economic policies. They blamed government plans for the hardships they’re facing, and pledged to continue the rallies until their voices are heard. The protests in Portugal and Belgium were inspired by France’s yellow vest demonstrations that have been going on for the past six weekends.

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