WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, September 12, 2018.

Challenging US dollar

The head of the European Commission calls on EU member states to rise up against US pressure and threats. Jean-Claude Juncker was making his annual State of the Union address before the EU Parliament. He said the EU should turn into a global player and power, so that it could impose its position on others. He criticized the rise of nationalism in Europe, saying the bloc can be strong only when it speaks as one. Juncker then questioned the use of dollar in EU trade deals with other countries, saying euro should be promoted to be used as the global currency.

Russia-UK poisoning row

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, says Moscow has identified the two men Britain is seeking for poisoning a former Russian double agent. Putin insists that the pair is civilian and has nothing to do with the Russian military. Britain has charged Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov in absentia with using a nerve agent to kill former spy, Sergei Skripal, back in March. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, has said the suspects are members of Russia’s military intelligence agency. The attack in the city of Salisbury left a British woman dead and four people, including Skripal and his daughter, in critical condition. Britain blames the Russian government for the attack, but Moscow strongly denies the claim.

Afghanistan deadly attack

Afghan officials say the death toll from Tuesday’s bomb attack in Nangarhar province has risen to nearly 70. A spokesman for the Nangarhar governor says the number of injured people also increased to 165. The attack targeted a demonstration in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The demonstrators were protesting the appointment of a local police chief. They were on a highway between Jalalabad and the main border crossing into Pakistan, when a bomber blew himself up. No group has yet claimed responsibility. Taliban militants have denied any involvement. Nangarhar province is one of the main strongholds of the Daesh terror group in Afghanistan. It’s been one of the most volatile provinces this year.

US pressure policy

The Russian foreign minister has condemned the US foreign policy, accusing Washington of imposing sanctions before it enters into negotiations. Sergey Lavrov said this pattern could also be seen in America’s dealings with North Korea, the EU and China. Lavrov warned such US policies were unlikely to lead to long-term success. The Russian foreign minister said ties between Moscow and Washington are currently the most toxic ones. Lavrov’s comments came a day after Russia launched what it called its largest ever military drills along with China. The US-led NATO called the drills a rehearsal for large-scale conflict. Last month, Washington imposed new sanctions on Moscow over the attempted assassination of ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK. Russia has denied any involvement in the spy poisoning.

EU action against Hungary

The European Union has decided to take punitive measures against Hungary over its breaching the bloc’s values. The motion was passed with 448 votes in favor, 197 against and 48 abstentions. This is the first time the 28-member bloc triggered the Article Seven against an EU member. The two sides are at loggerheads over a wide range of issues including rights violations against minorities and refugees under Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s rule. Meanwhile, the Hungarian foreign minister has slammed the vote as a petty revenge. Earlier on Tuesday, the Hungarian prime minister stressed that Europe cannot blackmail his country into softening its anti-refugee stance. Orban said his country will exert all efforts to stop illegal migration.

Zimbabwe cholera outbreak

Zimbabwe has issued a ban on all public gatherings following the outbreak of cholera in the southern African country. In a statement, Zimbabwean police called on people to pay attention to the ban. The government has also declared an emergency situation after 21 people died from the disease in the capital Harare. More than two-thousand people were infected after drinking contaminated water. Zimbabwe suffered its biggest cholera outbreak in 2008. Then, more than 4,000 people died and another 40-thousand received treatment following the infection.

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