WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, October 14, 2018 to 0800 GMT, October 15, 2018.

US bank boycotts Saudi conference

An American multinational investment bank and an auto-making giant join a chorus of firms and news agencies boycotting an investment conference in Saudi Arabia. JP Morgan Chase and Ford Motor Company did not say why they decided not to attend the three-day event scheduled to start on October 23rd in Riyadh. The World Bank, Virgin Group as well as major media outlets such as the New York Times and CNN have withdrawn from the event. They have made the decision to protest against the disappearance of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. This has been described as a major blow to the Kingdom's economic plans. The Future Investment Initiative conference is hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and is part of his Vision 2030 plan to end the country's dependence on oil.

 Demilitarized zone in Idib

Terrorists in Syria’s Idlib province have reportedly failed to meet a deadline to withdraw from a planned buffer zone. Al-Qaeda-linked group of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said they would not give up arms and continue to fight. The October 15th deadline for the group and other terrorists to leave a planned demilitarized zone around Idlib was agreed under a Russia-Turkey deal last month. The agreement had been welcomed by the Syrian government and the opposition. Iran called it a proof that diplomacy works. Terrorist groups control more than two-thirds of the planned demilitarized area. President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have retaken large parts of Syria from foreign-backed militants, and have expressed full readiness to recapture Idlib, the last major stronghold of terrorists.

China-US tensions

China accuses the US of adopting an offensive approach against Beijing by sending its navy vessels into the South China Sea. The Chinese envoy was speaking in an interview with Fox News. His comments come after a US Navy warship sailed near Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea on September 30. This was the latest in a series of similar missions by the US to stop what it calls China’s plans to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters. China, however, has repeatedly denied US claims and warned against any military activities in the region. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Chinese ambassador condemned Washington’s arms sales to Taiwan.

Israeli settlements

Palestine has strongly condemned the Israeli settlement activities in the occupied territories. In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned about the consequences of Israel’s expansionism. The statement noted that Tel Aviv is pursuing its judaization agenda in Palestine. It came after Israeli cabinet members approved the construction of 31 settler units in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, also known as Hebron. The planned constructions would be the first since 2002 in the city. The Israeli regime has accelerated its settlement constructions since Donald Trump took office in the US. Washington’s support has emboldened Tel Aviv to push ahead with the constructions which are illegal under international law.

Brexit stalemate

The UK and the European Union have ended a new round of Brexit talks without a breakthrough, mainly over the issue of the Northern Irish border. The last-ditch talks before a make-or-break EU summit followed Britain's Brexit minister Dominic Raab’s visit to Brussels for talks with his counterpart Michel Barnier. Negotiations have reportedly been suspended until Wednesday, when EU leaders will join them on the eve of their October summit. Britain is to leave the EU at the end of March, while still facing many issues including the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Premier Theresa May's Northern Irish allies in the Democratic Unionist Party have threatened to vote down her government's budget if she gives way to Brussels.

Civilian killings in Syria

Amnesty International has condemned the US-led coalition for its failure to admit to its role in civilian killings in the Syrian city of Raqqah during last year’s airstrikes on terrorists. The prominent rights group said it is completely repressible that the coalition refuses to acknowledge its role in most of civilian casualties. It added that in some cases, where it has admitted responsibility, it accepts no obligation towards its victims. Amnesty urged the coalition to conduct a probe to establish the facts behind each deadly strike, and to avoid any such thing in the future. In its latest press conference, amnesty said that over 2500 bodies have been recovered so far in Raqqah, mostly killed by the coalition airstrikes. The rights group noted that thousands of bodies are still to be recovered.

March of Honduran migrants

More and more Hondurans have joined a caravan of migrants heading for the United States in search of a better life. The migrants started their march from a northern Honduran city early Friday. They were initially one hundred-sixty. Now, witnesses and volunteers assisting the migrants say their number tops two-thousand. The migrants are moving toward Guatemala from where they plan to reach Mexico and then the US. They say they want to have a better life which they were unable to enjoy in their homeland. Some 64 percent of Honduran households are in poverty. Violence is also high in the country. The migrant caravan has been growing, despite tough American immigration policies adopted by President Donald Trump.

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