WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, December 5, 2018.

INF treaty row

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has responded to US allegations accusing Moscow of having violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Maria Zakharova says Washington has not provided any evidence for its allegations. She says Russia is ready to continue dialog on the treaty. US Foreign Secretary, Mike Pompeo, has threatened that his country will walk off the deal in two months time. Pompeo has also noted that Russia must be confronted for it has been breaching the treaty with its missile tests since the mid-2000s. Meanwhile, the NATO chief has warned that time is running out for Russia to comply with the missile treaty.

Murder of Khashoggi

The saga surrounding the murder of Saudi dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, takes a new turn. Senior US senators announce with complete certainty that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has orchestrated and organized the killing. The senators also called for a resolute response to the incident.

Global stocks decline

Global stock markets have plunged, after Wall Street tumbled over investor worries about economic growth. European stocks were down at open by up to one-point-three percent. That was the lowest in two weeks. Markets in China, Japan, and Hong Kong closed lower, while indices in Singapore and Seoul markets dropped by at least 0.6 percent. Australian stocks also lost zero-point-eight percent of their value. On Tuesday, all three major indices of Wall Street fell down more than three-percent. The falls came amid worries of recession following sharp declines in long-term US Treasury yields. Doubts over a trade truce between China and the United States also added to concerns.

Turkey arrest warrants

A Turkish prosecutor demands that arrest warrants be issued against two allies of the Saudi Crown Prince over their role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Istanbul prosecutor's office says there is strong suspicion that Saud al-Qahtani and General Ahmed al-Asiri were among the planners of Khashoggi’s killing. The office also demanded Saudi Arabia extradite all suspects related to the murder. Turkish officials say the move reflects the notion that the Kingdom will not take formal action against the individuals. The US Central intelligence Agency has already concluded that Mohammad Bin Salman was directly involved in the killing of Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Turkey back in October.

Brexit deal row

A senior lawmaker in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party says he would vote against her Brexit deal. Mark Harper says he predicts parliament will reject the divorce deal by at least 80 votes. Harper says the Cabinet’s proposals are not acceptable, because they threaten the integrity of Britain. Meanwhile, the Northern Irish party propping up May’s government will vote against her Brexit deal in a key vote in parliament next week. The Democratic Unionist Party is unhappy with the Brexit deal's so-called backstop provision. Under the provision, Northern Ireland will be aligned more closely with the European Union than the rest of the United Kingdom if no other way can be found to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.

Putin US threat

The Russian president dismisses US claims that Moscow is violating the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces arms control treaty. Vladimir Putin says the Kremlin will respond if America abandons the accord. Putin said the US had decided long ago to abandon the 1987 treaty and is now looking for justifications by blaming Russia. He, however, said Russia is against scrapping the treaty. This comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington will withdraw from the treaty within 60 days if Russia does not dismantle missiles that America claims breach the accord. The Russian Foreign Ministry has also rejected the allegation as groundless. Meanwhile, the European Union has called for the full implementation of the treaty.

Ukraine drills

Ukraine launches a military drill near Russia’s border with which Kiev has been at loggerheads over a wide range of issues. The three-day military exercises involve tanks and heavy artillery. Ukraine stressed that it is prepared to defend its territory. The drill came as Kiev has accused Moscow of planning to seize two of its strategic port cities. However, Russia rejected the allegations as absurd and unsubstantiated. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the crisis began in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and Crimea re-joined Russia following a referendum the same year. The relations worsened further after Russia seized three Ukrainian ships recently accusing them of illegally entering Russian waters off the coast of Crimea.

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