WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, January 5, 2019 to 0800 GMT, January 6, 2019.

Syria civilian deaths

Syria has called on the United Nations to take action to stop attacks by US-led forces after the latest coalition airstrikes left nearly two dozen civilians dead. The Syrian Foreign Ministry made the request in two separate letters addressed to the UN Secretary General and the president of the UN Security Council. Damascus described the attacks as illegal and accused Washington and its allies of disregard for international law. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the US-led attacks only serve to create the appropriate conditions to enable Daesh terrorists to survive and expand again. On Friday, an air raid by the coalition in a village in Dayr al-Zawr province killed ten civilians including four children. Another US-led attack a day earlier in the same province left eleven civilians dead.

US govt. shutdown

The US vice president says there has been no breakthrough in government shutdown talks despite a productive meeting between senior White House officials and Democratic congressmen. Mike Pence said he reiterated President Donald Trump’s stance on the necessity of receiving funding for a border wall with Mexico. Pence said both sides have agreed to meet again on Sunday. The partial shutdown that is in its 15th day was triggered by Trump's demand for 5.6 billion dollars in funding for the border wall. The US president has stressed that the shutdown will continue until he receives the money. The Democrats, on the other hand, have pledged to not include wall funding in any legislation.

France crisis meeting

The French government has held a special crisis meeting to address yellow vest protests. The meeting was held in the capital Paris with the participation of all cabinet ministers. It came after protesters once again took to the streets across the country to voice their anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies. Demonstrators blamed the government for their hardships. Police arrested several protesters after violence erupted in the rallies.

Iran objects to EU

Iran puts the blame on Europe for not establishing the payment mechanism the Europeans promised to launch in order to maintain trade with Tehran. Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Bahram Qassemi, slammed the European Union’s delay in implementing the Special Purpose Vehicle, known as the SPV after the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Qassemi warned the Europeans that they should consider the consequences of their decision, adding that Iran is running out of patience. He described the continual threats from the US against the European businesses as the reason why the delay occurred. On September 24, Tehran and the remaining signatories of the nuclear deal released a joint statement announcing the setting up of the SPV to facilitate continued trade with Iran.

Sudan protest

A Sudanese group that organizes anti-government demonstrations has called for another rally; this time, against rising costs of medicine. The protesters are set to march on the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. The planned demonstration comes days after police used force to prevent demonstrators from reaching the palace. President Omar al-Bashir has warned that weapons will be used to safeguard national security if necessary. Sudan has been the scene of angry demonstrations since December 2018 over the government’s decision to triple the price of bread. The African country has been experiencing 70 percent inflation ever since its 2011 partition from South Sudan.

Russia-US tensions

Moscow has warned Russian citizens to be cautious about US attempts to detain Russian nationals overseas. The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, urged Russians to take every precaution when travelling abroad and ensure there is nothing in their records that might interest Washington authorities. The statement said there is no safe place for Russians abroad. The warning came after Russian national Dmitry Maka-renko was detained by the FBI on the Pacific island of Saipan. The indictment put forward against him alleges that he and his associate tried to transfer military-grade equipment to Russia between April and November 2013. The arrest came after Russia detained an American in Moscow and charged him with espionage.

Venezuela political crisis

Venezuela's opposition-run Congress has declared Nicolas Maduro's presidency illegitimate, saying the socialist leader will be usurping the top post when he takes office Thursday for a second term. Guaido delivered the fiery speech at the first legislative session of the year after being elected as the National Assembly’s new president. The 35-year-old lawmaker said Congress will confront Maduro and seek free elections. He urged the military to support efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela. On Friday, a group of 13 regional countries called on Maduro to hand over power to the National Assembly, saying they will not recognize him as president. The Venezuelan government rejected the demand and accused the so-called Lima Group of encouraging a coup on instructions from the United States.

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