WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, February 14, 2019 to 0800 GMT, February 15, 2019.

US border wall row

The White House has announced that President Donald Trump will declare a national emergency to try and get more funding for his Mexico border wall. A spokesperson says Trump will also sign a border security bill to avoid a second government shutdown. The bill has already passed the Senate and will now move to the House. Lawmakers have so far denied the 5.7 billion dollars Trump has demanded for the wall. The House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, says the Democrats will be ready to respond if Trump bypasses Congress and uses military funds for the wall.

Showdown with US

Some 50 UN member states have formed a group to show support for Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in his showdown with the US. Russia and China joined Cuba, Iran, North Korea and several other countries who have come together to back the newly-formed support group. The Venezuelan foreign minister said the group would take action in the near future.

Khashoggi murder case

Turkey has released fresh details about the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Turkish media have published images of what a police report described as a local collaborator who allegedly helped a Saudi hit squad dispose of Khashoggi’s body. The report also suggests that the journalist’s remains may have been burned. Khashoggi was dismembered after being killed in October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia has confirmed that he was murdered after talks to persuade him to return to the kingdom failed. A CIA report concluded that the Saudi Crown prince ordered the murder. Mohammed Bin Salman has denied the finding.

Maduro raps US

Venezuela's president says the US wants to topple his government by waging an economic war against his country. Nicolas Maduro made the comments during an exclusive interview with the Associated Press. Maduro blamed the US economic sanctions and freezing of Caracas’s assets for the food and medicine shortages in the Latin American country. The comments came amid mounting pressure from the US and its allies to force Maduro to leave the office. Last month, the US endorsed head of Venezuela’s national assembly, Juan Guaido, who had declared himself interim president.

‘Invalid’ Warsaw meeting

Iran says the final statement of a US-led anti-Tehran conference in the Polish capital was indicative of its defeat and failure. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the participation of low-level delegates and their refusal to side with any anti-Iran move turned the final statement into an invalid document. Bahram Qassemi noted that Washington organized the event under the pretext of advocating peace and security in the Middle East. The Iranian official said the US, however, has created instability, insecurity and extremism in the region through its hypocritical policies and support for terrorism. The two-day Warsaw meeting ended on Thursday falling short of taking any anti-Tehran measure. The participants only agreed to come together again in the future.

Iran-Turkey ties

Turkish President Rejep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Ankara is ready to establish its own trade mechanism with Iran. In a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Sochi, Russia, Erdogan said Turkey allows companies from the two states to continue doing "legitimate" business. He said Turkey is prepared to join the Special Purpose Vehicle, or SPV, founded by the Europeans states. This comes as the United States unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. Washington, then, re-imposed all its sanctions against Iran.

Iran terror attack condemned

The UN Security Council has condemned the terrorist attack that killed 27 people in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan Province. The UNSC released a statement, calling the attack heinous and cowardly. The members also expressed their sympathy and condolences to the Iranian government and families of the victims. The statement underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. Wednesday’s terror attack targeted the personnel of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. The Jaish al-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

India-Pakistan tensions

India’s Prime Minister condemns a deadly suicide attack against security forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir, pledging to punish the perpetrators. Narendra Modi says his government will give a strong response to Thursday’s attack that killed 44 paramilitary police. The attack was claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group. Modi also says he will not allow neighboring Pakistan to destabilize India. Meanwhile, the Indian finance minister has vowed to take all possible diplomatic steps to ensure the complete isolation of Pakistan from international community. Islamabad has called the attack a matter of grave concern, rejecting the allegation that it had any role in it. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, but both countries claim the Himalayan territory in full.

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