WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, February 8, 2017 to 08:00 GMT, February 9, 2018.

Daesh in Afghanistan

A high-ranking Russian official has accused the US military of allowing Daesh terrorists - who have been defeated in Syria and Iraq - to infiltrate Afghanistan. The Russian envoy for Afghanistan says various witness accounts indicate that the terrorists are often transferred to Afghanistan by helicopters. Zamir Kabulov added that because the US and NATO fully control the skies over Afghanistan, there is every reason to believe they have a hand in the transfers, or at least refuse to confront such flights. In 2001, the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan under the pretext of 'war on terror'. Some 17 years on, terrorism is still growing in Afghanistan. The Daesh terrorist group has recently established a foothold in eastern and northern Afghanistan and stepped up its attacks against civilian targets across the country.

US govt. closer to shutdown

The White House has asked US federal government agencies to prepare for a shutdown, as Congress struggles to pass a spending bill before the midnight deadline. The announcement was made by a White House official, who then called on lawmakers to send the stopgap measure to President Donald Trump without delaying it further. If the bill is not passed before midnight, the federal government is forced to shut down temporarily. Liberals led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are unhappy that the spending bill does not address the issue of young undocumented immigrants. The federal government shut down last month for several days after the lawmakers failed to pass a stopgap bill on time.

Protecting EU interests in Iran

A senior European Union official says the bloc is exploring ways of protecting its firms in Iran in the event of the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Denis Chaibi, the head of the Iranian taskforce at the EU’s external action service, said one of the options would be to put in place blocking regulations that would protect EU companies. He said the regulations were agreed in 1996 as a countermeasure to the US extraterritorial economic sanctions against Cuba. Earlier, Britain's Minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt said London and its EU allies want the Iran nuclear deal to succeed. He however said Britain is working with its European partners to address the US concerns to save the accord. France has also said it will encourage French companies to do business in Iran despite uncertainty over the deal’s fate.

US Syria airstrikes

Russia’s envoy to the United Nations has slammed US strikes on pro-Syrian government forces that killed several people in Dayr al-Zawr province on Thursday. Vassily Nebenzia says confronting those who fight terrorism on the ground is criminal. The Russian diplomat says he has told the UN Security Council that the strikes against the Syrian troops are inadmissible and deplorable. Earlier, in a letter to the UN, Syria condemned the strikes as a war crime, calling for the US-led coalition to be dismantled. The US has been conducting air raids in Syria since September 2014 without the consent of Damascus and a UN mandate.

EU social inequality

Members of the European Parliament warn that rising social inequality in the EU threatens to rip the bloc apart. A debate in the parliament has heard that while unemployment in the bloc is reducing, income and wealth inequality is increasing. Jerome Hughes reports from Brussels.

N Korean leader’s sister historic visit

The North Korean Leader’s sister has arrived in the South to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Kim Yo Jong is being accompanied by North Korea’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam. She is the first member of North Korea’s ruling family to visit the South since the end of the Korean War in 1953. North Korea is sending 22 athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics, a move which is seen as a kick-start for reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Both Koreas will march under one flag at the opening ceremony. The office of the South Korean President has welcomed North Korea's decision, saying it shows Pyongyang’s willingness to cooperate in easing tensions on the Peninsula.

UK-EU Brexit row

The British Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union has accused the bloc of acting in bad faith over leaving the door open to sanction London during the post-Brexit transition period. Davis went on to say that London deems Brussel’s move as unwise. His remarks come as Britain and the EU began talks this week on plans for a two-year transition period after the so called Brexit day in March 2019. During the time-span, London will still be considered a member-state. But it must follow all EU laws without having any decision-making powers in exchange for frictionless access to the single market. Brussels, however, published a draft agreement Wednesday, calling for the ability to impose sanctions on Britain at will if it breaches transition laws. That could include re-introducing tariffs or customs checks before the transition wraps up in December 2020.

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