WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, February 10, 2019.

Saudi blockade of Yemen

Newborn Yemeni conjoined twins have died in Sana’a due to lack of urgent medical care amid the Saudi-led blockade on the city. The twins were born around two weeks ago and shared a kidney and a pair of legs. Their doctor at al-Thawra hospital of Sana’a said they did not have the facilities to separate the newborns or keep them alive. He and his colleagues had appealed to the United Nations to facilitate the twins’ evacuation. Tens of thousands of Yemeni children have died of illness or hunger since the beginning of the Saudi-led aggression on their country nearly four years ago. The war has killed over 15,000 people, triggering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Israeli killings in Gaza

The United Nations Children’s Fund has slammed the killing of two teenagers by Israeli forces during protests in Gaza. In a statement, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa expressed the organization’s profound sorrow at the killings. Geert Cappelaere described the incidents as another harsh reminder of the violence against Palestinian children and called for it to stop. On Friday, 14-year-old Hassan Shalabi and 17-year-old Hamza Ishtawi were shot dead by Israeli troops. The shootings happened as protesters were holding anti-occupation rallies along the so-called buffer zone with Gaza. The protest was held as part of the weekly Great March of Return rallies. Nearly 290 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis since the protests began on March 30.

Rival drafts on Venezuela

The United States and Russia have proposed rival draft resolutions pushing the UN Security Council to take actions on the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. The Washington-drafted text expresses support for Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly and calls for a new presidential election. It also voices deep concern about what it calls violence and excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces against anti-government protesters. Russia has proposed a rival text that expresses concern over attempts to intervene in Venezuela’s internal affairs and threats to use force against the country. Moscow and Washington have been at loggerheads over a US-led campaign for international recognition of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido who has declared himself interim head of state. Russia and China blocked the US push for a Security Council statement on Venezuela last month.

Iran-Lebanon ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is in Lebanon on a two-day visit. Upon arrival in the capital Beirut, Zarif said his trip is aimed at declaring Iran’s readiness for cooperation with the new Lebanese government. He called Lebanon the symbol of resistance and democracy in the Middle East. Zarif is set to meet with Lebanese officials including his counterpart Gebran Bassil and President Michel Aoun. Lebanon’s new government was formed in late January, eight months after the country’s parliamentary elections.

Khashoggi murder report

A top Republican lawmaker has slammed the US administration for failing to provide a proper update on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US House Representative Michael McCaul said he was deeply troubled by a letter from the White House on the incident. McCaul did not reveal the content of the document, but insisted that everyone involved in the gruesome crime must be identified and held accountable. The lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on President Donald Trump’s administration to immediately provide Congress with the information required. US lawmakers have accused the administration of breaking the law by ignoring a congressional deadline to report on the journalist’s murder. Senior officials on Capitol Hill say the White House refusal raises questions about Trump’s foreign policy motives.

Protest in Spain

Thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets of the capital Madrid in a protest to call on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign. The ralliers were angry over the premier’s proposed talks with pro-independence groups to ease political tensions in Catalonia. They held signs and chanted slogans such as “for a united Spain, elections now”. The demonstrators called for elections to replace Sanchez arguing the premier is surrendering to pressure from Catalan leaders. The Socialist government had proposed to appoint a rapporteur to hold talks to address Catalonia’s call to secede from Spain. The rally organized by the right-wing opposition parties, was the biggest Sanchez had ever faced since taking office in last June.

Warsaw meeting doomed to failure: Iran's Zarif

Iran’s foreign minister says an upcoming anti-Tehran meeting organized by the US in the Polish capital is doomed to failure. Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US had made attempts to push its agenda in the two-day event against the Islamic Republic but had to retreat from its initial stance. He said such an approach shows that Washington has failed to achieve its goals. Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the meeting will purportedly focus on what he called Iran’s destabilizing influence in the region. However, US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen later said the meeting is not aimed at demonizing Iran. A change in US stance came after many world officials said they would skip the event which will be held in Warsaw next week.

Office for Taliban

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has offered the Taliban to open a political office in the country. Ghani was speaking during a meeting with tribal leaders in Nangarhar province. He stressed that he would leave no stone unturned to restore peace to the country. The offer was however rejected by the militant group. A Taliban spokesman accused Ghani of trying to harm the peace efforts with his offer. Sohail Shahin also said that the Taliban want their office in Qatar to be recognized by the international community. The Taliban negotiators are due to meet US officials for another round of talks in Qatar on February 25. The talks are expected to revolve around a ceasefire to end America's war in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.

The Syria conflict

A US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters is engaged in heavy clashes with Daesh terrorists to drive them out of their last pocket held in eastern Syria. A commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces said their fighters are blasting their way toward the terrorists’ positions in Dayr al-Zawr province. The SDF is backed by US airstrikes. At least 600 terrorists are still in the region. Hundreds of civilians are also believed to be trapped inside the operation zone. Daesh overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring a self-styled caliphate in areas it controlled. They are now holding up into a small area near the Iraqi border.