Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, February 8, 2019.

 

Khashoggi murder report

The US government has been accused of breaking the law by ignoring a congressional deadline for it to report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Lawmakers reacted angrily after the administration of President Donald Trump hinted that it will skip February 8 deadline to submit the report. The White House signaled on Friday that it has yet to make a decision on imposing sanctions on those responsible for the murder of the dissident Saudi journalist. Senior officials on Capitol Hill say the government’s refusal on the matter has underscored the need to get to the bottom of what motivates the Trump foreign policy. Some lawmakers also denounced Trump’s discretion on the issue, saying missing the congressional deadline equals breaking the law. Lawmakers are clamoring for a strong response to Khashoggi’s murder despite President Trump’s lackluster response to the case.

Venezuela political crisis

China has called for peaceful talks to find a solution to the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. The Chinese foreign ministry stressed every issue related to Venezuela must be resolved by its own people and within the framework of the country’s constitution. Separately, the European Union-backed International Contact Group on Venezuela said forceful intervention could aggravate the crisis in the Latin American country. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has time and again invited the opposition leader to negotiate with the government. However, Juan Guaido has not responded to Maduro’s call for dialogue yet.

Italy-France row

A diplomatic row between France and Italy has deepened, with Paris complaining of “unfounded attacks and outlandish claims” by Italian leaders. It comes after the Italian deputy prime minister met French "yellow-vest" protesters on Tuesday.

Brexit fallout

The Dutch government says 250 companies plan to move their operations from Britain to the Netherlands ahead of London’s departure from the European Union on March 29. The Dutch ministry of economy added that 42 companies and some 2,000 jobs have already left the UK for the Netherlands. It said most firms are British, but some are American or Asian businesses reconsidering their European branch structures. These companies are said to be dealing with finance, media and advertising, health and logistics. Earlier, the German government also announced that several major banks have decided to move their headquarters from London to Frankfurt before the Brexit deadline.

France protests

Violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters in the French capital have led to multiple casualties on both sides. Several demonstrators suffered grave injuries with one protester losing a hand as police in riot gear used tear gas and flash balls to disperse the crowd. Some police officers also got wounded with rocks and smoke grenades thrown back at them by the angry protesters. Anti-government demonstrators also took to the streets in other cities, including Bordeaux and Toulouse. The French government says around 2,000 people have been injured since yellow vest protests began last November. At least four protesters have sustained serious eye injuries as the weekly rallies have turned into a protest against police brutality. The protests are held against President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies, which the protesters see as favoring the rich.

Arab countries’ public debt

The International Monetary Fund warns of rapidly increasing public debt in Arab countries since the 2008 global financial crisis. The IMF managing director said the public debt, particularly among oil importing Arab nations, rose from 64 percent to 85 percent of their gross domestic product in the last decade. Christine Lagarde added there was also some 20 percent rise in public debt among oil exporting Arab countries. She noted that the economic outlook for these countries is highly uncertain and challenging. The IMF last month lowered its growth forecasts for Saudi Arabia due to a renewed fall in oil prices, low output and geopolitical tensions.

US Syria airstrike

The US-led coalition has once again launched a deadly airstrike on Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr. At least three civilians were killed and a number of others were wounded in the attack. The airstrikes targeted al-Tayyaneh town in Dayr al-Zawr’s eastern countryside. They also caused heavy material damage and remarkable destruction in the area. The US-led coalition regularly carries out airstrikes in some parts of Syria under the pretext of fighting Daesh terrorists. But reports on the ground indicate that civilians are the ones who bear the brunt of such attacks. The strikes lack authorization from the Syrian government and the United Nations.

Pal March funeral

Palestinians have laid to rest the bodies of two teenagers killed by Israeli fire on Friday. Troops shot dead 14-year-old Hassan Shalabi and 18-year-old Hamzah Mohammad during a protest in Gaza. The demonstration was held as part of the weekly Great March of Return rallies that started on March 30. The demonstrators have been calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and demanding that Palestinian refugees return to their homes. Since then, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as well as the occupied West Bank area.Source: presstv.com