WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, April 15, 2019 to 0800 GMT, April 16, 2019.

US policy on North Korea 

The United States has brushed aside North Korea’s demand for future talks on Pyongyang’s denuclearization. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had asked US President Donald Trump for more flexibility in nuclear talks by year-end. He had also expressed his desire for another summit with Trump IF he comes with the right attitude. On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Kim should keep his promise to abandon his nuclear activities. Trump and Kim have met twice since last year, but failed to reach a plausible agreement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Washington blames the failure of talks on the North's demands for sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament. Pyongyang says it only wants some of the sanctions eased.

Venezuela's reaction to Canada

Venezuela has accused Canada of backing what it calls the US war adventure after Ottawa imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan officials. Venezuela's Foreign Ministry says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invalidated Canada as a reliable actor in dialogue by imposing sanctions. Canada has just added 43 more top members of President Nicolas Maduro's government to its blacklist. It has blamed those targeted for the deterioration of the situation in the South American country. Canada had previously imposed sanctions on 70 Venezuelan officials. In recent months, several western countries have followed the United States in imposing economic sanctions on Venezuela as part of a pressure campaign to oust the Maduro government. Meanwhile, a regional bloc of mostly Latin American countries, known as the Lima group, has called on foreign security and intelligence forces to leave Venezuela.

Climate change concern

Thousands of environmental activists have blocked iconic locations in the British capital London to demand action on climate change. The protesters paralyzed commuting on Waterloo Bridge, Marble Arch, and Oxford Circus. The demonstrations were organized by a British climate group, Extinction Rebellion and are expected to expand to over thirty other countries over the coming days. The group has warned its members that some of them could be arrested for taking part in what it described as non-violent civil disobedience. Some of the protesters admitted the road-blocking move was inconveniencing but they said they took part in the campaign to prevent a tragic future.

UNSC condemns Taliban

The United Nations Security Council has condemned the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan for announcing a spring offensive. In a unanimous statement, the council said the Taliban's announcement will only result in more suffering and destruction for the Afghan people. It called on all parties to instead seize the opportunity to begin talks to reach a political settlement. The Taliban launched attacks near the northern city of Kunduz and in Kabul on Saturday, hours after announcing the start of the spring offensive. At least nine people were killed in those attacks. Taliban militants also launched raids on a district in western Baghdis province, leaving over thirty government forced dead.

Notre-Dame cathedral on fire

French firefighters have put out a huge fire that broke out at the famed Notre Dame cathedral in central Paris. The fire caused the roof and the main spire of the cathedral to collapse. The cause of the blaze was not immediately confirmed, but the Paris prosecutor’s office says it has launched an inquiry into the incident. Police sources say they are working on the assumption for now that the blaze was accidental. According to the French fire department, around 400 firefighters tried to put out the flames and could save the main structure and two towers of the cathedral. One firefighter sustained serious injuries during the operation. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild the Cathedral.

New Hudaydah plan

The UN envoy for Yemen says the Ansarallah movement and the former Yemeni government have agreed on a military plan to pull back from the flashpoint port of Hudaydah. Griffiths was briefing the Security Council by video link from Amman. He said the agreement was reached in negotiations between the parties and a UN team that monitors a ceasefire deal in Sweden in December. Griffiths said the agreement is the first step in reaching peace in the entire Yemen.

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