WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, April 17, 2019 to 0800 GMT, April 18, 2019.

US sanctions policy

The US national security advisor announces new sanctions on Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, calling the Latin American nations “the stooges of socialism”. John Bolton made the announcement on the 58th anniversary of a US sponsored failed invasion of Cuba to overthrow its government. Bolton noted that Washington will tighten travel and trade restrictions against Havana. He said the new sanctions will target Cuba’s military and security services.

Yemen truce implementation

The UN Security Council has called on all parties in Yemen to immediately withdraw their forces from the key port of Hudaydah. In a unanimous statement, the council warned it will monitor the compliance of all sides with a deal to withdraw from the port city. The statement also expressed deep concern that the agreement, struck four months ago, has yet to be implemented. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to brief the Security Council on whether the warring sides are upholding their commitments. In December, a ceasefire deal was reached between Ansarullah fighters and forces loyal to Yemen’s Saudi-backed former regime. In February, the United Nations announced a two-stage pullback deal from Hudaydah. However, the agreement failed to materialize.

Portugal bus crash

A bus accident on the Portuguese island of Madeira has left at least 29 people dead and 22 more injured. Officials announced that all the victims were German tourists. The white tourist bus overturned in a residential area in the coastal town of Canico. Following the incident, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa sent a message of condolences to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Madeira is a popular tourist destination.

Iran Army Day

Iran’s president says the United States and the Israeli regime are the root cause of problems in the Middle East region. Hassan Rouhani underlined that Washington and Tel Aviv wouldn’t like to see stability, security and brotherhood in the region. He also lashed out at the United States’ military intervention in some regional countries as well as its crimes in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. President Rouhani also slammed Washington’s designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Gurads Corps, the IRGC, as a terrorist organization. He said the IRGC along with other divisions of the Iranian Armed Forces have played a key role in fighting terrorism in the region. He added that Iran's armed forces are stronger than ever. The Iranian president also said American leaders are “engulfed in delusions”. President Rouhani made the comments in a ceremony marking National Army Day.

‘Immoral’ sanctions

Venezuela’s president has condemned his US counterpart’s sanction policy after Washington announced new embargos on several Latin American countries. Maduro added the White House has stolen 30 billion dollars from the people of Venezuela. He also accused the US president of having a fatal obsession against Venezuela. Earlier, the US national security advisor announced new sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, calling the Latin American nations “the stooges of socialism”. John Bolton said Washington has decided to add the Venezuelan Central Bank to the list of Venezuelan institutions under the US embargo. The senior US official accused the bank of plundering Venezuela's assets and promoting corruption.

North Korea weapon test

North Korea has carried out its first public weapons test-fire since the collapse of the second summit with the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch and hailed the development as of “very weighty significance”. North Korean media described it as a new tactical guided weapon that enjoys a peculiar mode of guiding flight and a powerful warhead. The media, however, did not say whether the weapon was a missile. In February, Kim and US President Donald Trump ended their meeting with no agreement on Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Last week, Kim said he was open to talks with Trump only if Washington changed its attitude.

Indonesia election

Indonesian authorities warn against protests as opposition leader Prabowo Subianto rejects unofficial results of Wednesday’s presidential election. Indonesian national police chief said there will be action against any move that threatens public stability and security. He also warned of arrests. Unofficial results suggest that incumbent President Joko Widodo will win the race. The unofficial results come from a series of so-called quick counts by pollsters, and have been reliable indicators in the past elections. President Widodo has refrained from claiming victory. However, Subianto claimed victory based on the quick counts. The official results of the one-day poll are not due until next month. More than 190 million Indonesians were eligible to cast their ballot in Wednesday's election. They also voted for some 20,000 local and national lawmakers.

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