WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, March 14, 2018.

Eastern Ghouta evacuation

More than 300 people have left Syria’s Eastern Ghouta, where a government offensive is ongoing to take back the key district. That’s according to the Russian ceasefire monitoring center in Syria. The center said these people have left the flashpoint district through a humanitarian corridor. But, it did not specify their destination. The corridor was opened after the army launched the offensive to capture Eastern Ghouta more than three weeks ago. The region is the last stronghold of foreign-backed militants on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. The army, backed by Russian and Syrian air forces, has gained major ground against the militants. A UK-based monitoring group says the latest airstrikes have killed a dozen members of a militant group, including two of its commanders.

Bleak Saudi rights record

A prominent human rights organization has expressed concern about Saudi Arabia’s mistreatment and torture of detainees, amid an alleged anti-corruption crackdown in the Kingdom. HRW says the Saudi authorities use harsh punishment to elicit confessions from the defendants. The rights group has also reported the death of arrestees while in custody. According to the HRW, the alleged mistreatment of detainees is a heavy blow to Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman’s claims to be a modernizing reformist. Riyadh put behind bars dozens of royal figures, ministers, and businessmen last year. The Saudi regime claims the move is aimed at eliminating corruption. But critics say Riyadh seeks to bolster the power of bin Salman.

Death of a scientist

Renowned theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, has died at the age of 76 in the British city of Cambridge. The scientist was best known for his groundbreaking work on black holes and cosmology, and publishing several books, including ‘A Brief History of Time’. More details in the following report.

UK-Russia tensions

The blame game between Russia and Britain over the poisoning of a former spy enters higher level as London takes punitive measures against Moscow. Theresa May also said her government would seek new counter-intelligence and espionage powers from the parliament that would enable Britain in dealing with hostile activities of foreign states. She said the UK would also impose sanctions on Russia over its human rights record. According to the British premier, Russian state assets in the UK would be confiscated if they were used to threaten the lives of British nationals. Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in London has condemned the expulsion of its diplomats as a hostile, unacceptable and unjustified action. The UK-Russia relations soured following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter by a nerve agent. Moscow has denied any involvement in the case.

‘US partitioning Syria’

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has accused the United States of preparing the ground for disintegrating Syria. Lavrov said the US is establishing military bases in Syria in order to stay in the war-torn country permanently. Lavrov argued that the move is part of a plan to partition Syria. He noted that the US seeks to justify possible military action against the Syrian government by accusing Damascus of using chemical bombs in the militant-held district of Eastern Ghouta. The top diplomat said Russia will not allow the US to implement its plans for Syria. Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, has already warned that Moscow will respond if Washington strikes Damascus.

Merkel in power

Angela Merkel has officially taken the oath of office, launching her fourth-term as the German chancellor. This came after a parliamentary vote ended a nearly six-month political deadlock in Europe’s economic powerhouse. This will be Merkel’s last term in office. She was forced to form a coalition cabinet after her Christian Democratic Union suffered major losses in September’s elections. Merkel lost support of the voters after she opened Germany’s borders to refugees. More than a million asylum seekers have arrived in Germany since 2015. The country is also dealing with extreme xenophobic and far-right ideologies.

NATO UK support

The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting after the UK said it wants to update the Council on its investigation into an alleged Russian nerve agent attack in Britain. The UN said the 15-member Security Council will meet at 1900 GMT on Wednesday. European Union leaders will also discuss Russia's role in the attack when they meet British Prime Minister Theresa May next week. Earlier, EU Council President, Donald Tusk said they would wait to see what the UK does to penalize Moscow before considering their own measures against Russia. Meanwhile, the US-led NATO military alliance has urged Russia to answer UK’s questions on the poisoning of the former Russian double-spy in southwest England. NATO called the attack the first ever offensive use of a nerve agent on the alliance's territory. Russia has strongly denied involvement in the attack.

Syria confronting West plans

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to confront what he described as Western plans targeting the unity and sovereignty of his country. The president’s office also quoted Assad as saying that Syria’s war on terrorism will not cease as long as there is one terrorist left. The comments come as the Syrian army continues its fight against foreign-backed militants and terrorists in Eastern Ghouta. President Assad said earlier this month that the Eastern Ghouta offensive must continue as part of the fight against terrorism. The flash-point area, which is located ten-kilometers east of Damascus, has been used by terrorists to attack the Syrian capital.

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