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 19, 2017.

Trade warning

Dozens of US trade associations have wrote a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to halt his planned tariffs on Chinese imports. The letter was signed by 48 trade groups such as Apple, Walmart and Nike. It says that the imposition of steep tariffs would trigger a chain reaction and incur negative consequences for the US economy. The groups argued that unilateral US tariff measures would only serve to split Washington from its allies. They added that US officials should work with like-minded partners to address common concerns with China’s trade and investment policies. Recently, Trump announced sweeping tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. Outraged by the announcement, America’s trading partners have pledged to retaliate.

No EU Iran sanctions

The European Union Foreign Policy chief says Europe has no plans to impose more sanctions on Iran. Mogherini made the comment upon arrival for an EU foreign ministerial meeting in Brussels. Her remarks follow rumors that the EU intends to impose sanctions on Iran over its missile program in order to keep the United States in the 2015 nuclear deal. US President Donald Trump has vowed to withdraw from the accord unless what he calls fatal flaws in the deal are addressed. Washington has reneged on its commitments under the agreement on numerous occasions. However, Iran has announced repeatedly that it has remained fully committed to its obligations. Tehran says it reserves the right to reciprocate if the other signatories withdraw from the deal.

Putin re-election

Russian President Vladimir Putin has won his fourth term in office in a landslide re-election victory, extending his rule for another six years over the world’s largest country. Putin received nearly 77 percent of the votes. This is his best-ever performance in elections for the top post. The latest figures put the voter turnout at 67 percent. In a victory speech on the Red Square in Moscow, Putin thanked his supporters and called for national unity.

Israeli demolition plan

Israeli forces are set to raze the home of a Palestinian who is accused of killing a settler in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds. Troops plan to demolish the West Bank home of Abdul Rahmani Faddal a day after Israeli soldiers shot him dead over the purported stabbing attack on the settler. Israeli forces regularly demolish homes of Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis. International bodies and human rights groups have repeatedly said that the Israeli demolitions are actually aimed at uprooting Palestinians from their land and expropriating more territory for the illegal settlement expansion. Both the settlements and the demolitions have grown exponentially after US President Donald Trump took office in January last year.

UK-Russia row

Moscow says London should apologize or back up with evidence, its claim that Russia was behind the poisoning a former spy in Britain. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the UK allegations as groundless, slanderous and “difficult to explain”. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also described the allegation that Moscow was behind the attack as preposterous. But Britain on Monday once again blamed Russia for the attack and criticized Moscow’s denial of involvement.

Brexit deal

The European Union and Britain have made a breakthrough in Brexit talks by reaching an agreement on the draft text of the divorce deal. Under the deal, the transition period will last for two years after Britain’s departure in March 2019. The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michael Barnier says a final decision still needs to be taken and much work remains to be done on important issues such as the border between Ireland and the Northern Ireland. The UK’s Brexit Minister David Davis also hailed the progress made during the past few days.

Turkey Syria offensive

Over 200,000 people who have fled a Turkish military incursion in Syria’s Afrin region are living in dire humanitarian conditions. Kurdish officials say the displaced have no access to shelter, food and water. Many are sleeping in cars or even under trees with their children. The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for greater access to the civilian population in the region. The humanitarian group says the Turkish Red Crescent working in Afrin lacks credibility among locals.

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