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 24, 2017.

Damascus shelled

Foreign-backed militants have carried out a fresh mortar attack on the Syrian capital, Damascus. At least one child was killed and several others injured. It is the latest in a series of mortar attacks on the Syrian capital. Scores of civilians have been killed by militant shelling in Damascus over the past months. This comes as Syrian government forces have gained control over 90 percent of Eastern Ghouta which is used as a launching pad for the mortar attacks. The region is ten kilometers away from the center of Damascus.

Saudis sponsoring terror

Iran has condemned the Saudi foreign minister’s latest accusations against the Islamic Republic. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has described Adel al-Jubeir’s remarks as hypocritical and unfounded. He said Saudi Arabia is the main sponsor of terrorism and is to blame for instability in the Middle East and beyond. Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Jubeir said Iran is the source of terrorism in the Middle East and accused Tehran of intervening in the internal affairs of regional countries. He also called the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers a flawed agreement.

Saudi Yemen war

Saudi Arabia has carried out multiple airstrikes on Yemen, causing more deaths and destruction in the impoverished nation. At least six people, including children were killed and several others injured after Saudi warplanes repeatedly hit a farm in Beit al-Faqeeh directorate in Hudaydah province. Two Yemenis were killed and two others sustained injuries in yet another raid targeting a vehicle in the directorate of Razeh in Sa’ada province. Saudi Arabia, along with some of its regional allies, has been pounding Yemen since March 2015. The aggression has claimed the lives of nearly 14,000 people, mostly civilians. The war has drawn widespread condemnation from international human rights and aid groups.

Egypt bomb blast

At least two people have been killed in a car bomb explosion in northern Egypt. Initial reports indicate that one of the victims was a policeman. The explosive device was planted underneath a vehicle near a security convoy in Alexandria. Four others were also injured in the blast that hit the country’s second largest city. Egypt’s interior ministry says Alexandria's security chief was the target of the assault. Police and military personnel have cordoned off the area to conduct further investigation. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the fatal incident.

Anti-gun violence rallies

Students have poured into the streets of several US cities, including Washington DC to protest lax gun laws. The move comes in the aftermath of the Florida school shooting that claimed 17 lives. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, including teachers and parents, have gathered for the March-for-Our-Lives rally in the US capital. Similar rallies are being held in other cities. The student activists aim to convince US lawmakers to enact stricter gun laws. They want the expansion of background checks to cover all gun purchases and a ban on assault rifles. Ahead of the marches, parents of the victims of the school shooting in Parkland made emotional calls for action. Since the massacre in February, Congress has only made modest moves on the issue. President Donald Trump has proposed arming teachers at classrooms which drew widespread condemnation.

Catalan crisis

The Catalan parliament speaker suspends a vote to elect jailed candidate Jordi Turull as the region’s new leader. Turull and four other leading separatist Catalan officials were sent to pre-trial jail on Friday. Torrent’s speech was met by an ovation from other pro-independence lawmakers. The Spanish government had earlier warned that the vote should not take place. Following his announcement, Torrent proposed that each of the parliamentary groups offer their position regarding the suspension of the vote for the election of the next Catalan leader. Leader of the opposition Citizen’s Party, Ines Arrimadas, took the podium to slam the pro-independence lawmakers for their prolonged spat with Madrid over independence.

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