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 26, 2017.

Saudi war on Yemen

A sea of demonstrators has poured into the streets of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, to mark the third anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s war on the impoverished nation. The protesters chanted slogans against the Saudi aggression. They also emphasized their will to resist and safeguard the country’s dignity in the face of the Kingdom’s continued aerial bombardments. The Saudi monarchy launched its military campaign against Yemen in 2015. The onslaught has so far killed over 14,300 people. In addition to civilian casualties, the conflict has also triggered a set of deadly humanitarian crises, including cholera and diphtheria epidemics. Millions of malnourished Yemeni children are teetering between life and death. Yemen’s infrastructure has also been reduced to rubble.

Egypt presidential vote

Egyptians are voting in a presidential election which is set to deliver an easy win for incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the absence of any serious challenger. Security is tight in and around polling stations as voters are choosing between Sisi and little-known politician, Moussa Mustafa Moussa. The government has called on the 60 million eligible voters to participate in the polls. Authorities hope for a large turnout to enhance the vote's legitimacy since Sisi’s opponents were sidelined. The former army chief won his first term in 2014, a year after he ousted his predecessor Mohamed Morsi. Opposition figures have called for a boycott of the election, citing intimidation by the authorities. Official results are expected on April 2.

Russia deadly fire

The death toll from a major fire at a shopping mall in the Russian city of Kemerovo has climbed to 64. The fire broke out at one of the mall’s cinema halls on Sunday afternoon when the shopping center was packed with people. The cause of the deadly fire is still unknown but an investigation is underway to determine the source of the incident. Kemerovo is a coal-mining center in Siberia and lies some 3,600 kilometers east of the capital Moscow.

Israeli PM scandal

Police has questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of secret dealings with an Israeli telecommunication company. Netanyahu is accused of awarding regulatory favors to Bezeq Telecom Israel in return for positive coverage on a news site the giant controls. According to Israeli media, Netanyahu's wife and son will also be questioned regarding the case. The prime minister is being investigated in three separate corruption cases. Police have already recommended that Netanyahu be charged with bribery in the two other cases which involve accepting payoffs and receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors. The attorney general has yet to make a decision whether to press ahead with formal charges against the premier. Netanyahu maintains his innocence, saying he has committed no wrongdoing.

Sino-US frictions

China has urged the United States to stop threatening Beijing by the recent tariffs levied on Chinese imports. A China Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says Washington has to stop economic intimidation and hegemony. Hua Chunying made the comment in reaction to recent remark by US Vice President Mike Pence who said “the era of economic surrender is over”. She added that China has the confidence and capacity to safeguard its legitimate and legal interests. Chunying, however, stressed that Beijing is willing to negotiate with Washington to resolve the dispute. China and the US have been engaged in a war of words and tit-for-tat measures over Washington’s new tariffs on Chinese imports.

Russian diplomats expelled

In a tit-for-tat move, Russia says it will expel 60 US diplomats following a similar action by Washington over the poisoning of a former double agent in the UK. The Russian ambassador to Washington said that the US decision was wrongful and was destroying what little remained of US-Russian ties. Fourteen members of European Union including France, Germany and Poland have also decided to expel some Russian diplomats over the poisoning issue. Moscow said it will respond to the measure taken by the EU in the coming days. Former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve gas in Britain earlier in March. Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement in the incident.

Brexit deal

The British prime minister says her government will give the parliament a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal it negotiated with the European Union. Theresa May’s spokesman says the parliament can choose to either accept the divorce agreement or the UK will leave the EU without a deal. The opposition Labour Party wants the parliament to have the final say on the government’s Brexit agreement. The party also seeks to give the parliament more options by amending the legislation that will formally end Britain's EU membership by next March. The options include a return to Brussels for fresh talks.

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