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 28, 2017.

Call for political solution

The United Nations has called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as the Saudi aggression against the Arab country enters its fourth year. In a meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, Antonio Guterres urged Riyadh to seek political solution to the crisis in Yemen, stressing that a humanitarian solution is not enough for resolving a humanitarian problem. Guterres noted that the United Nations is at the Kingdom’s disposal to end the suffering of the Yemeni people. The Saudi all-out aggression against Yemen started in March 2015. Since then, over 14,000 people, including women and children, have been killed. Rights groups have repeatedly raised concern over the number of civilian casualties as a result of the Saudi war.

Syria situation

The Syrian army is preparing to launch a major operation against militants in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta as a new round of evacuations is expected to take place. According to Syrian media, the army forces deployed in Eastern Ghouta are preparing for a huge military offensive in the town of Douma unless the Jaish al-Islam terrorists hand over the area. Meanwhile, the army is also preparing to start the evacuation of another batch of militants along with their families from the war-stricken region. The evacuees will then be taken to the northwestern province of Idlib. Over 128,000 people have so far left Eastern Ghouta since a Russia-brokered truce came into effect between the Syrian army and militants in late February.

Retaliatory response

Chinese media say Beijing is going to soon announce a list of retaliatory tariffs on US exports to China. The move comes to counter an expected announcement from the United States of proposed new tariffs on Chinese imports. Trade tensions between the two countries flared up last week after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China. He also announced plans for tariffs on up to 60 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese goods. The developments indicate a possible trade war could break out between the world's two largest economies.

US North Korea policy

US President Donald Trump says the policy of pressure and sanctions against North Korea will continue whatever the cost. In a tweet, Trump said China’s president has informed him the meeting between Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un went very well. The US president cites his Chinese counterpart as saying Kim is eager to meet with Trump. This week’s meeting between the Chinese and the North Korean leaders was the first since Kim took power in 2011. Chinese officials have reportedly pledged the visiting Korean leader that they will help Pyongyang in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

NATO Russia rift

The Turkish president says Ankara has no plans to follow its NATO and EU allies and expel Russian diplomats following the poisoning of a double spy in the UK. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey cannot make such a decision just because some countries took a step based on an allegation. On Monday, the Turkish deputy prime minister also stressed that his country will not act against Russia. Turkey’s foreign minister has however said it’s opposed to the use of chemical agents. Austria has also refused to expel Russian diplomats.

Israel Gaza attacks

Israel has carried out a fresh attack on the besieged Gaza Strip. The Israeli army says its tanks shelled two observation posts of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in Gaza’s north. Tel Aviv says the raid was conducted after two Palestinian men set fire to a platform near the security fence surrounding the coastal enclave. Earlier, soldiers detained three Palestinians for “infiltrating into Israel from the Gaza Strip”. Meanwhile, Palestinians are preparing for a major anti-Israeli protest later on Friday. The Israeli military has deployed more than 100 sharpshooters on the Gaza border ahead of the rally.

Call for regional talks

The Iranian president says Iran and Azerbaijan agree that regional crises must be resolved through political channels. Hassan Rouhani made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku. He also said Iran and Azerbaijan are determined to strengthen their cooperation and boost bilateral ties. For his turn, Aliyev hailed the signing of the agreements, saying the two countries will also boost bilateral cooperation in military and security sectors. The comments come after Tehran and Baku signed memorandums of understanding in the field of oil and energy.

Puigdemont political fate

Catalonia’s parliament has reaffirmed its support for detained ex-president Carles Puigdemont as well as other imprisoned separatist leaders. The leader of Catalonia’s pro-independence party, CUP, also called on parliament to hold a plenary session to elect Puigdemont as president. Puigdemont was arrested on Sunday after crossing into Germany from Denmark. He awaits a German ruling on his extradition to Spain. The Spanish Supreme Court ruled on Friday to try Puigdemont and 24 other Catalan leaders for alleged rebellion, embezzlement and disobeying the state for holding a referendum on independence in Catalonia in October. The court reactivated international arrest warrants for Puigdemont and four other Catalan politicians who went into self-imposed exile last year.

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