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 31, 2017.

World condemns Israel

A group of Muslim countries have slammed Israel for Friday’s bloody crackdown on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip that left over a dozen people dead. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Zionist tyrants murdered peaceful Palestinians as they marched to escape their cruel and inhuman apartheid bondage. He said Tel Aviv has stolen Palestinian lands, calling Israel’s actions shameful. Iran’s foreign ministry has also released a statement, saying that the US and some regional countries’ support for Tel Aviv has emboldened the regime to increase attacks against Palestinians. Several other countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Iraq as well as the Arab League have blasted Tel Aviv. Israel has also come under fire at a UN Security Council meeting that was held over the situation.

Bahrain crackdown

Human Rights Watch has condemned Bahrain’s new repressive policies to track down activists for criticizing the government on social media. HRW says the Kingdom’s new measure to intensify restrictions on Internet communication is clearly aimed at anyone who criticizes the government’s policies. According to the rights group, the Manama regime’s actions have led to shrinking space for dissent. Last week, Bahrain’s interior ministry accused rights activists of spreading malicious rumors, saying the country will adopt severe measures to track down what it called disruptive social media accounts. Bahrain has been cracking down on pro-democracy protests since a popular uprising hit the Kingdom in early 2011.

China warns US

China has warned the United States over its new policy of protectionism and slammed Washington’s decision to impose tariffs on foreign goods. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said unilateral measures are against the trend of history and will go nowhere. He said protectionism equals shutting the door on China and the US will suffer the consequences. Wang Yi said it is important to work for reasonable solutions through equal consultations in line with laws and rules. Last week, US President Donald Trump announced up to 60 billion dollars in tariffs on some Chinese imports. Beijing has warned that it could retaliate with duties of up to 3 billion dollars on imports from the US.

Russian retaliation

Russia orders the expulsion of more British diplomats as the standoff over the poisoning of a former spy worsens. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, says London will have to take home a little over 50 of its diplomats. Russia has already retaliated in kind against Britain and ejected 23 UK diplomats. Zakharova says the Kremlin wants parity as Britain has 50 diplomats more than the Russians. On Friday, Moscow summoned the British Ambassador to Russia for a second time.

Palestinian day of mourning

Thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are holding funerals for those killed by Israeli troops during Friday’s Land Day rallies. Palestinians are observing a day of mourning over the killings. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths and injuries in Gaza. On Friday, Israeli troops killed at least 17 protesters and injured over 1,400 others in the coastal enclave. The protests dubbed the Great March of Return are going to last for six weeks until May 14 to coincide with Nakbah Day which marks the anniversary of Israel’s creation in the Middle East.

Searching Russian plane

Moscow says it will demand an official explanation from Britain for why a Russian airliner was searched at London’s Heathrow airport. The Russian Ministry of Transport says it wants to know what happened when the plane was subjected to a search on Friday. According to the ministry, the Kremlin will consider the search illegal if London gives no explanation. It added that Russia also reserves the right to take similar actions against British airlines. The incident follows tensions in relations between London and Moscow after Britain accused the Kremlin of being involved in the poisoning of a double agent in the UK. Russia denies any involvement in the incident.

Spying row fallout

US embassy employees have begun evacuating items from the American consulate in the Russian city of St. Petersburg amid a row over the poisoning of a former spy in the UK. People could be seen carrying bags and other belongings out of the consulate gates and loading them into cars. Moscow has also demanded the US diplomats leave Russia by April 5 in a retaliatory move against Washington. This comes in response to the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats by some western countries including the US. Moscow is accused of being behind the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain, a charge the Kremlin flatly denies.

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