WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, March 9, 2019.

Israel Gaza attacks

The Israeli navy has opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the Gaza Strip. No casualties have been reported so far. The attack came a day after Israel launched several airstrikes in Gaza, claiming they were in response to a projectile launched from the besieged territory. Tel Aviv bombards Gaza on an almost daily basis, under similar pretexts. Israel has intensified its aerial and ground attacks in parallel with weekly anti-occupation protests that have been held at the so-called buffer zone since last March. The protests are part of the Great March of Return rallies to demand the right to return for the Palestinians driven out of their homeland. Over 250 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured since then.

France protests

France’s yellow vest protesters are set to hold new anti-government rallies across the country later in the day. This weekend marks the seventeenth straight week of demonstrations by the yellow vests. The protesters were first critical of the government’s planned fuel tax hikes. But, they later demanded the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron over his economic policies. The protesters accuse him of favoring the rich over the poor. Macron has made some concessions to the protesters. But, he has so far defied calls to step down. The rallies have continued, despite a crackdown by police who are accused of brutality against the yellow vests. Paris has rejected a United Nations’ call for a full inquiry into the allegations.

Venezuela power cut

Venezuela has put the blame on Washington for the crippling blackout that virtually plunged the entire South American country into darkness on Thursday. The Communications Minister said the government will put forward a complaint along with evidence to all international organizations. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has also accused the United States of masterminding the massive power outage. He dismissed the move as “criminal aggression” aimed at destabilizing the administration of President Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, the country has begun restoring electricity following the outage which had forced the authorities to shut schools and suspend working hours. The blackout which began on Thursday just before the nightfall had brought the country to a standstill.

Iran-Pakistan ties

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on Pakistan to take a decisive action against terrorists operating against Tehran from within the Pakistani territory. Rouhani, in a phone conversation with the Pakistani premier, said Tehran and Islamabad must not allow terrorist attacks affect the two countries’ decades-long relations. Rouhani said Iran and Pakistan must fend off the efforts made by some countries to create division between the two nations. He stressed that any continuation of terrorist activities in Pakistan endangers bilateral relations. Imran Khan, for his part, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of February’s deadly terrorist attack in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province. He pledged that Pakistan will give a firm response to the terrorists in the foreseeable future.

Israel atrocity

Palestinians have laid to rest the body of a man killed by Israeli forces during rallies in the Gaza Strip on Friday. Israeli troops shot and killed 23-year-old Taamer Arafaat after they opened fire on Palestinian protesters rallying near the so-called buffer zone. The rally was part of a weekly protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. The protesters also call for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The demonstrations, dubbed the Great March of Return rallies, started on March 30 last year. Since then, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many others.

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