WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, March 22, 2019.

Syria slams US's Golan move

Syria has condemned the US president’s decision to support Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The Foreign Ministry in a statement described Donald Trump’s move as “irresponsible”. It also said that the Golan Heights will remain Arabian and Syrian regardless of the US president’s recent remarks. The statement also noted that the Syrian people are determined to recover the strategic plateau through “all available means.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi has also criticized the US decision.

New Zealand terror attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a global fight against Islamophobia. Erdogan made the comments during an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul. The meeting was called by Turkey to discuss last week’s New Zealand mosque attacks. The increasing violence based on Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia is other key issue of the summit. Foreign ministers of the OIC members, the representatives of the United Nations and the European Union have been invited for the Istanbul meeting. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters is also in attendance.

US fatalities in Afghanistan

The NATO-led mission in Kabul says two US soldiers have been killed in clashes with militants in Afghanistan. In a statement, the mission said the American soldiers lost their lives while conducting an operation. There's no words on the location where the fighting took place. The war in Afghanistan has killed thousands of NATO troops, most of them Americans, since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001. Last year, the US president vowed to take a harsher stance in America’s so-called war on terror in Afghanistan. There are currently about 14,000 US service members in Afghanistan.

Zarif slams US over Golan move  

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has lashed out at the US president for voicing support over Israel’s claim for the occupied Golan Heights. In his twitter account, Zarif said that Donald Trump is trying to give what is not his to Israel citing Jerusalem al-Quds and the Golan Heights. Many countries from across the world have also slammed Trump’s move. The European Union said it does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights. Germany said Israel's annexation of Golan is invalid under UN resolution. Russia called the move a direct violation of UN decision. Syria called Trump’s decision irresponsible and said that the territory will remain Arabian and Syrian regardless of the US president’s recent remarks. The Arab League, Egypt and Turkey also expressed support for Syria's territorial integrity. Israel occupied parts of Syria’s Golan Heights in 1967. The United Nations does not recognize the area as Israeli territory.

UN's anti-Israel resolution  

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution condemning Israel’s violation of the international humanitarian law and human rights of Palestinian protesters in Gaza. The resolution slammed what it described as Israel’s apparent intentional use of unlawful lethal and other excessive force against Palestinians. It also called for all perpetrators of violations in the besieged strip to face justice in international court. The resolution was brought to the council by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Israeli forces have killed over 250 Palestinians since Gazans launched their weekly protests as part of a campaign, dubbed the Great March of Return, in March last year. The protesters demand an end to the Israeli occupation and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.

China protests US sanctions

China has lodged a diplomatic protest to the US over sanctions on its firms related to North Korea. The Foreign Ministry Spokesman added that China has consistently enforced all UN resolutions on North Korea. On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on two Chinese shipping companies for allegedly helping Pyongyang evade sanctions. This was the first such step since the collapse of second summit in Vietnam between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last month.

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