WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, March 23, 2019 to 0800 GMT, March 24, 2019.

Gas attack in Syria

Foreign-backed militants in Syria have launched a chemical attack on Hama province. The Syrian army says terrorists shelled al-Rasif village in Hama’s northern countryside. They used toxic gasses in their attack. At least 21 civilians have been injured so far. Doctors say most of those admitted to hospitals have breathing problems and blurred vision. In the past several years, militants have launched dozens of chemical attacks in Syria. Damascus has called on the United Nations to take action in this regard.

US ‘assassination plot’ against Maduro

The Venezuelan president has accused the United States of orchestrating and opposition leader Juan Guaido of directing an assassination plot to take his life. Maduro said Washington used frozen Venezuelan funds to bankroll mercenaries for carrying out the operation. He warned the US against meddling in Venezuela’s politics and internal affairs. Maduro made the remarks in an address to thousands of his supporters in the capital Caracas. The Latin American country has been engulfed in political turmoil for months amid a power struggle between Maduro and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido. On Thursday, Venezuela’s security forces arrested Guaido’s chief of staff for heading a terrorist cell. The government said the top aide was planning attacks against the country’s high-level figures.

Algeria rally

Hundreds of Algerian lawyers have staged a protest rally in the capital Algiers to demand President Abdelaziz Bouteflika immediately step down. The protesters shouted anti-government slogans including “regime out” and “we are fed up with this regime”. They also carried signs that read “respect the will of the people” and “no to foreign interference”.

Thailand election

Voting is underway in Thailand’s first general election since the military ousted an elected government in a 2014 coup. More than seven million Thais are eligible to cast their ballots. The voters’ turnout is expected to be high since the last time people participated in a poll was in 2011. They will elect 500 members for the lower house of parliament. Under the constitution, a 250-seat senate or upper house is appointed by the military. For years, Thailand has been struggling with political instability. This election is tipped as a contest between pro-military parties and allies of former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra who was also ousted in 2006.

Cyclone Idai's heavy toll  

The death toll from cyclone Idai that has ravaged parts of southern Africa continues to climb. The latest figure stands at 732. Over 400 people have died in Mozambique, while nearly 260 others perished in Zimbabwe. In Malawi 56 people lost their lives in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone. The category-2 storm made landfall last Thursday, triggering heavy flooding and trapping people on rooftops and trees. Rescue missions are still underway for possible survivors. Aid agencies have rushed to help as food and drinking water remain scarce. Officials are warning about more flooding in the coming days.

Israeli attacks on Gaza

A young Palestinian man has succumbed to injuries he had sustained in Israeli fire on protesters in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza health ministry, 24-year-old Habib al-Mesri died in a hospital. He was among three protesters injured on Saturday night. Israeli forces have killed over 260 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. Meanwhile, the Israeli military says its warplanes hit Gaza early on Sunday, targeting a position of the resistance group, Hamas. It says the attack was in response to the launching of inflammable balloons toward Israel.

Deadly US airstrikes in Afghanistan

The US military has carried out fresh airstrikes in Afghanistan’s northern province of Kunduz. Nearly a dozen civilians were killed in the airstrikes, which targeted residential areas in Taloka district. Eyewitnesses say women were among the dead. The US confirmed the deadly air raid, and said it was carried out following a suspected case of insider attack. Stricken by frequent militant attacks, Afghanistan has been the scene of deadly ground and air strikes by foreign forces. Civilian casualties have been a controversial issue ever since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Morocco clashes  

Moroccan police have clashed with teachers staging a protest rally in the capital, Rabat, to demand better work conditions. Police used water cannon to disperse the demonstrators, who had gathered outside parliament. Protesters planned to spend the night there before staging a bigger demonstration called by leftist opposition parties, unions and civil society groups. However, police in anti-riot gear moved into action after they refused to leave the area. Teachers were chanting “liberty, dignity, social justice.” Some demonstrators said they were protesting against temporary contracts on which they had been hired. They were all demanding full benefits and pensions like regular public servants.

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