WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, February 27, 2018.

Syria humanitarian pause

The Russian military says terrorists in Syria’s eastern Ghouta are blocking civilian evacuations by raining the route out of the area with mortar shells. The military said not a single civilian has been able to leave the area after a five-hour humanitarian pause by the Syrian army started this morning. This is while, Jaish al-Islam Takfiri terrorists, who are stationed in the Damascus suburb denied the shelling. Syrian authorities have dispatched buses and ambulances Wafideen refugee camp outside Eastern Ghouta to evacuate civilians and the injured. The daily pause came into effect at nine AM. It is aimed at creating a safe passage for hundreds of civilians taken hostage by terrorists in the Damascus suburb.

Americans not happy with Congress

In the United States, a new opinion poll reveals that 85-percent of Americans are not happy with the country’s Congress. The poll was published by the Associated Press-NORC Center. It suggests that the majority of Americans feel most members of Congress, irrespective of being Democrat or Republican, are in fact catering to the influential lobbyists and not the people. The survey, conducted between February 15 and 19, also found that the American public’s disapproval of the poor performance by the Congressmen on the Capitol Hill is not the result of Donald Trump’s presidency.

‘Terrorists violating Syria truce’

Russia blames foreign-backed militants who are holed up in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta for violating the ceasefire. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says there is no deal with some of the militant groups in East Ghouta and they should voluntarily leave the area. The top diplomat added that the five-hour daily humanitarian pause has come into force since Tuesday and humanitarian passages will be used to deliver aid to local people. The Kremlin has also announced that the future of Syria’s 30-day ceasefire depends on the actions of militants in Eastern Ghouta. Spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskof, noted that not even one single civilian has left the war-stricken suburb of Damascus as there is intense fire from the militants' side.

‘Defeat for US’

Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs has reacted to a sanctions committee report of the UN Security Council against Tehran and called it biased. Abbas Araqchi has said Russia’s vetoing of the Security Council resolution against Iran over Yemen was another failure for the United States.

Brexit Scottish hurdle

Scotland’s First Minister says the Scottish Parliament would not agree to London’s planned Brexit deal with the European Union. Nicola Sturgeon says the exit bill would undermine the whole foundation on which the UK devolution system is built. On Monday, the British government said it expected to reach an agreement with the devolved nations on how power would be shared after Brexit. Scottish authorities however criticized the terms of the agreement, saying the government is trying to use the issue of Brexit in order to take control of devolved powers without the consent of the parliament in Edinburg. London needs a deal before the summer in order to pass the EU exit bill in the national parliament.

Nigeria insurgency

Boko Haram terrorists have killed two soldiers and injured four others in Nigeria's northeast. The soldiers were ambushed by terrorists in Borno state during an army operation in the Lake Chad region. Nigeria's military claims it has rescued more than eleven hundred people in its Monday operation. Abuja’s government has been under growing public pressure since the terror group abducted one-hundred and ten girls from a school northeast of the country last week. Four years ago more than two hundred girls were taken away from a school in Chibok in the same region.

Brexit fallout

British trade minister Liam Fox has warned that staying in a customs union with the European Union after Brexit would leave the UK in a worse position. Fox called the prospect a sellout of Britain’s national interests. He said a customs union would remove the bulk of incentives for other countries to enter into comprehensive free trade agreements with the UK. Fox also noted that Britain should focus on opportunities outside the EU. The trade minister added that 57 percent of Britain’s exports of goods and services now go outside of the EU, compared with 44 percent in 2005. Britain’s Tory government is under heavy pressure by those who have voted to leave the EU. Theresa May's government says Brexit is a complex process which avoids a bad deal with the EU. Some others say the EU is ITSELF desperate to have a deal with the UK.

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