WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, March 31, 2019 to 0800 GMT, April 1, 2019.

Turkey politics

The Turkish president says his ruling AK party may have lost the mayoral race in Istanbul but has won many municipalities in the economic capital. Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that his party would address its shortcomings after the local elections. With over 99 percent of the votes counted in Ankara, the opposition CHP party’s mayoral candidate is leading by over three percent. In Istanbul, the ruling party’s candidate is in the lead by less than point-one percent with nearly all ballot boxes counted. Provincial council polls have also closed across Turkey and vote counting is underway. Overall, the AK party is leading its closest follower, CHP, by some fifteen percent.

Anti-US protests in Syria

Syrians have rallied in several provinces across the country to condemn the US decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. In Quneitra, protesters gathered in a number of districts to slam US President Donald Trump’s declaration. In the province of Damascus, demonstrators denounced the move void and senseless. They argued that Golan is a Syrian territory and will return to their motherland sooner or later. Similar protests were also held in Suwayda and Dayr al-Zawr provinces, where demonstrators condemned the US move as a violation of international law.

Spain protest

Thousands of people from Spain’s rural areas march through the capital Madrid to call for better public services. The protesters accused the government of treating rural people like second-class citizens. Protesters said many of the villages and small towns have not seen any improvement in infrastructure in the past years due to the areas’ depopulation. According to official statistics, around 62 percent of the residents of Spain’s villages left their homes for bigger cities from 2011 to 2017. This, as Spain's government announced on Friday its planned measures in rural areas to create quality life conditions and battle the lack of population.

Venezuela electricity rationing

The Venezuelan government has announced a plan for electricity rationing to tackle the prolonged blackouts across the nation. President Nicolas Maduro said the aim of the plan is to guarantee water service throughout the country. Earlier, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said the government will shut down schools and cut working hours in public and private institutions due to power outages. Venezuela has been grappling with massive blackouts over the past weeks. Caracas blames the problem on the United States and the opposition, accusing them of trying to sabotage the country’s electricity system. The South American Nation has been in a crisis since opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself as interim president.

Brexit impasse

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has warned that the European Union’s patience with the UK over Brexit could run out. Juncker urged a decision from London on Brexit within hours or days. The warning came as EU leaders look for ways to shield the bloc from the fallout of potential political chaos in Britain in the case of a no-deal Brexit. The EU has given the UK about another week to notify of the way forward. Juncker expressed hope that Britain will be able to reach an agreement that could be followed. He said a second Brexit referendum would have nothing to do with the EU and it’s just an issue for the British people.

Ukraine presidential vote

In Ukraine, partial results show that Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky has taken a strong lead in the first round of the presidential election. The results are based on a count of more than half the ballots. Zelenskiy has garnered around 30 percent of the vote, leading incumbent president Petro Poroshenko into the second round with 16.7 percent. This, as former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was knocked out with just a little over 14 percent. Opinion polls suggest that Zelensky, with no political experience, will win the second round. His supporters insist that only a brand new face can clean up what they call a political mess.

Iran marks Islamic Republic Day

Iran marks the 40th anniversary of the historic referendum that overthrew the monarchy of the US-backed Pahlavi regime in 1979. The vote, which was held less than sixty days from the victory of the Islamic Revolution, is considered a turning point in the modern history of Iran.

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