WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 18:00 GMT, March 2, 2018 to 08:00 GMT, March 3, 2018.

US trade tariffs

The White House has stressed that President Donald Trump's plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will apply to all countries. A senior Trump administration official has been quoted as saying that no countries will be exempt from the tariffs. The official, however, said the White House will consider possible exemptions in situations that arise on a case-by-case basis. Meanwhile concerns are growing over a possible global trade war as a result of Trump's plan with the European Union raising the prospects of retaliatory measures against American brands. The World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund also joined a growing chorus opposing Trump's decision. The US' trading partners including Canada, Germany and France also slammed the planned tariffs.

Turkey crackdown continues

Turkey’s crackdown on suspected coup-plotters continues with hundreds of new arrest warrants. Turkish media say prosecutors have issued detention warrants for 154 people including navy officers. Judiciary authorities also seek to arrest dozens of sacked teachers and labor unionists in an operation to target supporters of US-based opposition figure Fethullah Gulen across the country. Turkey blames Gulen for masterminding the failed coup against President Rejep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2016. Ankara has purged tens of thousands of people from the police, the judiciary, the military and other state and non-governmental organizations since the putsch attempt. The move has sparked harsh criticism from international rights organizations.

Catalonia’s Puigdemont plan

The deposed president of Catalonia, who fled to Belgium in the wake of last October’s independence referendum, has pledged to govern the Spanish region in exile. Carles Puigdemont told the Guardian that he intends to preside over a government from Belgium and press ahead with his drive for independence. Puigdemont also said he will use a new Council of the Republic to coordinate and further the secessionist cause. Catalonia’s ousted leader noted that he will serve as the council's president, adding that the separatist parties’ victory in last December’s snap elections gave him the necessary legitimacy. Puigdemont made the remarks a day after abandoning his bid for re-election as Catalonia’s president.

Italy elections

A bitter electoral campaign wraps up in Italy ahead of Sunday’s general election. The country is expected to hit a deadlock after the vote, as none of the three main coalitions seems to be able to win a parliamentary majority. Press TV correspondent Max Civili has a report:

US blizzard

High winds and blizzard have wreaked havoc across the United States’ northeast, leaving at least five people dead and over 1.6 million homes and businesses without power. The winter storm has downed power lines as well as trees from North Carolina to Michigan. Pennsylvania had the most outages with nearly 400,000 customers without power Friday afternoon. Winter gales, power cuts and snow-triggered floods have also caused major traffic disruptions, cancelling hundreds of flights in New York and closing roads in Boston. Authorities also recorded Boston’s third highest tide in almost a century at about 4.5 meters. The US National Weather Service has warned that the weather condition is there to stay.

Palestinian injuries

Over 100 people have been injured after Israeli forces violently clashed with Palestinians during anti-US and anti-Israel protests in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Eighty-seven people sustained injuries in the West Bank alone and at least 15 were wounded in the Gaza Strip on Friday. Israeli forces used live rounds, rubber bullets and tear gas against the protesters at several locations. The demonstrators were angry at the US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital and the planned relocation of the American embassy there. Tensions have risen in the Palestinian territories since US President Donald Trump’s al-Quds move on December the sixth. 28 Palestinians have been killed since then.

Islamophobia in Germany

Media reports suggest German authorities registered nearly one-thousand Islamophobic attacks in 2017. According to the reports, citing data from the Interior Ministry, there were 950 attacks on Muslims and Islamic institutions across the country. They say 33 people were injured, while 60 attacks were directed at Mosques. The data show that right wing extremists were behind nearly all those attacks. No figures are available for the previous year since Germany only began collecting data on Islamophobic attacks in 2017. Germany's Central Council of Muslims says the number is likely much higher as not all authorities across the country are monitoring such incidents. The council also says victims often fail to report to the police.

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