WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, April 27, 2019.

Spain election

The election campaign has drawn to a close in Spain as voters are gearing up to go to the polls in Sunday’s general ballot. No single party is expected to get an overall majority as opinion polls suggest all five leading contenders have a chance of playing a role in the next government formation. Party leaders have remained mostly non-committal about potential alliances after the vote. Issues of national identity linked to Catalonia's drive for independence are taking center stage in the ballot while economy has taken a back seat. Outgoing Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has made overtures to the far-left party, Podemos. Sanchez is labeled a traitor by the right-wing party for being open to dialog with independence-seeking Catalonia.

Rejecting ‘deal of the century’

Head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called for unity among Palestinian factions ahead of the US plan to unveil its so-called deal of the century. Ismail Haniyeh said Palestinians will do whatever they can to brush aside the deal. He said Hamas is ready to hold talks with other Palestinian factions to achieve that aim. Haniyeh reiterated that the Palestinian land belongs only to Palestinians and that they will not give an inch of it to the occupying regime of Israel. The Hamas official also called on all Palestinians across the world to stand against the deal. Haniyeh urged all Arab leaders to stop normalization of ties with Israel. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has said that he will reveal what he described as the peace plan between the Israelis and Palestinians by the end of April.

US Venezuela sanctions

A study has found US sanctions are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in Venezuela. The research published by Washington DC-based Centre for Economic and Policy Research says as many as 40,000 Venezuelans may have died as a result of US sanctions since 2017. It says US sanctions have made it harder for ordinary citizens to access food, lifesaving medicine and medical equipment. The authors of the report have urged US Congress to end the crippling measures, saying they are illegal under American and international law. Also in January, a UN special rapporteur sounded the alarm about the humanitarian impact of US sanctions. Idriss Jazairy said the sanctions were causing starvation and medical shortages in the crisis-hit Latin American nation.

Nuke disarmament row

Russia says US President Donald Trump’s proposals on nuclear arms disarmament are “not serious”. A Kremlin spokesman made the comment amid reports that Trump has ordered his administration to prepare for new arms-control agreements with Russia and China. Dmitry Peskov said cleaning up the world from nukes would be ideal but Russia can’t be deprived of deterrent factor. Trump’s new proposal comes only two months after he announced the US withdrawal from the cold war-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia. Russia also reciprocated by pulling out of the historic accord.

No talks with the US

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman says the Islamic Republic has not requested any negotiations with the United States. Abbas Mousavi stressed that there are currently no talks between Tehran and Washington. His comments came after some media speculations indicated that the two countries might start holding talks regarding Iran nuclear deal and other issues. Mousavi also dismissed reports that Tehran will start negotiating with Saudi Arabia. He described the kingdom’s regional policies as unconstructive, adding that Riyadh has created many crises in recent years. He, however, stressed that Tehran is always ready to hold talks with Riyadh should the kingdom revise its policies.

France protests

In France, Yellow Vest protesters take to the streets once again to show their rejection of President Emmanuel Macron’s recent concessions. In the capital Paris, the demonstrators held banners calling for social and economic reforms. Other major cities are also bracing for similar protests. This is the 24th consecutive Saturday the protesters are venting their anger over the government policies. Earlier this week, Macron pledged a new round of tax cuts worth 5.5 billion dollars. His response to the Yellow Vest protests sparked mixed reactions and failed to appease the demonstrators. The yellow vest protests started in mid-November. The French government is under fire over its heavy-handed crackdown against the demonstrations.

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