WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, March 21, 2019 to 0800 GMT, March 22, 2019.

Leader: Iran will defeat enemy

The leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has announced Tehran’s determination to enhance its defense capabilities despite pressures from the United States. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Iranian nation will emerge victorious from the enemies’ economic and psychological warfare against country.

Brexit deadline extended  

EU leaders accept British Prime Minister Theresa May’s request to delay Britain’s leave date from the block. The decision was announced after May failed to reassure the 27 leaders at the Brussels summit she could win parliamentary backing next week for an orderly Brexit. If May succeeds, Britain would leave a day before the EU starts elections for a new European Parliament on May 23. Otherwise, Britain could ask for a long delay until at least the end of the year. London still needs to announce its decision to hold its own EU election by April 12 or face immediate ejection from the Union. Britons voted three years ago to leave the European Union in a referendum but indecision about the methods of the exit has sparked heated debate in the bloc.

Guaido top aide arrested

Venezuela says it has arrested opposition leader Juan Guaido's chief of staff for heading a terrorist cell. The Venezuelan interior minister says Guaido’s top aide was planning attacks against the country’s high-level figures. Nestor Reverol added that a cache of weapons and money in foreign currency was found in his home in Caracas when he was arrested. Guaido slammed the arrest as kidnapping while the US threatened that the move will not go unanswered. Venezuela remains embroiled in a major political crisis ever since the US recognized Guaido as interim leader. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump reiterated that all options remain on the table in his drive to oust his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro.

New Zealand marks mosque massacre

New Zealand has held a ceremony to mark one week since deadly attacks on two mosques that left dozens of Muslims dead. Addressing thousands of people who had gathered in front of the al-Noor mosque in the city of Christchurch, Imam Gamal Fouda called on all governments to put an end to hate speech. He noted that the rise of white supremacy and right-wing extremism is a grave global threat to the mankind. The crowd also observed two minutes of silence in honor of the victims. Last Friday, a white supremacist opened fire at two mosques, killing 50 worshippers and injuring dozens more.

Slamming US Golan move

Reactions are pouring in after the US president announced his decision to endorse Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The head of the Arab League has criticized Trump’s move, saying the measure is totally out of the framework of international law. Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the Arab League fully supports Syria's sovereignty over Golan. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu supported Syria's territorial integrity, saying Washington's attempts to legitimize Israel’s illegal acts will only lead to more violence in the region. The European Union also reacted to the move, saying the bloc does not recognize the territory as part of Israel. Israel occupied parts of Syria’s Golan Heights in 1967. The United Nations does not recognize the area as Israeli territory.

New Zealand terror attacks

Iran’s foreign minister says the recent terrorist attack in New Zealand was a dangerous Islamophobic move under the guidance of the West. Zarif added that the New Zealand incident is part of an anti-Muslim trend and is a consequence of the western governments’ policy toward Muslims. The top diplomat made the comments after arriving in the Turkish city of Istanbul for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the incident. New Zealand’s foreign minister will attend the OIC meeting on Friday.

Saudi rights fears

An international rights group has called on Saudi Arabia to release nearly a dozen women rights activists who have been held in detention for almost a year. Human Rights Watch issued the call after the rights activists were put on trial for what the group says are “a list of their efforts” to promote women’s rights. This is while Saudi officials had earlier claimed the activists were arrested for being foreign agents. Human Rights Watch said Riyadh’s measures go against the reforms Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman claims to be implementing. Saudi authorities accuse the women of undermining national security. Some of the women detained since May 2018 have reportedly been tortured and sexually harassed while in custody.

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