WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, June 24, 2018.

Turkish elections

It’s election day in Turkey and people are heading to the polls to pick a new president and parliament. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is running against five other candidates in the biggest electoral challenge of his political life. Over 56 million Turks are eligible to vote and Erdogan is still the favorite for many of them. His chief rival is lawmaker Muharrem Inje who is determined to end Erdogan’s 15 years in office. He’s vowed to give more freedom to people if elected for a five-year term. An outright victory seems unlikely as polls show a run-off would most probably decide the presidency's fate. In the legislative race, Erdogan’s AK Party is also facing a tough battle from the opposition to keep its upper hand in the 600-seat assembly.

Syria army gains

A war monitoring group says the Syrian army has made its first advance against militants in the south of the country. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces have liberated two villages in the eastern part of Daraa province. The monitor says clashes are ongoing in militant-held territory east of Daraa and west of the neighboring Sweida province. The Syrian army has also confirmed it is engaged in fierce clashes with terrorists in this region. Daraa province lies next to the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. Liberating the region along with northeastern Idlib province will free the country of all militants.

Rally against poverty

In the US, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Washington DC to protest harsh living conditions. Prominent activists and human rights leaders also took part in the march. The rally was part of a week-long campaign to raise awareness about the plight of Americans living in poverty. The demonstrators called for moral revival on key issues affecting the lives of ordinary Americans. The rally follows a UN report saying that millions of Americans are living in extreme poverty. The report blames the situation on the rapid growth of inequality under the administration of Donald Trump. It also refers to Trump’s tax reforms and welfare cuts as instances of cruel policies that show complete lack of compassion towards the poor.

Europe refugee crisis

239 refugees, aboard an aid ship, are stranded in the Mediterranean. That’s because both Italy and Malta are refusing to let them in. The refugees, rescued by Germany’s Lifeline ship, have been waiting in limbo at sea since Thursday. Italy’s new government has banned rescue vessels from docking at its ports and wants Malta to take them. Italy says the burden of the refugee crisis must be shared between all European Union members. The anti-migrant policy has sparked an outcry. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for sanctions against member states that do not accept asylum-seekers. The call has prompted a furious response from Italy. Rome says Macron risks making “arrogant France, Italy's number-one enemy on immigrant issues”. EU leaders are set to meet today in Brussels to discuss the crisis.

Macron on refugee crisis

The French president has called for imposing sanctions against the European Union countries that refuse to accept refugees. Emmanuel Macron made the call during a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez in Paris. Macron and Sanchez also expressed support for the creation of closed reception centers where refugees would be held while their asylum claims are considered. Meanwhile, the Spanish coastguard says it has rescued nearly 770 asylum seekers in the strait of Gibraltar. People, fleeing wars and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, risk their lives to cross the sea in search of a better life. Thousands of them have died over the past years while making the perilous journey to Europe.

Turkey vote counting  

Vote counting is underway in Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections. Partial results from Turkey's presidential election show Recep Tayyip Erdogan has the lead with over 57-percent of the votes. His main opponent, Muharrem Inje, has gained nearly 28-percent. Also in the parliamentary contest, the ruling AK Party is ahead with over 48-percent of the votes. Turkish main opposition party, the CHP, has come second with nearly 15-percent. The vote will usher in a powerful new executive presidency, backed by a majority of Turks in a 2017 referendum. The incumbent president says the executive presidency will modernize the country.

Assad promise

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Damascus will take control of the country’s north BY FORCE if forces backed by the US and Turkey refuse to surrender. In an interview with a Russian TV channel, Assad said fighting with US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces is not the best option for Damascus. He, however, stressed that fighting is the ONLY way to get control of the country. He was referring to the northern town of Manbij where SDF forces hold some territory. Meanwhile, the Syrian president said his country will not accept any fund from foreign countries to rebuild Syria. Assad said Syria has enough strength to do so and if it does not have the money, it will ask its friends for help.

Migrants under spotlight

A group of EU leaders get together in Brussels to discuss an escalated row over the refugee crisis. The leaders have given away hope of reaching a Europe-wide agreement as some anti-refugee countries did not take part in the summit. The meeting comes ahead of a scheduled summit on Thursday and Friday. These are some of the comments made by EU leaders upon their arrival in the meeting.