WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, May 29, 2018 to 0800 GMT, May 30, 2018.

Gaza truce

Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, says it has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel following an escalation of violence. Hamas Deputy Chief, Khalil al-Hayya, says an agreement has been reached to return to the 2014 ceasefire in Gaza after hours of mediation efforts. Hayya says the group is committed to truce as long as Israel is. Israel’s intelligence minister has refused to confirm the deal, but said Tel Aviv is not interested in an escalation toward war. Both Hamas and Israel blame each other for the flare-up, which is the worst since Israel’s war on Gaza three years ago. Israeli has carried out dozens of airstrikes against the Gaza Strip. Palestinian resistance groups responded by firing mortar shells and rockets.

Afghanistan attacks

Afghan police have repelled a militant attack on the Interior Ministry in the capital Kabul. The attackers detonated a car bomb near the ministry’s entrance and then exchanged fire with security forces. Police say all the assailants were killed during the gun battle. There was no claim of responsibility. Another attack took place in the eastern province of Logar. Taliban militants killed six policemen and injured eight civilians when they burst into a police station there. The Taliban have stepped up fighting across Afghanistan since they announced the beginning of their annual spring offensive in April.

Greece strike

Greece braces for protests in the capital Athens and other cities against the government’s new austerity measures. Protesters are gathering in the streets of Athens for the rally. A 24-hour strike is also in place across the country. It already disrupted urban transport and services as well as flights. The Greek government is working on a new bill containing the latest austerity measures. The parliament is expected to approve the bill next month. Greece has to take the measures to be able to receive its third bailout package from international lenders. The country is still struggling for economic recovery, eight years after the crisis began.

China slams US

China has pledged to take necessary measures against the US after President Donald Trump said he was moving to finalize trade sanctions against Beijing. China criticized the United States for what it called sudden flip-flops in its trade policy. Beijing said the contradiction of one's word squanders a country's credibility in international relations. On Tuesday, the US said it would continue pursuing action on trade with China, days after the two sides suggested that tensions had eased. Washington says it would also continue to pursue a legal case it had filed against Beijing at the World Trade Organization regarding intellectual property rights. The United States plans to impose a 25-percent tariff on a number of Chinese goods.

Belgium ‘terror’ attack

Belgium says a deadly attack in its eastern city of Liege on Tuesday amounts to terrorist murder. The attack left two policewomen and a male bystander dead. Prosecutors also said the assailant is suspected of killing yet another person on the eve of the Liege attack. The 31-year-old attacker repeatedly stabbed the two officers before using their own firearms to kill them. He was killed by police. Benjamin Herman, a drifter with a decade spent in and out of prison for acts of violence was out of jail on leave. Authorities said the rampage was a Daesh-style attack, and that the killer’s method was encouraged in online videos by the Takfiri group. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel denounced what he called the “cowardly and blind violence” of Tuesday’s attack.

US sanctions on Iranians

The United States has imposed sanctions on three Iran-based entities, and six Iranians. The entities include Tehran's Evin prison, Ansar-e Hezbollah and Hanista Programming Group. The leaders of Ansar-e Hezbollah are among those targeted by the US treasury department over human rights allegations. The Washington’s move is part of President Donald Trump's plans to re-impose harsh sanctions against Tehran after pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Several Iranian companies and individuals including governor of Iran's Central Bank were among those targeted since earlier this month. Tehran has strongly condemned the sanctions, calling them the continuation of the US government’s hostile policies.

Israel’s illegal settlements

The Israeli cabinet is said to have approved the construction of over two-thousand more settler units in the occupied Palestinian territories. An Israeli anti-settlement group, Peace Now says a green light has been given to 2070 units in the West Bank. The group did not specify the exact location of the new Israeli project. Last week, minister of military affairs, Avigdor Lieberman said he was seeking the approval for 2500 units. This, as a new report by Human Rights Watch indicates that Israel’s largest banks are involved in building thousands of settler units and facilitating the expansion of the occupation regime. HRW noted that Israeli bank activities regarding settlements amount to war crimes as they bankrolling the abuse of Palestinian people.

Russian journalist alive

A dissident Russian journalist, Arcady Babchenko, who was reported killed in the Ukrainian capital, has turned up alive. Babchenko was speaking in a press briefing about his own killing a day after he was said to be fatally shot at his residence. Ukraine says it faked the journalist’s death as part of an operation to foil the real plot. Kiev has accused Russia of planning the plot to murder Babchenko. Russia denies the allegation saying that Ukraine used Babchenko as a propaganda tool. Meanwhile, Ukraine President, Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine will provide protection to the journalist and his family. Babchenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, left the country early last year after allegedly receiving threats.

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