WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, May 20, 2019.

US Mideast plan

The US is set to co-host a conference in Bahrain to set out the economic aspects of Washington’s Middle East plan. The White House said the economic workshop will encourage investment in the occupied Palestinian territories that could be made possible by a peace agreement. Government and business leaders will reportedly take part to promote potential economic investments and initiatives during the 2-day forum in June. The Palestinian government says it has not been consulted about the conference. 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 the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Palestinians, however, have rejected Washington as a fair peace broker, insisting that they will not give an inch of their land to the occupying regime of Israel.

South China Sea tensions

China has criticized the US after one of its warships sailed through a disputed area in the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman said Beijing strongly urges Washington to stop such provocative actions. Lu Kang made the comment during a Press briefing in Beijing. The reaction came after destroyer Preble carried out what a US military spokesman called a freedom of navigation operation in the area. The military spokesman added the move preserved access to the waterways as governed by international law. China has territorial claim over the disputed waterways and has repeatedly warned the US that close air and naval encounters in the region could easily trigger miscalculation or result in confrontation.

‘US economic terrorism to fail’

Iran’s foreign minister says US President Donald Trump’s economic terrorism and his genocidal remarks will fail to “end Iran”. In a tweet, Mohammad Javad Zarif said through history, Iranian have stood tall while all aggressors have gone. Zarif’s comments came after Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran on Sunday. The US president threatened that any fight between Iran and the US will result in “the official end of Iran”. The Trump administration has increased the US military presence in the Middle East recently. The move has added fuel to tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Subjecting Kashmiris to torture

Two prominent human rights group say India has used torture to curb dissent in Indian-controlled Kashmir during the past three decades. The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons and the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society released a report on the issue. The report said prisoners in the disputed region had been subjected to water-boarding, beatings with leather belts and electric shocks. It said at least 40 people in 432 case studies died as a result of injuries received during torture. The rights groups said torture has been used since Kashmir's division in 1947. They called for an international investigation led by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Indian government has not commented on the claims yet.

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