WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, May 6, 2019.

South China Sea tensions

China has called on the United States to stop what it called provocative acts in the South China Sea after two American warships passed through the disputed area. The Foreign Ministry said the country’s navy warned the US ships to leave the area. The call came after guided-missile destroyers, Preble and Chung-Hoon, traveled within 12 nautical miles of Islands claimed by China. A US military spokesman said the “innocent passage” was to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law. Beijing has territorial claim over the disputed territories and has warned Washington that close military encounters by air and naval forces of the two countries in the region could easily trigger miscalculation or result in confrontation.

US Mideast deployment

The United States says it is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send what it calls a warning message to Iran. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a statement that the deployment is in response to alleged escalation by Tehran. He added that the US is not seeking war with Iran but is fully prepared to respond to any attack. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier slammed the US for its economic terrorism amid Washington’s push to drive Iranian oil export to zero. Rouhani warned no country in the Persian Gulf region would be able to export oil if Iranian oil could not be exported.

Gaza ceasefire

Palestinian officials in Gaza have reached a ceasefire agreement with Tel Aviv, following two days of intense Israeli airstrikes on the enclave. The agreement was reached between Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas and allied Islamic Jihad on one side, and Israel on the other. The understanding was brokered by Egypt. The situation has reportedly been calm in the Palestinian territory since the agreement took effect at 4:30 AM local time. Palestinian officials say the truce agreement includes Israel’s pledge to ease its blockade on Gaza. They said easing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza’s electricity and fuel situation is also part of the agreement. Israel began pounding Gaza with heavy airstrikes on early Saturday prompting retaliatory rocket strikes from Palestinians. Over two dozen Palestinians and several Israelis were killed in the attacks.

‘Ready for US intervention’

The Venezuelan foreign minister expresses his country’s readiness to fend off any military intervention plots by the United States. Jorge Arreaza warned that the Venezuelan army and people are “well-prepared” to not just fight the US but win the war should Washington choose to wage it. Arreaza stressed that Caracas is ready for all scenarios. He made the comments during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Sergei Lavrov, for his part, slammed Washington for threatening the crisis-ridden Caracas.

UN biodiversity report  

The United Nation has released a report which shows how humanity has wreaked havoc on the environment. The report says nature is in more trouble now than at any time in history. In the United Nations' first comprehensive report on biodiversity, scientists said one million animal and plant species facing extinction. They said the Earth is being pushed towards extinction by manmade pollution, deforestation and climate change. Scientists suggested that humans must change their behavior to protect Earth and create a sustainable future. A group of 400 scientists studied human impact on the world's plants and animals with an aim of persuading governments to take serious action.

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