Press TV's news headlines

Israel-Lebanon maritime dispute

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement says Israel will not be allowed to mine a disputed maritime field unless Lebanon gets what it deserves. Sayed Hassan Nasrallah said Lebanon doesn’t want a war but will not permit the Israeli regime to violate Beirut’s rights. He said the issue may cause frictions with an appropriate Lebanese response but added that it is possible Israel will surrender even without a war. He underlined that Lebanon has given great concessions but has not achieved anything tangible yet. The Karish gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean remains at the heart of dispute between Lebanon and Israel. The Hezbollah had previously warned the regime not to carry out any extraction operations before the dispute is resolved. Lebanon also dismisses Israel’s claim that the field falls within the regime’s so-called exclusive economic zone.

Sri Lanka’s political crisis

In Sri Lanka, incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickre-me-singhe has won a parliamentary vote to serve the country for the next five years as president. Wickre-me-singhe won a three-way contest. That’s a week after Gota-baya Raja-paksa was forced to resign and flee the country amid nationwide protests over an unprecedented economic crisis. In a speech following his election, Wickre-me-singhe said divisions are now over. He will take charge of a bankrupt nation that is in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. The Island nation is in the grip of worst crisis in over seven decades, facing severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Wickre-me-singhe is also widely despised by the protesters who see him pursuing the policy of the former president. New protests are underway outside the parliament building.

US Taiwan ‘Provocations’

China has denounced the sailing of yet another US warship through the Taiwan Strait, saying the move undermines peace and stability. The Chinese army, in a statement, said it monitored the warship and issued warning. The statement accused the US of frequent provocations and called it a creator of security risks in the Taiwan Strait. The US Navy claimed however that its destroyer USS Benfold conducted a routine transit in accordance with international law. Just a week ago, the same destroyer twice sailed through the disputed South China Sea. The US has been carrying out such voyages regularly. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, blames the US for interfering in the island’s affairs. Beijing is also angry over Washington’s growing military and diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk