WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, May 7, 2019 to 0800 GMT, May 8, 2019.

Iran nuclear deal

The Iranian foreign minister says Tehran’s decision to reduce commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal is in line with the provisions of the international accord. Zarif said the decision was made by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council after a long period of strategic patience in the face of US efforts to sabotage the deal. He criticized the European signatories to the accord for failing to stand up to US pressures. Zarif made the remarks upon arrival in Moscow for talks with Russian officials. Iran’s top diplomat underlined that Russia is both a permanent member of the Security Council and a signatory to the JCPOA. He also hailed Iran’s bilateral ties with Russia, noting that Tehran and Moscow share similar positions on many regional and international issues.

No to military intervention

An international contact group on Venezuela has warned against any military attempt to settle the crisis in the Latin American country. The EU backed group said it is essential to avoid escalating tension in Venezuela. It added that the political and economic crisis in the country should be resolved through elections. This comes after a failed coup against the government of President Nicolas Maduro last week. Meanwhile, Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered the prosecution of several lawmakers who supported the coup attempt. However, opposition leader Juan Guaido was not among them. Venezuela plunged into political turmoil in January after Guaido declared himself the country’s interim president with the support of the United States and its allies.

Sudan crisis

Sudan's military rulers say they may call for early elections if no agreement on an interim government is reached with the opposition. The Transitional Military Council said it has the option to hold elections within six months. Earlier, the council said it generally agreed with proposals made by the opposition on the structure of an interim government. However, it insisted that the power to declare a state of emergency should go to a sovereign authority not the cabinet. The council has been ruling Sudan since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir on April 6. Bashir was toppled by the military after months of demonstrations against his longtime rule.

US school shooting

A school shooting in the United States has left one student dead and seven others hospitalized with injuries. The local sheriff of Denver, capital of Colorado State, says several are in a critical condition. Two male suspects have been taken into custody. Police say the attackers opened fire at the STEM School in central Denver and were heavily armed. School shootings have become a frequent occurrence in the US where firearms killed nearly 40,000 people in 2017. Despite the scale of gun violence, efforts to address the issue legislatively have long been largely deadlocked.

Rouhani response

President Hassan Rouhani says Iran is scaling down its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, in response to what he calls the US illegal withdrawal from the multilateral accord a year ago. Rouhani says, in the first step, Iran stops transferring its extra stockpiles of enriched uranium and heavy water out of the country for 60 days. He says Tehran will take a second step, if the remaining signatories to the deal fail to meet Iran’s key demands including the lifting of sanctions on oil exports and banking system. In case of a no breakthrough in talks, Rouhani says Iran will start enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent limit. Also, the country will resume the construction of its heavy water reactor in the central city of Arak. The president has stressed that Iran is not leaving the nuclear deal.

Pakistan blast

An explosion in Pakistan’s second largest city, Lahore, has left nine people dead. The police say two dozen people have also been wounded. Several of them are in critical condition. The blast occurred in a crowded area near the entrance of a shrine in Lahore. Police forces have cordoned off the area. They say the target was a security checkpoint outside the shrine. The police also say an investigation is underway to find the nature of the blast.

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