WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, May 8, 2019.

Iran response to US

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 three-point-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.

China opposes US Iran sanctions

China has called on all parties to uphold the 2015 nuclear pact after Iran announced a reduction of its commitments to the deal. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said it is a shared responsibility to keep the deal alive. Geng urged all sides to show restraint and avoid escalating tensions. He also said China strongly opposes US unilateral sanctions against Iran. Russia said Iran's roll-back on the nuclear deal has been provoked by external pressure on the country. In a statement, the Kremlin rejected the talk of sanctions on Iran over the decision. Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Florence Parly said the option of sanctions could be brought back on the table, if Iran does not stick to the deal. She said France, Britain and Germany are doing all they can to preserve the agreement.

Pakistan blast

An explosion in Pakistan’s second largest city, Lahore, has left ten people dead. Police say two dozen people have also been wounded. Several of them are in critical conditions. 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. Pro-Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Sudan crisis

Sudan’s protest leaders threaten to launch a nationwide civil disobedience campaign, accusing military rulers of delaying the transfer of power to a civilian administration. Protest leader, Khalid Omar Yousef threatened escalatory measures after the army expressed reservations over the nature of the power transfer. Last week, protest leaders handed the military a list of proposals for a civilian structure. The 10-member Military Council said it agreed to the overall proposals, but had many reservations. The transitional military council has been ruling Sudan since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir on April 11. The military agreed with opposition groups last month to form a joint council to lead a two-year transition period to elections. But, the two sides differ about which should have a majority on the council.

Nuclear deal commitments

Russia slams the EU for being incapable of fully implementing the nuclear deal, saying the agreement should allow Tehran to export its oil with no restrictions.

US-China trade war

The US president has warned China against attempts to pull back and renegotiate a bilateral trade deal ahead of new round of talks between the two countries. Donald Trump said China wants to pull back on the deal in the hope of finalizing it with a Democratic president after the 2020 US election. He, however, welcomed the upcoming visit by a Chinese delegation as a sign of intention to make a deal. The US president also expressed content over the hike in tariffs on 200 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese goods. Washington has announced that the 10 to 25 percent tariff rise on Chinese imports will become effective on Friday. Trump has threatened to target hundreds of billion dollars worth of other Chinese goods, as well.

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