WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, February 27, 2019.

India-Pakistan tension

Pakistan’s military says it has shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft inside its airspace in Kashmir and captured two pilots. The military says Pakistan had no choice, but to respond to India’s attack on its territory. However, the Pakistani military says it does not want to escalate the crisis. Indian officials say Pakistani fighter jets violated airspace over Indian-controlled Kashmir, but were forced back. The developments came a day after India conducted airstrikes against alleged militant positions in Pakistan. The air raid was followed by Indian shelling in Kashmir, which left four Pakistani civilians dead.

US troops in Syria

Moscow and Damascus call on the United States to pull out its troops from Syria. In a joint statement, the two sides said the American troops are on the Syrian territory illegally. The statement also urged Washington to allow people inside a refugee camp in the southeast of Syria to be evacuated by Russian and Syrian forces. Late last year, US President Donald Trump ordered a complete pullout of American forces from Syria. Pressured by Congress, Trump had to reverse his decision, saying a smaller proportion of troops would stay. Syria regards the US presence as a violation of its sovereignty.

Ukraine politics

In Ukraine, opposition lawmakers have launched an impeachment process against President Petro Poroshenko over a corruption scandal disclosed by investigative journalists. Tymoshenko, the opposition leader and a former prime minister, accused Poroshenko of committing high treason. The procedure was initiated after an investigation linked the president to a money laundering and smuggling scheme. The probe alleges that people close to Poroshenko have smuggled military parts from Russia and sold them to state defense companies at high prices. Opposition MPs say the president has ignored the scheme to protect his associates. Both Poroshenko and Tymoshenko are gearing up to run for the presidential election set for March 31.

US-North Korea summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump have met for their second summit in less than one year. The two leaders kicked off the two-day meeting with handshake in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Trump said the meeting would be very successful. Kim, for his part said he is hoping the summit delivers an outcome that is welcome by everyone. The two leaders signed a broad agreement last June in Singapore when they met for the first time. However, since then Washington has maintained its strict sanction regime on Pyongyang. The North, in return, has vowed to keep its nuclear arsenal as long as there are threats from the US.

US Venezuela intervention

Russia has slammed the United States for attempting to create a pretext for military intervention in Venezuela. Lavrov also accused the US of continuous provocation at Venezuela’s borders under the pretext of delivering aid. He said the US is doing so to create casualties and then use it as a scenario to militarily intervene in Venezuela. The top Russian diplomat was speaking at a press conference with his Indian and Chinese counterparts in China’s Wuzhen. The Chinese foreign minister echoed Lavrov’s comments. Wang Yi said what’s going on in Venezuela is its internal affairs, and that the use or threat of military force must be opposed. Their comments came a day after a UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela.

Egypt deadly train crash

A train crash in Egypt has left at least 25 people dead and 50 others wounded. According to Egyptian media, the accident occurred when a train failed to stop upon arrival at Cairo's main station. The locomotive smashed through the buffer stop at crowded platform causing an explosion and a fire. Initial reports by security forces indicated that the crash was not deliberate. However, the prime minister said a thorough investigation is underway into the incident. Moustafa Madbouly vowed that anyone found responsible would be held to account. Egypt's transport minister has quit his post following the deadly crash.

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