WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, February 27, 2019 to 0800 GMT, February 28, 2019.

Michael Cohen's testimony

The US president’s former personal attorney says Donald Trump ordered him to make 500 threats to different individuals or entities over a decade. Michael Cohen made the remarks while testifying before the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee. Cohen described Trump as a boss who was intoxicating and deeply flawed. Cohen lamented what he called his misplaced loyalty to Trump and said he was ashamed of concealing the US president’s illicit acts. He said the president called African Americans too stupid to vote for him in the 2016 presidential election. Cohen said Donald Trump’s presence in Vietnam was ironic as the president had forged medical records to defer his Vietnam War draft. Trump has rejected Cohen’s accounts and said his former lawyer is lying to reduce his upcoming prison term.

Slamming France crackdown

International condemnation is increasing over France’s harsh repression of the Yellow Vest anti-government protesters. The Council of Europe has called on France to ban the use of rubber bullets, which have been blamed for scores of major injuries during the protests.

Vatican probe

The Vatican has announced that it will open an internal investigation into Cardinal George Pell, who was found guilty of sexual offences with minors in Australia. In a statement, the Vatican said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will handle the case following the procedure and timeframe established by canonical norm. Pell was found guilty by an Australian court last December on five charges of child sexual offences committed more than 20 years ago. The high ranking church official is facing up to fifty years in prison if his appeal fails. The 77-year-old cardinal has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

US-North Korea summit  

The North Korean leader and the US president have met for a second day of talks in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Kim Jong-un has said he will leave no stones unturned to achieve a great outcome from the negotiations. Donald Trump also said he is in no rush on a nuclear deal with North Korea and wants to sign a right agreement over dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal. Kim and Trump are set to hold a series of back-and-forth meetings on Thursday. The previous summit between the two leaders happened last June in Singapore. Since then, they have disagreed on a number of issues. Washington insisted on North Korea’s complete denuclearization while Pyongyang pledged to keep its nuclear arsenal as long as US sanctions are in place.

US gun culture

The US House of representatives passes its first gun control legislation in more than two decades. 240 lawmakers, including eight Republicans, voted for the bill. The motion expands background checks to all gun sales and transfers. It is, however, unlikely to advance in the Republican-controlled Senate. The US federal laws currently require the checks only for sales by federally licensed dealers. The National Rifle Association has opposed the measure, warning it will punish law-abiding citizens. Gun violence kills thousands of US citizens every year. A surge in shootings in recent years has reignited the debate on the need to impose strict control on firearm possession.

Argentines protest US policy

Argentinians have held a protest rally in the capital Buenos Aires to denounce US policy toward Venezuela. The protesters marched toward the US embassy chanting anti-American slogans. They also burned US flag in a show of their opposition to Washington’s interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs. Some protesters, however, chanted slogans against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Earlier, supporters of Maduro once again took to the streets of the capital, Caracas, to express their support for the president. The protesters said the leftist leader would remain their president since the majority of Venezuelans had voted for him.

No agreement reached

A second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been cut short after they failed to reach an agreement. Trump said talks broke down because Pyongyang demanded to lift sanctions completely. He said Kim was willing to denuclearize but not in areas the US wanted. This was the second summit of the US and North Korean leaders in less than one year. They met in Singapore in June that had also failed to yield any concrete results.

India-Pakistan tensions

Pakistani and Indian forces have briefly exchanged fire along the contested border in Kashmir early on Thursday. India says the firing was initiated by Pakistan and lasted for nearly an hour. New Delhi also says Indian troops responded strongly and effectively. Pakistan has not said which side began the firing but acknowledged that the moderate skirmishes continued in intervals throughout the night. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors remain high ever since a militant attack on Indian security forces two weeks ago. The attack claimed by a Pakistan-based group killed over 40 paramilitary troopers in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The tensions have further escalated in recent days, amid tit-for-tat airstrikes. The UN and world powers have urged the two countries to exercise utmost restraint.

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