WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, March 1, 2019.

Deadly bombing in Mogadishu

Gun battle rages on in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after a deadly blast rocked the city on Thursday. Heavy gunfire continues between Somali soldiers and al-Shabab militants who are holed up in a building next to the hotel, where they carried out a bomb attack. Somali police say they hope the operation will come to an end in the following hours. The blast has so far killed 29 people and injured scores more. Police say the death toll may rise as some of the wounded are in critical condition. Somalia has been the scene of deadly violence since 1991 when the al-Shabab militant group started fighting the country’s Western-backed government.

Pakistan-India tensions

India and Pakistan fire barrage of shells across the line of control in the disputed Kashmir region. The shelling has killed at least one person and caused widespread damage. Meanwhile, Indian forces have killed two suspected militants during a night-time clash in Kashmir. This comes as Pakistan has decided to release an Indian pilot captured earlier this week to ease the threat of a major escalation between the nuclear powers. Indians have gathered at the border with Pakistan to welcome the wing commander. The pilot was captured after he was downed during tit-for-tat raids by Indian and Pakistani fighter jets across the line of control.

UK's Hezbollah stance

Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has strongly rejected the UK’s decision to designate the group’s political wing as a terrorist entity. In a statement, Hezbollah said the decision shows the UK’s “servile obedience” to the US administration. The statement added that Hezbollah is a resistance movement against Israeli occupation. It also described the move as an insult to the feelings, sympathies and will of the Lebanese people who see Hezbollah as a major political and popular force. The reaction comes after the British Home Secretary said the United Kingdom is planning to brand the political wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist group. The European Union refused to support the UK’s measure, saying the move was an internal decision and does not reflect the policy of the bloc toward Hezbollah.

US's threat against China

The US has pledged to defend the Philippines in case of an armed aggression in the disputed South China Sea. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says American forces will come to the Philippines’ assistance under a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. Pompeo has criticized China's island-building and military activities in the South China Sea as a threat to sovereignty and security of the Philippines. He made the remarks in Manila, after meeting with the Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte. His comments mark the first time any American official has publicly stated Washington's intent to defend the Philippines. The South Asian nation has frequently complained about harassment by Chinese maritime security forces. The Philippines, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea.

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