WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army militants are seen near the city of Afrin, Syria February 19, 2018. (Photo by Reuters)

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, February 19, 2017.

 

Afrin situation

Syrian pro-government forces are heading to the country’s northwestern border region of Afrin that has been the scene of a Turkish military operation for weeks. Syrian media reports say the forces will enter Afrin within hours. On Sunday, a senior Kurdish official announced a deal between Syrian Kurdish forces and Damascus on deploying government troops along some border positions. The official described the agreement as a military understanding and said there would be more political talks with the government later. Last month, Turkish troops crossed Syria’s northwestern border under the pretext of battling Kurdish militants in Afrin district. Ankara considers the militants a threat to its security, but Damascus condemns the operation, calling it a violation of its sovereignty.

‘Don’t play with fire’

Iran’s foreign minister says the United States is seeking to occupy Syria. Zarif said the US is using proxies to reach its goals in the Middle East. The top diplomat described the approach as very dangerous and warned that it will have consequences in the years to come. Zarif added that there has been a territorial defeat of Daesh, but the region remains vulnerable to terrorists since the ideology is still being promoted. Iran’s top diplomat made the comments during a conference in Russia. Also speaking at the event, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on the US not to play with fire in Syria and accused Washington of trying to disintegrate the war-torn country.

Iran plane crash

Iranian rescue workers have resumed operations to find the wreckage of a passenger plane that crashed in southwest Iran on Sunday. The whereabouts of the plane has already been found. Over 100 mountain climbers as well as helicopters are helping rescue workers in their efforts. The operations are expected to be time-consuming as the plane has come down in the middle of the Zagros Mountain Range. The ill-fated ATR 72 was owned by Iran Aseman Airlines. It was en route from the capital Tehran to the southwestern city of Yasuj, carrying 66 people, including six crew members. The aircraft vanished off radar screens some fifty minutes after take-off. The Iranian president has tasked the road minister with investigating the incident.

‘supporting militants’

Russia has accused some UN Security Council members of trying to help Nusra Front terrorists by urging the Syrian government to halt its offensive. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Nusra Front militants that are fighting against the Syrian army in the northern province of Idlib are terrorists because they have links with al-Qaeda. He called on Western countries to use their influence on Nusra Front and discipline its militants or the group will be totally destroyed. The top Russian diplomat also denied reports that U.S. attacks have killed about 300 men working for Russian private contractors in Syria. According to Lavrov, such reports that were first released by the Reuters news agency are designed to exploit the war.

Australia sex scandal

An overwhelming majority of Australians want the deputy prime minister to step down following revelations of a startling sex scandal. A survey conducted by Newspoll shows that two-thirds of voters demand the resignation of Barnaby Joyce over an extra-marital affair with his former press secretary. Joyce, a seemingly devout Catholic who campaigned on family values, is expecting a child with the former staffer. The scandal has created a major rift in Australia’s fragile ruling coalition, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull slamming his deputy’s “shocking error of judgment”. Joyce, in return, refused to resign and blasted Turnbull's condemnation of his behavior as inept. The beset deputy withstood a parliamentary vote of confidence on Thursday, but took a leave of absence as his National Party contemplates his future.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku