WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, January 14, 2017.

Burning oil tanker

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization has confirmed that all crew members of the country’s burning oil tanker in the East China Sea are dead. The organization’s chief said all indications show that the crew lost their lives due to the initial blast on the ship and the resulting toxic gases. He added that rescuers have failed to enter the ship to salvage the bodies due to repeated blasts, adding that the vessel is on the verge of sinking. New blasts ripped through the ship on Sunday after flames reached its formerly intact crude tanks, sending flames hundreds of meters into the air. The Sanchi tanker burst into flames after hitting a freighter in the East China Sea on January 6. Three bodies of the ship’s crew members have been recovered, but remain unidentified. The vessel was carrying 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis.

Iran nuclear deal

President Hassan Rouhani has hailed the 2015 nuclear deal as an ever-lasting victory for Iran, saying the US efforts to undermine it have come to nothing. Rouhani said US President Donald Trump has been moving heaven and earth for the past year to strike a blow to the landmark agreement, but to no avail. The Iranian president added that Trump’s failure shows that the accord is strong enough and the world has stood up against his stance. Rouhani noted that the nuclear deal proved Iran’s honesty and its enemies’ deceit and that diplomacy can resolve complicated international issues. The comments come after Trump reluctantly waived nuclear-related, anti-Iran sanctions on Friday.

Iraq parliamentary vote

The Iraqi prime minister has announced that he will contest parliamentary elections in May. Haider al-Abadi also said that he has formed a bloc called 'the victory alliance’ and will lead a cross-sectarian list in the elections. He has pledged to boost the country's integrity and national sovereignty, correct mistakes and achieve justice and equality for all Iraqis. The parliament is expected to approve the May 12 date for the vote. The Iraqi prime minister led the country in the war against Daesh Takfiri terrorists. Under his leadership, the Iraqi army managed to dislodge the terrorists from their main stronghold, Mosul. Abadi has been prime minister of Iraq since September 2014.

Brexit rights fears

Rights organizations warn that the British government is leaving many social groups open to abuse by its failure to protect fundamental rights in the legislation of its exit from the EU. The rights groups, including Equality and Human Right Commission and Amnesty International, issued the warning in a joint letter published in British Daily, Guardian. They said the Brexit bill removes the EU charter of fundamental rights from British law and offers no replacement. The groups said the removal jeopardizes such basic rights as protection of personal data as well as protection for women, children and disabled people. The House of Commons is set to vote on the Brexit bill amendments on Tuesday. The opposition Labour party says it will propose retaining the EU rights charter during the debate.

Lebanon explosion

A car bomb explosion has rocked southern Lebanon, wounding an official with the Palestinian resistance movement. The blast happened in the city of Sidon. According to military and medical sources, Hamas official Mohammed Hamdan was transported to hospital after suffering serious injuries to his legs while opening the door to his car. The explosive device is believed to have been detonated from afar. There has been no claim of responsibility.

Israeli PM India visit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in India for a six-day visit, with the aim of further expanding ties on a range of key areas, including military and trade. During his stay, Netanyahu will hold talks with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi and other top officials, including the Indian president and foreign minister. Netanyahu is only the second Israeli premier to travel to India. His visit comes only six months after Modi travelled to Israel. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s trip has sparked anger in India with protesters demanding the government sever ties with Israel over its occupation of Palestine and atrocities against Palestinians.

Hawaii false missile alert

An incoming ballistic missile alert sparks panic and confusion across the US state of Hawaii, before being declared a false alarm. The panic started when a text message from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency appeared on mobile phones, warning of an immediate missile threat. The entire state was engulfed in terror as a result, while sirens went off and the message was aired on television and radio. But within 20 minutes, news broke out that there was no threat and after nearly 40 minutes, the alarm was officially confirmed a mistake. Officials said the alert was the result of human error which had occurred during an ongoing set of drills.

Syria army advances

Syrian army units and their allied forces have taken control of dozens of towns and villages in the country’s northwest. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces have taken at least 79 villages in the southern parts of Aleppo province. According to the UK based monitor, army troops had lost control of those villages in 2012. It brings them closer to Abu Duhur military airport. The airbase straddles the border between Aleppo and Idlib, the last province in the country outside the government's control. Syria has been making major gains over the past months. The government has managed to clear vast swathes of land from the grip of terror groups in the west, north and east of the country.

Tunisia protests

Hundreds of Tunisians have held fresh demonstrations in the capital, slamming austerity measures imposed by the government. Protestors took to the streets once again on the seventh anniversary of the uprising that triggered a chain of similar moves across many Arab countries. They vented their anger at price rises and demanded the budget be abandoned. Meanwhile, the Tunisian government has announced a set of social reforms including an increase in aid to the needy people and improved health care. Protests erupted last Monday in several towns and cities across Tunisia, after the government raised value-added tax and social contributions, and increased some prices in its 2018 budget. The rallies have been marked by arrests and clashes between protesters and security forces.

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