WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, January 15, 2019 to 0800 GMT, January 16, 2019.

Brexit deal rejected

The UK parliament rejects Prime Minister Theresa May’s withdrawal deal from the European Union by a crushing margin. The voting is the worst parliamentary defeat for a British government since 1864. May's crushing loss marks the collapse of her two-year plan of forging an orderly divorce with close ties to the EU after the March 29 exit. The defeat of the departure agreement can lead to a disorderly exit from the EU or even to a reversal of the 2016 referendum.

UK no confidence motion  

British Prime Minister, Theresa May, says the parliament’s move to vote down her Brexit deal does not honor the nation’s decision to break away from the European Union. Meanwhile, leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has tabled a motion of no confidence in the British government.

US Iran accusations

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Iran’s attempt to put a satellite into orbit poses a missile threat. Pompeo accused Tehran of defying United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 on Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal that Washington withdrew from last year. He added that the launch shows that Iran is pursuing enhanced missile capabilities that threaten the Middle East and Europe. Iran on Tuesday successfully launched a satellite named Payam but it failed to go into orbit due to a technical problem. Days earlier, Pompeo urged Iran to call off the launch arguing that the satellite uses technology identical to that of ballistic missiles. However research centers say there’s no indication of military use in Iran’s project.

Brexit backlash

The European Union urges the United Kingdom to clarify its Brexit intentions without delay. The call follows British parliamentarians' rejection of the withdrawal agreement Prime MInister Theresa May negotiated with Brussels. Uncertainty surrounding the chaotic Brexit process has now risen to unprecedented heights.

US Venezuela policy

The US has expressed support for Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly in an apparent move to undermine President Nicolas Maduro’s government. In a telephone conversation with head of Venezuela’s congress Juan Guaido, US Vice President Mike Pence described the national assembly as the only legitimate democratic body in Venezuela. Sources in the White House also said the US administration may recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate president. On Tuesday, Venezuela's Congress declared Maduro a “usurper”. It also approved a measure calling for the freeze of government bank accounts abroad. Venezuela’s Supreme Court, however, has preemptively invalidated any laws passed by the legislative body. Maduro says the opposition seeks to destabilize the country with the help of the US.

US arrests Press TV anchor  

Press TV news anchor Marzieh Hashemi has been detained and imprisoned in the United States with no formal charges. Hashemi was arrested in a Saint Louis airport and has now been transferred to a Washington DC facility by the FBI. The reason for her arrest remains unclear. She was visiting the United States to visit her ill brother and other relatives. Hashemi has informed her family members of her ill treatment in detention. Hashemi, a Muslim woman, was born in the United States and is an American citizen.

Kenya attack

At least 15 people have reportedly been killed in a terrorist attack on a hotel and a nearby office complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. According to a mortuary worker, a British and an American were among those killed in the al-Shabab terror attack in Nairobi’s Westland district. The upscale neighborhood has several office buildings housing international companies. Earlier, the interior minister said police forces had secured all the buildings affected by the attack. However, some reports suggest gunfire and blasts still continue as authorities seek to vacate survivors from the hotel complex. Kenya has faced a spate of attacks by al-Shabab after the east African nation sent its army into Somalia in 2011 to fight the group. Al-Shabab terrorists killed nearly 150 students at a university in 2015.

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