WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, January 17, 2019 to 0800 GMT, January 18, 2019.

US jails Press TV anchor

Press TV anchor, Marzieh Hashemi is due to appear in court in Washington DC on Friday. Her children have also been called in to testify. She was detained at Saint Louis Lambert International Airport on Sunday without explanation. So far, US officials have not provided any reason or charge for her imprisonment. In response to questions about Marzieh’s arrest, the FBI has made no comments. She’s informed her family of her ill-treatment in jail. Marzieh is a Muslim American citizen who’s been living in Iran for decades. She traveled to the US to visit her family and make a documentary about African Americans there.

‘Ambitious’ Brexit deal

The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator says the bloc is open to the possibility of what he calls a more ambitious Brexit deal. Michel Barnier was speaking in the Portuguese capital Lisbon. He described the current Brexit agreement as balanced and respectful. Barnier, however, said London-Brussels relations will not remain the same after the UK leaves the EU. Earlier, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe underlined Paris is preparing itself for a no-deal Brexit scenario to defend the rights of its citizens.

Sudan protests

The United Nations human rights chief has slammed Sudan's crackdown on anti-government demonstrations. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about Khartoum’s use of excessive force against the protesters. A doctor and a child were killed in protests in the capital Khartoum on Thursday as protesters tried to march on the presidential palace. Prominent rights organization Human Rights Watch says 40 people were killed during the demonstrations that started in December over rising prices of bread and other food items. However, President Omar al-Bashir’s government rejects the number, putting the death toll at 24.

US-China trade war

US media say Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has proposed the idea of lifting some or all tariffs imposed on Chinese imports. According to the Wall Street Journal, Mnuchin has raised the possibility of touching on the issue during a meeting with top Chinese trade envoy Liu He, who will visit the US at the end of this month. The report says the move is aimed at advancing trade talks between Washington and Beijing. However, a Treasury spokesman has denied the report. The US and China are seeking to resolve their trade dispute ahead of a March first deadline. The White House is scheduled to increase tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent on March the 2nd.

US court ruling

A US court acquits three Chicago police officers of trying to cover up the 2014 fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald. The court said the officers were found not guilty of committing conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct. The teen’s relatives said the ruling proves Chicago’s legal system is corrupt. In October 2018, a jury convicted a white police officer of second-degree murder for firing 16 bullets into McDonald. The killing of the 17-year-old triggered months of protests and became emblematic of longstanding police abuse in the US.

Colombia bomb attack

The death toll from Thursday’s car bomb explosion in the Colombian capital Bogota has risen to 21. The blast which happened outside a police cadet training academy also left nearly 70 people injured. President Ivan Duque described the incident as a terrorist act and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. The attack is the deadliest to hit the Colombian capital in more than 15 years. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

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