WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, January 18, 2019.

Press TV anchor in US jail

Jailed 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 with no charges against her and was taken to a facility in Washington DC. The FBI has declined to offer any comments regarding her arrest. A New York-based media advocacy group expressed concern over the detention. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the US Justice Department to disclose the reason behind Hashemi's arrest. Hashemi is an American Muslim citizen who’s been living in Iran for decades.

US political dispute

The US president has cancelled the house speaker’s overseas trip amid escalating feud with congressional democrats and the ongoing government shutdown. In a letter Donald Trump told Nancy Pelosi that her trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan were postponed and would be rescheduled when the shutdown is over. The announcement came a day after Pelosi suggested the president either postpone or submit in writing his 29 January State of the Union address, citing security concerns. The White House has also announced the cancellation of a trip to the World Economic Forum by government officials. Trump’s row with Democrats continues over his demand for a contentious border wall funding. The partial government shutdown has left over 800,000 federal workers and several million contractors without pay.

DR Congo election

The African Union has called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to delay the final announcement of the election results amid serious doubts. The Pan African organization said on Thursday that it is sending a high level delegation to the Congolese capital, in a bid to find a way out of the country’s political crisis and violent unrests. The continental body’s request came as DRC’s provisional election results were challenged in court by runner-up candidate Martin Fayulu on alleged fraud. Fayulu claims that provisional winner Felix Tshisekedi made a power-sharing deal with outgoing president Joseph Kabila in what he calls an electoral coup. The country's top court is due to rule on the petition later this month.

Israeli demolition

Israeli forces have demolished the family home of a Palestinian teenager near the city of al-Khalil, also known as Hebron. Troops raided Khalil Jabareen’s home and destroyed the two-storey building. Jabareen was shot and arrested in an Israeli settlement in Jerusalem al-Quds on the allegation that he had fatally stabbed an Israeli-American in September. The Israeli military regularly opens fire on Palestinians, accusing them of seeking to attack its personnel. The Tel Aviv regime also regularly demolishes the houses of Palestinians whom it accuses of attacking Israelis.

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

www.presstv.co.uk