WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 1800 GMT, March 12, 2019 to 0800 GMT, March 13, 2019.

No-deal Brexit fears

Top European officials have expressed serious concern over the rejection of the Brexit deal by UK lawmakers. The European Council president regretted the move saying that it has significantly increased the risk of a damaging no-deal divorce. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator also underlined that the bloc had done all it could to help win approval for the deal. The Dutch prime minister insisted that any request from London for a delay in Brexit must be supported by a credible and convincing justification. The German foreign minister accused Britain of playing carelessly with the well-being of its citizens and the economy. Meanwhile, the limbo on Brexit reflected swiftly on the market. The British pound dropped sharply while the Euro made slight gain. Some analysts said the current unclear legal status can potentially exacerbate the economic conditions further.

US's Venezuela sanctions

The United States is planning to slap more sanctions on Venezuela in the coming days. US special envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams said Washington is prepared to impose “very significant additional sanctions” against financial institutions over the situation in Venezuela. He did not elaborate on the fresh measures. Abrams also said, Washington is in talks with other countries about security arrangements for the US Embassy after it withdraws remaining diplomats from Venezuela. He said the White House believes the government of Nicolas Maduro cannot protect the embassy. This comes as Venezuela ordered American diplomats to leave the Latin American country within 72 hours. Washington has already recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's rightful president. Guaido claims President Maduro's re-election was a fraud.

Cardinal Pell's sentence

Former Vatican treasurer, Cardinal George Pell has been sentenced to six years in jail by an Australian court for child sex abuse. The Cardinal abused two choir boys in the 1990s at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. Pell, 77, is the highest ranking Catholic priest to be convicted for child sex offences. Pell showed no reaction when Chief Judge Peter Kidd handed down his sentence. He was found guilty of one count of sexual abuse of a child and four counts of committing an indecent act with a child last December after a secret five-week trial. Pell has maintained he is innocent and has filed an appeal on three grounds, set to be heard in June.

US-Taliban talks

US and Taliban negotiators have ended their latest round of negotiations in Doha, with both sides hailing progress in talks. In a statement, the Taliban said they want agreement on four issues for any deal to be signed, including the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The other issues are counter-terrorism assurances, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a ceasefire. A senior Taliban commander, familiar with the talks, said the group will announce a ceasefire with the US only after foreign forces leave the country. In a separate statement, the US State Department said meaningful progress was made during the talks. Zalmay Khalilzad, the main US negotiator, also said the two sides had reached “agreement” in draft on the issues of troops withdrawal and counter-terrorism assurances. The US decided to enter into talks with the Taliban to end its 17-year war in Afghanistan.

Iran's warning

Iran has warned of a firm response to any act by Israel to block its oil export. Defense Minister Amir Hatami says Iran considers such actions against its oil sales “piracy”. Hatami has assured that Iran’s naval force has the capability to protect the country’s shipping lines against threats. The warning comes a week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to stop what he called Iran’s oil smuggling by intercepting tankers carrying Iranian crude. He said Israel’s navy will have a more important role in blocking Iran’s effort to bypass US sanctions on its oil sales.

Iraq's stance

The spokesman for Iraq’s Defense Ministry says Baghdad will not allow any country to use its soil against a neighbor. General Tahseen al-Khafaji made the comment in an exclusive interview with Press TV. Khafaji was reacting to last month’s comments made by US President Donald Trump that America wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq to watch Iran. He added that NATO’s mission in Iraq has to do with training the country’s forces and that's all. The official stressed that the Iraqi army is able to control the country by itself. The spokesman for Iraq’s Defense Ministry then hailed Iran’s role in defeating Daesh terrorists.

Plane crash repercussions

More countries ban Boeing's 737 MAX 8 after Sunday’s fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airline flight involving the aircraft. Vietnam and India are the latest to join the EU states, Turkey, Argentina, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and several other countries that have grounded the plane. The US aviation regulator says it will not ground the plane amid reviews that have reportedly shown no systematic performance issues in the aircraft. Canada has also refused to ground the plane, saying it awaits new information. Boeing says the investigation into the crash is still at its early stages. The American manufacturer is going through one of the most serious crises in its history because of two crashes involving one version of its aircraft in the recent months.

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