A historic defeat in the U.K.

BRITAIN: A debate is underway in Parliament ahead of a no-confidence vote for Prime Minister Theresa May’s government, after the House of Commons voted Tuesday to reject the plan for the country’s exit from the European Union. Two years in the works (timeline here) since Brits approved a referendum on departure, the failure to approve the deal could lead now to Brexit becoming “Brextinct,” as headlines highlighted, or to what insiders call a “hard Brexit,” a departure without a negotiated agreement. That would leave the U.K. without trade concessions and border privileges arranged with European counterparts. Despite 118 Conservatives from her own party voting against the deal—making the 432-202 vote the largest defeat of a prime minister in modern history—May appears determined to press on.

KENYA: Security forces say they have killed the militants connected with Al-Shabaab—the Somali terrorist group—who stormed a hotel complex and killed 14 people, ending a 20-hour siege that led to the evacuation of more than 700 civilians.

GLOBAL: Open Doors released Wednesday morning its 2019 World Watch List—a ranking of the top 50 countries where it’s most dangerous to be a Christian, with an update on the state of persecuted Christians worldwide.

IRAN: On Dec. 30, authorities arrested nine Christians in Iran, unleashing another crackdown with at least 100 arrested now, as the government attempts to stifle conversions.

CANADA: Canadian air traffic controllers have sent hundreds of pizzas to their counterparts in the United States, who have been working through a partial government shutdown and without pay since Dec. 22.

CHINA: Six of the top 10 busiest seaports are in China, with Shanghai taking top billing. Los Angeles, the only U.S. seaport to make the top 20 list, is number 18.

I’M SPEAKING Thursday at the 2019 Evangelicals for Life conference on “The Gospel and the World’s Most Vulnerable.” Look me up if you are there.

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