JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

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NORTH UK AUSTRALIA

Trump team rejects allegations Lib Dems start leadership search Labor policies ‘will take time’

President ’s legal team has The Liberal Democrats will have a new Anthony Albanese believes his Labor issued a fiery response ahead of opening leader in place in July, the party has party has got over the disappointment arguments in his impeachment trial after announced. The move comes after of losing the 2019 federal election, but House Democrats laid out their case. The a poor general election showing in eight months on the opposition leader dueling statements previewed arguments December saw ex-leader Jo Swinson lose is keeping future policy changes close to both sides intend to make once Trump’s her East Dunbartonshire seat. The Lib his chest. Albanese confirmed the party’s impeachment trial begins in earnest on Dems’ federal board decided on Saturday controversial franking credits policy that Tuesday. Both sides are seeking to make that nominations for candidates would disgruntled many older voters will not be their case for a Republican-led Senate open on May 11 and close on May 28. taken to next the election, although he and for an American public bracing for a The ballot for the party’s new leader will declined to say whether it will come in a presidential election in 10 months. start on June 18 and conclude on July 15. different form.

NORTH AMERICA UK NEW ZEALAND

Biden complains about video Labour rivals call for unity Bridges, Philippines to talk trade

Joe Biden has called for ’ Labour leadership contenders sparred Simon Bridges is leading a group of his presidential campaign to disown what over anti-Semitism in the first hustings National Party MPs to the Philippines. he calls “doctored video” that shows in the race to replace Jeremy Corbyn. All Along with National’s Defence the former vice president endorsing five candidates issued pleas for unity at spokesperson Mark Mitchell, Foreign Republican calls to cut social security the start of the event after last month’s Affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee and Medicare. “There’s a little doctored loss at the polls. But backbencher Jess and New Zealand’s first Filipino MP Paulo video going around ... put out by one of Phillips then took a swipe at some of her Garcia, Bridges will meet with a number Bernie’s people,” Biden said, referring to fellow contenders for allegedly keeping of politicians and officials for talks on a 2018 speech in which Biden discussed quiet over anti-Semitism in the party, trade and other cooperation. Talks will then-House Speaker Paul Ryan saying prompting a vigorous response from rival include the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, rising deficit demanded action on the Emily Thornberry. Jose Rene Almendras and Manila’s mayor popular entitlement programs. Isko Moreno.

1 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

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ASIA EUROPE AUSTRALIA

Iran ‘readies to launch satellites’ Putin opposes unlimited term NSW bushfire death toll climbs

Iran says two newly-constructed satellites Russian President Vladimir Putin has said The death toll from NSW’s have passed pre-launch tests and will he opposes the idea of an unlimited term unprecedented bushfires has climbed be transported to ’s space in office for the country’s leader, like the to 21 following the death in hospital of centre for eventual launch, without system that existed in the former Soviet an elderly man burned in Cobargo on elaborating. Telecommunications Union. Putin’s comment at a meeting New Year’s Eve. The 84-year-old was Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi with Second World War veterans in St taken from his home on December 31 to tweeted about the development, calling Petersburg came days after he called South East Regional Hospital before he it an “important research step”. Iran has for constitutional changes that could was transferred to Concord Hospital in not said when it will launch the satellites, help him remain in power once his Sydney where he died this weekend. but often coordinates its launches with presidential term ends in 2024. national holidays.

ASIA REST OF THE WORLD NEW ZEALAND

Iran backtracks on black boxes Police fire tear gas at rally Calls for port expansion

The Iranian official leading the Hong Kong police have fired tear gas Cruise ship companies say the industry’s investigation into the Ukrainian jetliner at a public park that was overflowing value to the country could be greater that was accidentally shot down by the with thousands of protesters calling for if the Ports of Auckland had a berth Revolutionary Guard has appeared to electoral reforms and a boycott of the big enough to accommodate next- backtrack on plans to send the flight Chinese Communist Party. Sporting their generation ships. The New Zealand recorders abroad for analysis, a day after movement’s trademark black clothing Cruise Association said cruise tourism saying they would be sent to Kyiv. Hassan and face masks, rally participants packed was growing on average 10 percent each Rezaeifar was quoted by the state-run into Chater Garden, not far from the year, against a slow-down in tourism IRNA news agency as saying “the flight Chinese territory’s Legislative Council overall. Government figures show total recorders from the Ukrainian Boeing are building. They held up signs that read expenditure from port visits last year in Iranian hands and we have no plans to “Free Hong Kong” and waved American reached almost $570 million - a 28 send them out”. and British flags. percent increase on 2018.

2 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

President Donald Trump on the steps of Air Force One at Palm Beach in . – AP Democratic presidential candidates and Bernie Sanders durng a presidential primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa. – AP

NORTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA Trump team rejects Biden complains about impeachment allegations ‘doctored’ video

President Donald Trump’s legal team has issued a Joe Biden has called for Bernie Sanders’ presidential fiery response ahead of opening arguments in his campaign to disown what he calls “doctored video” that impeachment trial after House Democrats laid out shows the former vice president endorsing Republican their case. calls to cut social security and Medicare.

The dueling statements previewed arguments both sides “There’s a little doctored video going around ... put out by one intend to make once Trump’s impeachment trial begins in of Bernie’s people,” Biden told supporters in Indianola, Iowa, earnest this week. Both sides are seeking to make their case referring to a 2018 speech in which Biden discussed then- for a Republican-led Senate and for an American public bracing House Speaker Paul Ryan saying rising deficit demanded action for a presidential election in 10 months. on the popular entitlement programs. The House’s 111-page brief pulls together the private and “I’m looking for his campaign to come forward and disown public testimony of a dozen witnesses – ambassadors and it,” Biden continued, pointing to his 2020 campaign proposals national security officials at high levels of government -- who designed to shore up Social Security. “But they haven’t done raised concerns about the president’s actions with Ukraine. it yet.” Stripped of legalese and structured in plain English, the The video in question, circulated on Twitter by a top Sanders document underscored the extent to which the impeachment adviser, does not appear to be altered. But the short clip omits proceedings are a political rather than conventional legal Biden’s larger argument over how Ryan handled the 2017 tax process. The Trump team similarly offered a taste of the cuts and subsequent budget debates. rhetoric expected to be deployed by the president’s defenders A separate Sanders’ adviser included a transcript of Biden’s in the Senate. remarks in the video clip in a separate campaign newsletter. He In their brief, the House managers overseeing the added other, more extended video, of Biden as a US senator in prosecution wrote that it is clear that the “’evidence 1995 and presidential candidate in 2007 explaining his support overwhelmingly establishes” that Trump is guilty of both for a more austere federal budget, including putting Social charges. “The only remaining question is whether the members Security and Medicare “on the table.” of the Senate will accept and carry out the responsibility The 2020 campaign flap highlights long-standing placed on them by the Framers of our Constitution and their philosophical fissures between the progressive Sanders, constitutional Oaths,” the brief states. who has spent decades arguing for a massive expansion of The Trump team, meanwhile, called the Senate’s formal the federal government, and the more centrist Biden. Those impeachment summons to two articles of impeachment differences have come to the forefront as Biden and Sanders passed by the House last month “a dangerous attack on the are bunched with and atop right of the American people to freely choose their president.” early state polls weeks before the Iowa caucuses and the New “This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the Hampshire primary. results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 Responding to Biden’s remarks, Sanders’ campaign manager election, now just months away,” the filing states. Faiz Shakir said, “Joe Biden should be honest with voters and Trump’s legal team is challenging the impeachment on both stop trying to doctor his own public record of consistently and procedural and constitutional grounds, claiming Trump has repeatedly trying to cut social security.” ■ done nothing wrong. ■

3 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

Former Lib Dems leader Jo Swinson. – PA Labour leadership candidates Emily Thornberry, left, Jess Phillips, Rebecca Long-Bailey amd Keir Starmer. - PA

UK UK Liberal Democrats start Labour leadership process for new leader rivals call for unity

The Liberal Democrats will have a new leader in place in Labour leadership contenders sparred over anti- July, the party has announced. Semitism in the first hustings in the race to replace Jeremy Corbyn. The move comes after a poor general election showing in December saw ex-leader Jo Swinson lose her East All five candidates issued pleas for unity at the start of the Dunbartonshire seat. event after last month’s loss at the polls. The Lib Dems’ federal board decided on Saturday that But backbencher Jess Phillips then took a swipe at some of nominations for candidates would open on May 11 and close her fellow contenders for allegedly keeping quiet over anti- on May 28. Semitism in the party, prompting a vigorous response from The ballot for the party’s new leader will start on June 18 and rival Emily Thornberry. conclude on July 15. Phillips said: “The Labour Party needs a leader who The party says it has more than 100,000 members who will has spoken out against anti-Semitism and other forms of be eligible to take part in the selection process. harassment in fact. Ex-cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey and party president “When others were keeping quiet and (as) somebody who Mark Pack will continue as joint acting leaders of the was in the room, struggling for an independent system — lots Liberal Democrats until the election process is completed, and lots of meetings — I have to say I don’t remember some of the party said. the people here being in that particular room or being in those Pack said: “I want first to thank Jo Swinson for her particular fights.” determined leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Phillips added: “Jewish people were scared of Labour winning “With our party membership at record levels, I urge everyone the election. else who shares our values to join us in the coming days and “We have lost the moral high ground to fight racism in this vote in the leadership election.” ■ country because of the way we have handled anti-Semitism.” But Shadow foreign secretary Thornberry insisted she had fought against racism. She told the Liverpool event: “I tell you what Jess (Phillips), I have always been clear about it and I always will because it’s unacceptable, it undermines us as a party and undermines our soul. “What we should be doing is kicking out these anti-Semites in the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool in 1937.” Thornberry suggested all the candidates were seeking “the worst job in the world”. She said: “Being leader of the Labour Party in opposition is, quite frankly, the worst job in the world. Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey told the audience that divided parties do not win elections. ■

4 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. - AAP National leader Simon Bridges. – RNZ /Dom Thomas

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Labor policies will take Bridges, National MPs to time, says Albanese talk trade in Philippines

Anthony Albanese believes his Labor party has got over Simon Bridges is leading a group of his National Party the disappointment of losing the 2019 federal election, MPs to the Philippines. but eight months on the opposition leader is keeping future policy changes close to his chest. Along with National’s Defence spokesperson Mark Mitchell, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee and New Albanese confirmed the party’s controversial franking credits Zealand’s first Filipino MP Paulo Garcia, Bridges will meet with a policy that disgruntled many older voters will not be taken to number of politicians and officials for talks on trade and other next the election, although he declined to say whether it will cooperation. come in a different form. Talks will include the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Jose Rene Similarly, he declined to say whether the party’s negative Almendras, Manila’s mayor Isko Moreno, the boxer-cum- gearing changes would be kept on board. senator Manny Pacquiao and a Cardinal Luis Antonia Tagle. “One of the things I have been determined to do ... is Bridges said trade with the Philippines – New Zealand’s recognise that the next election is in 2022,” Albanese said. 17th largest export destination at a value of $880 million – was “We have a policy process ... we will announce it in the small but there was room for growth. fullness of time.” Bridges said a population of nearly 70,000 Filipinos in New Asked whether his party will continue with a tax and spend Zealand would be a “growing factor” in relations between the approach, he said: “I don’t shy away from the fact that in a two countries. ■ civilised society you need taxation in order to fund schools, in order to fund hospitals.” Albanese conceded that it was a mistake to stick with the party’s 2015 policy of a 45 per cent emissions target by 2030 at the 2019 election. “I think it was a mistake in 2019 to continue to say we will do exactly what we were doing in 2015 as if it hadn’t changed,” he said. “We will determine our policy, it will be as ambitious as possible.” Albanese said the reason why Labor could not announce the policy now was because it had to know the starting point. Albanese is reckoning on the next election being sometime between October 2021 and March 2022. “We will be ready to go,” he said. “We have done much better than just recover.” He said in six months the party had examined where the party went wrong at the 2019 election through its review process, it had restructured its national office, installed a new national secretary and set up a new front bench. ■

5 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

A 2017 photo reportedly showing an Iranian satellite-carrying rocket. - AP A file photo showing the actual Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 UR-PSR plane that crashed on January 8 on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran. - AP

ASIA ASIA Iran preparing for Iran backtracks on launch of satellites flight recorder plan

Iran says two newly-constructed satellites have passed The Iranian official leading the investigation into the pre-launch tests and will be transported to the nation’s Ukrainian jetliner that was accidentally shot down by space centre for eventual launch, without elaborating. the Revolutionary Guard has appeared to backtrack on plans to send the flight recorders abroad for analysis, a Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi day after saying they would be sent to Kyiv. tweeted about the development, calling it an “important research step”. Hassan Rezaeifar was quoted by the state-run IRNA news Iran has not said when it will launch the satellites, but often agency as saying “the flight recorders from the Ukrainian coordinates its launches with national holidays. It will celebrate Boeing are in Iranian hands and we have no plans to send the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution next month. them out”. Iran’s largely state-run media said the 90kg Zafar satellites He said Iran is working to recover the data and cabin each have four high-resolution colour cameras and will recordings, and that it may send the flight recorders – monitor and transmit data on natural resources as well as commonly known as black boxes – to Ukraine or France. “But agricultural and environmental developments. as of yet, we have made no decision.” Iran said its satellite program, like its nuclear activities, is Earlier, the same official was quoted by the semi-official aimed at scientific research and other civilian applications. Tasnim news agency as saying the recorders would be sent to The US and other Western countries have long been Ukraine, where French, American and Canadian experts would suspicious of the program because the same technology can help analyse them. Iranian officials previously said the black be used to develop long-range missiles. boxes were damaged but are usable. Iran tried and failed to launch two satellites into orbit in It was not immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting January and February last year. accounts. Iran may be hesitant to turn over the recorders for A rocket exploded inside the Imam Khomeini Space Center fear that more details from the crash – including the harrowing in August during what officials later said was a test-launch. 20 seconds between when the first and second surface-to-air Iranian officials did not acknowledge the mishap until satellite missiles hit the plane – will come to light. imagery showed the explosion. Officials blamed a technical The Guard’s air defences shot the plane down shortly after malfunction. it took off from Tehran on January 8, killing all 176 people on In a separate incident, a fire killed three researchers at board. Hours earlier, the Guard had launched ballistic missiles the space centre, which is some 240km southeast of the at US troops in Iraq in response to the US airstrike that killed capital, Tehran. Iran’s top general in Baghdad. Officials say lower-level officers Iran has sent several satellites into orbit over the past mistook the plane for a US cruise missile. decade, and in 2013 it launched a monkey into space. ■ Iranian officials initially said the crash was caused by a technical problem and invited countries that lost citizens to help investigate. Three days later, Iran admitted responsibility after Western leaders said there was strong evidence the plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile. ■

6 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin. – AP Participants wave British and US flags during a rally calling for boycott of the Chinese Communist Party and all businesses seen to support it in Hong Kong. - AP

EUROPE REST OF THE WORLD Putin says he doesn’t Police fire tear gas want unlimited term as thousands rally

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he opposes Hong Kong police have fired tear gas at a public park the idea of an unlimited term in office for the country’s that was overflowing with thousands of protesters leader, like the system that existed in the former calling for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Soviet Union. Communist Party.

Putin’s comment at a meeting with Second World War veterans Sporting their movement’s trademark black clothing and face in St Petersburg came days after he called for constitutional masks, rally participants packed into Chater Garden, not far changes that could help him remain in power once his from the Chinese territory’s Legislative Council building. They presidential term ends in 2024. held up signs that read “Free Hong Kong” and waved American When a veteran at the meeting proposed not having term and British flags. limits for Russia’s president, Putin responded that “it would be A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China very disturbing to return to the situation of the mid-1980s, with in 1997. While the framework of “one country, two systems” the leaders of the state, one by one, staying in power until the promises the city greater democratic rights than are afforded end of their days”. to the mainland, protesters say their freedoms have been There has been uncertainty about Russia’s future political steadily eroding under Chinese President Xi Jinping. course since Putin suggested in his state-of-the-nation address Frictions between democracy-minded Hong Kongers and amending the constitution to allow MPs to name prime the Communist Party-ruled central government in Beijing came ministers and cabinet members. to a head last June, when proposed extradition legislation The president currently holds the authority to make those sparked months of mass demonstrations. appointments. The bill – which would have allowed Hong Kong residents Observers speculated that after increasing the powers to be sent to mainland China to stand trial – has since been of parliament and the cabinet and curtailing presidential withdrawn, but protests have continued for more than seven authority, Putin might repeat a strategy he used before to stay months, centred around demands for voting rights and an in charge – shifting into the prime minister’s seat. independent inquiry into police conduct. Putin first became president in 2000, and moved to the While the protests began peacefully, they increasingly prime minister’s office in 2008 when constitutional limits descended into violence after demonstrators became prevented him from seeking a third term. frustrated with the government’s response. They feel that Hong His chosen successor as president, Dmitry Medvedev, was Kong leader Carrie Lam has ignored their demands and used widely seen as less influential than Putin. the police to suppress them. Medvedev, who became prime minister after Putin returned Demonstrators have routinely thrown bricks and gasoline to the presidency, submitted his resignation on Wednesday bombs at riot police, who have responded with tear gas, after the president outlined his constitutional proposals. rubber bullets and – on rare occasions – live rounds. Putin named Mikhail Mishustin - the head of the national The months of unrest have sent the financial hub’s economy tax service and a technocrat unlikely to chart an independent reeling, as shops have shuttered during clashes and tourists course - as the new premier. ■ have stayed away. Hong Kong police gave approval for the rally, but not for a march that organszers were also planning. ■

7 JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019

The remains of burnt-out businesses, in close proximity to unaffected buildings in - AAP Cobargo, New South Wales. - AAP

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND NSW bushfire death Cruise ship industry toll climbs to 21 wants port expanded

The death toll from NSW’s unprecedented bushfires Cruise ship companies say the industry’s value to the has climbed to 21 following the death in hospital of an country could be greater if the Ports of Auckland had elderly man burned in Cobargo on New Year’s Eve. a berth big enough to accommodate next-generation ships. The 84-year-old was taken from his home on December 31 to South East Regional Hospital before he was transferred to The New Zealand Cruise Association said cruise tourism was Concord Hospital in Sydney where he died this weekend. growing on average 10 percent each year, against a slow-down “A report will be prepared for the coroner,” a NSW Police in tourism overall. spokeswoman said. Government figures show total expenditure from port visits The 21 deaths have occurred across NSW since October last year reached almost $570 million - a 28 percent increase as a result of the devastating bushfires that have burned on 2018. through more than five million hectares and destroyed more Last year’s 322,000 cruise ship passengers to visit New than 2100 homes. ■ Zealand was a 24 percent increase on 2018. Australian passengers made up more than two-thirds of the overall increase, and Auckland recorded the most cruise passengers by port, narrowly edging out Dunedin. The spending raised $54m in GST. New Zealanders are included in the passenger and crew movement statistics sourced from cruise ship manifests but are not fully accounted for in expenditure statistics. The cruise association’s chief executive, Kevin O’Sullivan, said the 10 percent annual growth in the value of the sector was conservative. He said more ships were visiting and growth was expanding into the smaller regions, but Auckland was now too small to take the world’s largest cruise ships, which carried thousands of passengers. “There are two ends of the spectrum with growth in cruise ships - you’ve got the expedition ships at one end and the very large ships at the other.” O’Sullivan said the industry wanted Auckland as a venue capable of berthing the larger ships. “We were working on a structure off the end of Queen’s Wharf, which is still going through the court process but it’s likely it won’t happen. ■

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