JANUARY 19 (GMT) – JANUARY 20 (AEST), 2019 YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 3 NORTH AMERICA UK AUSTRALIA Trump team rejects allegations Lib Dems start leadership search Labor policies ‘will take time’ President Donald Trump’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 Bernie Sanders’ 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 FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 6 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 the nation’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 Florida. – AP Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden 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 Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren 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.