1

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALANDEUROPENORTH AMERICA

Trump under fire for ‘surrender’

No retreat, no surrender is how President Donald Trump frames his decision to temporarily reopen the government while still pursuing a border wall deal. Some Trump supporters seem willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt. Trump defended himself from the conservative backlash to his decision to end the 35-day-old partial government shutdown without money for his promised border wall.

Economy set to resume growth

The US economy will likely resume its steady growth now that the government has reopened, though economists say some scars – for the nation and for federal workers – will take time to heal. Most analysts estimate that the 35-day partial shutdown shaved a few tenths of a percentage point from annual economic growth in the first three month of 2019. They say growth should pick up in the coming months.

Shorten: LNP MPs have given up

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has accused the federal government of “running out of puff” after three ministers announced they will step down at the next election in the space of a week. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the frontbenchers’ personal reasons for bowing out of the politics should be taken at face value. Nigel Scullion, 62, became the latest to reveal he would not contest the next election.

Britain braces for no-deal Brexit

Preparations are being looked at for the possible imposition of martial law after a no-deal Brexit, it has emerged. The move has been described by sources as the civil service “prepping” for all possibilities. The revelation came as further Government splits emerged over whether Britain should quit the EU without an agreement as Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood broke ranks and insisted a no-deal scenario must be ruled out.

Border protesters rally in Ireland

Mock soldiers returned to the Irish border as protesters warned Theresa May not to allow a “nightmare” Brexit to derail Northern Ireland’s hard-won peace. Theatrical demonstrators and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald used sledgehammers to demolish a concrete wall erected near the frontier in County Down. Fatigues-wearing “military personnel” looked on with mock machine guns raised.

National favours support in Iraq

The National Party’s defence spokesperson says he would be in favour of providing further support in Iraq if it is in line with work already being done. The military alliance NATO has asked New Zealand to extend its involvement in training Iraqi forces. At present, New Zealand has 143 military staff in Iraq, but their work is due for review in June.

YOUr DAILY TOP 12 STOrIES FrOM FRANk NEWS

FULL STOrIES STArT ON PAGE 3

2

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALANDREST OF THE WORLDNORTH AMERICA

Mueller finds crime in cover-up

Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone may be accused of lying and tampering with witnesses, but it’s equally notable what he’s not charged with: colluding with the Kremlin in a grand conspiracy to help Trump win the presidency in 2016. The case is the latest in a series brought by special counsel robert Mueller that focuses on cover-ups but lays out no underlying crime.

National parks reopen

Park rangers are again greeting visitors at some national parks across the United States and flight operations at major airports are returning to normal, one day after a partial government shutdown came to an end. While there were signs that some government machinery was grinding back to life after a record 35 days without funding, many federal workers and their families approached the end of the shutdown cautiously.

Olympian in bid to oust Abbott

Former world champion skiier Zali Steggall has announced she will contest Tony Abbott’s Sydney seat of Warringah as an independent in the federal election. The former slalom world champion and 1998 Winter Olympics bronze medal winner from Manly now works as a barrister. Steggall says she has decided to stand as independent to give the people of Warringah a voice from “the sensible centre”.

Cathedral rocked by two bombs

Police say a bombing of a cathedral on a southern Philippine island has killed 20 people, lowering an earlier announced toll that police say was incorrect due to double counting. Police say another 81 people have been wounded in the blast. The fatalities include 15 civilians and five troops. Among the wounded are 14 troops, two police and 65 civilians.

Venezuela backflips on expulsions

Venezuela defused a showdown with the United States, suspending a demand that US diplomats leave the country as Washington called on the world to “pick a side” in the South American nation’s fast-moving crisis. Socialist President Nicolas Maduro broke relations with the United States after the Trump administration and many other nations in the region recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president.

NZ stays neutral on Venezuela

New Zealand will not be giving official recognition to one side in Venezuelan politics – because the government says it’s not its practice to do so. The United States is calling on the international community to pick a side in the dispute over who should be recognised as Venezuela’s leader. President Nicolás Maduro is under pressure after his rival Juan Guaidó declared himself “acting president”.

YOUr DAILY TOP 12 STOrIES FrOM FRANk NEWS

FULL STOrIES STArT ON PAGE 6

3

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

NORTH AMERICA

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi listens to a reporter’s question after signing a deal to reopen

the government on Capitol Hill. - AP

Economy set to resume growthThe US economy will likely resume its steady growth now that the government has reopened, though economists say some scars – for the nation and for federal workers – will take time to heal.

Most analysts estimate that the 35-day partial shutdown shaved a few tenths of a percentage point from annual economic growth in the first three month of 2019.

They say growth should pick up in the coming months, though some of the money federal workers and contractors didn’t spend in the past five weeks – on such items as movie tickets, restaurants and travel – will never be made up. Having gone without two paychecks, many federal workers were forced to visit food banks or to borrow money. Federal workers will now receive backpay, though some contractors might not.

President Donald Trump agreed to reopen the government for three weeks after having forced the shutdown in hopes of compelling Democrats to approve billions for a wall on the Mexico border. Trump failed to secure any such money.

During the shutdown, a shortage of airport security and air traffic controllers disrupted travel at such major hubs as LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The pressure on Trump to reopen the government intensified after a delay of about 3000 flights by mid-afternoon because six of 13 air traffic controllers didn’t show up to work at a critical center in Virginia.

S&P Global ratings estimates that the economy lost $6 billion because of the government closure – a sizable but relatively negligible sum in a $19 trillion-plus US economy.

“If the shutdown had lasted much longer, the economic impacts would have snowballed – travel problems, tax refunds, etc.,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities.

Still, the damage isn’t likely to lift immediately. And some federal employees had expressed anxiety during the shutdown about the stability and security of their jobs. ■

Trump supports hold signs as a ‘Build The Wall’ rally. - AP

NORTH AMERICA

Trump under fire for ‘surrender’No retreat, no surrender is how President Donald Trump frames his decision to temporarily reopen the government while still pursuing a border wall deal.

Some Trump supporters seem willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, yet they insist that any ultimate government funding deal the president signs must include money for a wall.

Trump defended himself from the conservative backlash to his decision to end the 35-day-old partial government shutdown — the longest in US history — without money for his promised border wall. He said if he didn’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government would shut down again on Feb. 15 or he would use his executive authority to address what he has termed “the humanitarian and security crisis” on the southern US border.

After he announced his decision, a New York newspaper headline dubbed him “CAVE MAN.”

Texas-based republican donor Doug Deason, who sits on the finance committee of the biggest pro-Trump super PAC in the nation, said he was “severely disappointed” by the president’s decision.

“We hired him to go shake up DC. We didn’t hire him to maintain the status quo,” Deason said.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, a big wall supporter, called Trump the “biggest wimp” ever to occupy the Oval Office.

Trump insists he didn’t cave to anyone and said the standoff with Democrats was far from over.

“Negotiations with Democrats will start immediately,” Trump tweeted on Saturday. “Will not be easy to make a deal, both parties very dug in. The case for National Security has been greatly enhanced by what has been happening at the Border & through dialogue. We will build the Wall!”

Earlier, Trump tweeted: “This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!” ■

4

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

EUROPE

Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald, centre, Martina Anderson, left, and Michelle O’Neil,

right, knock down a ‘mock’ wall on the Northern Ireland/republic of Ireland border. - PA

Border protesters rally in IrelandMock soldiers returned to the Irish border as protesters warned Theresa May not to allow a “nightmare” Brexit to derail Northern Ireland’s hard-won peace.

Theatrical demonstrators and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald used sledgehammers to demolish a concrete wall erected near the frontier in County Down.

Fatigues-wearing “military personnel” looked on with mock machine guns raised.

Anti-Brexit slogans were daubed on the concrete in a Berlin Wall-style message of intent to Westminster.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned that troops could be reinstated at the border following a no-deal Brexit.

On Saturday, the colourful, costumed and placard-waving crowd from across Ireland rejected the “terrifying” prospect of a hard exit from Europe.

Pat Lambe, 58, said: “Land is sacred, Ireland is sacred to us and 20 years ago we all voted on the Good Friday Agreement, which to a lot of people said let’s move forward, there were compromises made on all sides.

“Let’s move forward and see, can we get peace and – relatively – we did get peace.

“There is a coach and horses being driven through that right now as regards the British Government and the arrogance of them. So the Good Friday Agreement means nothing?”

Security towers manned by the British Army in the hilly and remote area near the city of Newry were decommissioned in 2003 as it ended conflict-era operations in Northern Ireland in support of the police.

The protesters recreated them in a deeply political drama played out in front of masses of supporters.

If the UK leaves Europe without a deal, the free flow of goods could be disrupted by the creation of a hard frontier on the island, the European Commission has said.

Donegal demonstrator Tom Murray said: “All the peace and prosperity that we have enjoyed will be destroyed by a hard border.” ■

Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood. - PA

EUROPE

Britain preparing for no-deal BrexitPreparations are being looked at for the possible imposition of martial law after a no-deal Brexit, it has emerged.

The move has been described by sources as the civil service “prepping” for all possibilities.

The revelation came as further Government splits emerged over whether Britain should quit the EU without an agreement as Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood broke ranks and insisted a no-deal scenario must be ruled out.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “respecting the referendum decision means leaving the EU.

“The PM has said that there will be disruption in the event of no deal, but as a responsible Government we are taking the appropriate steps to minimise this disruption and ensure the country is prepared.”

In other measures, the Government sought to extend working hours for MPs in order to get legislation through before the scheduled EU withdrawal date of March 29.

responding to news the Government was looking at the possibility of a martial law scenario, Labour MP David Lammy said: “This is a full-blown crisis. The Government is recklessly drawing up plans for a colossal act of self-harm.

“Through continuing on the path to Brexit, despite having achieved no consensus on a deal in Parliament, the Government is preparing to declare war on itself.

“The idea that the Government has any mandate for this catastrophic scenario is ludicrous.

“The Leave campaign promised a stable new trading relationship with the EU after Brexit, not total isolation and soldiers in our airports.”

Despite Prime Minister Theresa May refusing to take the prospect of no deal off the table, Ellwood said: “It is now time to rule out the very possibility of no deal.

“It is wrong for Government and business to invest any more time and money in a no deal outcome which will make us poorer, weaker and smaller in the eyes of the world.” ■

5

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND

Mark Mitchell. - rNZ / rebekah Parsons-King

National favours more support in IraqThe National Party’s defence spokesperson says he would be in favour of providing further support in Iraq if it is in line with work already being done.

The military alliance NATO has asked New Zealand to extend its involvement in training Iraqi forces.

At present, New Zealand has 143 military staff in Iraq, but their work is due for review in June.

While the extent of NATO’s request is yet to be made public, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it will be considered soon.

The Opposition’s defence spokesperson, Mark Mitchell, said New Zealand can help by doing what it’s already doing.

“In principle I’d be in favour and support of us continuing to deliver the high quality training programmes that we have been, delivery which has made a huge difference for the combat readiness and capability for the Iraqi troops, and I think we have an important role to play there, we just need to see exactly what we’re being asked to do.”

Security consultant Paul Buchanan believes NATO’s request for New Zealand help in Iraq will replace the country’s current deployment, rather than increase it.

He said the current deployment will be reviewed in June and the new request will probably be put into action then.

“I don’t envision that the NATO request will result in the deployment of additional troops while the Camp Taji training mission still goes on, I think this is in lieu of the Camp Taji training mission.”

Buchanan said it’s a significant request, and one the government will have to look at very carefully. ■

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. - AAP

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND

Shorten: Coalition MPs have given upOpposition Leader Bill Shorten has accused the federal government of “running out of puff” after three ministers announced they will step down at the next election in the space of a week.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the frontbenchers’ personal reasons for bowing out of the politics should be taken at face value.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, 62, on Saturday became the latest to reveal he would not contest the next election, believing it’s simply time for him to go after being in parliament since 2001.

That came after Perth-based Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said on Friday evening he wouldn’t be running again to spend more time with his wife and four children aged between six months and seven.

Industrial Affairs Minister Kelly O’Dwyer also announced her retirement plans for family reasons last week.

Shorten says he wishes the trio well, but that their exits show the government is “barely limping to the end of its term”.

“This is a government where its members have given up and now they’re walking out the door,” he said in Melbourne.

The prime minister has rejected suggestions the departures could be inspired by perceptions the government is a “sinking ship”.

“I don’t think that’s a very kind way to put it and I don’t think that really does respect to the decisions that they’ve made,” Morrison said.

“Both of these cases – because this is how it has been shared with me by both of these men – are about their own personal circumstances.

“We’ve had members retiring and not standing at the next election from both sides of politics and it means nothing more than that.”

A series of senators and and MPs from both sides have indeed confirmed they won’t be running again, including Labor frontbenchers Kate Ellis and Jenny Macklin. ■

6

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

NORTH AMERICA

Great Smoky Mountain National Park has reopened after the shutdown ended. – AP

National parks reopen after shutdownPark rangers are again greeting visitors at some national parks across the United States and flight operations at major airports are returning to normal, one day after a partial government shutdown came to an end.

While there were signs that some government machinery was grinding back to life after a record 35 days without funding, many federal workers and their families approached the end of the shutdown cautiously, saying they were relieved they would receive paychecks again, but would continue to restrict their spending amid fears that another shutdown could happen in weeks.

“You can only be so happy because you just have to know that it could happen again,” said Rachel Malcom, whose husband serves in the Coast Guard in rhode Island. “We’re going to be playing catch-up, so I don’t want to overspend.”

President Donald Trump signed a short-term deal Friday to end the partial government shutdown, which caused 800,000 federal employees to miss two paychecks. The administration asked department heads to reopen offices in a “prompt and orderly manner.”

Many government agencies still had notices on their websites saying they were not fully operating due to the lack of appropriations. Calls to several agencies also went unanswered, with voicemails saying the offices were closed due to the shutdown. But many parks — from the US Virgin Islands to Minnesota — were glad to open their doors to weekend visitors.

The National Park Service said it was working on reopening all of its parks as quickly as possible, but some parks may not open immediately depending on their staff size and complexity.

Mike Litterst, chief spokesman for the National Park Service, said the nation’s more than 400 parks are reopening on a rolling schedule.

Some of the parks that were partially open and accessible during the shutdown are expected to get back to full operations more quickly. ■

roger Stone. - AP

NORTH AMERICA

Mueller finds crime in the cover-upDonald Trump confidant Roger Stone may be accused of lying and tampering with witnesses, but it’s equally notable what he’s not charged with: colluding with the Kremlin in a grand conspiracy to help Trump win the presidency in 2016.

The case is the latest in a series brought by special counsel robert Mueller that focuses on cover-ups but lays out no underlying crime. It’s a familiar pattern in Washington, where scandals from Watergate to Iran-Contra and Whitewater have mushroomed into presidency-imperiling affairs due to efforts to conceal and mislead.

In the russia investigation, one Trump aide after another has been accused of lying to investigators, or encouraging others to do so, about russia-related contacts during the campaign and transition period.

Mueller may well have evidence of criminal coordination between Trump associates and russia that he has yet to reveal, but so far, he’s focused repeatedly on those he believes have tried to throw federal or congressional investigators off the trail.

Stone’s indictment charges him with seven felonies, including witness tampering, obstruction and false statements, while leaving open the question of whether his or the Trump’s campaign’s interest in exploiting russia-hacked emails about Democrat Hillary Clinton crossed a legal line.

The Stone case is in some way reminiscent of Mueller prosecutions that have accused former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen of lying to Congress about his role in a Moscow real estate project; former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn of lying about his contacts with the russia’s US ambassador; and ex-campaign aide George Papadopoulos of lying about his knowledge that Russia had “dirt” on Clinton in the form of stolen emails.

In none of those cases did prosecutors say the things the defendants lied about were crimes themselves. ■

7

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

REST OF THE WORLD

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. - AP

Venezuela backflips on expulsionsVenezuela defused a potential showdown with the United States, suspending a demand that US diplomats leave the country as Washington called on the world to “pick a side” in the South American nation’s fast-moving crisis.

Socialist President Nicolas Maduro broke relations with the United States after the Trump administration and many other nations in the region recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president, a move that Maduro called a coup attempt.

Maduro gave US diplomats three days to leave the country, but the Trump administration said it wouldn’t obey, arguing that Maduro is no longer Venezuela’s legitimate president. That set the stage for a showdown at the hilltop US Embassy compound, when the deadline was to expire.

But as the sun set on Venezuela’s capital, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Maduro’s government was suspending the expulsion to provide a 30-day window for negotiating with US officials about setting up a “US interests office” in Venezuela and a similar Venezuelan office in the United States. The US and Cuba had a similar arrangement for decades before the Obama administration restored diplomatic relations with the communist-run island.

Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the UN Security Council: “Let me be 100 per cent clear – President Trump and I fully expect that our diplomats will continue to receive protections provided under the Vienna Convention. Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people.”

In the Security Council meeting, critics and supporters of Maduro’s government faced off in a reflection of the world’s deep divisions over Venezuela, which is mired in political confrontation as well as an economic collapse that has caused millions to flee the country.

During the debate, which was requested by the US, Pompeo urged all nations to end Venezuela’s “nightmare” and support Guaido. ■

Soldiers and police cordon off the area after two bombs exploded outside a Roman

Catholic cathedral in Jolo, the capital of Sulu. - AP

REST OF THE WORLD

Cathedral rocked by two bombsPolice say a bombing of a cathedral on a southern Philippine island has killed 20 people, lowering an earlier announced toll that police say was incorrect due to double counting.

Police say another 81 people have been wounded in the blast. The fatalities include 15 civilians and five troops. Among the wounded are 14 troops, two police and 65 civilians.

Security officials say the first bomb went off in or near the Jolo cathedral during Sunday Mass, followed by a second blast outside the compound as government forces were responding to the attack.

Photos on social media showed debris and bodies lying on a busy street outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which has been hit by bombs in the past. Troops in armored carriers sealed off the main road leading to the church while vehicles were transporting the dead and wounded to the hospital. Some casualties were evacuated by air to nearby Zamboanga city.

“I have directed our troops to heighten their alert level, secure all places of worships and public places at once, and initiate pro-active security measures to thwart hostile plans,” said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a statement.

Jolo island has long been troubled by the presence of Abu Sayyaf militants, who are blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization because of years of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.It came nearly a week after minority Muslims in the

predominantly roman Catholic nation endorsed a new autonomous region in the southern Philippines in hopes of ending nearly five decades of a separatist rebellion that has left 150,000 people dead. Although most of the Muslim areas approved the autonomy deal, voters in Sulu province, where Jolo is located, rejected it. The province is home to a rival rebel faction that’s opposed to the deal as well as smaller militant cells that not part of any peace process. ■

8

January 27 (GMT) – January 28 (aEST), 2019

NZ stays neutral on VenezuelaNew Zealand will not be giving official recognition to one side in Venezuelan politics – because the government says it’s not its practice to do so.

The United States is calling on the international community to pick a side in the dispute over who should be recognised as Venezuela’s leader.

President Nicolás Maduro is under pressure after his rival Juan Guaidó declared himself “acting president” on Wednesday.

Several countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and some Latin American nations, already back Mr Guaidó as president.

But russia, China and Syria are still recognising the socialist leader Nicolás Maduro, who also appears to have the backing of the military.

Discussions at the UN on Saturday were tense as nations clashed on how to resolve the crisis in Venezuela.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused russia and China of “propping up a failed regime” and said it was time to “support the Venezuelan people immediately”.

“No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you’re in league with Maduro and his mayhem,” he said.

New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, said it’s not New Zealand’s practice to make statements recognising governments.

Venezuela should be allowed to decide its own fate through free and fair elections, he said.

Peters said New Zealand expressed concern about the elections Venezuela held last year, and those concerns remain. ■

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. - AP

Olympian in bid to oust AbbottFormer world champion skiier Zali Steggall has announced she will contest Tony Abbott’s Sydney seat of Warringah as an independent in the federal election.

The former slalom world champion and 1998 Winter Olympics bronze medal winner from Manly now works as a barrister.

Steggall says she has decided to stand as independent to give the people of Warringah a voice from “the sensible centre”.

“I support sensible centre economic policies for a strong, stable economy and will resist proposed changes to negative gearing, franking credits and capital gains tax,” she said.

“He is a formidable opponent and I have never gone into a race thinking it would be an easy challenge.

“I am prepared, I am supported and I know the views of the community.”

Despite saying the Australia Day long weekend was not one for “heavy politics”, Abbott took to Twitter to express his commitment to the Sydney electorate.

“I’m going to keep pushing for the northern beaches tunnel to beat the traffic jams and for a safe and prosperous Australia as part of a good government,” he said.

Steggall said in a statement her policy priorities include the economy, health care, congestion and improving politics.

Government minister Dan Tehan said Abbott would put a strong case forward for his re-election.

“People underestimate what Tony does within the community, for the community, they underestimate his ability to campaign,” Tehan said.

“There was talk before the last election that Tony might have been in trouble in Warringah, he was re-endorsed by the voters there quite strongly.”

He faced nine opponents at the 2016 election.Earlier, Alice Thompson, a former adviser to Malcolm

Turnbull, also announced she would contest Warringah as an independent. ■

Tony Abbott. - AAP

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND