north america europe australia + new zealand€¦ · president donald trump’s new north america...

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

AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALANDEUROPENORTH AMERICA

Mueller’s dilemma for congress

It’s now up to Congress to decide what to do with special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings about President Donald Trump. While the special counsel declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate him, all but leaving the question to Congress. Mueller’s report provides fresh evidence of Trump’s interference in the Russia probe, challenging lawmakers to respond.

NAFTA would deliver gains

President Donald Trump’s new North America trade agreement would give the US economy only a modest boost, an independent federal agency has found. The International Trade Commission said Trump’s US-Mexico-Canada agreement would lift the US economy by 0.35 per cent, or $68.2 billion, and add 176,000 jobs six years after it takes effect.

Dad saves toddler from dingo

A toddler is in hospital with a fractured skull and cuts to his head and neck after a dingo dragged him from his bed on Queensland’s Fraser Island. The boy’s family were camping in a remote area of the island in the state’s southeast when two dingoes entered their campervan as they slept. Paramedic Ben Du Toit said one of the dingoes bit the toddler’s neck and began dragging him away into the bush.

One dead in ‘terrorist incident’

Dissident republican group the New IRA was probably responsible for shooting dead a journalist in Northern Ireland, police have said. Lyra McKee, 29, was shot in what police are treating as a “terrorist incident”, amid disturbances in Londonderry, and died later in hospital. During the unrest a gunman fired a number of shots at police, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said.

Protesters target major airport

A group of demonstrators have staged a climate change protest at Heathrow Airport. Between 15 and 20 people, many of them aged under 17, unfurled a banner on the pavement outside the transport hub reading “are we the last generation”. The protest is part of wider demonstrations around London organised by the campaign group Extinction Rebellion.

PM ‘a policy lightweight’

The ACT Party leader says the Capital Gains Tax backdown proves the prime minister is an effective marketer, but a lightweight policy maker. Jacinda Ardern abandoned hopes of introducing a Capital Gains Tax, after failing to get support from coalition partner New Zealand First. Ardern also said Labour wouldn’t pursue such a tax while she was leader, as there clearly wasn’t a public mandate for it.

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 3

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AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALANDEUROPEREST OF THE WORLD

Car smashes into pedestrians

A car driven by an 87-year-old man has smashed into pedestrians at a Tokyo intersection, killing a woman and a girl on a bicycle and overturning a garbage truck, Japanese police say. The Metropolitan Police Department said the woman and child were pronounced dead at a hospital. The Mainichi newspaper said eight other people were injured.

Thailand honours cave rescuers

Two Australian doctors were given royal honours in Thailand for helping rescue a boys soccer team from a flooded cave and said they are looking forward to a reunion with the youngsters they helped save. Richard Harris and Craig Challen were given the award at a ceremony presided over by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Tax plan faces crossbench hurdle

Labor’s ambitious tax agenda could face a major stumbling block if the party wins the election with a key crossbench party opposed to the signature reforms. Centre Alliance is aiming to boost its representation to at least three senators at the election, with neither of its current upper house members up for re-election.

Two dead after sea rescue

Two people have died after being pulled from the sea off Aberdeen beach. Emergency services were called to the Esplanade following a report that two females were in the water. The two people were rescued from the water by the RNLI inshore lifeboat and were taken to hospital where they died.

Russia, Estonia meet for talks

The presidents of Russia and Estonia held talks at the Kremlin for the first time in nearly a decade, a step toward reversing an absence of high-level contacts that Russian President Vladimir Putin described as “not a normal situation.” Putin told Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid their neighboring countries have a lot of concerns in common, including environmental issues surrounding the Baltic Sea and security.

Hunt on for best fish and chips

Put aside the age-old argument over whether chicken salt or plain is better because the search for Australia’s best fish and chips is all about what goes underneath. The third Australian Fish and Chips Awards has opened voting for the deep-fried honour. Chip shops around the country will be judged by both the public and critics as part of the hunt.

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 6

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NORTH AMERICA

President Donald Trump sits between Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto. - AP

NAFTA would deliver ‘modest’ gainsPresident Donald Trump’s new North America trade agreement would give the US economy only a modest boost, an independent federal agency has found.

The International Trade Commission said Trump’s US-Mexico-Canada agreement would lift the US economy by 0.35 per cent, or $68.2 billion, and add 176,000 jobs six years after it takes effect. That’s barely a ripple in a $21 trillion-a-year economy and a job market of almost 151 million people.

The commission’s analysis is required by law and is expected to kick off a contentious congressional debate on the regional trade pact designed to replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement.

NAFTA tore down most trade barriers between the United States, Canada and Mexico, leading to a surge in regional trade. But critics, including Trump, said the pact encouraged manufacturers to pull out of the United States, relocate to low-wage Mexico and ship products back across the border duty free.

The revised version, signed by the three countries last year but awaiting approval by each of their legislatures, is designed to encourage factories to move back to the United States. For instance, one provision says that in order for a car to qualify for duty-free treatment under the agreement, 40% of its content must be produced in North American factories where workers earn an average of at least $16 an hour – that is, not Mexico.

The commission found that the new pact would modestly raise the price of US cars and reduce sales. It would create 30,000 jobs in American auto parts plants but cost 1500 jobs in factories that assemble cars.

Hours before the commission released its report, the Trump administration released more upbeat findings of its own. The Office of the US Trade Representative, citing its consultations with automakers, predicted that the agreement would encourage $34 billion in investment in U.S auto plants and create 76,000 auto industry jobs over five years. ■

Robert Mueller. - AP

NORTH AMERICA

Mueller report drops dilemma on CongressIt’s now up to Congress to decide what to do with special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings about President Donald Trump.

While the special counsel declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate him, all but leaving the question to Congress. Mueller’s report provides fresh evidence of Trump’s interference in the Russia probe, challenging lawmakers to respond. The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

“The responsibility now falls to Congress,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has the power to launch impeachment proceedings.

How far lawmakers will go, though, remains unclear. Republicans are eager to push past what Trump calls the “witch hunt” that has overshadowed the party and the presidency. And while Democrats say Mueller’s findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Attorney General William Barr’s four-page summary, they’ve been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer only that Mueller’s report revealed more than was known about the obstruction question.

“As we continue to review the report, one thing is clear: Attorney General Barr presented a conclusion that the president did not obstruct justice while Mueller’s report appears to undercut that finding,” they said.

Later, in a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi vowed: “Congress will not be silent.” ■

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EUROPE

Extinction Rebellion demonstrators at London Heathrow airport. - PA

Protesters target Heathrow AirportA group of demonstrators have staged a climate change protest at Heathrow Airport.

Between 15 and 20 people, many of them aged under 17, unfurled a banner on the pavement outside the transport hub reading “are we the last generation”.

The protest is part of wider demonstrations around London organised by the campaign group Extinction Rebellion (XR), which has blocked routes around Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Parliament Square and Waterloo Bridge since earlier this week.

Protesters stood by the tunnel that leads to Terminals 2 and 3 at the airport, but all roads around the roundabout remained open.

Extinction Rebellion said police had warned the youngsters at Heathrow that they could be arrested.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has urged police to use the “full force of the law” to deal with illegal XR demonstrations as they enter a fifth day.

More than 500 protesters had been arrested as activists continued to ignore orders to leave roadblocks at Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square.

Organisers said action would be escalated to include Britain’s busiest airport on Good Friday, with around 500,000 people expected to fly out for Easter breaks over the bank holiday weekend.

Scotland Yard has warned protesters the force had “strong plans” in place with a significant number of officers ready to respond.

The airport said it was “working with the authorities”, while Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: “Protesters can expect a robust police response. We are determined to keep the airport operating.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was “extremely concerned” about the possible disruption.

“This is extremely dangerous, illegal and is putting an unacceptable toll on our police force and our city,” he said. ■

A car burns after petrol bombs were thrown at police in the Creggan area of Londonderry,

in Northern Ireland. - AP

EUROPE

Journalist killed in ‘terrorist incident’Dissident republican group the New IRA was probably responsible for shooting dead a journalist in Northern Ireland, police have said.

Lyra McKee, 29, was shot in what police are treating as a “terrorist incident”, amid disturbances in Londonderry, and died later in hospital.

Police Service of Northern Ireland officers were carrying out a search operation in the Creggan area of Derry aimed at disrupting dissident republicans ahead of this weekend’s commemoration of Irish independence, when a situation developed during which more than 50 petrol bombs were thrown at officers and two cars were hijacked and set on fire.

During the unrest a gunman fired a number of shots at police, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said.

Assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said a murder inquiry had been launched after the death.

He said: “Sadly I can confirm that following shots being fired tonight in Creggan, a 29-year-old woman has been killed.

“We are treating this as a terrorist incident and we have launched a murder inquiry.”

Journalist Leona O’Neill said she was at the scene of the killing.

She said: “I was standing beside this young woman when she fell beside a police Land Rover tonight in Creggan.

“I called an ambulance for her but police put her in the back of their vehicle and rushed her to hospital where she died. Just 29 years old. Sick to my stomach tonight.”

The unrest comes ahead of the Easter weekend where republicans mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, a time when dissidents are traditionally active.

Politicians have widely condemned the killing.Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O’Neill said the killing in

Derry was a “senseless loss of life”. ■

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AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND

ACT Party leader David Seymour. - RNZ / Ana Tovey

ACT chief: Ardern is a policy lightweightThe ACT Party leader says the Capital Gains Tax backdown proves the prime minister is an effective marketer, but a lightweight policy maker.

Jacinda Ardern abandoned hopes of introducing a Capital Gains Tax, after failing to get support from coalition partner New Zealand First.

Ardern also said Labour wouldn’t pursue such a tax while she was leader, as there clearly wasn’t a public mandate for it.

ACT Party Leader David Seymour said the outcome was a big win for New Zealand.

However, he was critical of Ardern’s handling of the policy, saying that her fatal flaw was that buoyed by the public adulation for her considerable communication skills, she made rash captain’s calls she later regretted.

“Jacinda Ardern is the best marketers in world politics right now, and probably one of the biggest policy lightweights in world politics,” Seymour said.

“I don’t think she cares about the policy beyond the fact that it was good branding, until it wasn’t.”

Seymour said Ardern has shown on multiple occasions she has very little ability to understand economic policy.

“This is a person who when interviewed confused GDP with the government accounts”.

Earlier, during the announcement Ardern said the coalition had not been able to reach a consensus on the CGT.

“While I still believe the capital gains tax would have made a difference, the Labour Party has now campaigned on this for three elections,” Ardern said.

“It’s time to accept that not only has a government that reflects the majority of New Zealanders not been able to find support for this proposal, feedback suggests there is also a lack of mandate among New Zealanders for such a tax also.

“In short we have tried to build a mandate, but ultimately been unsuccessful.”

Ardern denied that New Zealand First had bullied Labour. ■

- Mary Evans Picture Library


Dad saves toddler from dingo attackA toddler is in hospital with a fractured skull and cuts to his head and neck after a dingo dragged him from his bed on Queensland’s Fraser Island.

The boy’s family were camping in a remote area of the island in the state’s southeast when two dingoes entered their campervan as they slept.

Paramedic Ben Du Toit said one of the dingoes bit the toddler’s neck and began dragging him away into the bush.

“The parents awoke with the toddler crying and heard the crying getting further away from the campervan,” Du Toit said.

The boy’s father ran outside to fight off the dingoes, and rescued his son from one of the animal’s jaws.

Paramedics treated the boy for two deep cuts on his neck near the back of his head, and some minor cuts on his head, before being flown to Hervey Bay Hospital.

He was also found to be suffering a fractured skull and the boy was transferred to Queensland’s Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

He remains there in a stable condition.The Environment Department brought in extra rangers to

investigate the attack and patrol the island.Principal Ranger Daniel Clifton said dingo specialists were

also attempting to identify the animals.“We’re (also) out there briefing campers … making sure

they’re aware of the incident,” he said.Clifton said when dingoes interact closely with people and

have access to food, their behaviour changes.“That does result in increased aggression and dingo activity,”

he said.Euthanasia of the responsible animals hasn’t been ruled out.“(The decision) is taken with all the information gathered

together, and in consultation with the Butchulla traditional owners,” he said.

Clifton said although dingo attacks on Fraser Island were uncommon, people should remain aware. ■

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REST OF THE WORLD

Aussie rescue drivers Craig Challen, left, and Richard Harris. - AAP

Thailand honours Aussie cave rescuersTwo Australian doctors were given royal honours in Thailand for helping rescue a boys soccer team from a flooded cave and said they are looking forward to a reunion with the youngsters they helped save.

Richard Harris and Craig Challen were given the award at a ceremony presided over by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Four Australian officials involved with the rescue effort were also honoured.

Both highly skilled divers, the doctors played key roles in rescuing members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach from the cave complex in Chiang Rai province last July.

They said before the award ceremony they were looking forward to going to the northern province to see how the boys are faring.

“That’s really exciting for us to go and see them and make sure they’re well and see how they’re doing after the rescue,” Harris said.

“Hopefully we will find them in good shape.”A mixed team of Thais and expert divers from a number of

countries combined in the dramatic search and rescue mission carried out after the team went missing when heavy rain flooded the Tham Luang cave complex.

The drama, which lasted 18 days, gripped the attention of the world.

Harris and Challen, who in January were jointly named Australians of the Year, said that should it ever happen again, they were ready to reprise their operation.

“We have a little bit more experience now,” Challen said. “We seem to be the world record holders in cave-diving

rescues now.”They also joked about one of the British rescue team

members, Josh Bratchley, who this week had to be rescued himself from a cave in the United States, and said they had left humorous messages on his Facebook page. ■

Police officers inspect the scene of a fatal car crash in Tokyo, Japan. - AP

RESAT OF THE WORLD

Car smashes into Tokyo pedestriansA car driven by an 87-year-old man has smashed into pedestrians at a Tokyo intersection, killing a woman and a girl on a bicycle and overturning a garbage truck, Japanese police say.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the woman and child were pronounced dead at a hospital.

The Mainichi newspaper said eight other people were injured.

Police did not have details of the injuries and were still confirming the identities of the dead.

The cause of the crash was being investigated. Investigators said there was no indication the driver had

tried to brake ahead of the accident, Fuji TV news reported. The driver was taken to a hospital and will be questioned,

the Sankei newspaper said.Photos showed a smashed car, the overturned garbage

truck and a bicycle on the footpath. A straw hat and a helmet were lying nearby. ■

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EUROPE

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid. - AP

Russia and Estonia take step forwardThe presidents of Russia and Estonia held talks at the Kremlin for the first time in nearly a decade, a step toward reversing an absence of high-level contacts that Russian President Vladimir Putin described as “not a normal situation.”

In his opening remarks, Putin told Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid their neighboring countries have a lot of concerns in common, including environmental issues surrounding the Baltic Sea and security.

Kaljulaid said after the meeting that despite Estonia observing European Union sanctions on Russia, the two countries could make progress on bilateral issues such as developing transportation infrastructure and taxation.

Estonia, which borders Russia’s northwest and is home to a large Russian-speaking minority population, was spooked by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move that Ukraine and almost all of the world views as illegal.

Estonia has since hosted scores of NATO military drills that were aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression. ■

A police officer by a cordon at Aberdeen Esplanade where two people were pulled from

the sea. - PA

EUROPE

Two dead after being rescued from seaTwo people have died after being pulled from the sea off Aberdeen beach.

Emergency services were called to the Esplanade following a report that two females were in the water.

The two people were rescued from the water by the RNLI inshore lifeboat and were taken to hospital where they died.

The coastguard helicopter and Aberdeen and Stonehaven Coastguard Rescue Teams were also involved in the operation.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police Scotland along with partner agencies from Scottish Fire and Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard and RNLI attended a report of two people in the sea off of Aberdeen beach.

“Both people were recovered by the RNLI inshore lifeboat and taken to hospital where tragically, despite efforts to save them both, they sadly died.

“There are no further details available just now and our thoughts are with the individuals’ families and friends at this sad time.” ■

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Hunt is on for nation’s top fish and chipsPut aside the age-old argument over whether chicken salt or plain is better because the search for Australia’s best fish and chips is all about what goes underneath.

The third Australian Fish and Chips Awards has opened voting for the deep-fried honour.

Chip shops around the country will be judged by both the public and critics as part of the hunt, with two categories – the people’s choice and the judge’s choice awards.

Taste, service, choice, presentation and information will all factor in the voting criteria.

Both state and national winners will be announced as part of the awards.

Voting closes on May 31. ■


- PA

Tax plan faces crossbench hurdleLabor’s ambitious tax agenda could face a major stumbling block if the party wins the election with a key crossbench party opposed to the signature reforms.

Centre Alliance is aiming to boost its representation to at least three senators at the election, with neither of its current upper house members up for re-election.

At the top of the South Australian party’s ticket, Skye Kakoschke-Moore is gunning for a return to Canberra after losing her seat for having dual citizenship in November 2017.

She confirmed the former Nick Xenophon Team would oppose Labor’s plan to scrap cash rebates to some Australian shareholders at tax time.

“This is one of those issues that’s literally become a barbecue-stopper,” Kakoschke-Moore said.

She said the franking credits policy was unfair because people had made retirement plans around the system.

“It is one of those issues that’s causing a massive amount of concern in the community.”

The opposition is eyeing billions in revenue from the plan, along with an overhaul of negative gearing and capital gains tax.

Centre Alliance will only support a modified version of those proposals, arguing the policies are too blunt.

As for the coalition’s income tax cuts, the minor party supports the three-stage plan conditional on an assessment of the economy when the final stage takes effect in 2024/25.

Tax has emerged as a key policy battleground for the major parties.

The government’s plan would see everyone earning between $45,000 and $200,000 on the same 30 per cent marginal tax rate from July 1, 2024.

Labor argues the tax cuts benefit the rich and will need $40 billion in cuts to services to be delivered alongside budget surpluses, a claim the government strongly denies.

Conversely, the coalition says Labor is planning $387 billion in new taxes to fund its agenda. ■

Skye Kakoschke-Moore. - AAP


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