Russia looks to eliminate US dollar from trade with African countries – official

Published time: 29 Oct, 2018 10:00

Russian corporations are ready to find an alternative to the greenback in mutual settlements with countries of the African continent, according to the chairman of the Russia-Zimbabwe Business Council, Dmitry Mazepin.

“I think, it is possible to use other currencies in Africa,” Mazepin, who is also a co-owner of Russia’s largest fertilizer manufacturers, Uralchem and Russian fertilizer group Uralkali, told journalists.

“We know that VTB is planning to extend its activity in the region. So, we could switch to settlements in the currencies that are more convenient to the lender.”

Earlier this month, the Russian authorities announced plans to take all necessary steps towards de-dollarization of the country’s economy. The key point of the ambitious plan is to make it more profitable for key Russian exporters to use rubles instead of dollars.

The measure is reportedly aimed at protecting the country’s economy against imminent US sanctions that threaten to ban investing in Russia’s sovereign bonds, as well as to cut the country off from dollar transactions.

The official said that Russian companies still face some difficulties doing business in Africa, with logistics being one of the more challenging problems.

“Not all the African countries have access to sea or ocean. Not all the territories have rail roads,” Mazepin said, stressing that Russian firms have to arrange difficult logistic chains to set up supplies.

Financial guarantees are seen as another vital issue, according to the businessman.

“It’s important to settle the way of payment, as most of the countries are very unstable from financial point of view,” he said, adding the problem could be solved ether by using banking mechanisms or supplies on a deferred-payment basis.

“However, using the second option we assume some risks,” Mazepin said.

https://www.rt.com/business/442513-russia-africa-dollar-away/

MI5 to replace police in fight against rise in far-right terrorism

Published time: 29 Oct, 2018 16:55

The UK’s top domestic intelligence agency, MI5, is to take the lead in the fight against right-wing extremism, amid fears white supremacists are gaining a foothold on Britain’s streets to incite violent racial conflict.

The Guardian reports that the counterintelligence and security agency will take over from the police in the monitoring and combating of far-right terrorism. It means white supremacist ideology will sit within the same portfolio as Islamist terrorism and Northern Ireland-related terrorism, both covered by MI5.

It comes as far-right extremism rears its head on a global stage, with 11 Jewish worshippers being murdered in a synagogue in Pittsburgh and 13 pipe bombs having been delivered to opponents of President Donald Trump in the US. Both perpetrators are reportedly sympathisers of far-right ideology.

The decision to switch from the police to the domestic intelligence agency, means that extreme right-wing activity will now be considered as posing a real threat to national security. It’s hoped MI5, with its high-level techniques and greater powers will be better able to establish the violent intentions of the far-right than the police.

In the UK, four far-right plots have been prevented since March 2017, compared with 13 Islamist plots in that time. There are around 100 live investigations into right-wing extremism taking place, illustrating the growing problem.

The police will take the executive lead, taking over from MI5 when the time arises to disrupt a plot and make arrests.

One senior police source told the Guardian that the move made sense, saying: “MI5 are driving the car, and SO15 [Counter Terrorism Command] are in the passenger seat. When there is a need to take a plot out, SO15 get in the driving seat.”

The threat from right-wing extremism was recently highlighted by the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in June 2016. In the wake of Cox’s murder, National Action was proscribed in December 2016, the first far-right group since 1940 to be banned.

https://www.rt.com/uk/442560-mi5-rightwing-terrorism-police/

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