PM May wins no-confidence vote; calls on all parties to work constructively to forward Brexit

Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 07:31 UTCFull article

The prime minister won a vote of no confidence by 325 to 306, as rebel Tory MPs and the DUP backed her to stay in No 10

Theresa May has called on MPs to “put self-interest aside” and “work constructively together” to find a way forward for Brexit. Earlier, the prime minister won a vote of no confidence by 325 to 306, as rebel Tory MPs and the DUP backed her to stay in No 10. But just 24 hours before, both groups ensured her Brexit plan was voted down.

On Wednesday night the PM met the SNP, Lib Dem and Plaid Cymru leaders but not Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

She said: “I am disappointed that the leader of the Labour Party has not so far chosen to take part, but our door remains open.”

Mr Corbyn has said that before any “positive discussions” can take place, the prime minister should rule out a no-deal Brexit.

The BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, said Labour had been clear that unless Mrs May makes a statement saying the UK will only leave through a managed process, Mr Corbyn is not going anywhere near the talks.

But she said it wasn't a straightforward judgment for the Labour party, as many members do not want Brexit to happen - meaning Mr. Corbyn could quite easily be criticized for helping the process if he attends.

MPs voted against Mrs May's plans for Brexit on Tuesday night by an historic margin when it was rejected by 230 votes - the largest defeat for a sitting government in history.

Speaking outside Number 10, Mrs May said: “I understand that to people getting on with their lives away from Westminster, the events of the past 24 hours will have been unsettling.

”Overwhelmingly the British people want us to get on with delivering Brexit and also address the other important issues they care about. I believe it is my duty to deliver on the British people's instruction to leave the European Union and I intend to do so.“

The prime minister said the meetings she had held so far had been ”constructive“ and that she - along with other senior government representatives - would be meeting with other MPs in the coming days to get the ”widest possible views across parliament“ on Brexit.

Labor's deputy leader, Tom Watson, earlier told BBC News that it was not ”unreasonable“ for Mr. Corbyn to say: ”Are you serious?“ He added: ”We're very amenable to talks, but I think the prime minister needs to show us that she's actually serious about that.

“Is she actually going to concede on some of these red lines? Are they going to be meaningful to us?”

The Westminster leader of the SNP, Ian Blackford, wrote to the PM following his meeting, calling for a “clear gesture of good faith” from her.

He said that the extension of Article 50 - the mechanism that allows the UK to leave the EU - the ruling out of a no-deal Brexit and the option of a second EU referendum would have to form the basis of future discussions.

Mr Blackford has also written to Mr Corbyn, along with other opposition leaders, to urge him to back another referendum as Labor's official position.

Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, said she had approached the meeting in a constructive manner, but told Mrs. May: “This must not be a meeting for a meeting's sake.”

She added: “We are committed to finding a real solution to the Brexit mess. That means taking a no deal Brexit off the table and a People's Vote on our European future.”

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Vince Cable, has not spoken publically since his meeting with Mrs May, but earlier he also told the BBC that a no-deal Brexit had to be taken off the table, as well as the PM having a “willingness” to discuss another referendum - which is the party's preference.

And he echoed calls for Mr Corbyn to support a “People's Vote”, now that he had lost his no confidence motion, or risk becoming a “handmaiden of Brexit”

http://en.mercopress.com/2019/01/17/pm-may-wins-no-confidence-vote-calls-on-all-parties-to-work-constructively-to-forward-brexit?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=rss

KOREA DIPLOMACY

North Korean official makes Beijing stopover on way to Washington

efe-epaSeoul17 Jan 2019

A senior North Korean official made a stop in Beijing on Thursday while on his way to Washington, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

Yonhap reported Kim Yong-chol is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump to discuss plans for a fresh North Korea-US summit.

https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/north-korean-official-makes-beijing-stopover-on-way-to-washington/50000262-3869705?utm_source=wwwefecom&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Lawyers for the runner-up in Democratic Republic of Congo's disputed election urged the Constitutional Court to order a recount of a poll that they said was rigged. A major new investigation confirms that the results have been falsified.

The electoral commission has yet to officially announce the results of the DR Congo presidential election, but a joint investigation by RFI and the Financial Times has revealed data that points to huge electoral fraud.

Analysis of voting results that represent 86 percent of the total votes cast shows Martin Fayulu as the clear winner of the election. However, this is in direct contradiction with the electoral commission’s claim that rival Felix Tshisekedi has won.

The December 30 election was meant to lead to Congo’s first democratic handover of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. But hope for a new era after 18 years of rule by President Joseph Kabila has faded amid a bitter dispute over the outcome that some fear could fan unrest.

The second-place finisher, former ExxonMobil executive Martin Fayulu, says he in fact won with more than 60 percent of votes based on tallies his camp compiled, and that the official winner, opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, struck a deal with Kabila to be declared the victor. Tshisekedi and Kabila deny this.

Hearings on a fraud complaint filed by Fayulu opened on Tuesday in a packed room at the Constitutional Court, which has until Friday to pass judgment.

In a bid to ward off public unrest, authorities shut down the internet across the country. This has hit businesses in major cities hard. It also prevents Congolese people from accessing reliable and independent information about the election results.

Authorities claim the internet shutdown is a necessary security measure.

Outbreak of violence

The election had been delayed due to an outbreak of violence in December. At least 890 people were killed during inter-communal clashes in four villages in western Democratic Republic of Congo over just three days last month, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

“It is crucial that this shocking violence be promptly, thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.

The UN rights office said it had been informed by “credible sources” that at least 890 people were killed between December 16 and 18 in four villages in Yumbi territory, in Mai-Ndombe province, “in what appear to have been clashes between the Banunu and Batende communities”.

It said that at least 82 people were also reportedly injured in the attacks, but that the actual number of casualties was expected to be higher.

The violence appears to have been sparked when members of the Banunu tribe wanted to bury one of their traditional chiefs on Batende land.

https://www.france24.com/en/20190117-dr-congo-election-fraud-kabila-fayula-tshisekedi

Armenian Ambassador meets Lebanese minister of culture

11:30, 17 January, 2019

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan on January 16 met with Lebanese minister of culture Ghattas Khoury, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.

During the meeting the two officials discussed the process of Armenia-Lebanon cultural cooperation and the future programs, as well as highlighted the importance of further enriching the Armenian-Lebanese warm relations via an inter-cultural dialogue.

The meeting also touched upon Armenia’s two-year chairmanship in the International Organization of La Francophonie and the prospects of joint initiatives and events on the sidelines of it.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/961059/

A COUPLE OF MORE COUNTRIES COOPERATING AGAIN- Kek

Jerusalem Post Breaking News

CHINA CONFIRMS SENIOR N.KOREAN OFFICIALS ARE IN BEIJING

BY REUTERS JANUARY 17, 2019 09:55

Senior North Korean officials were passing through China, its foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday, amid reports that they were traveling to the United States for high-level talks.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the comment at a regular news briefing in the Chinese capital.

https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/China-confirms-senior-NKorean-officials-are-in-Beijing-577686

Idleb/Hama, SANA- Syrian Arab Army units conducted concentrated strikes against terrorist groups located in Hama northern countryside and Idleb western countryside, while they attempted to infiltrate towards military points on the outskirts of the demilitarized zone and its surroundings.

SANA reporter in Hama said that the army units detected terrorist groups affiliated to ” Turkistan Party” that had been attempting to sneak from the surroundings of al-Najiah and Badama villages in the western countryside of Jisr al-Shughour in Idleb towards military points on the outskirts of the demilitarized zone.

The army units targeted the terrorists’ positions and their movements with precise artillery fire, inflicting losses upon their ranks, the reporter said.

In the far northern countryside of Hama, an army unit carried out artillery fire against the terrorist organizations’ positions in al-Banah village after detecting the terrorists’ infiltration attempt towards the neighboring safe areas , destroying their fortified positions in the surroundings of the village, killing and injuring scores of them, the reporter added.

Shaza

https://sana.sy/en/?p=154766

Army retaliates to terrorists’ breaches in Hama Countryside

17 January 2019

update from >>4788568 (Jan 4 report)

https://sana.sy/en/?p=155852

Armenian President to meet with UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Sharjah

12:01, 17 January, 2019

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on an official visit, has departed for Sharjah from Abu Dhabi to meet with Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, the Office of the President said on Facebook.

Thereafter, President Sarkissian will meet with the UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/961071/

CHINA MARKETS

Shanghai stocks fall 0.42 percent

efe-epaBeijing17 Jan 2019

The Shanghai Stock Exchange's Composite index on Thursday fell 10.79 points, or 0.42 percent, to end the day at 2,559.64.

The Component index of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, mainland China's other bourse, lost 70.09 points, or 0.93 percent, to stand at 7,470.36.

https://www.efe.com/efe/english/business/shanghai-stocks-fall-0-42-percent/50000265-3869720?utm_source=wwwefecom&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

NEWS

+++ Brexit crisis: Germany and Europe react - live updates +++

The British Prime Minister is still in office after surviving a no-confidence vote in her government. But Germany and the rest of Europe are worried about whether she can scrape together a new compromise Brexit deal.

German and EU flags outside Big Ben

How we got here:

May pledged to find a Brexit deal that can win support of the British parliament late on Wednesday.

Hours earlier, her government survived a no-confidence vote, in a narrow vote of 325 to 306.

On Tuesday, British lawmakers rejected May's draft withdrawal deal by a margin of more than 200.

Refresh the page for live updates. All updates in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

08:16 A video of French President Emmanuel Macron expressing his views on Brexit has spread quickly on social media. "We've reached our limits with the deal, and we won't, just to solve Britain's domestic political issues, stop defending European interests."

https://www.dw.com/en/brexit-crisis-germany-and-europe-react-live-updates/a-47114165

07:53 Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, is set to vote on a Brexit law later today. The bill aims to provide clarity on how Britain's departure from the EU affects German law and the status of British citizens living and working in Germany.

07:47 German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, told broadcaster WDR that there was still a chance for both sides to agree on an orderly Brexit.

Read more: Opinion: Brexit likely to be Britain's greatest disaster

07:22 German Justice Minister Katarina Barley has told German public broadcaster NDR that Britain should hold a second referendum. Barley, whose father is British, is the lead candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD) in this year's European elections. "I think a referendum is fundamentally the right course," she said.

07:12 Speaking to German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, the lead candidate for the conservative European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, directed comments to London, saying: "Finally tell us what you you want. Only then will we be ready to enter talks [with you]."

07:06 Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper says in an editorial that the European project has "lost" Britain. "The EU must think of itself first and foremost now," it said.

Read more: EU lawmakers urge Britain to call off Brexit

07:00 The Brexit drama continues Thursday after opposition parties failed to bring down British Prime Minister's Conservative government in a confidence vote last night. Germany and the rest of Europe are baffled by Britain's political wranglings and anxious about what comes next. DW will bring you all of the latest right here.

https://www.dw.com/en/brexit-crisis-germany-and-europe-react-live-updates/a-47114165

Divided and riven by crisis, Britain searches for Brexit 'plan B'

Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will on Thursday try to break the impasse in Britain’s political elite over how to leave the European Union by searching for a last-minute exit deal though there was so far little sign of compromise.

After May’s two-year attempt to forge an amicable divorce was crushed by parliament in the biggest defeat for a British leader in modern history, May called for party leaders to put self-interest aside to find a way forward.

If May fails to forge consensus, the world’s fifth largest economy will drop out of the European Union on March 29 without a deal or will be forced to halt Brexit, possibly even holding a national election or even another referendum.

May has repeatedly refused to countenance another election and has warned that another referendum would be corrosive as it would undermine faith in democracy among the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.

“I believe it is my duty to deliver on the British people’s instruction to leave the European Union. And I intend to do so,” May said outside Downing Street in an attempt to address voters directly.

“I am inviting MPs from all parties to come together to find a way forward,” May said. “This is now the time to put self-interest aside.”

As the United Kingdom tumbles towards its biggest political and economic move since World War Two, other members of the European Union have offered to talk though they can do little until London decides what it wants out of Brexit.

Yet ever since the UK voted by 52-48 percent to leave the EU in June 2016, British politicians have been failed to find agreement on how or even whether to leave the European Union.

In a sign of just how hard May’s task may be, the main opposition leader, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, refused to hold talks unless a no-deal Brexit was ruled out.

His party wants a permanent customs union with the EU, a close relationship with its single market and greater protections for workers and consumers.

Theresa May's government wins no confidence vote

The chairman of May’s Conservative party, Brandon Lewis, said on Thursday that Britain cannot stay in the current customs union because striking international trade deals after Brexit is a priority.

He said senior ministers would meet colleagues from across the House of Commons, Britain’s lower house of parliament, on Thursday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu/uk-pm-may-seeks-to-end-brexit-stalemate-after-winning-confidence-vote-idUSKCN1PA0LR?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29

Russian lawmakers to vote on Council of Europe boycott

The Russian parliament is set to vote on sending representatives back to the Council of Europe and resuming funding of the organization. Human rights advocates fear Moscow may leave the organization completely.

Russian Duma meeting in 2017 (picture-alliance/dpa/V. Prokofyev)

Russian lawmakers are expected to vote against sending a delegation to the Council of Europe (CoE) following a Thursday morning session.

"We have reached the conclusion that there is no basis for us to (…) return to the Council of Europe" Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told journalists after a meeting with representatives of the parliamentary parties on Wednesday.

"We also consider it justified not to pay the contributions into the Council of Europe this year, because our delegation does not have the possibility of full representations and of representing the interests of our citizens."

The Strasbourg-based council is a non-EU organization aiming to uphold human rights across the continent. It incorporates 47 European states. The body is in charge of electing judges for the European Court of Human Rights.

Following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, the CoE imposed sanctions on Russia's delegation, stripping it of voting rights and excluding it from the body's monitoring missions and leadership structures. In response, Moscow representatives refused to take part in plenary sessions. Russia also stopped its funding contribution in 2018. This led to serious financial problems for the organization.

Watch video01:33

Council of Europe suspends Russia

On Wednesday, Volodin told reporters that some CoE delegates from the "healthy-thinking" part of the council were making "weak attempts" to remedy the conflict. However, there was no systemic solution to the impasse.

A proposal was tabled to restore some of Russia's voting rights while stopping short of restoring full powers to its delegation. However, Moscow views this compromise as "unacceptable," the parliamentary speaker said.

Previously, Russia said it would only end the boycott if all rights of its delegation were restored and if the CoE amended the rules which allowed the council to impose the sanctions.

>>4788754

thauth:

https://www.dw.com/en/russian-lawmakers-to-vote-on-council-of-europe-boycott/a-47114390

China injects US$ 83bn to the financial system hoping to prop a declining economy

Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 09:08 UTC

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said Wednesday’s injection was aimed at ensuring there are ample funds in the financial system

China’s central bank injected a record US$ 83 billion into the country’s financial system on Wednesday, seeking to avoid a cash crunch that would put further pressure on the weakening economy. China’s policymakers are pledging to step up stimulus measures this year and do more to protect jobs as economic growth cools to 28-year lows.

But a raft of measures last year from big rail projects to tax cuts seem to have had little impact so far, with recent data suggesting activity is cooling more quickly than expected.

Wednesday’s open-market operation, the bank’s largest net single-day injection on record, came a day after China’s state planner, central bank and finance ministry all offered reassurances to investors, signaling more spending and other types of policy support.

But shockingly weak December trade data released earlier this week, along with shrinking factory activity, are stirring speculation over whether more rapid and aggressive policy measures are needed to turn the world’s second-largest economy around.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said Wednesday’s injection was aimed at ensuring there are ample funds in the financial system, which is facing strains as tax payments peak in mid-January, and as demand for cash picks up ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays starting in early February.

“The banking system’s overall liquidity is falling rapidly,” it said in a statement.

While sizable injections are common this time of year ahead of the long holidays, the addition was much heftier than usual and follows a large cut in banks’ reserve ratios announced this month, which will free up a total of US$116 billion for new bank lending.

The first stage, a 50-basis-point cut, came into effect on Tuesday. An equal-sized cut is scheduled for Jan. 25.

The move also came a day after money supply data showed several of China’s key credit gauges continue to languish around record lows, despite government efforts to channel more funds to cash-starved companies and lower their financing costs.

While authorities have urged banks to keep lending to struggling firms and even dangled incentives, banks are wary of bad loans after a long regulatory crackdown on riskier lending.

Many businesses, facing slowing sales, are in no mood to make the fresh investments that Beijing is counting on. New medium- and long-term corporate loans last month fell to less than half of average December levels, Nomura noted.

Darkening the picture further, hopes are dimming once again that China will be able to reach a trade deal with the United States in current negotiations. U.S. tariffs have increasingly weighed on Chinese exports in recent months, disrupting its supply chains and dragging down business and consumer confidence.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer did not see any progress made on structural issues during U.S. talks with China last week, Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said on Tuesday.

http://en.mercopress.com/2019/01/17/china-injects-us-83bn-to-the-financial-system-hoping-to-prop-a-declining-economy?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=rss

Suspected gas explosion rocks university in Lyon, France (VIDEO)

Published time: 17 Jan, 2019 09:16

Edited time: 17 Jan, 2019 09:17

https://www.rt.com/news/449006-french-university-gas-explosion/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=push_notifications&utm_campaign=push_notifications

twitter video of explosion aftermath

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/1085823077286641664

>>4788867

That's BREAKING NEWS: