https://www.cbsnews.com/video/while-white-house-claims-isis-is-defeated-in-syria-front-lines-tell-different-story/
image screenshot of 2:32 min video in article
Corbyn blasts May Brexit talks ‘stunt’, as activists applaud new referendum talk
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17/01/2019 - 12:52:00
Jeremy Corbyn has blasted Theresa May’s offer of cross-party Brexit talks as a “stunt” – as he was applauded by Labour supporters for saying that a second referendum was still an option.
In front of a crowd of around 200 activists in Hastings, he said the British Prime Minister had made no “serious attempt to engage with the new reality that is needed” to get a Withdrawal Agreement through Parliament.
In a direct message to Mrs May, Mr Corbyn said: “Take no-deal off the table now please, Prime Minister.”
He reiterated Labour’s preference for a general election and a Brexit deal on its terms, including a permanent customs union, close links to the single market and protections for workers and the environment.
Date set for MPs to debate Theresa May’s Brexit plan B
But, to clapping from the floor, he added: “If the Government remains intransigent, if support for Labour’s alternative is blocked for party advantage and the country is facing the potential disaster of no-deal, our duty will then be to look at other options which we set out in our confidence motion, including that of a public vote.”
However, taking questions after his speech at the venue on Hastings’ seafront, he left open the question of which side Labour would campaign on in a public vote.
“If a second referendum should take place, then obviously the party will decide what role we will play in that and what our view would be,” he said.
“But I can’t really go along with the idea it should simply be a re-run of what happened in 2016. There has to be a discussion about the options that we put forward and we’ve put forward the three options that I’ve outlined.”
Jeremy Corbyn was applauded when he said all options, including a second referendum, remained open (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Mr Corbyn is now the only Westminster party leader who has not held discussions with Mrs May, after she held out an olive branch across the Commons on Wednesday.
Speaking in the heart of an East Sussex constituency that voted 55%-45% in favour of Leave in 2016, he said: “Last night’s offer of talks with party leaders turned out to be simply a stunt, not the serious attempt to engage with the new reality that is needed.”
He added: “I say to the Prime Minister again: I am quite happy to talk but the starting point for any talks about Brexit must be that the threat of a disastrous no-deal outcome is ruled out, taken off the table, and we can talk about the future of the plans that we will put forward and the future relationship with Europe.”
A reporter who asked Mr Corbyn whether other Labour MPs were also barred from meeting Mrs May or other Ministers was met with audible discontent from Labour activists.
Mr Corbyn said he had written to the Prime Minister on Thursday setting out his position.
He confirmed that Labour will table amendments to Monday’s motion, putting forward its preferred solution of a customs union with a voice for the UK in future EU trade deals, a close single market relationship and protections for rights.
He held open the possibility of an extension of the Article 50 negotiation period, saying: “Quite clearly, if no agreement has been reached within the time it could be implemented by the end of March, the issue of extending the exit date, extending Article 50, does come into play.
“Indications are that that may well be the case.”
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/corbyn-blasts-may-brexit-talks-stunt-as-activists-applaud-new-referendum-talk-898183.html
IRAN, CUBA TO BOLSTER ECONOMIC, MEDICAL COOPERATION
January 17, 2019 Written by Farsi News
Iranian Deputy Health Minister Mohsen Assadi Lari arrived in Havana late on Tuesday to attend the 17th Iran-Cuba Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, sign mutual cooperation documents in various fields and hold meetings with the Cuban officials.
Heading a senior delegation, he is slated to hold talks with that country’s officials, including health minister, vice chairman and minister of trade and foreign investment in the two-day official visit to Cuba.
During the trip, some six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of trade, sports, agriculture, pharmaceutical products, transfer of knowledge for producing Pneumococcal vaccine will be signed by the officials of the two countries.
Head of Pasteur Institute of Iran (a major pharmaceutical research and innovation center) along with representatives from Export Guarantee Fund of Iran and Foreign Ministry officials are accompanying deputy health minister in his trip to Havana.
In a related front, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cabled a message to his Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel on January 01, highlighting the need for the expansion of bilateral relations between Tehran and Havana.
I hope that Iran and Cuba will expand their mutual cooperation in the future," President Rouhani said in his message, congratulating his Cuban counterpart on the occasion of the anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.
"We are happy that the Cuban government, with the support of people, has firmly resisted against all the conspiracies, threats, and sanctions over past 60 years, becoming a symbol of resistance against the Domination System,” The Iranian president added.
http://cubasi.com/cuba/item/16586-iran-cuba-to-bolster-economic-medical-cooperation
Management Government Shutdown …
Shutdown FAQs: Pay, benefits and retirement questions answered
By Nicole Ogrysko @nogryskoWFED
January 17, 2019 8:07 am
As the partial government shutdown drags on and surpasses the longest lapse in history, agencies and their employees face a revolving door of new questions about the impact on their pay, benefits, taxes, retirement and leave banks.
Federal News Network is soliciting your questions about your pay, benefits, retirement and other general topics during the government shutdown.
Direct your questions to the Federal News Network Facebook page or Twitter account. We will do our best to answer as many as we can.
We will continually update this page as we receive more information and reader questions.
Will I get paid?
Yes. President Donald Trump signed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act into law on Jan. 16. It ensures that both furloughed and excepted federal employees receive back pay after the government shutdown ends. It also specifies that federal payroll providers begin to process checks as soon as the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of the next scheduled pay date.
By law, federal employees can’t receive any pay for work done during a government shutdown until the lapse in appropriations ends.
Excepted employees who are required to work during a shutdown will eventually get paid, but not until after the shutdown ends. Non-excepted employees who are furloughed aren’t guaranteed pay, but they have received it after shutdowns in the recent past.
Federal contractors, however, are in a different boat. Congress has no real mechanism to ensure the federal contracting community gets paid during a government shutdown. Individual companies can decide to pay their contractor-employees when the shutdown ends, but again, there’s no guarantee.
A group of Senate Democrats has introduced legislation that would ensure low-wage federal contractors receive back pay during this shutdown. But no similar legislation has ever cleared Congress before.
When will I get paid?
At this point, a definitive or ballpark estimate is tough to approximate. The legislation that Trump signed into law specifies that payroll providers work as quickly as possible to send out checks, regardless of the next scheduled pay period.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2019/01/shutdown-faqs-more-of-your-pay-benefits-and-retirement-questions-answered/
Michael Cohen offered Liberty University CIO $50,000 to rig two online polls for Trump, report says
Michael Cohen departs after sentencing at the Moynahan Federal Courthouse in New York City on Dec. 12, 2018. (Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's former fixer and personal attorney Michael Cohen paid a technology expert to rig online polls in Trump's favor, according to The Wall Street Journal.
John Gauger, the owner of Red Finch Solutions and chief information officer at Liberty University, said Cohen offered him $50,000 to rig two online polls, the Journal reported Thursday, citing a government document and a person familiar with the matter.
Cohen handed Gauger a Walmart bag loaded with about $12,000 in cash during a 2015 meeting at Cohen's Trump Organization office, Gauger said. But he never paid him the remainder of the promised $50,000, the Journal said.
Cohen denied giving Gauger cash. "All monies paid to Mr. Gauger were by check," he said, according to the Journal.
Gauger did not appear to have much success at moving the needle in the polls he was paid to manipulate. In January 2014, Cohen asked Gauger to sway a CNBC online poll on the top American business leaders with a program that could vote for Trump repeatedly, the Journal report said. But Trump did not break into the top 100.
In February 2015, Cohen asked Gauger to boost Trump in a Drudge Report poll on potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates, according to Gauger. Trump ended up coming in fifth with 5 percent of the vote.
Cohen also asked Gauger to create a Twitter account with the handle @WomenForCohen that would be run by a female friend of Gauger's to portray Cohen as a "sex symbol" and hype his statements in favor of Trump's presidential campaign, the Journal reported. The account was created in May 2016 and remains active.
"We can't wait!!! You will do a fantastic job! You are amazing leader &speaker #ThanksDonald #AmericaFirst," reads a Dec. 28, 2016 tweet, the last one posted to the account. That tweet was in response to one from Cohen's announcing he would be an honoree at one of the pre-inaugural balls after Trump's election victory.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/17/cohen-poll-rigging/2601299002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
A Canadian kidnapped in Burkina Faso on Tuesday has been found dead, a spokesman for the security ministry told Reuters on Thursday.
The man was abducted after nightfall by a dozen gunmen on a mining site owned by Vancouver-based Progress Minerals near the border with Niger, in an area that the government says is under growing threat from armed jihadists.
Global Affairs has not replied to a request for comment on the situation.
A spokesman for Burkina Faso’s security ministry previously identified the man as Kirk Woodman, who works for the Vancouver-based Progress Mineral Mining Company.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4857231/kidnapped-canadian-dead-burkina-faso/
Zimbabwean doctors said on Thursday they had treated nearly 70 people for gunshot wounds while police rounded up hundreds after violent protests this week triggered by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to steeply raise fuel prices.
While some businesses and banks opened after the three-day stay-at-home strike, inflation data for December showed the annual consumer price index soaring to 42 per cent, adding more woes to citizens struggling with daily life.
WATCH BELOW: Scores injured, hundreds arrested as Zimbabwe police crack down on protests
Zimbabweans had hoped Mnangagwa would make good on pre-election pledges to revive the economy and break with the Robert Mugabe era, but Zimbabwe has fallen back into familiar ways.
READ MORE: Zimbabwe’s 94-year-old former president Robert Mugabe no longer able to walk
The protests, which took place only five months after six people were killed in post-election demonstrations last August, pose a challenge for Mnangagwa who promised to repair the struggling economy after he replaced long-time leader Mugabe following a coup in November 2017.
Three people died during the protests but rights groups, lawyers and witnesses said scores were beaten by soldiers in a crackdown on dissent by security forces.
WATCH BELOW: U.S. election observers rain on Mnangagwa’s parade in Zimbabwe
State broadcaster ZBC said 600 people, including a prominent activist and an opposition legislator, have been detained over the protests. A Zimbabwean lawyers’ group said it was so far representing more than 130 people arrested for protesting.
Evan Mawarire, a Harare pastor who rose to prominence as a Mugabe critic and led a national protest shutdown in 2016, will on Thursday appear in court to face public violence charges.
Courts dismissed two similar charges against him in 2017 for lack of evidence.
WATCH BELOW: Activist pastor arrested as fuel protests in Zimbabwe enter third day
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said its members had treated 172 people, some with dog bites, in private and public hospitals since Monday, when the protests erupted in the capital, Harare, and the second city, Bulawayo.
“There are cases of patients who had chest trauma and fractured limbs who were forcibly taken from hospital to attend court despite the advise of doctors,” ZAHDR said in a statement.
The casualty list included 68 people treated for gunshot wounds, 17 of whom underwent emergency surgery.
Fuel shortages remain
Some businesses and banks re-opened in the capital but others remained closed as calm returned on Thursday. But in the second city of Bulawayo, which witnessed widespread looting, businesses remained shut, local journalists in the city said.
At a branch owned by Stanbic Bank in Harare, the banking halls were empty with no customers and workers. An official said workers did not report for duty because they could not find public transport. There were very few public taxis on the road, leaving many people stranded.
Long lines formed at the few filling stations selling fuel and in central Harare, soldiers in two army lorries kept an eye at a garage selling petrol.
READ MORE: Rage over fuel - Why France's 'yellow vest' protesters rioted in Paris
Media platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter remained blocked because of a government order, leading to accusations that it wanted to prevent images of heavy-handedness from being broadcast around the world.
“Things are beginning to normalize now so going to work is the only option otherwise our families will suffer,” said James Vambe, a trader in Harare.
Dollar shortages are battering the economy, rocketing inflation is destroying the value of citizens’ savings and the government is reacting forcefully to crush dissent.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4857109/zimbabwe-fuel-price-strike-protest/
TURKEY DEPORTS DUTCH JOURNALIST, ALLEGES LINK TO AL QAEDA OFFSHOOT
BY REUTERS JANUARY 17, 2019 15:02
MSTERDAM - Turkey on Thursday deported a 31-year-old journalist working for a leading Dutch financial daily newspaper, accusing her of links to the militant Nusra Front, an al Qaeda offshoot involved in neighboring Syria's war.
The Financieele Dagblad (FD) newspaper defended Ans Boersma, calling her expulsion a "flagrant violation of press freedom."Turkey's presidential palace said Boersma - who was educated in Christian schools and interned at a Christian charity - was deported for security reasons, not her journalism work.
Turkish officials said Boersma had "suspected terrorism links" and later referred to the Nusra Front, which now falls under the Tahrir al-Sham umbrella, the most powerful jihadist alliance in Syria's Idlib province bordering Turkey.
Jerusalem Post Breaking News
TURKEY DEPORTS DUTCH JOURNALIST, ALLEGES LINK TO AL QAEDA OFFSHOOT
BY REUTERS JANUARY 17, 2019 15:02
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Breaking news. (photo credit: JPOST STAFF)
AMSTERDAM - Turkey on Thursday deported a 31-year-old journalist working for a leading Dutch financial daily newspaper, accusing her of links to the militant Nusra Front, an al Qaeda offshoot involved in neighboring Syria's war.
The Financieele Dagblad (FD) newspaper defended Ans Boersma, calling her expulsion a "flagrant violation of press freedom."Turkey's presidential palace said Boersma - who was educated in Christian schools and interned at a Christian charity - was deported for security reasons, not her journalism work.
Turkish officials said Boersma had "suspected terrorism links" and later referred to the Nusra Front, which now falls under the Tahrir al-Sham umbrella, the most powerful jihadist alliance in Syria's Idlib province bordering Turkey.
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President Tayyip Erdogan's office said Turkish authorities had received Dutch police intelligence saying Boersma "had links to a designated terrorist organization (as well as) a request for information about her movements in and out of Turkey."
Prosecutors in the Netherlands did not seek her extradition, national broadcaster NOS reported. It cited prosecutors as saying: "We cannot confirm there is a criminal investigation involving Boersma."
The Dutch national police and intelligence service declined to comment. All Dutch authorities referred calls on the matter to the national prosecutor's office, where spokespeople did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Turkey-deports-Dutch-journalist-alleges-link-to-al-Qaeda-offshoot-577731
‘Fair competition’: US state proposes to oblige transgender athletes to compete under biological sex
Published time: 17 Jan, 2019 13:25
Edited time: 17 Jan, 2019 13:27
FILE PHOTO: A gender neutral sign is posted outside a bathrooms in North Carolina © AFP / SARA D. DAVIS
State lawmakers in South Dakota, USA, have proposed a law banning transgender athletes from competing against rivals of opposite biological sex.
The new bill will require transgender participants to enter sporting events in accordance with the gender listed on their birth certificate, instead of their assumed sexual choice.
READ MORE: ‘Having a penis and competing as a woman is not fair’: Navratilova inflames transgender fury
“Texas’ University Interscholastic League requires that students participate on sports teams that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate,” Senator Jim Bolin, a lawmaker behind the proposed bill said.
“I just firmly believe that those who are males should play in sports designated for males and those who are females … should play in sports designated for females, according to your birth certificate. It’s about fair competition,” he added.
ALSO ON RT.COM
According to the current rules adopted by South Dakota High School Activities Association in 2015 transgender athletes are allowed to participate in sporting activities in accordance with their gender identity, not assigned biological sex.
The controversial issue has flared up in US college sport after transgender competitors dominated female events raising questions of unfair testosterone advantage.
In October, the fairness of transgender athletes’ participation in sport was questioned again, after Canadian transgender cyclist Rachel McKinnon won the women’s sprint at the 2018 world championship.
READ MORE: ‘Not fair’: World cycling bronze medalist criticizes transgender athlete’s victory
The victory triggered a wave of fury and condemnation with many athletes insisting that the Canadian should have been banned from women’s events.
https://www.rt.com/sport/449030-transgender-athletes-sport-ban/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
All that glitters isn't gold: Palladium hits all-time record as deficit boosts prices
Published time: 17 Jan, 2019 13:22
The price for palladium has surged to record-high levels on lower supply and increasing demand for the precious metal that is vital for the auto-making industry. It continues to beat gold as the world's best commodity investment.
Spot palladium soared five percent to $1,427 per ounce, having risen more than 10 percent so far this month. Spot gold increased by just 0.1 percent to $1,294.22 an ounce against a backdrop of various geopolitical concerns, including the US government shutdown, China’s economic forecast, Brexit, and US’ pending tariffs on European vehicles.
Russia looks to corner global platinum market
The price for palladium, which is commonly used in emissions-reducing catalysts for vehicles, has skyrocketed more than 60 percent since mid-August. In December, palladium price overtook gold for the first time in 16 years, making the precious metal the most expensive in the world.
“Any new high in the market is triggering additional buying… It is a good old-fashioned squeeze driven by tight fundamentals, strong momentum and low liquidity,” Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen told Reuters.
The latest move higher may be linked to short covering, according to Michael Matousek, head trader at US Global Investors, as quoted by CNBC.
A sustained period of record palladium automotive demand, with last year’s estimate of 8.5 million ounces, coupled with constrained mine production growth has led to demand outpacing supply over much of the current decade, reads a note from Metals Focus seen by the agency.
“In the long run, we believe that palladium will continue to benefit from exceptionally strong supply-demand, resulting in yet higher prices. However, in the near future, we believe that palladium is due a correction,” the consultancy said.
https://www.rt.com/business/449029-palladium-record-supply-demand/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
Artsakh defense minister visits several military units
17:17, 17 January, 2019
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Defense minister of Artsakh, Major-General Karen Abrahamyan on January 17 visited a number of military units operating under the central command of the Defense Army, met with the commanding staff and soldiers, the defense ministry told Armenpress.
During the meetings the defense minister attached importance to the comprehensive preparedness of each division and individual soldier, as well as the capacities to effectively implement the existing combat opportunities at any moment.
At the end of the working visit the minister gave respective instructions to the commanding staff on the ongoing and future activities.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/961155/
(check out the time of press release 17:17:17 January 2019)
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals - 17-01-19
17:35, 17 January, 2019
YEREVAN, 17 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 17 January, USD exchange rate down by 0.77 drams to 485.81 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.71 drams to 553.43 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 7.30 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.51 drams to 625.67 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 64.85 drams to 20184.63 drams. Silver price down by 1.32 drams to 242.72 drams. Platinum price down by 51.09 drams to 12495.32 drams.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/961160/
YouTube suspends adverts on Tommy Robinson’s account
17/01/2019 - 13:36:00 Back to World Home
YouTube has demonetised the account of controversial British activist Tommy Robinson for breaching the site’s advertising guidelines.
The Google-owned video platform said it had placed the restrictions on Robinson’s YouTube channel – which has 270,000 subscribers – for content around controversial issues and sensitive events.
The ban comes a day after YouTube removed adverts for far-right group Britain First from the platform for breaching rules which prohibit content which promotes “hatred, intolerance or discrimination”.
Video creators on YouTube are able to collect money from advertising by allowing adverts to be shown on their videos.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/youtube-suspends-adverts-on-tommy-robinsons-account-898196.html
Ex-Macron bodyguard Benalla in custody over use of diplomatic passports – prosecutor
Published time: 17 Jan, 2019 13:39
https://www.rt.com/news/449032-ex-macron-bodyguard-benalla-custody/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
Asian Stocks - 17-01-19
17:34, 17 January, 2019
TOKYO, 17 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. Asian main indexes values for 17 January:
“Armenpress” reports the value of Japanese NIKKEI down by 0.20% to 20402.27 points, Japanese TOPIX up by 0.35% to 1543.20 points. Chinese Shanghai Composite down by 0.42% to 2559.64 points, and HANG SENG down by 0.54% to 26755.63 points.
The Nikkei-225 Stock Average is a price-weighted average of 225 top-rated Japanese companies listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Nikkei Stock Average was first published on May 16, 1949, where the average price was ¥176.21 with a divisor of 225.
The TOPIX, also known as the Tokyo Stock Price Index, is a capitalization-weighted index of all companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The index is supplemented by the subindices of the 33 industry sectors. The index calculation excludes temporary issues and preferred stocks, and has a base value of 100 as of January 4, 1968.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index is a capitalization-weighted index. The index tracks the daily price performance of all A-shares and B-shares listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The index was developed on December 19, 1990 with a base value of 100. Index trade volume on Q is scaled down by a factor of 1000.
The Hang Seng Index is a free-float capitalization-weighted index of a selection of companies from the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The components of the index are divided into four subindices: Commerce and Industry, Finance, Utilities, and Properties. The index was developed with a base level of 100 as of July 31, 1964.
Lawyers again urge ICC to release ex-Ivory Coast president
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Jan 17, 2019, 8:32 AM ET
Defense lawyers are again appealing for the immediate release of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo and an ex-government minister from detention at the International Criminal Court following their acquittal this week on charges of involvement in deadly post-election violence.
Thursday's filings are the latest salvo in legal wrangling between defense and prosecution lawyers over whether strict conditions should be imposed on Gbagbo and former youth minister Charles Ble Goude if they are freed to ensure they return to court. Prosecutors plan to appeal both men's acquittals.
Judges ordered the men released on Tuesday and again a day later after rejecting a prosecution request to impose strict conditions on their freedom. On Wednesday night prosecutors asked for the release to be suspended while an appeal on the issue is heard.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/lawyers-urge-icc-release-ivory-coast-president-60442470
INF’s chances of survival are slim, says Munich Security Conference head
World January 17, 16:34 UTC+3
There is little hope that the US and Russia will be able to preserve the INF Treaty, says Munich Security Conference head
TASS /. There is little hope that the United States and Russia will be able to preserve the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, told journalists in Berlin on Thursday.
"I was in Moscow this week and had the opportunity to talk to people. I came back without much hope regarding the future decision. I will be unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised, if a decision is made," the official stated.
The United States and the USSR signed the INF treaty on December 8, 1987. It came into force on June 1, 1988. The agreement applies to deployed and non-deployed ground-based missiles of intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometers) and shorter range (500-1,000 kilometers). In recent years, the US has repeatedly accused Russia of violating the accord. Moscow has vehemently refuted these claims and voiced its own concerns regarding Washington’s compliance with the treaty.
On January 15, Moscow and Washington held inter-departmental consultations on the INF in Geneva. Following the talks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that the US was not trying to bring the parties together but showed willingness to "bring their position to its logical conclusion and wreck the treaty". In turn, US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Andrea Thompson, accused Russia of violating the agreement and confirmed that the US would begin the process of withdrawing from the INF on February 2, if Moscow does not destroy the 9M729 missile. Washington asserts that this rocket breaches the agreement.
More:
http://tass.com/world/1040479
Putin welcomes opportunity to visit Serbia
Russian Politics & Diplomacy January 17, 16:50 UTC+3
The Russian leader recalled that the bilateral trade has reached 'nearly $2 bln'
BELGRADE, January 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is satisfied with the growing trade with Serbia, as he himself said during talks with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Thursday.
"Trade is indeed growing, it has nearly reached $2 bln," he said. According to Putin, "it is particularly pleasing that our ties are getting more and more diverse." In this regard, he mentioned machine building, the energy sector, infrastructure projects and other promising areas of cooperation.
"I welcome the opportunity to visit Serbia, a friendly and fraternal country, discuss what we have done recently and outline cooperation plans for the near future," the Russian leader noted.
http://tass.com/politics/1040486
Big strike paralyses Tunisia, thousands protest over pay row
Tarek Amara
4 MIN READ
TUNIS (Reuters) - Rail, bus and air traffic stopped in Tunisia and street protests drew thousands on Thursday as the huge UGTT union staged a one-day nationwide strike to challenge the government’s refusal to raise the salaries of 670,000 public servants
The strike was the biggest since the assassination of opposition politician Chokri Belaid in February 2013, when Tunisia was navigating a rocky transition to democracy after the toppling of autocrat Ben Ali two years earlier.
The North African country has since adopted a constitution guaranteeing fundamental rights and holding free elections, making it the only “Arab Spring” country to avoid conflict as in Syria or further bouts of political turmoil like Egypt.
An economic crisis has eroded living standards for Tunisians, however, and unemployment is high as political turmoil and lack of reforms have deterred investment needed to create jobs. That has forced the government to launch austerity measures to please donors and lenders including the International Monetary Fund.
“The government have chosen the confrontation with the public servants and we are ready,” UGTT leader Nourredine Taboubi told thousands of people gathered in front of UGTT headquarters on Thursday.
“We will study on Saturday the next steps and we will step up our action and will not back down”, he added without giving details on a possible escalation.
Protesters outside the UGTT HQ and in the capital’s Habib Bourghiba Avenue called for salary hikes.
“The people want the overthrow of the government”, “Power belongs to the people”, they chanted — slogans used in 2011 when protests against Ben Ali began the “Arab Spring”.
Police showed a strong presence but did not interfere.
Other cities also saw protests, including Sidi Bouzid, the cradle of the 2011 revolution, Gafsa, Jendouba and Sfax.
The one-day strike hit ports, schools, hospitals, state media and government offices. At Tunis Carthage airport, most flights were canceled and check-in counters closed, leaving hundreds of angry passengers stranded.
Tunisia is under pressure from the IMF to freeze public sector wages — the bill for which doubled to about 16 billion dinars ($5.5 billion) in 2018 from 7.6 billion in 2010 — as part of measures to reduce its budget deficit.
But the UGTT says the monthly average wage of about $250 is one of the lowest in the world, while the state Institute of Strategic Studies says real purchasing power has fallen by 40 percent since 2014.
Theresa May's government wins no confidence vote
Spokesman Iyad Dahmani said the government did not have the funds to pay more for public employees and that any increase would lift annual inflation to 10 percent from 7.4 percent now.
Government and union sources told Reuters the government had proposed spending about $400 million on pay rises versus $850 million the UGTT wants.
That would help cut the public sector wage bill to 12.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2020 from 15.5 percent now — one of the world’s highest levels according to the IMF, which struck a $2.8 billion loan deal with Tunisia in December 2016.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-strike/big-strike-paralyses-tunisia-thousands-protest-over-pay-row-idUSKCN1PA34G?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29
Billionaire Deripaska sues Communist leader Zyuganov for calling his business ‘biggest scam’
Published time: 17 Jan, 2019 13:43
Edited time: 17 Jan, 2019 14:04
Russian metal tycoon Oleg Deripaska is suing Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of the Russian Communist Party, after the politician branded his business the “biggest scam.”
In a Parliament speech on key events of 2018, the Communist leader lashed out at his political opponents. Deripaska got a (dis)honorary mention for his attempts to insulate his aluminum business from Western sanctions targeting him personally, by reducing his stake in Rusal and En+ and thus relinquishing control over them. The companies also had some changes in management.
“First they stole the factories from the citizens, and now they gave it to the Anglo-Saxons to control. This is madness! We have to investigate this crime, because this crime was committed against the strategic policy of our entire country and our national security,” the communist said after labeling Deripaska’s effort the “biggest scam” of the last year.
The speech was delivered on January 9, on the first working day after the New Year recess. Apparently, after some deliberation, Deripaska decided that the colorful rhetoric of his affairs is insulting enough to merit a lawsuit.
On Tuesday, his legal team filed the paperwork with a Moscow court, accusing Zyuganov of tarnishing Deripaska’s business reputation and demanding one million rubles ($15,000) in damages. The billionaire promised to donate the money to a charity, if he wins.
The lawsuit says the politician’s words were published by the party’s social media accounts and cited by various news media outlets, which effectively makes them amount to libel. Zyuganov accused Deripaska of committing unspecified crimes while offering no evidence to back the allegations, the lawsuit argues, according to the news website RBK, which reviewed the court papers.
The Communist Party leader dismissed the news, saying he was not afraid of a court battle. “Which one will it be for me? My lawyers will handle it,” he was cited as saying.
EU curbs steel imports until 2021 to counter US trade policies
Published time: 17 Jan, 2019 14:11
he European Union has set restrictions on imports of steel to the bloc in response to US President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on metals imported into the US.
The safeguard measures approved on Wednesday impose quotas on 26 product categories, and levy a 25 percent duty on imports exceeding those quotas, according to the European Commission (EC).
The definitive measures aim to preserve traditional trade flows,” it said, noting that EU member countries had backed the plan to impose “safeguards” and that definitive measures would come into force early in February.
The bloc had already imposed safeguards on a provisional basis on imports of 23 steel product types in July, with an expiry date of February 4.
The Commission’s plan involves a quota set at the average level of imports over the past three years, plus five percent. A 25 percent tariff would apply once the quotas are filled.
The main exporters of steel to the EU are China, India, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Ukraine
According to the Commission, import volumes into the trade bloc increased significantly from March 2018, when the United States imposed tariffs of 25 percent on imports of steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Washington extended those measures to the European Union, Canada and Mexico in June.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has called the EU’s safeguards protectionist, claiming that steel exports to the United States have only dropped slightly and so little extra steel has been diverted to Europe.
https://www.rt.com/business/449036-eu-steel-imports-us/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
Bills to protect federal employees, interns from sexual harassment pass House
January 17, 2019 9:11 am
The House passed two bills to protect federal interns and employees from discrimination and sexual harassment. The Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act would require federal equal employment opportunity programs operate independently of human resources and general counsel offices. Agencies would also be required to establish a system for tracking each complaint of discrimination. If they find it does take place, they then would refer them to the Office of Special Counsel. The intern protection act would give interns the same protections as federal employees. Both bills head to the Senate now.
President Trump signs legislation guaranteeing back pay for furloughed and excepted employees during the government shutdown. The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act also instructs payroll providers to start processing checks as soon as the government reopens, regardless of the next scheduled pay period. The new law would also restore annual leave to excepted employees after the shutdown ends. (Federal News Network)
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2019/01/bills-to-protect-federal-employees-and-interns-from-sexual-harassment-pass-house/
NICE TRY NANCY: Secret Service REJECTS Pelosi’s Claims About 'State of the Union' Safety
posted by Hannity Staff - 12 hours ago
The rebuke comes hours after Pelosi urged President Trump to delay the address until after the federal government officially reopens.