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Indonesians to vote in world’s biggest single-day election

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, his running mate Ma'ruf Amin greet presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiago Uno before a debate in Jakarta, Indonesia
FILE PHOTO: Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, his running mate Ma'ruf Amin greet presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiago Uno before a debate in Jakarta, Indonesia April 13, 2019. REUTERS/Edgar Su

April 14, 2019

By Kanupriya Kapoor and Ed Davies

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Tens of millions of Indonesians will vote in presidential and parliamentary elections this week after campaigns focused on the economy, but with political Islam looming ever larger in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation.

President Joko Widodo, a former furniture salesman who launched his political career as a small-city mayor, is standing for re-election in a contest with ex-general Prabowo Subianto, whom he narrowly defeated in 2014.

Most opinion polls give Widodo a double-digit lead but the opposition has disputed survey findings. It has also said it has uncovered data irregularities affecting millions on the electoral rolls and has vowed to take legal action or use “people power” if its complaints are not resolved.

(GRAPHIC: Indonesia election by the numbers – https://tmsnrt.rs/2V4DCqq)

Some analysts say an unexpected win for the challenger would probably cause a brief slump in Indonesian markets, while a very close race could elevate the risk of a disputed vote.

“In a scenario in which Widodo wins by an unexpectedly narrow margin, large and prolonged protests in Jakarta would elevate tensions and pressure the currency,” said Kevin O’Rourke in the Reformasi Weekly note on Indonesia published last week.

While most polls have put the president ahead, they could not be taken for granted, a senior government official said.

“Absolutely everybody is flying blind because we don’t know how far the opinion polls can be respected,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Widodo ended his six-month campaign with a mass rally at Jakarta’s main stadium at the weekend, where festive crowds overflowed into a surrounding park and streets.

Running ran out on stage in sneakers, to the cheers of the crowd after an hours-long concert by local bands, he struck an optimistic tone for the future of the world’s third-largest democracy.

That was a stark contrast to his opponent, who has repeatedly warned Indonesia is on the verge of collapse.

Prabowo, as he is usually known, held a similarly big rally the previous weekend where supporters, many dressed in Islamic robes, held a mass prayer before a fiery speech about how Indonesia was being pillaged by foreigners and the elite.

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Widodo has touted a record infrastructure drive and deregulation as major successes during his tenure, calling it a first step to tackle inequality and poverty in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

(GRAPHIC: Presidenti Joko Widodo’s achievements – https://tmsnrt.rs/2CRgHYC)

In a televised weekend debate, Widodo and his running mate, Islamic cleric Ma’ruf Amin, said their opponents, neither of whom has served in public office for more than a few months, did not understand managing macrolevel economics.

Widodo, a moderate Muslim from central Java, has had to burnish his Islamic credentials after smear campaigns and hoax stories accused him of being anti-Islam, a communist or too close to China, all politically damaging in Indonesia.

Prabowo, who has close links to some hardline Islamist groups, and his running mate, business tycoon Sandiaga Uno, have pledged to boost the economy by slashing taxes as much as 8 percentage points, and focus on key infrastructure projects.

Nearly 500,000 police and military will fan out across the vast archipelago to safeguard the vote. In Jakarta, the capital, officers will guard polling station to deter voter intimidation or clashes, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said.

More than 192 million will also vote in national and regional legislative elections, being contested by more than 245,000 candidates, in what is being described as the world’s biggest single-day election.

Overseas voting is already underway, with thousands lining up outside Indonesian missions in Singapore and Australia.

On Wednesday, polling stations will open at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT Tuesday) in eastern Indonesia and close at 1 p.m. (0600 GMT) on the western side of the country.

Voters will manually punch five separate paper ballots for president and vice president, and legislative candidates.

Unofficial “quick counts”, based on vote samples from polling stations, will be released hours after polling ends and the winning presidential candidate is expected to be apparent by late Wednesday.

The General Election Commission is expected to announce an official result in May.

Candidates have 72 hours after the official result to complain to the Constitutional Court. A nine-judge panel has 14 days to reach a decision, which cannot be appealed.

(Additional reporting by Jessica Damiana, Gayatri Suroyo and John Chalmers in Jakarta, and Alison Bevege in Sydney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Source: OANN

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The Latest: Police identify driver who plowed into 8 people

The Latest on eight people injured in Northern California after a car plows into them (all times local):

1:55 p.m.

Police in Northern California have identified the man arrested after he allegedly deliberately plowed into a group of people, injuring eight.

The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety says 34-year-old Isaiah Joel Peoples, of Sunnyvale, was arrested Tuesday.

Sunnyvale Police Capt. Jim Choi says investigators are still trying to determine a motive in the crash Tuesday evening. The FBI says it is assisting with the probe.

Choi says some of the eight people injured, including a 13-year-old girl, were at a corner or on the crosswalk when the car hit them before smashing into a tree. The victims' conditions have not been released.

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12:05 p.m.

A man who witnessed a California crash that injured eight people says when he approached the driver's side of the car, the man was repeatedly saying, "thank you Jesus."

Don Draper, of San Jose, says he was enraged after seeing the Toyota Corolla slam into pedestrians at high speed, then crash into a tree. He says he marched up to the car ready to confront the driver.

Draper says the driver was crouched over the steering wheel, unhurt. The car was hissing steam and the airbag had deployed.

Draper said the driver's speech was not slurred and he did not look at him.

Later, he saw the driver had climbed out of his car and was lying face down on the grass outside.

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11:35 a.m.

Police officers are at the apartment in Northern California of a man that authorities say appeared to deliberately plow into a group of people, injuring eight.

Authorities have not identified the man who was driving the Toyota Corolla but officers on Wednesday were at an apartment associated with the car's owner in Sunnyvale, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of San Francisco.

Sunnyvale Police Capt. Jim Choi says investigators are still trying to determine a motive in the crash Tuesday evening. The FBI says it is assisting with the probe.

Choi says some of the eight people injured, including a 13-year-old girl, were at a corner or on the crosswalk when the car hit them before smashing into a tree.

The crosswalk reopened Wednesday morning.

___

7:30 a.m.

The FBI says it's assisting California officials in the investigation of a motorist who appeared to deliberately plow into a group of people, injuring eight.

Prentice Danner, a spokesman for the FBI's field office in San Francisco, says the Sunnyvale Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation. But Danner says that if it is determined a federal crime was committed, the bureau will become more involved.

Sunnyvale Police Cpt. Jim Choi says the driver of the car was arrested and has been identified but that his name is not being made public to avoid compromising the investigation.

___

6:30 a.m.

Authorities in Northern California say a man was arrested after he appeared to deliberately plow into a group of people, injuring eight, but that a motive is still under investigation.

Sunnyvale Police Cpt. Jim Choi tells KPIX-TV that witnesses told investigators the motorists was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop the car before striking the pedestrians Tuesday night.

Choi says some of the eight people injured were at a corner or on the crosswalk and that officials have to indication the motorists tried to avoid them. The department says the crosswalk remains closed Wednesday as officials investigate.

He says officials are looking into whether the driver was having a medical emergency or purposely hit the pedestrians.

___

12:00 a.m.

Authorities say eight people have been injured after a motorist appeared to deliberately plow into them in Sunnyvale.

The Bay Area city's Department of Public Safety says it happened Tuesday evening.

Eight people were taken to the hospital, including a 13-year-old boy.

There's no word on their condition or a motive for the apparent attack.

The driver was taken into custody after the car smashed into a tree.

KGO-TV reports that witnesses say the man apparently made no effort to stop before hitting the pedestrians.

Source: Fox News National

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Hong Kong regulator says ESG funds must justify their green credentials

FILE PHOTO: Ashley Ian Alder, Chief Executive Officer of Securities and Futures Commission and Chairman of the Board of International Organization of Securities Commissions, attends the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong
FILE PHOTO: Ashley Ian Alder, Chief Executive Officer of Securities and Futures Commission and Chairman of the Board of International Organization of Securities Commissions, attends the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, China January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo

April 11, 2019

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s securities regulator has told funds who claim to consider environmental, social or governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions to make it clear to their investors how it is they do so.

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said in a Thursday circular that a majority of the more than 20 funds it has authorized that claim an investment focus on ESG do not specifically disclose how they incorporate such factors into their investment selection process.

Under the new rules, funds that say in their name or their investment strategy that they follow ESG or green principles must provide documents to investors that describe their investment focus, their selection criteria and evaluation methodology, among others.

“This guidance drives home the important message to asset managers that they are expected to do more than simply make the claim that they take ESG factors into account, without making clear to investors how they do this,” Ashley Alder, the SFC’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Research from BNP Paribas, published on Monday, found that Asian investors lagged global counterparts in terms of ESG investment (allocating 10 percent of assets compared to 18 percent of assets globally). However, Asian respondents to the survey said that they expected to allocate more funds to ESG investment in the coming years.

The move by the Hong Kong watchdog comes as other regulators are also tightening standards, including those around green bonds.

China is close to releasing tougher requirements for selling green bonds, Reuters reported last month.

The new rules will demand the products, where proceeds are used to fund environmentally friendly projects, no longer include fossil fuels such as “clean coal” – a controversial definition that has put Beijing at odds with some investors and environmental groups.

(Reporting by Alun John; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

Source: OANN

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Stacey Abrams Nixes VP Spot: 'You Don't Run For Second Place'

Stacey Abrams, whose name has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Joe Biden should he enter the Democratic primary race, Wednesday threw cold water on that idea, saying she is "just as capable" of becoming president as anyone else running for the nomination.

The Georgia Democrat, who became national news during her failed bid in her state's governor's race, told "CBS This Morning" that she's held meetings with nearly everyone, including the former vice-president, but that talks about her being his running mate "were not the core issue."

Later in the morning, Abrams told ABC's "The View" that she's keeping her options open, and dismissed the reports that she'll be part of Biden's ticket.

"I think you don't run for second place," she said. "'If I'm going to enter a primary, then I'm going to enter a primary. And if I don't enter the primary my job is to make sure the best Democrat becomes the nominee and to make sure whoever we select gets elected president."

Abrams told CBS that she is "deeply appreciative" of people urging her to run for the White House or other offices, but she wants to be sure that she's running "for the right reasons and at the right time."

She had commented at the South By Southwest festival earlier this month that at one time she'd considered 2028 to be the earliest time she'd seek a presidential race, but later she tweeted that "2020 is definitely on the table."

Source: NewsMax Politics

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Lou Dobbs: It Was A ‘Political Decision’ To Rule Out Arson In Notre Dame Blaze

Veteran broadcaster Lou Dobbs noted Tuesday that the decision to dismiss any notion that the Notre Dame fire could have been a deliberate act was based on politics, rather than any investigation of the facts.

“One thing authorities are ruling out, however, within just a matter of hours, arson,” Dobbs stated.

“That was a decision made within hours. It sounds like a different kind of decision,”Dobbs added.

“Perhaps a political decision rather than one based on careful investigation of the facts.” he further told viewers.

Dobbs cited the enormous amount of attacks on Catholic churches in France last year alone as a reason why it is entirely valid for anyone to wonder if the Notre Dame fire was set deliberately.

“Perhaps overlooked since yesterday is 875 Catholic churches in France were vandalized in 2018 — 875! In a single week last month, 12 churches were vandalized, including a fire deliberately set at a church also located in Paris.” Dobbs urged.

“This is context, this is not speculation, this is the situation right now in France and the recent history of what has happened to Catholic churches throughout the nation.” he added.

“Ignored too often by some covering the tragedy, some who have ruled out ‘speculation’ about the cause of the Notre Dame fire as they speculate — taking it as gospel that arson was not the cause.” Dobbs noted.

While many actually celebrated the fire, news networks declared it was a made up conspiracy theory that anyone was happy Notre Dame was burning.

Networks, including Fox News, actively shut down anyone who dared even suggest that arson should be looked into.

Source: InfoWars

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Chuck Todd Panics: What If Trump’s National Emergency Is Found Constitutional?!

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Source: InfoWars

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Pope seeks to build on Muslim outreach with Morocco trip

Pope Francis is forging ahead with promoting moderate Islam during a weekend trip to Morocco, seeking to build on warming ties with the Sunni world while also ministering to a tiny Catholic community and offering solidarity with migrants.

For the 82-year-old pope, the 27-hour, whirlwind visit to Rabat, the Moroccan capital, will be a welcome reboot to a year that has otherwise been dominated by the global Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal and the downfall of three of his cardinals.

The trip comes after Francis' February visit to the United Arab Emirates, where the pope and the imam of Cairo's Al Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning, signed a landmark joint statement establishing the relationship between Catholics and Muslims as brothers, with a common mission to promote peace.

The document, which Francis has been giving to visiting heads of state and which has been welcomed by Muslim intellectuals in Europe and the Mideast, is likely to feature in some of Francis' remarks.

The highlight of the Morocco trip will be Francis' visit Saturday to the Mohammed VI Institute, a school of learning for imams that epitomizes Morocco's efforts to promote a moderate brand of Islam and export it via preachers to Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Morocco, a Sunni Muslim kingdom of 36 million, reformed its religious policies and education to limit the spread of fundamentalism in 2004, following terrorist bombings in Casablanca in 2003 that killed 43 people.

The Mohammed VI Institute, named for the king, trains Moroccan imams, as well as those from sub-Saharan Africa, Tunisia, Libya and Europe.

"Morocco has taken it upon itself to become a patron of moderate Islam in both Africa and Europe," said Abdellah Boussouf, secretary-general of the Council of the Moroccan Community Living Abroad.

The aim, he said, is to prevent Muslims in Europe and Africa from becoming victims of terrorism to "change the negative image Islam has" in Europe.

Francis had planned to deliver a greeting at the institute, which is located in the Madinat al'Irfane University campus district of Rabat. But a revised plan calls instead for two students and Morocco's minister for religious affairs to take the floor, while the pope and king listen, Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said.

Youssef Aknoui, a graduate of the institute and a preacher at Rabat's Ahli Fes Mosque, told The Associated Press the school stresses academics as well as the Moroccan tradition of Islam.

"The institute oriented us toward a more balanced, rationalized understanding of Islam," he said. "We were trained in history and communication, all means to combat religious fundamentalism in our work now."

That repudiation of religious fundamentalism runs throughout the "Human Fraternity" document Francis signed in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al Azhar.

The document outlines a shared set of values and principles common to Christians and Muslims, focusing on the dignity of every person and a rejection of violence committed in God's name.

"It has surprised us all, because this understanding of being part of a single human family means that Muslims and Catholics, from this document onwards, recognize and accept one another as brothers," said Paola Pizzo, professor of contemporary history of Islamic countries at the University of Chieti-Pescara.

The document also calls for changes to laws that "prevent women from fully enjoying their rights." Pizzo, who heads the Christian-Muslim relations department at Rome's Sant'Egidio Community, said that requires "a maximum commitment in the Sunni world to promote the dignity of women."

Some Catholic conservatives, meanwhile, have criticized the document's statement that "God willed" a plurality of religions. For these critics of Francis, the claim relativizes the centrality of the Catholic faith in human salvation.

Francis will also visit a migrant center run by the Catholic Church's Caritas charity organization in Morocco and attend a Mass on Sunday with Morocco's largely expat Catholic community, which numbers about 23,000.

Morocco last year became the main departure point for sub-Saharan African migrants seeking to reach Europe via Spain, after Italy essentially closed its borders to migrants leaving from Libya.

The rising numbers of migrants have put pressures on the kingdom, and become a hot political issue in Spain ahead of that country's April 28 general election.

___

El Masiati reported from Rabat, Morocco.

Source: Fox News World

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Logo of the Exxon Mobil Corp is seen at the Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference in Rio de Janeiro
FILE PHOTO: A logo of the Exxon Mobil Corp is seen at the Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp on Friday reported first-quarter profit fell sharply on lower oil and gas prices and weakness in its refining and chemicals businesses that offset modest production gains.

The largest U.S. oil producer’s first quarter earnings fell to $2.35 billion, or 55 cents a share, from $4.65 billion, or $1.09 a share, a year ago.

Analysts had expected Exxon to earn 70 cents per share, according to Refinitiv Eikon estimates.

Shares were trading down about 2.7 percent in premarket trading on Friday.

Exxon’s oil equivalent production rose 2 percent to 4 million barrels per day, up from 3.9 million bpd in the same period the year prior. The company said its output in the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. shale basin, rose 140 percent over a year ago.

(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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A Baha’i advocacy group has expressed concerns over the fate of minority Baha’is at the hands of Yemen’s Houthi rebels ahead of the appeals hearing for one of the community leaders sentenced to death.

The Baha’i International Community said in a statement Friday that the hearing for Hamed bin Haydara, detained in 2013 and sentenced to death last year on espionage and apostasy charges, is due on Tuesday.

The statement quotes Bani Dugal, the Baha’i community representative at the United Nations, as saying the prosecution hasn’t addressed Haydara’s appeal but is instead making “absurd, wide-ranging accusations.”

International rights groups have decried the prosecution of Yemeni Baha’is by the Iran-backed Houthis.

Iran has banned the Baha’i religion, which was founded in 1844 by a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by followers.

Source: Fox News World

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

April 26, 2019

By Rupam Jain and Hameed Farzad

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani encouraged newly-elected lawmakers to participate in the peace process with the Taliban as he opened on Friday the first session of parliament since a controversial election.

Ghani has invited thousands of politicians, religious scholars and rights activists to an assembly known as a loya jirga next week to discuss ways to end the 17-year war.

Several opposition leaders have said they will boycott the four-day assembly in Kabul, saying it was pulled together without their input and is being used by Ghani as he seeks a second term in a September presidential election.

“We have presented the peace plan on a regular basis and we are committed to it,” Ghani said in the first session since parliamentary elections marred by technical problems, militant attacks and accusations of voting fraud last year.

“Based on this plan, there will be no peace deal and negotiation that does not have the green card of the parliament,” he added.

Officials from the United States and the Taliban have held several rounds of talks to end the Afghan war.

U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001.

The insurgents have so far rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country’s political future that would include Afghan government officials.

The loya jirga, a centuries-old institution used to build consensus among competing tribes, factions and ethnic groups, is an attempt by Ghani to influence the peace talks and cement his position for a second term, Afghan politicians and Western diplomats say.

Amid growing political divisions in Kabul, opposition politicians have demanded that Ghani step down when his mandate ends next month, and give way to an interim government to oversee peace talks with the Taliban. Ghani has ruled that out.

The country’s top court said last week Ghani can stay in office until the presidential election in September.

(Reporting by Hameed Farzad, Rupam Jain, Editing by Darren Schuettler)

Source: OANN

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Thursday defended special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation while slamming former President Barack Obama’s administration for being slow to take action on Russian interference in U.S. elections and ex-FBI Director James Comey for telling Congress the agency was investigating collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes,” Rosenstein said in a speech to the Armenian Bar Association, marking his first public remarks after the Mueller report was released, reports CBS News.

He also pointed out that the investigation revealed a pattern of computer hacking and the use of social media to undermine elections as “only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

The Obama administration also made “critical decisions,” including choosing not to publicize the full story about Russian hackers and social media trolling, “and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America,” said Rosenstein.

He noted that the Mueller probe began after Comey disclosed during a hearing before Congress that President Donald Trump “pressured him to close the investigation and the president denied that the conversation occurred.”

Rosenstein said two years ago, when he was confirmed, he was told by a Republican senator that he would be in charge of the probe and that he’d report the results to the American people.

However, he said he didn’t promise to do that, because it is “not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province
FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei’s factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) – Britain must get to the bottom of the leak of confidential discussions during a top-level security meeting about the role of China’s Huawei Technologies in 5G network supply chains, British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday.

News that Britain’s National Security Council, attended by senior ministers and spy chiefs, had agreed on Tuesday to bar Huawei from all core parts of the country’s 5G network and restrict its access to non-core elements was leaked to a national newspaper.

The leak of secret discussions has sparked anger in parliament and amongst Britain’s intelligence community. Britain’s most senior civil servant Mark Sedwill has launched an inquiry and written to ministers who were at the meeting.

“My understanding from London (is) that an investigation has been announced into apparent leaks from the NSC meeting earlier this week,” said Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China’s Belt and Road initiative in Beijing.

“To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here,” he told Reuters in a pooled interview.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday he could not rule out a criminal investigation. The majority of the ministers at the NSC meeting have said they were not involved, according to media reports.

Hammond said he was unaware of any previous leak from a meeting of the NSC.

“It’s not about the substance of what was apparently leaked. It’s not earth-shattering information. But it is important that we protect the principle that nothing that goes on in national security council meetings must ever be repeated outside the room.”

Allowing Huawei a reduced role in building its 5G network puts Britain at odds with the United States which has told allies not to use its technology at all because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this.

There have been concerns that the NSC’s conclusion, which sources confirmed to Reuters, could upset other allies in the world’s leading intelligence-sharing network – the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

However, British ministers and intelligence officials have said any final decision on 5G would not put critical national infrastructure at risk. Ciaran Martin, head of the cyber center of Britain’s main eavesdropping agency, GCHQ, played down any threat of a rift in the Five Eyes alliance.

(Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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