Wo! Press

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Trump Not Bothered by North Korea Missile Tests

Trump Not Bothered by North Korea Missile Tests

VOA News, May 27 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed differing views Monday on whether recent North Korean missile tests violated a U.N. Security Council resolution, but remained united on the ultimate goal of achieving a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Speaking during a joint news conference after talks in Tokyo, Trump said he viewed the tests…

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Trump: Japan-Mediated Iran Talks 'Would Be Fine'

Trump: Japan-Mediated Iran Talks ‘Would Be Fine’

VOA News, May 27 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump says he would be fine with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe serving as a mediator between the United States and Iran.

“The prime minister has already spoken to me about that,” Trump said in response to a question from VOA.”And I do believe that Iran would like to talk and if they’d like to talk we’d like to talk also. We’ll see what…

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Smaller Pro-EU Parties Surge in European Elections; Centrists Lose Seats

Smaller Pro-EU Parties Surge in European Elections; Centrists Lose Seats

VOA News, May 27 2019

Smaller European parties saw a surge of support in continent-wide elections for the European Parliament in what politicians and analysts agree will likely be seen as the most consequential since 1979, when European Union voters first began casting ballots for the bloc’s legislature.

Early results Sunday suggested the 751-seat parliament will be more fragmented than…

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Norway says Venezuela's officialism and opposition will return to Oslo for mediation

Norway says Venezuela’s officialism and opposition will return to Oslo for mediation

VOA News, May 25 2019

Norway said Saturday that representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition will return to Oslo next week after an initial round of preliminary talks on how to address the country’s political crisis.

“We announce that the representatives of the main political actors in Venezuela have decided to return to Oslo next week to continue a process facilitated by…

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Brexit Puzzle Remains

VOA News, May 25 2019

Theresa May became the third Conservative leader to fall victim to party divisions over Britain’s membership of the European Union, following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron.

Facing a party revolt and threats of mass cabinet resignations, May on Friday announced her departure, but will remain as Prime Minister while the Conservatives elect a…

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Theresa May’s Resignation Raises Chances of British General Election

Theresa May’s Resignation Raises Chances of British General Election

VOA News, May 25 2019

The resignation announcement Friday by the country’s Conservative prime minister Theresa May has increased the likelihood of Britain having to hold a general election this year, say analysts and lawmakers.

That would add even more uncertainty to the country’s chaotic departure from the European Union.

Within hours of May’s tearful announcement, moderate…

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Seeking Energy Independence, Palestinians Open Solar Plant

Seeking Energy Independence, Palestinians Open Solar Plant

VOA News, May 22 2019

Palestinian officials say they have inaugurated their first solar panel plant as part of a plan to reduce their dependence on Israeli power sources.

Mohammed Mustafa, head of the government’s investment fund, says that Tuesday’s plant opening in the ancient West Bank city of Jericho is one of four planned plants. One has been donated from China.

He says the…

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Portugal's Economy Rebounds, Though Problems Persist

Portugal’s Economy Rebounds, Though Problems Persist

VOA News, May 22 2019

The Portuguese economy is resisting the prevailing gloom in Europe.

Activity remained strong, with GDP rising by 0.5%in the first quarter, or 1.8% at an annual rate, compared with 1.2% in the euro zone, forecasts Brussels.

Following the trend of 2018, Portugal’s good economic health comes mainly from private consumption fueled by rising wages and…

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OAS Demands Ortega Keep Promise to Free Nicaraguan Political Prisoners

OAS Demands Ortega Keep Promise to Free Nicaraguan Political Prisoners

VOA News, May 22 2019

The Organization of American States is urging Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to stick to his agreement to unconditionally free all political prisoners by the June 18 deadline.

At a Washington meeting Tuesday, an OAS resolution also demanded “free, fair and transparent elections” in Nicaragua along with freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protests.

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Bolsonaro Revises Decree, Bans Brazilians Carrying Assault Weapons

Bolsonaro Revises Decree, Bans Brazilians Carrying Assault Weapons

VOA News, May 22 2019

Brazilians will no longer be permitted to carry assault weapons on the street after pro-gun President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday revised an order that enabled millions of civilians to be armed in public.

Eligible “common citizens” will be allowed to carry handguns but not rifles, the government said in a statement, admitting the change was in response to public…

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Spanish Oil Giant Winds Down Operations in Venezuela

Spanish Oil Giant Winds Down Operations in Venezuela

VOA News, May 22 2019

Spain’s Repsol, the last western oil giant with major operations in Venezuela, is leaving the embattled country, as pressure mounts from U.S. sanctions and continuing unrest.

Repsol’s investments in Venezuela, valued at nearly $1.7 billion (1,480 billion euros) in 2017, have fallen 70% over the past year.The company’s annual report also says the firm will continue…

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UN: Loss of Bees, Wild Insects Would Devastate World Food Supply

UN: Loss of Bees, Wild Insects Would Devastate World Food Supply

VOA News, May 21 2019

The decline and disappearance of bees, wild insects and other pollinators would have devastating consequences for mankind and the global food supply, the U.N. warned Monday.

“Bees support a staggering 170,000 species of plants that sustain over 200,000 animal species,” General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa said on World Bee Day Monday. “They are…

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Huawei Founder Shrugs Off US Blacklisting Order

Huawei Founder Shrugs Off US Blacklisting Order

VOA News, May 21 2019

The founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei is dismissing the decision by the United States to blacklist the company on the grounds it poses a threat to U.S. national security.

In a series of interviews with state-run news outlets Tuesday, Ren Zhengfei said the Trump administration’s actions underestimate his company’s true capabilities to continue operating and…

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Reduced air capacity in Venezuela

Reduced air capacity in Venezuela

VOA News, May 21 2019

The United States has suspended all commercial flights between the U.S. and Venezuela.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says she, along with the secretary of state and homeland security, has determined conditions exist in Venezuela “that threaten the safety or security of passengers, aircraft, or crew.”

Many international airlines, including those in the…

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Norway Pushes Venezuela Mediation Effort

Norway Pushes Venezuela Mediation Effort

VOA News, May 21 2019

Norway confirmed Friday it was trying to mediate a solution to Venezuela’s political crisis, after opposition leader Juan Guaido said he sent delegates to Oslo but denied talks were underway with President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

The Scandinavian country said in a statement it had had “preliminary contacts with representatives of the main political actors…

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Vast Gasoline Lines Form in Oil-Rich Venezuela

Vast Gasoline Lines Form in Oil-Rich Venezuela

VOA News, May 21 2019

U.S. sanctions on oil-rich Venezuela appear to be taking hold, resulting in mile-long lines for fuel in the South American nation’s second-largest city, Maracaibo.

Some drivers said they’d had to wait almost 24 hours to fuel up, and people have been grabbing catnaps on the hoods of cars or in truck beds.

Nearing empty and stuck in line, infectious diseases…

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Seeking Brexit Support, May Offers Vote on New Referendum

Seeking Brexit Support, May Offers Vote on New Referendum

VOA News, May 21 2019

In a major concession, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday offered U.K. lawmakers the chance to vote on whether to hold a new referendum on the country’s membership in the European Union — but only if it backs her thrice-rejected Brexit agreement.

May made the offer as part of attempts to persuade Parliament to back a divorce agreement that will allow the…

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