House Democrats Set to Impeach Trump Next Week
U.S. House Democrats are one big step away from impeaching President Donald Trump. After 14 hours of contentious partisan debate, the House Judiciary Committee on Friday approved formal charges alleging Trump abused the power of his office and obstructed congressional efforts to investigate him. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson looks ahead to the final vote on impeachment on the House floor
Originally published at - https://morigin.voanews.eu/a/house-democrats-set-to-impeach-trump-next-week/5205759.html
December 14, 2019
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Historic Detroit Power Plant Demolished
A Detroit power plant that was more than 100 years old was demolished, Friday, December 13, to accommodate a Jeep factory.
Explosives were used to bring down the Conners Creek plant near the Detroit River on the city's east side. The plant, which belonged to DTE Energy, started in 1915 as a coal-fired operation but was later converted to natural gas. It was retired in 2008. (AP)
December 13, 2019
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Remains of People Killed in Chilean Plane Crash Arrive for Identification
The remains of 38 people killed in a military plane crash arrived to Punta Arenas military base in Chile for identification, Friday, December 13.
Chilean authorities announced Thursday that rescue workers had found debris and human remains from the military transport plane that went missing on a regular flight to Antarctica.
The head of the Chilean air force, General Arturo Merino, told reporters that based on the condition of the remains, it would be "practically impossible' that any survivors would be found.
"Remains of human beings that are most likely the passengers have been found among several pieces of the plane," Merino said. "I feel immense pain for this loss of lives.''
https://www.voanews.com/americas/chile-finds-debris-human-remains-missing-plane
December 13, 2019
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London Police Use Batons, Arrest Protesters
Protesters clashed with police, Friday, December 13, during demonstrations in central London, after the Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party won the general election with a sizable majority.
Britons woke Friday to a transformed political landscape: Prime Minister Boris Johnson's emphatic win in the country's third general election in four years gives the Conservatives, also known as Tories, their biggest parliamentary majority in more than a quarter of a century. It also marks a decisive turn in the country's fortunes following the instability triggered by the 2016 Brexit referendum, say analysts.
Armed with an 80-seat majority, the biggest at a general election since Margaret Thatcher's in 1987, Johnson's government now will be able to end the deadlock in Britain's Parliament and deliver on the Conservative promise to "get Brexit done" without further delay. Britain will almost certainly exit the European Union by the end of January, triggering a second and likely trickier stage of negotiations with Brussels over the country's future political and trade relations with the European continent.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/britain-takes-decisive-electoral-turn
December 13, 2019
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Trump Says Boris Johnson Win Could Be ‘Harbinger’ of What’s to Come in US
President Donald Trump said, Friday, December 13, that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's recent victory in the United Kingdom's general election will benefit U.S. trade with the nation and may be a 'harbinger' of what's to come in the U.S. election.
"I want to congratulate Boris Johnson on a terrific victory. I think that might be a harbinger of what's to come in our country, it was last time," Trump said at the White House.
Results from the 650 parliamentary constituencies around the United Kingdom showed that Johnson's Conservative Party had trounced its main opponent, winning 365 seats to the Labour Party's 203, the best win for the Conservatives since 1987. (Reuters)
December 13, 2019
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DRC, WHO Roll Out Measles Immunization Campaign Amid Unrest
A measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 5,000 people this year, according to a report by the World Health Organization. The agency says there are a quarter million suspected measles cases in the country and all provinces have been affected, making it one of world's fastest and largest moving epidemics. As VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports, the WHO and DRC government are carrying out an immunization campaign to combat the crisis.
Originally published at - https://morigin.voanews.eu/a/drc-who-roll-out-measles-immunization-campaign-amid-unrest-/5205052.html
December 13, 2019
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Johnson's Landslide Victory Sets Britain On Course for January Brexit
Britain looks certain to leave the European Union by the end of January after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson secured a big majority of 78 seats in Thursday’s general election. His Conservative Party seized control of dozens of constituencies that had voted to leave in the 2016 referendum, vindicating Johnson’s decision to call an election. However, as Henry Ridgwell reports, the country remains deeply divided – and the prime minister will face big challenges early on in his new term.
Originally published at - https://morigin.voanews.eu/a/johnson-s-landslide-victory-sets-britain-on-course-for-january-brexit/5205045.html
December 13, 2019
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Republican-Led Senate Looms as Trump's Savior
As early as next week, President Donald Trump could become only the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. If the Democratically-controlled House votes to impeach Trump for allegedly abusing his power related to his dealings with Ukraine, the case would move to the Republican-controlled Senate for an impeachment trial early next year where the political landscape is much more favorable to the president. From Washington, VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has m
Originally published at - https://morigin.voanews.eu/a/republican-led-senate-looms-as-trump-s-savior/5205048.html
December 13, 2019
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Trump Welcomes Paraguay President to the White House
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Paraguaya's President Mario Abdo Benitez at the White House, Friday, December 13. (AFP)
December 13, 2019
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Muslims in India Protest Citizenship Law
▶️ Hundreds of people from various Muslim organizations protested Friday, December 13, in central New Delhi against the new citizenship act, which was passed by the Indian Parliament this week.
👉 The bill will make six religious groups -- Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists -- who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, eligible for Indian citizenship. The government says it is intended to give sanctuary to minorities who fled religious persecution in these countries.
Critics say the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which passed the upper house of Parliament Wednesday, would lead to a flood of immigrants into Assam and other northeast states, and would marginalize India's minority Muslims, which they claim is a goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist government.
Two people have been killed in the ongoing protests.
(VOA/AP)
https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/controversial-citizenship-bill-sparks-violent-protests-northeast-india
December 13, 2019
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Britain's Johnson Returns to Downing Street after Meeting Queen
▶️ British Prime Minister Boris Johnson goes back to Downing Street after going to Buckingham Palace to receive formal instructions from Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government Friday, December 13.
👉 Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has won a solid majority of seats in Britain’s Parliament — a decisive outcome to a Brexit-dominated election that should allow Johnson to fulfill his plan to take the U.K. out of the European Union next month.
With just over 600 of the 650 seats declared, the Conservatives reached the 326 mark, guaranteeing their majority.
Johnson said it looked like the Conservatives had “a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done.”
The victory will likely make Johnson the most electorally successful Conservative leader since Margaret Thatcher, another politician who was loved and loathed in almost equal measure. It was a disaster for left-wing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who faced calls for his resignation even as the results rolled in. The party looked set to gain around 200 seats.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/uk-conservatives-secure-historic-parliamentary-majority
December 13, 2019
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In Madrid, Young Africans Are Stepping up the Fight Against Climate Change
Time Magazine's selection of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as its Person of the Year underscores the growing clout of youth power—pushing governments to escalate the fight against what many consider a climate crisis. That is also happening in Africa, which is especially vulnerable to climate change. At the Madrid climate conference, Lisa Bryant reports on three young Africans who are making a difference
Originally published at - https://morigin.voanews.eu/a/in-madrid-young-africans-are-stepping-up-the-fight-against-climate-change/5204457.html
December 12, 2019
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Rwanda Co-Hosts Anti-Corruption Excellence Award Summit
Rwanda this week (Dec 9) co-hosted the annual Anti-Corruption Excellence Award summit to celebrate and encourage successes against graft, including at home. Transparency International ranks Rwanda as the fourth-least corrupt country in Africa, behind the Seychelles, Botswana, and Cabo Verde. Eugene Uwimana reports from Kigali
Originally published at - https://morigin.voanews.eu/a/rwanda-co-hosts-anti-corruption-excellence-award-summit/5204433.html
December 12, 2019
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New Zealand Recovery Team Flies to Volcanic Island, Retrieves Bodies
A New Zealand military team recovered six bodies, Friday, December 13, from the volcanic island that fatally erupted earlier this week, in a high-risk operation watched by dozens of grieving family members waiting on the mainland.
Military personnel worked as quickly as possible after helicoptering to White Island, which experts have said still has a 50-60% chance of erupting again in the coming hours.
Six of the eight bodies on the island were taken to a the HMNZS Wellington naval patrol vessel, police said. Recovery teams had good knowledge of the location of those six before landing. (Reuters)
December 12, 2019
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Trump, First Lady Host Congressional Ball at the White House
President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, hosted a Congressional Ball at the White House, Thursday, December 12.
Joined by Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, the president thanked everyone for coming and touted how well the country is doing under his leadership. (AP)
December 12, 2019
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Vote Count Begins in London, as Boris Johnson Set for Big Win
Cars bring ballot boxes from the nearest polling stations to the counting site in Uxbridge, Boris Johnson's constituency in greater London, Thursday, December 12.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson focused his campaigning efforts on a slogan to "Get Brexit Done."
Johnson took office in July after his predecessor, Theresa May, failed in her repeated attempts to get parliament to approve the deal she reached with the EU. May also tried during her tenure to strengthen her Brexit negotiating position by calling an early election, but the move backfired with the Conservatives losing seats.
Official results are expected early Friday.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/future-brexit-stake-britain-election
December 12, 2019
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Aerials of 10 Downing Street as British Election Polls Close
Aerials showed a festively decorated Downing Street, Thursday, December 12, in London, as an exit poll in Britain’s election projected that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party likely will win a majority of seats in Parliament. If confirmed, the outcome would allow Johnson to fulfill his plan to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union, next month.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson focused his campaigning efforts on a slogan to "Get Brexit Done." He says a parliamentary majority for his Conservative Party would allow him to push through a previously rejected divorce deal with the EU and carry out Brexit by January 31.
His challenger, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, said if he wins Britain will hold a new referendum to ask if people still want to leave the European Union, or would rather stay in the 28-member bloc.
Johnson took office in July after his predecessor, Theresa May, failed in her repeated attempts to get parliament to approve the deal she reached with the EU. May also tried during her tenure to strengthen her Brexit negotiating position by calling an early election, but the move backfired with the Conservatives losing seats.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/future-brexit-stake-britain-election
December 12, 2019
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Jewish Community Gathers for the Funerals of Two Jersey City Shooting Victims
▶️ Members of New York's ultra-orthodox Jewish community gathered, Wednesday, December 11, for funerals for two victims of Tuesday's shooting at a grocery in Jersey City, New Jersey.
👉 Grocery owner Mindel Ferencz, 31, and customer Moshe Deutsch, 24, were killed when two gunmen entered the Jersey City Kosher store firing guns, according to local law enforcement officials.
Police arrived on the scene and a shootout began that lasted more than an hour. When it was over, police found the bodies of three civilians and the gunmen.
Fears mounted Wednesday that the deadly shooting was an anti-Semitic attack as authorities recounted how a man and woman deliberately pulled up to the place in a rental van with at least one rifle and got out firing.
A day after the gun battle and standoff that left six people dead — the two killers, a police officer and three people who had been inside the store — state and federal law enforcement officials warned they have not established the motive for the attack.
"The why and the ideology and the motivation — that's what we're investigating," New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said, adding that authorities are also trying to determine if anyone else was involved.
But Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said surveillance video of the attackers made it clear they targeted the kosher market, and he pronounced the bloodshed a hate crime against Jews, as did New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo.
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LINK: https://www.voanews.com/usa/fears-mount-new-jersey-shooting-might-have-been-anti-semitic-attack
December 12, 2019
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Police Repress Anti-Government Protesters in Managua, Nicaragua
▶️ Nicaraguan police allegedly used violence against a group of demonstrators who were asking the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to release their family members from prison, Thursday, December 12.
👉 The incident occurred outside a hotel in Managua where a seminar organized by different opposition groups had been held earlier.
Families and opposition groups were protesting for the freedom of around 160 detainees they say are political prisoners.
Several journalists were also attacked by the Nicaraguan police while covering the protest.
Nicaragua has been gripped by a political crisis since demonstrations broke out against the Ortega government in April 2018 over planned cuts to welfare benefits.
Human rights groups say more than 320 people have been killed during crackdowns on protests by security forces and armed supporters of the government since demonstrations began. (Reuters)
December 12, 2019
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Alaskan National Guard Executes Operation Santa Claus in Rural Village
Operation Santa Claus, run by the Alaska Air National Guard every year, flew Santa to the remote Alaskan village of Napakiak in early December.
Santa passed on his sleigh and travelled from Anchorage to Napakiak in a C-12 Huron twin-engine turboprop plane and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
His mission was to deliver presents and Christmas cheer to schoolchildren and their families at the W. Miller Memorial School.
Operation Santa Claus has been ongoing for 63 years. However, similar programs have been shut down everywhere except Alaska, where the mission survives thanks to the unique properties of the state.
The program began in 1956 after the residents of St. Mary’s, Alaska, hit hard by flooding, were unable to buy children Christmas presents.
Ever since, the Guard has tried to visit at least two rural communities per year, delivering presents, school supplies, toiletries and ice cream. Often, Operation Santa will prioritize communities facing a natural disaster or an economic challenge. (AP)
December 12, 2019
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QUIZ: Which country has Gambia accused of committing genocide at the International Court of Justice this week?
🇵🇰 Pakistan
🇲🇲 Myanmar
🇫🇷 France
#icj #un #voanews
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Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle participate in a community services event during the sidelines of the Obama Foundation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, December 12.
#barackobama #michelleobama #uspresidents #malaysia #voanews
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The United States and China separately announced Friday they have reached agreement on the text of the first phase of a trade pact and will avert imposing further tariffs on each other.
As part of the agreement, Chinese officials say their country will increase imports of American agricultural, energy and pharmaceutical products. “This will create better conditions for China and the United States to strengthen cooperation,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Shouwen said at a news conference in Beijing.
The announcement comes just two days before $160 billion in new levies on Chinese products by the United States were set to take effect.
#us #china #voanews
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Tons of plastic waste appeared in waves along the South African coastline, Thursday, December 12.
A video captured and shared on social media by a member of The Litterboom Project, a South African conservation initiative, shows plastic bottles and other litter being churned out onto a Durban beach by the waves.
According to The Litterboom Project, this is an epidemic that is getting worse due to informal settlements popping up along rivers, on top of poor service delivery from Durban's municipality. (Reuters)
#southafrica #pollution #plasticpollution #voanews
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📷: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Paraguay'S President Mario Abdo at the White House in Washington, DC, Friday, December 13.
#presidenttrump #donaldtrump #us #paraguay🇵🇾 #whitehouse #washingtondc #voanews
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▶️ Hundreds of people from various Muslim organizations protested Friday, December 13, in central New Delhi against the new citizenship act, which was passed by the Indian Parliament this week. 👉 The bill will make six religious groups -- Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists -- who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, eligible for Indian citizenship. The government says it is intended to give sanctuary to minorities who fled religious persecution in these countries.
Critics say the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which passed the upper house of Parliament Wednesday, would lead to a flood of immigrants into Assam and other northeast states, and would marginalize India's minority Muslims, which they claim is a goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist government.
Two people have been killed in the ongoing protests. (VOA/AP)
#india #citizenship #muslims #voanews
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The U.S. House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump Friday, clearing the way for a vote in the full House that could come as early as next week.
Committee members voted along party lines after it recessed late Thursday after 14 hours of debate. The two articles, accusing Trump of abuse of power and obstructing the congressional investigation, were each approved on a vote of 23 to 17.
The Democratic-controlled committee rebuffed Republican attempts Thursday to weaken or throw out the allegations and instead will vote on sending them to the full House of Representatives for a vote, likely to be held next week.
Democratic lawmakers, after hours of at-times rancorous partisan claims and counterclaims with Republicans, rejected the Republican effort to eliminate the impeachment allegation that Trump abused the presidency by pushing Ukraine to investigate one of his chief 2020 Democratic election rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden.
#president #presidenttrump #voanews
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▶️ British Prime Minister Boris Johnson goes back to Downing Street after going to Buckingham Palace to receive formal instructions from Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government Friday, December 13. 🇬🇧🇬🇧 🇬🇧Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has won a solid majority of seats in Britain’s Parliament — a decisive outcome to a Brexit-dominated election that should allow Johnson to fulfill his plan to take the U.K. out of the European Union next month.
With just over 600 of the 650 seats declared, the Conservatives reached the 326 mark, guaranteeing their majority.
Johnson said it looked like the Conservatives had “a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done.” The victory will likely make Johnson the most electorally successful Conservative leader since Margaret Thatcher, another politician who was loved and loathed in almost equal measure. It was a disaster for left-wing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who faced calls for his resignation even as the results rolled in. The party looked set to gain around 200 seats.
#britain #britainelection #borisjohnson #brexit #downingstreet #london #voanews
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📷: Afghan army cadets march during a firing training program at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai Thursday, December 12. Twenty female Afghan army cadets are taking part in an Indian military training program in the southern Indian city of Chennai. (AFP)
#afghanistan #india #army #military #voanews
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Amazon Studios has given the greenlight for the Untitled Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas Sangeet Project, an unscripted series on which the married couple will act as executive producers, Tuesday, December 11.
The Sangeet, which is an Indian pre-wedding tradition, takes place the night before the ceremony, where both sets of families meet for an evening of song and dance. "We re-watched the video of our Sangeet last week on our first anniversary, and the togetherness of our family and friends during this event still sparks the same warmth and excitement that it did just over a year ago at our wedding," said Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a statement. "The Sangeet is a centuries-old Indian wedding tradition, that not only celebrates the union of two people, but also signifies the introduction and bonding of two families coming together in a marriage," she added.
Casting for the series is under way and filming will take place next year. (AP)
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#priyankachopra #priyankachoprajonas #nickjonas #sangeet #voanews
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👑 Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida during an ancient ceremony of a royal barge river procession along the Chao Praya river marking the end of the coronation ceremony for King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, December 12. (AP)
#thailand #thaiking #bangkok #voanews
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A two-headed cobra was seen in India’s Midnapore city, Tuesday, December 10.
The 30 centimeter long monocled cobra caused a stir as it strayed into Ekarukhi village. Villagers fed it milk and refused to hand it over to officials citing its association with mythology.
Experts believe the two heads can be a result of incomplete splitting of embryos or unfavorable environmental factors. (REUTERS)
#snake #twoheadedsnake #india #voanews
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