Pashinian Calls For General Strike In Armenia

Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinian called for a general strike in response to parliament failing to elect him interim prime minister. His comments were carried live by RFE/RL’s Armenian service, as he addressed mass crowds of supporters in Yerevan. …

Pakistan Moves to Curb Urban Air Pollution After High Court Ruling

Pakistan’s environmental protection agency is installing air quality monitors and warning factories to add pollution filters after a panel of the country’s top judges ordered the government to detail its efforts to control worsening air pollution. The court ruling earlier this month followed a lawsuit by a Karachi man challenging the government’s failure to control …

Waffle House Shooting Shows Pitfalls in Patchwork of US Gun Laws

When Travis Reinking’s semi-automatic rifle was confiscated after his attempt to enter the White House last year, he simply moved from Illinois to nearby Tennessee where signs of mental illness are no bar to gun ownership. How and when Reinking’s father returned the AR-15-style weapon and other firearms to his 29-year-old son, accused of shooting …

Trump Postpones Steel Tariff Decision for Canada, EU, Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump has postponed a decision on imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, the European Union and Mexico until June 1, and has reached an agreement in principle with Argentina, Australia and Brazil, a source familiar with the decision said on Monday. The decision came just hours before temporary exemptions were set …

Netanyahu: Israeli Intelligence Proves Iran’s Deception On Nuclear Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled what he said was “new and conclusive proof” of a “secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community.” According to Netanyahu’s April 30 presentation in Tel Aviv, Israel has obtained a secret archive proving that Iran continued taking steps to develop …

EU Defends Training of Myanmar Police After Alleged Entrapment of Journalists

The European Union has defended a 30 million euro project to train the Myanmar Police, after a police witness in a case against two local journalists told a court this month that a senior police commander had ordered their entrapment. Police Captain Moe Yan Naing said that he and other officers had been threatened with …

Rebel, Miltary Clashes in Myanmar Force Thousands to Flee

Fighting in northern Myanmar between government forces and the rebel Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, has forced more than 4,000 people to flee their homes. Col Naw Bu, a KIA spokesman, said the fighting will become “more intense” because the army is sending more troops to the area. Aid organizations have requested access to the …

Trump Threatens Shutown over Border Wall Funding

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the government later this year if Congress does not approve enough funding for border security, including money to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Last month, Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill that keeps the government open until the end of September. Speaking …

N. Korea to Invite US, S. Korean Experts & Journalists to Nuclear Shutdown

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to invite experts and journalists from Seoul and the United States to observe when North Korea shuts down its nuclear test site in May, South Korean officials said Sunday. South Korean presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan, also quoted Kim as saying: “The United States, though inherently hostile to …

Russia, Iran, Turkey Criticize Western Airstrikes on Syria 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that airstrikes on Syria, conducted by the U.S., Britain, and France on April 14, were a violation of international law and indicated that the Western powers were trying to destroy the peace process. Lavrov, speaking after meeting in Moscow with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts, said such “attempts to … …

Trump Calls for Senator to Resign Over Opposition to Nominee for Veterans Post

U.S. President Donald Trump called for the resignation Saturday of Democratic Senator Jon Tester for raising concerns about Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ronny Jackson, who withdrew his name from consideration on Thursday. Jackson, who is the White House physician and a Navy Rear Admiral, dropped his bid Thursday to head …