Top Stories Today – April 29, 2019
Top Stories Today – April 29, 2019
Barr might not attend US House hearing
Attorney General William Barr has warned Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee he won’t show up to this week’s highly anticipated hearing if they stick to the format the chairman has proposed for the questioning, according to a committee source with knowledge of the matter.
Skipping this week’s hearing would amount to a dramatic escalation in the growing fight between the Trump administration and House Democrats over a range of oversight requests, including over access to the unredacted report from special counsel Robert Mueller, the subject of Thursday’s hearing.
But it’s still possible they could reach a deal by Thursday, meaning Barr might ultimately show. CNN
Spain’s Socialists regain power
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez looks set to regain power after his Socialists overcame a historic challenge by right-wing nationalists in elections on Sunday, a result he portrayed as a morale booster for the European Union.
The Socialists gained seats in one of Spain’s most hotly contested elections in decades, which featured the rise of far-right party Vox whose ultra-nationalist campaign echoed political trends across Europe where traditional parties have ceded to anti-immigration and eurosceptic forces. Reuters
US sanctions cutting Iranian growth, boosting inflation
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting Iran’s economy to shrink by 6% this year as it faces pressure from US sanctions. In a report released Monday, the IMF said its estimates for Iran, which include the potential for inflation to top 40%, predate a US decision to end waivers that have allowed some Iranian oil buyers to continue making their purchases despite new sanctions that went into effect last year.
The Trump administration is due to formally end the waivers on Thursday for some of Iran’s top crude purchasers, including China, India, Japan, Turkey and South Korea. The United States says it wants to deprive Iran of $50 billion in annual oil revenues to pressure it to end its nuclear and missile programs. The White House says it is working with top oil exporters Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to ensure an adequate world oil supply. Turkey and China have attacked the US action, but it is not clear whether they will continue to buy Iranian oil. The Voice of America
Sri Lanka bans face veils
Sri Lanka, still reeling from the impact of the deadly Easter Sunday explosions, has banned women from wearing face veils. President Maithripala Sirisena implemented the ban under an emergency law. The ban went into effect Monday. Officials said the move will help security forces with the identification process as the country continues to search for people responsible for the Easter Sunday explosions that targeted churches and hotels.
Reuters reports that the top body of Islamic scholars supports the measure on a short-term basis because of security concerns, but opposes legislation against burqas. In another development, Sri Lankan local media report that police have identified the woman and the girl who were pulled Saturday from rubble of a shootout between security forces and militants that killed fifteen people, including six children. Officials say the pair are the wife and daughter of Zahran Hashim, the suspected mastermind behind the deadly Easter Sunday attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed more than 250 people. The Voice of America
Cyclone Kenneth continues to drench Mozambique
Rain-soaked Mozambique is bracing for still more rain from Cyclone Kenneth. The rain is causing floods and landslides already. More rain will add more misery, cutting off roads that aid groups are using to transport urgently needed supplies, including food and medicine. Nearly 200,000 people are in danger in the northern city of Pemba.
Mozambique’s National Institute of Disaster Management said Sunday more than 23,000 people have no shelter and nearly 35,000 homes have been partly or completely destroyed. Prime Minister Carlos Do Rosario said the death toll from Kenneth stands at five. Before reaching Mozambique, Kenneth swept over the island nation of Comoros, killing three people. The Voice of America