VOA NEWS

May 9, 2018

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Christopher Cruise reporting.



President Trump has announced he is pulling the United States out of the 2015 agreement between Iran and the U.S. and other nations. The agreement limited Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

"Not only does the deal fail to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions, but it also fails to address the regime's development of ballistic missiles that could deliver nuclear warheads."

In the brief address from the White House Tuesday, the president said the agreement was "decaying and rotten," "a horrible, one-sided deal" that "didn't bring peace," and "never will."

He said he is open to working with America's European allies to negotiate a new deal with Iran.

In the United States, Senate reaction to the president's decision was split.

Pulling out of the nuclear accord is just the beginning, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who says the Republican-led Congress will work with President Trump on a way forward. "Clearly there's a next step beyond this."

California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein had a sharply different reaction to the president's announcement. "'To pull out' just says to our allies that we don't keep our word."

Michael Bowman, VOA news, the Capitol.



Former President Barack Obama said Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the agreement is a "serious mistake." He warns it will erode America's global credibility.

Israel supported the president's decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The deal didn't push war further away, it actually brought it closer. The deal didn't reduce Iran's aggression, it dramatically increased it."



This is VOA news.



Trump administration officials say President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed that sanctions against North Korea will remain in place until the North "permanently dismantles its nuclear and missile programs."

The two men spoke by telephone Tuesday morning just hours after the end of a two-day meeting between Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It was their second meeting in recent weeks.

Xi also told Trump he is supportive of a planned summit between Trump and Kim, which is expected to take place later this month or in early June.

Trump said Tuesday he believes the summit will happen.

"Secretary Pompeo is on his way to North Korea in preparation for my upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un. Plans are being made, relationships are building. Hopefully, a deal will happen. And with the help of China, South Korea, and Japan, a future of great prosperity and security can be achieved for everyone."



The Taliban captured a third district Tuesday in Afghanistan. It's the latest since launching its annual "spring offensive" two weeks ago.

The insurgents assaulted Tala Wa Barfak district in the northern province of Baghlan from several directions and overran it after heavy fighting with Afghan forces.

The volatile district has changed hands several times in the past.



Russia's Duma has approved Dmitry Medvedev for a new term as prime minister.



Italy's collaboration with Libya to stop migrants from crossing the Mediterranean is facing a legal challenge.

From Rome, correspondent Sabina Castelfranco reports.

The Italian government has not yet reacted to the lawsuit, which was filed last week.

While the legal challenge may represent the biggest hope for change for the many migrants, the lengthy process could take up to three years.

Sabina Castelfranco, for VOA news, Rome.



The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared a new Ebola virus outbreak in the Bikoro area in Equateur Province.

After 17 people died of suspected cases recently, two cases have been confirmed.



And the top story of the hour, President Trump on Tuesday formally renounced the multinational nuclear agreement with Iran. He called it "a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made."

The president in a brief address from the White House said the United States is immediately reinstating all sanctions it had waived as part of the agreement.

Israel supported the president's decision strongly.



You can find more on these and other late breaking and developing stories, from around the world, around the clock, at voanews.com and on the VOA news mobile app. I'm Christopher Cruise, VOA news.

That's the latest world news from VOA.