VOA NEWS

May 27, 2019

This is VOA news. I'm Marissa Melton.



U.S. President Donald Trump and his national security adviser are publicly at odds about the seriousness of the threat currently posed by North Korea.

VOA's Steve Herman is traveling with the president. He has more from Tokyo.

In a tweet from Tokyo, Trump issued a retort to John Bolton who the previous day here had told reporters there was "no doubt" North Korea's recent test firing of short-range ballistic missiles violated a United Nations resolution. Bolton's remark was the first by a U.S. official describing the North Korean launches as such a violation.

Trump, however, says well some of his people are disturbed that Pyongyang fired off some small weapons. He is not.

The U.S. president is in Japan for a four-day state visit filled with ceremony or events.

Although he'll discuss trade with Prime Minister Abe, no significant breakthrough towards reaching a new economic agreement is expected.

Steve Herman, VOA news, traveling with the president in Tokyo.



Members of Congress are still discussing whether to move forward with an intent to impeach President Trump.

AP's Mike Hempen reports.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, says the party needs to focus on its agenda.

"We'll proceed as Speaker Pelosi has eloquently laid out, methodically yet aggressively to get to the truth."

But Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib believes more Democrats are favoring impeachment.

"I think it is moving towards that. It's gonna demand it. It already is."

Jeffries and Tlaib spoke on NBC's Meet the Press.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tells Fox News Sunday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is battling her members.

"She knows that impeachment would be political suicide."

Fewer than one third of the 23 Democrats vying for the presidential nomination have called for an impeachment.

Mike Hempen, Washington.



And more and other stories, get to voanews.com. This is VOA news.



Voters in 21 European nations went to the polls Sunday for the final day of elections for the European Union Parliament.

Vote pits populist candidates against those calling for tight cohesion in the European Union.

Four hundred twenty-six million people were eligible to vote in the four-day election that will select members in the European legislature that comprises more 750 seats.

In this election, right-wing nationalists are hoping to elect candidates that reshape EU policies to slash the number of immigrants seeking to move into the EU.

Hungary's Viktor Orbán says this is the first time the European people have been able to weigh an issue.

"This is the first election after the migration crisis which has happened in 2015. In many countries in Europe, there is no chance for the people to express their own opinion on the subject."



President Trump has tweeted that the hundreds of thousands of Rolling Thunder motorcycle riders will be back next year to participate Washington's Memorial Day observance even though organizers said this Sunday will be the last such ride.

Executive Director Artie Muller has said he has been frustrated dealing with the Pentagon and coordinating the annual ride for freedom and that the 2019 event would mark the beginning of a new chapter in their history.

"We're not really talking about a legacy here because we're not going away. We're just spreading out and we hope to get stronger. That's what our idea is on this, so coast to coast - North, South, Midwest."

Muller had no immediate response to Trump's tweet.

For many people, the group's decades-long presence with the roar of motorcycle engines has become synonymous with Memorial Day activities in Washington.

The ride was designed to raise awareness of service people who've given their lives during U.S. military combat or are missing in action.

U.S. Defense Department figures show that 83,000 American military personnel remain unaccounted for.



Germany's anti-Semitism commissioner Felix Klein has warned German Jews that it may be dangerous for men to wear the traditional skullcaps, known as a kippah, in certain parts of the country.

Anti-Semitic attacks in Germany have been on the rise, a development Klein blames largely on the far-right.

He also said Sunday that another contributing factor may be the arrival of a number of Muslim asylum seekers in Germany who could be influenced by television stations transmitting what he called "a dreadful image of Israel and Jews."



Pakistan's prime minister has spoken to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to congratulate him on his party's winning a second term.

A statement from Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs Sunday said Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned Modi to express his hope that the [two companies] two countries will work closely together to improve their relations.



Marissa Melton, VOA news.