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This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd.
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday he was encouraged that Mexican officials were willing to do more to curb migration flows to the United States but it was up to President Donald Trump to decide if they went far enough to avert threatened tariffs. Pence told reporters in York, Pennsylvania, that Trump wanted to see decisive action from Mexico and that the president would be the one to decide whether to impose tariffs on Mexican goods on Monday. "Mexico must do significantly more to end this crisis of illegal immigration at our border. We called on them to take even more steps, more decisive action." Trump, in Europe for D-Day commemorative event, said if no agreement is reached, tariffs at the five-percent level will begin on Monday. Pence said that the talks with Mexico would continue. In Mexico City, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he thinks a deal will be reached because it's in both countries' best interest to maintain friendly relations. The African Union says it has suspended Sudan from all activities until a civilian-led government is formed. The AU Peace and Security Council announced the suspension Thursday as protest leaders in Sudan rejected an offer from the ruling military council to negotiate the country's future. The protest leaders said the call for talks is insincere following this week's deadly crackdown on demonstrators in Khartoum, which witnesses blamed on the militia known as the Rapid Support Forces. Doctors allied with the opposition said the death toll from the crackdown had risen to 108 as of Wednesday. The Sudanese Health Ministry issued a statement that said the number is "no more than 46." This is VOA news. U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attended a ceremony Thursday at the American Military Cemetery in Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Henry Ridgwell reports. U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron arrived here to sunlit skies. In the front row, the veterans were given repeated ovations. The French president spoke first. "We know what we owe to you, veterans, our freedom." President Trump continued the tribute to the fallen and to the veterans. "Our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle, tested in the trials of war, and proven in the blessings of peace. Our bond is unbreakable." European leaders have repeatedly praised America's sacrifice, hoping to underline to President Trump the importance of the transatlantic bond. Henry Ridgwell, the VOA news, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. President Trump might not like the trade numbers that he'll hear from the Commerce Department. AP correspondent Ben Thomas tells us why. The latest numbers show the nation's trade deficit - something President Trump sees as a sing of economic weakness - actually shrank in April. At the same time, however, the deficit with China grew nearly 30 percent, with U.S. exports to China falling off and Chinese imports here growing. In France, reporters asked President Trump when he might make a call on his threatened tariff hikes on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. "I will make that decision I would say over the next few weeks, probably right after the G20." Chinese President Xi Jinping will be at that summit in Japan. "I will be meeting with President Xi and we'll see what happens." Ben Thomas, Washington. A critical report from the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog says conditions at the nation's immigration detention facilities could be a violation of detainees' rights. Jackie Quinn reports. The Office of Inspector General made surprise visits to four facilities last year, reporting unsafe food storage, unclean bathrooms, no toiletries, some ill-fitting uniforms, inadequate medical care and the punitive segregation of some detainees. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say that they've cleaned up many of the problems, they're still working to ensure that all facilities comply with standards. The facilities inspected were in California, Louisianan, New Jersey and Colorado, where Congresswoman Diana DeGette says ICE needs to remember its obligation to properly care for the people it's holding. Jackie Quinn, Washington. An up day on Wall Street, with all three major indices closing in positive territory. For more on these stories and the rest of the day's news, be sure to log on to our website voanews.com. I'm David Byrd, VOA news. |