https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/americas/venezuela-juan-guaido-leopoldo-lopez-intl/index.html
2019-04-30 12:24:00Z
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CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Tuesday he had begun the “final phase” of his plan to oust President Nicolas Maduro, calling on Venezuelans and the military to back him to end Maduro’s “usurpation.”
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognised as the country's rightful interim ruler, talks to the media outside Generalisimo Francisco de Miranda Airbase "La Carlota", in Caracas, Venezuela April 30, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
A Reuters journalist later saw Guaido near the La Carlota air force base in Caracas, surrounded by a group of men in uniform.
Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez tweeted that the government was confronting a small group of “military traitors” seeking to promote a coup.
Guaido, in a video posted on his Twitter account, spoke in the company of men in military uniform and opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez, who is under house arrest.
“The national armed forces have taken the correct decision, and they are counting on the support of the Venezuelan people,” Guaido said.
Guaido, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly, in January invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Maduro’s re-election in 2018 was illegitimate.
He has been traveling outside the capital, Caracas, more and more in recent weeks to try to put pressure on Maduro to step down.
Protests are planned for Wednesday, May 1, including what Guaido has said will be “the largest march in Venezuela’s history”, part of what he calls the “definitive phase” of his effort to take office in order to call fresh elections.
Around 50 countries including the United States have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president.
Maduro calls Guaido a U.S-backed puppet who seeks to oust him in a coup. The government has arrested his top aide, stripped Guaido of his parliamentary immunity and opened multiple probes. It has also barred him from leaving the country, a ban Guaido openly violated earlier this year.
Last week, Guaido said his congressional ally - opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro - had been detained, and that 11 members of his team had been summoned to appear before the Sebin intelligence agency.
Reporting by Angus Berwick; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Peter Graff
Associated Press
Published 6:22 AM EDT Apr 30, 2019
Japan’s Emperor Akihito has announced at a ceremony that he is abdicating, in his final official address to his people.
In the ceremony at the palace on Tuesday, Akihito also thanked his people for their support during his 30-year reign as emperor.
He said it was fortunate for him that he could fulfil his duties with full trust and faith in his people.
Akihito’s reign ends at midnight Tuesday, after which his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, ascends the throne as new emperor.
Naruhito’s ascension will be formalized at a separate ceremony on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump expressed his appreciation for Akihito and Empress Michiko and used the occasion to "recognize the tremendous importance" of the U.S.'s relationship with Japan.
"Emperor Akihito welcomed five United States presidents to Japan and reigned from the end of the Cold War to the present day," Trump said in a statement. "Our bilateral relationship was critical to navigating the global challenges of those times."
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Editors
Published 6:09 AM EDT Apr 30, 2019
Japan's 85-year-old Emperor Akihito announced his abdication in his final official address to his people Tuesday, ending his three-decade reign. Akihito, the son of Japan’s wartime emperor Hirohito, is the first emperor to abdicate in 200 years. In 2016, Akihito told the nation he was concerned about his age and declining health and wanted to abdicate while he was still capable. With no legal framework to allow a reigning emperor to abdicate, the Japanese government had to pass a one-time law allowing it. The throne will pass on Wednesday to Prince Naruhito, 59, the elder of Akihito's two sons, who will receive the Imperial sword and jewel as proof of his ascension.
Mark Zuckerberg is expected to lay out his vision for the future of Facebook when the CEO gives the keynote address at the company's annual conference for software developers. The speech, a must-watch in the tech industry, comes in the wake of repeated privacy and security scandals that have damaged the company’s reputation since the 2016 presidential election. Last week, the company reported that it may face a fine of up to $5 billion from the Federal Trade Commission for its mishandling of people's personal data. USA TODAY also reported on complaints from the black community that Facebook users' posts have been censored and accounts banned for speaking out about racism.
Democratic leaders will head to the White House Tuesday for their first meeting with President Donald Trump since the longest government shutdown in American history. The ostensible purpose is infrastructure, but they'll first have to swerve around an all-out war underway about testimony and subpoenas stemming from Robert Mueller’s report. Members of the Trump administration plan on stonewalling Congress as House Democrats turn their attention to the aftermath of the Mueller report, while Trump has promised that he plans to fight "all the subpoenas."
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer traveled to Beijing to resume talks Tuesday to try to end a yearlong trade war between the U.S. and China, the world's two largest economies. A Chinese team is scheduled to visit Washington next week for another round of discussions. Mnuchin said: “We hope to make substantial progress in these two meetings.” The two sides are locked in a standoff over the Trump administration’s charges that Beijing steals technology and forces foreign companies operating in China to hand over trade secrets. China is pushing to make its companies world leaders in advanced industries like robotics and artificial intelligence.
McDonald's will slim down its late night offerings in an attempt to streamline service for customers in the wee hours starting Tuesday. Popular staples like the Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets and fries will still be served, but the chain’s Signature Crafted Recipes, buttermilk-crispy-chicken sandwiches, Filet-O-Fish, and premium salads will discontinued after midnight as the fast-food giant transitions to a pared down menu until 5 a.m. This will not impact the daytime menu and the popular All-Day breakfast items.